The TV Addict 

Recently, Masi Oka, who plays fan favorite Hiro Nakamura on HEROES was kind enough to take the time to talk to reporters in an effort to assure fans that HEROES: Fugitives is a return to form for the once critically acclaimed series.

What follows is what he had to say with regards to what fans can expect from Hiro in this fourth volume titled “Fugitives,” how the cast took the surprising exits of executive producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb and most importantly, what the return of fan favorite/creative genius Bryan Fuller means to the future of the show.

What are your thoughts on the backlash that HEROES has been taking of late from both fans and critics alike?
Masi Oka: The creative process is one that kind of builds on itself and I think with a show like HEROES, that takes risks and makes bold choices, we do ask for maybe a little patience from the fans and the audience. It’s a journey that may take a little time for both the audience and the critics to get accustomed to.

Did you personally feel that the show had lost its way or were people just being too hard on it because it came out of the box so big, so strong, and so popular? 
I don’t know. It’s so hard with the creative process because we tell so much story, so fast because Tim is all about getting answers quickly and, you know, satiating the audiences’ appetite for what happens next. So I don’t think it’s necessarily lost its way, it’s just trying different paths and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t work. You know, and I think Season 3 when we started Volume 3, they found a different path and they found a way to make it work. 

And Volume 4, Fugitives, is also another completely, where we’re going back to the grounded characters and the central characters and about, you know, the – people trying to live their ordinary lives being hunted now. And that’s a completely different story than we’ve been trying to tell. So it might take a while to get us accustomed to the quote/unquote usual heroes, but it still has the core ensemble captive drama. So, you know, I’m not sure if it’s lost its way, it’s just always different. And, you know, some people will like, you know, some people will respond to the way the story is told in the one volume and maybe not to another. 

Can you give fans a preview of what Hiro will be facing in this new volume?
For me, what’s interesting about Hiro is he starts off this volume powerless which as an actor is interesting to play because you kind of get the joy of rediscovering that power and what it means to be a hero without power. So it’s about adjusting to that and how to live that. How do you live your life knowing that once you were a hero and having – still have facing yourself and also is the people around you that you can still be a hero by helping others — and possibly trying to get the powers back. 

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1. On Critical Backlash
Masi Oka: Every critic is different and people look for different things. So I don’t know if the critics are bashing for the sake of bashing it, but maybe it’s just like a continued – well continuing (stealing the hat) from Season 2. So I’m hoping that, you know, as the episodes progress that they could just go back to what made HEROES great with Season 1 and where Season 3 is headed towards, and then go back to seeing it as, you know, pure entertainment for the whole family.

Season 3 is definitely a lot more fast paced. You know, it’s basically the writers’ answers to what – the feedback we received from the fans. They wanted more – you know, there was fast storytelling, you know, a lot more action and a lot more of the original characters.

2. On Hiro and Daphne
I’m very excited. We’re already shooting Episode 12 and there’s a lot of great shocks and, you know, twists and turns. With Hiro and Daphne, you know, Daphne is kind of like the quintessential nemesis for Hiro. As Batman gets his Joker, Hiro gets Daphne. That said, I see it more like a Wile E. Coyote and a Road Runner scenario except she said more than meep-meep and not as many Acme gadgets although you will see Hiro fall on his face a lot.

3. On the Evolution of Hiro 
One thing we know about Hiro is that he’s always going to be very pure. No matter what it is, he’s going to do what he feels is right in terms of saving the world. While his naiveté might have gone away because of all the tragedy he’s experienced, his purity and his sense of morality will always stay the same.

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HEROES returns on Monday and not surprisingly, we’re not the only TVcentric site to be counting the days. Check out this first look at Entertainment Weekly’s new issue featuring everybody’s favorite hero Hiro.

The massive overexposure of HEROES continues — but this time, it’s for a good cause.

Stars Hayden Panettiere and Masi Oka took some time out of their busy shooting schedule to help promote milk. Says Hayden, “You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. That’s why I drink milk. The protein helps build muscle and some studies suggest teens who choose it tend to be leaner. Cheers to that.” Adds Masi, “My hero? Think hard. It’s milk. Some studies suggest teens who choose it instead of sugary drinks tend to be leaner, plus the protein helps build muscle. So grab a glass. Then you can change the future, too.”Sure Masi claims milk is his ‘hero’ now. But I think any true HEROES fan knows who his REAL hero is!

Post away if you know the answer and click the link below for Masi’s Milk Ad.

