The TV Addict 

If Paul Ballard spent all of last season attempting to bring down the Dollhouse, how does he justify working for them this season?
Tahmoh Penikett: Obviously he still wants to bring down the Dollhouse, but when we left him at the end of last season, he made an agreement to work for them. Why? Not only did he ensure November/Mellie’s release which gives Paul some peace of mind, he now gets to do some good. Which is where we found him at the beginning of the season. In “Vows,” he used Dollhouse technology to bring down a nemesis of his, Martin Klar (Jamie Bamber). What’s interesting though is what exactly is Paul’s hidden agenda? He has now made a deal with the devil (The Rossum Corporation) and continues to put Echo in harm’s way. And the questions of course are: When is he going to stop and when, or will his conscience get in the way?

What was it like reuniting with your BATTLESTAR GALACTICA co-star Jamie Bamber for the DOLLHOUSE season premiere?
It was awesome. When Joss [Whedon] told me that he had hired Jamie for the job, I didn’t believe him. For ten minutes I sat there going, ‘No you did not!’ and Joss would say, ‘Yeah, I did!’ Having worked with Jamie for five years, he is like family and I loved having him on the show, on my set, playing a completely different character. Obviously we have a lot of BSG fans amongst both the cast and crew and you’d be surprised how many people were like, ‘I can’t believe that’s his real accent.’ His British accent worked so well for an evil gunrunner, I thought he was perfect.

Read the rest of this entry »

The TV Addict with Tamoh Penikett in Los Angeles, January 2009

After parlaying five seasons on the critically acclaimed BATTLESTAR GALACTICA into a starring role in Joss Whedon’s highly anticipated new series DOLLHOUSE, some might say Tamoh Penikett is the luckiest actor in Hollywood. This TV Addict wouldn’t be one of those people.

As recently, we were given the opportunity to interview Penikett, whose incredibly concise and well thought out answers made it clear that ‘luck’ has nothing to do with it.

The following is what he had to say with regards to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA coming to an end, the fate of his character Lt. Karl C. ‘Helo’ Agathon and his role in Whedon’s upcoming DOLLHOUSE.

What would you say you’re more excited for, the premiere of DOLLHOUSE or for people to stop asking you about the identity of the final Cylon?
Tamoh Penikett: [Laughs] Good question! I’m excited about both. I’ll tell you this, from a purely egotistical stand point, I’m just proud of the fact that I’m on two shows at the same time. I think it’s great. I’ve got an incredible series coming to an end that I think fans are going to be really really happy with. Especially the last three episodes where all I will say is that it’s going to be a very just and perfect conclusion for BATTLESTAR. And I’m really excited to be a part of this new Joss Whedon series (DOLLHOUSE). I’ve gone from one successful show to potentially and hopefully another one. I’m a lucky guy.

Was it a challenge to prepare for Helo’s big heroic death scene?
[Laughs] Ahhh… trying to be tricky I see.

I knew you’d be too smart to fall for that one, but can you really blame me for trying?
I understand.There are pictures all over the internet where obviously Helo isn’t doing very well and there is a lot of speculation about what happens to me. All I can say about this is that what happens to Helo is not going to be predictable. A lot of people are going to be really surprised.

Does the internet’s insistence on spoiling everything frustrate you as an actor?
I’ve never understood spoilers. Is not being surprised why you watch a series? The opportunity to enjoy the roller-coaster ride. It’s like sports. I don’t want to know the result. It’s funny, some people like spoilers, some people don’t. I’ve never given any away and I’m not going to start now.

Read the rest of this entry »

Taking a page from the REEL Addict, this TV Addict thought he’d not only take a moment to wish my fellow Canadians a wonderful Canada Day. But use this opportunity to shamelessly highlight some of Canada’s best and brightest that Canada has to offer when it comes to small screen entertainment.

Emily VanCamp
While this TV Addict could spend hours gushing over the brilliance that was Emily VanCamp on EVERWOOD [see clip], not to mention the shock wave her ‘Other’ Walker sent through the BROTHERS & SISTERS household. We’d rather congratulate VanCamp for doing so while remaining Tabloid-free and a shining example for how Bright Young Hollywood should conduct themselves. Here’s hoping our next girl on the list is taking notes.

Shenae Grimes
If you’re reading this and asking yourself, “Shenae who?” Flash forward to Fall 2008, when the CW takes the wraps off its highly anticipated return to this TV Addict’s favorite zip code: 90210.

Tahmoh Penikett
The number one sign you’ve made a good first impression in Hollywood: When your one-note performance in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’S miniseries was so intriguing that producers went out of their way to create an entire subplot based around your characters adventure. The second, catching the eye of Joss Whedon and earning a spot in his highly anticipated new series DOLLHOUSE. January 2009 can’t come soon enough.

Read the rest of this entry »

As if fans needed another reason to worship the brains behind BUFFY, ANGEL and FIREFLY, Joss Whedon has just cast BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’s Tahmoh Penikett in his upcoming FOX pilot DOLLHOUSE. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Penikett will play Paul Smith, an FBI field agent obsessed with the urban myth of Dollhouse and a twisted romantic foil for Echo.” Which let’s face it, is the ideal role for Penikett. Because when you’re half of the union that gave birth to a the first-ever human-cylon baby, ‘twisted romance’ comes with the territory.

In other casting news, TV Addict favorite Eliza Cuthbert [have you seen THE GIRL NEXT DOOR?] will finally return to TV after an endless string of box office failures. Cuthbert has been cast as the female lead in CBS’ one-hour pilot NY-LON where she’ll play a New York literacy teacher/record store clerk trying to make it work with a London stock broker. Hmmm… I wonder which British heartthrob with an insanely [in a good way] dedicated fan base might be available to play the Jim to Cuthbert’s Pam. Still thinking? Need a hint? See photo below!