I felt like, either I'm going to find out now or I'm not going to find out. But it's I call it the American Idol audition where they go but my mom says, I'm really good, you know that type of vibe, and I'm like, am I that guy? Like if no one's telling me or I don't know? Hi, my name is Alex Panovic and I am legend with the legend. Hi.
Everybody, welcome. I'm so happy to have you join me here in the land of Off the Beat. This is your host, Brian Baumgartner, my guest today. Well, let's just say he could totally beat you up and he could beat me up as well, but he's a supremely nice guy,
so don't worry. I think that we're all safe. Yes, my guest Alex Ponovic, who you know for his fantastic acting career, but also he is a former amateur boxing champion and he comes from a long, long line of champion fighters, so don't cross him or anyone in his family. You may have seen him in Van Helsing, fou Bar, Zero Tolerance, Snow Piercer, and of course, my friend Dwight's favorite show, Battlestar Galactica. Did I mention that Alex is also in a heavy metal band? Yeah, so he really
would be Dwight's favorite. Now that I've gotten to know him, guess what, He's becoming one of my favorite as well. Here he is, the powerful, the talented, the badass Alex Ponovic.
Bubbolin, squeak, I love it, Bubble and squeak, Bubble and squeaker. Cook get every moleft over from the night before.
What's up, Alex? Hey man, how are you.
I'm doing great? How are you?
Oh you know, I can't complain, No one would care anyway, So why why do that?
Listen? You probably don't remember, but I met you with Caroline Ray at the Sutton in Vancouver.
Oh yes, yeah, yeah, I do remember. Yeah, that has been a really long time ago.
Yeah that that that was easily three four, maybe four years ago.
Oh I think it may even go back further than that.
It could it could.
Well, how's it good to see you again?
Man, Good to see you. I'm I'm stoked to talk to you. This is uh, this is exciting. I've been a fan of yours for a while.
My man, Oh well, that's too kind. I am fascinated by your history and your life as well. I mean it is worth noting you're showing the guns here today early uh early early in the morning. I understand you your grandfather, your dad, your uncle. That's right, we're all boxers and you you dabbled in it a little bit as well, right.
Yeah, I did. Uh well. I I've always had it in my life because of my family being such boxers, so growing up and getting in front of the TV to watch old Ali or actually live Ali fights at ABC where it would be like Saturday afternoon, those were the best, and and so I developed this, you know, love for boxing, but also just being around me so much and how much it's helped me outside of the ring is something that I've kind of carried with me
through my whole life and not realizing that, not realizing that it would help me so much.
Was there a time that you thought that was that you were going to join the family business, that you were going to do it, or did you just dabble?
There was a I dabbled. I mean I didn't have a great relationship with my dad even though I love boxing, So if I did boxing, that means we would have to hang out together, which unbeknownst to me, was the reason why I got into playing music in bands, because that was something he wasn't interested in, and I was like, Oh, here's something I can do where he's not going to be on me. But the love of boxing was something that would was always there. So as time went on,
I dabbled. When I would play in my band, I would kind of take off the boxing gyms and do it without the band knowing, because they gave me a little lecture saying, if you break your hand then we can't play anymore. So we can't get you. We can't get your hands, I'll bust it up. So I wou'd sneak out just because I loved it so much. And then later in life, I just wanted to reconnect with my dad and I just said, Hey, I'm going to
this boxing gym. I kind of snuck them in and told the guys at the gym to say I've never been here because I wanted him to get out and just kind of feel it, because I think he would have been offended if I went boxing without him, right, And so we introduced him and myself to the gym and he ended up being there for over twenty five years training kids and helping out other kids, and it made us grow fond closer to each other. Our bond was tighter, and I saw more compassion from the man,
and that was something that was cool. So I start. I competed late, even though I boxed my whole life. And when you're in a super heavyweight division in boxing, it's usually ex football or hockey players that can't do those sports anymore and want to go into something to
be competitive, which makes sense. But I was lucky that I had the skill that I grew up with, so I didn't have to make weight, which was a great thing because I didn't have to put on the sweatsuits because anything two hundred and two pounds and up was super heavyweight and then and so competing was fun and I enjoyed it, and I went because I grew up in Canada. I went for provincials in four provinces, and on my way to the PanAm Games, I did the
pre Pan American Tournament. But it was one of those things where the band was so important to me, and entertaining and creating music that was something that was I just felt like that called more of a passion and then going into acting, but the boxings would always kept me ground. It always gave me a piece of home. Wherever I went, it just felt comfortable in my skin and it felt confident for me.
