ChrisDemetral: I'm ready!

Moderator: Okay. Let's start!

Moderator: Hi everyone, thanks for joining us here. I'm Ben Trumble for SCIFI. Tonight we are pleased to welcome actor Chris Demetral who portrays the young Jules Verne in the new SCI FI hit, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne.

ChrisDemetral: Chris Demetral began acting at a young age and has racked up considerable credits on stage and screen, including the role of Jeremy Tupper on HBO's Dream On. and the TV movie Journey of the Heart, with Cybill Sheperd.

Moderator: Brief word about the drill - please send your questions for our guest to me, Moderator, as private messages. (To send a private message, either double-click on my name or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)

Moderator: First question

Moderator: <Jayce66> to <Moderator>: How has being a child actor on shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Lois & Clark" helped or hindered you in the leading role on a science fiction series of your own?

ChrisDemetral: I always shy away from the term child actor

ChrisDemetral: It has a stigma

ChrisDemetral: But I'm lucky

ChrisDemetral: I srarted at 12

ChrisDemetral: But I think I've learned from every show and every actor I've worked with

ChrisDemetral: Hopefully I remember what they've taight me

Moderator: <ChaoticDreamer> to <Moderator>: Chris-it looks like you guys have a good relationship on the set, we're there any practical jokes between the cast?

ChrisDemetral: Michael is a pretty big practical joker

ChrisDemetral: He plays quite a few on the rest of us

ChrisDemetral: But you almost have to have been there to understand them, or how funny they are

ChrisDemetral: For now we'll keep the more ribald jokes a secret

ChrisDemetral: :)

Moderator: <ephian> to <Moderator>: We've heard that the actors on Jules Verne have contributed suggestions about how a scene should be done. Can you give us an example of this?

ChrisDemetral: We made a point every week to sit down and discuss every episode w/ the producers

ChrisDemetral: Sometimes the scripts didn't sound like our character

ChrisDemetral: Like Jules seeming not being intelligent enough to figure out something he explained a few episodes before

ChrisDemetral: The writers were very easy to work with

ChrisDemetral: I thinkl we made an impact on every episode

Moderator: <ChaoticDreamer> to <Moderator>: What direction would you like to see Jules go-if you do get the second season?

ChrisDemetral: My character arc has always been one developed over several seasons

ChrisDemetral: I didn't want him to be an action hero riught away

ChrisDemetral: He's a writer, not James Bond

ChrisDemetral: I'd like to see Jules write more and incorportae his stories in episodes

ChrisDemetral: I know that Nemo and his daughter Laura will play an important part

ChrisDemetral: And I think we'll have an episode on why Jules never wrote of Rebecca

Moderator: <Jayce66> to <Moderator>: What is it like portraying a historical person like Jules Verne as opposed to a totally fictional character?

ChrisDemetral: There's a lot of pressure

ChrisDemetral: Verne was a great genius of his era

ChrisDemetral: He predicted skyscrapers, fax machines

ChrisDemetral: high speed trains

ChrisDemetral: I wish I could have sat down with him

ChrisDemetral: Every day I reminded myself that he was intelligent, charismatic, and genuine

Moderator: <Melissa> to <Moderator>: Did you and the other cast members have to audition, or did the producers approach you first?

ChrisDemetral: We all auditioned

ChrisDemetral: My interview process was in both LA and MOntreal

ChrisDemetral: I had to do swordfighting in Montreal

ChrisDemetral: I had to prove my skills

ChrisDemetral: One of the producers let me tour the set, and I realized how disappointed I'd be if I didn't get the role

ChrisDemetral: I would have watched it and enjoyed it anyway

Moderator: <ChaoticDreamer> to <Moderator>: Do you think you'd ever want to write a script or direct an ep?

ChrisDemetral: I'd like to do both

ChrisDemetral: I've been writing a few episodes. Not done yet

ChrisDemetral: One about Lincoln

ChrisDemetral: One about the Fountain of Youth

ChrisDemetral: And one about how Jules finally became a writer...but that would be a closer years from now

Moderator: <Siobhan> to <Moderator>: I have a question about Passeportout's name: In the show, it sounds like everyone calls him "Passpatoo," but on the scifi site, it's spelled "Passeportout." Could you please explain this?

ChrisDemetral: To be honest, I mispronounced it when I auditioned...

ChrisDemetral: But the name is pronounced as we do it on the show

ChrisDemetral: His first name is Jean, by the way

Moderator: <Melissa> to <Moderator>: How did you get into acting?

