In June 2014, the world was introduced to THE LAST SHIP. Loosely based on the 1988 novel of the same name by William Brinkley, created by Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane, the series was set in a post-apocalyptic world where a pandemic had wiped out 80% of the world’s population. The only individuals unaffected by the virus was the crew of US Navy Ship guided missile destroyer, USS Nathan James. It fell to the crew of the Nathan James, “The Spear of the Navy”, to find a cure, stop the virus and save humanity. Since that time, we have travelled the globe with Nathan James and its crew, fighting injustice, fighting for survival of the world, and holding up to ideals, ethics, and integrity that is often difficult to find. And through it all, we have watched humanity at its best and worst. Starring Eric Dane, Adam Baldwin, Bridget Regan, Charles Parnell, Travis Van Winkle, Kevin Michael Martin, Marissa Neitling, Jocko Sims, Emerson Brooks, and Bren Foster, THE LAST SHIP was a huge success from the moment it set sail. And as we have seen over the past five seasons, the show’s popularity has been due not only to its high production values, superior writing and consistently excellent direction, but a cast whom the global audience has come to know and love.
As we count down the hours to the final episode of the season and the series, airing this Sunday, November 11 at 9pm ET/9pm PT, I had a chance to speak with one of the most popular crew members of the Nathan James, BREN FOSTER. Best known as SCPO Wolf Taylor, Bren had a diverse career prior to joining the crew of the Nathan James. An international multi-disciplined martial arts champion and trained actor, his acting career led him from television one-offs like Melissa & Joey to a multi-year stint on the soap opera Days of Our Lives to feature films pitting him against the likes of Steven Seagal in Maximum Conviction and Force of Execution, as well as films like Osiris Child, Infini and Terminus. Bren has even provided the voice of Max Rockatansky in the Mad Max video game. But it’s with his portrayal of the warrior known as Wolf, Bren gained an unprecedented following of fans, not to mention stretching his own acting and athletic prowess.
Knowing Bren for a number of years now, in addition to following his career trajectory, it was impossible to not speak with him at length about THE LAST SHIP, Wolf Taylor and what the future now holds. Take a look – and a listen – to this exclusive interview with BREN FOSTER. . . .
It breaks my heart to see the show ending, Bren.
I know, it’s sad. Yeah. It is what it is, I guess. It’s, I guess, the powers that be. They decided that this was the run. And I think TNT want to take their channel in a different direction. It is sad. I think all of us are a little bit disappointed, but I guess it’s time to move on and see what else is on the horizon.
How important, because THE LAST SHIP is really one of the shows that you guys have all embraced, is the whole social media aspect, the whole live-tweeting? We’re used to seeing that on the Hallmark channel with the more of the little romantic rom-coms or light dramas on Hallmark, but we’ve never really seen social media explode the way it has with THE LAST SHIP, which is a die-hard drama. Have you guys been surprised by that?
No, not really. With social media, I can only really speak for myself, but if people take the time to write to me, I try to always … I try, I’m not saying I’m perfect at it, but I try to respond when I can. Sometimes there’s a lot of people, and sometimes I miss messages of course. But, I think, yeah, I personally try to respond, so I think that perpetuates the social media aspect and gets more people talking, more people involved, more people tagged. There was I think my last show, like Days of Our Lives, there was a little bit of Twitter involved then, but not to the same extent that it’s been on THE LAST SHIP. It seems that the fans are just kind of, and the level of interaction that we get is, kind of phenomenal, actually. It’s got it great! But, yeah, it is surprising, but I can’t explain it. I guess the fans just really love the show, and they’re happy to interact with us, which is fortunate for us and the show, I guess.
LISTEN: BREN FOSTER talks about the impact of the fans and social media on THE LAST SHIP
I found it to be quite interesting, and I’m looking at the people that are live tweeting, and even after the fact when they’re seeing it. They couldn’t see it live, and then they’re seeing it after the fact, and still a day later, or two days later, and it’s like, “Oh my god! I can’t believe that happened.” I don’t recall ever seeing on social media with fan interaction seeing this level of emotional outpouring continue after the episode airs.
