Meeting Fringe’s Mad Scientist

John Noble (Walter Bishop on Fringe) with Nalts

As a result of this Fringe Walter-Bishop song parody video, I had the pleasure of meeting actor John Noble and his fellow cast members from Fringe (a new Fox show I adore). I shot some fun footage with the cast at ComicCon NYC today, and got some parody acting tips from the cast. The actors, their families, and handlers were remarkably approachable, and rolled with my very atypical interview style.

Anna Torv (Olivia) didn’t show up until the panel, but I’m quite sure she would have maced me. She seemed a bit more tentative or introverted than her cast mates, but it was nice to see her smile… on the show she’s pensive and intense. 

I’ve finally figured out what was so unusual about meeting the Fringe actors today, and the video will make it clear to you if you watch the show. Since the show is intense, it’s refreshing to see the actors relax and joke around. I think we Fringe fans would all enjoy seeing bloopers and “behind the scenes” footage, and I truly don’t believe it will make the show any less magical. Tonight I watched some clips of Fringe, and it was no less frightening than before seeing Mickey Mouse out of costume. 

One of my child-like questions prompted Noble to shout “sorry everyone- he’s really pissing me off” in a wonderful Walter-Bishop-like Hurbult tantrum. It brought absolute silence to the room, and Walter’s agent was rather concerned. Luckily, before I was escorted out the building, people realized he was acting (I begged each cast member to pull a “Christian Bale” fit, but they were just too darned nice). 

Really, though…. how often do you get to discuss your wife’s diarrhea with Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson)? Or tell Blair Brown she’s not the bitch you would have expected? Or tell Lance Reddick, in jest, that Anna Torv is ugly, and have him correct you with, “We like to say she’s “girl next door.” 

If you’re not watching Fringe yet, I suggest catching up on Fox.com/fringe. Unlike Lost (by the same producer, JJ. Abrams), each Fringe episode has a self-sustaining plot. But regular viewers get a lagniappe in the form of  secret codes in the form of graphics, a recurring hidden character, and even clues to the next episode’s plot.

Fringe works for me because it’s a combination of psychology, Michael Crichton-like science fiction, thriller, and subtle comedy. It’s a bit gory for some, but I quite enjoy being terrified and tickled in one sitting. 

I’ll post the video soon at www.youtube.com/nalts, and I believe it needs to end with Joshua’s answer to my request to play a corpse on Fringe’s season two.

Common, Fringe casting peeps. I know you’re back in production in NYC, and I’ll carry cables and work craft services for the chance to be an extra, a corpse or even stand-in for The Observer  (my bald head is ready).

37 thoughts on “Meeting Fringe’s Mad Scientist”

  1. Awesome, Nalts! I totally can’t wait for the video(s). I would’ve loved to go to the Con this year, but I’m up at college now and transportation can kinda be a bitch. I was going to go last year, but the Pope was in town, so … yeah.

  2. OMG!

    I’m so glad everyone gets to see how cool you look in your brace, now!

    Bah hahahaha! I was just starting to get used to it too…but this reminded me of it’s hilarity.

    🙂

  3. The problem is that now that we know you’re shelling for Fringe, it’s hard to take a post like this seriously. I want content creators to be compensated for the work that they’re doing, but damn I hate subliminal ads like this. Nalts you should know better.

  4. @4- Yes- it’s tender.

    @5- The kids will be wearing these soon.

    @6- I edit out the bad parts- like my exhausted self on the train home.

    @7- Davis- This is not a subliminal ad. I always disclose sponsored videos (unlike many sponsored YouTubers). But Fox doesn’t care about the 20 people that read this blog, and it’s not part of a promotion. I just love the show and it cast. Imagine being asked to meet the cast from a television show you dig- could you not gush?!

  5. @ Nalts, but that’s just it, we don’t know whether or not you’ve been compensated to write this post, whether you’re doing it so that you can be compensated to write future posts or whether this is a heartfelt endorsement of Fringe. Personally, I think Fringe is one of the best shows on TV right now, but the minute that you started taking money from Fox you lost all credibility when it comes to this. I don’t doubt you when you say that this is pure excitement, but how would we know otherwise? I understand that this is where the future of online video is headed, but if you’re going to take moola from the studios, then you should at least avoid them in videos and in your posts. As long as this conflict exists, it will be hard to know what is pure excitement and what is payola. Do your viewers a favor and don’t give us a reason to doubt your integrity.

  6. @10

    He has a life size Walter Bishop.

    He did naughty things to it.

    And Fox did NOT pay for that…

    Trust me…he’s genuinely gushing.

  7. Kevin you are such a whore. And I envy you. Okay…. not so much envy as worship from afar…no..no…that’s wrong too. Ohh sh*t…How about I scratched your name into a peach pit and plan to burn it on the solstice..

