On The Mark

Julliard-Trained Luke Macfarlane Harnesses The Power Of His Diverse Fan Base And Skill For Playing Luscious Leading Roles With Gay Rom-Com Bros, Another Hallmark Holiday, And A Star-Studded AppleTV+ Series To Come

PHOTOS BY DEAN ISIDRO
WORDS BY TAMARA RAPPA

Listen to the extended interview on episode 120 of the Story + Rain Talks podcast on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and wherever you listen.

Tamara Rappa: You went to a performing arts school and then went to Juilliard, and graduated in 2003. When did you first know that you wanted to be an actor? Was there a turning point moment in your youth?

Luke Macfarlane: It’s hard to pin it on one thing specifically, but I think the most pivotal thing in my life, has been a love of performance through music. I’ve always played the cello, and when I was in high school, I started playing in an orchestra. I always wanted to sit closest to the audience, so that people could really see me play. Which is a funny thing; in an orchestra, it’s all about being one voice. I wanted to be seen as well. That sense of performance through my cello-playing was a really big part of it. And then a drama teacher in high school said, ‘You know you can do this. You can become an actor.’

TR: Aside from acting, you have other creative pursuits. You do incredible wood work, you play instruments, you were in a band. I’m assuming you studied music and instruments, at Juilliard?

LM: I didn’t. At Juilliard, you are either in dance, music, or acting. Sadly, we didn’t get to collaborate with each other that much. The level of expectation is so high for all those disciplines that, you know, there’s not much crossover.

TR: How did you make your choice? 

LM: My cello playing was always at a high level, but to become a concert-level cellist means locking yourself in a practice room for six hours a day. I just didn’t have that extra little thing. But it was wonderful to be around those people in my later life.

“I think the most pivotal thing in my life, has been a love of performance through music.”

A B O V E  P H O T O : V I n t a g e  t s h I r t ;  A G  j e a n s . T H I S   P H O T O :  T e d d y  V o n r a n s o n  c o a t ;  D o c k e r s  t  s h I r t ;  v I n t a g e  b o o t s .

“On so many levels, the metaphor of woodworking is key to my psychic health.”

TR: How did you get into building and working with wood?

LM: My father was someone who was a very handy guy. He was not a woodworker by profession, he was an MD and a PhD. But so much of our bonding experience was through making things together, whether that was a gazebo in our backyard…and we actually did a kitchen renovation. I remember as a young kid, I always loved books, and wanted book shelves. So me and my father, when I was probably 10 or 11, built bookshelves for my room. That was very instrumental in my getting to know my way around a wood shop, and I continued it through my life. When I first moved to LA, I took it to the next level. I started working with a woodworking teacher down in Anaheim. Between gigs, I would drive down, and this teacher, William Ng, showed me how to take my work to the next level, to get into furniture design, building, and joinery. That really led me to a next level of woodworking.

TR: I could see that being a source of comfort for you. You’re in LA, making your way, making your home, and trying to be settled. I would think that bringing that past time of yours to LA, felt really comforting and satisfying.

LM: Absolutely. Woodworking is a connection to the past, to my my father. It’s a connection to nature. How does the grain of this wood work?  It’s a connection to the tactile, which is so different than what we have as actors. What we do is so ephemeral. I’ve done a lot of theater, and I remember early on in my acting career, after a play would close, you’d be struck with this incredible sadness. What you had made, had just kind of gone away.

 TR: …You put everything into this thing, and then you feel a void.

“What we do is so ephemeral. I’ve done a lot of theater, and I remember early on in my acting career, after a play would close, you’d be struck with this incredible sadness. What you had made, had just kind of gone away.”

LM: Exactly. When you make something out of wood, especially if you make it well, it will last. It’ll stick around. On many levels, the metaphor of woodworking is so key to my psychic health.

TR: From whom did you inherit your creative soul? I’m assuming your father, but are there other people in your family with whom your share your creative soul?

LM: Yes, my father was deeply creative. He was also an academic. My mother was doing a little family history-digging, and come to find out, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, and my great-great-grandfather, were all ministers. This idea of public speaking is very much a part of us.  Itinerant ministers in Canada, early 18th century. These were people who didn’t have churches. They would just sort of travel from town to town and speak about things. I was able to come across one of my great-grandfather’s sermons. It was amazing to read it as a creative document. We’re not fire-and-brimstone type of Christians. The sermon was actually about looking for God in nature. A beautiful, interesting thing to read.

TR: There’s that connection to the woodworking hobby.

LM: Yes, woodworking, and also, performance. Standing in front of people and delivering an idea.

Luke macfarlane 3

Camp Isidro hoodie.

”It was my first time at a big studio. It was my first time driving to Disney every day, and seeing Sally Field. ‘Good morning, Sally Field!’ I loved my character. And I loved Matthew Rys. We felt like we were doing something really cool.”

TR: On set during our cover shoot we talked a little bit about Juilliard during that Y2K period when you were there. It was so good to be able to reminisce, and recall that time in New York City with you. What do you remember about that time, about where you lived? And what your days were like, and whom you were spending time with? What was inspiring you?

LM: I love this. It’s so great to be nostalgic about that time. I moved there in, I guess it was 1999, to the Upper West Side. I stayed in the dorms. Juilliard had these little tiny dorms. The first roommate I was assigned, was an upright bass player who dreamed about playing in the New York Philharmonic. I don’t know what happened to him and those dreams. It was the Upper West Side; Barnes + Noble; it was Fairway, it was Zabar’s; it was Victoria’s Secret. I remember running to school—I was always barely getting into class on time. We used to have to run by this Victoria’s Secret that was on 64th and Broadway. You’d get this wave of like floral perfume…

TR: [Laughs] Victoria’s Secret was such a big deal back then.

LM: Huge deal. And weirdly, whenever I get that smell, it always makes me think I’m late for class. It was great, and I had very little expectations of what it meant to be a professional artist living in New York. So I was open. I remember going to more plays than I’d ever gone to in my entire life, and going to see dance for the first time, and understanding how my craft as an actor related to dance. I remember always being encouraged to see and do; you can form your opinions later. Just absorb, absorb, absorb.

TR: How did you make your way to LA and did you feel prepared for it when you got there?

LM: The first gig that brought me to LA was this FX series called Over There, Steven Bochco, big time producer…Hill Street Blues, LA Law.

TR: TV magic at the time, Steven Bochco.

LM: Exactly. Big TV, and I’m really thinking, here it is. I’m going be famous now. One season later, thirteen episodes, and we were canceled. That’s the first job that brought me to LA, as a series regular on a show. I didn’t stick around for the first year, kind of like many Angelenos, I was like ‘I miss New York’, and went back to New York.

TR: Oh, you were that guy!

LM: I was that guy. I was living in like an apartment in LA, and it felt very different. So I moved back to New York, and did a play. While I was doing the play, I got Brothers + Sisters. I moved back to LA to do what I thought was going to be five episodes of a character. And lo and behold, 100 episodes later…

TR: It was so fun for me to re-watch Brothers + Sisters in preparation for this interview. There are a total of 110 episodes of Brothers + Sisters, of which you were in 89.

