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A big thanks to sweetmadamblue of the hor house who has given permission for me to re-post this transcript. (Due to my techno-idiocy, the link to the hor house is at the end of this post.)

This is from madam's attendance at the Dean Armstrong Q & A in Toronto:

Dean Q & A Sunday Night February 19, 2006

The tape picks up a few minutes into his talk. Hes talking about the relationship between Ted and Blake.

the relationship and where it was going to go after a really rocky and crazy ride where the timing just never seemed to be really right for these two characters. Having said that, um, two minutes at the end of the fifth season, I think Scott and I both felt, I mean we had a really really hard time sitting down doing the read of the episode with everyone else and just feeling kind of its going to be so clich! Its cheesy. I was like, theres was actually a bit of dialogue we obviously got to do ADR work from time to time depending on sound quality and what not, ADR is your additional dialogue recording, QAF had a wonderful five seasons of ADR work which was basically a bunch of moaning and receiving head sounds (laughter from the audience) which was very fun.

I was actually called in to do ADR work for this really ridiculous two minute scene; I was like wait a minute! I didnt fuck up that. How could I have fucked up any of the dialogue? I walked in and I said what is it that we need to take a look at? They said Well actually its not something that you forgot to say or we couldnt hear or something that conflicted the sound, we actually, well they want you to add a line. I said okay whats the line? Its on the stand. So I look over at the paper, the line that they had written for me to say as I was leaving with Scott was How about a hot teddy toddy or rather a hot toddy Teddy. *laughter*

I looked at that and then I looked at them and said this is a joke right? Youre kidding! You obviously didnt bring me in to say this line, right? They said well no, they do want you to say this line and honestly I refused. I said look you can call Dan and Ron I absolutely refuse to do this line of dialogue, I think the scene in itself doesnt really do a full justification to which I think a really wonderful storyline couldve been explored within the fifth season between those two characters.

Having said that Im really glad they said look we think this relationship has been important over the last five years and we want to make sure that we leave the audience with some sense of finality, with some sense of hope for these two characters.

We both thought you know, its so weird, so convenient to show Ted at the ski lodge and just as he says Im ready to be on my own sure enough Blake arrives again. It was very neat. It was very tidy it was very clean. Something he and I both wanted to see a little bit more of and possibly more of a sharing with the audience cause I think there was a million opportunities that couldve been explored. As indicated I did come back for the fifth season, knowing that it might be in fact quite a disappointment. It wouldve been a bigger disappointment if Id done the hot teddy toddy teddy toddy teddy toddy teddy line. Its just so ridiculous youve gotta be kidding me!

So Im really glad that I made the decision not to do the line. They got them on the phone and said you know Deans really uncomfortable doing this dialogue Their reply was you know what, if hes uncomfortable then we wont do it. So I just thought it was too much cheese on top of already chunky cheese. I came back (looks at audience expectantly for a response there was applause).

Did you guys enjoy the fifth season? (groaning from the audience)

You guys sad its over? (Audience responds in the affirmative)

Did you like the way it ended? (Audience responds in the negatively NO!) But the way the storylines within the fifth season (he hesitates) there are some really intense moments. And intense scenes. (Silence from the audience and Dean laughs).

Convention Attendee: We wanted more episodes.

Dean: If there were more episodes.

(Too many people talking at once cant determine what is being said by anyone)

Dean : You couldve called it the Wayne Gretzski. You go out at the top of your game, ya know? Youve been around for five years! No one ever anticipated it to be what it was, and its impact. And I think that leaving on top of the game as opposed to Oh that show thats been around for fifteen years. When we came out with the show it was so groundbreaking so cutting edge. Ill never forget sitting and watching the dailies saying I cant believe were fucking doing this on television. Its pretty cool. I cant believe were fucking doing fucking on television! It went there with storylines.

Convention Attendee : It seemed like season 5 was rushed. Its like when they would introduce a storyline it was like

Madam: Hurry up! Wrap it up Wrap up all the loose ends for all the characters even if it makes no sense!

Attendee: Like that crazy relationship with Ted and that weird guy. Its like where the hell did he come from? They rushed it with the crazy guy. We wanted Blake! Nothing made any sense.

