From:

Michelle Rene Thomas PAX Chat Transcript

Audio Chat with Little Men Fans

May 26, 1999

Corinne 128

What was the hardest scene to act thus far?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

I'd say that it's definitely when we were working in 40 below temperatures outside, on the episode Blame where Nick gets shot. That was pretty hard because it came just after a Christmas break; we all know what it's like to go to work after a Christmas break.

Naomi:

Is the violin that Nat played in Changes is real, and is he really playing the violin?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Trevor Blumas who plays the character Nat has taken quite a few violin lessons; obviously that was very early on in the series, so he wasn't as experienced as he would like to have been at that point. I guess the answer is no, he isn't really playing on that one but he is taking lessons and is very enthusiastic about it, and before long, it'll all be real.

Anon:

Do you watch yourself on television?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

I actually don't have a television in my own home, but I'm given dailies every day to watch, which is scenes that we shot the day before, and I actually sit at lunchtime to inspire myself and remember what it actually is that I'm doing and keep myself moving on the 18-hour days. It gets a little hard sometimes, but when I see what's happening and I see the progress that we're making, it keeps me on my toes.

Corinne, I'd like to thank you for your nice letter; I hope you got my picture. On my free time, I like to learn as much as I can about the city. I enjoy Toronto; Canadian people are wonderful people to be around and work with. My kids absolutely love it here, and so there you go.

Kathleen 5:

What kind of person is Cory?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

He plays the character Dan on the show. He's the sweetest boy you could ever possibly meet. I don't know how old you are; you're probably close to his age, so, but he's a really wonderful person to work with. He's really very, very professional; in fact, all of the kids on the show are professional, and work really, really hard, and work long hours. They've been thrown into a very adult world, and they're all handling it very well, and we're very proud of them.

MP19:

What was your acting experience before Little Men?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Well I started by doing a couple of films; the first was called Dazed and Confused. That was the first time I had ever even seen a movie camera, so if you ever see it, please don't judge that one. Coneheads was my second job after that. I played the daughter in Coneheads. Pretty amusing. My third job was a baseball movie called Major League 2, where I played Charlie Sheen's girlfriend. And from that point on, I've been working pretty steadily, but I took some time off to have a baby, and now here I am. On Little Men.

Shannon in CT:

Is it hard to balance working on the set and having a family?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

I'm very fortunate as an actress because I happen to be working on a family show where my children are as welcome as anyone on the set is. That makes my job a lot easier for me and for my kids; that's the best that any working mother could say. It is difficult; it is hard on everyone, but in this day and age, pretty much everyone's accustomed to it. I don't think they feel like outsiders; I think they understand, and they get to come to work with me and be right next to me all day long; it's wonderful.

Garbage9x3:

Is it fun working on a TV show?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

It is an absolute blast. It has been a childhood dream of mine to be an actress so I guess you could say I'm walking in my dreams, and that's a fortunate place to be.

KathyE:

Do you ever get a sense of living in the 1870s while working on the show?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Absolutely, because we're working out on a conservation site, sort of in the middle of nowhere; there are no telephone polls. Out where we're working, you really do get a sense of being in the 1800s, because there's no sign of modern technology anywhere around. There can't be, because we can't catch it on film. So, it's pretty nice to walk back from some set, walk to base camp and pretend on your way that you really are walking back in the 1870s.

I think there's a little bit of a child in all of us; I don't think that ever goes away. I certainly hasn't with me.

Minute26:

Loren from Palm Bay, Florida: Tell us if Jo will be able to express her feelings a little more with Nick in the new season.

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Well, that's going to be interesting; we'll have to wait and see what happens with that one. There's a new guy in town, and we all know how Jo feels about Nick thus far; we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Anon:

Do you have more films lined up?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

My schedule is so busy that I really don't have a lot of time to do anything extra; when we go on haitus, we'll see what happens.

Melissa Taylor:

Why is Little Men special to you?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Little Men is special to me for lots and lots of reasons. I have a real issue with the kinds of things that are being put on television and being exposed to our children in this day and age. I feal very honored that I've been put on a show that I can be proud of, and that when I put my head on my pillow at night, I don't have to feel that I'm putting something out there that could possibly be hurting people. I know that if anything, this show is moral and if one 13-year-old boy happens to be channel surfing and catches 15 minutes of our shows, I'm pretty sure he's going to get something out of it, and that's a really nice place to be. That's the most special thing about being on this show for me.

If I have anything to say about Nick leaving Plumfield, I would absolutely say no. I don't want him to go anywhere. Not only as Nick, but as Spencer. He's a wonderful person, and I feel privileged that I have such a great costar. If I have anything to say about it, and I hope I do, he'll be with us for the long haul.