Yeah, yeah. I think that’s partly due to the fact that with today’s climate of you can watch things the next day, record it, or catch up at your own leisure, people are constantly pouring through those social media avenues. You might get the live audience who watched it live, and then they’re corresponding with us on social media, and then a couple of days later all of the people who have recorded it, and then watched it then. They’ve got their part they want to get across or the messages that they want to relay on social media. Yeah, you’re right, absolutely. You can have the episode, and then that episode kind of triggers something on social media for that entire week, which is fantastic.
How surprised have you been with the trajectory that the character of Wolf has taken over the past five seasons?
I don’t know if surprised has been the word, but they kind of haven’t kept him one-dimensional. When I look at the writing, it also comes down to me how I interpret something, how I can take something another way, because if you just read the writing you’ve got a number of ways you can interpret it. Could you just always keep him as this like bulletproof Superman that just runs through everyone, or do you find moments where he really does embrace the vulnerable side or the human side of him? You know what I mean? I don’t know about being surprised by any character, but I think it’s just trying to make him a well-rounded human being, and not keeping him at one level. He is more so than any of the other characters, he’s true warrior. He personifies the warrior ethos. That’s not out of arrogance for Wolf, or out of false bravado, or anything like that. It’s out of his code of ethics. It’s the standard that he holds himself to. He’s pure warrior, and that’s one of the things why he likes Azima (Jodie Turner-Smith) so much because she kind of represents a part of who he is, and that is why they kind of gelled so well together as a power couple. Yes, I don’t know. I guess I am surprised at different times, but I don’t know. There’s so many answers I could give you for that.
LISTEN: BREN FOSTER talks the character of Wolf
Because of your own athletic prowess, and your incredible martial arts skills, how much has that influenced the writing of the character of Wolf over the years?
I think it has influenced the writing. They’ve given my character a lot of physical stuff, from whether it’s been scuba diving to climbing up buildings with all the poles, all the fight scenes, to giving me a bayonet, and asking me to wield a machine gun with a knife attached on the end as a weapon, taking out stunt guys. I think that has, that’s definitely influenced the writing. It’s like, “Oh, Bren. Oh, yeah. He can do this type of stuff, so let’s definitely give that to him.” But I think that physical side that I was able to bring to Wolf enhanced the character and that little point of difference, that little edge that not all the other characters had, obviously, but we’re all individuals. All the characters are very different from each other. That’s one of his defining attributes, which kind of separates Wolf from everyone else, is the fact of the aggression and the unarmed combat skills that he possesses.
And going with those combat skills because I’m sure you remember, I worked second unit for a number of years, which was always work in the stunt units. That’s why I love stuff like this, and it’s why when you did the whole walk up the wall with the poles the other week, that, to me, was one of the most incredible things I had ever seen done because that requires physical skill and balance to do. It’s just this side of parkour, I think.
Yeah, no, you’re right. You’re absolutely right, yeah.
But one of the other things is it’s one thing for you to do martial arts, one thing for you to do combat, but then you throw on all the gear that they pile on you because you aren’t doing any of these sequences stripped down without heavy gear on you. How does that impact, and how has it impacted your physical performance in terms of executing because I know you choreograph your own fights.
Yes, I do, yeah.
I’m curious how that has impacted your fight choreography and your actual movement.
Yeah, you’re totally right, Debbie. We have a lot of weight on us. We’ve got a heavy machine gun. We’ve got belts. We’ve got the sidearm. We’ve got the vests. So at times, we’re really, really weighed down. Luckily enough, I’m able to have these short, and with the fight scenes, I keep them very short and explosive, so they’re very fast, explosive movements, and they’re not very flamboyant. I try and keep the choreography in terms of reality-based combat. You can do all these jumping, fancy spins and twists and all that, and they look wonderful even on film, but at the end of the day they’re just not practical in a real sense. So, I know the character, and I know who he is, which is a soldier. I wanted to keep everything very fast, very quick, and very practical. That also helped with having all that stuff on. I was able to sling the rifle to my back a lot of the time, and then the hands are there. Or, I generally go to hands once I lost my weapon. It is harder having all that stuff on you, and a lot of the time I’ve got these big ass leather boots on. Sometimes there’s been times when we’re dressed in all the black gear. It’s a big chunky boot, and it’s heavy. Then trying to do a fight scene in that is kind of difficult. You’re in it all day long, and you’re trudging around in it, so you do have to be mindful and try and tailor the choreography around having all that equipment on you as well.
