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KMKonline forum members interview Richard Jobson
We were very fortunate to be able to do a Q and A with the Director / Producer of such movies as 16 Years of Alcohol and Purifiers. Thanks to Richard for allowing us to do this and for those members who put through such awesome questions...enjoy the interview below....
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Personal Website
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Q1. Music is used to convey so much in 16 Yrs of Alcohol, it not only helps set the scene but its sometimes almost another character in the scene. Music is part of the language Frankie speaks, informs his scenes with Helen, is part of what brings them into each others' lives, can you talk a bit about how you chose the songs, how you highlighted them in the scenes?
A1. In an odd way I always saw the film as a kind of musical. The songs were part of the narrative and were used in a very traditional way. The world I came from was full of people singing in bars and clubs and was very much part of the local culture so it felt very natural to have real songs being sung in the film.
The music has a meditative feel and reflects the mood of the central character played by Kevin. It hopefully captures his melancholy and joy and all moods and atmosphere in between. I was always clear with the actors of the music that would be playing in their heads at any given moment and I hope this helped them understand their character even more.
Music as cinema language is an amazing way to allow characters to breathe without dialogue. There is very little dialogue in the film as i felt confident the music could do that work for me along with great acting.
Q2. Violence is also a major character in this film, from the emotional violence in Frankie's childhood to the violence he perpetrates and is perpetrated upon him as he grows into the proverbial angry young man. Can you talk a bit about the choice to have Frankie claim that violence finally as he introduces himself at an AA meeting?
A2. Frankie uses violence as a protective shield to keep people as far from his emotional centre as possible. When he allows people to get close it ends up disastrously. He is much stronger he feels when he remains cold and distant. Alcohol fuels his violence, makes him capable of prosecuting terrible physical acts against anyone who stands in his way. He knows he needs to break the cycle but doesn’t know how. When he eventually realises that it can only be done through love, it’s too late. His identity from a young age is forged through violent acts which he knows he needs to find a way out of but every time he tries he feels vulnerable, alone, lost and weak.
Q3.There's so much that I love about 16 years. I'm interested to know what some of Richard's favorite scenes are, and why?
A3. My favourite scenes in the film are when Frankie sits with his parents covered in cob webs, the kind of scene which set the film apart from the social realist films that come out of the UK. I loved the gang scenes as they reminded me of my dead brother who I was very fond of. I think Kevin in the AA scene is very simple but is the most powerful moment in the film as it captures a man coming to terms with what and who he is. He’s amazing in that scene.
He did it in one take......incredible.
Q4. Most of the time light seems to have a yellow tint on it, is that a conscious decision or a technical need? If specifically selected, what is the reason?
Q5. Was any part of the movie ad- lib (improv) or everything is as scripted?
A4/5. The colour scheme of the film moves from monochromatic simplicity to a whisky coloured sadness. Most of the characters dress in black and white with the odd splash of colour. I thought this was the easiest way to shoot the past, in color but in black and white. I thought long and hard about the clothes and the colour scheme and atmosphere I was trying to create, its really important to get all the small details correct. For the most part the film is the same as my story board and early designs with little improvisation or radical changes. It was pretty much conceived shot by shot before we started.
Q6. Movie is very dark and serious, but for sure good times during filming. Any funny story on Set that you want to share?
A6. Kevin is a natural comedian, a really funny guy and it was only clear to me after a few weeks that he was constantly impersonating some of my more idiosyncratic characteristics and weaving them into his depiction of Frankie. He was a joy to work with and Im very happy that life has shone a big light on him and his talent.
Q7. The use of photography is very prominent in 16 Years what was the inspiration for the use of photography in the film? What did you hope to achieve?
A7. I think photography freezes time. I used stills in the film because Frankie was always fighting time trying to slow it down so he could savour the good things that were happening to him. It gave us a chance to enjoy him as a happy, smiling, joyous man who was in love but was essentially doomed. Sometimes movies move to quickly and don’t give us enough time to dwell on big moments like these. Still photography did that for me.
Q8. Kevin mentioned that you were very influenced by one of my favorite filmmakers Wong Kar Wai and his movie "In the Mood for Love" what aspects of that film and his work have inspired you in your directing of 16 Years of Alcohol?
A8. I love the meditative nature of Wong Kar Wai’s work and his use of poetic language which is normally narrated by the key character. They say that narration is only used when a film doesn’t work which is utter rubbish. Think of Kar Wai’s work or Terence Malick or Stanley Kubrick - all my favourite directors who all use narration.
Q9. Have you thought of any alternative ending?
A9. There was never an alternative ending. Frankie was doomed.
Q10. Was Kevin your first choice as Frankie?
A10. Kevin was the only person I spoke to about the film and we coincidentally lived close together in the county of Bedfordshire so had plenty of opportunities to get to know one another. We are from very different areas of Scotland but essentially from the east coast which in some ways make us similar in the way that we spent our youth being battered by the North Sea winds.
Q11. What other projects can we look forward to from you in the near future?
A11. Im about to start a new film called Wayland’s Song about a man who comes home injured from the war in Afghanistan to look for his missing daughter. It’s a thriller but more importantly its about the state of the world around me, which , from where Im looking is not good.
Exclusive @ Kevin McKidd Online
Wiki
Personal Website
IMDb
Q1. Music is used to convey so much in 16 Yrs of Alcohol, it not only helps set the scene but its sometimes almost another character in the scene. Music is part of the language Frankie speaks, informs his scenes with Helen, is part of what brings them into each others' lives, can you talk a bit about how you chose the songs, how you highlighted them in the scenes?
A1. In an odd way I always saw the film as a kind of musical. The songs were part of the narrative and were used in a very traditional way. The world I came from was full of people singing in bars and clubs and was very much part of the local culture so it felt very natural to have real songs being sung in the film.
The music has a meditative feel and reflects the mood of the central character played by Kevin. It hopefully captures his melancholy and joy and all moods and atmosphere in between. I was always clear with the actors of the music that would be playing in their heads at any given moment and I hope this helped them understand their character even more.
Music as cinema language is an amazing way to allow characters to breathe without dialogue. There is very little dialogue in the film as i felt confident the music could do that work for me along with great acting.
Q2. Violence is also a major character in this film, from the emotional violence in Frankie's childhood to the violence he perpetrates and is perpetrated upon him as he grows into the proverbial angry young man. Can you talk a bit about the choice to have Frankie claim that violence finally as he introduces himself at an AA meeting?
A2. Frankie uses violence as a protective shield to keep people as far from his emotional centre as possible. When he allows people to get close it ends up disastrously. He is much stronger he feels when he remains cold and distant. Alcohol fuels his violence, makes him capable of prosecuting terrible physical acts against anyone who stands in his way. He knows he needs to break the cycle but doesn’t know how. When he eventually realises that it can only be done through love, it’s too late. His identity from a young age is forged through violent acts which he knows he needs to find a way out of but every time he tries he feels vulnerable, alone, lost and weak.
Q3.There's so much that I love about 16 years. I'm interested to know what some of Richard's favorite scenes are, and why?
A3. My favourite scenes in the film are when Frankie sits with his parents covered in cob webs, the kind of scene which set the film apart from the social realist films that come out of the UK. I loved the gang scenes as they reminded me of my dead brother who I was very fond of. I think Kevin in the AA scene is very simple but is the most powerful moment in the film as it captures a man coming to terms with what and who he is. He’s amazing in that scene.
He did it in one take......incredible.
Q4. Most of the time light seems to have a yellow tint on it, is that a conscious decision or a technical need? If specifically selected, what is the reason?
Q5. Was any part of the movie ad- lib (improv) or everything is as scripted?
A4/5. The colour scheme of the film moves from monochromatic simplicity to a whisky coloured sadness. Most of the characters dress in black and white with the odd splash of colour. I thought this was the easiest way to shoot the past, in color but in black and white. I thought long and hard about the clothes and the colour scheme and atmosphere I was trying to create, its really important to get all the small details correct. For the most part the film is the same as my story board and early designs with little improvisation or radical changes. It was pretty much conceived shot by shot before we started.
Q6. Movie is very dark and serious, but for sure good times during filming. Any funny story on Set that you want to share?
A6. Kevin is a natural comedian, a really funny guy and it was only clear to me after a few weeks that he was constantly impersonating some of my more idiosyncratic characteristics and weaving them into his depiction of Frankie. He was a joy to work with and Im very happy that life has shone a big light on him and his talent.
Q7. The use of photography is very prominent in 16 Years what was the inspiration for the use of photography in the film? What did you hope to achieve?
A7. I think photography freezes time. I used stills in the film because Frankie was always fighting time trying to slow it down so he could savour the good things that were happening to him. It gave us a chance to enjoy him as a happy, smiling, joyous man who was in love but was essentially doomed. Sometimes movies move to quickly and don’t give us enough time to dwell on big moments like these. Still photography did that for me.
Q8. Kevin mentioned that you were very influenced by one of my favorite filmmakers Wong Kar Wai and his movie "In the Mood for Love" what aspects of that film and his work have inspired you in your directing of 16 Years of Alcohol?
A8. I love the meditative nature of Wong Kar Wai’s work and his use of poetic language which is normally narrated by the key character. They say that narration is only used when a film doesn’t work which is utter rubbish. Think of Kar Wai’s work or Terence Malick or Stanley Kubrick - all my favourite directors who all use narration.
Q9. Have you thought of any alternative ending?
A9. There was never an alternative ending. Frankie was doomed.
Q10. Was Kevin your first choice as Frankie?
A10. Kevin was the only person I spoke to about the film and we coincidentally lived close together in the county of Bedfordshire so had plenty of opportunities to get to know one another. We are from very different areas of Scotland but essentially from the east coast which in some ways make us similar in the way that we spent our youth being battered by the North Sea winds.
Q11. What other projects can we look forward to from you in the near future?
A11. Im about to start a new film called Wayland’s Song about a man who comes home injured from the war in Afghanistan to look for his missing daughter. It’s a thriller but more importantly its about the state of the world around me, which , from where Im looking is not good.
Exclusive @ Kevin McKidd Online
Destined to be a Plumber
By Giles Hardie
December 15, 2011
Source: smh.com.au
Los Angeles is a long way from Scotland, but no further than medico-soap Grey’s Anatomy is from 1996’s heroin-chic film Trainspotting. Yet they all have one thing in common,
Scottish actor Kevin McKidd.
McKidd who stars as Dr. Owen Hunt in the medical drama, broke through 15 years ago in Danny Boyle's indie smash hit as Tommy, the clean athlete tempted by drugs with tragic results. These days, McKidd is content using his role as Hunt as a foundation for living the Hollywood life full time. “I’m very happy here,” he admits. “I think we
might go back to England or Scotland at some point, but there’s not much to hate about where I live. I’ve got a great job and the weather is pretty special here
in Southern California. I’m not in any rush to go anywhere else.”
The chiseled celt is a wanted man, currently starring as a voice in the record breaking video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Pixar's next feature film Brave. Yet the man who almost stole the girl from Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey in the film Made of Honour, never thought he’d make it as an actor, let alone make it to Hollywood.
“I always knew I wanted to be an actor, but I didn’t expect to get this far,” he admits. “To be honest, I was destined to become a plumber like my father, and as a child I remember thinking, ‘If I get as far as London, I will be lucky.’ I never left Scotland until I was 20 years old. That’s how sheltered I was, so to be here is pretty remarkable.”
A little like his character Tommy’s dabbling with drugs in Trainspotting, McKidd never intended to try directing, but having unexpectedly tried life in the director’s chair on Grey’s Anatomy recently, he’s hooked.
“Directing was a very interesting learning curve for me and it’s something I’d love to do again,” he recalls. “It was a little overwhelming at the start and I spent a lot of time holding my hair and thinking, ‘I’m going to lose it.’ However, I really enjoyed it.”
“Acting is still the thing that I love the most. Perhaps I could see myself directing an independent movie in England or Scotland at some point, but I don’t see myself having a career as a TV director. That’s not for me.”
For a brief moment at the end of the sixth series of Grey’s Anatomy, McKidd wasn’t sure he still had a career in the show either, as his character Dr Owen Hunt was shot.
“It was a little shocking to discover Owen was going to be shot,” he admits. “Often, we don’t find out about storylines until we sit down for the table read, so I had no idea that Owen was going to be in trouble.”
“I knew nothing about it until I opened the script at the table read. The shooting was described at the end of a page in the script. Boom! Owen is shot, and then Cristina says to Meredith, “Is Owen dead? Is Owen dead?” Then it was a page turn of the script, and it was the longest page turn ever.”
“The whole world slowed down for a second – and then I turned the page to discover I could keep paying my kids’ school fees. Owen survives! Phew. What a relief. I was over the moon.”
IAR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Kevin McKidd talks 'Bunraku'
September 30, 2011
By Jami Philbrick
Sourece: I am Rogue
To television audiences, actor Kevin McKidd is best known for his performance as Dr. Owen Hunt on ABC’s hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, as well as his work on the short-lived but fan-favorite shows Journeyman, and Rome. However, McKidd also has a long and impressive resume of film work to his credit including roles in Trainspotting, Topsy-Turvy, Nicholas Nickleby, Dog Soldiers, De-Lovely, Kingdom of Heaven, Hannibal Rising, Made of Honor, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The actor will also be heard (but not seen) next summer voicing a role in Pixar’s upcoming computer-animated fantasy The Brave. But first, you can catch McKidd playing a dangerous, psychopathic assassin in the new sci-fi action film Bunraku, which opens in theaters on September 30th.
Bunraku, which combines elements of both the samurai and Western genres, is set in the aftermath of a global war where guns have been outlawed but people still fight using knives and fists. McKidd plays Killer No. 2, a psychotic and deranged assassin that works for the current crime boss, Nicola the Woodcutter. One day, a mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) seeking revenge against Nicola comes to town and teams up with a samurai named Yoshi (Japanese musician Gackt). Together the two warriors unite to take down the crime boss and recover a family heirloom that he has stolen from Yoshi’s clan. Now, it is up to Killer No. 2 and Nicola’s other assassins to stop the two anti-heroes from reaching their ultimate goal. The movie was directed by Guy Moshe, and also stars Woody Harrelson (Zombieland), and Demi Moore (Ghost).
I recently had a chance to speak with actor Kevin Mckidd about Bunraku; its complicated fight sequences, his character, working with Josh Hartnett, and director Guy Moshe’s unique vision for the film. Here is what he had to say:
To begin with, Bunraku is a hybrid of several different genres including Western, martial arts and sci-fi, were you a fan of those types of movies before you began shooting this film?
McKidd: I'm a huge fan of genre movies. I started wanting to be an actor because I loved science fiction movies and so I've always been a fan of genre pictures. One of my favorite films that I've done in the past few years was Dog Soldiers. I usually play in very straight stuff, which is great, but it's nice to let off the hand brake occasionally and enter a strange, crazy world. I have a huge affection for the genre. I want to do more science fiction and genre movies because I think you get to have more fun in those types of movies.
The movie is extremely stylized with a very ambitious production design; did you have any trouble adjusting to that world on screen or understanding director Guy Moshe’s vision for the film?
Kevin McKidd: I think everybody in the cast really stepped into Guy's vision and sort of put their trust in him. I think that is a real testament to this cast that we kind of just went with it. But that's the fun of being an actor, that you get to walk in different shoes and be led into a strange new world. Guy certainly did that and he did an amazing job.
In the film your character, Killer No. 2 is really at odds with Josh Hartnett’s Drifter, and the two go toe-to-toe with each other in some fantastic fight sequences. What was it like collaborating with Josh on those scenes and working with him on the movie?
McKidd: It was great and Josh is great. We've become good friends, as I have with Ron (Perlman) and everybody in the film, we all stay in touch. He's great in that role as the Drifter and I think he really shows a great side to him. He's fleshed out the character into this real kind of American leading man and I think he plays the role great. I think the dynamic between Killer No. 2 and Josh’s character is interesting because they're both quite dark characters. Killer No. 2 is such a sociopath individual that I think it rubs up against his character in a cool way; the confrontation between those two guys. It's almost like two animals just kind of smelling each other so they can just instinctively hate each other's guts.
The combat scenes in the film are quite intricate; did you have to go through a lot of training to learn all of the fight choreography?
McKidd: Yes, and it took a long time. We trained to get all the choreography down. Guy actually wanted most of the actors to do 95% of all the fights. So we hit the training for probably up to about a month to two months before the movie even rolled camera. I had to go to dance classes to get that tap dance kind of Fred Astaire thing going on. The guys taught us martial arts training everyday. That whole team was amazing and very patient because none of us were born martial artists. So they had the patience of saints. I think we were turned it into pretty convincing street-hybrid-warriors in this movie. I enjoyed that part more than anything. I’ve continued training with these guys afterwards because I really responded to all that physical exertion and learning those new skills, which normally never get a chance to do when you're an adult.
Did you have sword work experience prior to shooting this movie or did you have to learn that skill for this film as well?
McKidd: I've done sword work in movies and in theater school on stage. I’ve done a lot with swords, but this is a very specific and very stylized sort of martial arts work in that tradition. So you have to get it right or it sticks out like a sore thumb.
When you first read the script, what was it about the character that really resonated with you and indicated that this could be a unique film project that you really wanted to be involved in?
McKidd: I had just come off the show called Journeyman, which is kind of a science fiction show that I'm very proud of. The character was a heroic family man character. As an actor over the years, one of the only things I've ever had a plan to do is to keep changing and not be a sitting duck. This seemed like an ideal thing straight off the back of Journeyman to go one hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction and play a sociopath psychopath, a sort of killing machine with no mercy and no remorse. To me that was the bigger attraction, getting the chance to sort of completely flex a different muscle as an actor.
I understand that you were one of the first few actors to sign on to the project, so when you hear that accomplished performers like Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman, and Demi Moore are signing on to the film, does that validate your choice to do the movie in a sense and assure you that you will be in good company on the set?
McKidd: Totally. I remember when I signed on, the only person who had signed on already was Josh and then I signed on. Then Guy told me that he met with Woody and Woody said, “Wait a minute, that guy Kevin McKidd's doing it, and Josh's doing it? Okay I'm doing it.” Then Ron came as well. So it's kind of cool when a cast has respect for each other as actors and that was very much the case on this. It's exciting to too start hearing those names come down the pipe once you've become attached to it.
Finally, now that you’ve had a chance to work with Guy Moshe and learn his process as a filmmaker, did you enjoy the experience and would you want to work with him again in the future on another project?
McKidd: I'd love to do it again. In fact, Guy and I are trying to build a project now. We’re trying to find a project to do together. Probably in a completely different genre, probably a much smaller, more intimate film, which we haven't quite landed on yet. But we do have the intention to work together again. Guy has a very particular way of working and a very particular vision. But he's very anxious and drags everybody along with him. He's got the energy of a bull. He was very high up in the military in Israel so I think that sort of grit that you get when you reach a proper place in the military environment; I think that is a good spirit for making movies. So yeah, I'd love to work with him again.
By Jami Philbrick
Sourece: I am Rogue
To television audiences, actor Kevin McKidd is best known for his performance as Dr. Owen Hunt on ABC’s hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, as well as his work on the short-lived but fan-favorite shows Journeyman, and Rome. However, McKidd also has a long and impressive resume of film work to his credit including roles in Trainspotting, Topsy-Turvy, Nicholas Nickleby, Dog Soldiers, De-Lovely, Kingdom of Heaven, Hannibal Rising, Made of Honor, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The actor will also be heard (but not seen) next summer voicing a role in Pixar’s upcoming computer-animated fantasy The Brave. But first, you can catch McKidd playing a dangerous, psychopathic assassin in the new sci-fi action film Bunraku, which opens in theaters on September 30th.
Bunraku, which combines elements of both the samurai and Western genres, is set in the aftermath of a global war where guns have been outlawed but people still fight using knives and fists. McKidd plays Killer No. 2, a psychotic and deranged assassin that works for the current crime boss, Nicola the Woodcutter. One day, a mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) seeking revenge against Nicola comes to town and teams up with a samurai named Yoshi (Japanese musician Gackt). Together the two warriors unite to take down the crime boss and recover a family heirloom that he has stolen from Yoshi’s clan. Now, it is up to Killer No. 2 and Nicola’s other assassins to stop the two anti-heroes from reaching their ultimate goal. The movie was directed by Guy Moshe, and also stars Woody Harrelson (Zombieland), and Demi Moore (Ghost).
I recently had a chance to speak with actor Kevin Mckidd about Bunraku; its complicated fight sequences, his character, working with Josh Hartnett, and director Guy Moshe’s unique vision for the film. Here is what he had to say:
To begin with, Bunraku is a hybrid of several different genres including Western, martial arts and sci-fi, were you a fan of those types of movies before you began shooting this film?
McKidd: I'm a huge fan of genre movies. I started wanting to be an actor because I loved science fiction movies and so I've always been a fan of genre pictures. One of my favorite films that I've done in the past few years was Dog Soldiers. I usually play in very straight stuff, which is great, but it's nice to let off the hand brake occasionally and enter a strange, crazy world. I have a huge affection for the genre. I want to do more science fiction and genre movies because I think you get to have more fun in those types of movies.
The movie is extremely stylized with a very ambitious production design; did you have any trouble adjusting to that world on screen or understanding director Guy Moshe’s vision for the film?
Kevin McKidd: I think everybody in the cast really stepped into Guy's vision and sort of put their trust in him. I think that is a real testament to this cast that we kind of just went with it. But that's the fun of being an actor, that you get to walk in different shoes and be led into a strange new world. Guy certainly did that and he did an amazing job.
In the film your character, Killer No. 2 is really at odds with Josh Hartnett’s Drifter, and the two go toe-to-toe with each other in some fantastic fight sequences. What was it like collaborating with Josh on those scenes and working with him on the movie?
McKidd: It was great and Josh is great. We've become good friends, as I have with Ron (Perlman) and everybody in the film, we all stay in touch. He's great in that role as the Drifter and I think he really shows a great side to him. He's fleshed out the character into this real kind of American leading man and I think he plays the role great. I think the dynamic between Killer No. 2 and Josh’s character is interesting because they're both quite dark characters. Killer No. 2 is such a sociopath individual that I think it rubs up against his character in a cool way; the confrontation between those two guys. It's almost like two animals just kind of smelling each other so they can just instinctively hate each other's guts.
The combat scenes in the film are quite intricate; did you have to go through a lot of training to learn all of the fight choreography?
McKidd: Yes, and it took a long time. We trained to get all the choreography down. Guy actually wanted most of the actors to do 95% of all the fights. So we hit the training for probably up to about a month to two months before the movie even rolled camera. I had to go to dance classes to get that tap dance kind of Fred Astaire thing going on. The guys taught us martial arts training everyday. That whole team was amazing and very patient because none of us were born martial artists. So they had the patience of saints. I think we were turned it into pretty convincing street-hybrid-warriors in this movie. I enjoyed that part more than anything. I’ve continued training with these guys afterwards because I really responded to all that physical exertion and learning those new skills, which normally never get a chance to do when you're an adult.
Did you have sword work experience prior to shooting this movie or did you have to learn that skill for this film as well?
McKidd: I've done sword work in movies and in theater school on stage. I’ve done a lot with swords, but this is a very specific and very stylized sort of martial arts work in that tradition. So you have to get it right or it sticks out like a sore thumb.
When you first read the script, what was it about the character that really resonated with you and indicated that this could be a unique film project that you really wanted to be involved in?
McKidd: I had just come off the show called Journeyman, which is kind of a science fiction show that I'm very proud of. The character was a heroic family man character. As an actor over the years, one of the only things I've ever had a plan to do is to keep changing and not be a sitting duck. This seemed like an ideal thing straight off the back of Journeyman to go one hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction and play a sociopath psychopath, a sort of killing machine with no mercy and no remorse. To me that was the bigger attraction, getting the chance to sort of completely flex a different muscle as an actor.
I understand that you were one of the first few actors to sign on to the project, so when you hear that accomplished performers like Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman, and Demi Moore are signing on to the film, does that validate your choice to do the movie in a sense and assure you that you will be in good company on the set?
McKidd: Totally. I remember when I signed on, the only person who had signed on already was Josh and then I signed on. Then Guy told me that he met with Woody and Woody said, “Wait a minute, that guy Kevin McKidd's doing it, and Josh's doing it? Okay I'm doing it.” Then Ron came as well. So it's kind of cool when a cast has respect for each other as actors and that was very much the case on this. It's exciting to too start hearing those names come down the pipe once you've become attached to it.
Finally, now that you’ve had a chance to work with Guy Moshe and learn his process as a filmmaker, did you enjoy the experience and would you want to work with him again in the future on another project?
McKidd: I'd love to do it again. In fact, Guy and I are trying to build a project now. We’re trying to find a project to do together. Probably in a completely different genre, probably a much smaller, more intimate film, which we haven't quite landed on yet. But we do have the intention to work together again. Guy has a very particular way of working and a very particular vision. But he's very anxious and drags everybody along with him. He's got the energy of a bull. He was very high up in the military in Israel so I think that sort of grit that you get when you reach a proper place in the military environment; I think that is a good spirit for making movies. So yeah, I'd love to work with him again.
Getting to know Kevin McKidd
by Allison Winn Scotch
Source: American Way
Age: 38
From: Elgin, Scotland
Where You’ve Seen Him: Playing Dr. Owen Hunt on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, which returns this month for its eighth season. He can also be seen opposite Josh Hartnett and Demi Moore in Bunraku, which is available on demand now and hits theaters this month.
On my iPod: A Tabata timer for workouts, children’s apps and about 70 GB of eclectic music — from North African folk to Clutch, Corinne Bailey Rae, John McCallum and Metallica.
Favorite movie: Taxi Driver. That and E.T. made me want to become an actor. Strange mix, I know.
Favorite weekend plans: Family time. We make pancakes on Saturdays and try to keep up the British tradition of a Sunday roast dinner. We also play music together: My kids play the piano and drums, and my wife is turning into a great bass player.
Favorite activity: I love the discipline [of martial arts] and pushing your body to excel. It is the mastery of your own instrument.
Favorite roles: Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy, Lucius Vorenus on Rome and my role in a film I did years ago called 16 Years of Alcohol.
Heroes: My grandfather, Geordie Runcie. He was a legend in my hometown of Elgin. He worked as a farmer’s worker and had a hard life, but he kept his integrity and dignity through it all.
Source: American Way
Age: 38
From: Elgin, Scotland
Where You’ve Seen Him: Playing Dr. Owen Hunt on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, which returns this month for its eighth season. He can also be seen opposite Josh Hartnett and Demi Moore in Bunraku, which is available on demand now and hits theaters this month.
On my iPod: A Tabata timer for workouts, children’s apps and about 70 GB of eclectic music — from North African folk to Clutch, Corinne Bailey Rae, John McCallum and Metallica.
Favorite movie: Taxi Driver. That and E.T. made me want to become an actor. Strange mix, I know.
Favorite weekend plans: Family time. We make pancakes on Saturdays and try to keep up the British tradition of a Sunday roast dinner. We also play music together: My kids play the piano and drums, and my wife is turning into a great bass player.
Favorite activity: I love the discipline [of martial arts] and pushing your body to excel. It is the mastery of your own instrument.
Favorite roles: Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy, Lucius Vorenus on Rome and my role in a film I did years ago called 16 Years of Alcohol.
Heroes: My grandfather, Geordie Runcie. He was a legend in my hometown of Elgin. He worked as a farmer’s worker and had a hard life, but he kept his integrity and dignity through it all.
Scots actor Kevin McKidd proves he is one Tough Mudder as he completes extreme assault course in his kilt
September 20, 2011
by Brian McIver
Source: Daily Record
GREY'S ANATOMY star Kevin McKidd raised thousands for charity after completing "the world's toughest race" in a kilt.
The Scot overcame a 12-mile assault course then flew the Lion Rampant at the finish line.
Kevin scaled walls, crawled through tunnels filled with icy water and clambered over electric fences in the Tough Mudder challenge - designed by the Royal Marines.
The Trainspotting and Rome actor got shocked twice and injured his ribs during the race near Lake Tahoe in California at the weekend.
But it was worth it as he raised £7000 for Save The Children's east Africa appeal.
Elgin-born Kevin, 38, thanked fans for their support via Twitter.
He tweeted: "We did it - bruised and cramps from HELL!! Bruised my rib too.
"The first wall climb is so high - as I was pulling myself over the top, I slammed my right-side ribs on the corner of the wall. Ouch! Bruised rib is handleable - I just didn't want to pull a muscle, turn an ankle or get a facial injury.
"The electric shock hit me twice - first shock knocked me to the ground - now have an idea of what it may be like to get tazed!" Fewer than eight out of 10 competitors finish the Tough Mudder challenge.
Kevin returned home to LA on Sunday night and was back on the set of his hit medical drama at 6.30am yesterday.
by Brian McIver
Source: Daily Record
GREY'S ANATOMY star Kevin McKidd raised thousands for charity after completing "the world's toughest race" in a kilt.
The Scot overcame a 12-mile assault course then flew the Lion Rampant at the finish line.
Kevin scaled walls, crawled through tunnels filled with icy water and clambered over electric fences in the Tough Mudder challenge - designed by the Royal Marines.
The Trainspotting and Rome actor got shocked twice and injured his ribs during the race near Lake Tahoe in California at the weekend.
But it was worth it as he raised £7000 for Save The Children's east Africa appeal.
Elgin-born Kevin, 38, thanked fans for their support via Twitter.
He tweeted: "We did it - bruised and cramps from HELL!! Bruised my rib too.
"The first wall climb is so high - as I was pulling myself over the top, I slammed my right-side ribs on the corner of the wall. Ouch! Bruised rib is handleable - I just didn't want to pull a muscle, turn an ankle or get a facial injury.
"The electric shock hit me twice - first shock knocked me to the ground - now have an idea of what it may be like to get tazed!" Fewer than eight out of 10 competitors finish the Tough Mudder challenge.
Kevin returned home to LA on Sunday night and was back on the set of his hit medical drama at 6.30am yesterday.
Kevin McKidd Goes Digital in "Bunraku" and "Brave"
September 1, 2011
by: Scott Huver
Source: NBC LA
Kevin McKidd’s been stepping out of Seattle Grace’s OR into some very dreamy digital worlds lately.
The Scotland-born “Grey’s Anatomy” star is branching out of his small screen role as Dr. Owen Hunt to tackle some wildly imaginative projects: first up is “Bunraku,” writer-director Guy Moshe’s wildly imaginative tale in hybrid Western/Samurai/film noir mashup, shot in an elaborately styled CGI environment; then he'll follow that with Pixar’s highly anticipated Scottish adventure “Brave.” McKidd gives PopcornBiz the inside scoop on his pixel-packed projects.
PopcornBiz: “Bunkaru" a very visually inventive movie, making elaborate use of green screen backdrops and CG sets. It must have required using more of your imagination than usual to make it come together.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. It was very interesting working on this movie, playing Killer Number Two. It was one of these movies where you could really let loose a little more than usual. It's not a kitchen sink drama, by any means, and it has a theatrically to it that's intentional, so that's fun. I'm a theater-trained actor, and so I really get the chance to sort of flex those muscles and throw myself around and do dance moves and martial arts and sort of be a theatrical villain. So I had an absolute ball and I took to this role with relish, especially because I'd done quite mainstream stuff in the years leading up to that.
PB: Where were your skill levels on the physical things – the martial arts, the dancing – that you get to do in the movie, and then how were those skills when you ended?
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McKidd: As a martial artist? Zero. As a dancer? Ask my wife: I'm not much of a dancer. I had to go to dance class for a couple of months and do martial arts training for a couple of months leading up to this, pretty intensively to get to the point where I could convincingly play this kind of strange villain in this movie. I hope I did a good job. I worked my ass off at it, and I got a lot of out of the training. I continued doing it for quite some afterwards just as a thing that I enjoyed doing. So I had an absolute ball in the preparation.
PB: You have another imagination-heavy project coming up - Pixar's highly-anticipated "Brave." Talk about your experience making that.
McKidd: Amazing! My experience doing that is still ongoing. I mean, I've been working on it with them for three years and I've still got some more sessions to do. I'm still pinching myself that I'm working with Pixar. I've been a Pixar fan since they opened their doors for business, as most of us are. So for them to come and tap me on the shoulder and say, 'We want you,' felt like a huge endorsement for me as an actor, I have to say. It's not like winning an Oscar, but it does feel like if Pixar wants to use you then you're legitimately considered a good actor, so that felt like a huge compliment to me. Getting to work with them, they're amazingly collaborative and incredibly warm as a team, as a company. I just saw them this weekend. I was in Anaheim at the D23 Convention. We had a ball. I'm playing two roles in the movie. I'm playing Young MacGuffin, who's a friend to [the lead character] Merida, and also his father, Lord MacGuffin. Young MacGuffin has a problem: he has such a thick Scottish accent that nobody can understand him apart from his father, and so his father has to translate. So I get to play two roles in the movie and there's no downside in my opinion. It’s been a blast, and I think it's going to be a beautiful movie, a great sort of adventure movie with a female lead for the first time ever for Pixar.
PB: What do you want to say about what's coming up for you on the new season of “Grey's?”
McKidd: Well, it's an exciting year for my character. He's just been made the chief of surgery for the entire hospital, so he has a big learning curve this season, is having to learn fast and on his feet and he changes the dynamic of the entire hospital. His relationship with Christina is pretty hot and complicated. I'm also directing – I start prepping my second episode in two days time and then I might do a third at the end of the season, so that's exciting to me. That's a real challenge. After directing last season I get to go in and do my second episode, be less anxious and try and enjoy it a little more. So, yeah, a busy year!
“Bunraku” debuts on video on demand Sept. 1 and in theaters Sept. 30. "Brave" is scheduled for release June 22, 2012
by: Scott Huver
Source: NBC LA
Kevin McKidd’s been stepping out of Seattle Grace’s OR into some very dreamy digital worlds lately.
The Scotland-born “Grey’s Anatomy” star is branching out of his small screen role as Dr. Owen Hunt to tackle some wildly imaginative projects: first up is “Bunraku,” writer-director Guy Moshe’s wildly imaginative tale in hybrid Western/Samurai/film noir mashup, shot in an elaborately styled CGI environment; then he'll follow that with Pixar’s highly anticipated Scottish adventure “Brave.” McKidd gives PopcornBiz the inside scoop on his pixel-packed projects.
PopcornBiz: “Bunkaru" a very visually inventive movie, making elaborate use of green screen backdrops and CG sets. It must have required using more of your imagination than usual to make it come together.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. It was very interesting working on this movie, playing Killer Number Two. It was one of these movies where you could really let loose a little more than usual. It's not a kitchen sink drama, by any means, and it has a theatrically to it that's intentional, so that's fun. I'm a theater-trained actor, and so I really get the chance to sort of flex those muscles and throw myself around and do dance moves and martial arts and sort of be a theatrical villain. So I had an absolute ball and I took to this role with relish, especially because I'd done quite mainstream stuff in the years leading up to that.
PB: Where were your skill levels on the physical things – the martial arts, the dancing – that you get to do in the movie, and then how were those skills when you ended?
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McKidd: As a martial artist? Zero. As a dancer? Ask my wife: I'm not much of a dancer. I had to go to dance class for a couple of months and do martial arts training for a couple of months leading up to this, pretty intensively to get to the point where I could convincingly play this kind of strange villain in this movie. I hope I did a good job. I worked my ass off at it, and I got a lot of out of the training. I continued doing it for quite some afterwards just as a thing that I enjoyed doing. So I had an absolute ball in the preparation.
PB: You have another imagination-heavy project coming up - Pixar's highly-anticipated "Brave." Talk about your experience making that.
McKidd: Amazing! My experience doing that is still ongoing. I mean, I've been working on it with them for three years and I've still got some more sessions to do. I'm still pinching myself that I'm working with Pixar. I've been a Pixar fan since they opened their doors for business, as most of us are. So for them to come and tap me on the shoulder and say, 'We want you,' felt like a huge endorsement for me as an actor, I have to say. It's not like winning an Oscar, but it does feel like if Pixar wants to use you then you're legitimately considered a good actor, so that felt like a huge compliment to me. Getting to work with them, they're amazingly collaborative and incredibly warm as a team, as a company. I just saw them this weekend. I was in Anaheim at the D23 Convention. We had a ball. I'm playing two roles in the movie. I'm playing Young MacGuffin, who's a friend to [the lead character] Merida, and also his father, Lord MacGuffin. Young MacGuffin has a problem: he has such a thick Scottish accent that nobody can understand him apart from his father, and so his father has to translate. So I get to play two roles in the movie and there's no downside in my opinion. It’s been a blast, and I think it's going to be a beautiful movie, a great sort of adventure movie with a female lead for the first time ever for Pixar.
PB: What do you want to say about what's coming up for you on the new season of “Grey's?”
McKidd: Well, it's an exciting year for my character. He's just been made the chief of surgery for the entire hospital, so he has a big learning curve this season, is having to learn fast and on his feet and he changes the dynamic of the entire hospital. His relationship with Christina is pretty hot and complicated. I'm also directing – I start prepping my second episode in two days time and then I might do a third at the end of the season, so that's exciting to me. That's a real challenge. After directing last season I get to go in and do my second episode, be less anxious and try and enjoy it a little more. So, yeah, a busy year!
“Bunraku” debuts on video on demand Sept. 1 and in theaters Sept. 30. "Brave" is scheduled for release June 22, 2012
The Hyper-Real BUNRAKU's Josh Hartnett and Kevin McKidd Speak
September 1, 2011
by Butcher Smithson
Source: Twitch
The world of Bunraku exists in a highly stylized landscape of origami facades and multi-colored lights. The Law of the Gun has been abandoned for the Discipline of the Sword and in the town called Little Westworld, the rules are set by a crime overlord named Nicola aka The Woodcutter (Ron Perlman). Aided by a gang of killers called The Red Suits which are ruthlessly led by Killer #2 (Kevin McKidd), The Woodcutter runs the town with an iron fist. Deep in the darkened streets, rival gangs fight for turf, money, and influence. Into this violent tableau step two men, The Drifter (Josh Hartnett) and Yoshi, the Jin Samurai (singer-turned-actor Gakt). Both seek something of great value. One craves revenge. The other, a Dragon Amulet that represents great power for his family. With the help of The Bartender (Woody Harrelson), these men can only be destined to meet... and to clash.
Bunraku is a unique and imaginative film written and directed by Guy Moshe (2006's HOLLY) and available September 1, 2011 on Video On Demand and on DVD/BluRay November 1, 2011 from Arc Entertainment.
Twitchfilm had a chance to speak with Josh Hartnett regarding his performance as The Drifter and Kevin McKidd about his role as the dancing psychopath, Killer #2 in Moshe's groundbreaking new film.
JOSH HARTNETT
Twitch: How did you become involved in BUNRAKU?
Hartnett: Well the director, Guy Moshe, came to New York and asked me to look at something he was doing, but he didn't want to show me the script. So he came and showed a kind of initial presentation, which had a lot to do with the style of the world, not necessarily the style of the character, and he explained to me what Bunraku was, which I had no concept of before we spoke. We're talking about the style of Japanese puppetry theater, not the film in this instance. But yeah, Guy sold me on his passion for the idea, and his hyper ambitious take on what this world was going to be. I don't know. I was just sold on his energy.
Then, I read the script afterward, and found it sedately, cleverly, funny. I also thought it would be fun to do some choreographed fighting sequences, which I'd never really done before.
Twitch: The look is of course very unique. It is kind of West Side Story by way of Dexter Gordon. Being so visually stylized, how much of a challenge is that?
Josh Hartnett: The world was surrounding us. There were tons of drawings of what it was going to look like in the end. SO I just had the faith that they were going to pull it off. The idea that they were going to "fold" in and and out of scenes, like a pop-up book occasionally, was very interesting to me. There were a few ideas they never went with, probably because of budgetary restrictions, but uh, Guy had this idea of a smooth flowing otherworldly action film. His references for the film were pretty much all from the 60's so, you know, you have Jean-Pierre Melville's French New Wave films like La Samourai, or Le Circe Rouge, the Kurosawa samurai films of course, the Leone westerns. It was all such an ambitious take that I figured "Well, this is going to be hard to pull off no matter what." of course we had to shoot all of it in something like 40 days. We were all running from set to set constantly. They built something like nine stage sets at a time, so we could constantly be shooting. We didn't have any downtime, so the challenge was just in the actual pulling it off.
I mean, we shot the kind of Mario Bros. scene (ed note *just see the film) in like 4 hours.
Twitch: That was kind of Mario Bros. meets Oldboy.
JH: Right yeah! It was incredibly choreographed and was worked out way before hand. So sometimes I'd work 18 hours, then I'd go home, and be up first thing next morning learning that day's choreography with the stunt guy. SO I didn't get any sleep, but we did have one day off. We worked six day weeks. Then on that one day we'd go crazy, we got to go blow off some steam. But yeah (laughs) I did not sleep for a good three months.
Twitch: So what do you do to blow off steam in Romania man?
JH: Well you know there are limited options. But you know the cast was such a well rounded group of people that we'd go to a bar and just hang out, and tell jokes, giving Woody a hard time about his vegan diet just to pick on him...you know.
Twitch: With that cast stoty time had to have been amazing.
JH: Absolutely. Nobody tells a better story than Ron Perlman. Are you guys interviewing him soon as well?
Twitch: Yup!
JH: (laughs knowingly) He loves to talk. Just set him up and let him go. You guys' will have a hilarious time.
KEVIN McKIDD
Twitch: How did you get involved with the Bunraku project?
Kevin McKidd: Well, Guy (Moshe) the writer/director sent me the script and I read it and really didn't understand it. I was like, "What is this?" I couldn't figure it out, but I knew there was something really interesting about it. I've always loved 'fight movies.' I met Guy and he showed me this fifteen minute presentation of pre-visualized sequences for the movie that he'd done with some stunt guys and I thought it looked really cool. He started to talk about his idea for the visuals with the whole world being made of paper and everything is kind of make with origami and it's a very strange, very heightened, world that the thing takes place in. It really intrigued me and I thought he had a very strong vision. So, that was how I decided, "Yeah, this seems like a good thing to be a part of." I'm also a big Ron Perlman, Woody Harrelson, and Josh Hartnett fan. They're all great actors. Just to get to work with all of those guys was exciting to me.
Twitch: It's such a great cast. I know you were in Romania. Was that a good experience for you?
KM: Yeah, we had a blast! It doesn't happen all of the time that a cast really gets along and really wants to hang out and we did and we had an absolute ball. I couldn't have had a better cast to hang out with in Eastern Europe. There were some great stories told during social hour. Ron's a great storyteller, as is Woody, so we had a lot of good times.
(ed, note - This Perlman guy is starting to sound like he has a rep!)
Twitch: When shooting such a stylized movie, what kind of challenges did that present you with as an actor?
KM: The biggest challenge was physical. I'm not a dancer and I'm certainly not a martial artist. Guy Moshe wanted all of the actors to basically do their own stunts and that was slightly terrifying. A lot of us ended up with a lot of injuries and pulled muscles and all of that stuff, but I enjoyed that as a challenge. That's the sort of stuff that gets me really excited, so... It was hard and it was probably about two months worth of gearing up to do, but I'm proud of it. I'm proud that we all basically did our own stunts in the movie.
Twitch: I noticed you had a unique sword style. The only way I could describe it would be as 'Tomisaburo Wakayama meets Fred Astaire."
KM: Right!
Twitch: How did you come up with that?
KM: You hit the nail on the head! Guy Moshe said to me straight off the bat, "I want your character to be like a dancing, killing machine" and he used the words, "Fred Astaire" many times. He said, "I want you to be dancing your way through and decimating the opponents, the enemy." So, I took a dance class as well as martial arts class in order to achieve that.
Twitch: So, looking at your IMDB, I notice that you've directed an episode of the show you are on, the hit Grey's Anatomy. Is directing something you want to do more of?
KM: Yeah, I've directed one episode last season and I'm just about to do my second one. I might do another episode in the latter part of the season. But, apart from that, I'm trying to develop a few projects back in Europe. I'm trying to get a few movies off the ground. I'm sort of attached as a producer on one movie that might shoot in Tuscany at some point It would be great to go back to Italy. So, yeah... I'm pretty busy. The TV show, Grey's Anatomy, takes up nine months of the year, so it's hard to find time to do anything else, really.
Twitch: Is there a kind of film that you want to make?
KM: Yeah! I want to make a Sci-Fi movie. Definitely! I've been a fan of science fiction since I was a little kid. Science Fiction was really the thing that got me into acting because I had such a huge obsession with it. I've never been involved with that genre, so I really want to do that.
Twitch: We here at Twitch are huge nerds, we grew up on a lot of different kinds of film. We're always interested to know which were the titles that sparked your interest. Were you a DR WHO kid?
KM: I was a huge DR WHO kid. Tom Baker was my doctor as was Peter Davison. I also loved all of those 1950s black-and-white B-movies. My dad loved watching all of those movies. I grew up watching cowboy movies or those sci-fi B-movies from America like the original The Day The Earth Stood Still. I was also a huge fan of Plan 9 From Outer Space. In fact, I had a band called Plan 9.
