Interview with the Vampire: 'Moonlight's' Alex O'Loughlin

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By Lisa Gerry Dec 10, 2007, 20:51 GMT

On December 2nd, 2007, the Pole Position Raceway in Corona California decided, on very short notice, to host a Toys For Tots charity campaign, and invited luminaries such as "Moonlight" star Alex O’Loughlin, "Cold Case" star Kathryn Morris, and "Jericho" star Skeet Ulrich, amongst others, to participate.

The members of Moonlightline.com rallied together and donated $1000 worth of toys to be given to needy kids.

The celebrities who attended this indoor event participated in several all-star go-kart races together, narrowing things down until there was a winner. In between these heats, there was the opportunity for the public to compete against their favorite celebrities, with proceeds going to charity.

The stars were very approachable, posing for pictures and answering questions posed by the attendees. This reporter’s short-notice request to Alex for an interview was very quickly granted, and we suddenly found ourselves in a one-on-one interview in the office of the owner of the facility.To some, actor Alex O’Loughlin, 31, appears to have come out of the blue, suddenly appearing on our television sets on CBS’s Friday night sleeper hit, "Moonlight", as reluctant vampire, Mick St John.

O’Loughlin has been in America, pursuing his craft for more than three years now. It appears that he’s had a long road to hoe, getting into the ‘big time’ here in the States.“I’ve been coming out for a few years now. Actually moved out here three years ago, and I was coming out here for a number of years before that and auditioning, and getting representation and the rest. The reason being, because we don’t have a big industry at home. It’s a boutique industry and you take what you can get. But here, everything gets made in L.A, and so, it’s the place to be if you want to be a career actor. So, I’ve done a few little bits and pieces here. It’s not just like you walk into a job like this, you’ve really got to get a few runs on the board and that takes auditioning five days a week for years and hearing the word 'no' a lot.” It’s a surprise to hear that this very talented actor heard that word as often as he suggests. His chameleon-like talent has become very apparent to those who have followed his career, from parts in movies such as "The Invisible," "August Rush," "The Oyster Farmer" and television programs like "Moonlight."Actually, O’Loughlin did star on another popular show before "Moonlight," albeit in a supporting role. Fans quickly noticed the good-looking star’s acting ability, on the FX show “The Shield”, where O’Loughlin played Strike Team member and intended Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) replacement Kevin Hiatt.“'The Shield' was a really great springboard. 'The Shield' was a great introduction to television in America for me. With Moonlight, you never expect what happens. I certainly didn’t expect it. I didn’t expect people to respond the way that they have, and I’m extremely appreciative of it all the same and no, you’re never ready… well, I certainly wasn’t ready for it. I don’t wake up in the morning and see…I just see me, you know what I mean? I just see the person I see every day.I act because I enjoy telling stories and so that people want to come with me on that journey, you know, is real exciting to me, so I look forward to providing my fan base which is growing, as much exciting new stories in the future as I can.”In response to the people who compare "Moonlight" with other vampire shows, O’Loughlin responded.“I’ve heard the comparisons, the whole time. I’ve always known the differences would be dramatic and people on 'Moonlight', the producers, have described it as a more grown up show, Buffy for adults, Angel for adults. You know, 'Buffy' and 'Angel' were great shows, and for what they were, they were a different animal. Moonlight is a different animal. We cater to, I think, a slightly difference audience, though we do have a transition, there is a crossover of those fans of those other shows that have come on board with 'Moonlight'. I feel because we’ve kept the integrity of the genre, noted, we’ve made a few mythological changes. We haven’t gone too far from the drawing board and we’ve done it with integrity and so I think that we haven’t pissed too many people off.”On being told that many fans refer to Coraline/Morgan as “Morgaline”, O’Loughlin responded, “Morgaline?” He draws the name out in a sepulchral voice, laughing. “Sounds like a Dark Lord from Lord of the Rings!”The life of a Hollywood actor is not easy. O’Loughlin works long hours and days to bring this show to life. Real weekends and relaxation time are rare. “The funny thing is, I’m so busy that…this show consumes so much of my life…like I get a half an hour lunch break in an 18 hour day. 10 minutes of which I shovel food into my head and the other 20 minutes I’m usually being interviewed, like this, or reading the next script or in a photo shoot. And so it literally doesn’t stop. And on the weekends, it’s the same thing; I do stuff on the weekends.”This weekend has brought him to the Pole Position Raceway for what is billed as the first annual Pole Position Toys for Tots campaign. O’Loughlin smiles earnestly as he explains his presence.“I really enjoy doing charity, for a good cause, it’s like the least I can do, I really enjoy that stuff. I enjoy giving back."The huge thing on fans’ minds (beyond the emotional rollercoaster of the MickBeth romance – another term he said he had not heard before) is the current writer’s strike by the Writers’ Guild of America. There is a very real fear that the strike might lead to the cancellation of the show, which is the last thing these diehard fans want. In fact, fans that might not normally care about such things are now paying attention to ratings, looking at percentage points and the fractions thereof, and are calculating numbers as they become available each week, posting this information on fan sites such as www.moonlightline.com. Alex closed with this opinion of the current strike situation:“If they get this strike out of the way, sooner, rather than later, we’re a shoe-in. I’m not running the network. I know that they love us, I know that they know how important the show is to the people.”Alex O’Loughlin was indeed a very nice, genuine and open person with whom to speak, and I thank him for the chance for this interview. I know that fans will be pleased to know that I found him to be as genuine in real life as he appears to be in other interview situations.

