The stars of SyFy’s Eureka / Warehouse 13 crossover that aired last week, Neil Grayston and Allison Scagliotti, were gracious enough to field questions about the show crossover. Here is part two of the extended interview with online media outlets where they shed light on crossovers, the growth of their characters, love, and dream guest stars.
WORKING ON EACH OTHER’S SETS
Q courtesy of Joseph Dilworth with Pop Culture Zoo: What were the challenges of playing the same character yet on a different show and in a different, you know, working environment actually?
Neil Grayston: I didn’t find it to be that difficult myself. I mean, I know the entire cast from Warehouse or, well, most of them. I know the top four. And I knew the director and the second unit director who happens to be the supervising producer as well because they both directed an episode of Eureka, so it was just like going over to my extended family’s house for dinner kind of thing. It was one of the most comfortable sets I’ve ever actually been on, which was radical.
Allison Scagliotti: And we loved having you. Yes, it was very much like packing a bag with all, your character’s attributes in it and bringing it over to, you know, your family on the other side of the country. The shows have unique tones, like Eureka is grounded in science and Warehouse is more sort of the unexplained, the supernatural, but I think it’s plausible that there are, you know, two top secret government institutions in different parts of the country that are, you know, somewhat connected.
Everyone over on Eureka was super supportive of me staying true to Claudia’s sort of snarkiness. So, yes, I’ll go with Neil’s metaphor, visiting relatives on the opposite side – the opposite coast.
Q courtesy of Joseph Dilworth with Pop Culture Zoo: As far as the way each of your characters talk and act, was there any deferring to you guys to do that or was that all still pretty heavily scripted?
Neil Grayston: I’m – I mean, I’m sorry, what was – yes, I mean, it was scripted, but we got to just sort of – both of the episodes I think were written so well that it was just that everything felt natural, I suppose.
Allison Scagliotti: Yes. We were allowed to play. Like I know on Warehouse we get to adlib a lot and Jack Kenny our showrunner is there to support. And, yes, I mean, I felt very, supported over in Eureka. If I had an idea for something that was more Claudia that was more of a callback to Warehouse, they were all for it. Matt Hastings is very cool like that.
Neil Grayston: I got to say, too, I really enjoy Jack Kenny, the showrunner for Warehouse. Sometimes he would just appear and say like, “Hey guys, I got jokes, who wants some jokes, anyone want some jokes?”
Allison Scagliotti: Yes.
Neil Grayston: And then he would just like have like funny lines for you. We were like, yes, yes, I want your jokes. Totally. I’m your little doggie. I want your joke treats. Yes, that was a really fun thing.
ON CHARACTER GROWTH
Q courtesy of Joshua Maloni with Niagara Frontier Publications: Both Claudia and Fargo have really sort of grown and become very, you know, not just essential parts of the whole cast puzzle, but, you know, very popular with the fans. So just if the two of you could tell us a little bit about how you feel about the growth of your characters now over the past couple of seasons.
Neil Grayston: Sure. For me it’s just one of those awesome things where I was actually only contracted to be in seven episodes a season. I was really a tertiary character in Eureka. And they just sort of kept on chucking me in to the point where, you know, now I’m all episodes, my character is running Global Dynamics and it’s just – it’s a nice thing to work hard and try to do the best job you can and have that noticed and have them continue to, you know, employ me. It’s awesome.
Allison Scagliotti: And on my side of things, I mean, similarly when I joined the cast in Season 1, I came in late, I showed up in Episode 4. And really by brute force Claudia was an outsider who sort of fought her way in and had to figure out where she fit within this group but has become such an integral part of the family that, you know, she’s sort of everyone’s little sister, little nerdy sister.
And that really mirrors, I feel, my evolution as an actress out and about trying to belong to something, finding her way onto this show and developing such a second family with this, you know, amazing cast and crew. So I’ve been really lucky to play a girl who’s very close to myself.
Q courtesy of Sheldon Wiebe with eclipsemagazine.com: Allison, with the crossover, Claudia’s getting a little more responsibility and you’ve mentioned already you’re working with Lindsay Wagner. It seems like Claudia is also getting field operative training. I’m just wondering with her role expanding this way in the series, how do you approach that and are there any challenges that come from that that you haven’t encountered previously on the show?
Allison Scagliotti: You know, portraying Claudia’s increasing responsibility is really just what you’re seeing is my – me coping with becoming a series regular for the first time and sort of navigating what it means to be, you know, the fourth leg of a table. And supporting something with three other people and needing to be a unique sort of member of a team. I’m really – I’m bringing the truth of what it’s like to be nervous on the job. It’s all the honest Allison nerves that you’re going to see.