Right. Well, you mentioned getting into music in part because your dad was not How did you get in there? I mean, having an interest is one thing, but actually you know, like getting in there and doing it and ending up touring and having some success. What was that journey for you?
Well, it was interesting. I'm a yes guy, and even before I knew I was a yes guy, I was a yes guy. I'd like trying different things. I like doing different things, and anytime anybody asked me to be involved in something, I'm that kind of personality that's going,
let's do it. And so I would after school go watch my friends rehearse, okay, And so we would go to our buddy Tony's house or our buddy Trevor's house, and everyone will get together and we start playing old metal songs and Judas priest and I our maiden, and I would just watch. I was just the dude, just watching, enjoying it, okay. And then one day I was watching the band rehearse for the talent show for high school, and the bass player ended up quitting, and it was like, well,
why don't we just get Alex to do it? Why don't you just get out.
To do it?
And then they're literally show like fit Alex, just put your finger here and hit the hit the top string as hard as you can. And I and I was an air bander, so that's how I really loved it.
We had like airband competitions. So I love performing, okay, and so like within forty eight to seven, forty eight to yeah, about forty eight hours, I was on a stage in high schools playing and then I realized I got super nervous, so I turned the volume down on my base and pretended, like pretended there was something wrong with the monitor. And so I just airbanded through that whole like three songs set that we did at the talent show, and then I just got started learning after it.
And I've never kind of I've never said I was a great bass player. I was a solid bass player, and I love being in the pocket, I love being with the drummer. But I was more of an entertainer. That was the thing that got me. I wanted people to watch the band and and if they weren't watching, I would jump off the stage and jump on their table and play bass so they would watch the band. And I was very lucky to have amazing musicians in
the band. That kind of basically helped carry me. And I was very much a team player, so I loved the idea of keeping the band together.
Well, that leads into my next question. So your earliest like performance it was this, but you you had a you were naturally gifted in this way, but you weren't were you doing theater or anything else.
The only thing I did was to be able to graduate from my high school. They gave me two credits to be in the school play and that's that was the only that was the only thing that I did. We did Joseph and his Tech The Colored dream Coat, okay, and that was the first introduction into anything like that. And it's crazy because I still remember Joseph Sma though she was quite my favorite wife, like, I still remember that stuff. But that was my introduction to being on stage.
So how I transferred over into acting was I was again playing with my band, I'm on stage and a casting director asked if I would audition for a film, and again I just said, yes.
Now was this about Was this about your performing on stage? Was it about your look? Like did they ever share that with you? Like how do you get from A to B? There?
I think it was my look. I had long, long hair and I'm six foot five. Yeah, and you know, and the casting director had a few drinks and we talked afterwards and she was like, you know, why don't you come in and audition for this? I was like, Okay, sure. And the craziest thing is I remember going to the audition, but my brain is totally music. This was just something fun to do. And there was like six dudes my
size saying the same line over and over again. Built for comfort, built for comfort, different ways, and I'm going, these guys look ridiculous, this is hilarious. Unbeknownst to me, I'd be doing the same thing years later. But then when I got into the audition, I just had fun. I didn't have any nerves. I it was just a thing and I really bonded with the director, who coincidentally, years later, I was on a show in Canada called Arctic Air and he directed one of the episodes and
I'm talking, I'm talking like over ten years later. I'm like, this is this the same guy? And so I had to look it up. I'm like, this is the guy that got me in my very first gig.
Wow.
And I reminded him of it and we just laughed our heads off after and he goes, the only reason why I cast you is because you were You were just fun. You were like making me laugh and you just had this one line. But dude, this one line going back to my first thing. So it was with Roddy McDowell, Ed Asner, Jennifer Tillery, John Crier, all before John Cryer had his had his hit.
What film was this? It was was this Heads?