Twitch: That's great. [laughs] Well, we know you're in a hurry. Just wanted to say that we really enjoyed your performance in Bunraku.
by Butcher Smithson
Source: Twitch
The world of Bunraku exists in a highly stylized landscape of origami facades and multi-colored lights. The Law of the Gun has been abandoned for the Discipline of the Sword and in the town called Little Westworld, the rules are set by a crime overlord named Nicola aka The Woodcutter (Ron Perlman). Aided by a gang of killers called The Red Suits which are ruthlessly led by Killer #2 (Kevin McKidd), The Woodcutter runs the town with an iron fist. Deep in the darkened streets, rival gangs fight for turf, money, and influence. Into this violent tableau step two men, The Drifter (Josh Hartnett) and Yoshi, the Jin Samurai (singer-turned-actor Gakt). Both seek something of great value. One craves revenge. The other, a Dragon Amulet that represents great power for his family. With the help of The Bartender (Woody Harrelson), these men can only be destined to meet... and to clash.
Bunraku is a unique and imaginative film written and directed by Guy Moshe (2006's HOLLY) and available September 1, 2011 on Video On Demand and on DVD/BluRay November 1, 2011 from Arc Entertainment.
Twitchfilm had a chance to speak with Josh Hartnett regarding his performance as The Drifter and Kevin McKidd about his role as the dancing psychopath, Killer #2 in Moshe's groundbreaking new film.
JOSH HARTNETT
Twitch: How did you become involved in BUNRAKU?
Hartnett: Well the director, Guy Moshe, came to New York and asked me to look at something he was doing, but he didn't want to show me the script. So he came and showed a kind of initial presentation, which had a lot to do with the style of the world, not necessarily the style of the character, and he explained to me what Bunraku was, which I had no concept of before we spoke. We're talking about the style of Japanese puppetry theater, not the film in this instance. But yeah, Guy sold me on his passion for the idea, and his hyper ambitious take on what this world was going to be. I don't know. I was just sold on his energy.
Then, I read the script afterward, and found it sedately, cleverly, funny. I also thought it would be fun to do some choreographed fighting sequences, which I'd never really done before.
Twitch: The look is of course very unique. It is kind of West Side Story by way of Dexter Gordon. Being so visually stylized, how much of a challenge is that?
Josh Hartnett: The world was surrounding us. There were tons of drawings of what it was going to look like in the end. SO I just had the faith that they were going to pull it off. The idea that they were going to "fold" in and and out of scenes, like a pop-up book occasionally, was very interesting to me. There were a few ideas they never went with, probably because of budgetary restrictions, but uh, Guy had this idea of a smooth flowing otherworldly action film. His references for the film were pretty much all from the 60's so, you know, you have Jean-Pierre Melville's French New Wave films like La Samourai, or Le Circe Rouge, the Kurosawa samurai films of course, the Leone westerns. It was all such an ambitious take that I figured "Well, this is going to be hard to pull off no matter what." of course we had to shoot all of it in something like 40 days. We were all running from set to set constantly. They built something like nine stage sets at a time, so we could constantly be shooting. We didn't have any downtime, so the challenge was just in the actual pulling it off.
I mean, we shot the kind of Mario Bros. scene (ed note *just see the film) in like 4 hours.
Twitch: That was kind of Mario Bros. meets Oldboy.
JH: Right yeah! It was incredibly choreographed and was worked out way before hand. So sometimes I'd work 18 hours, then I'd go home, and be up first thing next morning learning that day's choreography with the stunt guy. SO I didn't get any sleep, but we did have one day off. We worked six day weeks. Then on that one day we'd go crazy, we got to go blow off some steam. But yeah (laughs) I did not sleep for a good three months.
Twitch: So what do you do to blow off steam in Romania man?
JH: Well you know there are limited options. But you know the cast was such a well rounded group of people that we'd go to a bar and just hang out, and tell jokes, giving Woody a hard time about his vegan diet just to pick on him...you know.
Twitch: With that cast stoty time had to have been amazing.
JH: Absolutely. Nobody tells a better story than Ron Perlman. Are you guys interviewing him soon as well?
Twitch: Yup!
JH: (laughs knowingly) He loves to talk. Just set him up and let him go. You guys' will have a hilarious time.
KEVIN McKIDD
Twitch: How did you get involved with the Bunraku project?
Kevin McKidd: Well, Guy (Moshe) the writer/director sent me the script and I read it and really didn't understand it. I was like, "What is this?" I couldn't figure it out, but I knew there was something really interesting about it. I've always loved 'fight movies.' I met Guy and he showed me this fifteen minute presentation of pre-visualized sequences for the movie that he'd done with some stunt guys and I thought it looked really cool. He started to talk about his idea for the visuals with the whole world being made of paper and everything is kind of make with origami and it's a very strange, very heightened, world that the thing takes place in. It really intrigued me and I thought he had a very strong vision. So, that was how I decided, "Yeah, this seems like a good thing to be a part of." I'm also a big Ron Perlman, Woody Harrelson, and Josh Hartnett fan. They're all great actors. Just to get to work with all of those guys was exciting to me.
Twitch: It's such a great cast. I know you were in Romania. Was that a good experience for you?
KM: Yeah, we had a blast! It doesn't happen all of the time that a cast really gets along and really wants to hang out and we did and we had an absolute ball. I couldn't have had a better cast to hang out with in Eastern Europe. There were some great stories told during social hour. Ron's a great storyteller, as is Woody, so we had a lot of good times.
(ed, note - This Perlman guy is starting to sound like he has a rep!)
Twitch: When shooting such a stylized movie, what kind of challenges did that present you with as an actor?
KM: The biggest challenge was physical. I'm not a dancer and I'm certainly not a martial artist. Guy Moshe wanted all of the actors to basically do their own stunts and that was slightly terrifying. A lot of us ended up with a lot of injuries and pulled muscles and all of that stuff, but I enjoyed that as a challenge. That's the sort of stuff that gets me really excited, so... It was hard and it was probably about two months worth of gearing up to do, but I'm proud of it. I'm proud that we all basically did our own stunts in the movie.
Twitch: I noticed you had a unique sword style. The only way I could describe it would be as 'Tomisaburo Wakayama meets Fred Astaire."
KM: Right!
Twitch: How did you come up with that?
KM: You hit the nail on the head! Guy Moshe said to me straight off the bat, "I want your character to be like a dancing, killing machine" and he used the words, "Fred Astaire" many times. He said, "I want you to be dancing your way through and decimating the opponents, the enemy." So, I took a dance class as well as martial arts class in order to achieve that.
Twitch: So, looking at your IMDB, I notice that you've directed an episode of the show you are on, the hit Grey's Anatomy. Is directing something you want to do more of?
KM: Yeah, I've directed one episode last season and I'm just about to do my second one. I might do another episode in the latter part of the season. But, apart from that, I'm trying to develop a few projects back in Europe. I'm trying to get a few movies off the ground. I'm sort of attached as a producer on one movie that might shoot in Tuscany at some point It would be great to go back to Italy. So, yeah... I'm pretty busy. The TV show, Grey's Anatomy, takes up nine months of the year, so it's hard to find time to do anything else, really.
Twitch: Is there a kind of film that you want to make?
KM: Yeah! I want to make a Sci-Fi movie. Definitely! I've been a fan of science fiction since I was a little kid. Science Fiction was really the thing that got me into acting because I had such a huge obsession with it. I've never been involved with that genre, so I really want to do that.
Twitch: We here at Twitch are huge nerds, we grew up on a lot of different kinds of film. We're always interested to know which were the titles that sparked your interest. Were you a DR WHO kid?
KM: I was a huge DR WHO kid. Tom Baker was my doctor as was Peter Davison. I also loved all of those 1950s black-and-white B-movies. My dad loved watching all of those movies. I grew up watching cowboy movies or those sci-fi B-movies from America like the original The Day The Earth Stood Still. I was also a huge fan of Plan 9 From Outer Space. In fact, I had a band called Plan 9.
Twitch: That's great. [laughs] Well, we know you're in a hurry. Just wanted to say that we really enjoyed your performance in Bunraku.
Kevin McKidd Talks About 'Bunraku'
by Rebecca Murray
Source: About.com
What is Bunraku? Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater. It's also a bizarre action film from writer/director Guy Moshe. Moshe's Bunraku finds Josh Hartnett and Gackt playing two strangers who team up to take down a crime boss named Nicola (played by Ron Perlman) in world in which guns no longer exist and ruthless gangs control the cities. Kevin McKidd, Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey's Anatomy and Lucius Vorenus in HBO's critically acclaimed series Rome, stars as Nicola's #2 man, a ruthless killer known only as Killer #2.
As Killer #2, McKidd dresses like a dandy and dances his way through fight scenes. But while most dances don't end in the death of a participant, anyone who tangos with Killer #2 finds that dance will be their last on earth. He's brutal, unrepentant, and a character unlike any McKidd has ever played before. And in our exclusive phone interview, McKidd talked about why he found playing Killer #2 impossible to resist, training for the film, and Guy Moshe's vision for Bunraku.
What was the appeal of playing Killer #2?
Kevin McKidd: "Well, this film we shot before I started on Grey's Anatomy and back then I'd just finished a long stint on a TV show called Journeyman, which was an amazing experience. But this script came along and I'd never read anything quite like it. I'm always very excited by something that's a curveball or from left field. Having just come out of a very network - which is great - but mainstream network situation on Journeyman, it felt like a great palate cleanser for me to do that, play that kind of villainous role in the movie. I thought I'd have a lot of fun with it, which I did. And, also, speaking to Guy Moshe who wrote and directed it, he had a very particular vision right from the start. None of the way the movie looks is by accident. He had this kind of weird vision at the start. And when you meet a filmmaker who really does have that very clear, it's always good to see where that leads, you know?"
When a filmmaker has such a 'weird vision' as you said, it could also go horribly wrong. What made you so sure this would work?
Kevin McKidd: "Well, you can never be sure. [Laughing] It's a roll of the dice in the movie business. I mean, every single movie is a roll of the dice. Any movie on paper could look like it's going to be fantastic. You know what I mean? I've done movies that I've been advised not to do. Dog Soldiers, the movie I did 11 years ago now, I remember my agent at the time was like, 'You shouldn't do that. It's a weird film about werewolves,' and it became a cult hit. And I've always used that as my example of how you should kind of go with your gut. At the end of the day none of this is brain surgery, so the risk is worth it, I think, nine times out of ten. As long as you feel that there's something there that's either going to be fun or worth telling as a story."
And Killer #2's such a different character from anything you've ever played before, so that has to be part of the appeal too, right?
Kevin McKidd: "Absolutely. That's a huge appeal for me. I generally play villains once every three or four years by choice because I get offered villainous roles a lot, because of the way I look and whatever. And I tend to avoid them because I think you can end up in a cul-de-sac of your own making if you're cast in that. So, when this one came along it just seemed like a good fit. I'd come from this very heroic sort of family man in Journeyman, which I liked, and my twisted mind sometimes likes to throw the baby out with the bathwater and do something 180 degrees away from him. So Killer #2 was definitely very antithetical to the characters I've been playing recently."
Did you come up with a name for the character, or was he always just Killer #2 in your mind?
Kevin McKidd: "No. [Laughing] He's called Killer #2, which is a very weird concept but I get it. I think Guy had the idea with Bunraku that he very much wanted it to be almost like a performance art piece. It's out there and I liked that. I kind of like the dehumanization of him. Although, in a weird way, you kind of feel for the guy because everything's pitch dark in his soul as an individual but there's obviously some kind of pain there, you know? He was a fun character to play."
If you didn't feel for him somewhat, it would have been tough to play him.
Kevin McKidd: "That's right. You have to have some kind of empathy for any character that you play. But I think I latched on to it very quickly that he obviously has unfinished business with Demi Moore's character and she very much basically hates every atom in his body. And I think that kind of breaks Killer #2's heart, you know? I think he's secretly pining for her, and that's partly what fuels his fire to deal with the dastardly deeds that he does."
Did you put together a detailed backstory for Killer #2 when you preparing to play him or just the basics?
Kevin McKidd: "I try and create a backstory for my characters. I did my best because he lives in this very fictitious world. But, yeah, Ron Perlman and I sat down and had dinner and talked about it. The main backstory is kind of Ron and my character. There's a big power struggle between Nicola and Killer #2, so I think we felt it was important for us to have a strong backstory where we all started from. Guy Moshe actually had a very detailed backstory for all the characters, so he was very helpful too."
Even the way you move your body in this is different from anything else you've ever done. How tough was it to physically do this role?
Kevin McKidd: "It was tough. It was, really. I remember I pulled a muscle I didn't even know that I had in my groin on my right leg and could hardly walk for about two weeks. All that stuff I basically did myself and it took a month to train. And that was one of the other things that really attracted me to it was I've never been asked to, apart from all the sword fighting, to be really smooth and almost balletic. I really had to see how far I could push my body and learn these martial arts skills that I've never done before. It was a real challenge, and something I really rose to and hopefully pull off in some way. And having come from kind of having done zero of that stuff, yeah, it was a real challenge. There was a lot of pain and a lot of ice packs, and a lot of long salt baths. It was a tough, tough pre-schedule - the training portion. There was a great team of stunt guys who drilled us and trained us like we were in boot camp."
Was doing this dance-style fighting and pulling off those balletic moves more difficult than you thought it would be?
Kevin McKidd: "Yeah. My character had a lot of cane work. My character has this cane that turns into a sword, and we wanted him to be very deft at that. Guy Moshe had this idea that Killer #2 was almost like the Fred Astaire of the killer world, you know? He dances his way through these fights and that's what made him so deadly. And so I had to go to dance class as well as doing the martial arts. We tried to sort of feed some of that in there to get what Guy wanted."
Are you a good dancer?
Kevin McKidd: [Laughing] "Not particularly. You should ask my wife that question. It's hard. Dancing is harder than you think."
And I heard that you, Josh Hartnett, and Gackt did 95% of your own stunt work.
Kevin McKidd: "Yes, we did. It was all in camera. There were no effects, really. There were a couple of wires, but that was it."
Did you end up with any injuries, besides the one to your groin?
Kevin McKidd: "I'm trying to think if I did... I didn't get hit or struck by anyone. You know, these stunt guys are so professional. There were a few moments where Gackt came a bit too close with his [hits]. In the big mano mano fight, Gackt and I have a big sword fight in the Japanese garden and, yeah, there was a few times where I could feel the wind whistle past my nose as his blade came a little frighteningly too close to my face. But luckily we didn't actually get to the point of contact."
Were you familiar with Bunraku prior to this film?
Kevin McKidd: "No, I had to ask Guy. I was like, 'What is Bunraku?' And he said, 'Japanese puppetry - the second most popular form of theatre in Japan,' which I didn't know. He said that was kind of his jumping off point for the movie as it stands. Although there are references to puppetry throughout the entire film."
Your costume, in addition to your dance moves, is interesting. Did just putting on the outfit help you get into the character?
Kevin McKidd: "It did, because you feel almost like an alien. Guy wanted everyone to be very deconstructed. He wanted me to be in a suit but not a suit, a suit that had all this angularity to it. Guy and I sat down and sort of figured that out. He would stand and watch me try on different things. Eventually we landed on this idea of what he should look like. So, yeah, getting that hat and those crazy glasses that Guy wanted me to wear - those pink, feminine glasses that just clipped on his nose - yeah. As soon as you put stuff like that on because a lot, especially playing villains, I think, is just stepping inside the skin of that character and sort of trying to fill it. Because there's a theatricality to Bunraku that I think if you didn't go there, you'd fall flat on your face."
Source: About.com
What is Bunraku? Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater. It's also a bizarre action film from writer/director Guy Moshe. Moshe's Bunraku finds Josh Hartnett and Gackt playing two strangers who team up to take down a crime boss named Nicola (played by Ron Perlman) in world in which guns no longer exist and ruthless gangs control the cities. Kevin McKidd, Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey's Anatomy and Lucius Vorenus in HBO's critically acclaimed series Rome, stars as Nicola's #2 man, a ruthless killer known only as Killer #2.
As Killer #2, McKidd dresses like a dandy and dances his way through fight scenes. But while most dances don't end in the death of a participant, anyone who tangos with Killer #2 finds that dance will be their last on earth. He's brutal, unrepentant, and a character unlike any McKidd has ever played before. And in our exclusive phone interview, McKidd talked about why he found playing Killer #2 impossible to resist, training for the film, and Guy Moshe's vision for Bunraku.
What was the appeal of playing Killer #2?
Kevin McKidd: "Well, this film we shot before I started on Grey's Anatomy and back then I'd just finished a long stint on a TV show called Journeyman, which was an amazing experience. But this script came along and I'd never read anything quite like it. I'm always very excited by something that's a curveball or from left field. Having just come out of a very network - which is great - but mainstream network situation on Journeyman, it felt like a great palate cleanser for me to do that, play that kind of villainous role in the movie. I thought I'd have a lot of fun with it, which I did. And, also, speaking to Guy Moshe who wrote and directed it, he had a very particular vision right from the start. None of the way the movie looks is by accident. He had this kind of weird vision at the start. And when you meet a filmmaker who really does have that very clear, it's always good to see where that leads, you know?"
When a filmmaker has such a 'weird vision' as you said, it could also go horribly wrong. What made you so sure this would work?
Kevin McKidd: "Well, you can never be sure. [Laughing] It's a roll of the dice in the movie business. I mean, every single movie is a roll of the dice. Any movie on paper could look like it's going to be fantastic. You know what I mean? I've done movies that I've been advised not to do. Dog Soldiers, the movie I did 11 years ago now, I remember my agent at the time was like, 'You shouldn't do that. It's a weird film about werewolves,' and it became a cult hit. And I've always used that as my example of how you should kind of go with your gut. At the end of the day none of this is brain surgery, so the risk is worth it, I think, nine times out of ten. As long as you feel that there's something there that's either going to be fun or worth telling as a story."
And Killer #2's such a different character from anything you've ever played before, so that has to be part of the appeal too, right?
Kevin McKidd: "Absolutely. That's a huge appeal for me. I generally play villains once every three or four years by choice because I get offered villainous roles a lot, because of the way I look and whatever. And I tend to avoid them because I think you can end up in a cul-de-sac of your own making if you're cast in that. So, when this one came along it just seemed like a good fit. I'd come from this very heroic sort of family man in Journeyman, which I liked, and my twisted mind sometimes likes to throw the baby out with the bathwater and do something 180 degrees away from him. So Killer #2 was definitely very antithetical to the characters I've been playing recently."
Did you come up with a name for the character, or was he always just Killer #2 in your mind?
Kevin McKidd: "No. [Laughing] He's called Killer #2, which is a very weird concept but I get it. I think Guy had the idea with Bunraku that he very much wanted it to be almost like a performance art piece. It's out there and I liked that. I kind of like the dehumanization of him. Although, in a weird way, you kind of feel for the guy because everything's pitch dark in his soul as an individual but there's obviously some kind of pain there, you know? He was a fun character to play."
If you didn't feel for him somewhat, it would have been tough to play him.
Kevin McKidd: "That's right. You have to have some kind of empathy for any character that you play. But I think I latched on to it very quickly that he obviously has unfinished business with Demi Moore's character and she very much basically hates every atom in his body. And I think that kind of breaks Killer #2's heart, you know? I think he's secretly pining for her, and that's partly what fuels his fire to deal with the dastardly deeds that he does."
Did you put together a detailed backstory for Killer #2 when you preparing to play him or just the basics?
Kevin McKidd: "I try and create a backstory for my characters. I did my best because he lives in this very fictitious world. But, yeah, Ron Perlman and I sat down and had dinner and talked about it. The main backstory is kind of Ron and my character. There's a big power struggle between Nicola and Killer #2, so I think we felt it was important for us to have a strong backstory where we all started from. Guy Moshe actually had a very detailed backstory for all the characters, so he was very helpful too."
Even the way you move your body in this is different from anything else you've ever done. How tough was it to physically do this role?
Kevin McKidd: "It was tough. It was, really. I remember I pulled a muscle I didn't even know that I had in my groin on my right leg and could hardly walk for about two weeks. All that stuff I basically did myself and it took a month to train. And that was one of the other things that really attracted me to it was I've never been asked to, apart from all the sword fighting, to be really smooth and almost balletic. I really had to see how far I could push my body and learn these martial arts skills that I've never done before. It was a real challenge, and something I really rose to and hopefully pull off in some way. And having come from kind of having done zero of that stuff, yeah, it was a real challenge. There was a lot of pain and a lot of ice packs, and a lot of long salt baths. It was a tough, tough pre-schedule - the training portion. There was a great team of stunt guys who drilled us and trained us like we were in boot camp."
Was doing this dance-style fighting and pulling off those balletic moves more difficult than you thought it would be?
Kevin McKidd: "Yeah. My character had a lot of cane work. My character has this cane that turns into a sword, and we wanted him to be very deft at that. Guy Moshe had this idea that Killer #2 was almost like the Fred Astaire of the killer world, you know? He dances his way through these fights and that's what made him so deadly. And so I had to go to dance class as well as doing the martial arts. We tried to sort of feed some of that in there to get what Guy wanted."
Are you a good dancer?
Kevin McKidd: [Laughing] "Not particularly. You should ask my wife that question. It's hard. Dancing is harder than you think."
And I heard that you, Josh Hartnett, and Gackt did 95% of your own stunt work.
Kevin McKidd: "Yes, we did. It was all in camera. There were no effects, really. There were a couple of wires, but that was it."
Did you end up with any injuries, besides the one to your groin?
Kevin McKidd: "I'm trying to think if I did... I didn't get hit or struck by anyone. You know, these stunt guys are so professional. There were a few moments where Gackt came a bit too close with his [hits]. In the big mano mano fight, Gackt and I have a big sword fight in the Japanese garden and, yeah, there was a few times where I could feel the wind whistle past my nose as his blade came a little frighteningly too close to my face. But luckily we didn't actually get to the point of contact."
Were you familiar with Bunraku prior to this film?
Kevin McKidd: "No, I had to ask Guy. I was like, 'What is Bunraku?' And he said, 'Japanese puppetry - the second most popular form of theatre in Japan,' which I didn't know. He said that was kind of his jumping off point for the movie as it stands. Although there are references to puppetry throughout the entire film."
Your costume, in addition to your dance moves, is interesting. Did just putting on the outfit help you get into the character?
Kevin McKidd: "It did, because you feel almost like an alien. Guy wanted everyone to be very deconstructed. He wanted me to be in a suit but not a suit, a suit that had all this angularity to it. Guy and I sat down and sort of figured that out. He would stand and watch me try on different things. Eventually we landed on this idea of what he should look like. So, yeah, getting that hat and those crazy glasses that Guy wanted me to wear - those pink, feminine glasses that just clipped on his nose - yeah. As soon as you put stuff like that on because a lot, especially playing villains, I think, is just stepping inside the skin of that character and sort of trying to fill it. Because there's a theatricality to Bunraku that I think if you didn't go there, you'd fall flat on your face."
Exclusive: Kevin McKidd talks Bunraku
August 31, 2011
by: Brian Gallagher
Source: Movieweb
Actor Kevin McKidd was on his way to becoming an engineer at the University of Edinburgh before being bitten by the acting bug in college. After making his big-screen debut in Small Faces, the actor broke out with his second movie, the British classic Trainspotting, where he portrayed Tommy. The actor hasn't stopped working since with roles in movies such as Dog Soldiers, Nicholas Nickleby, Kingdom Of Heaven, and Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Sea Monsters. He has also starred on the small screen as well, with memorable roles as Lucius Vorenus in the HBO drama Rome and his current role as Dr. Owen Hunt on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. Kevin McKidd will next be seen as Killer 2 in Bunraku, which will be released on VOD formats September 1 ahead of its theatrical release on September 30. I recently had the chance to speak with Kevin McKidd over the phone to discuss Bunraku and more. Here's what he had to say below.
Can you talk about your initial reaction to a script like this? It must have been quite the page-turner.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. The script was very much the film that we made, it didn't change that much, which is rare. I read it and didn't quite understand what it was trying to do. It was this cool hybrid of a few different genres. When I met (director) Guy Moshe, he had this 20-minute pre-visualized presentation. I realized quickly that this guy really has a vision for this and, if he actually does what he does, it's going to be quite a spectacle. I had some questions, to be honest, but when I met Guy, he had a very weird, strange, but very specific vision that he was pushing forward to get to. He isn't just going, 'OK, you stand there, you stand there, you stand there, and lets see what happens.' He really constructed this whole universe, down to the way the doors are going to look and how the sunset is going to be. It was all in his head and worked out. It's exciting because you're entering a world that you don't really know what's going to happen.
I also talked to Josh (Hartnett) recently and he said he went through that presentation as well, and he said it really helped him get into the movie and trust Guy.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah, absolutely.Josh also talked about some of the fight training you guys had to go into. Can you talk about that process and how much time you guys had for training?Kevin McKidd: It was intense. I think it was about six or seven weeks of very intense fighting and, for me, I had to do a lot of dance classes. Guy had this idea that Killer #2 was this dancing machine, kind of like Fred Astaire on crack. To achieve that, I had to pull double-duty on the martial arts, because I have never really done martial arts before and I had never really danced before. It was strange for me, but it was something I really loved doing. I really enjoyed the challenge. I had a blast in that period and learned a lot. I really surprised myself, I think, and enjoyed it.
The fight scenes are very unique from other fight scenes. They are very artistic and there was still a lot of action. Was that style communicated right away?
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. I think the whole movie, in a weird way, is Guy's statement about where we are with action movies and our relationship in cinema with violence. There's a very strange psychology going on in Bunraku about the stylized violence and it's kind of satirical sometimes, which I think is interesting.
When I talked with Josh, he also spoke very highly of you, that he was really impressed with your work. Can you talk about working with him and the rest of this wonderful cast around you?
Kevin McKidd: I have watched Josh and I think he's great in this movie. We have become friends as well, which I think is great, and he worked his ass off in this movie as well. I think this film really shows him as this heroic leading man, really. He delivers in a big way in this movie. He did more fights than anybody in the entire film. When we weren't filming, we were in a rehearsal studio, learning the next batch of fights. It really was a hard, physical job to get through, but he stepped up to it in a big way. The rest of the cast was great. I have been a big fan of Ron (Perlman) and Woody (Harrelson) and Demi (Moore) for years, and to get to work with all of those people was pretty amazing. To get to sit in a bar in Bucharest, telling war stories, that's what I love about being in this business, to get to work with people who are icons. I was kind of blown away to get to work with those people.
I read that it was a very rushed production schedule. Was it very hectic on the set, or did Guy make it a much more smoother environment than it could have been?
Kevin McKidd: It was incredibly smooth, considering the level of production value we had. It was pretty much two units shooting continuously and they figured out how to have the constant live feed from the B Unit stage on the A Unit stage, so Guy could be filming with the A Unit and constantly watch takes from the B Unit stage. I don't know if that's ever been done before. He would run over occasionally and fix the problem, but generally, it was incredibly smooth. It was pretty intense though. I think it was six-day weeks the whole time.
I don't know if I've heard of that technique being used either. He might be breaking new ground there.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. He managed to split his brain in a way that I've never seen before. It was pretty incredible to watch, and he pulled it off.For you,
is there a particular scene or a memory that will always stick out when you think of Bunraku?
Kevin McKidd: I think that opening shot, where my character is in the middle of Times Square and the camera pushes right in on him, with this weird hat and weird cane and he looks like this insect. I remember seeing the pre-viz on that, and we worked on the choreography of that for months. That was the first thing we shot in the movie, that entire sequence. It was a very special day, because we had already worked for two months to get this choreography in place and then it was showtime, to shoot that sequence that was the start of the shoot. That was a special moment.
You didn't shoot the whole movie in sequence, but you started with that opening shot?
Kevin McKidd: Yeah, we just happened to start with that scene. I'm not sure why.
You're providing the voice of Lord MacGuffin in Brave. I was wondering if you can talk about that experience working with Pixar?
Kevin McKidd: I'm doing two voices in that movie now, actually. My kids are unbelievably excited that I'm in a Pixar movie. I was at the D23 convention last week in Anaheim, and it was great to see the audience's reaction. They all seemed to love it. I play Lord MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin. Young MacGuffin is one of the suitors to Merida, Kelly Macdonald's character, who asks for her hand in marriage. He's a strapping young chap but he can't be understood by anyone because his Scottish brogue is too thick. His father kind of translates for him on his behalf. They just landed on the idea that I should do both voices. I've been a Pixar fan from the start, so to get to work with them, I'm kind of pinching myself. I think they do the best work around.
That's great. Are you still recording on that?
Kevin McKidd: Yeah, I think I have one or two more sessions to go before picture locks. I think picture locks in the spring. So yeah, we're almost there, but I've been involved with this project for two years now.
Excellent. Well, that's my time. Thanks so much for talking to me, Kevin. It was a pleasure.Kevin McKidd: Great. Thank you.You can watch
Kevin McKidd as Killer 2 when Bunraku is released on VOD formats September 1 before its theatrical release on September 30.
Bunraku comes to theaters (limited release) September 30th, 2011 and stars Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore, Josh Hartnett, Ron Perlman, Kevin McKidd, Jordi Mollà, Mark Ivanir, Gackt. The film is directed by Guy Moshe.
by: Brian Gallagher
Source: Movieweb
Actor Kevin McKidd was on his way to becoming an engineer at the University of Edinburgh before being bitten by the acting bug in college. After making his big-screen debut in Small Faces, the actor broke out with his second movie, the British classic Trainspotting, where he portrayed Tommy. The actor hasn't stopped working since with roles in movies such as Dog Soldiers, Nicholas Nickleby, Kingdom Of Heaven, and Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Sea Monsters. He has also starred on the small screen as well, with memorable roles as Lucius Vorenus in the HBO drama Rome and his current role as Dr. Owen Hunt on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. Kevin McKidd will next be seen as Killer 2 in Bunraku, which will be released on VOD formats September 1 ahead of its theatrical release on September 30. I recently had the chance to speak with Kevin McKidd over the phone to discuss Bunraku and more. Here's what he had to say below.
Can you talk about your initial reaction to a script like this? It must have been quite the page-turner.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. The script was very much the film that we made, it didn't change that much, which is rare. I read it and didn't quite understand what it was trying to do. It was this cool hybrid of a few different genres. When I met (director) Guy Moshe, he had this 20-minute pre-visualized presentation. I realized quickly that this guy really has a vision for this and, if he actually does what he does, it's going to be quite a spectacle. I had some questions, to be honest, but when I met Guy, he had a very weird, strange, but very specific vision that he was pushing forward to get to. He isn't just going, 'OK, you stand there, you stand there, you stand there, and lets see what happens.' He really constructed this whole universe, down to the way the doors are going to look and how the sunset is going to be. It was all in his head and worked out. It's exciting because you're entering a world that you don't really know what's going to happen.
I also talked to Josh (Hartnett) recently and he said he went through that presentation as well, and he said it really helped him get into the movie and trust Guy.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah, absolutely.Josh also talked about some of the fight training you guys had to go into. Can you talk about that process and how much time you guys had for training?Kevin McKidd: It was intense. I think it was about six or seven weeks of very intense fighting and, for me, I had to do a lot of dance classes. Guy had this idea that Killer #2 was this dancing machine, kind of like Fred Astaire on crack. To achieve that, I had to pull double-duty on the martial arts, because I have never really done martial arts before and I had never really danced before. It was strange for me, but it was something I really loved doing. I really enjoyed the challenge. I had a blast in that period and learned a lot. I really surprised myself, I think, and enjoyed it.
The fight scenes are very unique from other fight scenes. They are very artistic and there was still a lot of action. Was that style communicated right away?
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. I think the whole movie, in a weird way, is Guy's statement about where we are with action movies and our relationship in cinema with violence. There's a very strange psychology going on in Bunraku about the stylized violence and it's kind of satirical sometimes, which I think is interesting.
When I talked with Josh, he also spoke very highly of you, that he was really impressed with your work. Can you talk about working with him and the rest of this wonderful cast around you?
Kevin McKidd: I have watched Josh and I think he's great in this movie. We have become friends as well, which I think is great, and he worked his ass off in this movie as well. I think this film really shows him as this heroic leading man, really. He delivers in a big way in this movie. He did more fights than anybody in the entire film. When we weren't filming, we were in a rehearsal studio, learning the next batch of fights. It really was a hard, physical job to get through, but he stepped up to it in a big way. The rest of the cast was great. I have been a big fan of Ron (Perlman) and Woody (Harrelson) and Demi (Moore) for years, and to get to work with all of those people was pretty amazing. To get to sit in a bar in Bucharest, telling war stories, that's what I love about being in this business, to get to work with people who are icons. I was kind of blown away to get to work with those people.
I read that it was a very rushed production schedule. Was it very hectic on the set, or did Guy make it a much more smoother environment than it could have been?
Kevin McKidd: It was incredibly smooth, considering the level of production value we had. It was pretty much two units shooting continuously and they figured out how to have the constant live feed from the B Unit stage on the A Unit stage, so Guy could be filming with the A Unit and constantly watch takes from the B Unit stage. I don't know if that's ever been done before. He would run over occasionally and fix the problem, but generally, it was incredibly smooth. It was pretty intense though. I think it was six-day weeks the whole time.
I don't know if I've heard of that technique being used either. He might be breaking new ground there.
Kevin McKidd: Yeah. He managed to split his brain in a way that I've never seen before. It was pretty incredible to watch, and he pulled it off.For you,
is there a particular scene or a memory that will always stick out when you think of Bunraku?
Kevin McKidd: I think that opening shot, where my character is in the middle of Times Square and the camera pushes right in on him, with this weird hat and weird cane and he looks like this insect. I remember seeing the pre-viz on that, and we worked on the choreography of that for months. That was the first thing we shot in the movie, that entire sequence. It was a very special day, because we had already worked for two months to get this choreography in place and then it was showtime, to shoot that sequence that was the start of the shoot. That was a special moment.
You didn't shoot the whole movie in sequence, but you started with that opening shot?
Kevin McKidd: Yeah, we just happened to start with that scene. I'm not sure why.
You're providing the voice of Lord MacGuffin in Brave. I was wondering if you can talk about that experience working with Pixar?
Kevin McKidd: I'm doing two voices in that movie now, actually. My kids are unbelievably excited that I'm in a Pixar movie. I was at the D23 convention last week in Anaheim, and it was great to see the audience's reaction. They all seemed to love it. I play Lord MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin. Young MacGuffin is one of the suitors to Merida, Kelly Macdonald's character, who asks for her hand in marriage. He's a strapping young chap but he can't be understood by anyone because his Scottish brogue is too thick. His father kind of translates for him on his behalf. They just landed on the idea that I should do both voices. I've been a Pixar fan from the start, so to get to work with them, I'm kind of pinching myself. I think they do the best work around.
That's great. Are you still recording on that?
Kevin McKidd: Yeah, I think I have one or two more sessions to go before picture locks. I think picture locks in the spring. So yeah, we're almost there, but I've been involved with this project for two years now.
Excellent. Well, that's my time. Thanks so much for talking to me, Kevin. It was a pleasure.Kevin McKidd: Great. Thank you.You can watch
Kevin McKidd as Killer 2 when Bunraku is released on VOD formats September 1 before its theatrical release on September 30.
Bunraku comes to theaters (limited release) September 30th, 2011 and stars Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore, Josh Hartnett, Ron Perlman, Kevin McKidd, Jordi Mollà, Mark Ivanir, Gackt. The film is directed by Guy Moshe.
Grey’s Anatomy star to raise money for Save the Children
September 12, 2011
by Chase Wright
Source: News Hound
Scottish actor and Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd will soon trade in his doctor scrubs for a classic kilt as he gets down in the mud to raise money for the Westport-based nonprofit Save the Children.
On Sunday, Sept. 18, McKidd will compete in the NorCal Tough Mudder in Squaw Valley, Calif, a 10-mile course designed by British Special Forces.
The Tough Mudder — known for its mud pits, cliffs, and electric shock obstacles — is designed to test a participant’s strength, stamina, toughness, mental grit and camaraderie.
McKidd will “mud it” alongside fellow actors Shemar Moore, Simon Mirren and the ‘Stray Dogs’ team while raising funds for the children affected by the food crisis in East Africa.
McKidd has been getting savvy with his social networks to raise money for the cause. In just over a month, McKidd has raised more than $10,000, promising to don a traditional Scottish kilt during the Tough Mudder once he reached the $10,000 mark.
Nicknamed ‘The Tough Giving Challenge’ by his fan site, KevinMcKiddOnline, McKidd continues to entice his nearly 14,000 Twitter fans to donate with just 140 characters.
“Was up at 5:30 back in the gym — dreaded it but was happy that by 7:30 I had done my work for the day- recovery shake, shower and to work!” McKidd tweeted after one of his early morning workouts with the Stray Dogs team.
“Kevin continues to keep the spotlight on the children of the East Africa food crisis with both his social media use and out-of-the-box fundraising methods,” said Save the Children’s President & CEO Carolyn Miles. “First with Save the Children’s 24-hour Fast-A-Thon and now the Tough Mudder, we are looking forward to seeing what extreme stunt Kevin will take on next.”
The money raised by McKidd will go toward Save the Children’s regional Horn of Africa response. Save the children is responding in a range of ways: In Ethiopia, the organization is feeding malnourished children. For example in Kenya, Save the Children is counseling children who arrive at the refugee camp unaccompanied and helping them locate family members in the camp. If no family members are found, Save the Children finds a foster family for the child.
McKidd previously tweeted throughout Save the Children’s “Fast-A-Thon,” where he gave up food for 24-hours to show his support for the children affected by what has been termed as the worst drought in over 60 years. He also starred in a recent public service announcement for Save the Children.
by Chase Wright
Source: News Hound
Scottish actor and Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd will soon trade in his doctor scrubs for a classic kilt as he gets down in the mud to raise money for the Westport-based nonprofit Save the Children.
On Sunday, Sept. 18, McKidd will compete in the NorCal Tough Mudder in Squaw Valley, Calif, a 10-mile course designed by British Special Forces.
The Tough Mudder — known for its mud pits, cliffs, and electric shock obstacles — is designed to test a participant’s strength, stamina, toughness, mental grit and camaraderie.
McKidd will “mud it” alongside fellow actors Shemar Moore, Simon Mirren and the ‘Stray Dogs’ team while raising funds for the children affected by the food crisis in East Africa.
McKidd has been getting savvy with his social networks to raise money for the cause. In just over a month, McKidd has raised more than $10,000, promising to don a traditional Scottish kilt during the Tough Mudder once he reached the $10,000 mark.
Nicknamed ‘The Tough Giving Challenge’ by his fan site, KevinMcKiddOnline, McKidd continues to entice his nearly 14,000 Twitter fans to donate with just 140 characters.
“Was up at 5:30 back in the gym — dreaded it but was happy that by 7:30 I had done my work for the day- recovery shake, shower and to work!” McKidd tweeted after one of his early morning workouts with the Stray Dogs team.
“Kevin continues to keep the spotlight on the children of the East Africa food crisis with both his social media use and out-of-the-box fundraising methods,” said Save the Children’s President & CEO Carolyn Miles. “First with Save the Children’s 24-hour Fast-A-Thon and now the Tough Mudder, we are looking forward to seeing what extreme stunt Kevin will take on next.”
The money raised by McKidd will go toward Save the Children’s regional Horn of Africa response. Save the children is responding in a range of ways: In Ethiopia, the organization is feeding malnourished children. For example in Kenya, Save the Children is counseling children who arrive at the refugee camp unaccompanied and helping them locate family members in the camp. If no family members are found, Save the Children finds a foster family for the child.
McKidd previously tweeted throughout Save the Children’s “Fast-A-Thon,” where he gave up food for 24-hours to show his support for the children affected by what has been termed as the worst drought in over 60 years. He also starred in a recent public service announcement for Save the Children.
Trainspotting star Kevin McKidd on his hectic summer for charity
Sep 10, 2011
By Brian McIver
Source: Daily Record
KEVIN McKidd has just had the busiest summer of his life.
Whether it was visiting sick children in Africa, fasting for charity, launching fundraising campaigns or spending every spare minute enduring the toughest physical training he can ever remember, the superstar Scot has been run off his feet.
The Elgin-born Greys Anatomy actor, 38, has raised thousands for the Save the Children East Africa famine appeal.
And as a father himself, he is delighted to be able to do something to help starving families suffering in the worst drought to hit the continent in almost 30 years.
He has engaged thousands of fans of his hit medical drama show to generate funds and has taken on a series of challenges for the cause.
Currently filming his fourth series of Greys, and making his own steps into directing, Kevin will take time out next week to compete in Tough Mudder, a Commando assault course.
He said: Ive been working with Save the Children for a few years now, but a couple of months ago they called me directly regarding the famine in East Africa and asked if I would use my name to help raise awareness and money for this tragedy.
I first got involved a few years ago. I hate to name drop but Ben Stiller approached me at the time of the disaster in Haiti. He has an organisation called Stiller Strong, affiliated with Save the Children, so I helped out at a few events and I got to know the Save the Children people.
Ive got kids myself and Id always wanted to do charity work so I decided to continue doing things for them.
When they got in touch recently, I was happy to do whatever I could.
Its terrible, there are millions of kids affected. The famine is as bad as things were back in the Live Aid days but is less publicised, and with so much going on politically around the world, people forget about it.
After recording TV public service announcements for the campaign, Kevin decided to do his bit directly with his own set of sacrifices.
He teamed up with fan website kevinmckiddonline.com for a series of events, starting with a 24-hour fast-a-thon last month, which he chronicled live via Twitter, raising thousands of dollars.
He posted pictures from the set of Greys Anatomy, including ones of co-stars like Patrick Dempsey and Jessica Capshaw, as rewards for fans reaching certain cash milestones.
That also included posing with a kilt on set after a deluge of fan requests, in return for $5000.
Kevin said: I got my kilt out but couldnt find my sporran, so I had to borrow one from a lighting pal from the show who is of Scottish descent.
He has become one of the biggest stars on US television in his four years on the emotional melodrama, playing action surgeon Dr Owen Hunt, the Seattle hospital head of trauma.
After his first major success aged 23 as the tragic Tommy in Trainspotting 15 years ago, Kevin has enjoyed steady film and TV success for most of his career, with his Stateside break coming courtesy of HBO hit Rome.
But Greys, where he has also started directing episodes, has made him one of the biggest names in the US.
In addition to his work with Save the Children, Kevin also visited Mozambique in June to see the work being done by the charity Partners for Pediatric Progress, who are run by an LA friend, Dr Lee Martin.
Kevin visited the charitys stations in Mozambique to see the work for himself.
I spent a lot of time visiting schools and hospitals just outside of Maputo, and its amazing the work being done there under difficult circumstances and with limited funding. With a short summer break between charity trips and filming, Kevin is now fully back into the swing of his show.
His next big charity challenge is a crazy military-style assault course in Squaw Valley, northern California, called Tough Mudder.
Designed by the Royal Marines, the event is one of the fastest growing fund-raisers in the US, and Kevin signed up with a team of pals to help boost their various charitable causes.
Its a mad 12-mile hike up a mountain on a course designed by the marines. Its very hard work, he said.
Im doing a session a day of mental military-style workouts so Im pretty tired just now. The cast are even talking about getting together a Greys Anatomy team to do a Tough Mudder near LA next year.
This one is really bad timing though, as its right in the middle of an episode Im directing. So Im working all week on the episode, then I fly up to Squaw Valley on Saturday and do this mental race, then fly back on the Sunday to do another week of directing. Exhausting.
My wife Jane and the kids are coming up so they can have a laugh at their dad making a fool of himself. Itll be hard going but very well worth it.
To donate to Kevin's appeal, click here or go to www.savethechildren.org.uk or ring 020 7012 6400. For more about Partners for Pediatric Progress charity, visit www.p4pp.org
By Brian McIver
Source: Daily Record
KEVIN McKidd has just had the busiest summer of his life.
Whether it was visiting sick children in Africa, fasting for charity, launching fundraising campaigns or spending every spare minute enduring the toughest physical training he can ever remember, the superstar Scot has been run off his feet.
The Elgin-born Greys Anatomy actor, 38, has raised thousands for the Save the Children East Africa famine appeal.
And as a father himself, he is delighted to be able to do something to help starving families suffering in the worst drought to hit the continent in almost 30 years.
He has engaged thousands of fans of his hit medical drama show to generate funds and has taken on a series of challenges for the cause.
Currently filming his fourth series of Greys, and making his own steps into directing, Kevin will take time out next week to compete in Tough Mudder, a Commando assault course.
He said: Ive been working with Save the Children for a few years now, but a couple of months ago they called me directly regarding the famine in East Africa and asked if I would use my name to help raise awareness and money for this tragedy.
I first got involved a few years ago. I hate to name drop but Ben Stiller approached me at the time of the disaster in Haiti. He has an organisation called Stiller Strong, affiliated with Save the Children, so I helped out at a few events and I got to know the Save the Children people.
Ive got kids myself and Id always wanted to do charity work so I decided to continue doing things for them.
When they got in touch recently, I was happy to do whatever I could.
Its terrible, there are millions of kids affected. The famine is as bad as things were back in the Live Aid days but is less publicised, and with so much going on politically around the world, people forget about it.