Q courtesy of Sheldon Wiebe with eclipsemagazine.com: Cool. Neil, you’ve mentioned already about Fargo’s being the boss at Global Dynamic and it’s been interesting watching that arc unfold, but I think it’s even more important that it’s in an – in a Eureka where everything is different. I think it was Henry who said something to the effect of everything is different yet strangely the same. Now how does that present challenges for you? And just out of curiosity, how does Fargo find the time to get away from running Global Dynamics to go to Warehouse 13?
Neil Grayston: Yes, that is a good question. I guess he just – he is told to go to Warehouse 13. There are powers above him even at Global Dynamics. But no the thing it’s really fun. It sort of opened up a lot of things this season being old bumbling Fargo who is now thrust into running GD and trying to pretend to be this sort of power hungry kind of jerk face. And it’s fun sort of playing the public and private Fargos and, you know, the difference between that.
I mean, there’s always little glimmers of when there’s a lot of people around Fargo is one way. But then with the sort of time traveling six his insecurities come out and his, you know, what is this job stuff, is allowed to come out and it’s been really fun to play that.
And also just play Fargo as a character who actually is semi-competent sometimes. Because I think last season it was getting a little bit away from that and kind of verging into the ridiculous where he was just a completely, like, there was a point where I was like why would anybody do this? Why would he do this? The town is going to blow up and he’s worried about, you know, this small little thing. So it’s really fun to actually have him grow as a character and feel a bit more human this season.
WILL THERE BE MORE CROSSOVERS?
Q courtesy of Troy Rogers with thedeadbolt.com: So will this [crossover] continue or is this just a one-off?
Neil Grayston: So far it’s just been the one-off, but I certainly hope it continues because, yes, I’d love to work with all of the Warehouse people again and I don’t know, Scags, would you enjoy working with the Eurekans again?
Allison Scagliotti: And how. I think the idea is each show wants to steal the other. I – Jack would love to have – all of us would love to have Neil ditch Eureka and come play with us on a regular basis. And (Jamie) has said he wants to steal me from Jack.
Neil Grayston: And, yes, (Amy) also said she wants to steal you, I think. I think everyone has said they just want to kidnap you and put you on our show, which that sounds kind of scary, the kidnapping thing.
Allison Scagliotti: Aw. It does. It’s just a little crazy, but it’s cool. I trust you guys. Yes, I mean, it’s – even if we don’t crossover again, we – we’re to the point where we can be referential to each other’s shows.
Neil Grayston: True.
Allison Scagliotti: Yes. (We get to play off of the family).
Neil Grayston: I actually want to get a Fargo bobblehead on the – in the Warehouse just to keep him somewhere.
Allison Scagliotti: Oh we so have to have, like, a special shot for that.
Neil Grayston: Yes, just like in the background, someone can point it out and be like, hey, look (that’s a nice head). I think that would be rad.
Allison Scagliotti: Oh next year when we shoot Claudia’s room, hello.
Neil Grayston: Sweet. Awesome.
ON LOVE
Q courtesy of Curt Wagner with RedEye Show Patrol: Do you guys think that either one of them, your characters, would give up their jobs for love?
Neil Grayston: Mm.
Allison Scagliotti: Mm.
Neil Grayston: Mm.
Allison Scagliotti: I don’t think Claudia would. I think Claudia is too emotionally guarded having spent twelve years trying to bring her brother back from an inter-dimensional space. And I’ve also – I’m speaking like from my own point of view, you got to work while the working is good, you know. At this point Claudia’s real love is tech and being part of a family, so I don’t think we’ll see Claudia making any grand gestures for true love any time soon.
Neil Grayston: Yes, I think Fargo is probably more – he’s got a bit more of a predilection towards doing something like that. But he’s also, you know, he – that would have to be someone very insanely special who loves Fargo a lot who Fargo loves more than science, but and if any of the two characters were to give up their job for love, it would probably be Fargo, I think.
DREAM GUEST STARS?
Q courtesy of Pattye Grippo with pazsaz.com: You’ve had some great guest stars announced for the season and such. Is there like a dream guest star that each of you would like to appear on an episode of your show?
Neil Grayston: I would totally like Bruce Campbell to be on our show…in some form or another.
Allison Scagliotti: I want Betty White.
Neil Grayston: Ooh, that’s a good one.
Allison Scagliotti: Because I’m obsessed with Betty White.
In case you missed it, here is the first part of the Q&A where Scagliotti and Grayston answer SciFiMafia’s questions and more.
Don’t miss headline worthy news on Warehouse 13 and Eureka:
Geekgasm: Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton In Love Triangle On Eureka
Who Are the Regents of Warehouse 13? Allison Scagliotti Mystery To Be Revealed This Season