Yes? Yes, it was Heads? It was Heads? And uh yeah, you played butler exactly. And I remember going to make up and they started putting these these scratches on my face. I'm like, I wonder what that is. And this the only scene that I have lines in is when John Cryer is a detective. He comes in Roddy McDowell, I'm his butler, and and he's he has these beautiful greyhound dogs And as he's talking to John Cryer, he's he's mentioning,
aren't these dogs beautiful? They're built for speed, They're built for comfort. Isn't that right, Roderick? And he says that my name is Roderick, and the line back is, yes, they're built for comfort. And then he wanted me to touch the scars and I'm like, I don't, I don't understand what that means. Oh, it's it's insinuated. You have sex with these greyhound dogs. I went, what are you kidding me? I just signed on to this that I'm
gonna be screwed greyhound dogs. And then I swore, I swore I have to keep acting because I don't want to be known as just the dude that screwed greyhound dogs. I have to get something else on my resume. But after that, I just started getting I was fortunate to get in the stunt community in Winnipeg, and Winnipeg at that time had had one stunt team, which was a family, the Schemes. And he saw how big I was and he basically said, we have no big guys on our
stunt team. Do you want to just kind of work? And I was all over it again. I said yes, but it was such it was such a move for me. I knew I loved the idea of acting. I wasn't crazy about the idea of stunts, but I saw how that got me in to basically every movie because they always needed stuff. And then it would be like, Okay, can you do a little acting because we need this bouncer to to throw some punches after he kind of scolds this guy. And and so that I started getting
into the acting bit of it. And and but the stunt community, those stunt guys are just next level. And for me, it wasn't what I wanted to tell stories. So I just started working in film and Winnipeg, and I would be playing in my band in front of like three hundred people, having a blast, being a king, people looking up at me where I'm playing bass, and then right when we were done at two am, it transferred right into helping Rick on set and I would
just be the gopher getting coffee, moving Max. Don't talk to actors, just stay in this corner. So I went from like this massive ego kind of high to them just being in in that in that place where I'm not anything right, you know what you know? So it was it was it was a it was an ego check, but there was my brain was unbeknownst to me, my
brain was in this. I want to keep at this and learn as much as I can so I can get to that next level and just really hopefully enjoy this thing that I just started falling in love with.
So I heard that in two thousand and one, Yeah, you were coming to Los Angeles. Yeah, And then the borders tightened after nine eleven. Tell me a little bit about that.
So I was playing in my band and then it was one of it was the time where the band dissolved. It was like we were we were done to me. To me, it was really tough because I had the blinders on and we were all high school boys and we toured for over ten years, and then everyone just started kind of separating and I had the blinders on. Then it all opened up and the acting things. I
really started getting serious about that. And one of my best friends rest in peace, who passed his name was Scully, one of the most creative guys I've ever met to this day. And he moved to Vancouver and I'm in Winnipeg,
and then I just started. I jumped in on a cover band because I didn't want a tour anymore, and I started I went to the National Institute of Broadcasts because I wanted to learn everything behind the camera, because if I didn't make it in front of the camera, I wanted to know what was going on behind so maybe I can find.
A place there.
So I learned about camera work and editing, and in that time and again the yes happens. I got approached to do a show called Destinations Manitoba, which was on ABC affiliates. So we would get the ABC affiliates so the American audience would see what Winnipeg has to offer. So it would be we would air in North Dakota, or we would air in Seattle for Vancouver. When we did Destinations and so Destinations Manitoba was basically, you know, it was twenty one years to go into a bar,
it was eighteen and wanna pey. So it was about getting everyone over to the bars, to the restaurants, to the hotels. So we sold half an hour advertising space and we would sell them in fifteen seconds, thirty seconds and minute chunks to hotels, restaurants and condos or establishments, and we made it look like a TV show. So we would go into all these places and I ended
up being a co host director and editor. So I would come home from playing in the band and put in about We probably had about nine hours of footage for a thirty minute show, and I would put the because we could didn't have the money, we had VHS, so I would put everything on a VHS in the studio and then I would do the time, write the time codes of what I think the scenes would be till like five o'clock in the morning. Then I would sleep play at night and then do the same thing.
So kind of was getting my feet wet and everything doing this show with a producer that got me in on it, Shelley, and so I was really enjoying that, and I was enjoying being part of the stunt community and going to auditions. And then I decided to make the move to LA But I'm going to stop in Vancouver and see my boy Scully and hang out with him. We were doing a writing project and so I was going to be there and basically live with him and his roommate for a little while. And it was only
a two bedroom, so I had no money. There was at the point where I had no money, so I'm sleeping on their floor. My rent was like cleaning the house, scrubbing the toilets, doing the dishes. That's what I was doing, and then on my way to go to Los Angeles, and then nine to eleven happened. So like if I would have went when I landed in Vancouver, stayed about a month and then went to LA it would have
been easier. But I stayed for about six months, writing, enjoying it, ready to make my move, and then nine to eleven happened, which kept me in Vancouver, which personally, I think is a blessing because I got to work.
A lot more, a lot, a lot more.
Yeah, there was there was so much more opportunity here I felt for me and especially starting the being in the game late. So yeah, so that's how that's how that transition happened.
