Maurice is here to chat about his portrayal of the boss in the hit NBC show "Working" and his many other acting endeavors! Lets give a TalkCity welcome to Maurice
Questions: hula says:
Can you tell us about the show Working and how this role differs from others you've done?
Maurice:
Well "Working" is a satire about big business
and also a satire of the globalization of the society,
and my character is an amalgam of all bosses
He is a bit of a white-collar psychopath.
Someone who is immensely charming
and dangerous at the same time
and also kinda funny too.
Questions: tanyav711 says:
How does it feel to work with the wonder years
boy?
Maurice:
LOL
I assume you mean Fred Savage.
Fred is great to work with.
The first few episodes it was hard
to think I was not working with Kevin Arnold.
I think he has created a more distinct persona
on the show
He is a talented and gifted young man
and we are all contributing the best we can to make
the show great.
Questions: totally says:
How were you chosen for your role on "Working"?
Were there lots of other people trying out for the part or did they
approach you for it?
Maurice:
There were a lot of other people trying out.
I think with a role like this you have to impress
the executive producers with something special
and I think the take I did on the part
as being a bit naive..impressed the producers.
Questions: gimmie says:
How do you get yourself ready to play a part like
you do on "working" as "the bad guy"? I assume it's a stretch from your
normal personality;)
Maurice:
My wife is a psycho-therapist
and we talk about characterizations a lot.
I suppose if I avoid seeing my own therapist
for 3 or 4 weeks it is not really
a stretch from my own persona:-)
Questions: mytime says:
Do you have any designs on the Big Screen??? Or
maybe directing???
Maurice:
Absolutely ..directing.
I am hoping if the series runs longer than two years
I will have some opportunities to direct.
Also I am looking for projects for the big screen,
as of yet no projects have come along.
Questions: terris says:
What would you say inspired you to go into
Acting, Were your parents supportive?
Maurice:
My parents were very supportive after
I started making some money!
What inspired me to go into acting
was being the class clown and going to many public
schools and having to make friends really quick.
I think the quickest way to make friends
is being the class clown.
Questions: blockout says:
Maurice is the corporate role, you? What are
you like off set?
Maurice:
Omnious name blockout!
I myself, had to think long and hard
about business because I know very little
about the corporate world.
One of the reasons I went into acting
was because I was not very good about business.
Off the set I am more the poet than the warrior
I love carpentry and composing music.
I spend a lot of time reading and
indulging in creative endeavors.
Questions: selina says:
I think you're show's really funny! Do you get
any input in the script writing or do you just have to go with what they
give you?
Maurice:
Depends on whom you ask!
By the end of the first year there is much more
give and take on a show like this
because the blend of the characters and actors becomes more
defined.
I think the good writers we have, understand that
and start to encourage the input of the actors.
Questions: enarc says:
Do you have anyone you would consider a mentor?
who was it and how did he help you?
Maurice:
Yes I do have mentors.
All of them are from theatre work in Canada.
Martha Henry and Robin Phillip
among others taught me to embrace my own vision
and to be a very responsible actor.
And perhaps the most important lesson,
for an actor was how to listen intensely.
Questions: tommygun says:
What are some of the trials that you have had
to overcome?
Maurice:
Wow that�s always a strange question
I imagine myself still on the journey
rather than having arrived.
Some of the trials I have faced have to do with
dealing with being a starving artist for years before
getting any parts in the business.
Doing many 3rd rate plays and wondering if
there was any future for me.
As corney as it sounds I have always considered those
trials as a lesson and it enriches your ability to perform.
Questions: arthurianlegend says:
Please tell us about any Broadway
expereince you have had
Maurice:
I have never performed on Broadway.
All of my theatre was in Canada however,
I was asked to perform in a Broadway play once
and I turned it down.
Because it was an awful play,in my opinion
and it did close in three days, otherwise
I would still be kicking myself.
I am still waiting for a big Broadway show!
Questions: about says:
Which do you enjoy acting in more...Syndicated TV
or movies and why?
Maurice:
Each of them are very different.
I enjoy movies because you can spend more time
developing your work.
However with television you can develop your
character over an entire year.
The other good thing with television is if this weeks show
is not good you have another next week.
With movies if the show is bad you are stuck with it.
Questions: shindig says:
Is acting a 9-5 kinda job? How much time is
involved in filming a weekly show and how many months out of the year do
you do it?
Maurice:
Well shindig acting is anything BUT 9-5.
The hours change day to day.
I can work some days 4 and some days 14 hours.
If you are on a series that is coming back you can
work nine to ten months before having a break.
If it is not coming back the break can be permanent.
As with any career it is what you make of it.
Questions: hula says:
What are three steps to success that you feel
are the most important in your business?
Maurice:
Training
tenacity
and love
Questions: gerry-atric says:
Who would you like to work with in the
future if you could work with anyone?
Maurice:
Wow thats a tough one!
I would love to work with De Niro or Paccino.
Perhaps the great actors in film today.
Most of the actors I have worked with
have been on the stage.
I have always wanted to work with Helen Hunt and Meryl Streep
too.