Dean: They needed more episodes. It dropped considerable after that first season. It dropped a lot. We beat the nine half hour episodes of the British series though.
(Everyone laughs) It was actually Russell Davies who created the British series who was responsible for keeping Scotts character Ted alive and for keeping Blakes storyline prevalent throughout the first season and then of course into the remainder of the series.

He had just taken a look at the pilot before airing and just looked at the relationship between Ted and Blake. This was the guy in the British series that kills the guy and steals his wallet as hes leaving the apartment. To have such a contrast. He looked at this relationship and thought this is really magical. Has a world of potential to explore as well. A very prominent and serious issue of crystal meth. It wasnt Ron and Dan saying were going to make some changes and were starting with this, it was really Russell who created the British series. It was really neat.

Convention Attendee: What was your favorite moment?

Dean: (laughs) It was with Scott, he was giving me a blow job. (Dean smirks) My favorite momentmy favorite position (Laughs) my favorite moment. What was my favorite moment? Honestly anytime I was on the set with Scott it was always a fantastic experience. It was very explorative ha ha! It was, I dont know. Ive shared this with folks before but it really felt like a real relationship to me. Dean and Scott totally disappeared when wed get to the set when wed work. It was a really beautiful thing.

So there was very little that I didnt like at all about working with Scott. It was always fantastic. I think probably there were moments and they would have been in the pilot because we had so much fun. I think it wouldve been in episode 3. So many things were happening that night, we were on ridiculous schedules like 15 hour days and we were all quite delirious but you can actually hear this. You have to watch the box set. I think its just right when I hand him the glass of water. Theres a fly! You can hear a fly in the episode.

We would stop rolling on the set to try to catch the fly because we would go in for a kiss and the fly would go buzzing by and everybody would stop and look around trying to find the fly. We were laughing, we were so delirious, we were crying, it was such a ridiculous, wonderful moment.

You can actually hear the fly. I remember being at the opening in New York, we saw the pilot I remember hearing it on the big scene. I cant remember the precise moment, but you can hear it. I think, honestly that was my favorite moment.

I also had another really wonderful scene with Peter Paige it was also in the first season. It was when he was really aggressive about Ted. I was there (Babylon) buying drugs and I was caught red handed. Its a really great scene with Peter. Peter actually came up to me at the wrap party this year, he actually said, and I was very honored that he decided to share this information in addition its actually on his demo reel. Having 5 seasons of material for a 5 minute demo I was really honored that he chose that scene to be on it. It was a really great scene. Any other questions?

Convention Attendee: Was the camera that was strapped to you for filming your scenes in season one heavy and difficult to maneuver?

Dean: Oh yeah. I remember it very well. Was that camera heavy? Weighed almost as much as me. Im a whopping 133 pounds so this camera weighed just under 100 lbs. So it was heavy. I had to do a lot of scenes in the club but it was also used when I see Ted for the first time at Babylon and Emmett keeps pushing me away. That whole move back I had the apparatus on me at that time as well. But they had a bunch of other stuff when I was first coming through the crowd, when I was running down the stairs and also when I was going back up the stairs. I was trying to balance it. It was so heavy it was pulling me back. It was very heavy, very cool, and everywhere I would move, it was a fantastic little device that they created.

It was like a tripod attached on this huge harness around my middle torso. It had a short amount of reel on it so they could only do it in short stints. It was very cool to work with I had a lot of fun with it.

That was a crazy episode 118 which is one of my favorites. I was doing Rent at the time. I had done two shows that weekend and then flew back. I had a friend pick me up in Buffalo, because there was some confusion with the flight. The show ended late, I ended up taking a domestic flight to Buffalo and getting there at like 3 in the morning and a buddy of mine picked me up because I had to be onset and I had no excuse for missing my flight other than the show (Rent) ending late. It was one of those glitches. So my buddy picked me up at 3 in the morning. Oh, he actually played Kip in the first season. (laughter from the audience) He brought a bunch of those mini bottles of alcohol because he figured Id need it. I was losing my mind; I didnt know how I was going to get back to Toronto. I was supposed to be onset at 6:30 in the morning. So Im drinking out of these little bottles going down the QEW from Niagara to Toronto. And I checked into the set. And that was the very first scene I shot since episode 6 when I ran into Scott in the washroom. I was working with Russell again who worked with me in the pilot. I hadnt seen him; this was my first time back since being in. Anything else?