Thank you Kathleen for such a nice message. It's nice to know that we have your support.

Garbage9x3, I plan to be on this TV show as long as they'll let me be on this TV show.

Minute26, this is a tough question for me: "What was your favorite show from last season?" I am so flattered to work with such wonderful writers, and to work with such great material, that it would be hard for me to choose, but I would have to say that the most fun show for me to watch was the episode, Father Figure. I thought it was a full episode: It had the drama, it had the comedy, it had the action. It had everything that you would want in a TV show. That was really special.

Anon:

Which actor or actress inspired you most over the years?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

The most inspiring actress for me would be Meryl Streep. I don't even think I need to express why; she says it for herself. Michael Landon was actually a very important person in my life growing up. He was my father figure; he was a man in my life that was a father figure to me, in times when I needed it.

Nickyblue:

Can you tell me anything about the new season? Amy is fantastic!

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Thank you for the compliment about Amy; she is fantastic. She is a wonderful person. It's very funny, because on the set she is one of the nicest people you could ever want to meet. Her character happens to be this very snippity snooty woman, and she couldn't be anything farther from what her character is. She really is a fantastic actress and a fantastic person. Thank you for that.

Minute26:

Was there a reason that the writers on the show decided to go away from the book and the death of Jo's husband?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

The writers use that book as an inspiration and a guide, but it's separate from the television show which is why you might find a lot of story lines that veer away from the book.

Cheryl Pierson:

I love your show and I would love to see you in other projects. Is that a possibility?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Thank you so much for the compliment, Cheryl. Hopefully you will be able to see me in other projects, but for the moment I'm pretty busy with Little Men, so just keep watching and we'll let you know if I or anyone else on the show is doing anything soon.

NickyBlue:

Are the kids going to try to play matchmaker with Jo and Nick this year?

Boy, I don't know. I think we'll let you be the judge of that. We'll just have to wait and see on that one.

187OddDevil:

Can you do a Conehead impression for me?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

I know it's a simple question. You know what? Aggggggghhhhhh! And that's just for you, babe.

Corin in Chicago:

[Did you ever take any acting lessons?]

Michelle Rene Thomas:

No, I didn't actually take any acting lessons. I guess I should give Shirley Temple credit; I watched her as a child; she was one of the inspiring actresses in my life. I go in Los Angeles to a workshop with a man called Harry Master George, who basically just reminds adults how to be children, because that's basically what we do when we're working in front of the camera. We're being kids; it's as simple as that.

Minute26: Thank you so much for that support. Letters to PAX always help because when they know we've got loyal fans out there, that's good for our show. Hopefully, we'll be on the air for many years to come.

Kathleen5:

Can you tell us how to reach actors like Trevor Blumas and Cory Sevier?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

There are mailboxes that you can reach them through the PAXTV site. That's the best way to reach them.

Cheryl Piersons:

Do you know when the new episodes will start up?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Yes, they start on Aug. 27 at 8 o'clock. Fridays at 8 is our new permanent time slot, then it will be previewing again on Saturday night at 9. So make sure you're all there.

NickyBlue:

Can the public visit the set?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

The answer, luckily, is yes. You need to contact the producers through the website, and they will help you arrange that.

Stefanie:

Will any new girls be coming to Plumfield?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

That's an interesting question, coming from a girl. We hope so, because we sure need some girls, don't we? We're outnumbered. Have to wait and see.

Pbragner:

Is the show filmed in Canada?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Yes, it is filmed just north of the city of Toronto in Ontario.

Kathleen5:

What is the PAXTV address?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Look under paxtv.com; that should give you the information you need.

NickyBlue:

Any more of Meg and Edward?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Stay tuned; it looks like there's something coming up.

Cheryl, from Ft. Wayne, Indiana:

Where are you originally from?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

I'm from Defiance, Ohio, which is 45 minutes East of you. I used to go to Ft. Wayne Indiana to go shopping at the mall because there was no place to shop for clothes where I come from, so we may have crossed paths at one time.

Korin188:

[Are you friends with your "sisters" from the show?]

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Yes; I do get together with Amy and Meg outside of work. They are a lot of fun, and they've become my best friends here in Toronto. Because coming from a different country altogether, I knew absolutely no one when I got here, so their friendship means a lot to me. Makes my job a lot easier.

Shankar:

Did you know as a young child that you wanted to be an actress?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

Yea, I did. My mother always talks about how I used to sit in front of the mirror and do commercials from the time I was able to speak. So I guess it's been in my blood for a long long time.

NickyBlue:

Can you get Spencer to do a chat like this?