Yeah, in those early two thousands, you did a lot of guest star TV roles, some film short films Stargate, sc One, Supernatural for you, you know you're getting into the business. It sounds like you've done a lot of work in terms of training and learning behind the scenes and then destination men Man Toba. You learned a lot
about basically producing. What experiences did you learn from or what did you learn from those early experiences on sets on these shows, working with and for so many different people.
Oh what a great question. I feel like I was just talking to a friend about this. So I feel like the band prepared me without me knowing. I was prepared because I would. I fell in love with the hustle when the switch happened. It took me a while to learn it, but I realized, oh wait a second, acting is exactly what I was doing since I was
fifteen years old, over here and networking. So the idea of learning how to talk to people, being in events, knowing how to listen to people, and picking the energy up from people around me. So perfect example is working on Supernatural super Nervous my first time, and Jensen and Jared are the most amazing hosts on their show. Like they know they come into the makeup trailer, they know your name, they welcome you in, and all of a sudden you have this opening that goes, this is awesome
and I want to impress these guys. These guys are great. So it gives you the creative outlet to be free. And then I've had experiences working on a show where the leads weren't as accommodating and right, and you're like you're like the new kid at school and everyone's not quite sure of you, and so you literally close in a bit because you just don't want to screw up. And so what I what I saw was Okay, I can find a place in this industry because I feel like I'm like those guys. I love the team and
getting people together again. The band helped getting people to come and see us, and just the communication aspect of it. I think the bottom line was I really enjoyed the hustle and the communication of being with people and then the learning. Because Larry Moss was one of my guys that I studied with that spoke to me in that way. There was other acting coaches where the language wasn't the same. I didn't and I didn't know if it was me or if it was them because I was so new
to really studying acting. And when I worked with Larry, I went, oh my god, Okay, this this is me. This is this is the guy that speaks to me in you know, script analysis, emotionality. So I think it just it was communication that led me to the right spots. So I think that's what I learned learned the most about it.
Yeah, that's cool. A couple of months ago, I talked to an old co star of yours, Tricia Helfer.
Oh my god, I love Tricia.
Battlestar Galactica one of your first recurring roles. Were you a fan of the show before, like the original? Well or but yeah, yeah, well.
So the original obviously and then the history. So I did a film called, an amazing film called wish Master four.
Wish Master four, right, and.
There was two dudes on it, Victor Webster and Michael Trucco, and we became fast friends. And that was when I was living in Winnipeg. And then they were like, Alex, you got to come to LA just come to visit. And I hung out with them and to this day they're my best friends. And I remember Michael Truco saying, oh my god, I just got this amazing audition for Battlestar galact and we were talking about it, and I go, Battlestar really goes yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's not the Battlestar.
You think.
It's a totally different thing. And so I remember him like being so stoked going out for that, and then later on I remember him being so disappointed that he didn't get the lead, and unbeknownst to me, I'm back in Vancouver and now Battlestar's shooting in Vancouver, so a bunch of people were going out for it. And one of my best friends right now, Tomo Pennicit who played Heilo on the show. He said he got it, and
so Eddie Almos is coming to town. My buddy Tomo would invite me to the to the hangouts and stuff, so I got to know them really well. Michael Rymer, who I got to know extremely well and quickly, was because of Tomo. And then there was a boxing episode that they had and Toma was like, listen, like, if you want any if you want somebody to learn boxing, you got to learn, get it from Alex, Like Alex is great, and he pitched me and pitched me, and Rymer said, okay, so now I'm teaching boxing to Eddie
Almos and Jamie Bamber and Tomo and Aaron Douglas. And then I got really in that circle. And then it was basically, let's get Alex's role on the show. So it just again worked from relationships and communication. That's how I got to be on the show, and I honestly, I don't even think I would. My chops weren't that great at that point at that time, and they were just really great dudes to kind of offer me something
like that. After we kind of made this great episode of the boxing episode and Battlestar, and then Michael Trucco comes back into the picture and he plays Anders. Dude, this is blowing my mind because I've never talked about it like this. So Trucco comes back and we're like Truco's in Vancouver doing Battlestar. I get to introduce some of the tomo so all that kind of works wickedly. And at that time, the guy that I came to live with, Scully, who I told you was very creative,
who passed away. They needed a tattoo design for Anders and Katie Sakow's character and when they put their arms together, it connects to make one thing. And my buddy Scully designed that tattoo.
Geez, you're like the central ingredient to the entire operation there at battle start, it was.