LM: I didn’t know what [Brothers + Sisters] was going to be, and it was great. I knew Jon Robin Baitz, the creator of the show. I was just going to do a few episodes. It was my first time at a big studio. It was my first time driving to Disney every day, and seeing Sally Field. ‘Good morning, Sally Field!’ I loved my character. And I loved Matthew Rys. We felt like we were doing something really cool.

     V I n t a g e  s h I r t,  t a n k,  a n d  n e c k l a c e.

“As Canadians, we’re raised that Canada is the best place to live. I used to believe that very much. It was the first time I really got to fall in love with America and Americans, and how they’re different.”

TR: Do you miss New York now, especially after spending time shooting Bros there? Would you ever move back to do theater, or for other reasons? You’ve consistently worked in theater over the years.

LM: Yes. I would love to go back and do some theater. I love New York. New York will always feel like where my creative life really started. It was also the first time I was around professionals who made their livings as artists. That will always be linked together with New York. New York was also the first American city I lived in. I’m Canadian. I can’t understate the significance of that. As Canadians, we’re raised that Canada is the best place to live. I used to believe that very much. It was the first time I really got to fall in love with America and Americans, and how they’re different.

TR: New York will do that for you, right? You went straight to the heart of things! And you recently obtained American citizenship.

LM: I did. I went through the whole process. Me, in a room filled with about fifteen hundred people all swearing allegiance.

TR: Besides Bros, and Brothers + Sisters, and the Hallmark films, and you mentioned your first series, which of your past projects has had the biggest impression on you and why? 

LM: I did this series for PBS, it was called Mercy Street. PBS had kind of gotten some new viewership because of Downton Abbey.  I was a British import. The people at PBS and some producers, really wanted to do a version of an American Upstairs, Downstairs drama, and they picked the American Civil War. We did two seasons. Mary Elizabeth Winstead was the lead, she’s brilliant, and it was about a civil war hospital. I played an army chaplain who was tending to the souls. I loved the character. I loved the show. It deepened my appreciation for the American experience and was fascinated by how it defined American identity. It was truly one of my favorite jobs to do, down in Richmond, Virginia.

TR: Where there’s a lot of history…

LM: The heart of the Confederate capital. It was a really, truly, enjoyable thing, and a period piece, which I never thought I would get to play. I’ve often been told I look very modern, which is a weird thing.

TR: Really??

LM: I know. Weird, right?

TR: I feel like you could be very period in your look.

LM: Actually, I’d come off a job right before we started filming. I hadn’t had a chance to grow my beard in, so they had to glue these mutton chops on me.

TR: You’ve been acting for about 20 years. It’s a business that demands patience and self-imposed balance. There can be a flurry of work and then not, and then a flurry again. And there’s an unpredictability to it, to how a given show or film will do, both with the audience and within the industry. How have you tried to attack practicing patience and balance, head-on?

LM: I think it’s mostly about having a rich life outside of acting, whatever that means. For me, that includes having a very small but very loyal group of friends. I am still a phone talker. I am the kind of guy who calls up my best friend and just talks, you know? If they don’t pick up, I leave a message saying, ‘Hey, not calling for any other reason, but, call me back.’ That is something that is tremendously, hugely, important. The phone conversation. And it’s also about the hobbies we mentioned, the woodworking, the making of something permanent. I also bought an old house that I fixed up. It’s the idea that there’s always something to do, it’s about finding something to do, constantly.

“I love New York. New York will always feel like where my creative life really started.” 

Luke macfarlane color duo

Brooks Brothers sport coat; vintage t shirt; AG jeans;
Duke + Dexter loafers.

“I always tell people, within the Hallmark universe, a lot of people think I’m Tom Cruise.”

TR: Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m totally down with a Hallmark movie. I think they’re very relaxing. I’m familiar with all of yours. You mentioned to me that you’ve encountered a snobby response when it comes to the Hallmark work you’ve done, and that reminded me of my own experience. I was working at Interview Magazine, my first fashion job. After a lot of hard work and years there, a fashion publicist who was looking out for me shared that Cosmopolitan was redoing their fashion POV and team, and were hiring. So I interviewed for an editor position, a jump from assistant, and consequently got the job. It was my first big break and I was able to build my career from there. But I’ll never forget the photo director at the time, after I announced that I was leaving, taking me aside at a drinks gathering after hours, and very seriously telling me that the fashion editor I worked under was very disappointed at my choice, the choice to leave a magazine like Interview to go to Cosmo. It was a jarring conversation to have had at the time, but I’ve always felt solid in that choice, and I’ve always been 100 percent assured that when it comes to career choices, being open minded has and can afford what can often be overlooked by many as opportunity and growth. Our mindset says something about our choices. And dare I say, I think it’s kind of the more enlightened way to be. Am I making sense?

LM: You’re making total sense, and I really appreciate you sharing that story with me. It reminds me of a very similar experience. I was working with a director, and the show was coming to an end. I had been offered another Hallmark film. I mentioned it to him, and he kind of was like, ‘Oh, you’re better than that.’ It really stuck with me. Here’s the thing for me, and this is not the case for everyone. Work is integrity. For me, labor is integrity. To do the work is where you find joy. It’s sort of religious for me.

TR: Your mantra…

LM: Don’t delegate, actually do the work, dig the ditch. It’s a privileged position to not have to take work. To those who say, ‘You shouldn’t have done that’…maybe not all of us have, you know, funds in the bank for whatever reason. Work is important. And also, we don’t want to judge the people who consume what we make. It means a great deal to the people who are watching Hallmark films. I always tell people that within the Hallmark universe, a lot of people think I’m Tom Cruise.

“I’m no longer contractually obliged to them, although I’m always willing to go and work with them again, for sure.”

TR: Yes, you are the Tom Cruise.

LM:That’s their world view. I don’t think they’re totally correct, because their world view might be a little small, but I’m still gonna be me.

TR: .You and I were were talking about how Hallmark has been doing the beloved rom-com that people have been nostalgic for; the ’90s rom-com genre was huge, and current culture is thirsty for it again. Hallmark is a TV phenomenon with super fans, as you’ve described, Can you name the favorite Hallmark films you’ve done, for all of your fans who would love to hear about that from you?

LM: It’s a hard list. I recently gave an interview where I named a film. I’m still very friendly with many of my female co-stars, and one of them saw that interview and said, ‘You didn’t say Sense, Sensibility + Snowmen?’ It’s also one of my favorites, but I happened to mention The Mistletoe Promise, a movie I really enjoyed making, with the very glamorous Jamie King, and in it, our characters make an arrangement to pretend to be a couple.

TR: That was a good one.

LM: It came together despite a very tricky film, and I loved that one. And I really love Sense, Sensibility, + Snowmen, just because it has one of the most ridiculous titles of any Hallmark movies I’ve ever done.

TR: They really get away with those fun titles, don’t they?

LM: They really do. I’m always going have a soft spot for the first one I ever did, which was Christmas Land. I got to play a Christmas tree farmer, I mean, come on.

TR: That’s the pinnacle. And one of your firsts with Hallmark was The Memory Book?