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GallahDec 10th, 2007 - 22:12:26

Alex seems a very down to earth person which is refreshing in a tough industry of Television and Hollywood. Moonlight is a fantastic show where the 2 leads, Alex O'Loughin and Sophia Myles have great chemistry going on. It is easy to root for their relationship to develop! Good luck Alex!!! Here's hoping the show gets renewed real soon!

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HeatherDec 10th, 2007 - 23:24:36

Great article. I hope the strike does end soon. We need our Moonlight! Vampire Solidarity! Rah! Rah! Rah!

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gastarloverDec 10th, 2007 - 23:49:55

Great interview!! It's nice to know that Alex is so down to earth and so willing to grant an interview at the last moment.

I am a true fan of the show and Alex. I certainly hope the strike comes to an end shortly so we can have more Moonlight (and more MickBeth)!!!

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JuliannaDec 11th, 2007 - 00:11:25

Great interview, Lisa! It's such a great feeling knowing that Alex is such a genuinely nice, down-to-earth guy, that he's just as attractive on the inside as he is on the outside. Makes my appreciation of him as an actor and an individual grow by leaps and bounds.

I have a feeling that America is going to be hearing about Alex O'Loughlin for a very, very long time, as his career blossoms and flourishes.

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Elizabeth LeeDec 11th, 2007 - 00:16:48

Excellent article and interview! Thanks much! I'm really enjoying watching the way this show's story unfolds and the characters grow. It doesn't hurt at all that the main characters are all delightful and gorgeous to look at, not to mention skilled actors who clearly love what they're doing. I do hope sincerely that the writes' strike ends soon - especially for all those poorly affected by it, but also because I'd truly hate to see this show get lost in the scuffle. Let's hope CBS takes note of how much buzz this show and its cast and crew (including the marvelous writers, designers, effects staff, etc.) have created and allows them to come back after the strike! I'll be waiting!

It's been a long time since *anything* on network TV has intrigued me the way this show does.

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JerseyGirlDec 11th, 2007 - 00:34:58

A fine interview indeed. Alex seems to be very down to earth with a good handle on what it is that he wants and where he wants to go with his future. I hope he gets every opportunity to prove himself in the coming months.

Vampire Solidarity! Rah! Rah!

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PineappleishDec 11th, 2007 - 00:47:54

I am so glad that Alex seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He will need it in Hollywood, especially as his star is on the rise. I am hoping that CBS renews Moonlight in the very near future, all this not knowing is giving me an ulcer. :-P Vampire Solidarity Rah Rah Rah!!!

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MCRoxDec 11th, 2007 - 01:24:04

A very well written and informative piece, Lisa Gerry. Thanks so much for this article. It is not often that one reads interviews from a fan perspective and it is wonderful to feel your passion and engagement in the subject matter. This is refreshing.

It's certainly nice to hear that Alex is a nice guy and that the fans of the show raised an impressive sum for a worthy cause. Moonlight is a great show and Moonlight fans well...they rox, in my opinion.

Cheers,
MCRox

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ChristyDec 11th, 2007 - 01:26:02

What a wonderful article! I love to hear when actors (or singers) I like are just as nice as I imagine them to be. Alex was sweet to grant an interview at the last moment. I wish him all the best with Moonlight and any other projects he takes on. He's a marvelous actor with truckloads of talent. I guarantee we'll be seeing more of him in the future, no matter what. You can't hide a flame under a bushel.

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KayDec 11th, 2007 - 01:42:48

What a delightful article, and how lovely Alex O'Loughlin must be in *real Life*, too!
I loved reading this.
I am a massive Moonlight fan, and can only hope it and its awesome cast are with us for a long time to come.
Thank you!! :)

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