It was mind blowing and I just loved. I just loved. I never even put all that together until right now. The way we just spoke about it. So yeah, so that's how I basically got my gig on Battlestar. I was just great people like giving me a shot.
That's awesome. Uh, you did a film Personal Effects with Mischelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Koocher and my old pal Kathy Bates. You've said before that this was a really formative role for you. What was significant about that role or that experience for you.
As I was auditioning, you know, and I'm six foot five, I'm you know, two fifty to sixty, so I was just getting big guy rolls, you know, bouncer number one, thug number three, you know, And I knew I had to cut my teeth to get in there to people to see me. And I loved I loved the audition process because I get to show a little bit of my personality when you walk into the room. Then you
do the work. And this was one of the I think this was my third time working with Larry Moss, and I was doing of Mice and Men and obviously played yes.
Right and Shockery as well.
Shocker right right, you get it, you get it, and
it's such an amazing character. So just getting the physicality and the voice and and really working with Larry on it for I think it was it was like a seven or eight day intensive and it just kind of emptied me, but I just it emptied me but filled me with so much more right and and I just came and it was in Los Angeles and I was came back to Vancouver and this role came up of a mentally challenged person that was accused of killing Asten Kutcher's sister in this film, and I'm like, oh my God,
like reading the sides and I really that this character is exactly like everything that I'm doing with the Lenny character is this character. The only difference is this character and personal effects has a conscience Lenny. Lenny was pretty much just open and not knowing what was wrong or what was right. But this character had a conscience. So I kind of worked with that. And I remember asking my agent, I'm like, I would love to go in for this, and it was they're just seeing the A
listers right now, and I wasn't. I wasn't on that list in Vancouver. And then in Vancouver it was, Oh, they're seeing now, they're seeing other people. Just get me in the room. I wasn't in the room on that one. And then finally it was their last casting session, they snuck me in Friday five pm. I was the last guy in there and I'm getting ready and it was one of those things where I felt like either I'm going to find out now or or I'm not going
to find out. But it's it's I call it the Idol audition where they go but my mom says, I'm really good, you know that that type of vibe, and I'm like, am I that guy? Like if no one's telling me or I don't know, but I remember looking in the mirror and just trying. I had my outfit that I was for the audition on and just like you did the work, just go in there and just
do it. So then I started the audition. Was an extremely emotional audition and I did it with the casting director candaell Zinga I'll never forget, and it was everybody was in the room, I think six people, and then we did the first scene and then you know the move where they go thanks for coming in, we don't need the second theme scene. Thanks, And I knew that would I was hoping that wouldn't happen if it did happen. Don't let it crush me, just kind of like just
fight through it. But then he start he finished the first audition. We finished the first audition. He goes, Alex is, okay, okay, now let's just sit down on this one. Let's not stand up. And I just want you to do the same thing with Candae as you're both sitting there and just be grounded. And in that moment, I already started to get more emotional because I feel like he saw me, he saw something more than the big guy just the big guy. Yeah, And when the emotions started to come,
it just overwhelmed me. And then I had the dialogue behind it. But unbeknownst to everyone in the room, the emotionality was that happy cry that that you know, it was the happy cry that I was doing that I'm being seen that I'm actually working. But in the script it's he's devastating. So I was even in my head going, I can't I can't believe this is happen. As I'm saying the lines, my brain is going, this is exactly what I wanted, this is exactly how I wanted this
to go. And I'm bawling and it's not going down my face and my tears are everywhere. The casting director's bawling, everyone got emotion. I remember leaving that audition. It wasn't about getting the roles. It was just going, I know I can do this, I can affect people. And then I got the role and me and Tomo went out for an amazing steak dinner. And then I got up in the morning and i'ment like on ten, I go for a workout. I come back and I realize, Okay,
I'm too strong for this role. I don't want to be this strong. So I immediately just stopped working out, ate ice cream and cake. I would have like a muscle mass shake at three o'clock in the morning, and I just let myself go. I got up to about about three hundred pounds in about six weeks, way too fast, way too fast, and I put on way quick, so way too fast and definitely not done by a nutritionist. I just went for it, and I just wanted to feel not strong. And I remember like friends coming up
to me, You're like, are you okay? And some friends, some friends wouldn't even talk to me, going like he totally let himself go. Type live and the happiest I was was when I was working on the movie, but it was one of the saddest times of my life because my joints hurt, my mood was terrible. I just just felt gross, except when I was on camp, and that to me was one of those pivotal moments of
I think it was just being seen. And then when we finally shot the scene that was in the audition where it was the pinnacle of the emotion and the camera was set up, everyone was getting ready because it was constant rain, so it was no rain towers because Vancouver was just raining like crazy, so we shot everything in the rain, and then I had to go into a tent and change to dry close to do the
scene again. But every time I will be in this position where I'm crying and saying that I didn't hurt her, and Ashton Kutcher's got a gun to my head and people are off camera crying at what they're seeing. But I would go, Okay, okay, getting changed, let's do another one. I'm ready to go, like I could easily break out of it because I was having so much fucking fun.