LM: The Memory Book, that’s right.  It was a Hallmark movie, but it was not a Christmas movie. It was the early days of Hallmark Movies + Mysteries. They have two channels.

TR: Are you contracted for a certain number of films each year?

LM: Yes. Early on, when I started working for them, they would call me up, and I’d say yes. Then, as I did more and got a little more popular, they created overall deals with me. For example, six movies to be done in a two year period. I just finished my most recent contract with them, which was for, I think, three movies. I’m no longer contractually obliged to them, although I’m always willing to go and work with them again, for sure.

TR: Can you share anything about some of the Hallmark films that are coming up for you this year?

LM: I have a Christmas movie coming out with Alison Sweeney, she also produced it. That’s one of the fun things about making Hallmark films. They really give their actors and actresses opportunities to steer things creatively.

TR: That is evident, and I’ve always found that interesting. Once they develop that relationship with their actors, it seems they allow you be a core part of things.

LM: It’s such a rare privilege, especially for all of the actors who’ve been around for a super long time, yet have never had the opportunity to move into producing. So, Alison Sweeney is the lead in my upcoming Christmas film, and it also stars the amazing Marlo Thomas. It comes out not too far from now.

TR: Hallmark starts rolling out Christmas films like, on Halloween, basically.

LM: Basically. I was kind of relieved that we weren’t in that first slot after Halloween, because I feel that’s a tough slot. People are like, ‘I’m not ready, there’s still a pumpkin on my front yard.’

TR: What do you think people would be surprised to know about the making of Hallmark films, behind the scenes, or in terms of the people involved?

LM: That’s a really good question. I, I think they’d be surprised at how fast it is. Everyone works very hard, everyone takes it very seriously, and you motor. Allison Sweeney has years and years on the soaps, and in a lot of ways, the soap actors are prepared for the seventeen pages of dialogue a day that you get. It’s fast-paced, you really motor through the script, there’s not a lot of time. It probably won’t come as a surprise to your readers that the Christmas movies are almost always done in the summer. All the snow is fake, and you are boiling underneath those winter jackets, trying to pretend like it’s cold. It’s a lot of cold-acting.

TR: What have you come to value most about about your Hallmark work?

LM: As actors, we all have instincts, right? We all have a way we think the scene is supposed to go. Sometimes when you work with auteurs, they’re sort of trying to get you on board with what their vision is. But with the Hallmark movies, there isn’t really time for that conversation, so you go in with your set of instincts about a scene. And what’s been very validating, is that I’ve found that I can trust my instincts, because it works. It kind of comes together, the first attempt at something, works. It’s been very validating to know that I can trust my instincts.

“I think that most of the [Hallmark] performers who are seeing Bros are able to laugh at the jokes that we make.”

TR: Whom within your Hallmark family of actors, do you call a friend? Have you heard from any of them since the release of Bros, and what have been their reactions?

LM: Erin Krakow reached out to me; she’s been following the thing, and has been incredibly encouraging and supportive. She was at Juilliard when I was there, so we go back a really long way. I definitely count her as a friend. Who else do I keep in touch with? Merritt Patterson and I are going to get together sometime soon. She’s been incredibly supportive. I think that most of the [Hallmark] performers who are seeing Bros are able to laugh at the jokes that we make.

Luke macfarlane 6

Boglioli Milano cardigan.

“Sometimes when you work with auteurs, they’re sort of trying to get you on board with what their vision is. But with the Hallmark movies, there isn’t really time for that conversation, so you go in with your set of instincts about a scene.”

TR: While watching a screening of Bros, I really felt filled up. I think there’s a very hopeful and happy energy to the film that I don’t think we’ve seen in a while. I felt filled up with laughter too, and was thrilled and honored really, to get a first look of something so groundbreaking. Bros checks all the boxes. It’s a thoroughly satisfying film. And inBros, it was also fantastic to see you play a gay man again. There was of course your run on Brothers + Sisters, as key character, Scotty Wandell, the love interest, then boyfriend, then husband, to Matthew Rys’ Kevin. For your character, Aaron, in Bros, did you immediately know how you were going to play him? What kinds of things were you thinking about when you were awarded the role? What did you start to draw from, to prepare for the project?

LM: Those are all really great questions. I remember talking with Billy a lot, leading up to playing Aaron, and he kept on reminding me, ‘Luke, you’re a sensitive, intelligent guy. Aaron’s not there yet.’ I ended up watching a lot of clips from Brothers + Sisters. I was on YouTube, and someone has compiled all the Kevin-Scotty scenes!

TR: I just watched many of your episodes, so I can imagine all of them. And your look! In 2006. The beginning!

LM: Crazy. It was so funny, going back and watching them, because my [Bros] character, Aaron, had so much to learn from Scotty, you know? He was so comfortable with himself.

TR: From day one.

 “I remember talking with Billy [Eichner] a lot, in leading up to playing Aaron, and he kept on reminding me, ‘Luke, you’re a sensitive, intelligent guy. Aaron’s not there yet.’ “

LM:  From day one! There was a scene where he’s on a date with Kevin, early on, and he says something like, ‘I’ve been so gay for so long…I’ve never had to come out’.  I love that for Scotty. For whatever reason he had that confidence to move through the world. Scotty was from Mississippi. I discovered that while re-watching. (Didn’t do that accent work, Sorry, ABC!) Aaron wasn’t that when we meet him, Aaron didn’t have that confidence. He had kind of built a sort of armor around himself to get people to be attracted to him—it’s the definition of ‘skin deep’. It didn’t go super deep, and then eventually it does. That was the fun of developing the character, there is a peeling back of layers. We get to see more and more about who he really is. The first thing, for me, in getting ready for Aaron, was to build that body, embody that physical thing.

TR: Because that’s what he leads with.

LM: That’s right, the guy that works out. It’s an interesting conversation. For him, feeling successful as a gay man is being able to have sex with whomever he wants to. And it was also about making up for lost time. He probably didn’t have a girlfriend in high school or in college, so he was kind of making up for that lost time by being very successful, sexually. As far as him being like me, I can definitely relate to a lot of it. I think that Aaron is, maybe, me, in my last year of high school, when I hadn’t been encouraged to examine myself the way that I learned to at Juilliard, knowing that my truest self is going to be the most interesting to people.

TR: What is your process like, for getting in the zone for a character you’ll play?

LM: I have dyslexia, so I always have to do this thing with the dialogue, I have to make it so second nature to me, and it almost becomes like a melody.

TR: You’ve memorized it?

LM:  …But in a deep, deep way. I’m always really envious of the actors that can kind of grab the page, look at it, then know it. I just don’t have that relationship to words on a page. I’ve been with actors who say that while they’re in scenes they’re seeing the script in their mind’s eye. I’ve never been able to do that. In general, so much of my process for getting ready for a character is about deeply taking the linesBilly and [writer-director] Nick [Stoller] gave me a lot of freedom in Bros. If I wanted to tweak a line or an idea here or there, they would let me do it, just to make it feel better in my mouth. I remember one very specific scene, the scene where I ask Billy to fuck me. Aaron says to Bobby, ‘Fuck me.’ And I thought, that just doesn’t feel right. Then I could see Billy going, like, ‘Urghh. You don’t want me to fuck you? I get it. You’re only a top blah, blah, blah.’ And it’s like, No—it’s not that. It’s, ‘fuck me’, is different than, ‘I want you to fuck me’. That felt like a very different idea. ‘I want you to’, is more vulnerable. This is the thing I want, this is the need. ‘Fuck me’ almost feels like a demand.

