by Matt Webb Mitovich
Jan 13th, 2010
When last we tuned into ABC’s ‘ Grey's Anatomy‘ (Thursday at 9/8c), Owen had affirmed (and then some!) his love for Cristina after prescribing for Teddy a cold shower. Is this triangle over before it even started? That great Scot ,Kevin McKidd, shared with us a detailed diagnosis of what is in Hunt’s heart and the possibly problematic “connection” that can’t ever be taken away.
Jan 13th, 2010
When last we tuned into ABC’s ‘ Grey's Anatomy‘ (Thursday at 9/8c), Owen had affirmed (and then some!) his love for Cristina after prescribing for Teddy a cold shower. Is this triangle over before it even started? That great Scot ,Kevin McKidd, shared with us a detailed diagnosis of what is in Hunt’s heart and the possibly problematic “connection” that can’t ever be taken away.
What’s Owen up to during the January 14th ‘Grey’s’/'Private Practice’ crossover episode?
He’s kind of flagging up, I think. He puts some of Teddy’s decision-making into question, because he’s not sure what’s motivating her right now. In the last episode… he made it very clear to her where the line in the sand was. He’s worried and concerned that she’s now operating in a way that could do more damage because… she has conflicting emotions. That adds lot of heat to things between him and Cristina.
Teddy isn’t going to undermine Cristina professionally, is she?
In a way it’s more complicated than that, more subconscious – which is kind of a good thing and a bad thing. Owen, meanwhile, is trying to be the guardian, keeping everyone in a safe place. Owen’s big thing is… the patients should always come first, and on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ that isn’t always the case. [Chuckles] His main concern is that all this messy personal stuff is getting in the way of the patients’ care.
Owen and Cristina don’t seem to be finding lasting happiness as quickly as their fans would like.
[Laughs] Is that the feedback you get? That’s interesting. I’ve said this before: If you’re a fan of a relationship or a character, or if you’re part of the creation of that, your desire is for the character to be content and happy and sort of skipping through the fields. Alas, that just does not make for good drama. That gets old really, really fast. So I understand [the fans'] frustration, but in a way that’s what TV is all about – conflict and struggle. I feel bad for Cristina and Owen, that they haven’t had many moments of contentment and happiness, but again, we want that in our real lives. We don’t necessarily want that in our TV shows.
Were you as pleasantly surprised as I was that in that private, behind-closed-doors moment with Teddy, Owen didn’t pull her into some impetuous, soap opera-like embrace?
I was. There’s a rogue element to Owen that I love – and we’re going to see more of that as we go through this season, with him in the ER – and when it comes to certain things in his life, he’s not the perfect guy. He’s very hotheaded and passionate, and sometimes a head-on approach isn’t the best approach, especially in relationships. So yes, I was pleased he [pushed Teddy away]. In the read-through, everybody was going, “Oh, here we go,” and then, “Ohhhhh.” That’s when TV works, when a character turns a corner and does something you don’t expect. Owen’s a very moral guy, even though he gets things wrong and misconstrues stuff. On certain things he won’t cross a line.
But Cristina is not without her own flaws. One of their hiccups this season was due to her ambition, when she stole a surgery. Will that part of her create more problems?
That juxtaposition of life choices might come up again in a more complex and interesting way, yes. Two scenes that were very telling came in the season premiere, with Dr. Wyatt. After Cristina rattles off a list of all the things she knows about Owen, she says, “We talk all the time,” and Owen gives a withering look to his therapist. There’s definitely a communication issue, and that’s going to be addressed further through this whole Teddy thing.
There’s nothing Cristina could do that would push Owen into Teddy’s arms, is there?
At the moment I don’t think so. You never know, but I don’t think so. I really think his love for her is true. But I’ve done a lot of reading about people who have climbed Mt. Everest, and these guys who climb together know more about each other as a raw human being than their spouses do. They’ve seen each other at heir worst, their most stripped-down point. Similarly, Teddy and Owen have been through war together and know each other at a very raw level. That connection can’t be taken away.
Outside of the romance, what is your favorite ‘Grey’s’ relationship to play?
You saw Derek and Owen start to connect last year, when he helped Owen at his darkest point. Derek’s go through his own stuff now, and Owen is go to be quietly listening. He’s not taking sides or anything, but…. Derek feels like he’s in a vacuum at the moment with all this stuff going on with the Chief. So I’m enjoying playing that stuff.
Tell me about your role in the ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ (hitting theaters February 12).
I play Poseidon, the god of the sea. It’s a not a huge role, but I am Percy Jackson’s father. It’s a crazy fantasy/kids/action film that Christopher Columbus directed. I get to play an almost Obi-Wan Kenobi character.
What kind of costume do they have you in?
Well, there are two: There’s the period god costume with the breastplates and leather….
… and trident.
