JAMES DENTON
By : Suzanne Philips
Actor
James Denton, who fans know as Mike Delfino on the hit show “Desperate
Housewives”, is making his Science Fiction debut on the ABC limited series
“Masters of Science Fiction” which airs on Saturdays in August. Denton stars
in the final installment entitled “The Discarded” along with John Hurt and
Brian Dennehy about a group of minorities who are set adrift in outer space
because of their differences. Denton’s character is very reluctantly sent to
make a pact with the discarded people when those “normal” people on Earth
realize they need something from them. The show is directed by Jonathan
Frakes of Star Trek fame and is written by legendary Sci-Fi writer Harlan
Ellison. During a recent teleconference, Denton spoke about the project and explained that he came into the project “kind of through the back door”. The show was shot in Vancouver and only had a budget for two American actors. Since Brian Dennehy and John Hut were already attached, Denton figured he was not going to be able to do the project. But due to the fact that John Hurt was in fact English, Denton ended up being hired as the 2nd American actor on the project.
This is his first foray into the Sci-Fi genre. He admits he didn’t know a lot about Sci-Fi, but he was familiar with the work of Harlan Ellison and that “it was a real bonus that he was on-set. I got to listen to him tell stories and talk about this story in particular”.
James said that “The Discarded” is “a very dark piece and very sad. These “discarded” people are sent up into space because of illness or deformity of some sort. My character – the supposed “healthy, normal” one, is sent up to make a deal with them.”
Working with Dennehy and Hurt was an amazing experience for James Denton. “Brian Dennehy is a larger than life guy both on-screen and off”. They had both done theatre in Chicago and they had fun talking about the people they knew in common and the shows they had done.
John Hurt is making his first American TV show appearance in “The Discarded”. Denton said he seemed very surprised by the pace of working on a television show. TV shoots about 7-10 pages a day, compared to the 3-4 pages that they shoot on feature films. Denton says “It was fun watching John Hurt adapt to the TV pace. But of course he did a great job he is a brilliant actor and just standing there watching these two guys, I would sometimes have to pinch myself and realize – I am in a scene with Brian Dennehy and John Hurt!” Jonathan Frakes also made an impression on Denton. “He is a great guy – a really good director. A lot of times actors don’t make good directors, but Jonathan is brilliant.”
James Denton is a really genuine guy and truly loves his work. To check
out this Sci-Fi departure, tune into ABC on August 25th at 10 pm to catch
“The Discarded”.
Photos
courtsey of mPRm Public Relations