TR: Adding the word ‘want’ adds complexity.

LM: Yes. And vulnerability, which is what Aaron’s character is finally moving towards. 

“For for him, feeling successful as a gay man is being able to have sex with whomever he wants to. And it was also about making up for lost time.”

  C a m p  I s I d r o  h o o d I e ;  A G  j e a n s.

“I think that Aaron is, maybe, me, in my last year of high school, when I hadn’t been encouraged to examine myself the way that I learned to at Juilliard, knowing that my truest self is going to be the most interesting to people.”

TR: With people like writer-director Nick Stoller and producer Judd Apatow, along with Billy Eichner, at the helm of Bros, what did you experience in terms of that level of talent in film making?

LM: I kind of expected to be told that this is the way things are going to be. It was was going to be very curated, and I was just going to sort of step in. I was amazed by, in working with people at a high level, how much responsibility I was given, right down to what I was going to wear. That, to me, is a great lesson. People with real power are able to give it away a little bit. They’re not forcing you into a sort of thing. That was totally surprising to me. I fully expected to just walk in and be a cog in the machine. They let me be a collaborator. That was very unexpected.

TR: How do you think it’s raised the bar for you, in terms of what your future endeavors will be?

LM: Our careers are such mysteries. I’ve learned a tremendous amount, my gosh, just going on this press tour. I don’t know how many actors have had that kind of experience; the whirlwind of exposure. I really don’t know what kind of opportunities may or may not be offered to me moving forward.

TR: Hallmark is in fact referred to throughout Bros. What were the conversations like, or not like, around that choice? Were you involved in it at all?

LM: Not really. I remember advising Nick, when he was planning to do the little vignettes of A Holly Polly Christmas. I said, ‘You know, one of the tricks of a Hallmark movie, is that you have to have Christmas in every shot.’  He was like, ‘What do you mean??’  In every shot, there has to be something Christmas-y that’s visible. I also remember that one day, on set, when I was making the little chocolates, he was like, ‘Come on, you must have done baking on Hallmark, at some point.’ I thought, no, and then: yes. I actually have done baking on Hallmark before. With Jean Smart. Jean Smart, in A Shoe Addict’s Christmas with Candace. Cameron Bure.

TR: There is always baking in Hallmark Christmas films.

LM: Because that is Christmas…

“I was amazed by, in working with people at a high level, how much responsibility I was given, right down to what I was going to wear. That, to me, is a great lesson. People with real power, are able to give it away a little bit.

Luke macfarlane bw duo

Vintage t shirt; AG jeans; Brooks Brothers sport coat; Duke + Dexter loafers.

TR: What were the aspects of making Bros that you felt are one-of-a-kind? Opportunities, moments, experiences, things that will remain close to you?

LM: This sounds kind of small, but there’s nothing like a crane shot on Central Park West. The movie ends with Billy and I holding hands and walking down Central Park West. A beautiful New York City landmark, with a big crane flying up, the music going. That just feels so singular. I remember that day of filming and thinking, whoa.

TR: What have been some notable reactions to the film, and to how you play Aaron? 

LM: My sister told me that I have a very stiff run, [laughs] which is totally true. Five minutes after the screening at Toronto International Film Festival, she was like, ‘Hey, who am I? ‘ And she does my little run. That’s fine, I get it! There have been a lot of really sweet responses that people have sent to me via DM’s, saying things like, ‘I saw myself in this gay man, in Aaron, and thank you.’ So that’s been very nice.

Luke macfarlane 9

Camp Isidro hoodie; AG jeans.

“My first thought, perhaps selfishly, is, why am I the guy who is getting these opportunities? The truth is, because I’m an openly gay actor, and I guess that is still sort of a rare thing.”

TR: It’s a pivotal time in your life and career. When things are quiet and you’re not on the whirlwind press tour that you’ve been on, how are you feeling?

LM: Especially in this last week, I remember feeling a little anxious. I had a bit of a cold and I didn’t have the energy to go to the gym. I realized that being active in the gym is really important for my mental health. It’s somewhere to put that energy, to take that anxiety and put it somewhere. Being active as much as I can, pouring all my love into my dog…These are such cliches, but help.

TR: It was so much fun to re-watch the Ken Olin executive produced Brothers + Sisters for this interview. It ran from 2006 to 2011, it was filled with notable stars and guest stars, a total ensemble. People fell in love with your character, Scotty, the partner of Matthew Rhys’ character, Kevin. Kevin struggled with aspects of being out, and while Scotty was strong and self-assured, he had parents that had some difficulty with how he was living his life. Your story line included Scotty’s parents not being accepting of his commitment ceremony, a theme presented at a time when gay marriage wasn’t an option. Commitment ceremony, remember that? Your story line also included struggles with surrogacy, and miscarriage, and fostering a child. Being a lead in Bros, you’re a part of groundbreaking film, and all those years ago, you were a part of groundbreaking television. Does it feel like some version of a 360 moment?

LM: It’s so interesting to hear you put it that clearly. You’re right. My first thought, perhaps selfishly, is, why am I the guy who is getting these opportunities? The truth is, because I’m an openly gay actor, and I guess that is still sort of a rare thing. …Everything you said; it’s a privilege to be part of those stories and I’m so grateful to have been part of those things that have been watched and received well. I think selfishly, as actors, we always desire the ability to be more transformative and disappear into a character. That’s not to diminish or take away anything from either Aaron or Scotty, but I do long for the day when I won’t have to celebrate this special-ness of narrative. It’ll just be a part of collective storytelling. 

B r I o n I  c o a t ;  v I n t a g e  t  s h I r t ;  L e v I ‘ s  j e a n s ;  C o n v e r s e  s n e a k e r s.

“Honestly, in between Brothers + Sisters and Bros, I’ve done three television series. Cumulatively, that’s almost a hundred episodes of shows that I’ve worked very hard on. Yet Hallmark is the thing that burst through.”

TR:  What was it like working on Brothers + Sisters? You must have been left with some great tools and some great memories. What do you think about, when you think about that time?

LM: I remember, very early on, being tremendously nervous. I remember being very, very nervous. We used to do a table read for every single episode, and we’d all gather around together. I’d always be very nervous about delivering well at the table read. As things went on, it became this incredible opportunity to see different actors at very high levels. When Rob Lowe joined the cast, I thought, ‘This is Rob Lowe. He’s just a guy, sitting around in his cast chair.’ Keep in mind, this was before like everybody had iPhones. When you were on set, you sat around and chatted with people. I miss those days. I learned so much from people like Rob and Calista [Flockhart] and Sally [Field], sitting together, on those chairs. Sally used to read on set. I was like, ‘I’m going to start reading on set. I used to read books, get through novels, on set. I can barely get through a book now, especially on set. So I have nostalgia for those before-cell-phones days. I think specifically what I learned from Sally—going back to what I was saying earlier about the importance of work and labor and just doing the work—was that she always had a kind of contractor-laborer attitude toward doing the work. She was always prepared, and it was also sort of muscled, and thoughtful. I really learned a lot from her in that way.