    No not that either..damn. Okay… you’re just a whore…how about we settle for that..

  8. I’m almost as envious as I’d be if you had hooked up with the cast of Lost. Should be a good vid, hope you get it up quickly.

    Ouch. “Girl next door”. poor anna.

  9. Am I the only one having trouble understanding the logic of this sentence?

    “but if you’re going to take moola from the studios, then you should at least avoid them in videos and in your posts.”

    Oh well, maybe it’s just me.

  10. Hey, Davis Freeberg, trust us. We’re the Nalts tribe and we’ve been following this blog longer than you have. Nalts is just Nuts for Walter. He has all the signs. Also, as hard as it is to believe, based on some of the things we post (looking at Sukatra and Nutcheese), most of us are highly intelligent, highly educated, and highly tolerant. So just trust us.

    Back to you, Industry Wonks Central.

  11. Good work meeting your latest hero. Hopefully you convinced them to do an on the spot mini-episode of fringe for you to post on YouTube.

    Thanks for passing my business card onto the Fox execs, too.

  12. See, dreams can come true. This is a perfect example. Nalts met the weird scientist guy.

    Next thing you guys know, I should be filming the comedy movie I wrote about scientists with Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller and Judd Apatow. Afterwards, I can even film the other script I wrote about the Oregon trail with Danny Devito! That sky is the limit, dammit!

  13. ^True, Reub, but AFTER the scheduled recession crashes the dollar and brings out the new Amero monetary system.

    In his new book, Meltdown, Woods shows how this new bailout (just like last year’s bailout) will quickly drive our nation deeper into recession.

    Woods lays the blame for our economic woes squarely on the shoulders of the true culprits: gutless politicians, greedy lobbyists, and The Federal Reserve System. It was The Fed—not the free market—that allowed ambitious bureaucrats and politicians to pull the strings of our financial sector, manipulate the value of money, and plunge our economy into crisis.

  14. @ 24

    Woah! Don’t get all Hal Turner on us, Marquis!

    I hope that comment made sense. I just wanted to sound smart and informed about conspiracies.

  15. @24 Woods can blame away, but the only reason he’s correct about who’s pulling the stings is because the American People let these guys run the show.

    Last I heard, from it’s creator, the Amero is dead, least til every Conservative, Libertarian and Texan in the country is dead.

    Obama made a boo boo, let’s see if he recovers.

    you all better call your REPS tomorrow and tell them to support Obama’s original bill when the House and Senate come together to hash the final thing out. If you don’t I’m blaming you if nation collapses.

    You Too Marquis! Remember no jobs/money for us, no check for you and you know who will be the first guys the FEDS cut when they grant more tax cuts again to the wealthy?

    Seriously folks, call these morons in DC tomorrow and give them hell!

    Remind them that the O man bent over backwards for these guys and all he got from them was nothing in the House and 3 Republicans in the Senate who were only able to keep their seats because the majority of their liberals constituents like them.

    I encourage everyone to read Krugman on the centrist [click]

  16. Thanks for the comments on the sellout thing. I am sensitive about doing too many promotional videos, even though they do help with our debt. But in Fringe’s case, my enthusiasm wasn’t triggered by money. I dig this show, and it’s had me return to TV. Heck- I am half way through the first season of Lost. Finally something to fill my time between waiting for the next episode of Fringe, The Office, 30 Rock, Lie to Me and Leverage. Yeyy. Any I’m missing?

  17. @ Nalts: Not a fan of House? And when you’re all caught up on Lost, I’d like to know what you think about everything/what your theory(s) is/are. Any Lost videos coming soon?

  18. Recently I have been catching up on Lost since I never watched it the first time around, I’m up to season 3 now. House IS my hero. Celebrity Rehab and Soberhouse just because I need to feel more in control than other people. Battlestar, ER, 30 Rock. It’s getting to the point where I have no time for YouTube.

  19. @30- Marquis- no kidding. Me too. You describe an illness and I’ll find the symptoms in myself. What’s this talk about Celebrity Rehab?! Never heard of it.

  20. I’m assuming Anna didn’t do the press before the panel because she didn’t want to get asked about her recent marriage to Mark Valley, which is understandable. Did you get to meet her at all? I’ve got a girlcrush on her.

  21. Lost is definitely still my favorite show but fringe is just as addicting. I’m loving them both and i’m glad to see you are too nalts

  22. Okay, I don’t care what anyone else says, I’m just jealous as hell and P*SSED that you didn’t take your retarded friend…assistant, lackey…whatever with you!!

  23. Did someone just ask if you touched John Nobel’s @$$?

    I like fringe too! It’s not really “X-Files” and it’s not really “Outer Limits” two other shows I like(d) a lot! I mean I still like them, but they don’t make any new shows, so I “liked” the shows they made… I’mmon be quite now.

    Peace!

    Awwa
    \A/

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