So, yeah, it has been difficult, but I’ve been able to make it work. It hasn’t slowed me down too much. I’ve been able to carry it with me. I think I’m quite explosive and in short bursts, so with using that explosiveness to my advantage, and in short bursts, it didn’t seem to affect me, carrying all that extra weight. But, mind you, it would take more energy and more effort on my part to maintain that level of performance, and that level of speed that I want to perform at when I’m doing the empty fight scenes, the empty hand fight scenes. So, just makes it harder in a nutshell. A long-winded waffle explanation I just gave you. [laughing] When it comes down to it, just makes it harder, but I manage to be able to do it still.
LISTEN: BREN FOSTER talks about the action aspect of THE LAST SHIP, fight choreography and movement
It’s a great explanation. But, now with that in mind, how many takes have you normally had to do to nail those sequences and those explosive bursts?
I’m pretty spot on, Debbie. I don’t want to try and be tooting my own horn, but because it’s TV, we don’t have like hour after hour, take after take with my fight scenes. So, I get maybe a couple times to get it right, and that’s it. Most of the time I’m nailing it every time. In Episode Six on Season Three, we did a big machete fight with a friend of mine, Ron Balicki, and the entire fight didn’t make the final cut. They only used a very small portion of it, but that actual fight went for awhile. They did film it all, but we went through every bit of that fight scene flawlessly. We didn’t mess up. Every take could have been used. I’m pretty spot on. I’m pretty accurate and thorough with my fight stuff. I don’t mean to pass the buck, but sometimes it’s very true the other guy. If I’m taking out the stunt guy, that they will come in too late, or they’re not quite quick enough, or they’re not quite there. That’s the only real time things kind of get messed up. But, other than that, it’s pretty good. Because it’s TV, I have to get it done. I have to get it done very quickly, which was the case also for the fight scene that you’re going to be seeing this weekend.
I’m dying! I can’t wait for Sunday night! I talked to Al Coronel and Emerson [Brooks] about this in the past, and number one, Al being a former Marine, was beyond impressed and he couldn’t say enough about the show and the military correctness that comes into play, and also the military consultants involved with the show. How instrumental has the military assistance, and their “oversight” for procedure and form and things like that, how instrumental has that been for you in getting into the role of Wolf and this whole idea of the collaborative [team approach], because martial arts is a singular sport, but here you’re on the Nathan James. You’re out there in Vulture Team, and it’s collaborative. It’s a group effort. So, I’m curious how actual military people giving insight and overseeing things, how that impacted the collaborative nature of your performances?
I think it gave us a level of authenticity. It made sure that everything that we were doing was in line with the rules or the regulations, for lack of a better term I guess of the Navy. It made sure that what we were doing in representing these characters, that they were authentically alive with what the Navy do in their everyday lives. So, yeah, I think the main thing on that was the authenticity we were able to have, and portray to the audience, and to have the navy happy with what we’re doing, I think that was just another bonus. So, yeah, that’s definitely the main thing, just the authenticity it gave us, and allowed us to convey through our characters.
Is that something that is personally important to you in a show like THE LAST SHIP, which focuses on and is centralized within the military, as opposed to a one-off role somewhere else, where, okay, you’re a soldier. But, here, that military authenticity is so key as you’re watching it. Does it matter more to you with a show like THE LAST SHIP to have that authenticity?
Definitely. Authenticity is something that no matter what an actor plays, it’s something you want. If you’re not true to your character, or true to their circumstances, or true to their life. If you’re not true to your character, or true to their circumstances, or true to their life, it’s more or less, bad acting. If you’re really going to embody the character and really take it on seriously and really do the character justice, you need to embrace all aspects of that character. So if they are a soldier, if they’re in the Navy, and you consider yourself someone who takes pride in their acting, then it’s your responsibility to know all that. It’s your responsibility to embrace all that. So I think it’s important beyond measure, not only for a soldier but just, as an actor in general, you want to make sure that you’re generally taking on everything that you’re responsible for, as a character, otherwise, it’s just, sorry for my language, it’s just bullshit. You’re just faking. Be authentic. The audience deserves that. If they’re going to tune in and they’re going to watch you every week or they’re going to write you on social media, you have a responsibility to do the best bloody job you can. And if you’re not, then you should be in another profession.
