A Chat with 'Andromeda Strain's' Eric McCormack

Smallscreen Features

By April MacIntyre May 27, 2008, 14:51 GMT

A&E presents a retooled "The Andromeda Strain" that featured a cast that included Benjamin Bratt. Christa Miller and Eric McCormack on May 26 and May 27. 05/07/2008 - Eric McCormack - A&E World Premiere Screening

05/07/2008 - Eric McCormack - A&E World Premiere Screening "The Andromeda Strain" - Arrivals - The Director's Guild Of America - West Hollywood, CA. USA © Albert L. Ortega / PR PhotosAlso appearing are Ricky Schroder, Andre Braugher, Daniel Dae Kim and Viola Davis starring in the two-part mini-series.McCormack came on the scene in the comedy series, “Will & Grace.” He won the action role of the addiction-afflicted journalist Nash who is hot for the big story in A&E’s mini-series “The Andromeda Strain,” an update of the 1971 film based on Michael Crichton’s classic sci-fi book in which a mysterious viral pathogen kills an entire Utah town and begins to spread. His character Nash still has a sense of humor about his bad fortune.As journalist Jack Nash, McCormack races against government forces trying to silence him permanently.

McCormack spoke to Monsters and Critics and other online reporters last week regarding his role:“[My character] is this very flawed, deeply sardonic reporter with a cocaine addiction,” McCormack told reporters recently. “And I thought, ‘Well, that sounds as far from Will Truman as I can get.’ So I dove right in.McCormack said he enjoyed his hands-on stunt work:EM: The most macho Will Truman ever got was when he beat eggs,” he said.In the midst of all these people talking scientific jargon and medical jargon, [my character] is this very flawed, deeply sardonic reporter with a cocaine addiction. And I thought well, that sounds as far from Will Truman as I can get. So I dove right in.Did you see the original film?EM: I saw it years ago when I was too young to remember. I was probably nine or 10 when it first aired on television. So I don’t remember it that well and I didn’t watch it again because I think it is vastly different.I think the major difference is that it was very much science fiction at the time and I think now it’s a little closer to science fact. I think once you have guys with tuberculosis getting on international flights and countries like China denying the SARS outbreak—the concept of government and the military covering up something like this—… it felt like it absolutely could be happening.I think the differences [between the original film and the update] are what’s going to make it much more exciting. This isn’t a remake by any means. This is a complete reimagining of what something like this would be like if it really happened in 2008.Did you have anyone in mind playing the television reporter?EM: I wanted to give him the seriousness of Anderson Cooper when he first broke out. But I also think this guy has a Geraldo Rivera side to him; he’s a little sensationalist. I also threw a little Hunter S. Thompson in there as well.Did you ever feel like you were making a completely different movie from the rest of the cast?EM: It’s very much three films. There is the doctors locked away underground trying to solve this problem; there’s the military-political side of it, which I think makes it very interesting, very current and very espionage.Then there’s me, in my won little movie, running through the desert trying to get word to somebody. I’m like Chicken Little trying to tell everyone the sky is falling.I loved that because I think … You couldn’t remake this story without some media character. We are so reliant on 24-hour news stations and constant information …The fact that Jack Nash is the only chance humanity has of hearing about this is sad, but exciting.How do you think Eric would handle a crisis like this?EM: I don’t think, like Jack Nash, I’d immediately tear my shirt off.I think having a child changes all of that. We all have those nightmares where we have feet of clay in an emergency situation. I now know that if anything were to happen with my child in the room I would act immediately.If there were an earthquake in Los Angeles and he was in school, I’d drive like a son-of-a-bitch across town. I think that protective part of you kicks in.I’d like to think that in an emergency I’d be prepared.How phobic are you about germs and contagions? Did this movie infect your thinking in any way?EM: I tend to be extremely trusting. I just sort of have the feeling that the good people at the super market probably washed that lettuce. I’m sure it’s fine.And I probably shouldn’t. I probably should have let the movie affect me more. And not just the movie, but the news every day. It is a world where the next germ could be a killer …I am washing my hands more.How stressful was it doing all the action in this movie?EM: It was nice to be macho again. The most macho Will Truman ever got was beating eggs. I love that desert stuff.Is this the direction you want to go, action movies?EM: Your lips to Spielberg’s ear. I’d love that.There was actually a time during the shooting of this when I though, “Jack Nash, now that sounds like a TV show.” You know what I mean? He’s a bit of s son of a bitch. He’s going to get his story one way or the other. He’s sort of a coward but he ends up finding his mettle.I would love to do more of that—certainly the blowing up of the helicopter and all that stuff. It was great.Jack Nash grows a lot to, from an addict to responsible journalist. Was that satisfying for you to play?EM: Yes, totally. I think any actor will tell you that no matter how much fun something is there has to be some kind of growth.You rarely get it with a villain, but with a guy like this … Nowadays most heroes on television shows are flawed because we’re tired of the white hat.What I love about this guy is that he’s going to get his story, in the beginning, no matter what. But he’s going to get it for selfish reasons, for the glory. But by the end he’s going to get that story out to save people—and that’s a really nice growth.Did you read the book for research?EM: I didn’t do a lot of reading beforehand. I actually got [the script] very close to the start of the shoot. I thought the script was already really good. There wasn’t a sense of going into it and thinking, “Well, I fix that on the day.” It was really strong.Did you relate at all to Jack Nash? Do you share any traits with him?EM: Well I do. I think, for me, you get so used to as actors playing doctors and lawyers and cops—and really there’s not that much we have in common with them. Their work is so much more dangerous and important and complicated.Whereas with Nash, being someone who is in front of the camera. Rather than an actor I might have been an on-camera reporter. I definitely related to him.And what is, I think he’s on camera for the glory. I think he’s selfish, pompous ass in that Geraldo Rivera way. But I think that also, through the story, he discovers that there is another reason he became a journalist—the more altruistic reasons.Did you have a favorite part of filming?EM: I loved the stunt stuff when the helicopter went down. There was a stunt guy involved in some of it but I also got to leap from the helicopter.I didn’t get to do a lot of that on “Will & Grace.” That was probably one of my favorite days.Then there was a speech that I have in the second act when I’m wandering through the desert and I fall to my knees and I pray to God that if he just lets me through this one I’ll never snort coke again. That was probably my favorite piece of writing.What was the most challenging scene for you to pull off?EM: There were a few—the helicopter explosion and jumping and running and diving. There was also a chase scene in which I’m driving rather fast through the desert and that was pretty cool because I got to do all that myself.Whenever I’m given permission to drive really fast I’m happy.Was there something special about this because the producers were Ridley Scott and Tony Scott?EM: I went into it knowing that I’m probably not going to meet them. They’re executive producers; they’ve got other things going on. …I asked them to do another screening for my dad. There standing in from of Scott Free Productions is Ridley, just having a breath of fresh air.I don’t think he recognized me for a minute. We went in a sat down and someone came up to me and said “Ridley wants to talk to you.”He came up and he was very effusive and lovely and I was able to introduce my dad. Then we went in to watch the screening and an assistant came in with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses and said, “This is from Ridley.”I got to watch the screening of this with a bottle of wine courtesy of Ridley Scott, which was pretty neat.