It was just so it was so beautiful to me because I've never been in that position to perform like that, and that was the first time it allowed me.
Yeah. Oh that's awesome. I love it.
Yeah, man, I got I got really, really lucky with some cool experiences.
For sure. You eventually played Julius in Van Helsing five years. That was your longest running show to that point, right, Yeah. I always enjoyed talking to people about when you have a multi year experience playing a character. How was that for you. Did you enjoy the process of the character building and evolving and changing over that time?
It was. Honestly, I consider Van Housing to be one of my most favorite experiences because I started that show. I mean, dude, it was heavy. The audition was heavy. Because i'll condense it, I won't get into the huge story. But I had a friend pass away and I found him.
I was the one that found him. And it was two days before the audition, and after I found him, and you know, police, police were were called, and the whole thing happened, and it kind of hits you in such a way that the shock you're in shock, and I remember not feeling emotional about it, and then on my way to the audient, like I'm still going to do the audition type thing on my way to the audition, and the audition was for another character where he he's emotional,
basically sending one of the other dudes out into the apocalypse type thing, not sending him. I'm behind the characters behind a cell and one of his he kind of mentors this kid and he goes, I'm going to go out there and so you can be safe. It was just emotional scene. And now I'm driving to the audition and now I'm feeling the emotion of the loss and I had to stop in front. I called one of my best friends, John Cassini, and I said, I don't know what's happening. I think it just hit me now.
And he was the one that said, you were in shock and now you're settling into the loss. And I was like, I can't go in there. I can't go in there. I just felt so frazzled, and he goes, this is why we do it. Tell your story, this
is why we do it. And I just took a deep breath and I waited probably five minutes after my audition time, crossing my fingers hopefully I can and I don't want to sit there and wait I just want to go in and luckily, but when I went in and they were like, oh, Alex, you're you're up next to You're ready to go, and I just I didn't even say anything. I just walked towards the door and
the scene started. And it was the first time I sobbed after the loss, and I couldn't I couldn't stop sobbing, and the audition like it went on longer than it should have. And when I felt like I was done, it felt weird to stand there and get a response, so I just walked out and I didn't say a word. I just walked out, went into my.
Car, like I get emotional now, huh weird. Went to the car for another ten minutes and just sobbed. And I'm trying to hide because I don't want to start driving. And I see after my audition, the producers all came out and everyone took a different position outside by themselves, and I didn't realize it until later that they they when I walked out, they were.
I can't believe this has hit me right now, man. Wow. So then and Neil Abute was in the room who I was a fan of, and Simon Barry who's gone on to do amazing things with Continuum and Warrior None. And they wrote the role of Julius for me. So them writing that role was more like, I like this guy and I want him around set. That's what it felt like. And he did a great job. Again, they knew nothing of what I was going through, so they wrote this really badass vampire named Julius, and it was
so much fun. I love those badass roles because it's nothing like me in real life, so I get to really express that and I have a lot of fun with it. But when we would yell cut, I'm like, I just again the team, I just love being around people, and they got to see see me and they understood my boxing background and I'm a mama's boy, so they would always bug me about being a mama's boy. And then sure enough, that shit was just written into the show where you know, we're going to turn Alex from
vampire Julius to human Julius. And so with being human Julius, the way the story was, when you get turned, you remember all the terrible things you did as a vampire, and so it was a retribution for me, and that them showing the human side of Julius and my origin story where I was a boxer, and then Dimitri would basically go, this guy's got some guts and some grit. I want to turn him and he can be my warrior,
my minion warrior. And so that's why it meant so much to me, is how I got it and then them seeing who I was off camera and incorporating all those things into the character, which just gave me, just gave me so much joy because that that they wrote for me in such a beautiful way. It was my favorite, favorite, favorite role that I did.
It's special. Yeah, it's very special. Yeah, I do know or read Anthony Hopkins was a big hero for you and you got the opportunity to work with him. How how was that special? Was it worth it?
It was insane, man, it was so it was so worth it.