After recording TV public service announcements for the campaign, Kevin decided to do his bit directly with his own set of sacrifices.
He teamed up with fan website kevinmckiddonline.com for a series of events, starting with a 24-hour fast-a-thon last month, which he chronicled live via Twitter, raising thousands of dollars.
He posted pictures from the set of Greys Anatomy, including ones of co-stars like Patrick Dempsey and Jessica Capshaw, as rewards for fans reaching certain cash milestones.
That also included posing with a kilt on set after a deluge of fan requests, in return for $5000.
Kevin said: I got my kilt out but couldnt find my sporran, so I had to borrow one from a lighting pal from the show who is of Scottish descent.
He has become one of the biggest stars on US television in his four years on the emotional melodrama, playing action surgeon Dr Owen Hunt, the Seattle hospital head of trauma.
After his first major success aged 23 as the tragic Tommy in Trainspotting 15 years ago, Kevin has enjoyed steady film and TV success for most of his career, with his Stateside break coming courtesy of HBO hit Rome.
But Greys, where he has also started directing episodes, has made him one of the biggest names in the US.
In addition to his work with Save the Children, Kevin also visited Mozambique in June to see the work being done by the charity Partners for Pediatric Progress, who are run by an LA friend, Dr Lee Martin.
Kevin visited the charitys stations in Mozambique to see the work for himself.
I spent a lot of time visiting schools and hospitals just outside of Maputo, and its amazing the work being done there under difficult circumstances and with limited funding. With a short summer break between charity trips and filming, Kevin is now fully back into the swing of his show.
His next big charity challenge is a crazy military-style assault course in Squaw Valley, northern California, called Tough Mudder.
Designed by the Royal Marines, the event is one of the fastest growing fund-raisers in the US, and Kevin signed up with a team of pals to help boost their various charitable causes.
Its a mad 12-mile hike up a mountain on a course designed by the marines. Its very hard work, he said.
Im doing a session a day of mental military-style workouts so Im pretty tired just now. The cast are even talking about getting together a Greys Anatomy team to do a Tough Mudder near LA next year.
This one is really bad timing though, as its right in the middle of an episode Im directing. So Im working all week on the episode, then I fly up to Squaw Valley on Saturday and do this mental race, then fly back on the Sunday to do another week of directing. Exhausting.
My wife Jane and the kids are coming up so they can have a laugh at their dad making a fool of himself. Itll be hard going but very well worth it.
To donate to Kevin's appeal, click here or go to www.savethechildren.org.uk or ring 020 7012 6400. For more about Partners for Pediatric Progress charity, visit www.p4pp.org
Stars helped campaign shine
By Kaye Nicolson
July 19, 2011
Source: The Press and Journal
The news that RAF Lossiemouth had been spared the axe marked the end of a triumphant campaign which united film stars, political foes, business leaders and tens of thousands of men, women and children.
The nine-month battle to save the base was organised with military precision and marked by a dogged and dignified determination which attracted widespread support far beyond the boundaries of Moray. Hollywood actors Ewan McGregor and Kevin McKidd, Scottish comedian Fred Macaulay and the leaders of all Scotland’s political parties threw their weight behind it.
For the full story please see a digital copy of The Press and Journal
July 19, 2011
Source: The Press and Journal
The news that RAF Lossiemouth had been spared the axe marked the end of a triumphant campaign which united film stars, political foes, business leaders and tens of thousands of men, women and children.
The nine-month battle to save the base was organised with military precision and marked by a dogged and dignified determination which attracted widespread support far beyond the boundaries of Moray. Hollywood actors Ewan McGregor and Kevin McKidd, Scottish comedian Fred Macaulay and the leaders of all Scotland’s political parties threw their weight behind it.
For the full story please see a digital copy of The Press and Journal
The fate of RAF Lossiemouth
July 18, 2011
Source: BBC News Scotland
RAF Lossiemouth has been saved as Scotland's only air base, as part of the government's defence review.
The RAF will leave Leuchars and Kinloss, which will become army bases. Here are quotes and reaction from key figures:
Star's appeal to keep RAF base open
July 10, 2011
Source: Scotsman
Hollywood star Kevin McKidd has made an appeal to Prime Minister David Cameron not to close RAF Lossiemouth.
The star of Greys Anatomy and Trainspotting, who comes from nearby Elgin, said he is "really worried" about the future of the base and outlined his fears about "the massive economic and social damage a double RAF base closure will mean to Moray and the north of Scotland".
Last year the UK Government decided to close RAF Kinloss which is less than ten miles from RAF Lossiemouth.
In his appeal to save the base, Mr McKidd said: "Growing up near Lossiemouth I understand how important the base and the personnel are to the area.
"If RAF Lossiemouth is shut or the air force moved away it will be a disaster to my home area. I am really worried and I hope the Prime Minister understands the massive economic and social damage a double RAF base closure will mean to Moray and the north of Scotland.
"Closing nearby RAF Kinloss has been bad enough, but the impact of a double RAF base cut is unimaginable. I know everyone in my home area are waiting on tenterhooks for what is a massive decision with a very real impact on the future welfare of the area as a whole.
"With just a few days left to look closely at the issues entailed, I appeal to Mr Cameron and his colleagues, not to close RAF Lossiemouth."
Moray MP Angus Robertson welcomed Mr McKidd's backing: "Kevin McKidd has never forgotten his local roots and his support, along with the thousands of others who have rallied behind the base, underlines just how important the RAF is to Lossiemouth and the wider Moray community," he said.
First Minister Alex Salmond has called on the UK Government to accept the "overwhelming case" for retaining the current military operations at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars.
He said: "There is still time for the UK government to pay attention to the overwhelming evidence backing the retention of both Lossiemouth and Leuchars. I call on them, even at this late stage, to listen to the people of Moray and Fife and keep Scotland's two remaining RAF bases."
Source: Scotsman
Hollywood star Kevin McKidd has made an appeal to Prime Minister David Cameron not to close RAF Lossiemouth.
The star of Greys Anatomy and Trainspotting, who comes from nearby Elgin, said he is "really worried" about the future of the base and outlined his fears about "the massive economic and social damage a double RAF base closure will mean to Moray and the north of Scotland".
Last year the UK Government decided to close RAF Kinloss which is less than ten miles from RAF Lossiemouth.
In his appeal to save the base, Mr McKidd said: "Growing up near Lossiemouth I understand how important the base and the personnel are to the area.
"If RAF Lossiemouth is shut or the air force moved away it will be a disaster to my home area. I am really worried and I hope the Prime Minister understands the massive economic and social damage a double RAF base closure will mean to Moray and the north of Scotland.
"Closing nearby RAF Kinloss has been bad enough, but the impact of a double RAF base cut is unimaginable. I know everyone in my home area are waiting on tenterhooks for what is a massive decision with a very real impact on the future welfare of the area as a whole.
"With just a few days left to look closely at the issues entailed, I appeal to Mr Cameron and his colleagues, not to close RAF Lossiemouth."
Moray MP Angus Robertson welcomed Mr McKidd's backing: "Kevin McKidd has never forgotten his local roots and his support, along with the thousands of others who have rallied behind the base, underlines just how important the RAF is to Lossiemouth and the wider Moray community," he said.
First Minister Alex Salmond has called on the UK Government to accept the "overwhelming case" for retaining the current military operations at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars.
He said: "There is still time for the UK government to pay attention to the overwhelming evidence backing the retention of both Lossiemouth and Leuchars. I call on them, even at this late stage, to listen to the people of Moray and Fife and keep Scotland's two remaining RAF bases."
 Beach boy Kevin around the age of six
Thank you Betina for the scans |
 Kevin with his dad and granddad |
From Elgin to LA and back again
Scottish Field Magazine
July 2011
Thank you Betina for the transcript
Kevin McKidd won worldwide fame with Greys Anatomy, but the actor is holding on to his roots, swapping Hollywood for Moray as often as he can
Words: Kevin McKidd
As a kid I was always up to no-good and frequently in trouble with the police, so I couldn’t in my wildest dreams have imagined that 25 years later I would be living the dream as an actor in Los Angeles, starring in one of the world’s most popular television dramas.
I’m a proud Scot and my roots are firmly planted in the Moray town of Elgin and its surroundings. My grandfather was originally a farmer in the Lossiemouth area. My mum was born and bred in the village of Alves, then her family moved to Keith. They eventually settled in Elgin – where I was born and grew up – after my grandfather got a job in Cooper Park in the town.
I went to Seafield Primary School, which was only a five minute walk from our home. I don’t think it has changed a bit since I was there- they’re still using those old ‘temporary’ huts. But I remember it was a great school, with great teachers. One in particular stands out – if it wasn’t for Miss Weir, I don’t know what would have become of me.
I was a bit of a tearaway in the early days and probably hung out with the wrong crowd. We were always up to something, I remember once breaking into an abandoned stately home, It used to be a school or something ; it is now the luxury Mansion House Hotel. Anyways, the police were called and chased us off.
Another time I was hanging out with a bunch of older kids. It was a really hot summer and we were messing about in a field next to the wood near my hose. We rolled a large bale of hay into the wood , where some of the older boys set light to it. But because everything was bone dry the whole wood went up in flames. The fire brigades were called and this time we were collared by the police.
It was around this time that I started a drama class at the local youth theatre. It was definitely the best thing for me; it kind of straightened me out and got me on a healthier path. And then there was a watershed that lots of people have in their lives: for me it was a trip to Iona.
The furtherst I’d ever been from Elgin before was Butlins in Ayr , which had felt like a really big trip. I also remember a hot summer in the 1970s when we went to the Silver Sands Caravan Park in Lossiemouth. It was only a five-minute drive from home, but, playing on the beach in the sun, it felt like we were a million miles away.
When I was in Primary 7, my teacher was Miss Weir, the best teacher I ever had and it was her who encouraged me to get into amateur dramatics. She loved Iona, and we did a big project on the island which culminated in a five day trip to see it for ourselves. Something about those five days really changed me, broadened my horizons. It was a huge point in my life. In fact, I named my daughter Iona, and I go back there as often as I can.
After that I knuckled down at school and ended up going to Edinburgh University to study engineering. Edinburgh felt like a massive city and it was a daunting time. I remember my parents dropped me off at these really horrible digs and I was really depressed. Luckily my best friend from Elgin, Jamie Rae, was already in the city and he hooked me up with a decent flat.
I didn’t last long in engineering. I joined the Bedlam theatre group and it became clear that acting was what I wanted to do, so I got a place doing drama at Queen Margaret College.
I got my first break in 1996 in a film called Small Faces. While it was being made, Danny Boyle was casting for his film, Trainspotting. He saw my face on the screen and said “who is that guy?”. If it hadn’t been for Small Faces, I wouldn’t be in LA , though to the rest of the world, Trainspotting was my big break.
I was lucky enough to make a living as an actor in Britain, but when the opportunity to work in America came up , I grabbed it. It was to a do a show called Journeyman, but, like many dramas there, it was cancelled because the ratings weren’t high enough. Shows in the States need to be instant smash hits in order to stay on air.
I don’t see myself as a Scottish actor, rather as an actor who happens to be Scottish. You can limit yourself otherwise. It’s crucial as an actor to be able to cast your net as wide as possible in terms of parts you can play. Having said that, Americans find Scottish accents charming and it can open a few doors; well, that door that opened for me was massive.
I was out of work, the scriptwriters were on strike and I was in a rented house with my family, wondering what the hell I was doing in LA when, out of the blue, Shonda Rhimes , creator of Grey’s Anatomy, asked me to audition for a new part, which I got. Basically my numbers came up. Grey’s Anatomy is the most popular drama in America. It’s a really big deal.
I live in LA full-time at the moment and I love it. Americans seem to love the Scottish attitude and those with Scottish ancestry are fiercely proud of it. There is a brilliant Highland Games near to where we live that we go to: a massive Americanized version in the sunshine.
Although I enjoy life in America, I go back to Elgin as much as possible. We usually spend a bit of the summer and Christmas here with my family. Elgin is what I know and what is most familiar to me. Coming back is like putting on an old pair of jeans. When I go to the pub I hear a lot of people complaining that nothing has changed, but I take comfort from that.
Another reason we make such an effort to come often is so the kids can learn about their roots. They love sitting with their aunties and uncles with cups of tea and biscuits, and my parents are very good at reinforcing the family folklore, telling stories from the old days.
My uncle used to be in the merchant navy and when he eventually moved back to Elgin my dad asked him why, having been all over the world, he chose Elgin. His reply was “It’s an awful nice place to come back to”. And he’s right. Elgin is steeped in history, with an amazing medieval cathedral, and ally ou need to know about the history of the area can be found in the Elgin Museum. Cooper Park is a great place to go. It has a lovely pond and amazing trees.
Beyond Elgin there are loads of things to do. I used to cycle from Bishopmill to the ruins of Duffus Castle and I got recently took my kids there for a picnic. It was great, rolling down the hilss, playing Knights of the Round Table – it really sparks the imagination.
I love Hoperman Beach and, just along the coast, an amazing secluded place we call Cove Bay with caves and a pebble beach. The drive out to Findhorn is also beautiful. There’s a pub there called the Kimberly Inn, with amazing views over the water, a roaring log fire and brilliant food.
In the opposite direction, the Banffshire coast is a wild and dramatic place, with fabulous beaches and lots of loving fishing ports. Macduff, Portsoy and tiny little Crovie are all great places for a bracing walk followed by hot chocolate or fish and chips.
At the moment it’s just not practical for me to move back as there simply isn’t enough work, but if I’m ever in the position to do it, I would love to get myself a bothy or a but’n’ben in Speyside. I spent a lot of my formative years working for a coppersmith, repairing the stills in the distilleries. I have a real affection for the place, so a wee bolthole somewhere near Glenfiddich would be good.
Physically, I am far away from Scotland, but I keep it close to me in my heart and soul, especially Moray and Banffshire and the little town of Elgin, which in no small measure has helped me get to where I am today.
Digital copies of the article, including many wonderful pictures, are available from the Scottish Fields website.
July 2011
Thank you Betina for the transcript
Kevin McKidd won worldwide fame with Greys Anatomy, but the actor is holding on to his roots, swapping Hollywood for Moray as often as he can
Words: Kevin McKidd
As a kid I was always up to no-good and frequently in trouble with the police, so I couldn’t in my wildest dreams have imagined that 25 years later I would be living the dream as an actor in Los Angeles, starring in one of the world’s most popular television dramas.
I’m a proud Scot and my roots are firmly planted in the Moray town of Elgin and its surroundings. My grandfather was originally a farmer in the Lossiemouth area. My mum was born and bred in the village of Alves, then her family moved to Keith. They eventually settled in Elgin – where I was born and grew up – after my grandfather got a job in Cooper Park in the town.
I went to Seafield Primary School, which was only a five minute walk from our home. I don’t think it has changed a bit since I was there- they’re still using those old ‘temporary’ huts. But I remember it was a great school, with great teachers. One in particular stands out – if it wasn’t for Miss Weir, I don’t know what would have become of me.
I was a bit of a tearaway in the early days and probably hung out with the wrong crowd. We were always up to something, I remember once breaking into an abandoned stately home, It used to be a school or something ; it is now the luxury Mansion House Hotel. Anyways, the police were called and chased us off.
Another time I was hanging out with a bunch of older kids. It was a really hot summer and we were messing about in a field next to the wood near my hose. We rolled a large bale of hay into the wood , where some of the older boys set light to it. But because everything was bone dry the whole wood went up in flames. The fire brigades were called and this time we were collared by the police.
It was around this time that I started a drama class at the local youth theatre. It was definitely the best thing for me; it kind of straightened me out and got me on a healthier path. And then there was a watershed that lots of people have in their lives: for me it was a trip to Iona.
The furtherst I’d ever been from Elgin before was Butlins in Ayr , which had felt like a really big trip. I also remember a hot summer in the 1970s when we went to the Silver Sands Caravan Park in Lossiemouth. It was only a five-minute drive from home, but, playing on the beach in the sun, it felt like we were a million miles away.
When I was in Primary 7, my teacher was Miss Weir, the best teacher I ever had and it was her who encouraged me to get into amateur dramatics. She loved Iona, and we did a big project on the island which culminated in a five day trip to see it for ourselves. Something about those five days really changed me, broadened my horizons. It was a huge point in my life. In fact, I named my daughter Iona, and I go back there as often as I can.
After that I knuckled down at school and ended up going to Edinburgh University to study engineering. Edinburgh felt like a massive city and it was a daunting time. I remember my parents dropped me off at these really horrible digs and I was really depressed. Luckily my best friend from Elgin, Jamie Rae, was already in the city and he hooked me up with a decent flat.
I didn’t last long in engineering. I joined the Bedlam theatre group and it became clear that acting was what I wanted to do, so I got a place doing drama at Queen Margaret College.
I got my first break in 1996 in a film called Small Faces. While it was being made, Danny Boyle was casting for his film, Trainspotting. He saw my face on the screen and said “who is that guy?”. If it hadn’t been for Small Faces, I wouldn’t be in LA , though to the rest of the world, Trainspotting was my big break.
I was lucky enough to make a living as an actor in Britain, but when the opportunity to work in America came up , I grabbed it. It was to a do a show called Journeyman, but, like many dramas there, it was cancelled because the ratings weren’t high enough. Shows in the States need to be instant smash hits in order to stay on air.
I don’t see myself as a Scottish actor, rather as an actor who happens to be Scottish. You can limit yourself otherwise. It’s crucial as an actor to be able to cast your net as wide as possible in terms of parts you can play. Having said that, Americans find Scottish accents charming and it can open a few doors; well, that door that opened for me was massive.
I was out of work, the scriptwriters were on strike and I was in a rented house with my family, wondering what the hell I was doing in LA when, out of the blue, Shonda Rhimes , creator of Grey’s Anatomy, asked me to audition for a new part, which I got. Basically my numbers came up. Grey’s Anatomy is the most popular drama in America. It’s a really big deal.
I live in LA full-time at the moment and I love it. Americans seem to love the Scottish attitude and those with Scottish ancestry are fiercely proud of it. There is a brilliant Highland Games near to where we live that we go to: a massive Americanized version in the sunshine.
Although I enjoy life in America, I go back to Elgin as much as possible. We usually spend a bit of the summer and Christmas here with my family. Elgin is what I know and what is most familiar to me. Coming back is like putting on an old pair of jeans. When I go to the pub I hear a lot of people complaining that nothing has changed, but I take comfort from that.
Another reason we make such an effort to come often is so the kids can learn about their roots. They love sitting with their aunties and uncles with cups of tea and biscuits, and my parents are very good at reinforcing the family folklore, telling stories from the old days.
My uncle used to be in the merchant navy and when he eventually moved back to Elgin my dad asked him why, having been all over the world, he chose Elgin. His reply was “It’s an awful nice place to come back to”. And he’s right. Elgin is steeped in history, with an amazing medieval cathedral, and ally ou need to know about the history of the area can be found in the Elgin Museum. Cooper Park is a great place to go. It has a lovely pond and amazing trees.
Beyond Elgin there are loads of things to do. I used to cycle from Bishopmill to the ruins of Duffus Castle and I got recently took my kids there for a picnic. It was great, rolling down the hilss, playing Knights of the Round Table – it really sparks the imagination.
I love Hoperman Beach and, just along the coast, an amazing secluded place we call Cove Bay with caves and a pebble beach. The drive out to Findhorn is also beautiful. There’s a pub there called the Kimberly Inn, with amazing views over the water, a roaring log fire and brilliant food.
In the opposite direction, the Banffshire coast is a wild and dramatic place, with fabulous beaches and lots of loving fishing ports. Macduff, Portsoy and tiny little Crovie are all great places for a bracing walk followed by hot chocolate or fish and chips.
At the moment it’s just not practical for me to move back as there simply isn’t enough work, but if I’m ever in the position to do it, I would love to get myself a bothy or a but’n’ben in Speyside. I spent a lot of my formative years working for a coppersmith, repairing the stills in the distilleries. I have a real affection for the place, so a wee bolthole somewhere near Glenfiddich would be good.
Physically, I am far away from Scotland, but I keep it close to me in my heart and soul, especially Moray and Banffshire and the little town of Elgin, which in no small measure has helped me get to where I am today.
Digital copies of the article, including many wonderful pictures, are available from the Scottish Fields website.
Cast members from 3 US TV series wrap up tour
June 20, 2011
by Joshua Hamerman
Source: Jerusalem Post
For the second time in a month, actors who play doctors on an American television series were able to simulate medical procedures at Israeli hospitals.
On Friday, Kevin McKidd and Sarah Drew, who portray Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. April Kepner, respectively, on the ABC show Grey’s Anatomy, visited the robotic surgery laboratory at Hadassah University Medical Center at Ein Kerem. The famous guests were allowed to use the robotic tools to complete procedures, just like their characters.
RELATED:
Thinking out of the box
In May, members of the cast of the FOX series House – Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, Amber Tamblyn – and David Shore, the show’s creator, executive producer and lead writer, used robotic surgical tools during a visit to the Sheba Medical Center’s medical simulation ward at Tel Hashomer.
On Friday, McKidd and Drew participated along with Gregory Smith and Travis Milne, who co-star in the ABC police drama series Rookie Blue, and Lucas Neff and Shannon Woodward from the FOX sitcom Raising Hope.
The delegation’s week-long trip was organized by America’s Voices in Israel and co-sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and by El Al Israel Airlines. America’s Voices in Israel also organized the House cast’s tour of Israel last month.
The delegation members also toured the Hadassah University Medical Center- Hebrew University Biotechnology Park and Charlotte R. Bloomberg Mother and Child Center.
“It’s humbling to see the work that real surgeons do,” McKidd told The Jerusalem Post.
McKidd’s mother, Kathleen, accompanied him to Israel.
“My mom’s always wanted to come to Israel and visit Jerusalem,” he said. “This is a lifelong dream of hers.”
McKidd briefly traveled to Israel 15 years ago when, during a family vacation in Cyprus, the Scottish actor took a ship to Israel for a one-day excursion.
He acquired many Israeli friends during the filming of the movie Bunraku, written and directed by Guy Moshe and produced by Ram Bergman, in Romania in 2008.
“I have a group of Israeli friends in Los Angeles – they’re great people and the people here are the same,” McKidd said.
“I encourage travel across the board, not just to Israel, but this is a very interesting country to visit and I would encourage people to come and see the country and the surrounding places.”
The Grey’s Anatomy, Rookie Blue and Raising Hope actors began their tour in Tel Aviv. While dining with former MK Effie Eitam at the 2C eatery atop the Azrieli Towers, another patron, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, walked over to greet Eitam and his guests.
The tour’s itinerary included stops in Jaffa, Sderot (where the actors spoke to film and TV arts students at Sapir Academic College), Nazareth and Safed, as well as climbing Masada, floating in the Dead Sea and swimming in Lake Kinneret. Most of the delegation members left Israel on Sunday evening; Smith and Milne planned to extend their stay so they could travel to Eilat and to Petra in Jordan.
During a press conference with Smith and Neff at Jerusalem’s Inbal Hotel on Sunday, Drew said the most moving places she visited during the trip were the Western Wall and the Garden of Gethsemane.
“There’s so much history here, so I would encourage people to make the trip out,” said Drew, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and the wife of a professor specializing in Second Temple-era Judaism. “I felt completely safe the entire time I’ve been here – I think it’s a good thing to let people know not to be afraid to come,” she said.
by Joshua Hamerman
Source: Jerusalem Post
For the second time in a month, actors who play doctors on an American television series were able to simulate medical procedures at Israeli hospitals.
On Friday, Kevin McKidd and Sarah Drew, who portray Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. April Kepner, respectively, on the ABC show Grey’s Anatomy, visited the robotic surgery laboratory at Hadassah University Medical Center at Ein Kerem. The famous guests were allowed to use the robotic tools to complete procedures, just like their characters.
RELATED:
Thinking out of the box
In May, members of the cast of the FOX series House – Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, Amber Tamblyn – and David Shore, the show’s creator, executive producer and lead writer, used robotic surgical tools during a visit to the Sheba Medical Center’s medical simulation ward at Tel Hashomer.
On Friday, McKidd and Drew participated along with Gregory Smith and Travis Milne, who co-star in the ABC police drama series Rookie Blue, and Lucas Neff and Shannon Woodward from the FOX sitcom Raising Hope.
The delegation’s week-long trip was organized by America’s Voices in Israel and co-sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and by El Al Israel Airlines. America’s Voices in Israel also organized the House cast’s tour of Israel last month.
The delegation members also toured the Hadassah University Medical Center- Hebrew University Biotechnology Park and Charlotte R. Bloomberg Mother and Child Center.
“It’s humbling to see the work that real surgeons do,” McKidd told The Jerusalem Post.
McKidd’s mother, Kathleen, accompanied him to Israel.
“My mom’s always wanted to come to Israel and visit Jerusalem,” he said. “This is a lifelong dream of hers.”
McKidd briefly traveled to Israel 15 years ago when, during a family vacation in Cyprus, the Scottish actor took a ship to Israel for a one-day excursion.
He acquired many Israeli friends during the filming of the movie Bunraku, written and directed by Guy Moshe and produced by Ram Bergman, in Romania in 2008.
“I have a group of Israeli friends in Los Angeles – they’re great people and the people here are the same,” McKidd said.
“I encourage travel across the board, not just to Israel, but this is a very interesting country to visit and I would encourage people to come and see the country and the surrounding places.”
The Grey’s Anatomy, Rookie Blue and Raising Hope actors began their tour in Tel Aviv. While dining with former MK Effie Eitam at the 2C eatery atop the Azrieli Towers, another patron, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, walked over to greet Eitam and his guests.
The tour’s itinerary included stops in Jaffa, Sderot (where the actors spoke to film and TV arts students at Sapir Academic College), Nazareth and Safed, as well as climbing Masada, floating in the Dead Sea and swimming in Lake Kinneret. Most of the delegation members left Israel on Sunday evening; Smith and Milne planned to extend their stay so they could travel to Eilat and to Petra in Jordan.
During a press conference with Smith and Neff at Jerusalem’s Inbal Hotel on Sunday, Drew said the most moving places she visited during the trip were the Western Wall and the Garden of Gethsemane.
“There’s so much history here, so I would encourage people to make the trip out,” said Drew, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and the wife of a professor specializing in Second Temple-era Judaism. “I felt completely safe the entire time I’ve been here – I think it’s a good thing to let people know not to be afraid to come,” she said.
Grey's Anatomy actors practice medicine in Israel
Isreal Today Magazine
June 20, 2011
by Ryan Jones
Source: Isreal Today Magazine
Actors from the popular American medical television series Grey's Anatomy got a chance to try their hand at some of the most advanced robotic surigical techniques in the world when they visited Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital on Friday.
Kevin McKidd and Sarah Drew, who play Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. April Kepner, respectively, were given the opportunity to practice complicated procedures while visiting Hadassah's robotic surgery laboratory.
McKidd and Drew were joined by actors from two other popular television series, Rookie Blue and Raising Hope.
The group of American actors was in Israel at the initiative of America's Voices in Israel, an organizatino that exists to bring influential figures and opinion molders to the Jewish state in order to counter widespread misconceptions and outright lies regarding life in and the policies of Israel.
Last month, America's Voices in Israel brought cast members of the FOX series House - including Lisa Edelstein and Omar Epps - for a similar visit. The House actors were also given the chance to practice real medicine at Israel's advanced medical facilities.
by Ryan Jones
Source: Isreal Today Magazine
Actors from the popular American medical television series Grey's Anatomy got a chance to try their hand at some of the most advanced robotic surigical techniques in the world when they visited Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital on Friday.
Kevin McKidd and Sarah Drew, who play Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. April Kepner, respectively, were given the opportunity to practice complicated procedures while visiting Hadassah's robotic surgery laboratory.
McKidd and Drew were joined by actors from two other popular television series, Rookie Blue and Raising Hope.
The group of American actors was in Israel at the initiative of America's Voices in Israel, an organizatino that exists to bring influential figures and opinion molders to the Jewish state in order to counter widespread misconceptions and outright lies regarding life in and the policies of Israel.
Last month, America's Voices in Israel brought cast members of the FOX series House - including Lisa Edelstein and Omar Epps - for a similar visit. The House actors were also given the chance to practice real medicine at Israel's advanced medical facilities.
From Hollywood to Jerusalem
Stars of Grey's Anatomy, Raising Hope, and Rookie Blue arrived in Jerusalem under the auspices of "America's Voices in Israel."
June 17, 2011
By: Tal Marom-Melovitz
Source: Barosh.co
Original article in Hebrew. Thanks to forum member ohcyfan for the translation
Kevin McKidd (Grey's Anatomy) and his mother; Sarah Drew (Grey's Anatomy) and her husband, Lucas Neff (Raising Hope); Shannon Woodward (ER, Raising Hope), Gregory Smith (Everwood, The Patriot, Rookie Blue), and Travis Milne (Rookie Blue) arrived in Jerusalem as guests of "America's Voices in Israel," a Zionist organization that works to further Israeli public relations, and does so by bringing influential public opinion makers to Israel so that they will be favorably impressed and spread the news.
With the arrival of the group from Hollywood to the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem, they were received by the Assistant General Manager of the hotel, Mr. Ilan Brenner. In the course of the conversation it was revealed that today is the anniversary of Sarah Drew and her husband -- and everyone drank a toast to the couple and wished them many years of love and companionship.
The stars were struck by the amazing landscape of Jerusalem. Gregory Smith, it turns out, is an avid photography enthusiast, and he began to immediately take pictures of the scenery. As luck would have it, fireworks lit up the sky and everyone was thrilled. After a brief explanation of the view and of Jerusalem, everyone decided to embark on a nighttime tour of the city, including getting a bite to eat, and they concluded with a bike ride through the streets of the Old City.
The stars will be guests in Jerusalem until Sunday night.
By: Tal Marom-Melovitz
Source: Barosh.co
Original article in Hebrew. Thanks to forum member ohcyfan for the translation
Kevin McKidd (Grey's Anatomy) and his mother; Sarah Drew (Grey's Anatomy) and her husband, Lucas Neff (Raising Hope); Shannon Woodward (ER, Raising Hope), Gregory Smith (Everwood, The Patriot, Rookie Blue), and Travis Milne (Rookie Blue) arrived in Jerusalem as guests of "America's Voices in Israel," a Zionist organization that works to further Israeli public relations, and does so by bringing influential public opinion makers to Israel so that they will be favorably impressed and spread the news.
With the arrival of the group from Hollywood to the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem, they were received by the Assistant General Manager of the hotel, Mr. Ilan Brenner. In the course of the conversation it was revealed that today is the anniversary of Sarah Drew and her husband -- and everyone drank a toast to the couple and wished them many years of love and companionship.
The stars were struck by the amazing landscape of Jerusalem. Gregory Smith, it turns out, is an avid photography enthusiast, and he began to immediately take pictures of the scenery. As luck would have it, fireworks lit up the sky and everyone was thrilled. After a brief explanation of the view and of Jerusalem, everyone decided to embark on a nighttime tour of the city, including getting a bite to eat, and they concluded with a bike ride through the streets of the Old City.
The stars will be guests in Jerusalem until Sunday night.
Kevin McKidd and Sarah Drew Take an Israeli Adventure
credit amvoicesnisreal
by Mariella Mosthof
Source: Wetpaint
While their co-stars may be spending the summer hosting shmancy philanthropic galas and releasing fragrances, Grey's Anatomy actors Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt) and Sarah Drew (April Kepner) are taking a more traditional approach to summer — vacationing! The pair joined the casts of Raising Hope and Rookie Blue on an Israeli adventure with American Voices, and we've got the scoop on their activities in the Holy Land.
Kevin and Sarah were spotted at the ancient port of Jaffa in Tel-Aviv, soaking up the sun and stunning views of the water. Later, Sarah and her husband Peter, and Kevin and his mom visited the Jezreel Valley, a place rich in biblical history.
It looks like Kevin found a drum set while in Sderot, Israel, and it didn't even take a couple of drinks for him to unleash his inner rock god. He grabbed a pair of sticks and started to jam, and, from what we hear, he's got great rhythm! Why are we not surprised...?
Later, the group headed off to Nazareth to swim in the Sea of Galilee. Oh, and they just so happened to catch a gorgeous lunar eclipse over the sea that night. NBD.
After a relaxing and refreshing night spent in a spa (who do we have to bribe to get on one of these celeb getaways?), they headed to Safad, Israel, where Sarah and Peter checked out the adorbz cobblestone alleyways and Kevin vegged out with a coffee at a quaint cafe.
And, of course, as any college kid who's ever been on birthright knows, the highlight of any Israeli adventure is floating in the Dead Sea. The boys on the trip (including Kevin) donned their swim trunks before slathering themselves up with some Dead Sea mud and taking a dip. Oh, there are pictures, alright. We've gotta say, there are few images we've enjoyed more than Kevin McKidd, shirtless, with face and body in a full mud mask... We bet his skin was super soft that day!
Source: Wetpaint
While their co-stars may be spending the summer hosting shmancy philanthropic galas and releasing fragrances, Grey's Anatomy actors Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt) and Sarah Drew (April Kepner) are taking a more traditional approach to summer — vacationing! The pair joined the casts of Raising Hope and Rookie Blue on an Israeli adventure with American Voices, and we've got the scoop on their activities in the Holy Land.
Kevin and Sarah were spotted at the ancient port of Jaffa in Tel-Aviv, soaking up the sun and stunning views of the water. Later, Sarah and her husband Peter, and Kevin and his mom visited the Jezreel Valley, a place rich in biblical history.
It looks like Kevin found a drum set while in Sderot, Israel, and it didn't even take a couple of drinks for him to unleash his inner rock god. He grabbed a pair of sticks and started to jam, and, from what we hear, he's got great rhythm! Why are we not surprised...?
Later, the group headed off to Nazareth to swim in the Sea of Galilee. Oh, and they just so happened to catch a gorgeous lunar eclipse over the sea that night. NBD.
After a relaxing and refreshing night spent in a spa (who do we have to bribe to get on one of these celeb getaways?), they headed to Safad, Israel, where Sarah and Peter checked out the adorbz cobblestone alleyways and Kevin vegged out with a coffee at a quaint cafe.
And, of course, as any college kid who's ever been on birthright knows, the highlight of any Israeli adventure is floating in the Dead Sea. The boys on the trip (including Kevin) donned their swim trunks before slathering themselves up with some Dead Sea mud and taking a dip. Oh, there are pictures, alright. We've gotta say, there are few images we've enjoyed more than Kevin McKidd, shirtless, with face and body in a full mud mask... We bet his skin was super soft that day!
Grey's Anatomy Star in Isreal
June 14, 2011
Source: Walla Celebs
Original article in Hebrew. Thanks to forum member ohcyfan for the translation
Hollywood is here: six Hollywood TV actors are in Tel Aviv right now on a trip that was arranged by the Zionist Information Organization. McDreamy stayed home, but how cool! Celebs already have chest pains. (This last sentence makes no sense to me, but that’s what it means.)
Celebs, get ready: six Hollywood actors from the series “Grey’s Anatomy,” “ER,” and “Raising Hope” are in Tel Aviv right now, on a delegation that was arranged by the Zionist Organization’s “America’s voice in Israel.” We have: Sara Drew (April Kempner), Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt), (insert other names here - can’t be bothered to do it myself) who had their passports stamped at Ben Gurion airport at the beginning of the week. To the disappointment of their fans, Meredith and Dr. McDreamy stayed home.
Today, according to plan, the six arrived at the “Please Touch” center in Jaffa -- where they will see the play “Not By Bread Alone,” which is performed by deaf and blind actors.
America’s Voice in Israel is a Zionist organization the helps to spread information about Israel by bringing influential people to Israel, with the goal that they are favorably impressed and will take back with them to the US the news that this is not a terrible place.
How cool! Celebrity Doctor, save me.
Source: Walla Celebs
Original article in Hebrew. Thanks to forum member ohcyfan for the translation
Hollywood is here: six Hollywood TV actors are in Tel Aviv right now on a trip that was arranged by the Zionist Information Organization. McDreamy stayed home, but how cool! Celebs already have chest pains. (This last sentence makes no sense to me, but that’s what it means.)
Celebs, get ready: six Hollywood actors from the series “Grey’s Anatomy,” “ER,” and “Raising Hope” are in Tel Aviv right now, on a delegation that was arranged by the Zionist Organization’s “America’s voice in Israel.” We have: Sara Drew (April Kempner), Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt), (insert other names here - can’t be bothered to do it myself) who had their passports stamped at Ben Gurion airport at the beginning of the week. To the disappointment of their fans, Meredith and Dr. McDreamy stayed home.
Today, according to plan, the six arrived at the “Please Touch” center in Jaffa -- where they will see the play “Not By Bread Alone,” which is performed by deaf and blind actors.
America’s Voice in Israel is a Zionist organization the helps to spread information about Israel by bringing influential people to Israel, with the goal that they are favorably impressed and will take back with them to the US the news that this is not a terrible place.
How cool! Celebrity Doctor, save me.
Hollywood lends a hand at Night of Heroes gala
May 21, 2011
by Katy Adams and Nikki Schwab
Source: The Examiner
Injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were given a voice on the small screen when Kevin McKidd joined the cast of "Grey's Anatomy" in 2008 as a war vet doctor. That is why he was chosen to present an award at the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation's seventh annual Night of Heroes gala, which honored military heroes and the doctors who care for them at Washington's Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Thursday night. McKidd said being chosen to present an award seemed like "a good fit" given the preparation he underwent for his role as a former Army medic suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. "[The part] gave me insight into the sacrifice of all these soldiers who put themselves in harm's way," he told Yeas & Nays.
Mark Boal, who wrote and produced "The Hurt Locker" and is now producing a film based on the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was also chosen to present at the event. He said his interest in the military goes back to the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "What started it for me, on a personal level, was really 9/11," he told Yeas & Nays. "I grew up in New York and that event was just a tragedy for so many people. And I think that's what got me started thinking about national security and the roles that individuals play in the military."
by Katy Adams and Nikki Schwab
Source: The Examiner
Injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were given a voice on the small screen when Kevin McKidd joined the cast of "Grey's Anatomy" in 2008 as a war vet doctor. That is why he was chosen to present an award at the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation's seventh annual Night of Heroes gala, which honored military heroes and the doctors who care for them at Washington's Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Thursday night. McKidd said being chosen to present an award seemed like "a good fit" given the preparation he underwent for his role as a former Army medic suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. "[The part] gave me insight into the sacrifice of all these soldiers who put themselves in harm's way," he told Yeas & Nays.
Mark Boal, who wrote and produced "The Hurt Locker" and is now producing a film based on the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was also chosen to present at the event. He said his interest in the military goes back to the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "What started it for me, on a personal level, was really 9/11," he told Yeas & Nays. "I grew up in New York and that event was just a tragedy for so many people. And I think that's what got me started thinking about national security and the roles that individuals play in the military."
Source: http://www.finanznachrichten.de/20293277
Kevin McKidd of 'Grey's Anatomy' to Honor Military Heroes and the Medical Community at PenFed Foundation Gala
Noted actor to serve as special guest and awards presenter at charity''s biggest annual event
Kevin McKidd, a Scottish film and TV actor who plays Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey''s Anatomy," is in Washington, D.C., this week to attend the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation''s (PenFed Foundation) seventh annual Night of Heroes Gala tonight as a special guest and awards presenter. The event will honor wounded military heroes and those of the medical community who provide the continuum of care from the battlefield to the home front. McKidd received widespread acclaim for his portrayal of an Army veteran surgeon who served in Iraq and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on ABC''s hit TV series "Grey''s Anatomy."
"We are looking forward to having Mr. McKidd as an honored guest and presenter at this year''s gala," said Christopher Flynn, president and chief executive officer of the PenFed Foundation. "His portrayal of a veteran with PTSD is greatly respected within the military community for its realism and honesty. What his character represents is another way to bring attention to the issue of PTSD while honoring the military medical community."
Born and raised in Scotland, McKidd has had a diverse career, playing a doomed drug addict in "Trainspotting," abrooding Caesar-era soldier in HBO''s "Rome" and a comical Scottish lord in the upcoming Pixar movie "Brave."
This week, he will be in Washington to attend the PenFed Foundation''s seventh annual Night of Heroes Gala as an awards presenter and special guest alongside General James N. Mattis, the current commander of the United States Central Command; General (Ret) Barry McCaffrey; author and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation Lee Woodruff; and journalist and writer and producer of "The Hurt Locker" Mark Boal. Lieutenant General (Ret) James Peake, former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and former surgeon general of the Army, will receive the American Hero Award for his services. The Battlefield Medic, the Critical Care Air Transport Team, Trauma Surgeons, Air Ambulance, Nurse Corps and the Department of Veterans Affairs will all receive the Military Hero Award for their medical contributions.
While in Washington, McKidd will also meet with military trauma surgeons and critical care doctors as well as the leadership team from the PenFed Foundation who themselves are veterans.
"Despite the popularity of military themes in TV and movies, it''s hard to find a portrayal as genuine as Mr. McKidd''s work on ''Grey''s Anatomy,''" adds Flynn. "And we are honored to have him join us this year to honor such a special part of our military community."
Kevin McKidd of 'Grey's Anatomy' to Honor Military Heroes and the Medical Community at PenFed Foundation Gala
Noted actor to serve as special guest and awards presenter at charity''s biggest annual event
Kevin McKidd, a Scottish film and TV actor who plays Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey''s Anatomy," is in Washington, D.C., this week to attend the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation''s (PenFed Foundation) seventh annual Night of Heroes Gala tonight as a special guest and awards presenter. The event will honor wounded military heroes and those of the medical community who provide the continuum of care from the battlefield to the home front. McKidd received widespread acclaim for his portrayal of an Army veteran surgeon who served in Iraq and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on ABC''s hit TV series "Grey''s Anatomy."
"We are looking forward to having Mr. McKidd as an honored guest and presenter at this year''s gala," said Christopher Flynn, president and chief executive officer of the PenFed Foundation. "His portrayal of a veteran with PTSD is greatly respected within the military community for its realism and honesty. What his character represents is another way to bring attention to the issue of PTSD while honoring the military medical community."
Born and raised in Scotland, McKidd has had a diverse career, playing a doomed drug addict in "Trainspotting," abrooding Caesar-era soldier in HBO''s "Rome" and a comical Scottish lord in the upcoming Pixar movie "Brave."
This week, he will be in Washington to attend the PenFed Foundation''s seventh annual Night of Heroes Gala as an awards presenter and special guest alongside General James N. Mattis, the current commander of the United States Central Command; General (Ret) Barry McCaffrey; author and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation Lee Woodruff; and journalist and writer and producer of "The Hurt Locker" Mark Boal. Lieutenant General (Ret) James Peake, former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and former surgeon general of the Army, will receive the American Hero Award for his services. The Battlefield Medic, the Critical Care Air Transport Team, Trauma Surgeons, Air Ambulance, Nurse Corps and the Department of Veterans Affairs will all receive the Military Hero Award for their medical contributions.
While in Washington, McKidd will also meet with military trauma surgeons and critical care doctors as well as the leadership team from the PenFed Foundation who themselves are veterans.
"Despite the popularity of military themes in TV and movies, it''s hard to find a portrayal as genuine as Mr. McKidd''s work on ''Grey''s Anatomy,''" adds Flynn. "And we are honored to have him join us this year to honor such a special part of our military community."
Scots actor Kevin McKidd can't wait to head home from the L.A sunshine
April 19, 2011
By Brain Mciver
Source: Daily Record
HE works in the world's most glamorous city, lives in year-round sunshine and has become one of the biggest TV stars in the world.
But Grey's Anatomy actor Kevin McKidd can't wait to swap Los Angeles for the wind and rain of the Scottish summer.
He hopes to direct his first film on his home soil as he waits for the chance to appear in a film version of Rome - the series that made his name in the US.
He said: "We're just finishing the season with Grey's, then we have three months off and although I've not worked in Scotland in a while, it looks like I'll hopefully have a couple of things coming up soon.
"I'm hoping to do a low budget film for Sigma Films with Andrea Gibb, who I did Afterlife with and who has written an amazing script - like The Big Chill but in Scotland.
"And Richard Jobson is also trying to get a project off the ground that would be shooting in Grampian, so hopefully they can both come off.
"I'd love to come back to direct some kind of independent film. I'm not sure what that would be yet but I definitely want to do that.
"Next year there's a Shakespeare play in Scotland I'm working to get made as a movie. That would be just as an actor. It would be too tall an order to act in and direct a Shakespeare movie at this stage."
Already one of our finest actors, he clearly sees his future behind the camera too.
The Elgin-born actor has worked with some of the best film-makers around in the past two decades, picking up tips along the way from men such as Chris Columbus, Mike Leigh, David Mackenzie and Neil Marshall.
He also worked with Gillies Mackinnon in his first film, Small Faces, before making his name in the UK as Tommy in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, alongside Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Jonny Lee Miller and Ewan McGregor.
During his third series playing Dr Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy, Kevin won rave reviews for his first ever directing job - taking charge of an episode earlier this year.
He certainly took the chance handed to him by the show's boss Shonda Rhimes. Kevin, 38, said: "It's something I've really wanted to do for a long time.