Madam: Were there any funny behind the scenes moments with the cast & crew, or on set bloopers or anything that you filmed or that you observed that would be worth sharing?

Dean: Besides the fly?. There were always little things going on all the time. Sometimes we would, well food would be thrown on the set. Little things would happen here and there. It was very sensuous. (smirks) One of them is actually captured on film. Ive actually got a bloopers reel behind the scenes. There was one scene I did with Hal in the fourth season when I was at the gym with him and Bobby. We were talking about Scott giving him some time and blah blah blah. Michael walks away and Bobby helps me with my set and the first time Hal did it he walked right into the camera. Like so loud it was like a WHACK! It was so loud and he almost knocked the camera guy on his ass. I was concerned when it happened but when you watch it on the blooper reels its really hilarious. Cause the camera almost turns upside down and its like one of those Americas Funniest Home Video moments. It was actually quite funny.

Madam: So in season 5 you wouldve liked to have had your character there for longer period of time and done more with your role?

Dean: Oh yes definitely. I guess I was disappointed. And for me it was all about saying this was important and it will continue to be important within the context of the story existing beyond the series. I think Scott and I were both glad about that. It had nothing to do with more episodes it just had to do with me knowing (cant hear tape)

Madam: I thought that Blake was good for the character of Ted. Ted really didnt have many relationships. But there was something there. There was chemistry between the two of you, and the characters jived. They should have done more than they did with that relationship but then again they (CowLip) messed up a lot of times in Season 5.

Dean: Well thats just it. In the fourth season in the snow. That was actually a funny moment too because that snow just wasnt working, and at one point Scott looked up to say his lines and a big chunk went right in his throat. We were covered in this stuff that looked so ridiculously fake. I was surprised they got a moment that was serious out of that. The dialogue was maybe one day our timing will be right and it sucks that the timing was a two minute clich moment at the end of the series.

Bean: Especially after all the character of Ted went through that he finally got to a point in his life where hes accepting of himself and then the one person who was the best for him wasnt there until the end.

Madam: I think Blake liked Ted before he had surgery. He loved him for who he was all along. They could have done more with their relationship in season 5.

Dean: There were a lot of changes. (Speaking about Teds Plastic Surgery: laughter from the audience) He looked so different after all of that work. (more laughter from the audience)

Madam: Well he did his little 12 step program and you had something before.

Dean: Again there were so many storyline possibilities that couldve been explored that just werent. But than maybe less is more, you know. Im glad people wanted more I really am.

Madam: Originally you went up for the role of Justin that Randy got. So this might be hard for you to do. I mean Randy and you are so totally different. But what would you have done differently? I mean its hard to answer that question I know, but how would you have handled the character of Justin?

Dean: I think I can answer that question. Looking at it now I would not change being Blake. I think artistically as an actor personally to go from addict to rehab counselor it just was exciting. It was a great challenge and wonderful to explore that flexibility within my own art.

I certainly am grateful. I think it happened for a reason. It also enabled me to do Rent at the same time. Which was a huge dream of mine and something that is very near and dear to my heart. I really do believe everything happened for a reason. Having said that, looking at the role of Justin. Randy had a miraculous way of making stuff that read on paper that looked really bad, look pretty good.

Madam: Youre right some of that dialogue was really bad.

Dean: (Laughs) I looked at that (the script) and I had no idea how anyone could sell this. Randy did it! I think for me as an actor, me approaching that role the only thing I would have done if I was going to do it. (Stops & thinks before replying) I remember a couple of call backs for it. My angle was a much harder edge. It wasnt as nave and green. I would have played him a little harder.

Madam: But hes a 17 year old boy discovering what he is and what he wants. So you wouldve played it harder?

Dean: I think that there was a color in it that was more prepared for the exploration of knowing what it was inside of me that I wanted to explore. And the risk taking that I wanted to do. Its just a different take on the character.

Madam: Where Randy played Justin as tentative or hesitant in the loft during the whole are you coming or going scene youre saying you would have jumped right in there and said Im coming and staying!

Dean: Its just a completely different take on the character.

Madam: I think each actor approaches a role totally different. Thats why I was wondering how you wouldve done it.

Dean: Well theyre only lines on a page. I wouldve had a more preparedness.