TR: Has it been interesting now, to reflect on all that time that came in between Brothers + Sisters and Bros? How do you kind of characterize it? 

LM: I think of that time in between, as my years of learning more about who I am, getting more confident with who I am, and learning to have more confidence about how to be on set. As far as artistic contributions, they’ve been a little less obvious, you know, with the exception of Hallmark, which still, to this day, blows my mind. Especially doing this press tour.  It’s what people want to talk about. It broke through, you know? Honestly, in between Brothers + Sisters and Bros, I’ve done three television series. Cumulatively, that’s almost a hundred episodes of shows that I’ve worked very hard on. Yet Hallmark is the thing that burst through.

C a m p  I s I d r o  h o o d I e ;  A G  j e a n s .

 “We all have ideas about where we want to head, but then we also look down the road, and follow where the road is guiding us a little bit, too.”

TR: Was there a point recently, when you made a conscious decision to mix things up in your career? Had you decided to spend more time looking for roles outside of those coming to you from your Hallmark family? 

LM: It’s always a little bit of everything. We all have ideas about where we want to head, but then we also look down the road, and follow where the road is guiding us a little bit, too. It’s always going to be a little bit of a mix. 

TR: Up next for you is your role as Charlie, husband to Rose Byrne’s character Sylvia, in Apple TV+’s comedy series,Platonic, written and directed by Nick Stoller who just directed you in Bros.  The series also stars Seth Rogan, and finished shooting last month.

LM: That opportunity came along because Nick and I really enjoyed working together, and he gave it to me, and I was not going to turn down an Apple show! It’s an opportunity to play a family man in a traditional family setting, and that’s really exciting for me. But it would be disingenuous of me to say that it was a conscious choice to ‘move away’. Our lives and our careers are always a little bit of a mix, a little bit of choice, and a little bit of whimsy.

M r .  P  . j a c k e  t;  v I n t a g e  t  s h I r t ;  A G  j e a n s .

“I would love to be part of the big action universe. I love those movies. I love what they stand for.”

TR: I know you can’t share too much about Platonic, but how are the themes of platonic friendships similar, and how are they different, from your own experience?

LM: Platonic, essentially and at its core, is the theme, can men and women be friends? It’s the question that’s posed in When Harry Met Sally. The show is the explanation of that. Can Rose Byrne’s character and Seth Rogan’s character be friends, and does their friendship kind of freak everyone else out? In my mind, the show is very much Rose’s character’s journey as a woman who has dedicated herself to her family, and is feeling a little bit like something’s missing. She reconnects with a college buddy, Seth Rogan’s character. Very fortunately, as a gay man, I get to kind of be friends with whomever I want. I do not feel the social constraints in the ways that a lot of people feel. I guess I feel very lucky that way. Also, I’m an artsy guy living in Los Angeles. So I’ve never felt particularly stressed about who I can or can’t be friends with, including my ex’s.

TR: Where are you in terms of what you want for your career and where you want to see it go? Will you continue to cast the net wide, or is there a genre you hope you can focus on? Or is your point of view just to kind of stay diverse?

LM: It’s always important to say what you want to do, so I’m going say what I want right now. I’m also being realistic that, you know, things will come up. I would love to be part of the big action universe. I love those movies. I love what they stand for. I love action and physicality, so I would love to be part of something like that. Will that opportunity come around? I don’t know, but that would be something I would love to be part of.

TR: A lot of press around Bros includes the movie star presence that people see in you. Do you allow yourself to think about that?

LM:  I will  100% take it. I don’t know what it means, but thank you very much. I’m nodding with gratitude.

Luke macfarlane 13

Vintage sweatshirt; AG jeans; Ray-Ban sunglasses.

 #BTS

OCTOBER 2022 COVER LUKE MACFARLANE

LOCATION BROOKLYN, NYC

PHOTOGRAPHER DEAN ISIDRO DE FACTO

STYLIST + FASHION DIRECTOR | MEN SAM SPECTOR

GROOMING ERIN ANDERSON EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS

ASSISTANTS PHOTO | ALEX KALB, MIKE PARDO  FASHION | KATIE VAUGHAN

Source: Story + Rain

SUPERHERO ENVY AND THE JOY OF BEING OUT

31/05/2017

Luke_McFarlane
Move over, Deadpool: Luke Macfarlane wouldn’t mind playing a gay, caped crusader
By Nelson Branco

It’s Pride month—and London, Ont., native Luke Macfarlane is proud of himself for managing to be out as an actor in Hollywood and still manage to work steadily for almost a decade. Coming out in an interview with The Globe and Mail in 2008, Macfarlane wasn’t sure at the time of how news of his sexuality would impact his career—especially during that recession-plagued era.

The Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts and Julliard graduate said at the time, “I don’t know what will happen professionally.… That is the fear, but I guess I can’t really be concerned about what will happen because it’s my truth. There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are, and what’s been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself.”

Macfarlane first caught critics’ attention with his performance in FX’s gritty US army series Over There, which was produced by NYPD Blue/L.A. Law showrunner Steven Bochco and focused on the first tour in Iraq. Then came what was arguably his breakout role in ABC’s drama Brothers & Sisters, where he played popular Scotty Wandell, husband to Kevin Walker (played by Matthew Rhys). Since then, the former singer and songwriter has worked on Canadian series Satisfaction as well as NBC’s The Night Shift and PBS’s Mercy Street.

Today, he’s sporting armour as D’avin Jaqobis on Space’s sci-fi fantasy series Killjoys, which returns for a third season on June 30 at 8 pm. Killjoys is described as a “fast-paced space adventure about a trio of hard-living, party-loving bounty hunters working for the R.A.C. (Recovery and Apprehension Coalition).”

IN caught up with the 37-year-old hunk, who has been romantically linked to actors like Wentworth Miller, to chat about playing a gay superhero one day, whether Pride needs to reinvent itself and why he thinks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the world’s moral compass in these uncertain, chaotic times.

For those who haven’t watched Killjoys, what can they expect?
It takes place in an unspecified place and future. The trio of bounty hunters are played by me, Aaron Ashmore and Hannah John-Kamen. It’s an unlikely, future family drama. Aaron plays my brother and my character has a thing for his best friend, played by Hannah. It has a lot of action and comedy.

Why is there such a fascination with sci-fi and superhero content at the moment?
My cynical answer is…especially looking at the film industry today, because there’s a lot of rebooting of old narrative.… I think it’s due to studios being scared that no one will come to see a new story, so they rely on projects with pre-existing fan bases. So many of the ’80s audiences now have young families, so it’s a good time to reintroduce a proven, successful franchise to a new generation via their parent, who also gets an update to watch. One of the reasons I’m really proud of our show is because it’s original material. But my other answer is that I think people need right now to escape to a world they can create in their own imagination, given the state of everything going on today in politics.