"Shonda Rhimes and the producers all supported me and gave me the chance, and when you think it costs around $5million to make an episode, that's a lot to hang on an actor who really hasn't had any experience.
"But I think I did a good job and I was delighted to get the opportunity. They have also asked me back to direct a couple of episodes in season eight, which starts later this year.
"I had done a lot of preparation and shadowed the other directors, I directed some webisodes for the series and prepped like crazy.
"When I got on set I was a bit nervous but I had to direct a scene I was actually in, and that calmed me down.
"Being back in acting mode made me settle into the role of director. I had thought that would be the hardest bit but it was the thing that made me most at ease.
"I met Paul McGuigan, who directed me in The Acid House many years ago. He was in doing a pilot for Shonda Rhimes.
"He was joking about me taking his work."
Kevin's three-year stint in Grey's Anatomy came as a direct result of his role as heroic soldier Lucius Vorenus in the HBO hit Rome.
Although the sword and sandals drama lasted only two years, it developed a new lease of life through DVD and TV repeats and remains one of HBO's most consistently successful series.
A new rerun begins on satellite channel TCM this Friday night and a film version is still in the pipeline.
Bruno Heller, who has gone on to create cop drama The Mentalist, has written a script for a big screen version. Kevin said he and the rest of the cast are all ready to jump on board as soon as the funding is in place.
The actor said: "I think the reason for its success always comes back to the quality of the writing.
"The characters were so well defined and people love to see the everyman type characters like Vorenus set against that kind of world.
"I think it tapped into the real spirit of what life might have been like in ancient Rome, rather than some po-faced, toffee-nosed period drama. It got to the guts of it.
"We have all stayed in touch, I saw Polly Walker (Atia) at Bruno's house for dinner recently, and we are all still friends. Rome was a very bonding experience for all of us.
"I know Bruno keeps tweaking the script for the film but I read an early draft and it was really good.
"The great thing is that it all picks up a few years after the series ended so we can do it any time.
"We're all crossing our fingers but as far as updates go, I think it's all about getting different parties involved to raise the money."
Kevin enjoys life as a big-name actor in Hollywood, but he never takes his career for granted. After Trainspotting, he got his head down and took on some roles that were poles apart.
They included British films such as Dog Soldiers, Hideous Kinky and 16 Years of Alcohol, all of which cemented his reputation among film fans as one of the coming stars.
A completely different type of role saw him immortalised in the eyes of fans of Father Ted.
One of his earliest TV appearances saw Kevin appear in the sitcom's 1996 Christmas special as Father Deegan.
The nervous young Glaswegian priest memorably began to lose his nerve until Father Ted - Dermot Morgan - calmed his fears as he led the team of bewildered clerics out of Ireland's largest lingerie department.
Fifteen years on, Kevin can look back on a career that has taken him from obscurity to interntional superstardom in the multiple Emmy award-winning series.
But his role in Grey's has helped him to take in interest in the doctors who are doing in real life what he can only do through a script.
In particular, he supports the P3 Project (www.p3project.org), a friend's African paediatric care charity.
They send volunteer doctors to sub-Saharan Africa and South America to train native GPs and surgeons, who in turn go to their local areas to train others in how to give children better medical treatment.
As a devoted father of two, the issue is close to his heart. At home in the US, he is trying to keep his Scottish roots as strong as is possible.
"We are well settled over here now, but we do like to get back to Scotland or the UK at least twice a year, which is good for the kids," he said.
"They have got their roots down here, might be hard to drag them back to Scotland.
"My son Joseph was telling me when he goes to college, he wants to go back to Scotland and study at Edinburgh or Glasgow. But he's only 10 so he's got a bit of time to think about it.
"I'm hoping he becomes a plumber like my dad and earns some real money."
By Brain Mciver
Source: Daily Record
HE works in the world's most glamorous city, lives in year-round sunshine and has become one of the biggest TV stars in the world.
But Grey's Anatomy actor Kevin McKidd can't wait to swap Los Angeles for the wind and rain of the Scottish summer.
He hopes to direct his first film on his home soil as he waits for the chance to appear in a film version of Rome - the series that made his name in the US.
He said: "We're just finishing the season with Grey's, then we have three months off and although I've not worked in Scotland in a while, it looks like I'll hopefully have a couple of things coming up soon.
"I'm hoping to do a low budget film for Sigma Films with Andrea Gibb, who I did Afterlife with and who has written an amazing script - like The Big Chill but in Scotland.
"And Richard Jobson is also trying to get a project off the ground that would be shooting in Grampian, so hopefully they can both come off.
"I'd love to come back to direct some kind of independent film. I'm not sure what that would be yet but I definitely want to do that.
"Next year there's a Shakespeare play in Scotland I'm working to get made as a movie. That would be just as an actor. It would be too tall an order to act in and direct a Shakespeare movie at this stage."
Already one of our finest actors, he clearly sees his future behind the camera too.
The Elgin-born actor has worked with some of the best film-makers around in the past two decades, picking up tips along the way from men such as Chris Columbus, Mike Leigh, David Mackenzie and Neil Marshall.
He also worked with Gillies Mackinnon in his first film, Small Faces, before making his name in the UK as Tommy in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, alongside Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Jonny Lee Miller and Ewan McGregor.
During his third series playing Dr Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy, Kevin won rave reviews for his first ever directing job - taking charge of an episode earlier this year.
He certainly took the chance handed to him by the show's boss Shonda Rhimes. Kevin, 38, said: "It's something I've really wanted to do for a long time.
"Shonda Rhimes and the producers all supported me and gave me the chance, and when you think it costs around $5million to make an episode, that's a lot to hang on an actor who really hasn't had any experience.
"But I think I did a good job and I was delighted to get the opportunity. They have also asked me back to direct a couple of episodes in season eight, which starts later this year.
"I had done a lot of preparation and shadowed the other directors, I directed some webisodes for the series and prepped like crazy.
"When I got on set I was a bit nervous but I had to direct a scene I was actually in, and that calmed me down.
"Being back in acting mode made me settle into the role of director. I had thought that would be the hardest bit but it was the thing that made me most at ease.
"I met Paul McGuigan, who directed me in The Acid House many years ago. He was in doing a pilot for Shonda Rhimes.
"He was joking about me taking his work."
Kevin's three-year stint in Grey's Anatomy came as a direct result of his role as heroic soldier Lucius Vorenus in the HBO hit Rome.
Although the sword and sandals drama lasted only two years, it developed a new lease of life through DVD and TV repeats and remains one of HBO's most consistently successful series.
A new rerun begins on satellite channel TCM this Friday night and a film version is still in the pipeline.
Bruno Heller, who has gone on to create cop drama The Mentalist, has written a script for a big screen version. Kevin said he and the rest of the cast are all ready to jump on board as soon as the funding is in place.
The actor said: "I think the reason for its success always comes back to the quality of the writing.
"The characters were so well defined and people love to see the everyman type characters like Vorenus set against that kind of world.
"I think it tapped into the real spirit of what life might have been like in ancient Rome, rather than some po-faced, toffee-nosed period drama. It got to the guts of it.
"We have all stayed in touch, I saw Polly Walker (Atia) at Bruno's house for dinner recently, and we are all still friends. Rome was a very bonding experience for all of us.
"I know Bruno keeps tweaking the script for the film but I read an early draft and it was really good.
"The great thing is that it all picks up a few years after the series ended so we can do it any time.
"We're all crossing our fingers but as far as updates go, I think it's all about getting different parties involved to raise the money."
Kevin enjoys life as a big-name actor in Hollywood, but he never takes his career for granted. After Trainspotting, he got his head down and took on some roles that were poles apart.
They included British films such as Dog Soldiers, Hideous Kinky and 16 Years of Alcohol, all of which cemented his reputation among film fans as one of the coming stars.
A completely different type of role saw him immortalised in the eyes of fans of Father Ted.
One of his earliest TV appearances saw Kevin appear in the sitcom's 1996 Christmas special as Father Deegan.
The nervous young Glaswegian priest memorably began to lose his nerve until Father Ted - Dermot Morgan - calmed his fears as he led the team of bewildered clerics out of Ireland's largest lingerie department.
Fifteen years on, Kevin can look back on a career that has taken him from obscurity to interntional superstardom in the multiple Emmy award-winning series.
But his role in Grey's has helped him to take in interest in the doctors who are doing in real life what he can only do through a script.
In particular, he supports the P3 Project (www.p3project.org), a friend's African paediatric care charity.
They send volunteer doctors to sub-Saharan Africa and South America to train native GPs and surgeons, who in turn go to their local areas to train others in how to give children better medical treatment.
As a devoted father of two, the issue is close to his heart. At home in the US, he is trying to keep his Scottish roots as strong as is possible.
"We are well settled over here now, but we do like to get back to Scotland or the UK at least twice a year, which is good for the kids," he said.
"They have got their roots down here, might be hard to drag them back to Scotland.
"My son Joseph was telling me when he goes to college, he wants to go back to Scotland and study at Edinburgh or Glasgow. But he's only 10 so he's got a bit of time to think about it.
"I'm hoping he becomes a plumber like my dad and earns some real money."
A Night at Sardi's: Celebs sing to benefit Alzheimer's research
March 23, 2011
by Gerri Mille
Source: Mother Nature Network
Snippet referencing Kevin McKidd. Find the entire article at the above cited source.
.....Kevin McKidd of "Grey's Anatomy" was a welcome surprise, his lovely rendition of "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" a highlight of the night. "I did a movie a few years ago with Kevin Kline called 'De-Lovely,' about Cole Porter," noted the Scotsman, whose grandmother and other family members had Alzheimer's.
"Grey's" viewers will get the chance to hear McKidd sing in the March 31 episode, a musically themed show in which he'll sing "Chasing Cars" and "How We Operate" with co-stars. "At this point it's nice for us to change it up and do something different," he said. As for the season finale, "It's not quite on the same scale as last year's, but it'll leave a lot of question marks for next season."
McKidd, who recycles at home, may shoot a movie in the U.K. during his hiatus, and will accompany a pediatric surgeon friend to Mozambique on a humanitarian mission.
More information on the humanitarian mission to Mozambique can be found here
by Gerri Mille
Source: Mother Nature Network
Snippet referencing Kevin McKidd. Find the entire article at the above cited source.
.....Kevin McKidd of "Grey's Anatomy" was a welcome surprise, his lovely rendition of "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" a highlight of the night. "I did a movie a few years ago with Kevin Kline called 'De-Lovely,' about Cole Porter," noted the Scotsman, whose grandmother and other family members had Alzheimer's.
"Grey's" viewers will get the chance to hear McKidd sing in the March 31 episode, a musically themed show in which he'll sing "Chasing Cars" and "How We Operate" with co-stars. "At this point it's nice for us to change it up and do something different," he said. As for the season finale, "It's not quite on the same scale as last year's, but it'll leave a lot of question marks for next season."
McKidd, who recycles at home, may shoot a movie in the U.K. during his hiatus, and will accompany a pediatric surgeon friend to Mozambique on a humanitarian mission.
More information on the humanitarian mission to Mozambique can be found here
Kevin pours his heart into quake fundraiser
February 9, 2011
Source: Scotsman
TRAINSPOTTING actor Kevin McKidd is to raise money for the Children of Haiti by selling signed hearts.
The actor, who studied at Queen Margaret College and was part of Edinburgh University's student theatre company, Bedlam Theatre, has set up a promotion on his website to auction-off hand-crafted paper and fabric hearts signed by himself ahead of Valentine's Day.
Auctions for the hearts will be held on eBay every day until Sunday, ending at around 8pm.
On his website the actor said: "One year on from the tragic earthquake in Haiti and still the country is being rocked by the after-effects of the disaster.
"Please open your own heart and join us in giving generously to this worthy cause."
The Haitian government estimated 316,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and more than a million made homeless in the disaster.
Source: Scotsman
TRAINSPOTTING actor Kevin McKidd is to raise money for the Children of Haiti by selling signed hearts.
The actor, who studied at Queen Margaret College and was part of Edinburgh University's student theatre company, Bedlam Theatre, has set up a promotion on his website to auction-off hand-crafted paper and fabric hearts signed by himself ahead of Valentine's Day.
Auctions for the hearts will be held on eBay every day until Sunday, ending at around 8pm.
On his website the actor said: "One year on from the tragic earthquake in Haiti and still the country is being rocked by the after-effects of the disaster.
"Please open your own heart and join us in giving generously to this worthy cause."
The Haitian government estimated 316,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and more than a million made homeless in the disaster.
Hunk Kev is homing in on own Macbeth
By TOBY McDONALD
February 10, 2011
Source: The Scottish Sun
SCREEN hunk Kevin McKidd has revealed he plans to film a new version of the Shakespeare classic Macbeth. The Scots actor - Dr Owen Hunt in hit US hospital drama Grey's Anatomy - is even launching his own production company to make the flick on home soil.
McKidd, now settled in Los Angeles with his wife and two kids, said: "It's been a long held dream to make Macbeth in Scotland.
"But I would be acting, not directing - that would be kind of crazy at this point."
Elgin-born McKidd got a taste for movie-making after he directed an episode of Gray's Anatomy at just FOUR days' notice.
But he admitted Slumdog Millionaire maker Danny Boyle - who directed Kevin in his first hit movie Trainspotting - was also a major inspiration.
He said: "Back when I did Trainspotting, I was 21 and worked with Danny Boyle.
"I was extremely inspired and said, 'I think I can actually do this'.
"It's opened up a whole new world for me."
February 10, 2011
Source: The Scottish Sun
SCREEN hunk Kevin McKidd has revealed he plans to film a new version of the Shakespeare classic Macbeth. The Scots actor - Dr Owen Hunt in hit US hospital drama Grey's Anatomy - is even launching his own production company to make the flick on home soil.
McKidd, now settled in Los Angeles with his wife and two kids, said: "It's been a long held dream to make Macbeth in Scotland.
"But I would be acting, not directing - that would be kind of crazy at this point."
Elgin-born McKidd got a taste for movie-making after he directed an episode of Gray's Anatomy at just FOUR days' notice.
But he admitted Slumdog Millionaire maker Danny Boyle - who directed Kevin in his first hit movie Trainspotting - was also a major inspiration.
He said: "Back when I did Trainspotting, I was 21 and worked with Danny Boyle.
"I was extremely inspired and said, 'I think I can actually do this'.
"It's opened up a whole new world for me."
Kevin: I’ll see Ew again on Everest
by Toby McDonald
December 17, 2010
Source: Sun
TRAINSPOTTING co-stars Ewan McGregor and Kevin McKidd are reuniting to shoot a film set on Everest - about one of the legendary peak's greatest mysteries. The movie - the first time the Scots have worked together since the 1996 cult classic - will tell of Brit George Mallory's attempt to scale the world's highest mountain.
He and his partner Andrew Irvine perished in 1924 trying to be the first team to conquer the peak - and it's still not known if they succeeded.
Mallory's frozen body was found 75 years later.
Now Grey's Anatomy star McKidd, 37, is excited about appearing alongside McGregor, 39.
He said it was a "brilliant script about the Mallory attempt on Everest where he lost his life".
McKidd added: "They want to shoot a lot of it at the base camp, so I'm going to need to get into shape for that."
December 17, 2010
Source: Sun
TRAINSPOTTING co-stars Ewan McGregor and Kevin McKidd are reuniting to shoot a film set on Everest - about one of the legendary peak's greatest mysteries. The movie - the first time the Scots have worked together since the 1996 cult classic - will tell of Brit George Mallory's attempt to scale the world's highest mountain.
He and his partner Andrew Irvine perished in 1924 trying to be the first team to conquer the peak - and it's still not known if they succeeded.
Mallory's frozen body was found 75 years later.
Now Grey's Anatomy star McKidd, 37, is excited about appearing alongside McGregor, 39.
He said it was a "brilliant script about the Mallory attempt on Everest where he lost his life".
McKidd added: "They want to shoot a lot of it at the base camp, so I'm going to need to get into shape for that."
Moray screen star backs campaign
November 5, 2010
Source: The Northern Scot
HOLLYWOOD screen star Kevin McKidd has added his voice to the campaign to save RAF Lossiemouth.
The Elgin-born actor, whose parents still live in the town, has urged the UK Government to re-think any decision to close the base.
McKidd, who is currently based in Los Angeles, said: "This would be devastating for Moray, plain and simple - not just for Lossiemouth but the entire region. In what are already difficult times economically, it seems this move would throw the Moray area into a downward spiral."
McKidd, who first burst to prominence in the movie, 'Trainspotting', in 1996, has gone on to enjoy a successful TV and film career.
He is currently starring in the hit US TV medical drama, "Grey's Anatomy". He is patron of the Out of the Darkness Theatre company in Moray, where his mum, Kath, is administrator.
"I urge the powers-that-be to reconsider the closure of RAF Lossiemouth," added Mr McKidd, "for the sake of my home area, which depends upon its presence."
Source: The Northern Scot
HOLLYWOOD screen star Kevin McKidd has added his voice to the campaign to save RAF Lossiemouth.
The Elgin-born actor, whose parents still live in the town, has urged the UK Government to re-think any decision to close the base.
McKidd, who is currently based in Los Angeles, said: "This would be devastating for Moray, plain and simple - not just for Lossiemouth but the entire region. In what are already difficult times economically, it seems this move would throw the Moray area into a downward spiral."
McKidd, who first burst to prominence in the movie, 'Trainspotting', in 1996, has gone on to enjoy a successful TV and film career.
He is currently starring in the hit US TV medical drama, "Grey's Anatomy". He is patron of the Out of the Darkness Theatre company in Moray, where his mum, Kath, is administrator.
"I urge the powers-that-be to reconsider the closure of RAF Lossiemouth," added Mr McKidd, "for the sake of my home area, which depends upon its presence."
Playing a god is a tall order for Kevin McKidd
by David Bentley
July 25, 2010
Source: Coventry Telegraph
KEVIN MCKIDD may have missed getting the role of Thor in Kenneth Branagh's new film but he ended up portraying another god instead.
The Scottish actor moved from Norse to Greek mythology to take on the role of sea deity Poseidon in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, released on DVD and Blu-ray earlier this month.
The 36-year-old is no stranger to characters of the historical and ancient world. Among his many other credits are Kingdom of Heaven, set in the 12th century; The Last Legion, set in the 5th century; and as Lucius Vorenus in the HBO/BBC series Rome, set in the 1st century BC.
He told us he hoped he had brought some of his "Scottish, Celtic fieriness" to the role of the gigantic Poseidon, who we first meet startling a fisherman as he emerges from the sea. It was a scene that wasn't as simple as it looked.
He explains: "The hardest thing for me, and it sounds like it should be a doddle, was the opening shot of me walking out of the water.
"I thought it would be dead easy and I'd be done by lunchtime but it took two days to nail that shot because being 40ft tall, if it just looked like I was walking down to the corner shop to get the paper it wouldn't work.
"When you're 40ft tall your bones are much bigger so there's much more dragging and momentum. I found that really tough, although I didn't think I would. I had to think about mime class at drama school and about how heavy my character was."
But he enjoyed the role, in which he is the Olympian father of the title character: "For me it was nice to get back into a skirt, you know? In Rome I wore a skirt for two years straight so getting back into a breastplate and that costume felt like home for me.
"Of course, it was great to be 40ft tall and to have the power of telepathy, to be able to communicate like Obi Wan Kenobi into Percy's mind."
The actor had been linked to the Thor role a couple of years ago. He confirmed at the time that his agent had been in talks with Marvel but said that the studio might want someone much younger. Subsequently, the studio issued a casting call for an actor in their mid to late 20s and then 26-year-old Chris Hemsworth - seen briefly as Kirk's doomed dad in Star Trek - landed the role.
In Percy Jackson, McKidd stars alongside several other Greek deities. We see Sean Bean as Zeus, CSI:NY actress Melina Kanakaredes as Athena and Steve Coogan as Hades.
July 25, 2010
Source: Coventry Telegraph
KEVIN MCKIDD may have missed getting the role of Thor in Kenneth Branagh's new film but he ended up portraying another god instead.
The Scottish actor moved from Norse to Greek mythology to take on the role of sea deity Poseidon in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, released on DVD and Blu-ray earlier this month.
The 36-year-old is no stranger to characters of the historical and ancient world. Among his many other credits are Kingdom of Heaven, set in the 12th century; The Last Legion, set in the 5th century; and as Lucius Vorenus in the HBO/BBC series Rome, set in the 1st century BC.
He told us he hoped he had brought some of his "Scottish, Celtic fieriness" to the role of the gigantic Poseidon, who we first meet startling a fisherman as he emerges from the sea. It was a scene that wasn't as simple as it looked.
He explains: "The hardest thing for me, and it sounds like it should be a doddle, was the opening shot of me walking out of the water.
"I thought it would be dead easy and I'd be done by lunchtime but it took two days to nail that shot because being 40ft tall, if it just looked like I was walking down to the corner shop to get the paper it wouldn't work.
"When you're 40ft tall your bones are much bigger so there's much more dragging and momentum. I found that really tough, although I didn't think I would. I had to think about mime class at drama school and about how heavy my character was."
But he enjoyed the role, in which he is the Olympian father of the title character: "For me it was nice to get back into a skirt, you know? In Rome I wore a skirt for two years straight so getting back into a breastplate and that costume felt like home for me.
"Of course, it was great to be 40ft tall and to have the power of telepathy, to be able to communicate like Obi Wan Kenobi into Percy's mind."
The actor had been linked to the Thor role a couple of years ago. He confirmed at the time that his agent had been in talks with Marvel but said that the studio might want someone much younger. Subsequently, the studio issued a casting call for an actor in their mid to late 20s and then 26-year-old Chris Hemsworth - seen briefly as Kirk's doomed dad in Star Trek - landed the role.
In Percy Jackson, McKidd stars alongside several other Greek deities. We see Sean Bean as Zeus, CSI:NY actress Melina Kanakaredes as Athena and Steve Coogan as Hades.
Kevin McKidd Misses His Mom Back In Scotland
Source: Hair Boutique.com
This article is basically a summary of Kevin's appearance on The Bonnie Hunt show in the fall of 2009. Please see our video album for a video clip of the appearance.
*****
Kevin McKidd (born 9 August 1973) is one of the hot hunks (Dr. Owen Hunt) on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. He is the love interest of Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh).
Although he’s originally from Scotland, he resides in the States. He still keeps in close contact with his mom and admitted “I speak to my mom all the time on the Web phone thing” but it’s a big delay because “my mom’s in Scotland.”
Staying In Touch With His Mom In Scotland
The fiery redheaded actor said he “really misses his mom. There’s time when you just want to get a little bit of mom time where you have chicken soup made by your mom - or broth - Scottish broth. But it’s a little bit far to get back for that.”
Kevin confessed “I always wanted to be an actor. I went through a stage when I was a kid, in the local youth theater you know. But when I hit my teens I decided that wasn’t for me. I was going to be a rock star. So then I joined a band. We made a band. We did really bad Hendricks and Pink Floyd covers.”
Touring The North Of Scotland With His Band
The band did well enough to “tour the North of Scotland” and they actually “had a tour bus. Kevin explained that he’s from “the highlands of Scotland” and the people in that area of the country “give up the rat race and have a hippie mentality and go and live in the deep dark regions.”
As a result of that mindset Kevin reported “we had all these people that wanted to hear there music.”
They thought they were doing really well until “they decided to write their own music” and then they “actually got booed on their own songs.” After getting booed Kevin decided to go back to acting.” Kevin said his son is “a really great kid” but he’s not sure he will become an actor since he loves to play the drums. He has a drum kit set up in the garage and he plays with Kevin, who plays guitar.
Kids Following In Acting Footsteps
Kevin’s two children from his marraige of ten years were recently in a school play and they were “really excited” to be acting. His son Joseph was playing “Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. His son was the lead in the play.
His daughter Iona is actually playing Charlie in the same play and goes through a great transformation.
Kevin is very excited about the budding acting career of his son and admitted he was “helping him with his lines cause he has a lot of lines.” He said his son is “nine and his daughter is seven.”
Son Is Budding Actor And Rock Drummer
He said he was helping his son with his lines and he had a big scene coming up on Grey’s Anatomy with Christina Yang, who plays his girlfriend on the show. He explained the scene was a big fight scene about a medical procedure that they shouldn’t be doing. A thoracotomy that they shouldn’t be doing. Kevin said it was “a big chunky dialogue scene” and his son said “do you want me to help with your lines?”
Kevin thought it was so great his son wanted to help and so he let him. The Scottish actor said “so he read it (the script) over and over again” and Kevin said “Joseph do you want to stand up and really do the scene?” Joseph said “yeah” and he got up and “he did the scene, but with his American accent and he was great.”
Kevin said his son is “a good actor and he managed to say the word thoracotomy”. The actor is “very proud” of his son. As well he should be at nine years old.
Kevin’s life is going full circle. He explained he is getting back to “his band days” but with his son. The father son duo “rock out” and have a great time together.
Life In A Distillery
Before hitting the road with his band Kevin worked at a distillery. He noted that fish and whiskey are the two biggest exports in Scotland. He was never a waiter but he worked in the distillery where he “drank a lot of whiskey and got a lot of overtime.” Kevin said they got complimentary whiskey just before “lunchtime” and after work “right before we got in the van and had to drive down these windy roads. So it was kinda dangerous too. But it was a good job.”
Paying His Way Through Drama School
Besides his work with whiskey and the band, he paid his way through drama school in Edinburgh, Scotland by working as one of the actors in full costume who would scare tourists on the tours through the scary parts of the city. He would hide and then jump out to scare people as they walked through the dark alleys of the various tours.
He said scaring people was a “great job and a lot of fun”. As a result of his time scaring people he has become very fond of Halloween in the United States. He loves how the adults get dressed up in The States which they don’t do in Scotland.
This article is basically a summary of Kevin's appearance on The Bonnie Hunt show in the fall of 2009. Please see our video album for a video clip of the appearance.
*****
Kevin McKidd (born 9 August 1973) is one of the hot hunks (Dr. Owen Hunt) on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. He is the love interest of Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh).
Although he’s originally from Scotland, he resides in the States. He still keeps in close contact with his mom and admitted “I speak to my mom all the time on the Web phone thing” but it’s a big delay because “my mom’s in Scotland.”
Staying In Touch With His Mom In Scotland
The fiery redheaded actor said he “really misses his mom. There’s time when you just want to get a little bit of mom time where you have chicken soup made by your mom - or broth - Scottish broth. But it’s a little bit far to get back for that.”
Kevin confessed “I always wanted to be an actor. I went through a stage when I was a kid, in the local youth theater you know. But when I hit my teens I decided that wasn’t for me. I was going to be a rock star. So then I joined a band. We made a band. We did really bad Hendricks and Pink Floyd covers.”
Touring The North Of Scotland With His Band
The band did well enough to “tour the North of Scotland” and they actually “had a tour bus. Kevin explained that he’s from “the highlands of Scotland” and the people in that area of the country “give up the rat race and have a hippie mentality and go and live in the deep dark regions.”
As a result of that mindset Kevin reported “we had all these people that wanted to hear there music.”
They thought they were doing really well until “they decided to write their own music” and then they “actually got booed on their own songs.” After getting booed Kevin decided to go back to acting.” Kevin said his son is “a really great kid” but he’s not sure he will become an actor since he loves to play the drums. He has a drum kit set up in the garage and he plays with Kevin, who plays guitar.
Kids Following In Acting Footsteps
Kevin’s two children from his marraige of ten years were recently in a school play and they were “really excited” to be acting. His son Joseph was playing “Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. His son was the lead in the play.
His daughter Iona is actually playing Charlie in the same play and goes through a great transformation.
Kevin is very excited about the budding acting career of his son and admitted he was “helping him with his lines cause he has a lot of lines.” He said his son is “nine and his daughter is seven.”
Son Is Budding Actor And Rock Drummer
He said he was helping his son with his lines and he had a big scene coming up on Grey’s Anatomy with Christina Yang, who plays his girlfriend on the show. He explained the scene was a big fight scene about a medical procedure that they shouldn’t be doing. A thoracotomy that they shouldn’t be doing. Kevin said it was “a big chunky dialogue scene” and his son said “do you want me to help with your lines?”
Kevin thought it was so great his son wanted to help and so he let him. The Scottish actor said “so he read it (the script) over and over again” and Kevin said “Joseph do you want to stand up and really do the scene?” Joseph said “yeah” and he got up and “he did the scene, but with his American accent and he was great.”
Kevin said his son is “a good actor and he managed to say the word thoracotomy”. The actor is “very proud” of his son. As well he should be at nine years old.
Kevin’s life is going full circle. He explained he is getting back to “his band days” but with his son. The father son duo “rock out” and have a great time together.
Life In A Distillery
Before hitting the road with his band Kevin worked at a distillery. He noted that fish and whiskey are the two biggest exports in Scotland. He was never a waiter but he worked in the distillery where he “drank a lot of whiskey and got a lot of overtime.” Kevin said they got complimentary whiskey just before “lunchtime” and after work “right before we got in the van and had to drive down these windy roads. So it was kinda dangerous too. But it was a good job.”
Paying His Way Through Drama School
Besides his work with whiskey and the band, he paid his way through drama school in Edinburgh, Scotland by working as one of the actors in full costume who would scare tourists on the tours through the scary parts of the city. He would hide and then jump out to scare people as they walked through the dark alleys of the various tours.
He said scaring people was a “great job and a lot of fun”. As a result of his time scaring people he has become very fond of Halloween in the United States. He loves how the adults get dressed up in The States which they don’t do in Scotland.
Roma Fiction Fest - Kevin McKidd : "Grey's Anatomy" going to lose
July 7, 2010
by Ivana Vernagallo
Source: fattitaliani.it
Translated via Google translator and forum member Geniusmentis
Scottish actor Kevin McKidd has achieved popularity in Italy in the television series "Grey's Anatomy" playing the role of the Doctor. Owen Hunt. His debut was in 1996 film Gillies Mackinnon's Small Faces "and" Trainspotting. " He recently starred in "Made of Honor" (2008) and "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and soon we will see in the thriller "Catwalk" by Anthony Hickox. . The day before yesterday was a guest at the Roma Fiction Fest.
His character in fiction is quite complex: he is a very good surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital of Traumatology must convinvere with traumatic experiences in Iraq.
Did you contact real veterans directly to prepare yourself?
No - Kevin McKidd replied to Fattitaliani - I studied a lot and I did a lot of research on problems experienced by veterans, reading the books of veterans who have been there and are still in military service. I could not fail.
Why?
Finally I was given the opportunity to play in prime time and I could not absolutely waste it: it was a chance I could not lose. I had to prepare myself as much as possible without risking directly my life.
What do you think of military missions abroad: they are for peace or to assert themselves?
My job is to do the actor, so I cannot speak on matters that I don't know well.
Don't you think "Grey's Anatomy" is a series for girls?
I don't watch it because I know how it ends: I was offered the part when there was the third season [IT'S NOT TRUE, HE DIDN'T SAY THAT]and so I watched the first two and I must say that the work of writing is really remarkable.
You lived in Rome to shoot the homonym series: what do you feel now that you have come back?
To shoot "Rome" I lived here two years and a half , the best time ever in my life. Every morning I wake UP, fantastic memories come to my mind.
July 7, 2010
by Ivana Vernagallo
Source: fattitaliani.it
Translated via Google translator and forum member Geniusmentis
Scottish actor Kevin McKidd has achieved popularity in Italy in the television series "Grey's Anatomy" playing the role of the Doctor. Owen Hunt. His debut was in 1996 film Gillies Mackinnon's Small Faces "and" Trainspotting. " He recently starred in "Made of Honor" (2008) and "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and soon we will see in the thriller "Catwalk" by Anthony Hickox. . The day before yesterday was a guest at the Roma Fiction Fest.
His character in fiction is quite complex: he is a very good surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital of Traumatology must convinvere with traumatic experiences in Iraq.
Did you contact real veterans directly to prepare yourself?
No - Kevin McKidd replied to Fattitaliani - I studied a lot and I did a lot of research on problems experienced by veterans, reading the books of veterans who have been there and are still in military service. I could not fail.
Why?
Finally I was given the opportunity to play in prime time and I could not absolutely waste it: it was a chance I could not lose. I had to prepare myself as much as possible without risking directly my life.
What do you think of military missions abroad: they are for peace or to assert themselves?
My job is to do the actor, so I cannot speak on matters that I don't know well.
Don't you think "Grey's Anatomy" is a series for girls?
I don't watch it because I know how it ends: I was offered the part when there was the third season [IT'S NOT TRUE, HE DIDN'T SAY THAT]and so I watched the first two and I must say that the work of writing is really remarkable.
You lived in Rome to shoot the homonym series: what do you feel now that you have come back?
To shoot "Rome" I lived here two years and a half , the best time ever in my life. Every morning I wake UP, fantastic memories come to my mind.
Naveen Andrews and Kevin McKidd at Roma Fiction Fest 2010
July 8, 2010
Source: Living in Rome
Day 3 of Roma Fiction Fest featured one of the most highly anticipated events of the week with not one, but two British actors from two hugely popular US TV dramas sharing the stage together – Naveen Andrews (Sayid Jarrah in all six seasons of Lost) and Kevin McKidd (currently playing Dr. Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy). Predictably, this was the event that has drawn the largest crowd I've seen so far and there was a full and enthusiastic house in Sala 4 at Cinema Adriano to hear the actors talk about working on their respective shows and introduce the recent season finales. The interviews were informal and relaxed, with both actors coming across as down to earth individuals of enormous professionalism, combined with humility and sense of humour. Whilst they may not be colleagues on the same show, one felt a sense of complicity and mutual respect between the actors on stage as you can see from the video below of the event.
July 8, 2010
Source: Living in Rome
Day 3 of Roma Fiction Fest featured one of the most highly anticipated events of the week with not one, but two British actors from two hugely popular US TV dramas sharing the stage together – Naveen Andrews (Sayid Jarrah in all six seasons of Lost) and Kevin McKidd (currently playing Dr. Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy). Predictably, this was the event that has drawn the largest crowd I've seen so far and there was a full and enthusiastic house in Sala 4 at Cinema Adriano to hear the actors talk about working on their respective shows and introduce the recent season finales. The interviews were informal and relaxed, with both actors coming across as down to earth individuals of enormous professionalism, combined with humility and sense of humour. Whilst they may not be colleagues on the same show, one felt a sense of complicity and mutual respect between the actors on stage as you can see from the video below of the event.
Kevin McKidd: Kicking Ass And Taking Names.
by Todd Brown
July 7, 2010
Source: Twitchfilms
You know Kevin McKidd. You first saw him in Trainspotting. He looked great in a skirt in Rome. He makes the ladies cry on Grey's Anatomy. But he'd like to make the men cry when he kicks them in the pills.
Pardon?
Well, put it this way. McKidd has a hankering to be an action star - or at least do something a little outside the world of the prime time soap opera - and has been training himself up to do just that. The trainer in question, or so I'm told, is Undisputed 3 fight choreographer Larnell Stovall. And what follows is a fight reel that turned up in my mailbox today shot by the two of them after about three weeks of training together. No money, no polish, not really intended for public eyes, just some guys messing around to see whether the training has paid off.
And I don't know about you but I rather like the look of McKidd in this. The fighting is a little bit raw but he's got the sort of intensity to him that really sells it. Plus the man's actually a very, very good actor. All of which leads me to say this:
"Hey, Hollywood! Remember Liam Neeson in Taken? Looking for a guy who could carry a similar sort of action / drama hybrid? This is your guy."
July 7, 2010
Source: Twitchfilms
You know Kevin McKidd. You first saw him in Trainspotting. He looked great in a skirt in Rome. He makes the ladies cry on Grey's Anatomy. But he'd like to make the men cry when he kicks them in the pills.
Pardon?
Well, put it this way. McKidd has a hankering to be an action star - or at least do something a little outside the world of the prime time soap opera - and has been training himself up to do just that. The trainer in question, or so I'm told, is Undisputed 3 fight choreographer Larnell Stovall. And what follows is a fight reel that turned up in my mailbox today shot by the two of them after about three weeks of training together. No money, no polish, not really intended for public eyes, just some guys messing around to see whether the training has paid off.
And I don't know about you but I rather like the look of McKidd in this. The fighting is a little bit raw but he's got the sort of intensity to him that really sells it. Plus the man's actually a very, very good actor. All of which leads me to say this:
"Hey, Hollywood! Remember Liam Neeson in Taken? Looking for a guy who could carry a similar sort of action / drama hybrid? This is your guy."
Kevin McKidd: 'People just throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks'
July 4, 2010
Source: Metro
Kevin McKidd, 36, got his acting break in the 1996 cult film Trainspotting. He went on to play Lucius Vorenus in Rome, had his own US sci-fi show Journeyman and now stars in Grey’s Anatomy. He can be seen as Poseidon in Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief.
Why did you do the Percy Jackson film?
The director Chris Columbus sent me a letter saying: ‘I really see you as being part of this, I’m a fan of your stuff.’ In this business you’re so used to rejection it’s very flattering when someone says they want to work with you. I’ve also never done a family film before and I’ve got kids aged seven and nine so it was nice for them to be able to see something I’ve done.
What films did you like when you were a child?
Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Star Wars, ET especially. Something about that story broke my heart as a boy and really made me want to become an actor.
How’s Grey’s Anatomy going?
It’s still one of the top dramas in America and doesn’t show any signs of losing popularity. It’s nice to know your job isn’t going anywhere for a little while.
Do you attract any wacky fans?
It’s all about relationships on Grey’s Anatomy and people are fans of certain relationships. There’s a very strong fanbase for the relationship between my character, Owen, and Cristina, played by Sandra Oh. It’s interesting to see the passion people have for it.
What’s had the most impact on your career?
It built over 15 years. When Trainspotting did what it did I knew it wasn’t my time. I was way too green and needed to learn to be an actor. Some actors can hit it at 21 and have the ego to get through it but I knew I’d be chewed up and spat out. It built slowly but Rome changed the game for me. It introduced me to TV networks and studios in America who didn’t know who I was until that point. Then the phone started ringing.
What was doing your own show, Journeyman, like?
Hard but it was one of the best experiences I’ve had because I worked with great people. Actors are accused of not working very hard, and a lot of the time that’s true, but on that show I grafted my a*** off for seven months. Not just the shooting hours, which were unbelievably long because I was in every single shot and doing all the press too. When you’re trying to make a show gain traction in the US you have to sell it. I didn’t have a single lunch hour that wasn’t sitting in an office doing phone interviews with journalists. Which is fine, I’m not complaining but it was hard work.
Were you gutted when it got cancelled?
Yeah. It was mainly due to the writers’ strike, the show was gaining an audience and rising up the ratings. I called the producer and said: ‘It’s me, it must be my fault’, and he said: ‘Do you know how hard it is to get a pilot made, bought and picked up for 13 episodes? It’s a huge achievement.’ Statistically it’s something like 97 per cent of shows get cancelled. People just throw enough stuff at the wall and see what sticks, and what sticks aren’t necessarily the most interesting or best made shows. You have the moment you think: ‘It’s all my fault’ but it honestly isn’t.
Did you think of coming back to Britain?
We did. My wife and I both decided we’d taken the traumatic leap to leave, had got the kids into new schools, they’d had to say goodbye to all their friends, it seemed unfair on everyone to turn round and leave. We decided to stay and see what happened. I got offered a lot of science fiction shows and I didn’t want to become ‘the science fiction guy’. I’d done the Roman thing, the science fiction thing and I wanted to do something contemporary. That’s when I got the call about Grey’s Anatomy, which was a great fit.
What do you miss about Britain when you’re in LA?
The bread’s rubbish, it doesn’t taste as good as British bread and I miss pubs. They’ve got bars but no pub culture.
Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief is out now on DVD.
Source: Metro
Kevin McKidd, 36, got his acting break in the 1996 cult film Trainspotting. He went on to play Lucius Vorenus in Rome, had his own US sci-fi show Journeyman and now stars in Grey’s Anatomy. He can be seen as Poseidon in Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief.
Why did you do the Percy Jackson film?
The director Chris Columbus sent me a letter saying: ‘I really see you as being part of this, I’m a fan of your stuff.’ In this business you’re so used to rejection it’s very flattering when someone says they want to work with you. I’ve also never done a family film before and I’ve got kids aged seven and nine so it was nice for them to be able to see something I’ve done.
What films did you like when you were a child?
Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Star Wars, ET especially. Something about that story broke my heart as a boy and really made me want to become an actor.
How’s Grey’s Anatomy going?
It’s still one of the top dramas in America and doesn’t show any signs of losing popularity. It’s nice to know your job isn’t going anywhere for a little while.
Do you attract any wacky fans?
It’s all about relationships on Grey’s Anatomy and people are fans of certain relationships. There’s a very strong fanbase for the relationship between my character, Owen, and Cristina, played by Sandra Oh. It’s interesting to see the passion people have for it.
What’s had the most impact on your career?
It built over 15 years. When Trainspotting did what it did I knew it wasn’t my time. I was way too green and needed to learn to be an actor. Some actors can hit it at 21 and have the ego to get through it but I knew I’d be chewed up and spat out. It built slowly but Rome changed the game for me. It introduced me to TV networks and studios in America who didn’t know who I was until that point. Then the phone started ringing.
What was doing your own show, Journeyman, like?
Hard but it was one of the best experiences I’ve had because I worked with great people. Actors are accused of not working very hard, and a lot of the time that’s true, but on that show I grafted my a*** off for seven months. Not just the shooting hours, which were unbelievably long because I was in every single shot and doing all the press too. When you’re trying to make a show gain traction in the US you have to sell it. I didn’t have a single lunch hour that wasn’t sitting in an office doing phone interviews with journalists. Which is fine, I’m not complaining but it was hard work.
Were you gutted when it got cancelled?
Yeah. It was mainly due to the writers’ strike, the show was gaining an audience and rising up the ratings. I called the producer and said: ‘It’s me, it must be my fault’, and he said: ‘Do you know how hard it is to get a pilot made, bought and picked up for 13 episodes? It’s a huge achievement.’ Statistically it’s something like 97 per cent of shows get cancelled. People just throw enough stuff at the wall and see what sticks, and what sticks aren’t necessarily the most interesting or best made shows. You have the moment you think: ‘It’s all my fault’ but it honestly isn’t.
Did you think of coming back to Britain?
We did. My wife and I both decided we’d taken the traumatic leap to leave, had got the kids into new schools, they’d had to say goodbye to all their friends, it seemed unfair on everyone to turn round and leave. We decided to stay and see what happened. I got offered a lot of science fiction shows and I didn’t want to become ‘the science fiction guy’. I’d done the Roman thing, the science fiction thing and I wanted to do something contemporary. That’s when I got the call about Grey’s Anatomy, which was a great fit.
What do you miss about Britain when you’re in LA?
The bread’s rubbish, it doesn’t taste as good as British bread and I miss pubs. They’ve got bars but no pub culture.
Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief is out now on DVD.
Kevin McKidd, "I did not choose to go to Hollywood, Hollywood chose me"
by Carmen de Agueda
London, June 13, 2010
Source: ABC.es
Translated with google translator
The Scottish actor Kevin McKidd, who plays Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey's Anatomy", said early in his career took the decision not to go to Los Angeles, but that fifteen years later had to give, because Hollywood is "elected."
"I said I was not going to go to Hollywood, but Hollywood finally came to me and put me on a platter, although it took fifteen years," McKidd said in a meeting with international media in London.
After participating in the hit "Trainspotting" (1996), the Danny Boyle movie that launched the careers of actors like Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle, McKidd raised the possibility of going to Hollywood, which immediately ruled out because "he was too young and too green. "
McKidd believes that if the age of 21 had gone to Los Angeles, the Hollywood machine would have "swallowed." So he made the decision to continue preparing as an actor, because when he shot "Trainspotting" "I knew a lot about theater," but still felt "scared" before the cameras.
For McKidd, who only years later was raised to go to Los Angeles, Boyle's film allowed him to work on other independent projects that still feels "proud" and that allowed him to improve their skills performing in films.
Nevertheless, the Scottish actor believes that, as an actor you have to go "to where your career takes you", and can not say "never do that."
In this sense, McKidd confessed that give life to Dr. Owen Hunt, an orthopedic surgeon who arrives at Seattle Grace Hospital after serving in the Iraq war as an option rather was, a priori, the idea of a role ideal.
But finally agreed to participate in "Grey's Anatomy" and, after an intense work of documentation, decided that the character was dominated by the trauma of war, what for him was a "great opportunity" as an actor.
"I could not go to war, but had a lot of information available to me: I read biographies of doctors who were in Iraq or Afghanistan, I met families of soldiers and surgeons psychologically destroyed by war and I know that the return to civilian world, the trauma of these people is very intense and that's what we try to reflect, "he explains.
The actor believes that when you suffer a trauma of this magnitude, "will always be with you, because even if you learn to cope and get ahead with your life, remain a part of your experiences."
Now assumes its role as Owen Hunt as "a responsibility" because it has realized that "there really is a war" and that he has to represent "all those people who have to learn to cope in some way."