Madam: Right, because when you said it last year I was like I dont know if I would have liked Dean as Justin.

Dean: You know, I think they made the best choice. I mean I think he did a fantastic job. I think that he brought out. I think there was something that he did that was real. In his physical demeanor in his natural demeanor it really worked well with that choice with the representation.

Madam: I think that they made the right choice too. But they shouldve expanded your role in the 5th season and given you more of an opportunity to explore that relationship. Thats just my opinion but what the hell.

Dean: I appreciate that. Honestly it wasI mean Dan and Ron have said some very kind words across the board with a lot of coverage with newspaper articles and whatnot that spoke about the impact that there wasnt another character in the five years of recurring or guest that had the same impact as the character of Blake. It was really the audience that demanded and kind of wanted that story to continue that they really wanted to cater to too.

Thumpa: I think that character was one of my favorite and most anticipated of season 5 and we didnt get it until 513.

Madam: We were waiting and waiting.

Convention Attendee: What are you doing now?

Dean: What am I doing now? As many of you may know I have a studio here in Toronto. Which Im very proud of; its something Ive been building for years. It does consume a large majority of my time. And we have close to 700 actors now at the studio with fantastic success stories amazing instructors. In fact, we have guest stars that come in and teach, directors from Six Feet Under, from 24, a really amazing springboard for we call it the most effective way to bridge the gap between education and the industry. Weve just become a not-for-profit and incorporated entity as well which Im absolutely delighted about because its allowed us to open ourselves up to a ton of Ontario counsel rights and funding.

I can now create salaried positions to alleviate the 50 million jobs that I do running the school which enables me to have more time for what I really want to do. Having said that, Ive got a bunch of really exciting things that are going to be coming up this year. One is a feature called Verona that Ive been shopping for a colleague of mine a screenwriter from L.A. by the name of Glenn Ripps. Who I just saw in New York. Weve been shopping it around for the last year and a half. The feature Verona is a modern day Romeo and Juliet story, its based on that idea, its set between competing fraternities in the U.S taking a look at the Greek system, the competition between houses. The main relationship comes between a guy and a guy and not a guy and a girl its a fucking brilliant script! Ive got a wonderful supporting part in the piece. So thats coming up. Were hoping to have that in production as early as the fall of this year.

Another feature which has been postponed that I was supposed to be doing last fall called Maternal which will be shooting in the spring. Lets see what else. I had some crazy little spots on a TV series a Lifetime series called Recipe for a Perfect Christmas this really ridiculous cameo, another series called 72 hours I just did.

Madam: So everythings on your website right? So we can know where to see you?

Dean: Yup! Everything is on my website. I do things like what I just did this past weekend our events that I frequently like to do. I mean I would love to see you guys there if its ever at a location thats convenient for you. Thats the concert that we just did this weekend in New York for the Matthew Shepherd Foundation. These are things I like to participate in as frequently as possible.

Madam: Didnt you also have a charity you were working with?

Dean: I was working with an organization which unfortunately dismantled. Its still really in existence but it dismantled from its original framework and format called Youth Quest in Vancouver.

Convention Attendee: I saw you in Rent(cant hear question)

Dean: I think there were a lot of people up for the principle roles including Justin Timberlake. I mean there were a lot of huge celebrities, pop people who wanted to be in the feature. And originally the feature was to be done by Spike Lee and that was about 2 years ago. I auditioned for that. I auditioned for this one as well.

Then there were artistic differences and Spike ended up going off the project. He was going to go a real commercial route, not hiring the original cast. Like Mark McGrath was offered the role of Roger. It was a really interesting cast. And having said that I thought I was a viable candidate because of the balance I could bring to this project. I was really glad that, umm I mean they went with the original cast. It was fantastic pretty much consistently across the boards. Christopher, the publicist made a conscience effort to give the roles to the original cast. I think that was very classy even though they were all too old to be doing it. They were too old to do it when they did on Broadway in 1996. They were supposed to be 19-21 year olds and Adams in his early 40s now so the other thing is youve got people who arent strong screen actors doing these roles. I was totally mixed. I went to see it with expectations. But was happy at the same time that this story could now be shared with so many people. People who would never have the opportunity to see the show in New York. Now they can see it in their living room or on the big screen. Critically looking at it, I have a million issues, but I think just coming down to the casting of it I think it was honorable what they did.

