The TV Addict and Thomas Dekker
Attending Wednesday night’s party celebrating the launch of TERMINATOR THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES was akin to living out an episode of ENTOURAGE. From booze to babes and celebrities every-which-way this TV Addict was well, in TV heaven.
Not surprisingly, I wasn’t the only one.
Dancing away to the beat of his own drummer was TERMINATOR star Thomas Dekker [see video]. And following the year he had, who can blame him.
After surviving nine nerve-wracking auditions, an untimely Writer’s Guild of America work-stoppage and that whole HEROES controversy, the world is finally going to get to witness the fruits of Dekker’s labour as FOX launches their highly anticipated new series TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES.
“It’s not a big day, I’m just going to get some Chinese food,” joked Dekker when I sat down with him at Hollywood’s historic Roosevelt Hotel the following afternoon. “No actually, I’m terrified, I’m very excited and worried. It better do well after all of this!”
‘By all of this’ Dekker is of course referring to not only having shot the first nine episodes of the action-packed adrenaline rush that is THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, but to his time spent over the last few weeks tirelessly promoting how the fight for the future begins tonight at 8PM on FOX.
Just how nervous is Dekker about stepping into the now iconic role of John Connor? “When I first heard about TERMINATOR, my initial reaction was f*ck, they’re going to ruin it. But when I talked to showrunner Josh [Friedman], director David [Nutter] and producer James [Middleton], learned why they wanted to make the show, what it was about and how much they cared, I couldn’t have been happier.”
Which is a good thing, because Dekker sits down with this TV Addict following three hours of non-stop interviews. “This is where as an actor you have to live with yourself and choose projects that you care about,” acknowledges Dekker. “I don’t mind talking for three hours about something I’m proud of and adore. But if I had to talk about something I was embarrassed of… that would not be good.”
Photo Credit: ©2007 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Jill Greenberg/FOX
Dekker will be happy to know that as of this posting, he’s got nothing to be embarrassed about. Negative reviews are few and far between, with the LA Times declaring that “the future looks bright for TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES” and The Hollywood Reporter concurring that “director David Nutter gets the series off to a rousing start, practically packing every frame with suspense, special effects and an urgency that drives this show like an incessant drumbeat.”
Not that big media seems to matter anymore. “Sites like yours [theTVaddict] have been so supportive,” explains Dekker. “It used to be back in the day that as long as you kept Entertainment Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter happy you’d be fine. But the Internet has given a voice to the public, the Internet is the future.”
Yes, the internet is truly a magical place when things are going well. But what about when controversy rears its ugly head? Is Dekker prepared for an entirely new level of fame? One where TMZ and PerezHilton make robots sent from the future look like child’s play.
“Yeah I’m not so much scared of it in my own life, because basically even with the little things I’ve done. I’m used to hearing the sh*t said about me, the lies.”
Cue awkward pause. Could Dekker possibly be referring to the controversy surrounding his role as Zach last year on HEROES? A situation that, if we’re to believe afterelton.com, points to Dekker’s managment requesting that HEROES “straighten up its gay character.”
“HEROES is a great example. This whole thing blew up around the internet and was compete bullsh*t. You can ask me, the HEROES people, I mean… that’s a whole other story, but I’m used to it,” elaborates Dekker. “On the other hand I get why it happens. But it’s disgusting. I think in a way we’ve gotten to a point that the only reality you can find is through the media and that’s very dangerous. There are no repercussions. You can say things about celebrities you would never say to a person’s face. That scares me. That people can commit acts in a complete non-reality. I’m prepared for a lot. Look in my personal life I’m nuts. Crazy clothes, I run around. I’m ready for a lot of sh*t.”
Which brings us full circle to Wednesday’s TERMINATOR launch. Hollywood parties, dancing the night away and Summmer Glau. The comparisons to Vincent Chase and his Entourage aren’t exactly a stretch.
“That was definitely not an entourage. My parents, my girlfriend, I don’t have Hollywood actor friends and I’m certainly not a Hollywood actor,” laughs Dekker. “Everyone’s warning me about this thing that’s about to blow up and I don’t really give a sh*t. I’m just glad to be on a good show and I feel I’m doing okay work.”
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES Premieres Sunday January 13 at 8PM
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