That’s right! And at the end of the movie, I’m walking around Manhattan as “civilian” Poseidon. That’s much more of a pea coat, fisherman-type look.
You voiced a character in the blockbuster videogame ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.’ Might you be in No. 3?
I don’t know. That game, in its first five days it made $550 million, which is bigger than any other piece of entertainment in history.
And they probably paid you, what, $500?
[Laughs] A little more – but not much! It was just a voiceover gig and I didn’t think much about it, but now it’s the biggest thing since sliced bread. Just goes to show this crazy business were in.
source
He’s kind of flagging up, I think. He puts some of Teddy’s decision-making into question, because he’s not sure what’s motivating her right now. In the last episode… he made it very clear to her where the line in the sand was. He’s worried and concerned that she’s now operating in a way that could do more damage because… she has conflicting emotions. That adds lot of heat to things between him and Cristina.
Teddy isn’t going to undermine Cristina professionally, is she?
In a way it’s more complicated than that, more subconscious – which is kind of a good thing and a bad thing. Owen, meanwhile, is trying to be the guardian, keeping everyone in a safe place. Owen’s big thing is… the patients should always come first, and on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ that isn’t always the case. [Chuckles] His main concern is that all this messy personal stuff is getting in the way of the patients’ care.
Owen and Cristina don’t seem to be finding lasting happiness as quickly as their fans would like.
[Laughs] Is that the feedback you get? That’s interesting. I’ve said this before: If you’re a fan of a relationship or a character, or if you’re part of the creation of that, your desire is for the character to be content and happy and sort of skipping through the fields. Alas, that just does not make for good drama. That gets old really, really fast. So I understand [the fans'] frustration, but in a way that’s what TV is all about – conflict and struggle. I feel bad for Cristina and Owen, that they haven’t had many moments of contentment and happiness, but again, we want that in our real lives. We don’t necessarily want that in our TV shows.
Were you as pleasantly surprised as I was that in that private, behind-closed-doors moment with Teddy, Owen didn’t pull her into some impetuous, soap opera-like embrace?
I was. There’s a rogue element to Owen that I love – and we’re going to see more of that as we go through this season, with him in the ER – and when it comes to certain things in his life, he’s not the perfect guy. He’s very hotheaded and passionate, and sometimes a head-on approach isn’t the best approach, especially in relationships. So yes, I was pleased he [pushed Teddy away]. In the read-through, everybody was going, “Oh, here we go,” and then, “Ohhhhh.” That’s when TV works, when a character turns a corner and does something you don’t expect. Owen’s a very moral guy, even though he gets things wrong and misconstrues stuff. On certain things he won’t cross a line.
But Cristina is not without her own flaws. One of their hiccups this season was due to her ambition, when she stole a surgery. Will that part of her create more problems?
That juxtaposition of life choices might come up again in a more complex and interesting way, yes. Two scenes that were very telling came in the season premiere, with Dr. Wyatt. After Cristina rattles off a list of all the things she knows about Owen, she says, “We talk all the time,” and Owen gives a withering look to his therapist. There’s definitely a communication issue, and that’s going to be addressed further through this whole Teddy thing.
There’s nothing Cristina could do that would push Owen into Teddy’s arms, is there?
At the moment I don’t think so. You never know, but I don’t think so. I really think his love for her is true. But I’ve done a lot of reading about people who have climbed Mt. Everest, and these guys who climb together know more about each other as a raw human being than their spouses do. They’ve seen each other at heir worst, their most stripped-down point. Similarly, Teddy and Owen have been through war together and know each other at a very raw level. That connection can’t be taken away.
Outside of the romance, what is your favorite ‘Grey’s’ relationship to play?
You saw Derek and Owen start to connect last year, when he helped Owen at his darkest point. Derek’s go through his own stuff now, and Owen is go to be quietly listening. He’s not taking sides or anything, but…. Derek feels like he’s in a vacuum at the moment with all this stuff going on with the Chief. So I’m enjoying playing that stuff.
Tell me about your role in the ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ (hitting theaters February 12).
I play Poseidon, the god of the sea. It’s a not a huge role, but I am Percy Jackson’s father. It’s a crazy fantasy/kids/action film that Christopher Columbus directed. I get to play an almost Obi-Wan Kenobi character.
What kind of costume do they have you in?
Well, there are two: There’s the period god costume with the breastplates and leather….
… and trident.
That’s right! And at the end of the movie, I’m walking around Manhattan as “civilian” Poseidon. That’s much more of a pea coat, fisherman-type look.
You voiced a character in the blockbuster videogame ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.’ Might you be in No. 3?
I don’t know. That game, in its first five days it made $550 million, which is bigger than any other piece of entertainment in history.
And they probably paid you, what, $500?
[Laughs] A little more – but not much! It was just a voiceover gig and I didn’t think much about it, but now it’s the biggest thing since sliced bread. Just goes to show this crazy business were in.
source