ChrisDemetral: A lot of luck and desire helped

ChrisDemetral: I wanted to act from the time I ws a small child

ChrisDemetral: I moved to CA at 7 with my Dad

ChrisDemetral: I went to some acting classes

ChrisDemetral: Then my grandmother sent me to an open casting call

ChrisDemetral: I didn't get a part

ChrisDemetral: but I did get an agent

ChrisDemetral: A year later I started working

ChrisDemetral: I've been blessed

Moderator: <Jayce66> to <Moderator>: How would you compare your cartoon voiceover work (as in "Batman Beyond") to acting with special effects you, the actor, can't see while you film (as in "Jules Verne")?

ChrisDemetral: Great question

ChrisDemetral: For one

ChrisDemetral: when I've done voice overs I've tried to do voices not at all like my own

ChrisDemetral: Working with green screen is a different challange

ChrisDemetral: Trying to imagine that which isn't there

ChrisDemetral: But acting is about pretending anyway

ChrisDemetral: TRying to keep my eye level consistent is the hardest part of the green screen I think

ChrisDemetral: I love every moment of it

Moderator: <ChaoticDreamer> to <Moderator>: Fogg seems to be at the long end of leash to madness, do you see Jules as his saving influence?

ChrisDemetral: Absolutely

ChrisDemetral: Fogg is dealing with tricky issue

ChrisDemetral: Jules is the voice of reason when Fogg can't figure it out

ChrisDemetral: Rockets of the Dead is an example

ChrisDemetral: The strength of the show is that we all depend on each other

ChrisDemetral: We need each other very much

Moderator: <Msmina> to <Moderator>: Will Rimini make another apperance?

ChrisDemetral: Absolutely

ChrisDemetral: It's in the works

ChrisDemetral: Not a lot of people know, he was supposed to die

ChrisDemetral: But Patrick was so great, we changed the end

ChrisDemetral: Expect him back in Season Two

Moderator: <ChaoticDreamer> to <Moderator>: Are there any other literary characters you'd like to portray?

ChrisDemetral: Great question

ChrisDemetral: I think Shakespeare would be a wonderful role

ChrisDemetral: That's what I love about acting

ChrisDemetral: Taking risks like larger than life historical figures

Moderator: <Twonkbot> to <Moderator>: From an actor's point of view, what would you say is Verne's greatest strength? His greatest weakness?

ChrisDemetral: He seems to have a weakness for ladies

ChrisDemetral: and ladies do him wrong

ChrisDemetral: He should avoid that...

ChrisDemetral: But he doesn't

ChrisDemetral: Next season he'll meet the love of his life

ChrisDemetral: His greatest strength is certainly his intelligence

ChrisDemetral: It gets him by when his physical strength can't

ChrisDemetral: Though he becomes a better figther as the season progresses

Moderator: <ChaoticDreamer> to <Moderator>: Scifi has been bringing some of it's stars to the Comic Con in San Diego- do you think they might ask you this year? We'd love to have you ;)

ChrisDemetral: And I'd love to be there

ChrisDemetral: We're trying to clear schedules to make that6 happen

ChrisDemetral: I'd love to do a con, if at all possible

Moderator: Zhaansacolyte> to <Moderator>: Hey, Chris, how did you enjoy working with John Rhys-Davies?!

ChrisDemetral: He's suchj an incredible actor

ChrisDemetral: He has such comic timing

ChrisDemetral: Like David Warner

ChrisDemetral: He was so generous with acting tips

ChrisDemetral: \And he did a tremendous job

ChrisDemetral: Infact most people don't know this, but he actually looks like Dumas

ChrisDemetral: And Dumas was Verne's friend in real life

Moderator: STATION IDENTIFICATION:

Moderator: Just a reminder..We're chatting with actor Chris Demetral If you have a question for our guest, please send it to me, Moderator, as a private message. . (To send a private message, either double-click on my name or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)

Moderator: <btromp> to <Moderator>: Who are your favorite actors? Can you watch movies without focusing on the acting?

ChrisDemetral: I think every actor focuses on the acting

ChrisDemetral: You love to study different actors styles and techniques

ChrisDemetral: And I'm probably more apt to notice boom mikes

ChrisDemetral: and slip ups

ChrisDemetral: Kids looking at their marks

ChrisDemetral: My favorite actors are Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Gary Oldman

ChrisDemetral: Bruce Willis

ChrisDemetral: Brian Benben

ChrisDemetral: Oh, and I did look at my marks a lot when I was youing

ChrisDemetral: When you get older and wiser you develope a 6th sense about where the marks actually are

Moderator: <har33> to <Moderator>: I want to ask Which of Verne's charactor's are you most looking forward to meeting?