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At the recent Global TV UpFront, the TV Addict had the opportunity to sit front row for a brief Q&A with HEROES stars Masi Oka and Adrian Pasdar. Here’s what they had to say about being part of the surprise hit of the season.

What’s it like to be on a hit show where you can be killed off at anytime?
Adrian Pasdar: Why are you looking at me?
Masi Oka: You blew up [in the finale].
Adrian: It’s a little bit unsettling, having an expiration date. But after the first season, we all feel like if we have to go — as long as it helps the show move on — we have no problem moving forward.

Were you surprised at the negative reaction to May’s season finale?
Adrian: I just had this conversation with Tim Kring [HEROES creator]. It was a very expensive episode, with the real trick being how to get every character in the same spot for the final moments. I think we were going in a more emotional direction, whereas the fans expected something different.

Masi Oka: If fans want to see more special effects, thay have to buy more Nissan Versa’s. Next season it will be the Nissan Rogue.

How’s life changed since HEROES become a hit?
Adrian: Masi and I were in New York at around 8PM the night of the NBC UpFront. We thought it would be fun to duplicate the scene in the pilot where Hiro yells “Yatta!” in the middle of Time Square. Funnily enough, we couldn’t have been more invisible. He’s [Hiro's] spinning around, arms waving and this fellow walks up to us and asks if we could take a photo of him. The guy even corrected us on the angle! Totally oblivious to who we were. Of course two blocks later, fans see us and go nuts.

Masi Oka: At least Adrian can grow facial!

It’s events like this that make theTVaddict.com worth the effort. Yes, you heard me. Watching television is serious ‘work’ and today was no exception. This morning, the TV Addict reported live from the 2007 GLOBAL TV UpFront, and believe you me, it was no treat. Especially when I had to suppress an audible groan when HEROES stars Masi Oka and Adrian Pasdar were asked — no doubt the millionth time — who their personal hero was!

Okay, who am I kidding? Stupid questions aside, the Global TV UpFront were as exciting as one would imagine. After-all, it’s not often that I get to sit front row and question HEROES stars Masi Oka and Adrian Pasdar, drink coffee while congratulating BROTHERS & SISTERS star Balthazar Getty on all his success and get the opportunity to chat with the hardest working guy in show-business — Ryan Seacrest.

Now onto the festivities.

The event started off with a Q&A featuring HEROES stars Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura) and Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli). Not surprisingly, Pasdar was tight-lipped on what fans can expect come season two explaining, “When the show first started, the network wanted us to talk to anyone who wanted to talk to us. But now that we’re a hit, we can’t say anything.”

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Masi Oka continues his campaign for the Golden Globe by visiting THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO last night. He opened with a funny homage to Justin Timberlake’s SNL video, and ended with a great new clip from the upcoming January premiere of HEROES. Needless to say, we know who we’ll be rooting for come Monday January 15 on NBC.

Yesterday morning HEROES star Masi Oka (Hiro) took an hour out of his busy day to talk to talk to select members of the media about the upcoming January premiere of HEROES, and what it feels like to be a Golden Globe nominated actor. Masi was surprisingly upfront about the future of the show, what he’d like to see for his character and what it was like working with legendary STAR TREK actor George Takei. And because we know you’re wondering — Yes, Masi does a dead-on Captain Sulu impression!

On what fans can expect from HEROES when it returns on January 22 (9PM NBC):
Masi Oka: The first half of the season was really about each characters discovering their power. The second half is the realization that we actually have these powers and watching our characters grow with them.

The audience will start to see more characters cross paths, as stories combine into each-other. There are definitely some wonderful twists coming up.

On what the future holds for Hiro specifically:
Masi Oka: The next seven episodes revolve around his quest for his sword — which Hiro believes will let him focus his powers and get back the control he’s apparently lost over them. His lack of power [as we saw in the season's final episode when Hiro had to take the bus back to Ando] is tied to his emotional state. Losing Charlie was devastating for him — a sort of jolt of reality. For all that he can do he can’t change the past or the future. Fate is fate, and he can’t change that.

I’ve heard from Tim [Executive Producer Tim Kring] somewhere down the, I’m not going to say when, there will be another love interest for Hiro. She’ll be a new character, not someone we already know.

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This afternoon, the TV Addict will have the opportunity to ask a few questions to HEROES star, and recent Golden Globe Nominee Masi Oka (Hiro). If you’ve got a question for Masi, please feel free to post away.