Madam: Did you ever have a role that you really wanted that just eluded you?

Dean: You know I just had one recently. I have a tendency to do really dark characters for some reason.

Madam: Well I think theyre more interesting.

Dean: Its my area of preference. It really is. To do darker characters. As there was a project recently in December that I was up for called (cant hear name) it was a movie of the week. I was playing this character that was a D.J. in a club scene that was a serial killer. He was taking girls home from the bar that would approach him. He would record their screams and dub them into music. He did really the most awful horrendous things to these people. Worse than you could ever possibly imagine. It was a really dark dark intense role, probably the best Ive ever done. We went through contract negotiations for a week. I was the directors first choice. We were prepared to start the following week and we got a call at the end of the week saying the network went with Neve Campbells brother Christian. This was really really unfortunate, because thats exactly the type of stuff I like to do. And its something, I look for at auditions and I see if Im coming close to what I want and its very seldom that I dont come close. I mean I really wouldve loved the opportunity to explore that role. And something thats recently happened that it looked as though it might be happening. What can I say? Such is the business. Any other questions?

Convention Attendee: If you couldve written something to happen on QAF that didnt happen what would that be?

Dean: Hmmthats a great question. Thats a fantastic question. (laughter) Im an actor not a writer. (more laughter) You know what I honestly saw a ton of possibilities after the first season that were all related to where I was getting money. As you remember I was the one that bailed out Uncle Vic. I was the one that got the cash and I got it from my drug dealer. I kind of wanted to see Blake die in a blaze of glory like in some really twisted situation. Or something like the money related stuff. I saw a lot of those ideas happening after the first season and I said that seeing where this character went you know in the third, fourth, and fifth season as a rehab counselor I didnt anticipate that happening. I saw him coming back and getting clean Id just rather there be more issues. They just did such a fantastic job of providing hope and possibility to recovery. I mean the number of letters Ive received from people saying that the characters storyline was an inspirational turning point for them and helped them to make the decision to come clean. That there was hope that they could get over their issues and I think that it really served for a lot of people that possibility. That there was a light at the end of the tunnel in such a very dark tunnel with crystal meth addiction. So I think all of my ideas for dark characters were better served by catering to this light of hope and possibility for people struggling with their addiction.

Convention Attendee: Did you ever meet any of the writers? We had to ask because they said the writers hardly ever saw the actors.

Dean: Really?

Convention Attendee: Yeah.

Dean: Oh all the time. I mean most of the writers were sitting around during our script readings before the episode. Michael, who I love dearly I worked with him on stage in a piece called The Shooting Stage which was a co-production with the Shaw Festival which is near Toronto and again I was playing an 18 year old gay basher. It was a really cool awesome role. We worked on that project the summer before I started shooting. No it was the summer of 2000. I worked on that with Michael and then Id actually talked to Ron and Dan because they were looking for writers to bring on board and they were asking me about Michael. I think his writing is absolutely fantastic. A very diverse, exciting and interesting character types. But yeah we always had the opportunity to share our thoughts; it seldom happened that changes would be made. But I honestly think that the best writers are those who anticipate giving very specific liberties.

Take my actors when they approach a script. When teaching my actors I always encourage them to look at the script as a blueprint and try to eliminate punctuation to never look at the punctuation, or rearrange punctuation or add punctuation. Because writing is one of those tricky things that actors have to overcome. Our job is to create that sense of spontaneity and in the moment-ness like improvisation in many ways in that everything we experience is very structured in what we do from a movie to a set to a very specific action and continuity. I mean if I do this on the line (makes hand gesture) if I do this on the line (makes another gesture) if I do this on the line it has to happen at the exact same point every time for continuity purposes. So everything is very very incredibly structured in the text and it all starts there. I mean you have a beginning you have a middle and you have an end. If you actually listen to a lot of actors who are not aware of how to create that illusion of reality, you can actually hear the memorized punctuation and its very clean it comes across as being clean. The dialogue is too clean and we dont speak in perfect grammatical formations so why should our characters? So I think that good writers understand that actors will take liberties with the dialogue to create a substance that isnt always there on paper. That wasnt what anyone asked but (Laughter from the audience)

Convention Attendee: We had asked the writers if theyd met any actors and then we asked the actors if theyd met any of the writers (very low voice)

Dean: Gotcha. Did you get the same answer? (laughter)

Attendee:.