LISTEN: BREN FOSTER talks the importance of authenticity of character and performance
Up until this season, it has been about building the camaraderie, the collaborative nature of the crew of the Nathan James. This season, it has been about losing pieces of that collaboration. How has that emotional roller coaster affected, not just you, but the other cast as each episode is unfolding? Because now you’re over a year and a half later watching what you shot. So, I’m curious, how the emotional rollercoaster is, after watching all of these friendships and these collaborations build up, and now one by one, and some weeks, we’re seeing two and three drop. So, I’m curious how that affected the performance? The emotional aspect of the performance?
Yeah, I mean, again, it kind of adds to what I was saying before. Even in this circumstance, you have to embrace that loss. You have to really think about what these characters mean to your character, their relationships. So, for Wolf, you’ve got to understand, with Miller, Miller was a close friend. Burk was a friend. He had relationships with these two guys, in particular. And seeing Burk go, the other week, was quite hard on Wolf. Knowing Miller lost his legs, was quite hard. So, this makes loss very real for Wolf. And he’s had conversations with Azima thinking it’s time to move on, I’ve kind of had enough of war, that’s spoken about life beyond war. About getting out of this and living a life. And then when the reality kicks in, of his friends dying, his friend losing his legs, it weighs heavy on him because it shows, “Hey, you could be next. Hey, Azima could be next. This is where it might end for you, there might be no more.” So, it does take its toll, it definitely takes its toll on Wolf. Even when he hurt his leg, he … done for, you guys go, but they never left him. So, this season, in particular, it’s taken on a toll on Wolf. He’s emotionally disrupted. There is PTSD is kind of setting in on him. There’s the realization of true loss, people really close to him, he’s losing. So it’s weighing heavy on him now. And it’s all coming down to this last episode.
To follow up on the emotional aspect, how has the emotionality has affected your performance this year. I think one of the key things is that because of the loss that Wolf has been facing, that’s one of the driving forces that makes the power couple of Azima and Wolf so wonderful to see. And this is a new thing for Wolf. We really get to see him get really attached to somebody.
Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. I totally agree with that. Totally agree. It’s like every female who tends to be around him tends to move on. He lost Ravit, even though she was more like a sister. And then, Val, who he had just started a new relationship with. And so he’s endured a lot through the course of the season.
Of course, now we already know that he gets stuck buying dinner for Azima.
Yeah, cause she bought him some time, right? [laughing]
That’s right. You were going to have to buy dinner anyway.
Exactly, exactly!
LISTEN: BREN FOSTER talks about the impact of loss on the character of Wolf
How fun has it been to play with Jodi [Turner-Smith]?
Jodi’s very, as an actor, she’s great. She commits 110 percent. And much like myself, I can commit and once that camera says go and the moments leading up before we hit action. I’m totally there. When there’s, I’m totally committed. And what a blessing it is to have someone who’s on the same page as you, really rocking and ready to go. And completely committed to her character. So, it was an absolute blessing to work with someone who was so committed.
But then again, I have to ask about the guys, and building this great camaraderie with the guys, over the five seasons. There’s a sensitivity, there’s a brotherhood there, and it’s not what you typically associate with male relationships where it’s chest pumping, and drinking beer, and all of that. There are some deep conversations that have gone on and developed over the seasons. And it is something unique. And surprisingly, a lot of this has come from two female writers, from Katie [Swain] and from Onalee [Hunter].
Yeah, they have a really good understanding of it, haven’t they? I just think that’s a testament to their talent. So in that space, we’ve been really fortunate to have them. Even though they are female writers, it just goes to show that they’ve got a good thing started, they understand the male psyche, as well, and they can kind of take it to that deeper level, so it’s as you said, it’s not just chest pumping and having a beer or two. It’s actually getting some emotional attachment to each other. So yeah, I guess they just elevated everything because of their insight.
Because the writing has been so outstanding, from beginning to end, the writing on this show, and how the television Academy has overlooked it, I don’t know, I don’t understand, but this is first class writing. So how difficult is it going to be for you in the future now when you’re reading scripts to find another project with this caliber of writing?