Just about every actor and their stepmother has a superhero franchise. Would you be up for sporting some tights in your own superhero film in the future?
Omigod, of course I would. My agent would kill if I didn’t do that. Of course, you need to find the right superhero who matches the deeper aspect of your personality. So who would my superhero be? He’d probably an architecture fanatic…

One who likes dudes? Other than bisexual-leaning Deadpool, we don’t have any gay superheroes on the big screen.
That is so true. But you know what? Things are changing so rapidly so I could see it happening, for sure. I’d be down.

Your body is a machine these days. What did you do with that lovely tall and lean build we all loved? You could definitely fill out a superhero costume today.
[Laughs] Awww… I’ve always been very schizophrenic. I don’t always know what I want to do professionally. On Brothers & Sisters, it was a huge and successful TV series. I loved playing Scotty. That show probably got me the most recognition in my career. When the show was wrapping up, I remember saying, ‘Oh no. I have to move on to something new. I need to reinvent myself. I need to think about the next stage.’ So that’s when I decided to transform my body. When I was doing the Broadway play, The Normal Heart, I was working out all the time. I remember when I was backstage in between shows, the director would say, ‘Luke, you have to stop working out! You look way too healthy to play an HIV patient in the 1980s!’ I did want to do a lot of action and adventure films and TV, so that’s why Killjoys is a perfect fit for me.

What are you doing at the gym?
I train almost every single day. I usually go to the gym before work. I find it makes my day so much easier if I have already worked out. I really enjoy the rowing machine when I’m not doing weights.

Luke_McFarlane small size

Luke_McFarlane killjoys

Luke Macfarlane as D’avin Jaqobis on the Space television science fiction series, Killjoys

How do you deal with being a sex symbol? Some in the industry worry you can’t be an authentic sex symbol and be out. Researching your career, I read a quote from a director who didn’t want to cast you as a gay character because you come off too heterosexual!
First of all, who knows what being a sex symbol is? It just means getting more attention if you look a certain way. As far as identity and how I want to be perceived, I really feel like I just want to be known for my work and that I want to keep working. The perception of being gay or straight, I don’t know, I think we’re in a new era in life where it doesn’t matter as much as it did before, but I could be totally wrong.

You came out in 2008. Had you stayed in the closet, imagine how much more difficult these past nine years would have been. Any advice you would have given yourself back then?
I would have told myself, especially when I was younger, that I should be easier on myself. I remember my first professional TV show and I wasn’t as open with everybody about myself as I could have been. Yes, it was a different time back then, but you always have to give people the autonomy to react in their own way to our own truths.

This year the Toronto Police are banned from marching or displaying any booths at this year’s Pride Toronto celebrations, after a motion from Black Lives Matter–Toronto ‘passed.’ Thoughts?
I won’t be here for Toronto’s Pride. I’m not going to say anything about the issue but I do feel like we have to be inclusive with ideas and people—and those who want to march with our community should be allowed to.

Do you think Pride needs to be reinvented? It’s more relevant
than ever in the US given this current White House administration.

I do think Pride is still relevant. Acts of gathering are still powerful, as we saw with the Women’s March. Pride and Pride parades are two very different things. There has been so much discussion about slacktivism and what we really gain from retweeting/tweeting causes, but I think the act of gathering publicly is still a very profound and powerful experience—as we’re seeing all over the world. The commercialism at Pride? Listen, I remember being at a New York Pride parade and I saw these go-go Altoid boys in red Speedos. I was like, ‘Oh, what does this have to do with Pride? And that’s a straight trainer from Equinox gym on that float!’ But I don’t know…maybe that’s how you get people out these days, with the lure of Speedos.

Do you like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?
I think he’s a moral compass of the Western world. I can say I’m deeply proud of his commitment to immigrants and refugees. I think he’s important not only to Canada but also to the rest of the world.

Narratively, Brothers & Sisters was kind of ahead of its time, but its ratings weren’t on fire. It aired before streaming services tackled heavier material. While it could have continued a few more seasons, I consider the show a success. Do you think the show’s lifespan was cut too short?
It’s hard to tell. We did have a big cast and we had a lot of big names. It was hard to keep everyone happy. I feel particularly blessed in that role because Matthew and I got along so well. You can tell the writers liked writing for us so we always had a good storyline. I don’t think a lot of the other actors felt that way. I would have loved to have seen Scotty and Kevin go on but others felt we had told all the story we could.

Do you still see Matthew? [Sarcastically] I hear he’s doing pretty badly in his career right now…
[Laughs] No, he’s doing really well. I haven’t seen him in a while but we do exchange texts occasionally.

It must be a good time to be in Canada, as the US seems to be imploding politically.
It’s great. I got here to Toronto a couple of weeks after Christmas, but I’ll be spending the summer in L.A. It’s nice to be here because I have a lot of pride in Canada. I will say Canadians really love talking about Americans, though! I’m constantly being asked what I think about Trump. During the past two years, I’ve been flying down to Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, to film a PBS series called Merchant Street about the Civil War—which couldn’t be a more American experience—but then I would fly back to Toronto, so I do have one foot in each country. It’s a good balance.

Are you single these days? Not sure if you want to share your romantic status.
Yeah, I’d rather not. I don’t like to talk about my personal life in interviews.

Hard-hitting question time: boxers or briefs? Or a hybrid?
[Laughs] I have to tell you I wear all types of underwear. It depends on the workout of the day.

Source: IN Magazine

Killjoys Interview: The 3 Stars Tell Us What’s Next For D’avin, Dutch, And John

31/05/2017

 Returns June 30

During our recent visit to the set of Killjoys, stars Aaron Ashmore (John), Hannah John-Kamen (Dutch), and Luke Macfarlane (D’avin) sat down to offer a sense of where their characters find themselves in Season 3. While they offered several intriguing details about the episodes ahead, all the comments below are spoiler-free—and guaranteed to peak your curiosity about their upcoming adventures.

AARON ASHMORE: One of the interesting things about starting the third season is that there are two storylines. D’avin and Dutch are one storyline, and John is off finding himself, doing some things. It’s sort of different from the other two seasons, where we’re always together. There’s a little bit of branching out, which I think is sort of different and will allow all of us to do some new things.

HANNAH JOHN-KAMEN: We all have our own adventures and our own path. It’s also the introduction of the character Aneela, who is Khlyen’s daughter, so we will also be exploring that world.

LUKE MACFARLANE: D’avin continues to sort of play better with others much more than the first season. As John is on his walkabout, we are getting along really well as team members. The big question for him is we know that he has these sort of magical powers—for lack of a better term—so we’re going to continue to learn more about that.

AA: If you remember, John sort of left on… not a great note. His girlfriend was murdered. A bit of a low point for John there and then he sort of takes his revenge and then is off. A big part for John is dealing with that, dealing with the death of Pawter, but then his actions, reconciling those actions, and how he fits back into the team—because I think he’s changed a little bit.

HJK: Dutch lost Khlyen in the last season and everything she thought she knew was completely destroyed in that moment. The discovery of Aneela and the job that has to be done—Dutch is seeing red and I think the war is on.