ChrisDemetral: I think Captain Nemo

ChrisDemetral: First, because we've mentioned meeting him

ChrisDemetral: And because he's so bold, and unique

ChrisDemetral: I can't wait to see who they cast

ChrisDemetral: It should be great

Moderator: <Melissa> to <Moderator>: Do you watch episodes of "Jules Verne" to see how they came out?

ChrisDemetral: I watch every Friday, although it's tricky

ChrisDemetral: I can never convince myself that anybody is watching besides me

ChrisDemetral: It's a duel edged sword

ChrisDemetral: I see my mistakes and the errors I made in the way I handled the role

ChrisDemetral: I'm a tough critic

ChrisDemetral: And you may not know, the SCIFI version is somewhat different from the Canadian version

ChrisDemetral: Different amounts of time for commercials

ChrisDemetral: The CA versions are a bit longer

ChrisDemetral: In Queen Victoria, for example

ChrisDemetral: the interigation was much longer and more violent

Moderator: <Jayce66> to <Moderator>: Did playing the additional character (King Louis) in the episode "The Cardinal's Revenge" make it harder for you to stay in character as Verne, or was it a welcome break?

ChrisDemetral: It was definitely a welcome break

ChrisDemetral: I planned that both characters would have differences

ChrisDemetral: but at the same time be the same person in different worlds

ChrisDemetral: Louis was arrogant and not as intelligent

ChrisDemetral: but he had great luck with the ladies

ChrisDemetral: And my stand-in was the one who finally got the kiss at the end

Moderator: <Gerty> to <Moderator>: How would you describe the complex character relationships on the show?

ChrisDemetral: I think what makes the relationships interesting is all the stuff going on in the inside

ChrisDemetral: In season two we learn more about all the secrets

ChrisDemetral: Why Fogg left the Secret Service

ChrisDemetral: And why there was no Count Gregory in the books, etc

ChrisDemetral: He would have been a hell of a character

Moderator: <Twonkbot> to <Moderator>: ok, you're now the casting director... Who plays Nemo? and who plays his daughter Laura, the love of your life??

ChrisDemetral: Off hand

ChrisDemetral: We were joking around about Natalie Portman playing Laura

ChrisDemetral: Nemo could go in so many directions

ChrisDemetral: I haven't settled on who would be the best in my mind

Moderator: <btromp> to <Moderator>: Do you ever fear becoming TOO famous...to the point you would have no private life?

ChrisDemetral: No

ChrisDemetral: I haave a lot of problems with actors who shy awat from the public

ChrisDemetral: Fans make us who we are

ChrisDemetral: I love meeting people and hearing what they think about my work

ChrisDemetral: Basically I abhor arrogance in actors

ChrisDemetral: We aren't demi-gods just because we're famous

Moderator: <WhiteStar2> to <Moderator>: How familiar were you with Jules Verne before you got the part?

ChrisDemetral: I knew that he was the father of science fiction

ChrisDemetral: After I got the role I started to read the books

ChrisDemetral: Then I learned that the english versions were different from the original French

ChrisDemetral: Most of Verne's stories didn't include all of the science that appeared in the French

ChrisDemetral: As of now, I'm not reading more until I learn more French

ChrisDemetral: That's the advantage to living in Montreal

Moderator: <Twonkbot> to <Moderator>: How was your experience at NATPE? Did the TV types seem to "get" the concept of the show (since it is rather different from most)?

ChrisDemetral: NATPE was a great time

ChrisDemetral: I enjoyed it throughly

ChrisDemetral: I got to see all my friends again

ChrisDemetral: Verne was a hard show originally

ChrisDemetral: because the action jumps around so much

ChrisDemetral: We showed clips from our best episodes

ChrisDemetral: I think they got it

ChrisDemetral: And the HDTV monitors helped

ChrisDemetral: And if you haven't seen ths how in HDTV...it's breath taking

Moderator: <Zhaansacolyte> to <Moderator>: Hey, Chris, how is it working with all the Verne "gadgets" in the show?