Yeah. There are gonna be those projects that resonate with you and that make you look at them, and you’re like, “Wow.” There’s always gonna be those projects come along. But that being said, not … they’re few and far between. There’s a lot of stuff that comes through, and you read it and you’re like, “Oh okay.” And you read it, and you think, “Okay, why did I just spend that whole hour reading this script? That’s one hour I’m not gonna get back.” You kind of don’t feel an attachment, you know, excited by it. And sometimes that writer that really produces something that, it has something to say, and it is meaningful, and it really draws you to it. So I guess you get used to a certain level of, or standard say, of writing over the past four years. And that’s, I guess that’s a standard you’ve gotta be looking for. I think it’s a blessing in disguise, well, not in disguise, it’s a blessing because it just elevates the standard that you’re gonna be attracted to because it’s what you’re used to. So I don’t know. I guess when each project comes, and each script comes my way and I have a read, I’ll be able to be like, “I like this, don’t like this, like this, don’t like this,” because I’m used to receiving a certain level of stuff.
You’ve had many directors over the seasons. I think most notable are the episodes that Peter Weller has been directing. Peter, for whatever reason, he really knows how to tap into character and the gravitas of emotion. So I’m curious, with all, what have you learned as an actor through the various directors that you have had the chance to work with over the course of THE LAST SHIP?
Peter’s very efficient, which I like. I really like Paul Holahan, too. Enjoyed working with Paul a lot. There’s been a couple of female directors that were pretty great too, like, I think one I really liked was episode three and, oh God, her name is alluding me at the moment. It will come to me. But I think it was episode three. She was pretty good too, I liked her a lot. But all in all, our directors have been pretty good. And I think, what do you learn? I think the biggest thing you learn is to adapt to each individual director’s style. I mean, what’s gonna work for one director may not necessarily work for the other, so you’ve gotta be open and flexible. So that’s definitely the biggest thing I’ve learned, is just to be open and flexible, and when the directors are there and they’re trying their best to get things done, you just wanna move with them, and work as a team, and make everything run smoothly.
Do you ever see yourself stepping into the directing chair? Be it directing lead director, or even second unit work? Stunt work?
As of now? Maybe not. Not right now. I’m more interested in, I’ve got a few of my own stories with some very talented Australian friends of mine. There’s a particular really good friend of mine named Shane Abbess, who I’ve already done a couple of movies with, and we’ve got three films that we’ve kind of collaborated on together. But more so, it’s more about the story and the writing side of things at the moment. Not really interested in directing. The most talented director I know is this gentleman, Shane. Shane Abbess. He’s a good friend of mine. So I’m not really interested in that right now. It’s more about the acting, and more about the stories, and the screenplays that I’d like to see move forward and get up.
You know I still want to see you and Scott Adkins pair up in something!
[laughing] We’ve spoken a couple of times. He actually called me for, what was the film? Accident Man. But I wasn’t available, I was on, obviously on THE LAST SHIP. But to be honest, Scott is a lovely guy from the time that we’ve spoken on the phone. But I don’t know if that’s the route that I want to go. I just don’t know. I really don’t. I know I’ve got this martial arts kind of thing that I do, but I don’t know. I’m kind of in a funny place at the moment. I think I’m going for more relationship-type material, not necessarily male-female relationship, but like fathers, children. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s being five years, so four years on a show like THE LAST SHIP, where it’s all been heavy action, heavy guns, and then with the emotional turmoil going on with that. I just really not sure where I want to go next. I guess I’m just treading the waters, and but hey, you never know. Something with Scott could be pretty cool. But at this stage, I just have no idea where I want to go. Just really not sure.
Well, actually, I think you’re gonna end up being the next Hugh Jackman. But you know, that’s just my opinion.
Let’s have that come true! That would be really nice! Yep. I would so much love that! That would be a role that I’d [take]. And believe it or not, that is my favorite Marvel superhero franchise film, whatever you’d like to call it. I’m not too big on the other ones. I don’t mind them, but because of the darkness and the inner turmoil and how gritty and emotional, especially Logan, was and the relationship with the little girl. That was just amazing. Something like that, I can look at and be like, “Oh my God.” I have seen that film probably three times, four times already, and I could literally go and sit down and watch it again from start to finish, no problem. Just to me, it’s an amazing film. My favorite super movie, superhero movie of all time.
I love that film. And for the very reasons you just said. The darkness, and the emotional turmoil and conflict within. That is the kind of film that you really, as an actor you just really wanna sink your teeth into. Pardon the pun.
Absolutely. Oh absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely!