AA: Our dynamic is still our dynamic, but I think one of the interesting things about the show is we’re always kind of playing with the dynamics of the trio. The core of it stays the same, but there’s always a little bit of dancing around and trying to figure out how we all fit together. It’s part of what makes Killjoys original.

LM: To be part of something truly original is really rewarding. When I tell people, ‘Oh, I’m doing this sci-fi show,’ the immediate question is, ‘Oh, what’s it based on?’ So much of the material that’s coming out right now is coming from a sort of history, maybe a comic book. That’s wonderful and that’s what is required nowadays, but we get to make up the rules as we go and I wish there was more space for that on the market because it expands us all, as both creators and viewers.

AA: As far as the future goes, five seasons and a movie, right? That’s what you want. But yeah, I hope that people will remember it fondly because I think we’re all really proud of it. We all really enjoy it. The idea of it ending is really a bummer, not just for the show, but we get along so well. That’s really sad to think about, but yeah, I hope people walk away having had fun and really enjoying it and just remembering it fondly, the way we will.

Killjoys returns to Space June 30 at 8pm ET.

Source: Space

Luke talks about Chaplain Henry Hopkins in “Mercy Street” season 1 & 2

Chaplain Henry Hopkins

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Chaplain Henry Hopkins (Luke Macfarlane)

Chaplain Hopkins was drawn to his religious vocation as a way to atone for a dark chapter in his past. His integrity, compassion and worldly wisdom make him an appealing figure to staff and patients alike.

In Season 2, the limitations of his spiritual mission among so many sick and dying begins to wear on his psyche. He yearns for a more active role and pushes for an opportunity to help the wounded on the battlefield. As the war expands, so do Hopkins’ internal struggles, and he is forced to consider God’s place in the brutal context of war. Meanwhile, he continues to wrestle with his obvious attraction to Emma Green, which only grows as the two find themselves working closely together, united by a common cause.

Luke on Henry in Season 1:

Chaplain Hopkins attends to the souls of the wounded and anybody else who really needs any sort of spiritual guidance, which was an important time or an important thing for these men. This is a time when people were a lot more religious than they are nowadays. So I’ll read Bible verses. I’ll read from the Book of Common Prayer. I’ll do the services. So many of the men in this hospital were at a point in their lives where they badly needed spiritual guidance. Some of them are at the end of their lives and they need to make peace with God, or try to make some kind of peace. So he’s definitely a welcomed figure in the hospital.

Luke on Henry in Season 2:
I think anybody who participated or had a front-row seat to the war was changed by the war, and we start to learn a little more about Hopkins’ past. I think, for Chaplain, both for the character and for me as an actor, there is this idea that maybe we have an inherent sense of violence inside of us that we wrestle with. And for him it is about how does a man of faith, who is not supposed to harm anybody, do injury? How does he understand war, and the importance of war, and what it means to kill?

Actor bio

Luke Macfarlane is a graduate of Juilliard’s Drama Division and can currently be seen on the SYFY series “Killjoys.” He recurred on the NBC series “The Night Shift” and appeared in several off-Broadway plays including “The Busy World is Hushed,” “Where Do We Live” and “Juvenilia”; and on Broadway in “The Normal Heart” (Drama Desk winner for Best Ensemble). Luke made his feature film debut in Bill Condon’s “Kinsey.” Additional TV credits include “Super Girl,” “SMASH,” “Person of Interest” and “Over There”. Luke is best known for his role as Scotty on ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters.”

Source: Mercy Street PBS

Luke Macfarlane Talks The Mistletoe Promise, Killjoys, Mercy Street and More [Exclusive]

04/11/2016

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

[Warning: General spoilers ahead.]

Saturday night, Luke Macfarlane returns to Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movie lineup for the second year in a row with The Mistletoe Promise, based on the book by Richard Paul Evans and co-starring Hart of Dixie‘s Jaime King in her first film for the network. This morning, I jumped on the phone with Macfarlane for a quick chat about the film and his packed project roster.

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

In The Mistletoe Promise, Macfarlane plays Nick, a Christmas-phobic family law attorney who strikes a pact with fellow phobe Elise (King), who’s trapped in a combative business partnership with her ex-husband that always escalates at the holidays. What begins as a congenial idea to help each other grows into something more as each rediscovers something they’d thought they lost, because, well, Hallmark Channel.

Cedar Cove‘s Sarah Smyth co-stars as Nick’s indispensable paralegal, Ashley. Christie Laing (UnREAL, OUaT, Arrow) plays Elise’s BFF Holly and Lochlyn Munro is Elise’s ex, Dan. Hallmark staple David Winning (several Christmas films and Tulips in Spring) directs.

Macfarlane is happy to be in the rotation of talent the network calls on for their movies. “I’ve become a bit of a go-to guy for Hallmark. They’re always very lovely to me, and [the movies are] always fun to make,” he says. “I read the script and said, ‘This one’s funny. Sign me up!’ I had a very busy year, and my mom is more excited about my Hallmark movies than everything I do.”

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

Fore fans of the novel, he says it’s a bit lighter in tone. “I only heard about the book afterward,” he explains. “We depart from the book in a lot of ways. The book is darker, I’ve been told.”

Unlike last year’s Christmas Land, which found the cast shooting in an early winter in Utah, this film shot in the summer in Vancouver, so the cast was sweltering in their coats and hats. “It was hot, and we’re wearing jackets and trying not to sweat,” says Macfarlane. “I tend to sweat a lot anyway. When we did the ice skating scene, it was in a cold building, so it was like, ‘Oh, thank God.”

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

Photo Credit: Ryan Plummer/Crown Media United States LLC

Most viewers recognize Macfarlane from his day job on Killjoys, one of our favorites here at TV Goodness. The second season, which concluded in August, expanded D’avin’s role into the larger Level Six mythology. “I didn’t know where he was going. Aaron Ashmore had specifically asked to get information [on Season 2] and I had specifically asked not to,” he recalls.

“Michelle [Lovretta] asked this year [what we wanted to know]. I didn’t know anything about [last year] and I think I will continue not to know. That’s the way I work. I like to be a little bit blind. That could change.”

Photo Credit: Ian Watson/Syfy/Killjoys II Productions Limited

Photo Credit: Ian Watson/Syfy/Killjoys II Productions Limited

“I think [in Season 2, D’avin] kind of figured out for himself and the team, ‘This is where I’m needed and this is where I’m useful.’ I think that’s a universal journey. That was exciting. And I loved doing all the fight scenes and I hope to keep doing that.”

He also enjoyed the arc with Sabine (No Tomorrow‘s Tori Anderson) that started casual and light and went somewhere unexpected. “In this amazing sleight of hand, she takes control and is the person in control,” he points out. “I loved working with Tori. It’s actually a testament to our casting that they get these wonderful actors.”

This past summer, The Night Shift fans were treated to Macfarlane’s return in a storyline that had Drew and Rick expanding their family. “They had wanted [me to do] more episodes, and I said, ‘I can’t because of Mercy Street,’ so I flew down on one weekend and we did two episodes,” he recalls.