ChrisDemetral: Evbery week our prop dept made something new, and fun, and interesting to play with

ChrisDemetral: And they tried to root everything in what could have been realistically done at that time

Moderator: STATION IDENTIFICATION:

Moderator: Just a reminder..We're chatting with actor Chris Demetral If you have a question for our guest, please send it to me, Moderator, as a private message. . (To send a private message, either double-click on my name or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)

Moderator: <Jayce66> to <Moderator>: Which episode so far makes you the most proud ... your best work?

ChrisDemetral: Best work

ChrisDemetral: I hate to ever say such thiungs about MY work

ChrisDemetral: I think Jules comes through best in Dust To Dust

ChrisDemetral: and in the Golem, where it apopears that Jules has committed a muredr and Fogg must clear him

ChrisDemetral: They come up later in the season, so watch for them

Moderator: <conseil> to <Moderator>: Do you expect any other famous people (such as Dumas) to be portrayed on the show?

ChrisDemetral: Techically speaking, Felix was a famous person

ChrisDemetral: We meet up with Jessie James

ChrisDemetral: And as I said, I think that Lincoln would be fascinating

ChrisDemetral: Jules I'm sure would have many suggestions for the President

ChrisDemetral: Plus, since we have the Phoenix, we could vist the 1970's for laughs.. Disco Jules

ChrisDemetral: VERNE BABY VERNE

Moderator: <Jayce66> to <Moderator>: Okay...then how about the best work by the whole cast?

ChrisDemetral: Michael has a great episode called The Victorian Candidate, and his role as the Cardinal

ChrisDemetral: Francessca is great in every episode. I think when she was taken over by Lazarus, it was amazing

Moderator: Charcoh> to <Moderator>: How "close" is the relationship between Phileas and Rebecca? Are they first cousins, or something more distant?

ChrisDemetral: Everyone keeps bringing this up

ChrisDemetral: They are 2nd cousins

ChrisDemetral: And I can assure you that nothing improper is happening

ChrisDemetral: Phileas is certainly attracted to Rebecca, and so is Jules

ChrisDemetral: But Jules realizes that she will always see him as a younger brother tipe

ChrisDemetral: We have a great audience for picking up on these things

Moderator: <laemusGT> to <Moderator>: do you know what the line 359 meant?

ChrisDemetral: I'm clueless. It's not coming to me. Sorry

ChrisDemetral: The line that annoyed me most was the King's Fool asking the Cardinal

ChrisDemetral: How Many Devils can dance on the head of a pin

ChrisDemetral: I had a fun time with the writers on that

ChrisDemetral: It means, BTW, anything you want it to mean

Moderator: <btromp> to <Moderator>: When did you hear that Sci-Fi picked up the series? Did you go out and celebrate?

ChrisDemetral: Absolutely

ChrisDemetral: I think SCIFI is a fantastic platform for the show

ChrisDemetral: They've worked so hard

ChrisDemetral: And it's always a joy to get a role

ChrisDemetral: But my celebrations are pretty tame

Moderator: <WhiteStar2> to <Moderator>: Rebecca views Vern as a little brother, but what was the kiss to Luis about in your opinion?

ChrisDemetral: That's actually a secret

ChrisDemetral: You'll have to wait for Season Two to learn more about that kiss

ChrisDemetral: That's one of the very interesting things about the show. The unanswered questions...

Moderator: Chris. Final question. What advice do you give to aspiring actors who would do what you do?

ChrisDemetral: The firs advice to anyone going into acting

ChrisDemetral: Don't do it

ChrisDemetral: There are so many hurdles just to get your foot in the door

ChrisDemetral: I wish it was less about luck and connections

ChrisDemetral: You never know...

ChrisDemetral: However, I should note that I got a lucky break

ChrisDemetral: So you can't just givce up

ChrisDemetral: I wish any aspiring actor the very best of luck

ChrisDemetral: And I'm always happy to help them get a leg up

ChrisDemetral: I want to thank you all very much for coming tonight

ChrisDemetral: Such inteeligent, funny, though provoking questoins

ChrisDemetral: I hope I can entertain you for years to come

ChrisDemetral: and visit www.robrt,com/chris

ChrisDemetral: Anmd also

ChrisDemetral: www,angelfire.com/celeb/chrisdemetral

ChrisDemetral: And finally

ChrisDemetral: The official fan club...

ChrisDemetral: is PO Box 55834

ChrisDemetral: Shermab Oaks CA

ChrisDemetral: 91413

ChrisDemetral: So you can writre to me

ChrisDemetral: I love hearing from you.

Moderator: Thanks Christ

Moderator: Good night

Moderator: The floor is open!