He declined to elaborate on the developments of "Grey's Anatomy" next season, which will be the seventh of this series that began its journey in 2005, it moved that the writers "get to overcome the shocking finale" of the last chapter the sixth "to surprise again to everyone." EFE
by Carmen de Agueda
London, June 13, 2010
Source: ABC.es
Translated with google translator
The Scottish actor Kevin McKidd, who plays Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey's Anatomy", said early in his career took the decision not to go to Los Angeles, but that fifteen years later had to give, because Hollywood is "elected."
"I said I was not going to go to Hollywood, but Hollywood finally came to me and put me on a platter, although it took fifteen years," McKidd said in a meeting with international media in London.
After participating in the hit "Trainspotting" (1996), the Danny Boyle movie that launched the careers of actors like Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle, McKidd raised the possibility of going to Hollywood, which immediately ruled out because "he was too young and too green. "
McKidd believes that if the age of 21 had gone to Los Angeles, the Hollywood machine would have "swallowed." So he made the decision to continue preparing as an actor, because when he shot "Trainspotting" "I knew a lot about theater," but still felt "scared" before the cameras.
For McKidd, who only years later was raised to go to Los Angeles, Boyle's film allowed him to work on other independent projects that still feels "proud" and that allowed him to improve their skills performing in films.
Nevertheless, the Scottish actor believes that, as an actor you have to go "to where your career takes you", and can not say "never do that."
In this sense, McKidd confessed that give life to Dr. Owen Hunt, an orthopedic surgeon who arrives at Seattle Grace Hospital after serving in the Iraq war as an option rather was, a priori, the idea of a role ideal.
But finally agreed to participate in "Grey's Anatomy" and, after an intense work of documentation, decided that the character was dominated by the trauma of war, what for him was a "great opportunity" as an actor.
"I could not go to war, but had a lot of information available to me: I read biographies of doctors who were in Iraq or Afghanistan, I met families of soldiers and surgeons psychologically destroyed by war and I know that the return to civilian world, the trauma of these people is very intense and that's what we try to reflect, "he explains.
The actor believes that when you suffer a trauma of this magnitude, "will always be with you, because even if you learn to cope and get ahead with your life, remain a part of your experiences."
Now assumes its role as Owen Hunt as "a responsibility" because it has realized that "there really is a war" and that he has to represent "all those people who have to learn to cope in some way."
He declined to elaborate on the developments of "Grey's Anatomy" next season, which will be the seventh of this series that began its journey in 2005, it moved that the writers "get to overcome the shocking finale" of the last chapter the sixth "to surprise again to everyone." EFE
Kevin and Jane McKidd SoHo House pre-Oscar party 2010. Source PopCandie TV
People Magazine-World's Most Beautiful 2010
KEVIN MCKIDD "On Grey's Anatomy, you have to have make-out scenes – and it's probably best that you don't have a beer gut," says McKidd, 36, of keeping up with the McDreamys of the ER. "So I'm definitely conscious of exercise. But I like to have a Scotch at night. I'm Scottish so I'm not quite as strict."
source: People
source: People
PRISM Awards Poignant, Powerful and — with Garry Marshall — Funny
April 26, 2010
Source: BeckSmithHollywood
Garry Marshall got laughs, Rosie O’Donnell scored a coup, Kevin McKidd warmed audience hearts and significant, meaningful work was honored at the 14th Annual Prism Awards in Beverly Hills the other night. The event highlighted films and television shows that accurately depict and bring attention to substance abuse and mental health issues – and although there were somber moments, a celebratory mood prevailed.
Introducing the category of Performance in a Comedy Series with his long-time pal and movie good luck charm, Hector Elizondo,” Marshall quickly dispensed with his scripted lines, informing the audience that there was no band, but “there’s a guy with a harmonica backstage to play you off if you go too long.” (“The cue card guy is going crazy,” he observed.) Marshall mentioned, among other things, that he and Elizondo play softball together in a show business league — seniors division. “If you hit a double, they let you take a nap. If you score a home run, you get free Lipitor.”
Elizondo and Tony Shalhoub won the Prism Award comedy series performance category for their work in the much-missed “Monk,” in which Elizondo played the therapist for Obsessive Compusive detective Adrian Monk.
Rosie O’Donnell won Prism honors for her performance in Lifetime’s “America” — out of a field including Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Lange, Kimberly Elise and Drew Barrymore – in the category of Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries. She played a therapist in the poignant movie about a teenager caught in the foster care system.
McKidd’s portrayal a doctor fraught with post traumatic stress syndrome due to his tour of duty in Iraq on “Grey’s Anatomy” won the Prism Award for Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline. He admitted to having been insecure over whether he could pull off the demands of the role when Shonda Rhimes first talked to him about it, and subsequently dove into researching PTS by reading and talking to veterans. He thanked Rhimes and his leading lady Sandra Oh, ABC and his wife for making it all possible.
Among other highlights of the evening was a reunion of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ stars Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden, and the inauguration of the Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein Recovery Advocacy Award, presented in his memory to his mother. Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Timothy Hutton and Dr. Phil were also among the honorees at the event, produced by the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and FX. Look for The Prism Awards to be shown as an upcoming television special on FX.
Source: BeckSmithHollywood
Garry Marshall got laughs, Rosie O’Donnell scored a coup, Kevin McKidd warmed audience hearts and significant, meaningful work was honored at the 14th Annual Prism Awards in Beverly Hills the other night. The event highlighted films and television shows that accurately depict and bring attention to substance abuse and mental health issues – and although there were somber moments, a celebratory mood prevailed.
Introducing the category of Performance in a Comedy Series with his long-time pal and movie good luck charm, Hector Elizondo,” Marshall quickly dispensed with his scripted lines, informing the audience that there was no band, but “there’s a guy with a harmonica backstage to play you off if you go too long.” (“The cue card guy is going crazy,” he observed.) Marshall mentioned, among other things, that he and Elizondo play softball together in a show business league — seniors division. “If you hit a double, they let you take a nap. If you score a home run, you get free Lipitor.”
Elizondo and Tony Shalhoub won the Prism Award comedy series performance category for their work in the much-missed “Monk,” in which Elizondo played the therapist for Obsessive Compusive detective Adrian Monk.
Rosie O’Donnell won Prism honors for her performance in Lifetime’s “America” — out of a field including Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Lange, Kimberly Elise and Drew Barrymore – in the category of Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries. She played a therapist in the poignant movie about a teenager caught in the foster care system.
McKidd’s portrayal a doctor fraught with post traumatic stress syndrome due to his tour of duty in Iraq on “Grey’s Anatomy” won the Prism Award for Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline. He admitted to having been insecure over whether he could pull off the demands of the role when Shonda Rhimes first talked to him about it, and subsequently dove into researching PTS by reading and talking to veterans. He thanked Rhimes and his leading lady Sandra Oh, ABC and his wife for making it all possible.
Among other highlights of the evening was a reunion of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ stars Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden, and the inauguration of the Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein Recovery Advocacy Award, presented in his memory to his mother. Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Timothy Hutton and Dr. Phil were also among the honorees at the event, produced by the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and FX. Look for The Prism Awards to be shown as an upcoming television special on FX.
Scots star Kevin McKidd smuggles haggis into USA
By: Toby McDonald
April 25, 2010
Source: Daily Record
ACTOR Kevin McKidd has become a haggis smuggler - to beat a US import ban.
The Hollywood star has revealed he hid Scotland's national dish in his suitcases to avoid American customs regulations.
Kevin - who plays Dr Owen Hunt in the hit series Grey's Anatomy - lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jane and their two children, Joseph and Iona. But the 36-year-old, from Elgin, Moray, has found that his favourite dish is in short supply in the States. California outlawed haggis imports because of fears over mad cow disease. And despite promises to review the ban on overseas beef and lamb products, it hasn't been lifted.
Kevin said: "There is one downside to being in LA - it's hard to find good haggis. When I went back to see my mum and dad at Christmas, I loaded my suitcases with enough haggis to keep all my guests happy."
Kevin recently appeared as Poseidon in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
He added: "Life in LA is very different to life back home. But I feel very blessed with the opportunities I've had - to work with the incredible cast on Grey's Anatomy and to be a key player in a film like Percy Jackson."
By: Toby McDonald
April 25, 2010
Source: Daily Record
ACTOR Kevin McKidd has become a haggis smuggler - to beat a US import ban.
The Hollywood star has revealed he hid Scotland's national dish in his suitcases to avoid American customs regulations.
Kevin - who plays Dr Owen Hunt in the hit series Grey's Anatomy - lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jane and their two children, Joseph and Iona. But the 36-year-old, from Elgin, Moray, has found that his favourite dish is in short supply in the States. California outlawed haggis imports because of fears over mad cow disease. And despite promises to review the ban on overseas beef and lamb products, it hasn't been lifted.
Kevin said: "There is one downside to being in LA - it's hard to find good haggis. When I went back to see my mum and dad at Christmas, I loaded my suitcases with enough haggis to keep all my guests happy."
Kevin recently appeared as Poseidon in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
He added: "Life in LA is very different to life back home. But I feel very blessed with the opportunities I've had - to work with the incredible cast on Grey's Anatomy and to be a key player in a film like Percy Jackson."
14 Annual PRISM awards
April 22, 2010
EIC press release
JEFF BRIDGES, MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL,
KEVIN McKIDD, TONY SHALHOUB, HECTOR ELIZONDO, TIMOTHY HUTTON &
ROSIE O'DONNELL RECEIVE TOP HONORS
AT THE
14th Annual PRISM Awards
Breaking Bad, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,
Law and Order and Dr. Phil also Receive PRISM Nods
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 22, 2010-- Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rosie O'Donnell, Tony Shalhoub, Hector Elizondo, Timothy Hutton and Kevin McKidd received PRISM Awards for individual performances in film and television at the 14th Annual PRISM Awards ceremony which was held today at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The PRISM Awards, which is produced by the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and FX Network, honor actors, movies, music, media and television's top shows that accurately depict and bring attention to substance abuse and mental health issues.
"The PRISM Awards recognizes and applauds the remarkable efforts that have been contributed by our creative community. We salute those in the entertainment industry that promote informational truths in their work to improve the lives of the audiences they entertain," said Brian Dyak, EIC's President and CEO. "Through accurate character portrayals and inspired storytelling, our industry reinforces the importance of those individuals within the care giving and health fields."
Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal were selected in the Performance in a Feature Film category for Fox Searchlight Pictures' Crazy Heart. The film also received an award for Feature Film Substance Use. Rosie O'Donnell received an award in Performance in a TV Movie or Mini-series category for Lifetime Television's America, Hector Elizondo and Tony Shalhoub for Performance in a Comedy Series for USA Network's Monk; Timothy Hutton for Performance in a Drama Episode for TNT's Leverage; and Kevin McKidd for Performance in a Drama Multi-Episode Storyline in ABC Entertainment's Grey's Anatomy.
Crazy Heart and The Soloist were recognized for movie honors, while How I Met Your Mother, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Law and Order, Breaking Bad, Dr. Phil, The Celebrity Apprentice and others were recognized in television categories.
"As we, at SAMHSA work to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities, one of our highest priorities involves raising public awareness and support for the power of prevention, treatment, and recovery. Congratulations to all the PRISM award winners and nominees whose outstanding productions and performances depict the realities of addiction and mental illness and the power of treatment and recovery with accuracy and sensitivity," said Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., Administrator of SAMHSA.
(For a complete list of award recipients, please click on the following link: www.eiconline.org).
Award presenters included Danny Arroyo (General Hospital: Night Shift), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), Tobin Bell (Saw movies), Michaela Conlin (Bones), Barbara Eden, Candy Finnigan (Intervention), Larry Hagman, Carolyn Hennessy (Cougar Town), Michele Lee, Melora Hardin (The Office), Jennifer Gimenez (Sober House), Sharon Lawrence, Vanessa Lengies (HawthoRNe), Kate Linder (The Young & The Restless), LeToya Luckett (Destiny's Child), Garry Marshall (Director), Dr. Lisa M. Masterson (The Doctors), Ryan McPartlin (Chuck), Curt Menefee (Fox NFL Sunday), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) , Nancy O'Dell, Dr. Andrew P. Ordon (The Doctors), Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Mackenzie Phillips (Celebrity Rehab), Dr. Drew Pinsky (Celebrity Rehab/Sober House), Catt Sadler (E! Daily 10), John Salley (The Best d**n Sports Show Ever), Dr. James M. Sears (The Doctors), Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie), Henry Simmons (Shark/The Cleaner), Dr. Travis Stork (The Doctors), Jennifer Taylor (Two and a Half Men), Shadoe Stevens (The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson), Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill) Steve Wilkos (The Steve Wilkos Show) and Vanessa Williams.
Honorees for the PRISM Awards are selected by an 80-person committee of entertainment industry professionals and technical experts from the fields of medicine, mental health and addiction.
April 22, 2010
EIC press release
JEFF BRIDGES, MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL,
KEVIN McKIDD, TONY SHALHOUB, HECTOR ELIZONDO, TIMOTHY HUTTON &
ROSIE O'DONNELL RECEIVE TOP HONORS
AT THE
14th Annual PRISM Awards
Breaking Bad, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,
Law and Order and Dr. Phil also Receive PRISM Nods
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 22, 2010-- Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rosie O'Donnell, Tony Shalhoub, Hector Elizondo, Timothy Hutton and Kevin McKidd received PRISM Awards for individual performances in film and television at the 14th Annual PRISM Awards ceremony which was held today at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The PRISM Awards, which is produced by the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and FX Network, honor actors, movies, music, media and television's top shows that accurately depict and bring attention to substance abuse and mental health issues.
"The PRISM Awards recognizes and applauds the remarkable efforts that have been contributed by our creative community. We salute those in the entertainment industry that promote informational truths in their work to improve the lives of the audiences they entertain," said Brian Dyak, EIC's President and CEO. "Through accurate character portrayals and inspired storytelling, our industry reinforces the importance of those individuals within the care giving and health fields."
Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal were selected in the Performance in a Feature Film category for Fox Searchlight Pictures' Crazy Heart. The film also received an award for Feature Film Substance Use. Rosie O'Donnell received an award in Performance in a TV Movie or Mini-series category for Lifetime Television's America, Hector Elizondo and Tony Shalhoub for Performance in a Comedy Series for USA Network's Monk; Timothy Hutton for Performance in a Drama Episode for TNT's Leverage; and Kevin McKidd for Performance in a Drama Multi-Episode Storyline in ABC Entertainment's Grey's Anatomy.
Crazy Heart and The Soloist were recognized for movie honors, while How I Met Your Mother, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Law and Order, Breaking Bad, Dr. Phil, The Celebrity Apprentice and others were recognized in television categories.
"As we, at SAMHSA work to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities, one of our highest priorities involves raising public awareness and support for the power of prevention, treatment, and recovery. Congratulations to all the PRISM award winners and nominees whose outstanding productions and performances depict the realities of addiction and mental illness and the power of treatment and recovery with accuracy and sensitivity," said Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., Administrator of SAMHSA.
(For a complete list of award recipients, please click on the following link: www.eiconline.org).
Award presenters included Danny Arroyo (General Hospital: Night Shift), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), Tobin Bell (Saw movies), Michaela Conlin (Bones), Barbara Eden, Candy Finnigan (Intervention), Larry Hagman, Carolyn Hennessy (Cougar Town), Michele Lee, Melora Hardin (The Office), Jennifer Gimenez (Sober House), Sharon Lawrence, Vanessa Lengies (HawthoRNe), Kate Linder (The Young & The Restless), LeToya Luckett (Destiny's Child), Garry Marshall (Director), Dr. Lisa M. Masterson (The Doctors), Ryan McPartlin (Chuck), Curt Menefee (Fox NFL Sunday), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) , Nancy O'Dell, Dr. Andrew P. Ordon (The Doctors), Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Mackenzie Phillips (Celebrity Rehab), Dr. Drew Pinsky (Celebrity Rehab/Sober House), Catt Sadler (E! Daily 10), John Salley (The Best d**n Sports Show Ever), Dr. James M. Sears (The Doctors), Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie), Henry Simmons (Shark/The Cleaner), Dr. Travis Stork (The Doctors), Jennifer Taylor (Two and a Half Men), Shadoe Stevens (The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson), Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill) Steve Wilkos (The Steve Wilkos Show) and Vanessa Williams.
Honorees for the PRISM Awards are selected by an 80-person committee of entertainment industry professionals and technical experts from the fields of medicine, mental health and addiction.
Finch's Quarterly Review-God's Work
April 16, 2010
Source: Finch's Quarterly Review
Actor Kevin McKidd writes about his move from Scotland, via Rome, to Los Angeles, where he has now settled and introduced haggis
I moved to Los Angeles two years ago. I had finished the BBC series Rome and, for the first time ever, I had a whole lot of offers in my lap to play leads in TV shows. My wife and I sat down and talked at length about whether we should take the opportunity. Our kids were young and at a certain stage in their schooling, and we recognised it would be quite a big transition for them. But together the family decided, for better or worse, that we would move to LA and see where it would lead us. It has been an interesting two years, let’s put it that way. The kids, who are seven and nine, are more settled now. One of our favourite LA haunts is 25 Degrees, the burger bar in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It’s right at the front of the hotel as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard, which it isn’t far from where I live, and it’s open 24/7. It has red leather seats and red velour wallpaper and serves what I believe are easily the best burgers in town. They do nice cocktails too and the sweet-potato fries are amazing. Life in LA is very different to life back home and we are still just taking each step at a time. Touch wood, things seem to be going well. I feel very blessed with the opportunities I have had – to work with the incredible cast in Grey’s Anatomy and to be a key player in a feature film like Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Percy Jackson is a kid’s movie, and I play Poseidon, God of the Sea. It’s based on Rick Riordan’s novels about a teenage boy who finds out that he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon, and that the Greek Gods still exist in modern-day America. When I learned classics at school my teacher was so arid and stodgy. I believe this film is actually creating a really entertaining, digestible outlet that kids can take in and learn from. My nine-year-old son has now read five big hardback books. A lot of the acting work I have done in recent years has been quite dark and intense, so to be involved in a children’s fantasy film was a nice change. It’s great that I am in something that my kids can actually watch!
I was approached by the director Chris Columbus, who asked me to be involved in Percy. It was one of those things that happen so rarely in this business – where a director sends you a personal letter, nicely typed out. Chris said he enjoyed my work in Rome and on HBO and asked whether I would consider taking on this role. When you get a letter like that as an actor you jump at it, especially when the letter is from someone as accomplished as Chris.
Chris really created the Harry Potter franchise, directing the first two films. He set the tone for that and he seems to be somewhat of a franchise builder and that is the hope for Percy Jackson. The entertainment industry is always a gamble every single step of the way so I don’t hold any stock by anything any more. But with something like this you get a sense that you are in safe hands. Chris knows what ingredients it takes to create something that people want to come back to.
Most of my scenes are with Sean Bean, who plays Zeus. I had never worked with Sean and it was an interesting experience as, initially, he comes across as reserved. Our first scene was at the top of the Empire State Building and I had to walk up to him (we play brothers in the film) and say, “Zeus”, and he turns to me and says, “Poseidon.” For some reason, on the very first take, these two lines seemed to tickle us and we just couldn’t get through them – there was just something so absurd about Sean Bean and me pretending to be Greek Gods, so it took us quite a while to get started. He is much more of a giggler than I would have imagined! Sean is from the North of England so it was quite amusing to have a Scotsman and a Northerner playing Greek Gods in an American blockbuster shooting in Vancouver.
When you get a bunch of British actors together there is a feeling that you could all be doing a play in some dodgy theatre above the pub. Everybody falls back to that same attitude. None of us works behind a desk for the very reason that we wanted to do something silly for a living. It’s always a laugh, and you are not allowed to take it too seriously.
There is a Scottish tradition called Burns Night (on January 25). The first year we arrived in LA we celebrated it, and it was fantastic. But we all drank far too much whisky, obviously. We didn’t celebrate it last year, so I decided to host a Burns party this year. The problem with Burns Night is that you have to be pretty organised as New Year is over and the last thing anyone is in the mood for is another night of indulgence. But this year I cracked out the guitar and there was singing and poetry. I even put on my kilt. In Scotland I come from a place called Elgin, which is real whisky country. At Christmas I went back there to visit my Mum and Dad and I was able to load my suitcase with enough haggis to keep all my guests happy. That is one downside of being in LA – it’s hard to find a good haggis!
Source: Finch's Quarterly Review
Actor Kevin McKidd writes about his move from Scotland, via Rome, to Los Angeles, where he has now settled and introduced haggis
I moved to Los Angeles two years ago. I had finished the BBC series Rome and, for the first time ever, I had a whole lot of offers in my lap to play leads in TV shows. My wife and I sat down and talked at length about whether we should take the opportunity. Our kids were young and at a certain stage in their schooling, and we recognised it would be quite a big transition for them. But together the family decided, for better or worse, that we would move to LA and see where it would lead us. It has been an interesting two years, let’s put it that way. The kids, who are seven and nine, are more settled now. One of our favourite LA haunts is 25 Degrees, the burger bar in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It’s right at the front of the hotel as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard, which it isn’t far from where I live, and it’s open 24/7. It has red leather seats and red velour wallpaper and serves what I believe are easily the best burgers in town. They do nice cocktails too and the sweet-potato fries are amazing. Life in LA is very different to life back home and we are still just taking each step at a time. Touch wood, things seem to be going well. I feel very blessed with the opportunities I have had – to work with the incredible cast in Grey’s Anatomy and to be a key player in a feature film like Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Percy Jackson is a kid’s movie, and I play Poseidon, God of the Sea. It’s based on Rick Riordan’s novels about a teenage boy who finds out that he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon, and that the Greek Gods still exist in modern-day America. When I learned classics at school my teacher was so arid and stodgy. I believe this film is actually creating a really entertaining, digestible outlet that kids can take in and learn from. My nine-year-old son has now read five big hardback books. A lot of the acting work I have done in recent years has been quite dark and intense, so to be involved in a children’s fantasy film was a nice change. It’s great that I am in something that my kids can actually watch!
I was approached by the director Chris Columbus, who asked me to be involved in Percy. It was one of those things that happen so rarely in this business – where a director sends you a personal letter, nicely typed out. Chris said he enjoyed my work in Rome and on HBO and asked whether I would consider taking on this role. When you get a letter like that as an actor you jump at it, especially when the letter is from someone as accomplished as Chris.
Chris really created the Harry Potter franchise, directing the first two films. He set the tone for that and he seems to be somewhat of a franchise builder and that is the hope for Percy Jackson. The entertainment industry is always a gamble every single step of the way so I don’t hold any stock by anything any more. But with something like this you get a sense that you are in safe hands. Chris knows what ingredients it takes to create something that people want to come back to.
Most of my scenes are with Sean Bean, who plays Zeus. I had never worked with Sean and it was an interesting experience as, initially, he comes across as reserved. Our first scene was at the top of the Empire State Building and I had to walk up to him (we play brothers in the film) and say, “Zeus”, and he turns to me and says, “Poseidon.” For some reason, on the very first take, these two lines seemed to tickle us and we just couldn’t get through them – there was just something so absurd about Sean Bean and me pretending to be Greek Gods, so it took us quite a while to get started. He is much more of a giggler than I would have imagined! Sean is from the North of England so it was quite amusing to have a Scotsman and a Northerner playing Greek Gods in an American blockbuster shooting in Vancouver.
When you get a bunch of British actors together there is a feeling that you could all be doing a play in some dodgy theatre above the pub. Everybody falls back to that same attitude. None of us works behind a desk for the very reason that we wanted to do something silly for a living. It’s always a laugh, and you are not allowed to take it too seriously.
There is a Scottish tradition called Burns Night (on January 25). The first year we arrived in LA we celebrated it, and it was fantastic. But we all drank far too much whisky, obviously. We didn’t celebrate it last year, so I decided to host a Burns party this year. The problem with Burns Night is that you have to be pretty organised as New Year is over and the last thing anyone is in the mood for is another night of indulgence. But this year I cracked out the guitar and there was singing and poetry. I even put on my kilt. In Scotland I come from a place called Elgin, which is real whisky country. At Christmas I went back there to visit my Mum and Dad and I was able to load my suitcase with enough haggis to keep all my guests happy. That is one downside of being in LA – it’s hard to find a good haggis!
Lost video clip shows Scots star Kevin McKidd as ghost guide
March 16, 2010
by Victorie Raimes
source: Scotsman.com
Newly-uncovered footage shows Scottish star Kevin McKidd treading the streets of the Capital as a ghost tour guide.
The celebrity, who shot to fame in Trainspotting before going on to star in TV shows such as Rome, Kingdom of Heaven and Grey's Anatomy, was working for Edinburgh's Witchery Tours as a student in 1994.
In the three-minute clip, he can be seen giving an animated performance to a small crowd.
The footage was unearthed by owner Robin Mitchell, who hired Kevin for a year while he studied at Queen Margaret University.
Mr Mitchell, from Gorebridge, said: "I always knew we had the footage, but until last week we had no way of transferring it from the old camera tapes on to a digital platform. As soon as I found out we could do it I edited down to the best bits.
"It's clear that he was always talented and he was one of my favourite guides, but we had no idea he would do so well. We saw him at the Edinburgh Film Festival a couple of years ago and we had a good old blether. He said the five or six nights every week that he spent as a guide helped him build the stamina he needed for performing."
After six months working shifts at Witchery Tours, Kevin made his debut performance at the King's Theatre, as the lead role in popular play Silver Darlings, which toured Scotland. Mr Mitchell and other colleagues were invited to watch the show. Two years later he played Tommy in Trainspotting.
Since establishing a successful acting career, the 36-year-old has also starred in Father Ted and The Acid House. He currently plays Owen Hunt in the US drama Grey's Anatomy.
Cameron Pirie, who worked as a guide alongside Kevin, said the actor was great fun.
He said: "He's done really well and I think he's gone about it the right way too. Kevin has gradually built himself up, and he has established himself as a solid name. He has tread carefully and created a strong profile. He might not be quite as big as Ewan McGregor yet, but he's getting there."
Mr Mitchell, who opened the tour business in 1984, also joked that he was hopeful Kevin would return to perform one last time as the character he played, Adam Lyal, prepared to celebrate his 200th anniversary. He said: "Adam was a highwayman that stole his way around Edinburgh and was hanged in 1811. He's still thought to haunt the Grassmarket. As his 200th death-day is coming up it would be great if he'd step back into character one more time. You never know."
THEY ALL HAD TO START SOMEWHERE
Singer Shirley Manson worked at the Post House Hotel in Corstorphine, as a sales assistant at Miss Selfridge and slogged away with indie band Goodbye Mr MacKenzie before making it big with Garbage.
Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall spent her 20s on the dole, busking on Princes Street. She played for tiny crowds at Bannermans on the Cowgate before her debut album Eye to the Telescope was released.
One of Bathgate-born Doctor Who star David Tennant's earliest television roles was as a transsexual barmaid on sitcom Rab C Nesbitt. He also unsuccessfully auditioned for a part on detective drama Taggart 16 times.
Before Sean Connery got his licence to kill as James Bond, he famously worked as a milkman in Fountainbridge. He is also reported to have worked as a lorry driver, an art college life model and a coffin polisher.
video can be seen here
by Victorie Raimes
source: Scotsman.com
Newly-uncovered footage shows Scottish star Kevin McKidd treading the streets of the Capital as a ghost tour guide.
The celebrity, who shot to fame in Trainspotting before going on to star in TV shows such as Rome, Kingdom of Heaven and Grey's Anatomy, was working for Edinburgh's Witchery Tours as a student in 1994.
In the three-minute clip, he can be seen giving an animated performance to a small crowd.
The footage was unearthed by owner Robin Mitchell, who hired Kevin for a year while he studied at Queen Margaret University.
Mr Mitchell, from Gorebridge, said: "I always knew we had the footage, but until last week we had no way of transferring it from the old camera tapes on to a digital platform. As soon as I found out we could do it I edited down to the best bits.
"It's clear that he was always talented and he was one of my favourite guides, but we had no idea he would do so well. We saw him at the Edinburgh Film Festival a couple of years ago and we had a good old blether. He said the five or six nights every week that he spent as a guide helped him build the stamina he needed for performing."
After six months working shifts at Witchery Tours, Kevin made his debut performance at the King's Theatre, as the lead role in popular play Silver Darlings, which toured Scotland. Mr Mitchell and other colleagues were invited to watch the show. Two years later he played Tommy in Trainspotting.
Since establishing a successful acting career, the 36-year-old has also starred in Father Ted and The Acid House. He currently plays Owen Hunt in the US drama Grey's Anatomy.
Cameron Pirie, who worked as a guide alongside Kevin, said the actor was great fun.
He said: "He's done really well and I think he's gone about it the right way too. Kevin has gradually built himself up, and he has established himself as a solid name. He has tread carefully and created a strong profile. He might not be quite as big as Ewan McGregor yet, but he's getting there."
Mr Mitchell, who opened the tour business in 1984, also joked that he was hopeful Kevin would return to perform one last time as the character he played, Adam Lyal, prepared to celebrate his 200th anniversary. He said: "Adam was a highwayman that stole his way around Edinburgh and was hanged in 1811. He's still thought to haunt the Grassmarket. As his 200th death-day is coming up it would be great if he'd step back into character one more time. You never know."
THEY ALL HAD TO START SOMEWHERE
Singer Shirley Manson worked at the Post House Hotel in Corstorphine, as a sales assistant at Miss Selfridge and slogged away with indie band Goodbye Mr MacKenzie before making it big with Garbage.
Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall spent her 20s on the dole, busking on Princes Street. She played for tiny crowds at Bannermans on the Cowgate before her debut album Eye to the Telescope was released.
One of Bathgate-born Doctor Who star David Tennant's earliest television roles was as a transsexual barmaid on sitcom Rab C Nesbitt. He also unsuccessfully auditioned for a part on detective drama Taggart 16 times.
Before Sean Connery got his licence to kill as James Bond, he famously worked as a milkman in Fountainbridge. He is also reported to have worked as a lorry driver, an art college life model and a coffin polisher.
video can be seen here
Redbook artcle: scan courtesy of CO Forever
Scots actors Ewan McGregor and Kevin McKidd reunite on Mount Everest
By Toby Mcdonald
February 14, 2010
source: Daily Record.co.uk
TRAINSPOTTING stars Ewan McGregor and Kevin McKidd are to be reunited in a film about Mount Everest.
It will see them work together for the first time since the classic 1996 Danny Boyle drugs movie that made them stars.
The Scots will travel to Nepal to shoot on location at the world's highest mountain's Base Camp - 17,700 ft above sea level.
Elgin-born McKidd, 36, said: "I'm going to need to get into shape for that."
A source close to the project said: "It doesn't have a name yet and a lot of the details are being kept quiet but it is expected to be a really gruelling schedule for both of them.
"It requires a big commitment as there are weeks of preparation and acclimatisation before they can properly start."
McGregor, 38, and McKidd have become hugely successful Hollywood actors in the 14 years since Trainspotting.
It was slower for McKidd but he is now one of the industry's most in-demand leading men.
The star, who lives with wife Jane and children Joseph, eight, and Iona, six, stars in TV hit Grey's Anatomy as Dr Owen Hunt.
He has also starred in TV blockbuster Rome as well as hit movies The Last Legion and Kingdom of Heaven.
In his latest movie, Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, he takes the role of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
McGregor was first of the Trainspotting cast to make it big with his leading role in the 2001 hit Moulin Rouge.
He was also in the 2005 Star Wars trilogy but has since taken on smaller roles.
McKidd also revealed he turned down a major part in the last two Harry Potter films.
He said: "There was this mean, alpha-male werewolf character, who's like the big villain in the final film. My kids were like, 'Why did you have to turn that down?'
"But when Percy Jackson came through, it was like, 'I've got to do this. I've never done this kind of movie before'."
By Toby Mcdonald
February 14, 2010
source: Daily Record.co.uk
TRAINSPOTTING stars Ewan McGregor and Kevin McKidd are to be reunited in a film about Mount Everest.
It will see them work together for the first time since the classic 1996 Danny Boyle drugs movie that made them stars.
The Scots will travel to Nepal to shoot on location at the world's highest mountain's Base Camp - 17,700 ft above sea level.
Elgin-born McKidd, 36, said: "I'm going to need to get into shape for that."
A source close to the project said: "It doesn't have a name yet and a lot of the details are being kept quiet but it is expected to be a really gruelling schedule for both of them.
"It requires a big commitment as there are weeks of preparation and acclimatisation before they can properly start."
McGregor, 38, and McKidd have become hugely successful Hollywood actors in the 14 years since Trainspotting.
It was slower for McKidd but he is now one of the industry's most in-demand leading men.
The star, who lives with wife Jane and children Joseph, eight, and Iona, six, stars in TV hit Grey's Anatomy as Dr Owen Hunt.
He has also starred in TV blockbuster Rome as well as hit movies The Last Legion and Kingdom of Heaven.
In his latest movie, Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, he takes the role of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
McGregor was first of the Trainspotting cast to make it big with his leading role in the 2001 hit Moulin Rouge.
He was also in the 2005 Star Wars trilogy but has since taken on smaller roles.
McKidd also revealed he turned down a major part in the last two Harry Potter films.
He said: "There was this mean, alpha-male werewolf character, who's like the big villain in the final film. My kids were like, 'Why did you have to turn that down?'
"But when Percy Jackson came through, it was like, 'I've got to do this. I've never done this kind of movie before'."
Shades of 'Grey'
Kevin McKidd brings verve and vitality to gods, surgeons, and time travelers
By Sarah Kuhn
February 10, 2010
source: Backstage The Actor's Resource
Thanks to Cass for the heads up.
Kevin McKidd has played a time-traveling journalist, a tortured Roman soldier, and a star athlete–turned–heroin addict. But nothing quite compares to his most recent role: In "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," McKidd moves earth and sea as the Greek god Poseidon. "You do some research into the traits of the gods, I guess," muses the actor, sounding remarkably laid-back as he reflects on how, exactly, one prepares to play a towering mythological figure. "You look at images. But in this movie, I had to take the lead from [director] Chris Columbus, pick his brains a little and see what realm he wanted us, the actors, to live in."
Much of this fine-tuning came down to making sure the international cast—which also includes Uma Thurman as Medusa and Steve Coogan as Hades—sounded like they could inhabit the same world. "[Chris] really loved the show 'Rome' that I did, and he said he wanted that, dialectically," explains McKidd. "In 'Rome,' we kind of used our own dialect but in that slightly more classical tone of voice."
Nailing Poseidon's godly cadences was a challenge different from the more down-to-earth acting obstacles McKidd faces every week on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," wherein he plays former Army trauma surgeon Owen Hunt. The role represents a transition for McKidd: After anchoring his own show, "Journeyman," the actor has now been incorporated into the massive "Grey's" ensemble. "Suddenly, the workload has gone from being every single minute of every single day to—like, this week, I'm not actually working," he says. "It's fantastic for my family life, but the problem I find, as an actor, is that I have time to over-think stuff and question my choices and how I'm going to play a scene. If I'm not working this week and I've got a big scene next Monday, I'll have all these days to churn myself up about how it's gonna go. I become self-conscious."
Not that he doesn't enjoy all the meaty material the show has given him thus far: From Owen's struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder to his tumultuous relationship with fellow surgeon Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), McKidd is pleased that he's had the opportunity to play such a full gamut of emotions. Now he's looking to take advantage of some of that aforementioned time off to get more involved in Los Angeles' rich indie film scene. "I've always been attracted to directors who are just about to break," he says. "I'm keen to find those kinds of projects; that was kind of the grass roots of my career, working with first-time directors. I miss that experimentation."
Career Engineer
As a kid growing up in "a very small, quite old-fashioned town" in the highlands of Scotland, McKidd used acting to escape his crippling shyness. "I found it very hard to talk to adults," he recalls. "Suddenly I did a school play, and I was given this dialogue somebody else wrote, and I could just pour myself into that. I think that was the initial spark for me; I could really express myself through somebody else's words."
He ventured to Edinburgh for a university education, intent on studying engineering. But he says he knew, deep down, that acting was his true calling. "I knew my folks would be scared if I left home at 16 to go be an actor," he says, chuckling. "I thought, 'I'll get out of town in a legitimate way and be at a good university.' I joined a student theater company in Edinburgh and spent way more time there than I ever spent at lectures."
McKidd ultimately dropped out of university and enrolled in Queen Margaret College to study drama. One of his first breaks came in the form of Danny Boyle's 1996 smash "Trainspotting": McKidd played clean-cut Tommy, a good-natured soccer player who descends into heroin addiction. The film came out around the same time as modest indie "Small Faces," which cast the actor as a villainous psychopath—pretty much the exact opposite of his "Trainspotting" persona. Though McKidd appreciated being able to show multiple sides of his talent, he also notes that the acting jobs dried up a bit after that initial break. "I was very lucky that those two jobs came out of the gate, so nobody could kind of pigeonhole me at that point, which was great," he says. "But I think in a way, that kind of meant things were slower, because people were scratching their heads, going, 'Well, what are we going to do with this guy?' "
A Long 'Journey'
Luckily, the casting community eventually figured him out, and McKidd began to build a solid, diverse career, acting in projects like the award-winning TV show "North Square" and films "Topsy-Turvy" and "Kingdom of Heaven." But it was the brutal, blood-soaked HBO series "Rome" that got him noticed by American audiences; McKidd's portrayal of brooding Lucius Vorenus won him raves from critics and passionate fans around the globe. Oddly enough, the folks behind the series had him in mind for pretty much every role except the one he ended up playing. McKidd recalls that casting director Nina Gold, who had hired him before, got him in the door for an initial read.
"Everybody there could only see me as Mark Antony," he says. "I said, 'Okay, fine, but I really think I should read for Lucius Vorenus.' They came back to me and said, 'We want you to read for Titus Pullo.' I said, 'Okay, but I still think I should read for this Lucius Vorenus part.' 'No, no, we don't see you as him.' I read for Pullo, and they went, 'Eh.' "
Finally the producers allowed McKidd to read for the part he had wanted all along. Their response? " 'Yeah, that really works,' " says McKidd with a laugh. "I think as an actor, you know what your strengths are going to be. And sometimes you have to lead the horse to water. I was lucky enough that I had a relationship with Nina Gold, so she kind of went to bat for me."
McKidd's next move was a lead role as an oft-perplexed time traveler in the 2007 series "Journeyman." The show attracted a modest yet fervent fan base, but it never quite got off the ground and was canceled after a single season. "I was with my wife, and we'd moved into a rented house, and we sat there—not only in the midst of a canceled show but the writers strike," recalls McKidd. "Nobody could get work. We were a long way from home, not knowing what was going to happen. I think no matter how much you are a professional and say, 'Just to get a network show on the air as the lead is a huge success,' part of you goes, 'Wow, people just hate me and don't want to watch me on TV.' You have those dark moments."
So what pulled McKidd out of his funk? Well, a call from "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes may have helped just a little. "You think you're dead in town; you think, 'That's it'—but then the phone rings and you get another job," marvels the actor. "Somebody like Shonda Rhimes calls, and you realize maybe things aren't over, you know?"
February 10, 2010
source: Backstage The Actor's Resource
Thanks to Cass for the heads up.
Kevin McKidd has played a time-traveling journalist, a tortured Roman soldier, and a star athlete–turned–heroin addict. But nothing quite compares to his most recent role: In "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," McKidd moves earth and sea as the Greek god Poseidon. "You do some research into the traits of the gods, I guess," muses the actor, sounding remarkably laid-back as he reflects on how, exactly, one prepares to play a towering mythological figure. "You look at images. But in this movie, I had to take the lead from [director] Chris Columbus, pick his brains a little and see what realm he wanted us, the actors, to live in."
Much of this fine-tuning came down to making sure the international cast—which also includes Uma Thurman as Medusa and Steve Coogan as Hades—sounded like they could inhabit the same world. "[Chris] really loved the show 'Rome' that I did, and he said he wanted that, dialectically," explains McKidd. "In 'Rome,' we kind of used our own dialect but in that slightly more classical tone of voice."
Nailing Poseidon's godly cadences was a challenge different from the more down-to-earth acting obstacles McKidd faces every week on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," wherein he plays former Army trauma surgeon Owen Hunt. The role represents a transition for McKidd: After anchoring his own show, "Journeyman," the actor has now been incorporated into the massive "Grey's" ensemble. "Suddenly, the workload has gone from being every single minute of every single day to—like, this week, I'm not actually working," he says. "It's fantastic for my family life, but the problem I find, as an actor, is that I have time to over-think stuff and question my choices and how I'm going to play a scene. If I'm not working this week and I've got a big scene next Monday, I'll have all these days to churn myself up about how it's gonna go. I become self-conscious."
Not that he doesn't enjoy all the meaty material the show has given him thus far: From Owen's struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder to his tumultuous relationship with fellow surgeon Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), McKidd is pleased that he's had the opportunity to play such a full gamut of emotions. Now he's looking to take advantage of some of that aforementioned time off to get more involved in Los Angeles' rich indie film scene. "I've always been attracted to directors who are just about to break," he says. "I'm keen to find those kinds of projects; that was kind of the grass roots of my career, working with first-time directors. I miss that experimentation."
Career Engineer
As a kid growing up in "a very small, quite old-fashioned town" in the highlands of Scotland, McKidd used acting to escape his crippling shyness. "I found it very hard to talk to adults," he recalls. "Suddenly I did a school play, and I was given this dialogue somebody else wrote, and I could just pour myself into that. I think that was the initial spark for me; I could really express myself through somebody else's words."
He ventured to Edinburgh for a university education, intent on studying engineering. But he says he knew, deep down, that acting was his true calling. "I knew my folks would be scared if I left home at 16 to go be an actor," he says, chuckling. "I thought, 'I'll get out of town in a legitimate way and be at a good university.' I joined a student theater company in Edinburgh and spent way more time there than I ever spent at lectures."
McKidd ultimately dropped out of university and enrolled in Queen Margaret College to study drama. One of his first breaks came in the form of Danny Boyle's 1996 smash "Trainspotting": McKidd played clean-cut Tommy, a good-natured soccer player who descends into heroin addiction. The film came out around the same time as modest indie "Small Faces," which cast the actor as a villainous psychopath—pretty much the exact opposite of his "Trainspotting" persona. Though McKidd appreciated being able to show multiple sides of his talent, he also notes that the acting jobs dried up a bit after that initial break. "I was very lucky that those two jobs came out of the gate, so nobody could kind of pigeonhole me at that point, which was great," he says. "But I think in a way, that kind of meant things were slower, because people were scratching their heads, going, 'Well, what are we going to do with this guy?' "
A Long 'Journey'
Luckily, the casting community eventually figured him out, and McKidd began to build a solid, diverse career, acting in projects like the award-winning TV show "North Square" and films "Topsy-Turvy" and "Kingdom of Heaven." But it was the brutal, blood-soaked HBO series "Rome" that got him noticed by American audiences; McKidd's portrayal of brooding Lucius Vorenus won him raves from critics and passionate fans around the globe. Oddly enough, the folks behind the series had him in mind for pretty much every role except the one he ended up playing. McKidd recalls that casting director Nina Gold, who had hired him before, got him in the door for an initial read.
"Everybody there could only see me as Mark Antony," he says. "I said, 'Okay, fine, but I really think I should read for Lucius Vorenus.' They came back to me and said, 'We want you to read for Titus Pullo.' I said, 'Okay, but I still think I should read for this Lucius Vorenus part.' 'No, no, we don't see you as him.' I read for Pullo, and they went, 'Eh.' "
Finally the producers allowed McKidd to read for the part he had wanted all along. Their response? " 'Yeah, that really works,' " says McKidd with a laugh. "I think as an actor, you know what your strengths are going to be. And sometimes you have to lead the horse to water. I was lucky enough that I had a relationship with Nina Gold, so she kind of went to bat for me."
McKidd's next move was a lead role as an oft-perplexed time traveler in the 2007 series "Journeyman." The show attracted a modest yet fervent fan base, but it never quite got off the ground and was canceled after a single season. "I was with my wife, and we'd moved into a rented house, and we sat there—not only in the midst of a canceled show but the writers strike," recalls McKidd. "Nobody could get work. We were a long way from home, not knowing what was going to happen. I think no matter how much you are a professional and say, 'Just to get a network show on the air as the lead is a huge success,' part of you goes, 'Wow, people just hate me and don't want to watch me on TV.' You have those dark moments."
So what pulled McKidd out of his funk? Well, a call from "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes may have helped just a little. "You think you're dead in town; you think, 'That's it'—but then the phone rings and you get another job," marvels the actor. "Somebody like Shonda Rhimes calls, and you realize maybe things aren't over, you know?"
The Betty Interview: Kevin McKidd
The Grey’s Anatomy star dishes with BettyConfidential about his onscreen love triangle, new movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and life as a dad. -Patty Adams
February 10, 2010
source: Betty Confidential
On Grey’s Anatomy, Kevin McKidd plays the tough, war-torn Army surgeon, Dr. Owen Hunt, who has taken a liking to the uber-competitive and emotionally distant Cristina (Sandra Oh). But after 36 episodes and counting, the Scotland-born actor’s Dr. Hunt is starting to melt her cold heart with his declarations of love — and steamy hospital sex. Kevin, 36, who stars as Poseidon in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (which opens tomorrow), is equally passionate off-screen. It was love at first sight for the former Rome star and his wife, Jane. Two-and-a-half weeks after meeting, they got engaged, and five months later they were married. “You could say I’m intense, loyal and passionate, like Owen,” says Kevin. Just what we needed to hear! As if we didn’t have a big enough crush on him already.