Questions: wander says:
What was the funniest blooper in your show?
Maurice:
For me it was one in fact where the film got destroyed.
I made an entrance and made an elaborate pratfall
over some luggage and got up to continue the scene.
I was the only one that didn't break up.
It was an accident and I ended up doing a front flip.
And then the camera ate the film.
Questions: emmie says:
Does being famous ever interfear in you private
life? Do you get recognized on the street?
Maurice:
No it hasn't yet interfered.
I am still at the point where it is nice to be recognized.
No crazy people are after me, so it really doesn't interfere.
But it is strange to bump into people that are strangers
and they behave as if they are familiar to you!
Questions: sierrawalk says:
Are you active in any charities??? If so
which ones???
Maurice:
First of all , are you starting a list?
When I started doing television and making some decent money
after 15 years of stage work.
I started supporting close to 40 charities in Toronto.
I thought I could manage it all however now,
I select only a few charities dealing with the homeless and
children's causes and animal rights causes.
But I would like to keep the names private.
Questions: dynomite says:
I absolutely love "Working" is it your first
venture on series television?
Maurice:
No it is not dynomite!
This is my third series.
I was on �Cafe American� for NBC with Valere Bertinelli.
And last year I did a series called "Life With Roger"
for the WB channel.
And I have had some re-occuring roles on a variety of shows
like a few Canadian series.
I just did a re-occuring role on Poltergeist on cable and
I just did an Outer Limits.
Questions: snowbob says:
so what would you be doing if you werent in tv
Maurice:
I would probably still be on the stage
or maybe I would have retrained and became a psycho-therapist
along with my wife!
Questions: talltail says:
Did you go to college to be an actor? If yes,
which one?
Maurice:
Yes I did go to college.
In fact it was what we used to call 'conservatory training'
where I took four years of training in acting and scene study.
Also voice movement, singing and dancing, stage combat
(fencing), text analysis as well as a full college curriculum
at a place called Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.
Questions: bigdrip says:
What do you like least about Hollywood?
Maurice:
Well bigdrip what I like least is the phonies.
While although Hollywood attracts the best in the world, I feel
it also attracts the worst, and sometimes you cannot avoid
them!
Questions: myselfme says:
Where is home? Do you get to go back often?
Maurice:
Well home is now Hollywood.
I just moved here permanently last summer.
I still have a home in Toronto and I try to get back
a couple of times a year to visit.
I do a lot of walking in Toronto.. it is such a relief
not to have to drive everywhere.
Questions: skunker1 says:
You just mentioned that you hav mentors from
theatre work in Canada, I happen to know that Neve Campbell performed
theatre there. Did you ever work with her?
Maurice:
Ah no I am sorry to say
I never worked with her. It is a pretty vibrant
theatrical community there and I did work from
coast to coast there.
But no sorry I never worked with Neve.
Questions: shaneh says:
Have you been the victim or instigator in any
good practical jokes on the set?
Maurice:
When you work with people as crazy as I do
you do not need practical jokes.
Their normal behavior is funny enough.
So no I do not have anything I want to admit to!
Although, there are some tiles outside the studio where we work.
It has the names of the shows that are filming there.
Our show doesn't have a permanent spot so we found
some chalk and wrote the name "Working" on the signs
I think security was after us!
Questions: Bumbalz asks:
Do you have a fanclub yet?
Maurice:
None that I know of gumbalz or Bumbalz..
How about yourself?
well, apart from my mother, that is.
Questions: cccrane says:
what's a pratfall?
Maurice:
LOL
a pratfall is a good way to get a girls attention
if you are not real smooth.
Really it is a comical 'tumble to the ground'
hopefully without hurting yourself.
Questions: majorhydro says:
How hard is it working with the cast members?
Maurice:
This must be a Canadian person.
It is a really good cast of people.
All of us come from diverse backgrounds
and that lets each other have their own space
since I am not a comedic actor per se
we have mutual respect for each others talents.
Questions: hunter13 says:
I love your show man
Maurice:
Well thank you man!
I love doing it for sure.
Questions: firefox1 says:
15 years of stage work??? Would you be offended
if I asked how old you were when you started???
Maurice:
Aww no, I wouldn't be offended at all.
Next question please..
Really I started doing theatre in my early teens..
I helped to start my own theatre company
in Toronto when I was 14 years old.
It was called "Cheap Seats Theatre"
where we did adapations of Brecht and Damon Runyon
and we wrote our own music and we changed roles
every night so we all had a chance at every role.
Questions: shaeh asks:
Any hints or surprises for next season's
"Working?"
Maurice:
You mean apart from Fred�s sex operation?
Just kidding..
No the executive producers are playing their cards
close to their chests and are not revealing
any changes they are making for the show.
So stay stay tuned when we come back for the fall.
Speaker:
As the spotlight dims, our show comes
to an end tonight. We thank YOU our
great audience and extend a very
special thank you to tonight's guest
MAURICE GODIN of "Working"
We look forward to seeing you back
again soon.
Talk City Presents is produced in
conjunction with BoxTop Live(tm)
& Talk City(tm), LiveWorld Productions,
Inc.
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