There was His Instagram is a must the way you have to like it's the everyone Fine, I've never said that on this on this program, but you have to follow Anthony Hopkins on Instagram.
Yes, yes, it's a muss. And I got lucky into a little glimpse of it before Instagram when we were working together. And again, I'm super nervous, like I'm here here, he's the man, and I got a scene with the man. And I love fangirling. I'm just a big fan of fangirling because the people that really affect me or I think are great, I get excited about. But now here's Hopkins and I'm like and I'm fangirling, and I'm like,
don't don't fangirl, don't be that guy. You're you're here for for a job, like get your shit together type thing, so I'll never forget. We're in this like very cold warehouse and they I'm about to meet him, and I hear the ad Tony's traveling. I'm like, okay, Tony, they're calling to and so I'm looking at the door and I see the door open, and I got nervous and I didn't want to see him watching me see him type thing. So I turned my back then and I'm like,
play play cool, don't fang girl. And it was literally they come up to me, Alex, this is Tony. You guys are working together. And I literally turned around and just kind of went, what's suck? And I turned back around and I caught myself being like too cool, and I went I'm so sorry. I just I'm a big fan. I'm just trying not to go crazy there. And he starts laughing and that kind of broke the ice. But I didn't mean it for it to break. I just didn't mean it for it to go that way. I
wanted to be a little cooler. But then but then we just started talking and he saw how big I was. He goes, what was your sport? I said, boxing was my sport, and he talked about when he used to box, and then and then he started spitting old old fighters that and I'm a historian, so you know Henry Armstrong. He was spitting those kind of dudes and and I would say, oh, yeah, yeah. And so we're really kind of bonding, and in my peripheral I see everyone waiting
to get up to go let's go worse. Yeah, and I'm like, please don't stop this. This is this is the most amazing thing. So finally it's time to go work. And now we're walking towards the set and Tony goes, uh, are you okay just like improving? We just haven't. Let's just have fun, see where we can get with it. I'm like, yes, that's that's amazing. So we started improving and having so much fun. And we did the scene and the director yell's cut and Tony runs back in
and he goes, that was great. Make sure you say that line because like, because that improv line, because it makes me really bring up my gun quicker. And I said, you got to say that other thing, so it makes me say that thing. He goes, okay, okay, yeah. So now we're just jamming, like and I can't believe it. I like, this is what I was doing in acting class, right, and here I am with the greatest one in the world,
and and we're doing it. And we're just having a blast over and over again and sitting and talking while they're doing changes and and and Tony just kind of goes alex ox. It gives me his phone, put your number in my phone. I want to talk to you after too, And I'm like, I don't care if you ever my brain. I don't think if you ever text me again. My number is in your phone. And I get back to the hotel on Cloud nine, like it was such an amazing experience, and I get the message
from Anthony, so great working with you today. Let's let's have fun tomorrow. And I get this message and I'm like, uh, speechless. The next day we're doing doing something, and then I feel a little bit more comfortable talking to him, and I basically was gesturing like Tony, what, like what what secret can you give with the work that you do. I got into it late. I really didn't take acting seriously tell us in my mid thirties. I really didn't start working till I was in my forties, and I
was just a sponge. And I was like, is there anything different that you do because the work that you've done and I'm doing this and he just puts his hand on my knee and he goes, Alex, you'll never get there. I was like, what, that's your advice?
Like what?
And then and Betty, Betty, Betty said the most profound thing. He goes, you're gesturing like I'm up here. What we did yesterday was right here. So if you're doing that, you're always gonna hit your head at the bottom of it because you put me somewhere that that I didn't put myself there. You put me there. So no matter what you do, you're always going to be like this. And so what we did yesterday, that's what that's what we do. Just be free. And that was the best
advice that I got and not limiting myself. I put these lim citations on myself that I didn't even know I was doing, but it was just the gesture and what my ideas were. And he caught it right away, and he says, if once you get rid of that, the world is open, the sky is blue, like, go for it.
And I was just like, so great.
And then I think it was like a few weeks later he's in well after the film. He's inviting me, when you're in Los Angeles, come we'll go have lunch at my favorite spot. And I'm like, oh my god. And then he goes to London. This is the best. And when I was talking about Instagram, I just got this. It was like three o'clock in the morning. He obviously
couldn't sleep, he was in London. All I see is the light from the computer screen like this, like just from head head to just above chess, no shirt on three o'clock in the morning, and he's doing Marlon Brando impressions. Doesn't say hi, doesn't say bye, he just does a Marlon Brando impression. And that was it, and I'm like, this is hilarious, and then he would just be doing these little impressions back and forth, like I cannot believe I have this gold on my phone of this dude
like my guy right, like hilarious and funny. And even when we were working together, we just finished the scene walking and then we're walking back and he just says to me, goes, I want to do comedy. I don't know why anybody doesn't hire me for comedy. And I was like, gratity, Hopkins, you can do whatever you want. What do you mean knowing we'll hire you from comedy.