“That’s the only way we could make it work. It was a bit of a bummer. I’d like to do more. I definitely expressed interest in going back if they get picked up. We’ll wait and see. I love working on that show.”

Photo Credit: PBS

Photo Credit: PBS

In January, PBS will roll out the second season of Mercy Street, and The Chaplain will get a mystery of his own. “They gave me some really good stuff this year,” he shares. “The Chaplain has some demons. I got to do a little bit of the stunt choreography I like so much, as The Chaplain. I’ll also tease that there’s water involved.”

Uh oh, he’s out! Quinton Aaron and Luke Macfarlane on

This fall, Macfarlane worked alongside a who’s who of Hollywood history to shoot Rock, Paper, Dead for Fright Night master Tom Holland. “In an effort to keep my year as confusing as possible. I had to round it off by playing a killer,” he laughs.

“It’s an amazing project. It has Victor Miller, who wrote the original Friday the 13th, and the hair and makeup people are legends in the business. It’s almost more a psychological thriller, so it’s this really interesting psychological thing. I had a blast. I adore Tom. We got along really well. It was truly a positive experience.”

View image on Twitter View image on Twitter

Macfarlane goes back in front of the camera for Season 3 of Killjoys in January, which will return on Syfy next summer. Mercy Street begins Season 2 on January 22nd on PBS.

In case you missed it, Christmas Land airs overnight tonight at 2 am/1c on Hallmark Channel. The Mistletoe Promise airs Saturday at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel and repeats through the end of the year. Here is a sneak peek.

Source: Tv Goodness

INTERVIEW: Luke Macfarlane Reflects on KILLJOYS Season 2

09/09/2016

It’s hard to believe it has been a week since Killjoys season two epic finale!

KILLJOYS -- Season:1 -- Pictured: Luke Macfarlane as D'Avin -- (Photo by: Steve Wilkie/Syfy)I recently had the privilege to speak with Luke Macfarlane. Luke portrays D’avin Jaqobis, the third member of one of the best bounty hunting team in the Quad.

Luke was very proud of the series and most especially the season finale. “It’s our biggest episode by far. It has the biggest set pieces and the most exciting action and the biggest reveal,” says Luke.

Luke describes the series as “a family drama disguised as sci-fi.” The bounty hunting triad is comprised of Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen) and brothers John Jaqobis (Aaron Ashmore) and D’avin. The team each shares their own dark past and together have created family. And, just like any family they have their ups and downs. “[Dutch] surrounds herself with these two guys who are able to go through the spectrum. We see Johnny go from caretaker, to lover, to reckless abandon guy. We see D’avin do the opposite as well.  [Dutch] needs them to be those sort of polarities in her life. I think as much as we have changed is all necessary for Dutch to navigate the world with these two guys.”

kill207_goodavinKilljoys season two was filled with incredible, fantastic and sometimes completely, delightfully, demented scenes. In episode 2.08, Luke’s character, D’avin, made the top spot on our list of wonderfully weird moments when he accidentally exploded the eyeballs of his enemy. “They couldn’t get the blast right. First one was way too much. They did it so many times. It was green, vanilla pudding,” Luke jokingly recalling his memories of that experience.

killjoys_gallery_201recap_18Another very memorable scene occurred in 2.05, when D’avin traded bodies with Khlyen (Rob Stewart), via his newfound Level Six skills. “I remember when I got the script, I felt really sorry for Rob because it would be easier to imitate Khlyen than it would be to imitate me. When he did, it was like, ‘Holy smokes! Amazing!’” Luke recalls.

Need more Killjoys? We’ve got you covered! Check out our earlier cast interviews with Hannah John-Kamen, Aaron Ashmore ,  Luke Macfarlene and Tamsen McDonough.

KILLJOYS -- Season:2 -- Pictured: (l-r) Thom Allison as Pree, Sarah Power as Pawter, Aaron Ashmore as John, Hannah John-Kamen as Duth, Luke Macfarlane as D'Avin, Morgan Kelly as Alvis -- (Photo by: Steve Wilkie/Syfy/Killjoys II Productions Limited)

Source: Nice Girls TV

Link: Killjoys’ Luke Macfarlane reflects on D’Avin’s growth this season

01/09/2016

Is there something on my face?

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:
“D’avin has been able to be there for Dutch, not in the way Johnny is there for Dutch, but there’s this funny thing called love that makes us go off in on different courses. D’avin is definitely there for Dutch in the finale with her larger mission. She experiences something pretty intense and D’avin happens to be the first person to be there for her. Johnny is still there with us too, though, it’s not like he’s off solo.”

Source: TV, eh?

Killjoys’ Luke Macfarlane Reflects on D’avin’s Growth This Season

01/09/2016

Steve Wilkie/Syfy/Killjoys II Productions Limited
Steve Wilkie/Syfy/Killjoys II Productions Limited

Killjoys fans hold onto your hats and strap in because things are about to get even more crazy as we head towards the Season 2 finale this Friday at 9 p.m. ET on Space and Syfy. After a shocking penultimate episode last week that saw the unexpected and tragic loss of Pawter (Sarah Power), the Killjoys will turn their attention back to Khlyen (Rob Stewart) and figuring out the mystery behind Dutch’s (Hannah John-Kamen) double Aneela. Johnny (Aaron Ashmore) will once again join Dutch and his brother D’avin (Luke Macfarlane) as they attempt to stop the Level Six’s plans for the Quad.

In order to help prepare ourselves for what’s sure to be an explosive season finale, The TV Junkies chatted exclusively with Macfarlane about what we can expect from the episode. He also spoke to the changing dynamics we’ve seen between Dutch and D’avin this year and some of his favorite moments from a season where he got to show off his comedic talents on more than one occasion.

Continue reading Killjoys’ Luke Macfarlane Reflects on D’avin’s Growth This Season

Veronica Scott recaps ‘Killjoys’ episode ‘Johnny Be Good,’ and shares Aaron Ashmore and Luke Macfarlane interview snippets

27/08/2016

SPOILERS AHEAD!

This episode, Johnny Be Good, was overshadowed for me by the death at the end (stop reading now if you haven’t seen the show), so my recap may be a bit different this week.

Luke Macfarlane as D'Avin, Hannah John-Kamen as Dutch and Aaron Ashmore as John on Killjoys. (Photo: Ian Watson, Syfy/Killjoys II Productions)

Luke Macfarlane as D’Avin, Hannah John-Kamen as Dutch and Aaron Ashmore as John on Killjoys. (Photo: Ian Watson, Syfy/Killjoys II Productions)

The episode opens with a flash-forward: Dutch is in nerve cuffs being tortured in Old Town inside the Royale by a mining union official named Regin. A mob yells for blood outside, held back by brawny monks. I found this segment confusing, probably because it went on so long before the show returned to events of the night before. At the Royale, Pree was trying to help Dutch, arguing with Regin, at one point even brandishing a weapon, offering Dutch, “You, me, blaze of glory,” before he was sent outside. I was impressed with Pree all over again, for his courage trying to protect his friend.

Continue reading Veronica Scott recaps ‘Killjoys’ episode ‘Johnny Be Good,’ and shares Aaron Ashmore and Luke Macfarlane interview snippets