Actors are sometimes seen as gods, but you actually got to play one in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. What was it like starring as Poseidon?
It’s unusual to be asked to play a god — that’s for sure. And it’s been a blast working with director Chris Columbus from beginning to end. I tried to make Poseidon a little more human. As a god, he’s not allowed to see his son, Percy, so I saw him as a divorced dad. I think that made the character a little more believable. I only have a small part in this one, but you’ll see much more of me in the next movie.
Did your kids, Joseph and Iona, influence you in wanting to do more family-friendly fare?
Yes, but it’s not like I’m only going to do family films from here on out. I just wanted my kids to be able to see at least one thing that Daddy’s been in. I’m usually in much more mature-themed movies.
What, they haven’t seen Trainspotting?
No, not yet! We went to the premiere of Percy last night and my son is a huge Percy Jackson fan — he’s read all five books — and he had an absolute ball. My daughter even said it was the best movie she had seen in her whole life. So that made me feel good.
Do they realize that their dad’s a big deal?
They enjoy the fact that I’m an actor and I get to wear silly costumes. For them, though, they really like to take trips to craft service and get free candy. They think it’s strange to go to weird places like North Africa to watch Daddy sit around in a dusty trailer.
Has your cool factor gone up with them after being in Percy?
Oh, yeah, especially with their pals at school. Suddenly, they’ve given much more street cred to dad, because he’s Percy Jackson’s dad too.
The books — and now the movie — are being called the next Harry Potter. How does that feel?
It was like Beatlemania after the New York premiere, so if the kids’ reactions are any indication, I think the movie’s going to be huge. And who doesn’t want to be in a hit?
Things are really heating up on your day job at Grey’s Anatomy. How’s it feel for your character Dr. Hunt to be in the middle of a Cristina-Teddy love triangle?
It’s a complicated situation. Owen has declared his undying love for Cristina, and that he’s very sure about. But as we know on TV shows those feelings, promises and truths get tested sometimes. It’s difficult when a friend like Teddy [Kim Raver] wants to be more than just friends and she’s there with your lover and colleagues in an environment where you have to work very closely together. It’s going to lead to a pretty exciting, unexpected spot.
Do you think it’s Owen’s own fault for bringing Teddy to Seattle Grace?
Of course. I wouldn’t have brought someone I knew had feelings for me to come work with my new girlfriend. That’s just asking for trouble!
You’re lucky to be playing opposite such talented actresses.
I know. When I joined the show, I felt so blessed to get Sandra as my acting partner. Not only is she talented but she’s always happy and a very positive person to be around. Then Kim comes along and she is a consummate actress. She can really hold her own with Sandra. I’m in a really happy spot right now.
What has been your favorite storyline on the show so far?
I’ve really responded to the bits where Owen explores what happened to him while he was serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will be revisited this season. There’s a very interesting story to tell. And it’s really relevant right now with the war going on, and people coming back having served for their country. Vets and especially their families have really responded to that storyline, because they’re often dealing with someone who doesn’t really resemble the person they knew before he or she went away. They seem very grateful and thankful their story is on TV, because post-traumatic stress has always been a taboo subject.
You already have “Mc” built into your real name, but what about a Mc-nickname for your character?
I don’t want one! On the show they’ve been joking about him being a Ginger. Maybe it’ll be McGinger. But I’d rather it be McBadAss.
You’ve been in a lot of movies and TV shows over the years. What do fans usually recognize you for most?
It’s a split demographic. If it’s a guy who comes up to me, it usually has something to do with Rome (above), and if it’s a lady it definitely has to do with Grey’s Anatomy.
How would you describe yourself when you’re not playing a role?
Passionate, private, motivated, loving and sometimes stubborn.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m taking ice skating lessons at the moment. My son plays ice hockey and I enjoy taking him to the games, so I’m hoping I can coach ice hockey 101 with him and poke around the ice rink. I can almost skate backwards, but I’m not quite there yet. Joseph makes fun of me, but that’s OK. He’s a much better skater than I am.
What do you do to relax?
I play guitar — everything from folk music to jazz and blues.
If you had to be on a reality show, which would it be?
I hate reality TV, but if I had to choose I’d say Amazing Race or Survivor — something that’s outdoorsy and requires skill. I’m attached to a movie at the moment (with Trainspotting alum Ewan McGregor) about guys who climb Mount Everest, and they want to shoot a lot of it at the base camp on Mount Everest, so I’m going to need to get into shape for that.
What’s your idea of the perfect day?
The perfect day would be me, my wife Jane, and the kids in our pajamas all day. We’d cook pancakes together, then Joseph would get on his drum kit and I’d play guitar. We’d jam all day, and I’d read to them before bedtime.
February 10, 2010
source: Betty Confidential
On Grey’s Anatomy, Kevin McKidd plays the tough, war-torn Army surgeon, Dr. Owen Hunt, who has taken a liking to the uber-competitive and emotionally distant Cristina (Sandra Oh). But after 36 episodes and counting, the Scotland-born actor’s Dr. Hunt is starting to melt her cold heart with his declarations of love — and steamy hospital sex. Kevin, 36, who stars as Poseidon in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (which opens tomorrow), is equally passionate off-screen. It was love at first sight for the former Rome star and his wife, Jane. Two-and-a-half weeks after meeting, they got engaged, and five months later they were married. “You could say I’m intense, loyal and passionate, like Owen,” says Kevin. Just what we needed to hear! As if we didn’t have a big enough crush on him already.
Actors are sometimes seen as gods, but you actually got to play one in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. What was it like starring as Poseidon?
It’s unusual to be asked to play a god — that’s for sure. And it’s been a blast working with director Chris Columbus from beginning to end. I tried to make Poseidon a little more human. As a god, he’s not allowed to see his son, Percy, so I saw him as a divorced dad. I think that made the character a little more believable. I only have a small part in this one, but you’ll see much more of me in the next movie.
Did your kids, Joseph and Iona, influence you in wanting to do more family-friendly fare?
Yes, but it’s not like I’m only going to do family films from here on out. I just wanted my kids to be able to see at least one thing that Daddy’s been in. I’m usually in much more mature-themed movies.
What, they haven’t seen Trainspotting?
No, not yet! We went to the premiere of Percy last night and my son is a huge Percy Jackson fan — he’s read all five books — and he had an absolute ball. My daughter even said it was the best movie she had seen in her whole life. So that made me feel good.
Do they realize that their dad’s a big deal?
They enjoy the fact that I’m an actor and I get to wear silly costumes. For them, though, they really like to take trips to craft service and get free candy. They think it’s strange to go to weird places like North Africa to watch Daddy sit around in a dusty trailer.
Has your cool factor gone up with them after being in Percy?
Oh, yeah, especially with their pals at school. Suddenly, they’ve given much more street cred to dad, because he’s Percy Jackson’s dad too.
The books — and now the movie — are being called the next Harry Potter. How does that feel?
It was like Beatlemania after the New York premiere, so if the kids’ reactions are any indication, I think the movie’s going to be huge. And who doesn’t want to be in a hit?
Things are really heating up on your day job at Grey’s Anatomy. How’s it feel for your character Dr. Hunt to be in the middle of a Cristina-Teddy love triangle?
It’s a complicated situation. Owen has declared his undying love for Cristina, and that he’s very sure about. But as we know on TV shows those feelings, promises and truths get tested sometimes. It’s difficult when a friend like Teddy [Kim Raver] wants to be more than just friends and she’s there with your lover and colleagues in an environment where you have to work very closely together. It’s going to lead to a pretty exciting, unexpected spot.
Do you think it’s Owen’s own fault for bringing Teddy to Seattle Grace?
Of course. I wouldn’t have brought someone I knew had feelings for me to come work with my new girlfriend. That’s just asking for trouble!
You’re lucky to be playing opposite such talented actresses.
I know. When I joined the show, I felt so blessed to get Sandra as my acting partner. Not only is she talented but she’s always happy and a very positive person to be around. Then Kim comes along and she is a consummate actress. She can really hold her own with Sandra. I’m in a really happy spot right now.
What has been your favorite storyline on the show so far?
I’ve really responded to the bits where Owen explores what happened to him while he was serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will be revisited this season. There’s a very interesting story to tell. And it’s really relevant right now with the war going on, and people coming back having served for their country. Vets and especially their families have really responded to that storyline, because they’re often dealing with someone who doesn’t really resemble the person they knew before he or she went away. They seem very grateful and thankful their story is on TV, because post-traumatic stress has always been a taboo subject.
You already have “Mc” built into your real name, but what about a Mc-nickname for your character?
I don’t want one! On the show they’ve been joking about him being a Ginger. Maybe it’ll be McGinger. But I’d rather it be McBadAss.
You’ve been in a lot of movies and TV shows over the years. What do fans usually recognize you for most?
It’s a split demographic. If it’s a guy who comes up to me, it usually has something to do with Rome (above), and if it’s a lady it definitely has to do with Grey’s Anatomy.
How would you describe yourself when you’re not playing a role?
Passionate, private, motivated, loving and sometimes stubborn.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m taking ice skating lessons at the moment. My son plays ice hockey and I enjoy taking him to the games, so I’m hoping I can coach ice hockey 101 with him and poke around the ice rink. I can almost skate backwards, but I’m not quite there yet. Joseph makes fun of me, but that’s OK. He’s a much better skater than I am.
What do you do to relax?
I play guitar — everything from folk music to jazz and blues.
If you had to be on a reality show, which would it be?
I hate reality TV, but if I had to choose I’d say Amazing Race or Survivor — something that’s outdoorsy and requires skill. I’m attached to a movie at the moment (with Trainspotting alum Ewan McGregor) about guys who climb Mount Everest, and they want to shoot a lot of it at the base camp on Mount Everest, so I’m going to need to get into shape for that.
What’s your idea of the perfect day?
The perfect day would be me, my wife Jane, and the kids in our pajamas all day. We’d cook pancakes together, then Joseph would get on his drum kit and I’d play guitar. We’d jam all day, and I’d read to them before bedtime.
Kevin Says He Turned Down 'Big Villian' Character In Final "Harry Potter" Films
by Eric Ditzian
February 9, 2010
source: MTV Movies Blog
Kevin McKidd plays a god in "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," He almost played a monster in "Harry Potter"
While chatting with MTV News about "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," in which he plays Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, McKidd revealed that he was recruited for a meaty, villainous role in the "Harry Potter" franchise. A scheduling conflict prevented him from coming aboard.
(Kevin) "I was asked to be in the last two 'Harry Potter' films and I couldn't do it because I was busy filming 'Grey's Anatomy,' " McKidd said. "There was this mean, alpha-male werewolf character, who's like the big villain in the final film."
Our guess is the role McKidd was offered was that of Death Eater Fenrir Greyback. Only problem with that theory is Greyback was played by Dave Legeno starting in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," not just in the final two parts of "Deathly Hallows." Perhaps McKidd was offered a role in the last three films, and he simply misspoke during the junket. His turn in "Grey's" began airing in the Fall of 2008, while "Half-Blood Prince" wrapped filming in the spring of that year, so it's possible there was scheduling conflict back in '08. Let us know your thoughts on McKidd's role in the comments below.
In any event, the Scottish actor's work as a trauma surgeon alongside Ellen Pompeo on "Grey's" prevented him from joining up with "Potter." His kids were not pleased.
"My kids were so pissed," he said. "They were like, 'Why did you have turn that down? I was like, 'I didn't turn it down. I couldn't do it.' But when ["Percy Jackson"] came through, it was like, 'I've got to do this because I've never done this kind of movie before.'"
by Eric Ditzian
February 9, 2010
source: MTV Movies Blog
Kevin McKidd plays a god in "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," He almost played a monster in "Harry Potter"
While chatting with MTV News about "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," in which he plays Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, McKidd revealed that he was recruited for a meaty, villainous role in the "Harry Potter" franchise. A scheduling conflict prevented him from coming aboard.
(Kevin) "I was asked to be in the last two 'Harry Potter' films and I couldn't do it because I was busy filming 'Grey's Anatomy,' " McKidd said. "There was this mean, alpha-male werewolf character, who's like the big villain in the final film."
Our guess is the role McKidd was offered was that of Death Eater Fenrir Greyback. Only problem with that theory is Greyback was played by Dave Legeno starting in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," not just in the final two parts of "Deathly Hallows." Perhaps McKidd was offered a role in the last three films, and he simply misspoke during the junket. His turn in "Grey's" began airing in the Fall of 2008, while "Half-Blood Prince" wrapped filming in the spring of that year, so it's possible there was scheduling conflict back in '08. Let us know your thoughts on McKidd's role in the comments below.
In any event, the Scottish actor's work as a trauma surgeon alongside Ellen Pompeo on "Grey's" prevented him from joining up with "Potter." His kids were not pleased.
"My kids were so pissed," he said. "They were like, 'Why did you have turn that down? I was like, 'I didn't turn it down. I couldn't do it.' But when ["Percy Jackson"] came through, it was like, 'I've got to do this because I've never done this kind of movie before.'"
Kevin McKidd: New role in Percy Jackson and the Olympians means my kids can see me on big screen at last
By Siobhan Synott
February 9, 2010
source: Daily Record.uk
SCOTS star Kevin McKidd is now a giant in Hollywood - playing a 40ft Greek god in his new action movie.
But he says the best part of his new role is the fact that his two young children can watch him on the big screen for the first time.
Kevin plays sea god Poseidon in the £100million family blockbuster Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, alongside Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Steve Coogan and Sean Bean.
And the 36-year-old admits it's the first time his children won't be barred from watching their dad act.
He said: "My kids are really excited about Percy Jackson. They think it's going to be cool that they'll be able to see me in the cinema."
It's been 14 years since the Elgin-born actor shot to fame with Trainspotting but his kids haven't seen his films because he reckoned they were too violent.
Kevin's first big film was the Scottish movie Small Faces, where he played a razor-slashing Glasgow gang leader.
More recently he appeared in Hannibal Rising, about the origins of serial killer Hannibal Lecter.
Now his kids have started looking for projects that their dad could star in - and they can watch.
His son Joseph begged him to appear in Percy Jackson as the hero's long-lost dad, Poseidon.
Kevin said: "Joseph read the first book and he'd never seen anything I'd been in. He was right down my throat, telling me I had to do it."
Joseph and his sister Iona have also seen their dad become a star in Channel 5's Grey's Anatomy.
And they were delighted when Kevin got called up by Disney and asked to provide a voice in Pixar's Scottish animated movie, The Bear And The Bow, featuring Reece Witherspoon, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson.
Kevin said: "Joseph just knows I'm doing a voice in a Pixar film. I haven't done the recordings yet so I'll know more in March when I start.
"I'm dead excited about it - and that I'm working with Billy Connolly."
Kevin's Poseidon appears in Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief with the mighty Zeus (Bean), the wicked Hades (Coogan) and the other gods of ancient Olympus.
But the film has a thoroughly modern setting - and a dramatic entrance for Kevin. He appears in the first scene marching out of the Hudson River and into present-day Manhattan.
He said: "The thing I found hardest was walking out of the water. You can't just look like you're going down the paper shop.
"I was supposed to be 40ft tall so I had to look as if my bones were much bigger and give a sense of momentum.
"I thought I'd be done by lunch but it took two days."
Kevin, who was in three series of TV hit Rome as Lucius Vorenus, joked: "It was nice to get back in a skirt - it was like coming home."
Poseidon watches over his son Percy but has been forbidden from meeting or trying to make contact with him - while his kid is unaware of his dad and his special powers.
It's been a rollercoaster career for Kevin who, as a jobbing actor, dressed up as a spook to work on the Edinburgh ghost tours. After his Trainspotting role, he was unemployed and had money worries.
He admits he failed to take advantage of his big break in the hit film - and even missed appearing on the iconic poster because he was on holiday.
Kevin said: "I didn't have the confidence to come out to LA. Everybody said I should but I knew it wasn't my time.
"I had a tough few years working in bars and on building sites to make ends meet."
At another point, with no work, a baby on the way and a demand for a massive tax bill, he worked as a motorbike courier instead of taking easy acting jobs - because they failed to meet his standards.
Kevin added: "People said I should do ads or daytime soaps but I felt I'd rather work on building sites.
"I'd started so well that I didn't mind doing menial jobs. I wasn't going to let my standards go as far as my dreams to be an actor were concerned."
Despite his success in other films and Rome, two years ago Kevin was facing another period of unemployment.
After the hit TV show, Kevin and Jane, his wife of 10 years, uprooted their family from Britain to LA so he could appear in a science fiction series called Journeyman.
But the show, about a time-travelling journalist, never caught on with viewers.
His family were packing their bags when Kevin was offered a small role in the TV hospital drama Grey's Anatomy.
The part of Iraq war veteran Dr Owen Hunt was only supposed to feature in six episodes. But Kevin was such a hit he's now a permanent member of the team.
He said: "It's weird joining a show like this. But I thought if I am good with a sword, I'll be good with a scalpel."
Now his supporters include his Percy Jackson co-star Coogan, who said: "I'm a big admirer of Kevin's work."
His female fans, such as Sharon Stone, are said to love Kevin's blond good looks on the hit show.
The hunk has come a long way from his childhood in Elgin, Moray, when Kevin says he was a non-sporty "fat little kid".
Since then, he's learned to love the gym and has developed a broad-shouldered, buff physique.
He said: "My job requires me to look a certain way so it's important I eat well.
"I never diet but I control portions and stick with lean protein. I'm always up for a whisky on ice or beer though".
Kevin still returns to Scotland several times a year, most recently to shoot One Night In Emergency for BBC Scotland.
But for now he seems set to stay in LA - and try to keep his kids from developing strong American accents.
Besides being busy with Grey's Anatomy, it seems likely Kevin will appear in a movie version of Rome planned for later this year - despite Lucius dying in the final scenes of the TV show.
His way with a sword, an impressive set of abs and a swagger even when kitted out in an ancient costume has led to comparisons with Gerard Butler, another Scot who got a career boost from a toga.
He said: "Rome were looking for a rough, Scottish actor in Hollywood. They probably couldn't get Gerard Butler so they got the No 2 Gerard Butler - me!"
Kevin says he is very excited about starring in Rome The Movie and will do it "providing the script is good - and Gerard isn't available".
February 9, 2010
source: Daily Record.uk
SCOTS star Kevin McKidd is now a giant in Hollywood - playing a 40ft Greek god in his new action movie.
But he says the best part of his new role is the fact that his two young children can watch him on the big screen for the first time.
Kevin plays sea god Poseidon in the £100million family blockbuster Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, alongside Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Steve Coogan and Sean Bean.
And the 36-year-old admits it's the first time his children won't be barred from watching their dad act.
He said: "My kids are really excited about Percy Jackson. They think it's going to be cool that they'll be able to see me in the cinema."
It's been 14 years since the Elgin-born actor shot to fame with Trainspotting but his kids haven't seen his films because he reckoned they were too violent.
Kevin's first big film was the Scottish movie Small Faces, where he played a razor-slashing Glasgow gang leader.
More recently he appeared in Hannibal Rising, about the origins of serial killer Hannibal Lecter.
Now his kids have started looking for projects that their dad could star in - and they can watch.
His son Joseph begged him to appear in Percy Jackson as the hero's long-lost dad, Poseidon.
Kevin said: "Joseph read the first book and he'd never seen anything I'd been in. He was right down my throat, telling me I had to do it."
Joseph and his sister Iona have also seen their dad become a star in Channel 5's Grey's Anatomy.
And they were delighted when Kevin got called up by Disney and asked to provide a voice in Pixar's Scottish animated movie, The Bear And The Bow, featuring Reece Witherspoon, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson.
Kevin said: "Joseph just knows I'm doing a voice in a Pixar film. I haven't done the recordings yet so I'll know more in March when I start.
"I'm dead excited about it - and that I'm working with Billy Connolly."
Kevin's Poseidon appears in Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief with the mighty Zeus (Bean), the wicked Hades (Coogan) and the other gods of ancient Olympus.
But the film has a thoroughly modern setting - and a dramatic entrance for Kevin. He appears in the first scene marching out of the Hudson River and into present-day Manhattan.
He said: "The thing I found hardest was walking out of the water. You can't just look like you're going down the paper shop.
"I was supposed to be 40ft tall so I had to look as if my bones were much bigger and give a sense of momentum.
"I thought I'd be done by lunch but it took two days."
Kevin, who was in three series of TV hit Rome as Lucius Vorenus, joked: "It was nice to get back in a skirt - it was like coming home."
Poseidon watches over his son Percy but has been forbidden from meeting or trying to make contact with him - while his kid is unaware of his dad and his special powers.
It's been a rollercoaster career for Kevin who, as a jobbing actor, dressed up as a spook to work on the Edinburgh ghost tours. After his Trainspotting role, he was unemployed and had money worries.
He admits he failed to take advantage of his big break in the hit film - and even missed appearing on the iconic poster because he was on holiday.
Kevin said: "I didn't have the confidence to come out to LA. Everybody said I should but I knew it wasn't my time.
"I had a tough few years working in bars and on building sites to make ends meet."
At another point, with no work, a baby on the way and a demand for a massive tax bill, he worked as a motorbike courier instead of taking easy acting jobs - because they failed to meet his standards.
Kevin added: "People said I should do ads or daytime soaps but I felt I'd rather work on building sites.
"I'd started so well that I didn't mind doing menial jobs. I wasn't going to let my standards go as far as my dreams to be an actor were concerned."
Despite his success in other films and Rome, two years ago Kevin was facing another period of unemployment.
After the hit TV show, Kevin and Jane, his wife of 10 years, uprooted their family from Britain to LA so he could appear in a science fiction series called Journeyman.
But the show, about a time-travelling journalist, never caught on with viewers.
His family were packing their bags when Kevin was offered a small role in the TV hospital drama Grey's Anatomy.
The part of Iraq war veteran Dr Owen Hunt was only supposed to feature in six episodes. But Kevin was such a hit he's now a permanent member of the team.
He said: "It's weird joining a show like this. But I thought if I am good with a sword, I'll be good with a scalpel."
Now his supporters include his Percy Jackson co-star Coogan, who said: "I'm a big admirer of Kevin's work."
His female fans, such as Sharon Stone, are said to love Kevin's blond good looks on the hit show.
The hunk has come a long way from his childhood in Elgin, Moray, when Kevin says he was a non-sporty "fat little kid".
Since then, he's learned to love the gym and has developed a broad-shouldered, buff physique.
He said: "My job requires me to look a certain way so it's important I eat well.
"I never diet but I control portions and stick with lean protein. I'm always up for a whisky on ice or beer though".
Kevin still returns to Scotland several times a year, most recently to shoot One Night In Emergency for BBC Scotland.
But for now he seems set to stay in LA - and try to keep his kids from developing strong American accents.
Besides being busy with Grey's Anatomy, it seems likely Kevin will appear in a movie version of Rome planned for later this year - despite Lucius dying in the final scenes of the TV show.
His way with a sword, an impressive set of abs and a swagger even when kitted out in an ancient costume has led to comparisons with Gerard Butler, another Scot who got a career boost from a toga.
He said: "Rome were looking for a rough, Scottish actor in Hollywood. They probably couldn't get Gerard Butler so they got the No 2 Gerard Butler - me!"
Kevin says he is very excited about starring in Rome The Movie and will do it "providing the script is good - and Gerard isn't available".
Kevin McKidd "Making Waves in Hollywood"
February 7, 2010
By Daniel Schweiger
source: Buzzine
When it comes to a seeming wave of Scottish actors who are invading America with their roguish charm and sword-swinging biceps, there’s no foot soldier whose landing might be more deserved, or long-in-the-coming than Kevin McKidd’s. Hailing from Elgin, Moray, McKidd got his start in youth theater before making a detour into studying engineering at Edinborough. But like all charismatic actors who seemed destined for a seemingly incongruous career path, it wasn’t long before acting pulled McKidd back in. His early theater work with Robert Carlyle’s Rain Dog Theater Company portended McKidd’s iconic film debut, standing alongside Carlyle as Tommy, one of the endearing drug-addled miscreants of that paean to Scottish bad behavior known as Trainspotting.
McKidd’s imposing frame may have gotten him started out as a “gentle giant,” but he was capable enough of emotionally varying it through any number of accents and diverse characters for Hideous Kinky, Topsy-Turvy, Anna Karenina, De-Lovely and Kingdom of Heaven before his Anglo-phile appeal truly became internationally historic with HBO’s Rome. For a series that put believably immoral grit in the sword-and-sandal genre, McKidd’s Roman officer Lucius Vorenus stood for what might be called a voice of reason, honoring duty, country and unknowingly playing witness to history while also playing straight-man to Ray Stevenson’s berserker gladiator Titus Pullo. Rome’s critical success would quickly make McKidd a leading man in American television, first as a reporter unstuck in time for NBC’s one-season cult wonder Journeyman, and presently as the shell-shocked Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy. All the while, McKidd has continued to do his country proud amidst his new LA environs as the Scot to beat for a lady’s hand in Made of Honor, then as the bad-ass voice of the Scottish super-soldier “Soap” MacTavish in the gloriously violent video game “Modern Warfare 2.”
Now, after more than showing he knows how to handle a broadsword as god-worshiping characters in Rome and The Last Legion, McKidd finally ascends to the all-powerful heavens with Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, essaying the role of Poseidon alongside an acting pantheon that includes Sean Benn’s Zeus, Rosario Dawson’s Chiron and Uma Thurman’s Medusa. It’s McKidd’s charisma that unleashes the thunder like never before (not to mention the ocean) in his relationship to a half-god son whom he seeks to protect from the various demons and deities that want his birthright. But perhaps even cooler for McKidd than going to Mount Olympus is being on the ground floor of what might be the next big Hollywood teen-fantasy franchise, one directed by no less than Harry Potter’s Chris Columbus. For fans of Kevin McKidd’s work, not to mention the acting aspirations of his countrymen, Percy Jackson is a literal godsend.
Daniel Schweiger: In the cinematic Mount Olympus of the gods, I don’t think Poseidon has really gotten his live action due before this movie. He barely merited a cameo in the original Clash of the Titans.
Kevin McKidd: Poseidon definitely gets prominence in this movie because he’s Percy Jackson’s father. That gives him a good head-start! Percy finds out he’s a half-blood son of a god and is a demi-god himself. He’s an unhappy teenager with a stepfather he hates, and then finds out that he’s got these powers from his dad. So what’s beyond the big fantasy-action of the movie is the story of an estranged father and son, almost as if Poseidon had been a divorced dad who didn’t get custody. That’s because Zeus passed an edict forbidding all gods from meeting and talking with their half-god children. So Percy Jackson is kind of like Kramer Vs. Kramer in a way! And Zeus is the judge of this court.
DS: Movies always seem to cast actors from the British Isles as the gods, from Laurence Olivier as Zeus in the original Clash of the Titans to Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in the remake. Why do you think Hollywood likes those all-powerful English accents?
KM: I think it’s a cinematic shorthand, probably stemming back to the days of the theater because, when you think of the perceived knowledge of the gods, an English accent conveys it in a classical environment. That’s the only hunch I can go on.
DS: When you’re doing a major effects franchise movie like this, how difficult is it to get to the emotional truth of a character like Poseidon?
KM: I think the job, in movies like this, is to let all those effects happen and try to hold onto the job you always do as an actor, which is to delineate the small, human moments. Our director, Chris Columbus, is great with actors and characters. He wants to keep us all human and connected. And being in a background like this before with Rome certainly helped.
DS: How did you become part of The Olympians?
KM: As an actor, it’s always flattering when a director asks for you to be in a film because they’ve seen your work, and that’s what happened in this case, with Chris liking my work in Rome and Journeyman. So whether it’s a franchise movie or a small independent picture, you’re just honored to be in the project because they want you there. The fact that this is the start of a big franchise is definitely something new to me, and I’m excited about that because I’ve never done anything like this before. Yet, at the end of the day, I became an actor to do different stuff with my life. It’s been a happy, fun experience so far, especially on Percy Jackson.
DS: For me, Rome was one of the best television series of the last decade. You keep hearing rumblings that they’re going to do a movie version of it. Do you think that could really happen?
KM: It definitely could. The show’s creator, Bruno Heller, and its producer, Anne Thomopoulos, loved the idea of how these lowly Roman soldiers mess with history, so they’re very much gung-ho to make it happen this summer. So keep your fingers crossed because things are very hard in the movie business. It’s all about finding the right backing, but there’s definitely an intention and a script. They key thing is the desire of the cast — those whose characters aren’t dead yet — to go back to it. We’re all very excited about the idea because these characters are so vibrant that they deserve another outing.
DS: Next to Maximus at the end of Gladiator, your Lucius Vorenus probably will have the most difficult time reasoning how he could have survived for a sequel.
KM: I remember how we shot the scene where I’m on my deathbed and reconciling things with my daughter. We played the scene and I closed my eyes with the idea that we fade to black. But there was a lot of talking on the set, and I’m lying there with white makeup on my face. Then our producer, John Melfi, comes up to me and says, “Okay, let’s do one more take, but this time, don’t close your eyes,” and that’s what ended up on the show, with the scene fading to white. So when Lucious’s friend Titus says that he didn’t make it, he’s, in fact, covering for him because the idea is he and Vorenus have disappeared into the Rhineland in Germany, where they’re living in a mud hut until things cool off. And that’s where the movie picks up.
DS: Your film debut was in Trainspotting, where you played the “gentle giant” Tommy. With a film so full of manic, drugged-up energy, was it the same way on the set?
KM: It’s so long ago now that the one distinct memory of Trainspotting that I have is of this stunningly beautiful woman hanging around the set. This was an ultra low-budget movie. We had no trailers and no facilities. Nothing. Just a fold-away table! I remember us standing in the Scottish highlands of Edenborough, shooting that opening sequence and I’m thinking, “Who is this amazingly beautiful woman? She looks like a movie star!” And it was Johnny Lee Miller’s then-girlfriend Angelina Jolie! That was kind of weird. It’s an interesting moment to look back on when you think of how Angelina started to become the movie star she’d be a few years later.
DS: Right after Trainspotting, you appeared as a gang member in an excellent Scottish ’60s period crime film called Small Faces.
KM: I was Malky Johnson, the leader of The Tongs. Everyone thinks Trainspotting was my first movie, but actually Small Faces was. In the middle of shooting, Danny Boyle showed up in Glasgow trying to cast the part of Tommy. That was the only vacancy among the male leads, and every actor in Scotland was trying to get the part. So Danny asked our director, Gilles MacKinnon, if he could watch the dailies to see some of the up-and-coming actors on the film. Danny asked to meet me, and I went in and read for it. It was as simple as that. It was one of those lucky moments. Small Faces ended up being a very underrated film. It came out a month after Trainspotting and was overshadowed by it. That’s a shame because I think it was a great period piece.
DS: You’d later return to the land of Trainspotting with the Irvin Welsh-scripted The Acid House, which was almost as much twisted fun.
KM: I was in the middle of its trilogy with a story called The Soft Touch, playing a guy who worked at a supermarket who ends up in a bad marriage. It was pretty harrowing stuff. I was very conscious of how similar The Acid House was to Trainspotting, which made it good I was in a sequence that wasn’t fantasy-based like the rest of the segments. The Soft Touch was very grim, almost Ken Loach in style — dark, foreboding and urban — and that made me feel that I wasn’t repeating itself.
DS: You really got put on the genre map with Dog Soldiers as the private who ends up surviving the werewolf onslaught.
KM: I’m Cooper, who’s the underdog who does well. It was Neil Marshall’s first film as a writer and director, and at first, I didn’t get it. But after speaking with Neil, I realized how much he wanted me to do it, and I knew this would be something special. We shot the film in Luxembourg and played it absolutely straight, which was what made Dog Soldiers so funny. Now people come up to me and say that not only is Dog Soldiers one of their favorite werewolf movies but one of their favorite genre films. In fact, it was always going to be a trilogy, with Cooper fighting zombies in the second movie and then fighting himself (his doppelganger) in the third, yet we never quite got around to that. As it happens, I spoke to Neil today, and now that we have more leverage in the industry, we want to do another genre film together.
DS: You could be the British version of Ash from the Evil Dead films!
KM: Right! [Laughs]
DS: A particularly underrated film you were in was Hannibal Rising, where you played a sympathetic bad guy…
KM: Who happened to be a sympathetic cannibal! Usually, characters like Kolnas build toward their horrific instance, which, in this case, is killing Hannibal’s young sister. You find Kolnas at the beginning of the second World War doing terrible, dehumanized, desensitized things, which kind of foreshadowed what’s happened recently in war situations. Years later, Kolnas has a family, runs a restaurant, and is trying to put it all behind him. He’s very suburban in his life, and then his past comes back to haunt him in the form of Hannibal, who’s seeking revenge. But Kolnas has been trying to be a better person since that time, and that was quite an interesting and dark situation to play.
DS: Though Rome was a cable success, you really got your first major network exposure as the star of NBC’s Journeyman. Why do you think the show got such a following, even with only one season?
KM: Rome got such good critical notices that, once it was finished, all the networks started looking at the actors who were now free. So I met a lot of neat and talented people all of a sudden, which had never happen to me before like this, and two of those people were Kevin Falls and Alex Graves. I was already a big fan of their work on The West Wing, and I loved their pilot script for Journeyman. It just seemed to be a right fit for me because there were brains behind this operation and a sensibility that I liked. Sure, the pressure was great on me as the lead on it, but I’d also come through the same thing on Rome, and when you’re part of the creation of a show, it’s a very stressful period because you’re giving birth to this baby with loads of arms and legs. That sounds horrific! But then it is horrific! I think Journeyman ended up doing well creatively because it was intelligent TV. Some people may have said it was too clever, but I’m proud of making a show that, within the confines of a one-hour network drama, tried to do something that made viewers exercise their brains. It was well-executed and the cast was terrific.
DS: What do you think would have happened to Dan on Journeyman?
KM: I really don’t know, but the writing-room was really starting to kick it up a notch when we were told it was over, so I think Dan would have gone to some very cool places.
DS: I recently died in your company several times while playing “Modern Warfare 2.”
KM: I apologize.
DS: What was it like to create a convincing character as “Soap” MacTavish for one of the biggest video games yet created?
KM: Doing “Modern Warfare 2″ was like restoring the great tradition of radio plays, which I think have died here in America. I’d done radio plays with actors like Derek Jacobi, who’d pop into the BBC studios in London to do “Hedda Gabler” for the radio. Shows like that are still very much a part of British culture. “Modern Warfare 2″ was like a radio play, in a way. It’s ten hours worth of recording to do every line of that character, which is quite tough on you physically because a lot of it is screaming at the top of your voice. It’s also an acting exercise when you get a line of text and you have to commit to it without having any idea of what’s happening around your character. I actually just got the game, so I think I’ll sneak into my kid’s room when he’s asleep and play it on his Xbox!
DS: You’ll be “Killer #2” in Bunraku. What’s a movie with a title like that about?
KM: It’ll be a very interesting film. Guy Moshe, who also directed, wrote what I thought was one of the strangest scripts I’d ever read, especially because the story takes place in an in-depth CGI universe. It’s very allegorical — a mixture of a samurai film and a western in a virtual origami universe where everything is made of folding paper, and there’s a lot of martial arts in it. My first reaction was like when I read Dog Soldiers. Once again, everyone told me I was crazy if I made this film, yet I thought Bunraku was interesting enough to be in. I play the main killer of the movie who’s hunting down Josh Hartnett’s character under the instruction of Ron Perlman’s character, Nicola. They’ve been doing the effects for the last 19 months. But then this is an independent film, not Avatar. I’m really excited to see Bunraku.
DS: What’s ahead for Doctor Owen Hunt on the new season of Grey’s Anatomy that you’re shooting right now?
KM: What’s great about a long-running television show like that is getting to really explore the different areas of your character. I think Owen is going to keep developing. He had a bad time when he first came to the hospital because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Hopefully we’ll see a lighter side to his character. Now I’m hoping to see more of his lighter side.
DS: You’re as capable of showing your romantic side in Grey’s Anatomy and Made of Honor as displaying a tough physicality in Rome and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In the end, what image do you want to project in Hollywood?
KM: Maybe it’s a mistake, but I’ve never liked painting myself into a corner and saying, “This is what I play.” I like changing things up. I always have. And maybe that means you’re not as sell-able as you might be if you just decide on one track, but for better or worse, I’ve always wanted to be perceived as an actor who does diverse roles. In any case, I’d certainly love to play more Scottish characters.
DS: When you play a real historical character, there’s certainly the need to do his legacy justice. But when you play a mythological god like Poseidon in Percy Jackson, do you feel you have to live up to a character, in a way, that’s bigger than life?
KM: I’m 40 feet tall in my first shot for the movie, so you literally have to live up to a larger-than-life character like that. You have to elevate yourself to God status!
DS: It’s only too bad that this Poseidon doesn’t get to say, “Unleash the Kraken!”
KM: Maybe for Percy Jackson 2!
By Daniel Schweiger
source: Buzzine
When it comes to a seeming wave of Scottish actors who are invading America with their roguish charm and sword-swinging biceps, there’s no foot soldier whose landing might be more deserved, or long-in-the-coming than Kevin McKidd’s. Hailing from Elgin, Moray, McKidd got his start in youth theater before making a detour into studying engineering at Edinborough. But like all charismatic actors who seemed destined for a seemingly incongruous career path, it wasn’t long before acting pulled McKidd back in. His early theater work with Robert Carlyle’s Rain Dog Theater Company portended McKidd’s iconic film debut, standing alongside Carlyle as Tommy, one of the endearing drug-addled miscreants of that paean to Scottish bad behavior known as Trainspotting.
McKidd’s imposing frame may have gotten him started out as a “gentle giant,” but he was capable enough of emotionally varying it through any number of accents and diverse characters for Hideous Kinky, Topsy-Turvy, Anna Karenina, De-Lovely and Kingdom of Heaven before his Anglo-phile appeal truly became internationally historic with HBO’s Rome. For a series that put believably immoral grit in the sword-and-sandal genre, McKidd’s Roman officer Lucius Vorenus stood for what might be called a voice of reason, honoring duty, country and unknowingly playing witness to history while also playing straight-man to Ray Stevenson’s berserker gladiator Titus Pullo. Rome’s critical success would quickly make McKidd a leading man in American television, first as a reporter unstuck in time for NBC’s one-season cult wonder Journeyman, and presently as the shell-shocked Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy. All the while, McKidd has continued to do his country proud amidst his new LA environs as the Scot to beat for a lady’s hand in Made of Honor, then as the bad-ass voice of the Scottish super-soldier “Soap” MacTavish in the gloriously violent video game “Modern Warfare 2.”
Now, after more than showing he knows how to handle a broadsword as god-worshiping characters in Rome and The Last Legion, McKidd finally ascends to the all-powerful heavens with Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, essaying the role of Poseidon alongside an acting pantheon that includes Sean Benn’s Zeus, Rosario Dawson’s Chiron and Uma Thurman’s Medusa. It’s McKidd’s charisma that unleashes the thunder like never before (not to mention the ocean) in his relationship to a half-god son whom he seeks to protect from the various demons and deities that want his birthright. But perhaps even cooler for McKidd than going to Mount Olympus is being on the ground floor of what might be the next big Hollywood teen-fantasy franchise, one directed by no less than Harry Potter’s Chris Columbus. For fans of Kevin McKidd’s work, not to mention the acting aspirations of his countrymen, Percy Jackson is a literal godsend.
Daniel Schweiger: In the cinematic Mount Olympus of the gods, I don’t think Poseidon has really gotten his live action due before this movie. He barely merited a cameo in the original Clash of the Titans.
Kevin McKidd: Poseidon definitely gets prominence in this movie because he’s Percy Jackson’s father. That gives him a good head-start! Percy finds out he’s a half-blood son of a god and is a demi-god himself. He’s an unhappy teenager with a stepfather he hates, and then finds out that he’s got these powers from his dad. So what’s beyond the big fantasy-action of the movie is the story of an estranged father and son, almost as if Poseidon had been a divorced dad who didn’t get custody. That’s because Zeus passed an edict forbidding all gods from meeting and talking with their half-god children. So Percy Jackson is kind of like Kramer Vs. Kramer in a way! And Zeus is the judge of this court.
DS: Movies always seem to cast actors from the British Isles as the gods, from Laurence Olivier as Zeus in the original Clash of the Titans to Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in the remake. Why do you think Hollywood likes those all-powerful English accents?
KM: I think it’s a cinematic shorthand, probably stemming back to the days of the theater because, when you think of the perceived knowledge of the gods, an English accent conveys it in a classical environment. That’s the only hunch I can go on.
DS: When you’re doing a major effects franchise movie like this, how difficult is it to get to the emotional truth of a character like Poseidon?
KM: I think the job, in movies like this, is to let all those effects happen and try to hold onto the job you always do as an actor, which is to delineate the small, human moments. Our director, Chris Columbus, is great with actors and characters. He wants to keep us all human and connected. And being in a background like this before with Rome certainly helped.
DS: How did you become part of The Olympians?
KM: As an actor, it’s always flattering when a director asks for you to be in a film because they’ve seen your work, and that’s what happened in this case, with Chris liking my work in Rome and Journeyman. So whether it’s a franchise movie or a small independent picture, you’re just honored to be in the project because they want you there. The fact that this is the start of a big franchise is definitely something new to me, and I’m excited about that because I’ve never done anything like this before. Yet, at the end of the day, I became an actor to do different stuff with my life. It’s been a happy, fun experience so far, especially on Percy Jackson.
DS: For me, Rome was one of the best television series of the last decade. You keep hearing rumblings that they’re going to do a movie version of it. Do you think that could really happen?
KM: It definitely could. The show’s creator, Bruno Heller, and its producer, Anne Thomopoulos, loved the idea of how these lowly Roman soldiers mess with history, so they’re very much gung-ho to make it happen this summer. So keep your fingers crossed because things are very hard in the movie business. It’s all about finding the right backing, but there’s definitely an intention and a script. They key thing is the desire of the cast — those whose characters aren’t dead yet — to go back to it. We’re all very excited about the idea because these characters are so vibrant that they deserve another outing.
DS: Next to Maximus at the end of Gladiator, your Lucius Vorenus probably will have the most difficult time reasoning how he could have survived for a sequel.
KM: I remember how we shot the scene where I’m on my deathbed and reconciling things with my daughter. We played the scene and I closed my eyes with the idea that we fade to black. But there was a lot of talking on the set, and I’m lying there with white makeup on my face. Then our producer, John Melfi, comes up to me and says, “Okay, let’s do one more take, but this time, don’t close your eyes,” and that’s what ended up on the show, with the scene fading to white. So when Lucious’s friend Titus says that he didn’t make it, he’s, in fact, covering for him because the idea is he and Vorenus have disappeared into the Rhineland in Germany, where they’re living in a mud hut until things cool off. And that’s where the movie picks up.
DS: Your film debut was in Trainspotting, where you played the “gentle giant” Tommy. With a film so full of manic, drugged-up energy, was it the same way on the set?
KM: It’s so long ago now that the one distinct memory of Trainspotting that I have is of this stunningly beautiful woman hanging around the set. This was an ultra low-budget movie. We had no trailers and no facilities. Nothing. Just a fold-away table! I remember us standing in the Scottish highlands of Edenborough, shooting that opening sequence and I’m thinking, “Who is this amazingly beautiful woman? She looks like a movie star!” And it was Johnny Lee Miller’s then-girlfriend Angelina Jolie! That was kind of weird. It’s an interesting moment to look back on when you think of how Angelina started to become the movie star she’d be a few years later.
DS: Right after Trainspotting, you appeared as a gang member in an excellent Scottish ’60s period crime film called Small Faces.
KM: I was Malky Johnson, the leader of The Tongs. Everyone thinks Trainspotting was my first movie, but actually Small Faces was. In the middle of shooting, Danny Boyle showed up in Glasgow trying to cast the part of Tommy. That was the only vacancy among the male leads, and every actor in Scotland was trying to get the part. So Danny asked our director, Gilles MacKinnon, if he could watch the dailies to see some of the up-and-coming actors on the film. Danny asked to meet me, and I went in and read for it. It was as simple as that. It was one of those lucky moments. Small Faces ended up being a very underrated film. It came out a month after Trainspotting and was overshadowed by it. That’s a shame because I think it was a great period piece.
DS: You’d later return to the land of Trainspotting with the Irvin Welsh-scripted The Acid House, which was almost as much twisted fun.
KM: I was in the middle of its trilogy with a story called The Soft Touch, playing a guy who worked at a supermarket who ends up in a bad marriage. It was pretty harrowing stuff. I was very conscious of how similar The Acid House was to Trainspotting, which made it good I was in a sequence that wasn’t fantasy-based like the rest of the segments. The Soft Touch was very grim, almost Ken Loach in style — dark, foreboding and urban — and that made me feel that I wasn’t repeating itself.
DS: You really got put on the genre map with Dog Soldiers as the private who ends up surviving the werewolf onslaught.