LISTEN: BREN FOSTER talks about the most memorable takeaway from THE LAST SHIP
With THE LAST SHIP wrapping up this Sunday night, as you sit back and you reflect over your time shooting, and the time in between while Steven had it in post-production forever because it’s very, very post-production heavy. There’s so much CGI going on in here, and with the caliber of show that is continually pumped out, it takes even more time to create that. But now that it’s all coming to an end this Sunday night, as you reflect back on your time, what will be the most memorable thing that you take away from this experience?
Oh wow. If I could say the experience. It’s gotta be the relationships. It’s gotta be the moments sitting down when you’ve got Kevin Michael Martin making me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. It’s gotta be listening to Jocko Sims stories. Sitting around with Travis [Van Winkle] and Bridget [Regan]. Watching Travis and Bridget. Watching Jodie dance to music on set and then literally flicking a switch and being 100 percent Azima. And I think that particular circle, from Kevin to Jocko to Bridget to Travis to Jodie … that particular circle, I think that’s where most of the good memories and the moments in between takes, the moments before and after action and the feelings afterward. Especially, there was a moment when … I don’t know if you know, but the time when my leg got blown up in Episode Four. That was a pretty significant moment because we actually improvised that scene and it was the first time we ever really kind of been allowed to just go and improvise it. And then Bud Kremp and Katie Swain came out of the tent after watching the monitors and they were both crying. So that originally went for a lot longer that scene and obviously, it’s been cut down to like a 44-minute show to fit on television. So they’re not going to use the whole scene there, everything that we improvised, but they used a quick little chunk of it. That particular moment with the four of us there, that’s an experience I’ll remember before and after that. Everyone was fully committed and as I said, just all the other moments from Jocko to Kevin, Travis … just everyone being all together and the laughs, the good times.
I remember saying to the guys once and I remember we walking to one of the scene stages and we were all laughing and we were having a really good time and I said to them, “Guys, you know one day this is going to end? We’re here all the time, we kind of take it for granted, we laugh, we be silly, we muck around, we go on set, we go off set, we go home, we come … but you see this, what we’re doing now?” and I looked and everyone’s in a great mood, everyone’s smiling and laughing, and I said, “This is going to end one day and we’re going to look back and we’re going to remember these moments.” There was a little moment of silence.
It was like pulled out of a movie, but there was a little moment of silence, but they were like, “Yeah, you’re right, you’re right.” I think Kevin actually said it to me last time I saw him. He was like, “Remember you said that?” And I said, “Yeah, I do remember I said that, mate. I do remember I said that.” These are the experiences that I’m going to remember and hold dear. And yeah, they’re all going to be with me, no one can take them away from me because they’re my memories and they’re something I’ll hold onto dearly.
So what did you personally learn about yourself in the process of making THE LAST SHIP? You bounced around with films, soap operas, one-offs thing here, Osiris Child, Force of Execution, Maximum Conviction, Days of Our Lives, but what did you with THE LAST SHIP, what did you learn about yourself that you can now take forward into your future projects?
Oh, what did I learn about myself? I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Debbie, but I learned and particularly from THE LAST SHIP, I learned that I the capacity for more. That I can … because in this career you second guess yourself sometimes. You’re like, “Oh, you know.” But I felt like being on THE LAST SHIP, it really kind of enhanced the belief that there’s more to come. That there’s a next phase to come, the next level, the next stage, the next I don’t know. But there’s more to come in a sense. So I learned that I’m capable of much more and that it’s coming and that good things are on the way. What they are? I don’t know, but that’s how I feel now. That’s just how I’m feeling. I guess you can quote me on this part of my life where that’s how I’m feeling about The Last Ship and I guess, we’ll see what happens with that. I don’t know. We’ll see.
Well, I know something that everybody’s going to be looking forward to and I know I can’t wait to see it, is The First Key. You shot in Prague. You got to work with Randy [Couture] who is an absolute sweetheart.
He’s awesome. Lovely man. Lovely, lovely man.
What can you tell me about The First Key because this goes into the sci-fi genre again, much as Osiris Child did? Do you have any idea when that’s going to be out of post-production and out in distribution or is it going to do a fest circuit again?