Dean: Oh really?

Madam: Shawn Postoff said that they were sequestered and that they had very little contact with the cast. Thats what his answer was.

Dean: Right. They said they never went on set? Well, they had to go through Ron and Dan, though because they had to know when it was their script Ron and Dan were usually in the room too. A lot of those writers will end up telling you theyre not their scripts. That what ended up wasnt what they wrote. Ron and Dan were very particular even though people were writing the episodes they did a lot of rewriting. So they would be the people you would be fighting with at the end of the day with regards to specific lines. And youd see people like, (laughs), youd see people like, youd see Gale sitting at the table saying Oh my god how many times have I fucking said such a stupid line like this? And during the read hed be going (deep sigh imitating Gale) and youd keep your emotions out of it.

Thats a challenging thing for actors, dealing with writers whove been involved with the series for five years and the writers are often not on the same journey as the actor is. The actor should be doing their job and think about the journey. Think about where they are now in season 3 now that theyve experienced this, this and this, you know? Whereas the writers kind of operate from the standpoint of writing very specific type characters, very stereotypical. Theyre writing very text based stuff, which we see on paper as very stereotypical to the character that they created. Theres very little range.

I worked on Queer As Folk as an acting coach with Harris Allen. Ive been brought onto a lot of different shows to work with actors who are working long term to remind them where they are in the series. Its like, well you know what? Maybe youre not doing that attitude anger anymore because youre actually with two people you care about and the anger and attitude is coming out of a place that youre afraid youre going to lose them, you know you want these people to be in your life. You dont want to lose these people. Just looking at different ways, different perspectives within the text that is consistent with the arch and journey of the character that the writers arent always thinking about.

Madam: I know that theres been cast members whove had problems with their storylines or problems with character motivation. They seemed to have had very little leeway because Cowlip knows exactly how they want it and that is it. They dont really give a big rats ass about how you feel about your character. This is what I wrote! This is what I want you to do! This is what youre getting paid to do, so do it.

Dean: Yeah, theres definitely tensions there. I mean its even like me saying in my ADR work Im not doing this line. I cant imagine what someone mustve been thinking.

Madam: Right. I mean if you look at where we ended at season 4 and where we went in season 5. What the hell, you know? Who was smoking the crack pipe?

Dean: Its very true. Theres a lot of things that we disagree with and I think you try to do the best you can with what youre given and you fight when you can you pick your battles.

Madam: You want to work again too! So you have to be careful.

Dean: Yeah. True. (laughter) Anything else?

Craven: I have a question. I work with substance abusers and recovering addicts and you were very convincing. What did you use to draw from? I mean that was very believable.

Dean: Thank you.

Craven: In my experience I wouldve, not knowing anything about you, I would have assumed that you were probably an addict. (laughter) But without knowing anything about you thats how convincing it was. I mean if youd walked into where I work acting that way I wouldve been 100% convinced. I wouldve detoxed you immediately. What did you use to draw for that?

Dean: Well, a number of different things really. What was interesting in working in a screen medium is often what feels right doesnt translate well. Like some of the greatest moments youll experience with another character often just end up not being what it felt like, I didnt think that was going to look like that, it felt so fucking great at the time. A perfect crappy moment about that is when um, I have a hard time crying anytime

Madam: Not using your tear sticks?

Dean: Not using my tear sticks, no. I have a really hard time crying so there was only one moment in 5 years that I actually felt moved to that point, and that was when Scott was kicking me out after he accused me of stealing his wallet. Actually every single take I kept welling up with tears. I was crushed! That fucking hurt that he was talking to me that way.

But the thing is its the moment Im least happy with in all of my work in 5 years. It didnt translate how I felt it was going to and what I was experiencing at the time. So having said that unfortunately you need to employ a lot of unnatural tools and techniques in order for your work to translate naturally and realistically on screen. Its usually the anticipation of what instinctually feels right. If it feels right to do it, if its a bigger moment I would fight it and do the complete opposite. It would be more power more mysterious more ambiguity more interest within it and so when youre representing an altered state on screen its always a big risk because youre not going to want to do too much or youre not doing enough or youre too much and it looks ridiculously stupid or youre doing too little and youre not actually capturing what the representation of the drug is supposed to be.