KM: I’m Cooper, who’s the underdog who does well. It was Neil Marshall’s first film as a writer and director, and at first, I didn’t get it. But after speaking with Neil, I realized how much he wanted me to do it, and I knew this would be something special. We shot the film in Luxembourg and played it absolutely straight, which was what made Dog Soldiers so funny. Now people come up to me and say that not only is Dog Soldiers one of their favorite werewolf movies but one of their favorite genre films. In fact, it was always going to be a trilogy, with Cooper fighting zombies in the second movie and then fighting himself (his doppelganger) in the third, yet we never quite got around to that. As it happens, I spoke to Neil today, and now that we have more leverage in the industry, we want to do another genre film together.
DS: You could be the British version of Ash from the Evil Dead films!
KM: Right! [Laughs]
DS: A particularly underrated film you were in was Hannibal Rising, where you played a sympathetic bad guy…
KM: Who happened to be a sympathetic cannibal! Usually, characters like Kolnas build toward their horrific instance, which, in this case, is killing Hannibal’s young sister. You find Kolnas at the beginning of the second World War doing terrible, dehumanized, desensitized things, which kind of foreshadowed what’s happened recently in war situations. Years later, Kolnas has a family, runs a restaurant, and is trying to put it all behind him. He’s very suburban in his life, and then his past comes back to haunt him in the form of Hannibal, who’s seeking revenge. But Kolnas has been trying to be a better person since that time, and that was quite an interesting and dark situation to play.
DS: Though Rome was a cable success, you really got your first major network exposure as the star of NBC’s Journeyman. Why do you think the show got such a following, even with only one season?
KM: Rome got such good critical notices that, once it was finished, all the networks started looking at the actors who were now free. So I met a lot of neat and talented people all of a sudden, which had never happen to me before like this, and two of those people were Kevin Falls and Alex Graves. I was already a big fan of their work on The West Wing, and I loved their pilot script for Journeyman. It just seemed to be a right fit for me because there were brains behind this operation and a sensibility that I liked. Sure, the pressure was great on me as the lead on it, but I’d also come through the same thing on Rome, and when you’re part of the creation of a show, it’s a very stressful period because you’re giving birth to this baby with loads of arms and legs. That sounds horrific! But then it is horrific! I think Journeyman ended up doing well creatively because it was intelligent TV. Some people may have said it was too clever, but I’m proud of making a show that, within the confines of a one-hour network drama, tried to do something that made viewers exercise their brains. It was well-executed and the cast was terrific.
DS: What do you think would have happened to Dan on Journeyman?
KM: I really don’t know, but the writing-room was really starting to kick it up a notch when we were told it was over, so I think Dan would have gone to some very cool places.
DS: I recently died in your company several times while playing “Modern Warfare 2.”
KM: I apologize.
DS: What was it like to create a convincing character as “Soap” MacTavish for one of the biggest video games yet created?
KM: Doing “Modern Warfare 2″ was like restoring the great tradition of radio plays, which I think have died here in America. I’d done radio plays with actors like Derek Jacobi, who’d pop into the BBC studios in London to do “Hedda Gabler” for the radio. Shows like that are still very much a part of British culture. “Modern Warfare 2″ was like a radio play, in a way. It’s ten hours worth of recording to do every line of that character, which is quite tough on you physically because a lot of it is screaming at the top of your voice. It’s also an acting exercise when you get a line of text and you have to commit to it without having any idea of what’s happening around your character. I actually just got the game, so I think I’ll sneak into my kid’s room when he’s asleep and play it on his Xbox!
DS: You’ll be “Killer #2” in Bunraku. What’s a movie with a title like that about?
KM: It’ll be a very interesting film. Guy Moshe, who also directed, wrote what I thought was one of the strangest scripts I’d ever read, especially because the story takes place in an in-depth CGI universe. It’s very allegorical — a mixture of a samurai film and a western in a virtual origami universe where everything is made of folding paper, and there’s a lot of martial arts in it. My first reaction was like when I read Dog Soldiers. Once again, everyone told me I was crazy if I made this film, yet I thought Bunraku was interesting enough to be in. I play the main killer of the movie who’s hunting down Josh Hartnett’s character under the instruction of Ron Perlman’s character, Nicola. They’ve been doing the effects for the last 19 months. But then this is an independent film, not Avatar. I’m really excited to see Bunraku.
DS: What’s ahead for Doctor Owen Hunt on the new season of Grey’s Anatomy that you’re shooting right now?
KM: What’s great about a long-running television show like that is getting to really explore the different areas of your character. I think Owen is going to keep developing. He had a bad time when he first came to the hospital because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Hopefully we’ll see a lighter side to his character. Now I’m hoping to see more of his lighter side.
DS: You’re as capable of showing your romantic side in Grey’s Anatomy and Made of Honor as displaying a tough physicality in Rome and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In the end, what image do you want to project in Hollywood?
KM: Maybe it’s a mistake, but I’ve never liked painting myself into a corner and saying, “This is what I play.” I like changing things up. I always have. And maybe that means you’re not as sell-able as you might be if you just decide on one track, but for better or worse, I’ve always wanted to be perceived as an actor who does diverse roles. In any case, I’d certainly love to play more Scottish characters.
DS: When you play a real historical character, there’s certainly the need to do his legacy justice. But when you play a mythological god like Poseidon in Percy Jackson, do you feel you have to live up to a character, in a way, that’s bigger than life?
KM: I’m 40 feet tall in my first shot for the movie, so you literally have to live up to a larger-than-life character like that. You have to elevate yourself to God status!
DS: It’s only too bad that this Poseidon doesn’t get to say, “Unleash the Kraken!”
KM: Maybe for Percy Jackson 2!
Kevin McKidd: ‘For my role in Rome I had to wear a little skirt – my wife liked that...’
By Lyndsey Gilmour
February 7, 2010
source: mirror.co.uk
The Scottish actor, 37, on kinky dressing up for his wife, getting naked in period dramas, nicking his Grey’s Anatomy costume and getting a leeetle bit drunk at work...
You play the god Poseidon in Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief. But what would your wife, Jane, say you were a real life god of?
Kevin McKidd: That I am the god of being messy – I’m trying to get better. I was terrible in my 20s. My kids [Iona, seven, and Joseph, 10] are much tidier than I am, I don’t know where they get it from, maybe their mother.
What role do people recognise you most from?
KM: For a long time it was Tommy from Trainspotting. But if a man comes up to me, I’m almost sure he’s going to mention Rome, if it’s a woman, it’ll be Grey’s Anatomy.
Have you ever stolen any of your characters’ props for personal use?
KM: From Rome, I kept a bronze ring and from Grey’s, I swiped a hammer that tests your reflexes. I haven’t been able to get one of those white jackets from Grey’s yet. Each one has the name of that doctor embroidered on it, so there definitely will be one to walk off with at some point.
Has your wife ever wanted you to wear the doctor’s uniform – to get kinky?
KM: I don’t know actually, she hasn’t said. But in Rome I had to wear this little skirt and I think she liked that. I must say those scrubs are very comfortable, it’s like walking around in pyjamas all the time. I prefer the scrubs to the Roman tunics.
You’re no stranger to getting your kit off for the camera. Do you get embarrassed?
KM: A bit, because there are certain things you want to keep private, but you just have to get on with it. Eventually, it becomes a laugh because all the crew are your friends and you’re there with your shirt off and it just gets silly.
Do they heckle you?
KM: Yeah, but it puts you at ease. I had to do a nude scene my first week on Rome – actually there was a nudie scene almost every week on Rome. But, in the beginning, when you don’t know anyone it can be embarrassing. Once you get to know the crew it’s like having your family taking the mickey out of you.
What keeps you awake at night?
KM: I live in LA so I worry my kids aren’t that connected to Britain, I suppose I don’t want them to become American kids. We try to get back three or four times a year. When they go to school they speak with a British-American accent but when they come home to us they go back to their British accent, so I can deal with that.
Do you get told off for softening your own accent?
KM: I’ve been getting stick about that for years, it’s nothing new. I got it even when I was living in Britain. Where I’m from in Elgin, Scotland, it’s a thick dialect but I’d have found it hard to get work as an actor if I’d kept that way – no one can understand you.
Have you ever cheated death?
KM: Before I came to America I was at a bonfire in Bedfordshire and I poured a can of unleaded petrol onto it before we lit it, but it didn’t light so I put a bit more petrol on and the canister went up in flames in my hand. Luckily I was in an open field so I flung this thing like I was tossing a hammer and it landed miles away. It singed some of my hair, but that was it.
What sort of jobs did you have before becoming an actor?
KM: All kinds. I worked in a bingo hall giving out 10p coins to old ladies, I worked in a distillery in Scotland and I worked on building sites and in pubs. But being a tour guide for the Witchery Tours in Edinburgh was my most memorable.
Did you make up your own stories?
KM: Occasionally I’d make something up just for fun – there were a lot of American tourists, so you could tell the Americans anything and they’d believe it. But you watch – I’ll be back in the bingo hall if it all goes wrong in Los Angeles.
What’s your biggest indulgence?
KM: I’m not a cars man... we don’t take holidays and as far as monetary things go, I don’t have any spare cash. When you’ve got kids, it’s not cheap!
OK, so what’s your guilty pleasure?
KM: I suppose I am a frustrated musician so I annoy my family by playing guitar in the house. I used to be into acoustic stuff but my son Joseph is learning drums, so now I have an electric guitar and we play Metallica. We have an amp and a PA in the garage with his drum kit and we know about eight or nine songs. My wife got jealous so she started learning the bass guitar and she’s pretty good. One of these days we’ll play a gig.
When was the last time you were hungover?
KM: I have a pal called Dan who lives in America, but he’s of Irish decent and every first Wednesday of the month he opens the doors to his basement, which he’s converted into an Irish pub. It’s all sawdust and candle wax with a full bar, but nobody pays any money, you just bring a guitar. All the Irish musicians gravitate to this place. Being away from Britain makes you homesick so this is like home from home. It’s my one indulgence.
Ever been drunk on the job?
KM: No, but when I did Father Ted, we drank so much Guinness my experience is clouded. I was told they never cast anyone who wasn’t Irish, but I was the exception because the people that made it really liked Trainspotting. It was brilliant, I went to Ireland and shot there for two weeks but I don’t have many memories. I was the only non-comedian in the group so they tested out their material on me – I laughed my head off all the time.
Have you met anyone who’s left you starstruck?
KM: I was at a party where Steven Spielberg was stood behind me, and his films are what made me want to be an actor, so it was pretty mind-blowing being in the same air space as him. I met the director Ridley Scott when I worked on Kingdom Of Heaven and that was pressure. You really want these people to think you’re decent at what you do, as it would be gut-wrenching if someone you had looked up to all these years turned around and said, ‘You’re rubbish’, but he didn’t say that.
Have you ever broken the law?
KM: I got caught shoplifting when I was little. I got caught stealing a pack of mini cookies and was dragged up in front of the whole school. They called a special assembly and it was announced that ‘there was a thief in our midst’. I cried all the way to the stage.
THERE’S MORE…
• We spoke to Kevin the morning after the night he’d been to a party promoting the Inglourious Basterds DVD. But he assured us he didn’t have a hangover.
• Before speaking to us he had been packing to come back to the UK to visit his family.
• The only time he’s been in hospital for real was at the birth of his kids and to film a documentary called One Night In Emergency last summer.
February 7, 2010
source: mirror.co.uk
The Scottish actor, 37, on kinky dressing up for his wife, getting naked in period dramas, nicking his Grey’s Anatomy costume and getting a leeetle bit drunk at work...
You play the god Poseidon in Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief. But what would your wife, Jane, say you were a real life god of?
Kevin McKidd: That I am the god of being messy – I’m trying to get better. I was terrible in my 20s. My kids [Iona, seven, and Joseph, 10] are much tidier than I am, I don’t know where they get it from, maybe their mother.
What role do people recognise you most from?
KM: For a long time it was Tommy from Trainspotting. But if a man comes up to me, I’m almost sure he’s going to mention Rome, if it’s a woman, it’ll be Grey’s Anatomy.
Have you ever stolen any of your characters’ props for personal use?
KM: From Rome, I kept a bronze ring and from Grey’s, I swiped a hammer that tests your reflexes. I haven’t been able to get one of those white jackets from Grey’s yet. Each one has the name of that doctor embroidered on it, so there definitely will be one to walk off with at some point.
Has your wife ever wanted you to wear the doctor’s uniform – to get kinky?
KM: I don’t know actually, she hasn’t said. But in Rome I had to wear this little skirt and I think she liked that. I must say those scrubs are very comfortable, it’s like walking around in pyjamas all the time. I prefer the scrubs to the Roman tunics.
You’re no stranger to getting your kit off for the camera. Do you get embarrassed?
KM: A bit, because there are certain things you want to keep private, but you just have to get on with it. Eventually, it becomes a laugh because all the crew are your friends and you’re there with your shirt off and it just gets silly.
Do they heckle you?
KM: Yeah, but it puts you at ease. I had to do a nude scene my first week on Rome – actually there was a nudie scene almost every week on Rome. But, in the beginning, when you don’t know anyone it can be embarrassing. Once you get to know the crew it’s like having your family taking the mickey out of you.
What keeps you awake at night?
KM: I live in LA so I worry my kids aren’t that connected to Britain, I suppose I don’t want them to become American kids. We try to get back three or four times a year. When they go to school they speak with a British-American accent but when they come home to us they go back to their British accent, so I can deal with that.
Do you get told off for softening your own accent?
KM: I’ve been getting stick about that for years, it’s nothing new. I got it even when I was living in Britain. Where I’m from in Elgin, Scotland, it’s a thick dialect but I’d have found it hard to get work as an actor if I’d kept that way – no one can understand you.
Have you ever cheated death?
KM: Before I came to America I was at a bonfire in Bedfordshire and I poured a can of unleaded petrol onto it before we lit it, but it didn’t light so I put a bit more petrol on and the canister went up in flames in my hand. Luckily I was in an open field so I flung this thing like I was tossing a hammer and it landed miles away. It singed some of my hair, but that was it.
What sort of jobs did you have before becoming an actor?
KM: All kinds. I worked in a bingo hall giving out 10p coins to old ladies, I worked in a distillery in Scotland and I worked on building sites and in pubs. But being a tour guide for the Witchery Tours in Edinburgh was my most memorable.
Did you make up your own stories?
KM: Occasionally I’d make something up just for fun – there were a lot of American tourists, so you could tell the Americans anything and they’d believe it. But you watch – I’ll be back in the bingo hall if it all goes wrong in Los Angeles.
What’s your biggest indulgence?
KM: I’m not a cars man... we don’t take holidays and as far as monetary things go, I don’t have any spare cash. When you’ve got kids, it’s not cheap!
OK, so what’s your guilty pleasure?
KM: I suppose I am a frustrated musician so I annoy my family by playing guitar in the house. I used to be into acoustic stuff but my son Joseph is learning drums, so now I have an electric guitar and we play Metallica. We have an amp and a PA in the garage with his drum kit and we know about eight or nine songs. My wife got jealous so she started learning the bass guitar and she’s pretty good. One of these days we’ll play a gig.
When was the last time you were hungover?
KM: I have a pal called Dan who lives in America, but he’s of Irish decent and every first Wednesday of the month he opens the doors to his basement, which he’s converted into an Irish pub. It’s all sawdust and candle wax with a full bar, but nobody pays any money, you just bring a guitar. All the Irish musicians gravitate to this place. Being away from Britain makes you homesick so this is like home from home. It’s my one indulgence.
Ever been drunk on the job?
KM: No, but when I did Father Ted, we drank so much Guinness my experience is clouded. I was told they never cast anyone who wasn’t Irish, but I was the exception because the people that made it really liked Trainspotting. It was brilliant, I went to Ireland and shot there for two weeks but I don’t have many memories. I was the only non-comedian in the group so they tested out their material on me – I laughed my head off all the time.
Have you met anyone who’s left you starstruck?
KM: I was at a party where Steven Spielberg was stood behind me, and his films are what made me want to be an actor, so it was pretty mind-blowing being in the same air space as him. I met the director Ridley Scott when I worked on Kingdom Of Heaven and that was pressure. You really want these people to think you’re decent at what you do, as it would be gut-wrenching if someone you had looked up to all these years turned around and said, ‘You’re rubbish’, but he didn’t say that.
Have you ever broken the law?
KM: I got caught shoplifting when I was little. I got caught stealing a pack of mini cookies and was dragged up in front of the whole school. They called a special assembly and it was announced that ‘there was a thief in our midst’. I cried all the way to the stage.
THERE’S MORE…
• We spoke to Kevin the morning after the night he’d been to a party promoting the Inglourious Basterds DVD. But he assured us he didn’t have a hangover.
• Before speaking to us he had been packing to come back to the UK to visit his family.
• The only time he’s been in hospital for real was at the birth of his kids and to film a documentary called One Night In Emergency last summer.
Kevin McKidd in bizarre YouTube promo for Scots rockers
January 10, 2010
source: Daily Record
Hollywood hunk Kevin McKidd stars in a wacky video for a rising Scots rock act - alongside a cast of stuffed animals.
The Grey's Anatomy star agreed to appear in the madcap promo for Cuddly Shark during a boozy Boxing Day party.
The hilarious clip shows him declaring: "You may have seen me killing people in the TV series Rome or saving people in Grey's Anatomy.
"When I'm not doing that, I like to listen to Cuddly Shark."
Kev, 36, battles to keep a straight face as he is pecked on the head by a stu ed seagull then "mobbed" by an otter.
The Elgin-born star agreed to make the promo after being approached by Cuddly Shark guitarist Colin Reid and drummer Jason Sinclair at his party in Fochabers.
Colin, 31, said: "I've known Kevin since I was little. He is mates with my brothers.
"We had both enjoyed a few whiskies and just decided to ask Kevin if he would do a wee spot for us.
"He was right up for it. We just grabbed the animals and put together this completely unscripted video."
The boys uploaded the clip - dubbed Kevin McShark - to YouTube where it has already been viewed by hundreds from around the globe.
Colin added: "Some of the comments people have left are hilarious. ey are gobsmacked that it's actually Kevin.
"But he's a pretty down to earth loon and always up for a jam. Even though he lives in Los Angeles, his heart still belongs to Elgin."
source: Daily Record
Hollywood hunk Kevin McKidd stars in a wacky video for a rising Scots rock act - alongside a cast of stuffed animals.
The Grey's Anatomy star agreed to appear in the madcap promo for Cuddly Shark during a boozy Boxing Day party.
The hilarious clip shows him declaring: "You may have seen me killing people in the TV series Rome or saving people in Grey's Anatomy.
"When I'm not doing that, I like to listen to Cuddly Shark."
Kev, 36, battles to keep a straight face as he is pecked on the head by a stu ed seagull then "mobbed" by an otter.
The Elgin-born star agreed to make the promo after being approached by Cuddly Shark guitarist Colin Reid and drummer Jason Sinclair at his party in Fochabers.
Colin, 31, said: "I've known Kevin since I was little. He is mates with my brothers.
"We had both enjoyed a few whiskies and just decided to ask Kevin if he would do a wee spot for us.
"He was right up for it. We just grabbed the animals and put together this completely unscripted video."
The boys uploaded the clip - dubbed Kevin McShark - to YouTube where it has already been viewed by hundreds from around the globe.
Colin added: "Some of the comments people have left are hilarious. ey are gobsmacked that it's actually Kevin.
"But he's a pretty down to earth loon and always up for a jam. Even though he lives in Los Angeles, his heart still belongs to Elgin."
video courtesy of youtube user shejkweeeds. Text describing the video:
There we were, minding our own business at a christmas party when our favourite actor from Dad Savage came running through the door shouting "is Cuddly Shark here!? Is Cuddly Shark here!?"...
So we tossed him a dog chew.
Kevin McShark!
We Need to Talk about Kevin
The highs and lows of being Mr. McKidd
"it is fair to say kevin McKidd is used to better than this. As one of the stars of the hit US medical drama Grey's Anatomy, the Elgin-born actor more typically spends his days on expensive studio sets with state-of-the-art surgical gadgets and big budget special effects, not to mention a roster of co-stars so blindingly good looking they could have stepped straight off the pages of Vogue.
Yet here we are, in the infinitely less exotic location of a dilapidated ward in Glasgow's Western Infirmary where McKidd is filming BBC Scotland drama One Night in Emergency. Although bright sunshine streams through the window, there is something hugely unsettling about the disused space. The paint is chipped and peeling from the walls, the curtains grimy and black with mold while the unmistakable smell of hospital disinfectant lingers in the air. Sitting on a pair of rickety plastic chairs, our voices echo disconcertingly across the empty ward.
Despite a series of grueling night shoots McKidd is in sprightly form. His blue eyes remain impressively bloodshot free although, that said, he is holding onto a coffee like grim death. Casually dressed, a leather jacket slung over his shoulder, he has nailed the off duty actor look to perfection. Thick stubble studs his jawline, his skin defiantly pale despite months in the Los Angeles sunshine. His strawberry blonde hair, still damp from a post-gym shower, is starting to go fluffy, but McKidd , producing a tub of hair gel from his pocket, tames it in five seconds flat. Thanks to his role on Grey’s Anatomy, coupled with parts of Lucius Vorenus in BBC/HBO drama Rome and the lead in the US television series Journeyman (shown on Sky One), McKidd is en route to becoming a household name in America – although Hollywood hasn’t managed to get its claws into him just yet.
While based in Los Angeles, Scotland is his home, he says, adding he’s been desperate to do something on his native soil for ages. On a post- series break from filming Grey’s Anatomy, McKidd,36, could easily have plumped for a big bucks role in a movie, yet, perhaps testament to his unstarry nature, he has chosen to buck convention with the dark and compelling One Night in Emergency. The one-off drama, which marks the TV writing debut of award- winning Black Watch playwright Gregory Burke, sees McKidd lead an all-star cast including Michelle Ryan, Igal Naor, James Cosmo, David Hayman , Gary Lewis and Ewen Bremner.
The actor plays Peter Forbes, a self-absorbed man who becomes caught up in a bizarre existential journey through an innercity hospital as he frantically searches for his sick wife, Penny. As he ventures deeper into the labyrinthine-like building, he is drawn into a surreal, parallel world, encountering peculiar characters including a seductively beautiful nurse, a distraught widower, a gregarious mortician, a life-scarred laundry worker and a one-eyed security guard.
The juxtaposition between the stark settling of One Night in Emergency and the glitz of Grey’s Anatomy is not lost on McKidd. “When I read the script, I liked the fun of that” he says, smiling softly. “Seattle Grace Hospital is like a version of what a hospital should be , while One Night in Emergency is what a hospital in Britain is actually like”. Then, he hurriedly adds “although One Night in Emergency isn’t really about the state of the NHS today, it’s an allegorical tale about one man’s journey which just so happens to be set in a hospital”. Good catch.
Another lure was the opportunity to work with a host of familiar faces from the Scottish acting fraternity. Not only is One Night in Emergency the third time McKidd has worked with Bremner since their Trainspotting days, but he also worked with Lewis, Cosmo and Hayman in the past too. “I did the Acid House with Ewen and then 16 years of Alcohol. That was about five years ago and it’s the third time I’ve seen him since then. It’s been great seen Ewen and Gary. The last time I worked with Gary was on the Rocket Post [in 2004].
“I’ve done a lot with David, he is amazing. I have always loved his work. Jimmy Cosmo I have worked with a couple of times before, too. When I was doing Journeyman and Michelle was doing Bionic Woman, we were with the same network, NBC. While we never worked togethter, because we were both doing new shows that year [2007] , we were at all the same press junkets, so I felt like I knew her already”.
With McKidd there is no cat and mouse chase. He has an easy openness with belies his star status (after the interview he asks, with endearing tentativeness, if the interview will be a double page spread. “It’s just I usually do these little things” – he uses his forefinger and thumb to indicate a slender number of columns inches- and the “American press just wants soundbites …. “)
Born in Elgin, McKidd comes from a working class background; his father, Neil, is a plumber and mother, Kathleen , a secretary. He fell in love with acting as a child, but went down in the parent-pleasing path of studying engineering at Edinburgh University, only to quit and switch to the drama course at the city’s Queen Margaret College. Among his early professional acting roles was the 1996 Father Ted Christmas special where the plot centred on the hapless priests getting lost in “Irelands’s largest lingerie section”. The part of Glasgow hardman and gang leader Malky Johnson in Small Faces followed and then came the infamous role in Trainspotting, McKidd character Tommy, a heroin addict diagnosed with HIV, dying alone in his flat from toxoplasmosis. While Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle saw their careers take flight, McKidd found himself working as a cycle courier to pay the bills. Over the years much has been made of the fact he missed out on doing the iconic Trainspotting poster, option to go on holiday with his girlfriend rather than attend the photo shoot. Does he harbor any regrets?
McKidd sighs gently. “It wasn’t a conscious decision but I felt very green , young and out of place doing Trainspotting. I felt ill prepared. Everyone was saying” ‘ you have got to squeeze as much out of this as you can, this is your opportunity’ but for some reason I just knew – I was 21 and basically a teacher from Elgin – that Trainspotting wasn’t my moment. I knew that, as an actor and as a person , I wasn’t ready to jump into that”.
In the years since Trainspotting, McKidd’s career is best described as slow burner rather than meteoric rise, with roles in Hideous Kinky, the Acid House, Looking After Jo Jo, Dog Soldiers and 16 years of Alcohol. Then came a high-profile stint in Rome, for which he received widespread critical acclaim.
In 2007, he won the lead in NBC sci-fi drama series Journeyman, relocating with his family to Los Angeles. Despite Industry plaudits the show, about a time-travelling newspaper reporter, was cancelled after just 13 episodes, a victim of falling viewer numbers following an unplanned hiatus during the Writers Guild of America strike.
After the demise of Journeyman, McKidd says he seriously considered heading for home. “It was tough” he admits. “Moving to LA wasn’t easy for my wife and kids, my son especially had close friends from home he was missing. He had just got over that and was starting to lay down roots when it all happened. It was like “What do we do now? Do we just pack up and go home? ‘ I sat down with my wife, who is an amazing woman, and she said: ‘ I feel like we shouldn’t turn tail, I think we should sit it out and see how the new few months play out’”.
While his family stayed in Los Angeles, McKidd flew to Bucharest to film action movie Bunraku alongside Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore. “I was in Bucharest and Jane was in LA, which is weird” he says “I knew then that if we were going to be in LA I couldn’t be off doing shoots everywhere. At least when my family was in the UK they had our own families around”.
Then in a near perfect synchronicity, came the call from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes to offer him a part in the hit show. McKidd debuted with a bang – his first episode saw him use a biro to perform an emergency tracheotomy – and has since seen his popularity reach epic proportions in America. McKidd’s character is the dashing yet enigmatic Dr Owen Hunt, a former army medic and Iraq war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Struggling to fit in with civilian life, he falls for the ambitious and prickly Dr Christina Yang, played by Sandra Oh. Such is the screen couple’s popularity they have been dubbed – in the vein of Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) and TomKat (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) – “Crowen” . Likewise, with his co-stars Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane tagged “McDreamy” and “McSteamy” respectively, a similar nickname for McKidd has been widely debated on fan forums with “McHottie”, “McHunky” and “McBadass” all contenders.
“It is really odd because I have never seen myself as a good looking guy” says McKidd laughing. This is , after all, a man who once described himself as having “a face that looks like a baked potato”.
“My features are more suited to being cast as a boxer or a rugby player, although I think I have grown into my face as I have got older. It is flattering, but for me to be lumped in with all those people? “ He pulls an incredulous face. “It is a new thing for me”
Although experiencing regular pangs of homesickness (“When my mum visits she has to bring almost like a first-aid kit with oatcakes, butteries and rowies…”) McKidd and wife Jane, 33, are determined to make the most of like in La-La Land. Their children Joseph, nine, and Iona, seven, are thriving in Los Angeles, he says. “They are making lots of friends and go on, what do you call it? Ah, yeah, play dates. When I am not working I’m a taxi service for their play dates”.
The youngsters, he adds, have also developed something of an intriguing dual accent. “What’s interesting, is that it’s an unconscious thing”, says McKidd. “They are like the best actors I have ever met. They get up for school in the morning and will be talking in their little southeast England accents they have always had, then as soon as the classroom door opens and their American teacher says ‘good morning’ they go straight into the US one. Then, later, coming home in the car, they switch right back without even missing a beat. It’s amazing.”
There are definite shades of a modern-day Partridge family in the McKidd household. “My son wanted a drum set so I made him save up half of it” he says. “He saved up his pocket money, Christmas money and birthday money for a year. I used to play acoustic guitar but I bought an electric one and have started teaching myself Hendrix and Led Zeppelin songs. We practice in the garage and my wife was like “what are you two doing”? So now she’s going to learn bass guitar. What about his daughter? “She is feeling a little bit left out, so is going to start on tambourine and then, I think, become a pianist of may be a vocalist”
Asked to describe life in Los Angeles, McKidd ventures: “Very different…. Have you been?” I tell him yes, adding I found it quite surreal. McKidd grins. “It is surreal” he confirms. “Weirdly, we live quite a quiet life. The kids go to school and I go to work. It’s almost as close to an office job as I’ve ever had. Usually I’m living out of a suitcase and seeing my wife and kids infrequently because I’m off here, there and everywhere. Now, nine or 10 months out of the year I’m doing Greys, so it’s regular hours and I can actually pick the kids up from school. We live off Laurel Canyon. It’s quite green up in the hills and quiet compared to down n the flat part [of the city] which would drive me a bit nuts”.
So he’s not hanging out at hipster celebrity haunts such as Chateau Marmont or Mr Chows? “Occasionally we will go if there is an event” says McKidd. “Initially we were too shy to go out and do any of those things but then we realized ‘Hang on, we are probably only going to be here for a couple of year’ and you need to have some stories for your memories. Usually, though, we just go into the valley and onto Ventura Boulevard to the wee spit and sawdust places, the little neighborhood restaurants”.
McKidd smiles, a memory coming back to him. “Actually speaking of functions I went to one recently with my dad. It was a big flashy do and Jane couldn’t go because she was feeling ill. My mum and dad were over visiting us so I said” ‘Dad, do you want to borrow a jacket and come with me?’ Off we went and he got chatted up by this model. She was saying to him all this stuff like: ‘Oh my God, you have such amazing eyes’ and now my dad can’t stop talking about how he got chatted up at one of the big LA glitterari parties” .
Many Americans have been surprised to discover McKidd is Scottish; such is the authenticity of his US accent. “I have always enjoyed accents” he says. “ I put it down to the fact that in Bishopmill, the area of Elgin where I ‘m from, our council house was surrounded by an estate of RAF housing. I used to copy the accents of all these kids from Manchester, Birmingham and some who had spent time in America. I have always loved using accents”.
He is uncomfortable with the notion of being part of the “British invasion of Hollywood” , alongside the likes of Hugh Laurie and fellow Scots Dougray Scott and Ashley Jensen. “ I remember 14 years ago when Trainspotting came out. There was the whole Cool Britannia thing and we were all part of that” , he says. “It was very nice, don’t get me wrong, but I’m always reluctant to jump on a bandwagon. I don’t like the idea of a cliquey little set of people. It makes me nervous. I get claustrophobic in those kinds of environments."
McKidd has been outspoken in the past about the importance of Scottish-set films actually being made here, suggesting the Government should look at tax incentives to encourage filmmakers. “I am not a politician or lobbyist, so I’m speaking from a very naïve position” he says, carefully. “ the last time I was filming in Scotland was two years ago for Made of Honour, which was a big American film using Scotland as a location, as opposed to a grassroots Scottish production. The crews we have are fantastic and highly skilled, the infrastructure is great. We have talent and amazing locations. Patrick Dempsey [his co-start in Made of Honour] couldn’t believe more films aren’t shot here because he thought it was the best place on earth."
McKidd latest’s big screen offering, Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief (“I’m playing Poseidon, god of the sea. It’s all about the Greek gods and how they still exists in modern day New York…”) opens on February 12. In the pipeline is a role as Dylan Thomas in a biopic about the Welsh poet’s life. As for an ultimate role?
"I have always wanted to do the play Macbeth,” he announces. Err, isn’t it considered bad luck to say the name of the Scottish play outloud? McKidd shrugs, grinning. “I know, but it’s ok, we’re not in a theatre, we’re in a hospital. I would love to do an all-Scottish theatre production of Macbeth and then take the same cast on location in Scotland to do it as a movie. That has been a big ambition, but it’s still slowly, slowly. I’m too young to play Macbeth”.
He is reticent, though, to have things too mapped out. “I try not to look too far into the future”, says McKidd.”There are moments when I think:’ I’ve not been on stage for six years. I’m going to drop everything and do that’. Then the next day I will think: “OK, I’m going to chase this whole thing in America’. I’m really indecisive and flighty. I have total respect for the actors who are driven and say: ‘I’m going to make myself an action hero’ or ‘I’m going to carve myself a romantic comedy niche..’, I’ve always liked variety in life. Being an actor is a bit like being a circus performer, you just have to go where the work is and pitch your tent”. And , for McKidd, life in Hollywood’s big top is definitely looking rosy.
thanks to Betinad for the text
Yet here we are, in the infinitely less exotic location of a dilapidated ward in Glasgow's Western Infirmary where McKidd is filming BBC Scotland drama One Night in Emergency. Although bright sunshine streams through the window, there is something hugely unsettling about the disused space. The paint is chipped and peeling from the walls, the curtains grimy and black with mold while the unmistakable smell of hospital disinfectant lingers in the air. Sitting on a pair of rickety plastic chairs, our voices echo disconcertingly across the empty ward.
Despite a series of grueling night shoots McKidd is in sprightly form. His blue eyes remain impressively bloodshot free although, that said, he is holding onto a coffee like grim death. Casually dressed, a leather jacket slung over his shoulder, he has nailed the off duty actor look to perfection. Thick stubble studs his jawline, his skin defiantly pale despite months in the Los Angeles sunshine. His strawberry blonde hair, still damp from a post-gym shower, is starting to go fluffy, but McKidd , producing a tub of hair gel from his pocket, tames it in five seconds flat. Thanks to his role on Grey’s Anatomy, coupled with parts of Lucius Vorenus in BBC/HBO drama Rome and the lead in the US television series Journeyman (shown on Sky One), McKidd is en route to becoming a household name in America – although Hollywood hasn’t managed to get its claws into him just yet.
While based in Los Angeles, Scotland is his home, he says, adding he’s been desperate to do something on his native soil for ages. On a post- series break from filming Grey’s Anatomy, McKidd,36, could easily have plumped for a big bucks role in a movie, yet, perhaps testament to his unstarry nature, he has chosen to buck convention with the dark and compelling One Night in Emergency. The one-off drama, which marks the TV writing debut of award- winning Black Watch playwright Gregory Burke, sees McKidd lead an all-star cast including Michelle Ryan, Igal Naor, James Cosmo, David Hayman , Gary Lewis and Ewen Bremner.
The actor plays Peter Forbes, a self-absorbed man who becomes caught up in a bizarre existential journey through an innercity hospital as he frantically searches for his sick wife, Penny. As he ventures deeper into the labyrinthine-like building, he is drawn into a surreal, parallel world, encountering peculiar characters including a seductively beautiful nurse, a distraught widower, a gregarious mortician, a life-scarred laundry worker and a one-eyed security guard.
The juxtaposition between the stark settling of One Night in Emergency and the glitz of Grey’s Anatomy is not lost on McKidd. “When I read the script, I liked the fun of that” he says, smiling softly. “Seattle Grace Hospital is like a version of what a hospital should be , while One Night in Emergency is what a hospital in Britain is actually like”. Then, he hurriedly adds “although One Night in Emergency isn’t really about the state of the NHS today, it’s an allegorical tale about one man’s journey which just so happens to be set in a hospital”. Good catch.
Another lure was the opportunity to work with a host of familiar faces from the Scottish acting fraternity. Not only is One Night in Emergency the third time McKidd has worked with Bremner since their Trainspotting days, but he also worked with Lewis, Cosmo and Hayman in the past too. “I did the Acid House with Ewen and then 16 years of Alcohol. That was about five years ago and it’s the third time I’ve seen him since then. It’s been great seen Ewen and Gary. The last time I worked with Gary was on the Rocket Post [in 2004].
“I’ve done a lot with David, he is amazing. I have always loved his work. Jimmy Cosmo I have worked with a couple of times before, too. When I was doing Journeyman and Michelle was doing Bionic Woman, we were with the same network, NBC. While we never worked togethter, because we were both doing new shows that year [2007] , we were at all the same press junkets, so I felt like I knew her already”.
With McKidd there is no cat and mouse chase. He has an easy openness with belies his star status (after the interview he asks, with endearing tentativeness, if the interview will be a double page spread. “It’s just I usually do these little things” – he uses his forefinger and thumb to indicate a slender number of columns inches- and the “American press just wants soundbites …. “)
Born in Elgin, McKidd comes from a working class background; his father, Neil, is a plumber and mother, Kathleen , a secretary. He fell in love with acting as a child, but went down in the parent-pleasing path of studying engineering at Edinburgh University, only to quit and switch to the drama course at the city’s Queen Margaret College. Among his early professional acting roles was the 1996 Father Ted Christmas special where the plot centred on the hapless priests getting lost in “Irelands’s largest lingerie section”. The part of Glasgow hardman and gang leader Malky Johnson in Small Faces followed and then came the infamous role in Trainspotting, McKidd character Tommy, a heroin addict diagnosed with HIV, dying alone in his flat from toxoplasmosis. While Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle saw their careers take flight, McKidd found himself working as a cycle courier to pay the bills. Over the years much has been made of the fact he missed out on doing the iconic Trainspotting poster, option to go on holiday with his girlfriend rather than attend the photo shoot. Does he harbor any regrets?
McKidd sighs gently. “It wasn’t a conscious decision but I felt very green , young and out of place doing Trainspotting. I felt ill prepared. Everyone was saying” ‘ you have got to squeeze as much out of this as you can, this is your opportunity’ but for some reason I just knew – I was 21 and basically a teacher from Elgin – that Trainspotting wasn’t my moment. I knew that, as an actor and as a person , I wasn’t ready to jump into that”.
In the years since Trainspotting, McKidd’s career is best described as slow burner rather than meteoric rise, with roles in Hideous Kinky, the Acid House, Looking After Jo Jo, Dog Soldiers and 16 years of Alcohol. Then came a high-profile stint in Rome, for which he received widespread critical acclaim.
In 2007, he won the lead in NBC sci-fi drama series Journeyman, relocating with his family to Los Angeles. Despite Industry plaudits the show, about a time-travelling newspaper reporter, was cancelled after just 13 episodes, a victim of falling viewer numbers following an unplanned hiatus during the Writers Guild of America strike.
After the demise of Journeyman, McKidd says he seriously considered heading for home. “It was tough” he admits. “Moving to LA wasn’t easy for my wife and kids, my son especially had close friends from home he was missing. He had just got over that and was starting to lay down roots when it all happened. It was like “What do we do now? Do we just pack up and go home? ‘ I sat down with my wife, who is an amazing woman, and she said: ‘ I feel like we shouldn’t turn tail, I think we should sit it out and see how the new few months play out’”.
While his family stayed in Los Angeles, McKidd flew to Bucharest to film action movie Bunraku alongside Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore. “I was in Bucharest and Jane was in LA, which is weird” he says “I knew then that if we were going to be in LA I couldn’t be off doing shoots everywhere. At least when my family was in the UK they had our own families around”.
Then in a near perfect synchronicity, came the call from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes to offer him a part in the hit show. McKidd debuted with a bang – his first episode saw him use a biro to perform an emergency tracheotomy – and has since seen his popularity reach epic proportions in America. McKidd’s character is the dashing yet enigmatic Dr Owen Hunt, a former army medic and Iraq war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Struggling to fit in with civilian life, he falls for the ambitious and prickly Dr Christina Yang, played by Sandra Oh. Such is the screen couple’s popularity they have been dubbed – in the vein of Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) and TomKat (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) – “Crowen” . Likewise, with his co-stars Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane tagged “McDreamy” and “McSteamy” respectively, a similar nickname for McKidd has been widely debated on fan forums with “McHottie”, “McHunky” and “McBadass” all contenders.
“It is really odd because I have never seen myself as a good looking guy” says McKidd laughing. This is , after all, a man who once described himself as having “a face that looks like a baked potato”.
“My features are more suited to being cast as a boxer or a rugby player, although I think I have grown into my face as I have got older. It is flattering, but for me to be lumped in with all those people? “ He pulls an incredulous face. “It is a new thing for me”
Although experiencing regular pangs of homesickness (“When my mum visits she has to bring almost like a first-aid kit with oatcakes, butteries and rowies…”) McKidd and wife Jane, 33, are determined to make the most of like in La-La Land. Their children Joseph, nine, and Iona, seven, are thriving in Los Angeles, he says. “They are making lots of friends and go on, what do you call it? Ah, yeah, play dates. When I am not working I’m a taxi service for their play dates”.
The youngsters, he adds, have also developed something of an intriguing dual accent. “What’s interesting, is that it’s an unconscious thing”, says McKidd. “They are like the best actors I have ever met. They get up for school in the morning and will be talking in their little southeast England accents they have always had, then as soon as the classroom door opens and their American teacher says ‘good morning’ they go straight into the US one. Then, later, coming home in the car, they switch right back without even missing a beat. It’s amazing.”
There are definite shades of a modern-day Partridge family in the McKidd household. “My son wanted a drum set so I made him save up half of it” he says. “He saved up his pocket money, Christmas money and birthday money for a year. I used to play acoustic guitar but I bought an electric one and have started teaching myself Hendrix and Led Zeppelin songs. We practice in the garage and my wife was like “what are you two doing”? So now she’s going to learn bass guitar. What about his daughter? “She is feeling a little bit left out, so is going to start on tambourine and then, I think, become a pianist of may be a vocalist”
Asked to describe life in Los Angeles, McKidd ventures: “Very different…. Have you been?” I tell him yes, adding I found it quite surreal. McKidd grins. “It is surreal” he confirms. “Weirdly, we live quite a quiet life. The kids go to school and I go to work. It’s almost as close to an office job as I’ve ever had. Usually I’m living out of a suitcase and seeing my wife and kids infrequently because I’m off here, there and everywhere. Now, nine or 10 months out of the year I’m doing Greys, so it’s regular hours and I can actually pick the kids up from school. We live off Laurel Canyon. It’s quite green up in the hills and quiet compared to down n the flat part [of the city] which would drive me a bit nuts”.
So he’s not hanging out at hipster celebrity haunts such as Chateau Marmont or Mr Chows? “Occasionally we will go if there is an event” says McKidd. “Initially we were too shy to go out and do any of those things but then we realized ‘Hang on, we are probably only going to be here for a couple of year’ and you need to have some stories for your memories. Usually, though, we just go into the valley and onto Ventura Boulevard to the wee spit and sawdust places, the little neighborhood restaurants”.
McKidd smiles, a memory coming back to him. “Actually speaking of functions I went to one recently with my dad. It was a big flashy do and Jane couldn’t go because she was feeling ill. My mum and dad were over visiting us so I said” ‘Dad, do you want to borrow a jacket and come with me?’ Off we went and he got chatted up by this model. She was saying to him all this stuff like: ‘Oh my God, you have such amazing eyes’ and now my dad can’t stop talking about how he got chatted up at one of the big LA glitterari parties” .
Many Americans have been surprised to discover McKidd is Scottish; such is the authenticity of his US accent. “I have always enjoyed accents” he says. “ I put it down to the fact that in Bishopmill, the area of Elgin where I ‘m from, our council house was surrounded by an estate of RAF housing. I used to copy the accents of all these kids from Manchester, Birmingham and some who had spent time in America. I have always loved using accents”.
He is uncomfortable with the notion of being part of the “British invasion of Hollywood” , alongside the likes of Hugh Laurie and fellow Scots Dougray Scott and Ashley Jensen. “ I remember 14 years ago when Trainspotting came out. There was the whole Cool Britannia thing and we were all part of that” , he says. “It was very nice, don’t get me wrong, but I’m always reluctant to jump on a bandwagon. I don’t like the idea of a cliquey little set of people. It makes me nervous. I get claustrophobic in those kinds of environments."
McKidd has been outspoken in the past about the importance of Scottish-set films actually being made here, suggesting the Government should look at tax incentives to encourage filmmakers. “I am not a politician or lobbyist, so I’m speaking from a very naïve position” he says, carefully. “ the last time I was filming in Scotland was two years ago for Made of Honour, which was a big American film using Scotland as a location, as opposed to a grassroots Scottish production. The crews we have are fantastic and highly skilled, the infrastructure is great. We have talent and amazing locations. Patrick Dempsey [his co-start in Made of Honour] couldn’t believe more films aren’t shot here because he thought it was the best place on earth."
McKidd latest’s big screen offering, Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief (“I’m playing Poseidon, god of the sea. It’s all about the Greek gods and how they still exists in modern day New York…”) opens on February 12. In the pipeline is a role as Dylan Thomas in a biopic about the Welsh poet’s life. As for an ultimate role?
