Last week we spoke with NBC’s “Taken” showrunner, Alex Cary, along with two stars of the show, Clive Standen who plays Bryan Mills, and Jennifer Beals who plays the Head of the ODNI, Christina Hart about this new television series that is set at a time before the movies and about the focus on humanity in the story line.
Taken, premieres on NBC, Monday, February 27th at 10:00 PM
We learned more about what makes this series unique from the blockbuster movies, here’s our interview:
Question: What inspired you to take on this project?
Alex Cary told us “Well, I was interested in really just humanizing the character, Bryan Mills, and being able to spend more time with a character, you know kind of where he ends up if you’ve watched the films.
…But I think it’s interesting to start him as a younger man and see who the defining characters are in his life and what are the defining moments up until that point.
…so it was really just about building the character of that man.”
Clive Standen told us “Alex writes real people. That’s what’s exciting about this genre is, usually these characters always look pretty all the time.
…and they seem to kind of not have any problem with jumping through winds and chasing bad guys down streets. Where in reality we all know that when you get hit, it hurts.
…and the humanity of someone. There’s always a sacrifice. A flip side of the coin of a character like Bryan or Christina or any of the main characters within the team of our show. They all have something to sacrifice.
…nd seemingly on the surface they may seem heroic, but there’s always a counterbalance and Alex is so good at finding that in a story and in a character.”
Question: What was it about this role that you related to the most?
Jennifer Beals told us “I don’t know if I relate to her, but I think the thing that got me really excited was this balancing act of discipline and the need to protect, and what price that paid in terms of self-denial; and I thought that was interesting to explore.”
Clive Standen told us “With me I liked the idea of, I always get drawn to putting the mirror up to nature; to humanity.
…and I think with Alex’s writing, he’s written an action show which is based in reality and dealing with human beings.
…I’ve got no interest in playing people that run up walls and do double back kicks; spins and back flips and things. It has to be in a real world scenario; and that’s where Taken is written.
Even the role of Bryan Mills, he’s just a father, and I’m a father of three. I don’t think you have to be a father to relate to Bryan Mills. You know you will do anything you can to get your kids back, in that situation.
…I think it’s very easy to kind of, to see him as every man and be in there with him for that journey.
… that’s what I was looking for in a character, and I think I aspire to be more like Bryan Mills in life. He’s a very kind, considerate, and modest man. But when the shit hits the fan so to speak, he does what it takes and he’s relentless with it.”
Series Premiere Episode:Monday, Feb. 27 at 10:00p.m. ET on NBC
The murder of Bryan Mills’ (Clive Standen) sister launches him into a dangerous mission for revenge against cartel boss Carlos Mejia (Louis Ferreira). A secret US intelligence agency, led by Christina Hart (Jennifer Beals), covertly uses Bryan as bait to capture Mejia, and in the end recruits Bryan to become a part of their team. Also starring Gaius Charles (John), Brooklyn Sudano (Asha Flynn), Monique Gabriela Curnen (Becca Vlasik), Michael Irby (Scott), Jose Pablo Cantillo (Dave) and James Landry Hébert (Rem).
About “Taken”
From executive producer Luc Besson (“Taken,” “The Fifth Element”) comes a modern-day edge-of-your-seat thriller that follows the origin story of younger, hungrier former Green Beret Bryan Mills (Clive Standen, “Vikings”) as he deals with a personal tragedy that shakes his world. As he fights to overcome the trauma of the incident and exact revenge, Mills is pulled into a career as a deadly CIA operative, a job that awakens his very particular, and very dangerous, set of skills. The series also stars Jennifer Beals, Gaius Charles, Brooklyn Sudano, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Michael Irby, James Landry Hébert and Jose Pablo Cantillo. Alexander Cary serves as writer and executive producer. Luc Besson, Matthew Gross, Edouard de Vésinne, Thomas Anargyros and director Alex Graves also executive produce.
- Official site: http://www.nbc.com/taken
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBCTaken
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/takennbc #Taken
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbctaken/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nbctaken