Michelle Rene Thomas:

That's an interesting question. He's a very special person, and I think that he would love to do a chat. We'll see.

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Corinne 128	What was the hardest scene to act thus far?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	I'd say that it's definitely when we were working in 40 below temperatures outside, on the episode Blame where Nick gets shot. That was pretty hard because it came just after a Christmas break; we all know what it's like to go to work after a Christmas break.
Naomi:	Is the violin that Nat played in Changes is real, and is he really playing the violin?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Trevor Blumas who plays the character Nat has taken quite a few violin lessons; obviously that was very early on in the series, so he wasn't as experienced as he would like to have been at that point. I guess the answer is no, he isn't really playing on that one but he is taking lessons and is very enthusiastic about it, and before long, it'll all be real.
Anon:	Do you watch yourself on television?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	I actually don't have a television in my own home, but I'm given dailies every day to watch, which is scenes that we shot the day before, and I actually sit at lunchtime to inspire myself and remember what it actually is that I'm doing and keep myself moving on the 18-hour days. It gets a little hard sometimes, but when I see what's happening and I see the progress that we're making, it keeps me on my toes. Corinne, I'd like to thank you for your nice letter; I hope you got my picture. On my free time, I like to learn as much as I can about the city. I enjoy Toronto; Canadian people are wonderful people to be around and work with. My kids absolutely love it here, and so there you go.
Kathleen 5:	What kind of person is Cory?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	He plays the character Dan on the show. He's the sweetest boy you could ever possibly meet. I don't know how old you are; you're probably close to his age, so, but he's a really wonderful person to work with. He's really very, very professional; in fact, all of the kids on the show are professional, and work really, really hard, and work long hours. They've been thrown into a very adult world, and they're all handling it very well, and we're very proud of them.
MP19:	What was your acting experience before Little Men?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Well I started by doing a couple of films; the first was called Dazed and Confused. That was the first time I had ever even seen a movie camera, so if you ever see it, please don't judge that one. Coneheads was my second job after that. I played the daughter in Coneheads. Pretty amusing. My third job was a baseball movie called Major League 2, where I played Charlie Sheen's girlfriend. And from that point on, I've been working pretty steadily, but I took some time off to have a baby, and now here I am. On Little Men.
Shannon in CT:	Is it hard to balance working on the set and having a family?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	I'm very fortunate as an actress because I happen to be working on a family show where my children are as welcome as anyone on the set is. That makes my job a lot easier for me and for my kids; that's the best that any working mother could say. It is difficult; it is hard on everyone, but in this day and age, pretty much everyone's accustomed to it. I don't think they feel like outsiders; I think they understand, and they get to come to work with me and be right next to me all day long; it's wonderful.
Garbage9x3:	Is it fun working on a TV show?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	It is an absolute blast. It has been a childhood dream of mine to be an actress so I guess you could say I'm walking in my dreams, and that's a fortunate place to be.
KathyE:	Do you ever get a sense of living in the 1870s while working on the show?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Absolutely, because we're working out on a conservation site, sort of in the middle of nowhere; there are no telephone polls. Out where we're working, you really do get a sense of being in the 1800s, because there's no sign of modern technology anywhere around. There can't be, because we can't catch it on film. So, it's pretty nice to walk back from some set, walk to base camp and pretend on your way that you really are walking back in the 1870s. I think there's a little bit of a child in all of us; I don't think that ever goes away. I certainly hasn't with me.
Minute26:	Loren from Palm Bay, Florida: Tell us if Jo will be able to express her feelings a little more with Nick in the new season.
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Well, that's going to be interesting; we'll have to wait and see what happens with that one. There's a new guy in town, and we all know how Jo feels about Nick thus far; we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Anon:	Do you have more films lined up?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	My schedule is so busy that I really don't have a lot of time to do anything extra; when we go on haitus, we'll see what happens.
Melissa Taylor:	Why is Little Men special to you?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Little Men is special to me for lots and lots of reasons. I have a real issue with the kinds of things that are being put on television and being exposed to our children in this day and age. I feal very honored that I've been put on a show that I can be proud of, and that when I put my head on my pillow at night, I don't have to feel that I'm putting something out there that could possibly be hurting people. I know that if anything, this show is moral and if one 13-year-old boy happens to be channel surfing and catches 15 minutes of our shows, I'm pretty sure he's going to get something out of it, and that's a really nice place to be. That's the most special thing about being on this show for me. If I have anything to say about Nick leaving Plumfield, I would absolutely say no. I don't want him to go anywhere. Not only as Nick, but as Spencer. He's a wonderful person, and I feel privileged that I have such a great costar. If I have anything to say about it, and I hope I do, he'll be with us for the long haul. Thank you Kathleen for such a nice message. It's nice to know that we have your support. Garbage9x3, I plan to be on this TV show as long as they'll let me be on this TV show. Minute26, this is a tough question for me: "What was your favorite show from last season?" I am so flattered to work with such wonderful writers, and to work with such great material, that it would be hard for me to choose, but I would have to say that the most fun show for me to watch was the episode, Father Figure. I thought it was a full episode: It had the drama, it had the comedy, it had the action. It had everything that you would want in a TV show. That was really special.