"I have always wanted to do the play Macbeth,” he announces. Err, isn’t it considered bad luck to say the name of the Scottish play outloud? McKidd shrugs, grinning. “I know, but it’s ok, we’re not in a theatre, we’re in a hospital. I would love to do an all-Scottish theatre production of Macbeth and then take the same cast on location in Scotland to do it as a movie. That has been a big ambition, but it’s still slowly, slowly. I’m too young to play Macbeth”.
He is reticent, though, to have things too mapped out. “I try not to look too far into the future”, says McKidd.”There are moments when I think:’ I’ve not been on stage for six years. I’m going to drop everything and do that’. Then the next day I will think: “OK, I’m going to chase this whole thing in America’. I’m really indecisive and flighty. I have total respect for the actors who are driven and say: ‘I’m going to make myself an action hero’ or ‘I’m going to carve myself a romantic comedy niche..’, I’ve always liked variety in life. Being an actor is a bit like being a circus performer, you just have to go where the work is and pitch your tent”. And , for McKidd, life in Hollywood’s big top is definitely looking rosy.
thanks to Betinad for the text
Kevin attends Inglourious Basterds Event to celebrated its DVD and Blu-ray release
December 15, 2009
By: Joel D Amos
source: Entertainment-SheKnows
Inglourious Basterds celebrated its DVD and Blu-ray release with a star-studded premiere in Beverly Hills. Inglourious Basterds’ director Quentin Tarantino said a few words about his now Golden Globe nominated film. SheKnows takes you inside the home video premiere and bash for Inglourious Basterds and gives you the honest review if the film is worth the fanfare. Hint: a resounding yes!
Audiences will be amazed at the performance Brad Pitt turns in as the leader of a World War II secret squad of Jews dropped into occupied France to terrorize Germans.
Also along for the Tarantino thrill ride is Diane Kruger, The Office’s BJ Novak and Hostel director Eli Roth.
Immediately following the screening at the New Beverly Cinema (which was recently purchased by Tarantino) the filmmaker and his cast went to Grace Restaurant to celebrate their film’s arrival on DVD and Blu-ray.
Inglourious Basterds stars that attended the evening’s festivities includedDiane Kruger , Golden Globe-nominated actor Christoph Waltz, Eli Stone, Novak, Melanie Laurent, Omar Doom, Samm Levine and Zoe Bell. Also in attendance was our favorite doc on Grey’s Anatomy, Kevin McKidd as well as Fringe’s Joshua Jackson (there supporting girlfriend Kruger).
By: Joel D Amos
source: Entertainment-SheKnows
Inglourious Basterds celebrated its DVD and Blu-ray release with a star-studded premiere in Beverly Hills. Inglourious Basterds’ director Quentin Tarantino said a few words about his now Golden Globe nominated film. SheKnows takes you inside the home video premiere and bash for Inglourious Basterds and gives you the honest review if the film is worth the fanfare. Hint: a resounding yes!
Audiences will be amazed at the performance Brad Pitt turns in as the leader of a World War II secret squad of Jews dropped into occupied France to terrorize Germans.
Also along for the Tarantino thrill ride is Diane Kruger, The Office’s BJ Novak and Hostel director Eli Roth.
Immediately following the screening at the New Beverly Cinema (which was recently purchased by Tarantino) the filmmaker and his cast went to Grace Restaurant to celebrate their film’s arrival on DVD and Blu-ray.
Inglourious Basterds stars that attended the evening’s festivities includedDiane Kruger , Golden Globe-nominated actor Christoph Waltz, Eli Stone, Novak, Melanie Laurent, Omar Doom, Samm Levine and Zoe Bell. Also in attendance was our favorite doc on Grey’s Anatomy, Kevin McKidd as well as Fringe’s Joshua Jackson (there supporting girlfriend Kruger).
Moray McKidd
Niki of Buckie Bears donating bear to Kevin McKidd - star of hit series Rome and film Trainspotting - as he became Patron of the Highlands and Islands Film Commission. The bear went to the Cannes Film Festival 2008 wearing awaistcoat in the new Film Commission Tartan which was launched at Cannes this year, and even had his own ticket for his seat on Eurostar! The bear, named 'Moray McKidd' was gifted to Kevin at his home town in Elgin,Moray, Scotland.
He will go to live in Los Angeles where Kevin lives.
credit: Buckie Bears of Scotland
He will go to live in Los Angeles where Kevin lives.
credit: Buckie Bears of Scotland
Cards for the Troops
Photos of Kevin signing Christmas cards for the "Cards for our Troops" event can be found on Daily News Los Angeles Date taken 12/5/2009,
Photos by Ernesto Elizarraraz
"For the Troops (FTT) Organization hosted their second annual writing holiday letters for troops who are currently on duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, held at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA. F.T.T. expects to send over 3,000 holiday cards from today's event. The organization also sends monthly care packages to the troops containing food, entertainment and personal hygiene products." (www.forthetroops.org)
text credit Daily News Los Angeles
Three photos: one, two, three
Photos by Ernesto Elizarraraz
"For the Troops (FTT) Organization hosted their second annual writing holiday letters for troops who are currently on duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, held at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA. F.T.T. expects to send over 3,000 holiday cards from today's event. The organization also sends monthly care packages to the troops containing food, entertainment and personal hygiene products." (www.forthetroops.org)
text credit Daily News Los Angeles
Three photos: one, two, three
Sign Christmas Cards for our Troops
Annual Christmas Card Signing Event
FOR THE TROOPS will again be signing Christmas Cards for our deployed military in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year the event will be held at the Reagan Presidential Library on Saturday, December 5th from 10 am to 12:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Our celebrity signer this year is Kevin McKidd who plays Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy. As he plays a Trauma Surgeon who has just returned from a tour in Iraq, he was delighted to come and show his support. We would love to have you join with us to send off wishes of support and cheer. Space is limited to 80 people on a first come, first served basis. Please RSVP to USA@ForTheTroops.org if you wish to attend. BE SURE TO PUT ‘RSVP’ IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
Please wear your red For The Troops tee shirt if you have one. If not, wear a red shirt or something patriotic. Thank you.
Note: This event will take place in one of the private conference rooms at the Reagan Library. Entrance fee to the Reagan Library and Air Force One is not included.
FOR THE TROOPS
Supporting Our Troops One Care Package At A Time
For The Troops
P.O. Box 630103
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Headquarters: 2872 Cochran Street, Simi Valley CA 93065
Phone: (805) 306-0830 or (818) 640-3846
Website: www.ForTheTroops.org
Federal Tax ID #: 20-8099782 section 501(c)(3)
FOR THE TROOPS will again be signing Christmas Cards for our deployed military in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year the event will be held at the Reagan Presidential Library on Saturday, December 5th from 10 am to 12:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Our celebrity signer this year is Kevin McKidd who plays Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy. As he plays a Trauma Surgeon who has just returned from a tour in Iraq, he was delighted to come and show his support. We would love to have you join with us to send off wishes of support and cheer. Space is limited to 80 people on a first come, first served basis. Please RSVP to USA@ForTheTroops.org if you wish to attend. BE SURE TO PUT ‘RSVP’ IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
Please wear your red For The Troops tee shirt if you have one. If not, wear a red shirt or something patriotic. Thank you.
Note: This event will take place in one of the private conference rooms at the Reagan Library. Entrance fee to the Reagan Library and Air Force One is not included.
FOR THE TROOPS
Supporting Our Troops One Care Package At A Time
For The Troops
P.O. Box 630103
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Headquarters: 2872 Cochran Street, Simi Valley CA 93065
Phone: (805) 306-0830 or (818) 640-3846
Website: www.ForTheTroops.org
Federal Tax ID #: 20-8099782 section 501(c)(3)
Kevin McKidd Interview: The anatomy lesson
Picture: Graham Jepson
By Lisa Marks
April 11, 2009
Source: LIVING Scotsman.com
KEVIN MCKIDD IS CONTENT. It's not so much the fact that he's relocated his family from the UK to California while he attends to his day job as Dr Owen Hunt on Grey's Anatomy, nor is it the perpetual sunshine that drenches LA year round, or the handy, 15-minute drive to work that's making him smile.
No, it's the fact that he now knows where the coffee machine is. As anyone who starts a new job will know, it's the little things that matter – and McKidd is no different.
He joined the cast of Grey's last July, after his starring vehicle, Journeyman, was cancelled (partly because of the crippling writers' strike that brought most of Hollywood to a standstill last year), and admits to having been in awe of the stellar line-up, massive viewing figures and general juggernaut production values that come together to create a hit show.
Thankfully, the 35-year-old, whose past credits include Trainspotting and Rome, has eased into the skin of the hard-nosed former military doctor. "You know, I'm just really enjoying myself," he says softly, as he sits down for a chat in between script read-throughs on the Grey's lot in North Hollywood. "I'm not the new boy any more and the place feels like home. I know my way to the coffee machine, which is nice because it's nerve-wracking starting on a new show."
And with a cast that boasts some big names, including Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl and Sandra Oh, that's no small feat.
He was originally taken on for just a handful of shows but his new status as cast regular means his storylines are getting meatier. Without giving too much away, he's been spending a lot of time filming with Dr Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh, who shot to prominence in the wine buff film Sideways.
"Everyone's been so friendly and welcoming but Sandra's such a happy, positive person to be around and I feel very lucky that she's my co-star," he reveals. "Dr Hunt is an interesting guy. He's been in Iraq and Afghanistan on a few tours and has a level of intensity that comes out on the show. She's a tough cookie too, so they go together pretty well."
And, of course, as the new male interest in the show he's had the ubiquitous Grey's nickname bestowed upon him: Patrick Dempsey is McDreamy, Eric Dane is McSteamy and, the show's creator Shonda Rhimes explains, she was keen to quickly establish her new cast member. "He's already got the "Mc" built in to his name so we had to keep him." Therefore Major Hunt is now known to Grey's fans as McBadAss.
"I heard she said that," he laughs. "Shonda's been really supportive of me – it was her idea to create this character. He's mysterious and complex and that's what you look for as an actor. Hopefully I'm bringing the character to life in the way she saw."
For McKidd, life is a far cry from his childhood in Elgin, Moray, where his mother Kathleen and father Neil still live. When he was growing up, acting was just a pipe dream and filmmaking even less of a realistic career choice.
He attended Elgin Academy, where he took part in the usual school theatre productions and admits: "I started acting when I was very young and realised pretty quickly that it was what I wanted to do. No one else in my family is an actor, in fact I'm the first one to be involved in the arts. But Mum and Dad were very supportive, even if they didn't understand what it was." McKidd's mother was a hotel worker and his father a plumber, so how did he end up at Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh aged 18, studying drama?
The answer possibly lies with his late grandfather, George Runcie, a dairy farmer from the north-east of Scotland, who, by all accounts, had the gift of the gab. "He was one of those great guys who would sit at the end of the bar and sing bawdy ballads," recalls McKidd. "As an entertainer he was fantastic, he could hold a room like Peter O'Toole, so maybe it comes from him. His upbringing was very rural but he was a performer, and up until he died he was a larger than life character."
As a sign of his passion for home, McKidd is a patron of the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission (SHIFC) and is committed to bringing filmmaking opportunities to the area and to young people. "I'm there when they need me to chip in if they're trying to get people to pick Scotland as a place to film movies," he explains. "And they're very supportive of movie making at grassroots level. They recently held a film festival so that young kids in the Highlands could make short films. I never had anything like that, I was so far removed from the central belt, so I think it's great that they're so encouraging."
Now married to wife Jane for nearly ten years, he tries to get back to Scotland at least twice a year, "although that's not enough, in my opinion". They have two children, Joseph, eight, and six-year-old Iona, and he's already booked a holiday cottage near Fochabers so the extended family can spend Christmas together.
"And when Grey's finishes filming in May, I get two or three months off, so we'll definitely be up in Scotland for the summer," he says with some relish.
Sounds like someone is a tad homesick? McKidd laughs. "Yes, I think you're right. I don't know if it's the uncharacteristically wet weather here in California this week, but I'm going through a homesick patch. I'm yearning for Scotland."
He cites his favourite place as Iona, just off the Isle of Mull. Not only did he name his daughter after it but up until a couple of years ago he would head there regularly for some quiet time. "It's the place I miss most after Elgin," he says wistfully. "I went to Iona on my first ever field trip when I was about eight years old and it has stayed with me ever since. It has those fantastic sandy beaches and is my favourite place to visit. I've managed to get back there most years since that time, and in my head, that's where I go to when things get a bit hectic when I'm working." And like any good son, he also misses his mum's home cooking. "What I wouldn't do for a plate of her skirlie! She's the only person who can make decent skirlie, which she serves with mince and tatties. It's delicious."
Family clearly plays a huge part in his life and McKidd is thankful to be in such a happy marriage. He met Jane while appearing in the plays Phèdre and Britannicus alongside Diana Rigg in the West End of London. "Jane was working in the box office and we met at a theatre party one night," he explains. "And that was it. Very quickly we got married and had kids and we're still really happy."
In fact, having his children around is something he adores. The family, who live in the Hollywood Hills, have been with him in Los Angeles for 18 months but as an actor he was familiar with long separations.
"You get used to living out of a suitcase," he says. "One of the great perks about being on Grey's is that, unlike the movies where you're away from home a lot, I get to come home to the family every night. That's really important to me, especially the age the kids are now. They really need their dad around, so it's come at the right time."
They've heartily embraced the Californian lifestyle, with hikes around the canyons and bike rides along the beach. As a doting father, he clearly loves the fact that his children are experiencing all the city has to offer. "It's a very outdoorsy life here," he says. "And it's very kid-friendly. We spent the first couple of months going shopping or to the cinema and then Jane and I decided we needed to find something else to do. Once you venture out, though, you discover there's a lot happening. The children had summer camp last year, which was fun. They'd get on a yellow bus and go surfing on Malibu beach and come back on the bus at the end of the day, all tanned and having learned how to surf. We're very lucky as a family."
Last year, though, wasn't quite so easy. As the star of Journeyman, McKidd confesses he left Jane "a TV widow". "The work level on that show was intense," he says. The premise of the show had McKidd's character time-travelling and, since he was at the centre of the action, the workload was enormous.
"Last year was hard for me because Journeyman wasn't an ensemble show; it was all about my character and that meant I was in every scene, and also doing the brunt of the publicity. That was fine but I literally didn't have a minute to do anything else," he explains. "My poor wife was a widow to a TV show. She was very supportive and fantastic throughout but this year, even though I'm still very busy, it's nowhere near the intensity. In success terms, Grey's is huge but I get more downtime because it's an ensemble. To me there's a really nice balance now."
McKidd landed the role in Journeyman hot on the heels of the hugely successful drama series Rome, but success comes at a price. "When you're on a show like Journeyman that's doing well in the ratings but not amazing, there's a lot of psychological pressure because you feel that everybody's job is on your shoulders," he says. "But you have to say to yourself, 'This is what I signed on for' and you take the knocks. Eventually, if you stick with it and persevere, something good might still happen."
Having said that, he's determined to hang on to his Scottish roots, promising that you won't hear him with a transatlantic drawl, even though he rarely uses his own accent on screen.
"You soon learn that LA is a very cosmopolitan city and that people can understand you without having to change your accent," he explains. "But when I work, I've got this weird thing that I like using a different dialect. It helps me get into character and a different headspace. That's the fun of acting, getting to walk into someone else's shoes."
And he's not the type of guy to be found hanging out with all the British actors who live in LA. "Don't get me wrong, I love actors," he says. "But I spend all day with them so I don't need to when I'm not at work. I did see Jason Statham in a gym recently and we said hello, but only because I know him. We met about 12 years ago after Lock, Stock came out and he's a really nice guy."
And even though he has such a busy schedule, McKidd, who cites Sean Connery as his acting hero, is still enthusiastic about other movie projects. There has been some talk of a Trainspotting prequel, but he's completely in the dark about that. "I've not heard a thing but we've all aged a bit haven't we," he laughs. "So I'm not sure how that would work."
He is, however, signed on to play Dylan Thomas in a small independent movie written and directed by Mick Davis, that almost got the green light last summer. "We very nearly went into production but, as happens a lot, the money fell through, so we're in a holding pattern. I'm busy with Grey's and Mick's busy with The Eleventh Hour (a US sci-fi show], but we hope to make it in the next three or four years. It's a very low-budget film but I think it'll be a great biopic."
Pausing, McKidd takes a moment to reflect on how far his career has taken him, both geographically and in terms of success. "Every single minute of the day I pinch myself," he says.
"I can't actually believe I'm getting the chance to live this dream. I'm very fortunate to get this far and in such a crazy business too. There are times when it can drive you nuts and be very frustrating, but also, I've been very lucky over the years. It's a far cry from Moray, but it's something I've always wanted to do and I've worked hard at it.
"However long it lasts, I'll be happy. When I was at drama school I never thought I'd get a part in a play and if it had to end tomorrow I'd be gutted, but I'd also be thankful for what I had."
And with that he disappears for another script run-through. Via the coffee machine, of course.
April 11, 2009
Source: LIVING Scotsman.com
KEVIN MCKIDD IS CONTENT. It's not so much the fact that he's relocated his family from the UK to California while he attends to his day job as Dr Owen Hunt on Grey's Anatomy, nor is it the perpetual sunshine that drenches LA year round, or the handy, 15-minute drive to work that's making him smile.
No, it's the fact that he now knows where the coffee machine is. As anyone who starts a new job will know, it's the little things that matter – and McKidd is no different.
He joined the cast of Grey's last July, after his starring vehicle, Journeyman, was cancelled (partly because of the crippling writers' strike that brought most of Hollywood to a standstill last year), and admits to having been in awe of the stellar line-up, massive viewing figures and general juggernaut production values that come together to create a hit show.
Thankfully, the 35-year-old, whose past credits include Trainspotting and Rome, has eased into the skin of the hard-nosed former military doctor. "You know, I'm just really enjoying myself," he says softly, as he sits down for a chat in between script read-throughs on the Grey's lot in North Hollywood. "I'm not the new boy any more and the place feels like home. I know my way to the coffee machine, which is nice because it's nerve-wracking starting on a new show."
And with a cast that boasts some big names, including Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl and Sandra Oh, that's no small feat.
He was originally taken on for just a handful of shows but his new status as cast regular means his storylines are getting meatier. Without giving too much away, he's been spending a lot of time filming with Dr Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh, who shot to prominence in the wine buff film Sideways.
"Everyone's been so friendly and welcoming but Sandra's such a happy, positive person to be around and I feel very lucky that she's my co-star," he reveals. "Dr Hunt is an interesting guy. He's been in Iraq and Afghanistan on a few tours and has a level of intensity that comes out on the show. She's a tough cookie too, so they go together pretty well."
And, of course, as the new male interest in the show he's had the ubiquitous Grey's nickname bestowed upon him: Patrick Dempsey is McDreamy, Eric Dane is McSteamy and, the show's creator Shonda Rhimes explains, she was keen to quickly establish her new cast member. "He's already got the "Mc" built in to his name so we had to keep him." Therefore Major Hunt is now known to Grey's fans as McBadAss.
"I heard she said that," he laughs. "Shonda's been really supportive of me – it was her idea to create this character. He's mysterious and complex and that's what you look for as an actor. Hopefully I'm bringing the character to life in the way she saw."
For McKidd, life is a far cry from his childhood in Elgin, Moray, where his mother Kathleen and father Neil still live. When he was growing up, acting was just a pipe dream and filmmaking even less of a realistic career choice.
He attended Elgin Academy, where he took part in the usual school theatre productions and admits: "I started acting when I was very young and realised pretty quickly that it was what I wanted to do. No one else in my family is an actor, in fact I'm the first one to be involved in the arts. But Mum and Dad were very supportive, even if they didn't understand what it was." McKidd's mother was a hotel worker and his father a plumber, so how did he end up at Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh aged 18, studying drama?
The answer possibly lies with his late grandfather, George Runcie, a dairy farmer from the north-east of Scotland, who, by all accounts, had the gift of the gab. "He was one of those great guys who would sit at the end of the bar and sing bawdy ballads," recalls McKidd. "As an entertainer he was fantastic, he could hold a room like Peter O'Toole, so maybe it comes from him. His upbringing was very rural but he was a performer, and up until he died he was a larger than life character."
As a sign of his passion for home, McKidd is a patron of the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission (SHIFC) and is committed to bringing filmmaking opportunities to the area and to young people. "I'm there when they need me to chip in if they're trying to get people to pick Scotland as a place to film movies," he explains. "And they're very supportive of movie making at grassroots level. They recently held a film festival so that young kids in the Highlands could make short films. I never had anything like that, I was so far removed from the central belt, so I think it's great that they're so encouraging."
Now married to wife Jane for nearly ten years, he tries to get back to Scotland at least twice a year, "although that's not enough, in my opinion". They have two children, Joseph, eight, and six-year-old Iona, and he's already booked a holiday cottage near Fochabers so the extended family can spend Christmas together.
"And when Grey's finishes filming in May, I get two or three months off, so we'll definitely be up in Scotland for the summer," he says with some relish.
Sounds like someone is a tad homesick? McKidd laughs. "Yes, I think you're right. I don't know if it's the uncharacteristically wet weather here in California this week, but I'm going through a homesick patch. I'm yearning for Scotland."
He cites his favourite place as Iona, just off the Isle of Mull. Not only did he name his daughter after it but up until a couple of years ago he would head there regularly for some quiet time. "It's the place I miss most after Elgin," he says wistfully. "I went to Iona on my first ever field trip when I was about eight years old and it has stayed with me ever since. It has those fantastic sandy beaches and is my favourite place to visit. I've managed to get back there most years since that time, and in my head, that's where I go to when things get a bit hectic when I'm working." And like any good son, he also misses his mum's home cooking. "What I wouldn't do for a plate of her skirlie! She's the only person who can make decent skirlie, which she serves with mince and tatties. It's delicious."
Family clearly plays a huge part in his life and McKidd is thankful to be in such a happy marriage. He met Jane while appearing in the plays Phèdre and Britannicus alongside Diana Rigg in the West End of London. "Jane was working in the box office and we met at a theatre party one night," he explains. "And that was it. Very quickly we got married and had kids and we're still really happy."
In fact, having his children around is something he adores. The family, who live in the Hollywood Hills, have been with him in Los Angeles for 18 months but as an actor he was familiar with long separations.
"You get used to living out of a suitcase," he says. "One of the great perks about being on Grey's is that, unlike the movies where you're away from home a lot, I get to come home to the family every night. That's really important to me, especially the age the kids are now. They really need their dad around, so it's come at the right time."
They've heartily embraced the Californian lifestyle, with hikes around the canyons and bike rides along the beach. As a doting father, he clearly loves the fact that his children are experiencing all the city has to offer. "It's a very outdoorsy life here," he says. "And it's very kid-friendly. We spent the first couple of months going shopping or to the cinema and then Jane and I decided we needed to find something else to do. Once you venture out, though, you discover there's a lot happening. The children had summer camp last year, which was fun. They'd get on a yellow bus and go surfing on Malibu beach and come back on the bus at the end of the day, all tanned and having learned how to surf. We're very lucky as a family."
Last year, though, wasn't quite so easy. As the star of Journeyman, McKidd confesses he left Jane "a TV widow". "The work level on that show was intense," he says. The premise of the show had McKidd's character time-travelling and, since he was at the centre of the action, the workload was enormous.
"Last year was hard for me because Journeyman wasn't an ensemble show; it was all about my character and that meant I was in every scene, and also doing the brunt of the publicity. That was fine but I literally didn't have a minute to do anything else," he explains. "My poor wife was a widow to a TV show. She was very supportive and fantastic throughout but this year, even though I'm still very busy, it's nowhere near the intensity. In success terms, Grey's is huge but I get more downtime because it's an ensemble. To me there's a really nice balance now."
McKidd landed the role in Journeyman hot on the heels of the hugely successful drama series Rome, but success comes at a price. "When you're on a show like Journeyman that's doing well in the ratings but not amazing, there's a lot of psychological pressure because you feel that everybody's job is on your shoulders," he says. "But you have to say to yourself, 'This is what I signed on for' and you take the knocks. Eventually, if you stick with it and persevere, something good might still happen."
Having said that, he's determined to hang on to his Scottish roots, promising that you won't hear him with a transatlantic drawl, even though he rarely uses his own accent on screen.
"You soon learn that LA is a very cosmopolitan city and that people can understand you without having to change your accent," he explains. "But when I work, I've got this weird thing that I like using a different dialect. It helps me get into character and a different headspace. That's the fun of acting, getting to walk into someone else's shoes."
And he's not the type of guy to be found hanging out with all the British actors who live in LA. "Don't get me wrong, I love actors," he says. "But I spend all day with them so I don't need to when I'm not at work. I did see Jason Statham in a gym recently and we said hello, but only because I know him. We met about 12 years ago after Lock, Stock came out and he's a really nice guy."
And even though he has such a busy schedule, McKidd, who cites Sean Connery as his acting hero, is still enthusiastic about other movie projects. There has been some talk of a Trainspotting prequel, but he's completely in the dark about that. "I've not heard a thing but we've all aged a bit haven't we," he laughs. "So I'm not sure how that would work."
He is, however, signed on to play Dylan Thomas in a small independent movie written and directed by Mick Davis, that almost got the green light last summer. "We very nearly went into production but, as happens a lot, the money fell through, so we're in a holding pattern. I'm busy with Grey's and Mick's busy with The Eleventh Hour (a US sci-fi show], but we hope to make it in the next three or four years. It's a very low-budget film but I think it'll be a great biopic."
Pausing, McKidd takes a moment to reflect on how far his career has taken him, both geographically and in terms of success. "Every single minute of the day I pinch myself," he says.
"I can't actually believe I'm getting the chance to live this dream. I'm very fortunate to get this far and in such a crazy business too. There are times when it can drive you nuts and be very frustrating, but also, I've been very lucky over the years. It's a far cry from Moray, but it's something I've always wanted to do and I've worked hard at it.
"However long it lasts, I'll be happy. When I was at drama school I never thought I'd get a part in a play and if it had to end tomorrow I'd be gutted, but I'd also be thankful for what I had."
And with that he disappears for another script run-through. Via the coffee machine, of course.
"Kevin McKidd Out as Thor?"
February 19, 2009
Original Source: Movie Web
It seems that Kevin McKidd may no longer be the lead contender to play the titular god of thunder in Marvel Studio's Thor. A casting call that was snuck to Corona Coming Attractions has gone out for the lead in the film, and beyond simply confirming that McKidd is probably no longer up for the role, it also suggests what the producers and director Kenneth Branagh is looking for in the part.
The casting call reads: Male MUST BE MID-LATE 20'S and SIX FEET OR TALLER. LEAD.Physically powerful, very handsome, occasionally egotistical, petulant, and wild. A natural warrior with a quick charming wit who must be genuinely and severly humbled before becoming the compassionate, mature hero of our film. According to the casting call, the start date for filming would be this July, with the film wrapping in September. Marvel is eyeing up a July 16, 2010 release date for Thor.
"McKidd Blames Bad Organisation for Dogs' Puppies."
January 5, 2009
Source: PerfectPeople
Trainspotting star Kevin McKidd and his wife Jane have pledged to be more organised in 2009 after waiting too long to neuter their pet dogs.
The actor admits he's terrible at paying bills on time because he can't get organised and his failure to keep track of things left him with seven puppies.
He explains, "Last year we took these two dogs home from London to L.A. - two dogs that we love dearly - and we kept saying, 'We've got to take these dogs to the vet and get the job done, so they don't... because one of them's a boy and one of them's a girl.
"And then they did get the job done; we opened up the kennel one day and they were kinda like 'together' looking in each other's eyes lovingly... and we've got these seven puppies and they're just adorable."
McKidd and his wife have now had their pets neutered. They managed to find homes for six of the litter and have kept one of the pups.
Reynolds, Simon. "Boyle discusses 'Trainspotting' sequel."
November 26, 2008
Original Source: Digitalspy.co.uk
Danny Boyle has revealed that a Trainspotting sequel will move forward once the original cast begin to look older.
The director explained that the storyline will take place two decades after the events of Trainspotting, when the characters "hit the wall" in middle age.
However, Boyle said that Hollywood vanity is slowing down the ageing process for stars Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner and Kevin McKidd.
He told The AV Club: "The problem is, they don't look any different at the moment from when Trainspotting was made. They look exactly the same. They're a little heavier, but they basically look the same.
"Actors stay suspended in that timeless moment where they're moisturising and looking after themselves and making sure they keep fit and healthy, because it's their work, it's their future employment. But when time ravages them, we will be waiting for them."
Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh wrote a sequel to the novel called Porno, which follows the same characters working in the pornography industry.
Salmond, Catherine. "Couple's Love Song on a Shoestring."
October 11, 2008
Origina Source: Edinburghnews.scotsman.com
In the cutthroat world of the movie business, would-be film screenwriters have to use every tactic they can think of to get noticed. Except perhaps one.
"I did once go to an interview with the BBC and I just bombarded the interviewer with story ideas," recalls Adrian Mead with a wry smile.
"At 6ft 3in tall and weighing 11 stone, I am not a small guy. I basically shouted at her for about half an hour. It wasn't the best approach."
It may not have done Adrian any harm – on Monday, October 20, the critically acclaimed Night People, which he co-wrote and directed with his partner Clare Kerr, gets its first showing on television and the 45-year-old has a host of other projects on the go. But he is hoping that his new book, Making it as a Screenwriter, will help young hopefuls avoid a few of his mistakes.
"I wish I had had this book when I was starting out," he says. "I'm able to tell people all the things I did, most of them, on reflection, in the worst possible ways."
There is another reason Adrian is keen for the book, which was launched last Tuesday, to succeed – the proceeds are all going to Childline, a charity he volunteers with every week in the Capital.
He's only just finished his training, learning the hugely responsible task of how to help a small voice with often terrifyingly large problems on the end of a phone line. He admits that the first call was "very scary", but adds: "Sometimes you come away from a call and do feel that you've been part of something that's made a difference.
"Although it's very nerve-wracking at the start, there is such great support, so that passes."
The couple do not have any children themselves – Adrian says volunteering was more to provide an antidote to the sometimes navel-gazing world of movies.
"The media business can get rather silly – a bit self-obsessed. It's good to do something that's not about myself," he says.
Not that he's running the industry down – after all, it took every inch of the former hairdresser and city bouncer's determination to get into it in the first place.
"In the beginning, I knew absolutely nobody," he admits. "It's all about who you know and keeping in touch with people."
"If you want something, though, you have to believe you are already nine-tenths of the way there. You have to believe you are going to do it. It's about having a strategy – you have to plan and you need to execute that.
Two years ago, he and Clare, who live on Leith Walk, did just that with Night People, a love song to the city, shot on a shoestring £300,000 budget and with just the street lights to illuminate the Capital's world-famous skyline.
Since then it's been shown at film festivals across the world, including in Tehran. "It's been mentioned all over the world just how beautiful the city looks in Night People," says Liverpool-born Adrian, who co-wrote and directed the film that Clare produced. However, in Berlin, there was a slightly worrying moment when one young man excitedly told the couple the film gave him a headache. "We were a bit confused, but he meant that he loved looking at all the colours in the film," laughs Adrian.
"A lot of people from Edinburgh who have watched the film said they have never seen the city look like that," adds Clare, 42. "I'm proud of the fact that we made this place – where I have come back to throughout my life – beautiful."
Night People follows a series of characters on their journeys across Edinburgh. David, a 13-year-old runaway, is fleeing the Capital on the first bus he can get to London. But at the station he meets Josh, a rent boy just four years his senior, who promises he can show him a new life, right on his doorstep.
Taxi driver Jane spends the night as a desperate chauffeur, caught in the middle of dodgy goings-on across the city. She is forced to take her five-year-old daughter Alison along for the ride, spinning fairytales about where they are going to protect her from the truth. Other characters include a struggling single father and a guilt-ridden missionary.
Although the film will be a first for thousands of television viewers next week, the couple have since focused their attention on more familiar projects, including the antics of a much-loved, black-haired tearaway named Dennis.
"Yes, it is true, I have been writing for the Beano character," smiles Adrian. "It's been absolutely fantastic."
And he says he gets a huge thrill out of writing for the BBC cartoon series. "I loved it when I was a child and I think my friends are a bit jealous. In fact, I got an e-mail the other day from one of them, simply saying 'B*****d!'."
He has also managed to find time to write scripts for the BBC's hugely popular Waking The Dead, for which he wrote two parts for the final series.
"It was great. There are so many writers wanting to do the show. It's a big responsibility – you know half the country is watching."
And as for Clare, a former chef raised in Abbeyhill, there are many projects on the go, including a feature film entitled Faith.
Although she emphasises that the film is still in its infancy – she hopes work will start next year – it has secured Rome and Trainspotting star Kevin McKidd for the lead in a tale about the relationship between a father and daughter. She's also co-producing Wide Open Spaces, a film comedy from the writers of Father Ted.
She says: "Even with the credit crunch, people still seem to go to the cinema. For £10 they know they will enjoy themselves and can escape from real life for a bit."
But do the film-making duo ever tire of living and often working together?
"Not really," Clare laughs. "The biggest challenge is to remember you have to stop working!"
• Night People will be broadcast on STV on Monday, October 20 at 10.35pm.
The full article contains 1054 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper. Page 1 of 1 Last Updated: 11 October 2008 11:48 AM Source: Edinburgh Evening News Location: Edinburgh
"McKidd a Highlander?"
August 21, 2008
by Dave Davis
Source:Joblo.com
There can be only one! Unless there's another one... As we learned a few months ago, a "reinvention" of the HIGHLANDER franchise is in the works courtesy of Summit, the company behind the (soon to be massively successful) TWILIGHT movie. But who might possibly be willing and able to don the kilt and wield the hefty blade once held by Christopher Lambert?
JoBlo reader 'Lynchy' tells us that actor - and actual Scotsman - Kevin McKidd (HBO's "ROME", DOG SOLDIERS) was just on Dublin radio, and mentioned he'd been approached by the production company about starring in the film. We don't know much more than that, but the producers did previously mention they would include medieval Scotland in their version of the story. And McKidd may have some time on his schedule after the termination of his "JOURNEYMAN" series.
In case you weren't aware, the indefatigable HIGHLANDER series revolves around a secret race of immortals who, over the course of centuries, constantly clash and cut each other's heads off with swords so they can absorb the special effects that spill from the decapitated bodies.
Extra Tidbit: McKidd was reportedly a favorite to play THOR before director Matthew Vaughn exited the project.
Scottish Actor Calls for Tax Breaks to Attract Film-Makers
December 8, 2008
by: Steven Cookson and Cameron Brooks
Source: The Press and Journal
PATRON: Kevin McKidd says tax breaks for film-makers will help put Scotland on the map. Gordon Lennox Actor Kevin McKidd has called for tax breaks to be offered to film-makers to encourage more movie production in the north of Sco
The Elgin-born star, known for his roles in Trainspotting and the TV drama series Rome, spoke as he was made patron of the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission (SHIFC) yesterday.
He said that by offering tax breaks to film companies it will make productions cheaper, and could bring potential interest to the area.
Cross-party MSPs agreed with his comments and said as much as possible should be done to attract film-makers to the region to generate tourism and create jobs.
Labour MSP David Stewart said the industry would be further boosted if film studios were established in the Highlands and islands where the scenery is a selling point.
He said this would give Scotland a “competitive advantage” over other parts of the UK and Ireland, where films such as Braveheart were filmed for financial reasons.
Mr McKidd, 35, who is delighted with his new role as patron, said: “If we can bring films to the Highlands and islands we will reap the economic benefits and there is the bonus of putting the area on the map. There are tax breaks for film productions in countries like Ireland and they seem to work there so I don’t see why they wouldn’t work here. I would be dead keen to support any proposals in Moray.”
Between 15 and 20 films are made in Scotland every year.
Hollywood blockbusters such as Stardust, The Water Horse, and a new Viking epic called Valhalla Rising are expected to bring £2.7million to the Scottish economy.
SHIFC chairman Eric McGillvray said: “Kevin may be based in Los Angeles but he is passionate about Scotland and his home patch in particular.
“We are delighted that he is genuinely interested in supporting film production in Moray and the Highlands because of the economic benefits it brings. I am sure he will be a big asset for us.”
Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said the SNP Government is “committed” to ensuring the industry prospers.
She said: “We have a wealth of talent and expertise here and through the right support we can grow our screen industry and position Scotland as a key destination for film production.”
Highlands and islands Tory MSP Mary Scanlon said: “Scotland has undoubtedly a unique selling point in terms of scenery and location spots so tax breaks should be seriously considered as a means of boosting remote and rural economies.”
A spokesman for HM Treasury said the UK Government currently offers a “comprehensive system” of tax credits to support the UK film industry.
The Scottish Government has awarded Scottish Screen £3million for 2008-09 to support the industry.
An additional £5million will be made available over the first two years for Creative Scotland to support artists and creativity provided the legislation is approved by the Scottish Parliament.
The bill was stalled in June after opposition MSPs voted it down amid financial concerns.
December 8, 2008
by: Steven Cookson and Cameron Brooks
Source: The Press and Journal
PATRON: Kevin McKidd says tax breaks for film-makers will help put Scotland on the map. Gordon Lennox Actor Kevin McKidd has called for tax breaks to be offered to film-makers to encourage more movie production in the north of Sco
The Elgin-born star, known for his roles in Trainspotting and the TV drama series Rome, spoke as he was made patron of the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission (SHIFC) yesterday.
He said that by offering tax breaks to film companies it will make productions cheaper, and could bring potential interest to the area.
Cross-party MSPs agreed with his comments and said as much as possible should be done to attract film-makers to the region to generate tourism and create jobs.
Labour MSP David Stewart said the industry would be further boosted if film studios were established in the Highlands and islands where the scenery is a selling point.
He said this would give Scotland a “competitive advantage” over other parts of the UK and Ireland, where films such as Braveheart were filmed for financial reasons.
Mr McKidd, 35, who is delighted with his new role as patron, said: “If we can bring films to the Highlands and islands we will reap the economic benefits and there is the bonus of putting the area on the map. There are tax breaks for film productions in countries like Ireland and they seem to work there so I don’t see why they wouldn’t work here. I would be dead keen to support any proposals in Moray.”
Between 15 and 20 films are made in Scotland every year.
Hollywood blockbusters such as Stardust, The Water Horse, and a new Viking epic called Valhalla Rising are expected to bring £2.7million to the Scottish economy.
SHIFC chairman Eric McGillvray said: “Kevin may be based in Los Angeles but he is passionate about Scotland and his home patch in particular.
“We are delighted that he is genuinely interested in supporting film production in Moray and the Highlands because of the economic benefits it brings. I am sure he will be a big asset for us.”
Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said the SNP Government is “committed” to ensuring the industry prospers.
She said: “We have a wealth of talent and expertise here and through the right support we can grow our screen industry and position Scotland as a key destination for film production.”
Highlands and islands Tory MSP Mary Scanlon said: “Scotland has undoubtedly a unique selling point in terms of scenery and location spots so tax breaks should be seriously considered as a means of boosting remote and rural economies.”
A spokesman for HM Treasury said the UK Government currently offers a “comprehensive system” of tax credits to support the UK film industry.
The Scottish Government has awarded Scottish Screen £3million for 2008-09 to support the industry.
An additional £5million will be made available over the first two years for Creative Scotland to support artists and creativity provided the legislation is approved by the Scottish Parliament.
The bill was stalled in June after opposition MSPs voted it down amid financial concerns.
"McKidd call for Highland tax breaks to attract filmmakers."
August 12, 2008
By: Graem Smith
Source: HeraldScotland
Hollywood actor Kevin McKidd yesterday called for tax breaks for film-makers to encourage more movies to be made in the Highlands and Islands.
The Elgin-born star of Trainspotting, who has just started filming a series of top American drama Grey's Anatomy, was speaking in his home town at a ceremony marking his appointment as patron of the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission (SHIFC).
The actor, who is now based in Los Angeles and is best known for roles in the BBC TV series Rome and the recent comantic comedy Made of Honour, was also in Elgin to celebrate his 35th birthday.
"There are tax breaks for film productions in countries like Ireland and they seem to work there so I don't see why they wouldn't work in Scotland as well.
"Tax incentives would make it much more attractive for film companies to shoot in the Highlands and Islands. I have been involved in a few Scottish productions shot in other countries because it was cheaper, when I wish they could have been shot here," he said.
In his new role as patron of SHIFC he aims to raise awareness of what the Highlands and Islands has to offer to the film and TV industry.
"I will do anything I can to support the work of promoting film and television production in my home area. I want film companies to know that not only are there great places to film here, but also that there is an infrastructure of accommodation and facilities to support large film productions with crews of up to 300 people.
"If we can bring films to the Highlands and Islands we will reap the economic benefits and there is the bonus of putting the area on the map.
"That's how you achieve things like the Harry Potter tourist trail in Lochaber," he added.
The actor is backing SHIFC's "Film Crews Welcome Scheme," which enables film production companies to discover online which hotels and bed and breakfasts have an understanding of their specific needs. Kevin, who filmed One Last Chance with fellow Scot Dougray Scott in Moray, wants to return to his home turf to make more movies.
He said "I would love to film again in Moray. I am trying to find scripts to shoot here, maybe a new film of Macbeth."
Eric McGillivray, chairman of SHIFC, said: "Kevin may be based in Los Angeles but he is passionate about Scotland and his home patch in particular. We are delighted that he is genuinely interested in supporting film production in Moray and the Highlands and Islands because of the economic benefits it brings."
Mr McGillivray presented the actor with a kilt in a special tartan designed for the SHIFC, which he will wear for future promotions.
There is currently considerable optimism for the future of the film industry in the Highlands and Islands. A £3.2m Viking epic, Valhalla Rising, where Highland locations are doubling for the Canadian landscape, is filming at the moment, and is expected to bring £2.7m into the Scottish economy.
"Trainspotting Star for Grey's Anatomy?"
July 4, 2008
Source: RTE TEN
One of the stars of 'Trainspotting' is reported to be in talks to join 'Grey's Anatomy'.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Kevin McKidd, who played Tommy in 'Trainspotting', is in "serious talks" about the medical drama. It says that McKidd's storyline in the series would be a lengthy one.
McKidd's other credits include 'Rome' and 'Journeyman'; he was most recently seen on cinema screens opposite 'Grey's Anatomy' star Patrick Dempsey in 'Made of Honour'.
** The rumor is that McKidd would play a doctor who scrubs in at the hospital after a stint in Iraq.
"McKidd Heads Film Campaign." Teletext Northern Scotland News. 25 May 2008.
McKidd heads film campaign Actor Kevin McKidd has become patron of an organisation which aims to make the Highlands and Islands a leading destination for film-makers.
The Elgin-born performer, best known for his role in TV series Rome, is to take on the role for the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission.
The actor said he was "delighted" to receive the honour as patron.
"Stars sign up for Future Films' Parasomnia. "
May 18, 2008
By: Chris Evans
Original Source: Screen Daily
Future Films signs Karolina Kurkova and Kevin McKidd to Parasomnia
British star Kevin McKidd (The Last Legion, Trainspotting) and Victoria's Secret model Karolina Kurkova have signed as the leads in Future Films' and MilCoz Films' psychological horror Parasomnia.
Written and directed by Modigliani director Mick Davis, Parasomnia tells the story of a woman who is haunted by constant nightmares following her father's death.
The film is scheduled for a July shoot in North Carolina and will take advantage of Future Films' US tax credit package cash-flowing the production against enabling producers to exploit the State by State tax breaks.
Joy Mellins and Costa Theo at Milcoz Films are producing alongside Albert Martinez Martin at Future Films. Marina Fuentes at Spanish outfit 6 Sales is handling global sales.
Kevin McKidd will next be seen in Guy Moshe's Bunraku alongside Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Ron Perlman and Woddy Harrelson, which is being sold in Cannes.
Bedford-based Actor Confirms "Semi-True" Thor Rumours
April 27, 2008
Source: Luton Today
Bedford-based actor Kevin McKidd has been linked with the latest superhero film.
He is one of the names in the frame for the role of Thor, aka The Mighty Thor, in a motion picture directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake; Snatch; Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels) expected to begin filming later this year.
The Scots-born actor is reported to have described the rumours as "semi-true", saying: "I didn't know about them either until I heard the rumours and called my agent. And he went: 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've been talking to them about it.'
"But the last I heard from my agent, they're talking that they want to go for somebody much younger, a 19 or 20-year-old, for that role. So they're reconceptualising it as we speak."
However, internet rumours have also suggested that Mr McKidd could be in line for another major part in the film - touted by some as Thor's nemesis Loki, his adopted brother who has hated him since childhood. Both characters were inspired by Gods of the same name from Nordic mythology.
The title role has been linked with professional wrestler Paul Michael Levesque, better known by his ring name Triple H.
While Mr McKidd found his big break playing the tragic Tommy in the classic 1990s film Trainspotting, he is no stranger to appearing in costume.
His career has also taken in portraying a centurion in the BBC series Rome, the Duke of Norfolk in period series The Virgin Queen, an English sergeant in the Crusades-era film Kingdom Of Heaven, and he even wore a dog collar as Father Deegan during a Father Ted Christmas special.