I did do my homework. I pride myself on being an actor and doing my homework. Not like Marlon Brando who has fantastic talent. Imagine watching him open up and you can hear a pin drop but a guy that puts post its on peoples heads and just reads them. He had an earpiece for most of the Godfather. People said his lines and he just repeated them, not paying any attention at all. Classic scene where hes sitting out on the front lawn talking about the wedding and all of that stuff there is this huge flipchart board with all of his dialogue written in big words and then hed be listening in conversation and then he would go (Dean looks to the side like hes reading from a board) and then hed say his lines. Every time hed look away, he could just pick up his dialogue and then go back to the conversation.

Billy Ray Cyrus was really killer in the way he approached his lines, he couldnt memorize the medical jargon like he was supposed to. Hed be like yes you have a I just need to look at this micro-prop for a second a dermal hemotoma? . It was quite funny. But I pride myself in knowing my work and really trying to do it as accurately as possible.

I talked to a lot of different people. You know shot up a bunch of times. (laughs) I talked to different folks and doctors and read a lot. They had an onset doctor there as well when we were shooting. He was totally useless.

Craven: Well you dont need a doctor you need a counselor.

Dean: Yes exactly. So it took everything that I had learned as actors we mimic life a lot. We take from things that work and watch other films and television shows and ride the subway and fucking see some guys doing it sitting there and its just fucking cool, because I can steal that and take it.

And honestly for whatever reason I dont know why I was watching but Mel Gibson did what I think is a ridiculously fantastic the best adaptation of William Shakespeares Hamlet ever. I think Mel Gibsons Hamlet is brilliant. I think some of the performances are outrageous! I feel his madness, you know that classic moment after she loses her father. She has this really fantastic scene where shes walking through all the torrids goes up to one of the guards and shes like grapping his belt jerking him off and its the middle of winter, shes in her bare feet, its creepy, and her eyes are like completely wide open there was this quality about her and I was reminded of this performance and I took some of those ideas for that scene when I came out of the coma in the hospital in 118.

So I took from that moment really specific ideas. The other thing I did with that character was I worked very physically very organically as an actor. Anything that was tangible, anything that could enable me to explore the possibilities.

In 119 for example when I was on the floor in that crack house I worked from my mouth and what I mean by that is it affected my entire body from my lips to my forehead to my dialogue which came from my lips. What they did was they had put spirit gum which is usually glue that is used for wigs and they put it on my lips and my lips liked flaked it wasnt actually my skin but it was the glue that was breaking but they would also kind of stick together and all of a sudden I just went how am I going to do the scene Im lying on the mattress and theyre putting the spirit gum on my lips and all of a sudden it just took like 3 seconds for it to harden and my entire performance came from my mouth, right from my lips I just allowed it to go through every inch of me.

Craven: Another part going along with that is when Teds trying to make his amends to Emmett and Emmett wont take his amends. When you take it to him thats a very powerful exchange you have there with Emmett or with Peter. It was a really powerful thing I really enjoyed that.

Dean: I really liked that scene as well.

Craven: It didnt feel like acting. It didnt feel like lines, it felt like watching someones private moment. A private moment that so many people set out to accomplish everyday.

Dean: Thank you. Thank you very much. What was interesting talking about blooper moments, (Looks over at Madam) It was raining during that entire scene, it doesnt look like it was raining but it was. We have a balloon tarp just like literally a couple of feet over our heads. It was very windy as well and it picked up right in the center where a big pool had gathered. And it ran down like just right behind me, honestly it wouldve just completely soaked me. It was a very funny moment because it sounded like Niagara Falls had just fallen.

Convention Attendee: Hows your mustang?

Dean: (laughs) I kind of named my mustang after my dog. My dogs name is Pandara, so I call my mustang Pandara. Shes good! Shes been very kind to me and Ive been very kind to her. Shes beautiful, took her down to the Keys over the holidays so shes been around the block, gotten some action. (laughs)

ElsaRose Well, we dont want you to stay here all night like you did last year. So, if you dont mind can we take some pictures and get some autographs?

Dean: Absolutely. We can do that. Cool.

Q & A Session ends and Dean signs autographs and poses for pictures with everyone..

the hor house