Anon:	Which actor or actress inspired you most over the years?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	The most inspiring actress for me would be Meryl Streep. I don't even think I need to express why; she says it for herself. Michael Landon was actually a very important person in my life growing up. He was my father figure; he was a man in my life that was a father figure to me, in times when I needed it.
Nickyblue:	Can you tell me anything about the new season? Amy is fantastic!
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Thank you for the compliment about Amy; she is fantastic. She is a wonderful person. It's very funny, because on the set she is one of the nicest people you could ever want to meet. Her character happens to be this very snippity snooty woman, and she couldn't be anything farther from what her character is. She really is a fantastic actress and a fantastic person. Thank you for that.
Minute26:	Was there a reason that the writers on the show decided to go away from the book and the death of Jo's husband?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	The writers use that book as an inspiration and a guide, but it's separate from the television show which is why you might find a lot of story lines that veer away from the book.
Cheryl Pierson:	I love your show and I would love to see you in other projects. Is that a possibility?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Thank you so much for the compliment, Cheryl. Hopefully you will be able to see me in other projects, but for the moment I'm pretty busy with Little Men, so just keep watching and we'll let you know if I or anyone else on the show is doing anything soon.
NickyBlue:	Are the kids going to try to play matchmaker with Jo and Nick this year?
	Boy, I don't know. I think we'll let you be the judge of that. We'll just have to wait and see on that one.
187OddDevil:	Can you do a Conehead impression for me?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	I know it's a simple question. You know what? Aggggggghhhhhh! And that's just for you, babe.
Corin in Chicago:	[Did you ever take any acting lessons?]
Michelle Rene Thomas:	No, I didn't actually take any acting lessons. I guess I should give Shirley Temple credit; I watched her as a child; she was one of the inspiring actresses in my life. I go in Los Angeles to a workshop with a man called Harry Master George, who basically just reminds adults how to be children, because that's basically what we do when we're working in front of the camera. We're being kids; it's as simple as that. Minute26: Thank you so much for that support. Letters to PAX always help because when they know we've got loyal fans out there, that's good for our show. Hopefully, we'll be on the air for many years to come.
Kathleen5:	Can you tell us how to reach actors like Trevor Blumas and Cory Sevier?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	There are mailboxes that you can reach them through the PAXTV site. That's the best way to reach them.
Cheryl Piersons:	Do you know when the new episodes will start up?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Yes, they start on Aug. 27 at 8 o'clock. Fridays at 8 is our new permanent time slot, then it will be previewing again on Saturday night at 9. So make sure you're all there.
NickyBlue:	Can the public visit the set?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	The answer, luckily, is yes. You need to contact the producers through the website, and they will help you arrange that.
Stefanie:	Will any new girls be coming to Plumfield?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	That's an interesting question, coming from a girl. We hope so, because we sure need some girls, don't we? We're outnumbered. Have to wait and see.
Pbragner:	Is the show filmed in Canada?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Yes, it is filmed just north of the city of Toronto in Ontario.
Kathleen5:	What is the PAXTV address?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Look under paxtv.com; that should give you the information you need.
NickyBlue:	Any more of Meg and Edward?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Stay tuned; it looks like there's something coming up.
Cheryl, from Ft. Wayne, Indiana:	Where are you originally from?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	I'm from Defiance, Ohio, which is 45 minutes East of you. I used to go to Ft. Wayne Indiana to go shopping at the mall because there was no place to shop for clothes where I come from, so we may have crossed paths at one time.
Korin188:	[Are you friends with your "sisters" from the show?]
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Yes; I do get together with Amy and Meg outside of work. They are a lot of fun, and they've become my best friends here in Toronto. Because coming from a different country altogether, I knew absolutely no one when I got here, so their friendship means a lot to me. Makes my job a lot easier.
Shankar:	Did you know as a young child that you wanted to be an actress?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	Yea, I did. My mother always talks about how I used to sit in front of the mirror and do commercials from the time I was able to speak. So I guess it's been in my blood for a long long time.
NickyBlue:	Can you get Spencer to do a chat like this?
Michelle Rene Thomas:	That's an interesting question. He's a very special person, and I think that he would love to do a chat. We'll see.