Yeah, yeah. I don’t know. I’ve kind of been kept out of the loop with what’s been going on. I know I did some ADR for it a few months back when I was in Australia. I don’t know if it’s going to be called The First Key or Alpha Code. Originally it was called Alpha Code, then it went to The First Key and the last thing I heard is that the name will be reverting back to the Alpha Code. So I have no idea when it’s going to be released. I know it’s been dubbed over in the Czech language, which means there’s going to be some sort of European Czech release. To what extent, I don’t know. I don’t know if they’re releasing it Europe first and getting some feed behind it and then bringing it here. But, it’s heavily based … the whole movie is heavily based around my character. I know they’re doing special effects so I’m really hoping that the special effects do the film justice because as an actor, I’m really committed to the script and I think that’s what it’s gonna come down to, is the special effects are done really well, it will be a nice little film. But that’s it, I don’t know how it’s turned out. I went there, I did my job to the best of my ability and I left it all there. I know the producers, particularly the Czech producer, Milan Friedrich, he’s over the moon with what he has. I’m just waiting to see the finished project.
So I don’t know if it’s going to be great. I don’t know if it’ll be just okay. I don’t know if it’s going to be bad. I just have no idea. So I guess we’re gonna just have to wait and see. It was a great production value. The Czech crew were amazing. There was some of the Czech cast, there was a guy called Peron and I’m not going to even attempt his name. He was a fantastic actor. There was Sabina Rojkova, who’s a young Czech actress, who’s a star. She was amazing. Randy was great to work with, he’s such a great guy. And they had such a deep respect for the arts over in Czech and the cameramen, the whole crew, they really embrace and they respect the process of the actors. They have so much integrity and they hold themselves to a high standard with the work that they produce. I could see it when sometimes I’d look at the stuff that they shot on a monitor and it looked great. But as I said before, I’m just hoping that the special effects that need to go in are done to a high level and high standard so it complements everything else in the film. It’s not such a sci-fi film. It’s very human-relationship based with that sci-fi element that will pop up at times. But it’s more about the characters and the relationship between Martin Fell, who I play, and his daughter and his wife and him trying to piece together what’s happening because he doesn’t remember. It’s a very hard thing for me to explain, so I’m just going to leave it at that without giving the story away. But once you see it, tell me if you like it or not.
I can’t wait. You know that I see everything you do.
Oh God, thank you so much!
And I have to ask you, how are your back and your shoulder doing after surgery?
It’s doing good. Yeah, no, it’s been good. The arm’s getting good, the shoulders getting good after that surgery. Starting to get really strong again and it’s starting to catch up in size to the other side, the other arm, because after surgery it goes away. The back’s good. I’m training hard. We were just training today actually before lunch this morning. I’m back into everything. I’m back into my jiu-jitsu, back into the Tai Kwan Do, the Muay Tai … boxing. I’m feeling pretty good. The strength training I’m doing, I’m getting stronger and fitter and everything’s good. So the body’s coming back together as it should be.
Is there anything on the plate right now that you’re looking at or are you just going to wait and spend some time with the new baby and all of that and be a family man?
I’d like to start the new year with some great stuff. I think I’ve been back from Australia for probably almost a month now. So I have to get here and take a few meetings to get some new representation here in the United States, which I did, which is great. And so it’s kind of a bit of a fresh start and a relaunching of myself. So I’m really looking forward to that. We’re heading into Thanksgiving now and pretty much Christmas so everything’s starting to wind down for the year, which is okay. But yeah, I’m really looking forward to getting the ball rolling and seeing what the new year brings here, which I’m planning to be hitting it with everything I got.
Now I know you can’t tell me anything about Sunday night’s finale episode of THE LAST SHIP, other than that I will be on the edge of my seat, I will be biting my fingernails and I will be clutching my heart because I will be ready to go into cardiac arrest, I suspect..
Right. Yup. Yup. But don’t do that! No cardiac arrest!
What will you be doing during the finale?
I’ll be watching and I’ll be on Twitter too, with everyone. I’m definitely gonna try to do East and West coast. I’ll be there for both. I’ll do my best. No, I’ll be there. I’ll be there. The only thing that can stop me is if my wife has our baby, which is due within the next few weeks.
I know that the fans will just go crazy if you aren’t there for the last night. But I think the baby is a priority.
That’s the only thing that would take me away, but other than that I will be there.
I can’t thank you enough, Bren. This has been an absolute, absolute joy.
And thank you so much Debbie too, for always being in contact and always supporting the show and everything I’ve done. I sincerely appreciate it.