So that that experience was like, I share that experience all the time because it just not only did I get to work with one of the greatest, but I learned a lot about myself just hanging out with him. Yeah.
Well, we got to talk about snow Piercer last final season after multiple delays. When did you film the last season last scene?
I think it was two and a half.
Years ago, Good lord, two.
And a half years ago. Then we were told we weren't gonna there, weren't gonna Eric because of their switching their programming, and we were like, oh man, there was such great work that was done and now no one's going to see it. And thankfully AMC came into the picture and picked it up. And people are loving, loving these episodes. And it's so great because I'm watching it forgetting what the hell happened. I don't remember anything, so it's brand new to me. I get super excited when
I see myself pop up. I'm like, oh, oh, okay, yeah, I remember I'm in this one. And so, yeah, it was great.
Your parents were immigrants from the former Yugoslavia. Yeah, settled in Canada. Did you speak Serbian at home as a child.
Not a lot of Serbian at home because my parents were they wanted to stay away from the immigrant criticism. Okay, so they really wanted to learn the language. So it was all about speaking English at home. And we had a little bit of Serbian obviously going on, and my parents would speak Serbian together, but we we were told like, you you're you're gonna teach us English when you come from school type thing. So so it was one of those.
But so I'm not very I'm not as fluent as I want to be in it, but I understand a lot and I can say a lot. But to have a free flowing conversation. It's struggling. Yeah, but I do. I do improv a lot in Serbian.
Yeah, okay, yeah. So the role obviously of Baki and snow piercers, you actually get to speak Serbian. Did that come from you? Was this arika that came from you?
Dude? So when I went to the audition, the character's name was Harold Kowalski. Okay, and I remember I was like, you know what, I don't think anyone in the room is going to know Polish. So I'm just going to improv in Serbian in little spots. So I'm doing the dialogue and then I would just say little things to myself in Serbian. And so I went for a few auditions and then I got told I got the role.
And so that's when I said, okay, just so you know that improv stuff that I It was great because I was like, I would love to talk to Graham Mason, who was the executive producer. Fantastic, fantastic man. And so I got to have this conversation of saying just so you know, like I improved in Serbian, it wasn't Polish. Now if him being Polish is integral to the whole story.
I'll leave that out. I'll even learn some Polish improv here and there, but just so you know, but if we can change him in Serbian, then that would be pretty cool. And he thought about it and he went, okay, okay, he goes, but I like the name Harold because you don't look like a Harold. I like the idea of how unassuming that name is, right, And I said, and.
It's the first thing I thought too, by the way, so anyway, go ahead, yeah, yeah.
Right, And so then I thought, my brother's name is Boyan. So I said, well, what about Boyan? And he just delayed a little bit, and I said, but you know, his nickname is Buokie. He goes, Oh, I like Booky, and he goes, I went to college with a guy named Boskovic. And I went, Graham, come on, my job is a breachman. Breachman Bulky Boskovich. How that's a great name. He goes, let's do it. So that's so I got to get my heritage in there and a tribute to
my brother. And one of the first scenes that we shot in the first first season, there's this big train car filled with people celebrating and they're all chanting buckye Bucky Bookie, and I was just like overwhelmed that I couldn't wait for my brother to see that episode here here his nickname being said, Yeah, it's pretty great.
Were you ready for it to be done? Did you know that this that it was done? But when you finished, you knew final season?
Yeah? That was the cool part is they got they let us shoot a final season knowing that we could wrap it up okay, So that that I would love to have gone more seasons. Da v Diggs, Mickey Sumner, like Michael Maalley. Great cast, great cast, and I would love for it to have gone more because I felt like I developed a really cool character that they wrote
for and were writing more for. And then in season three into season four, I was shooting Hawkeye in Atlanta, so we I basically was dead after in season three because I couldn't really be there, so they quote unquote killed me. But because of COVID and the delay, we got to finish Hawkeye and I got back in time and I just said, I knew there was a couple
episodes left. I called him up and I just said, hey, man, just so you know I'm back, I don't know if I don't know, if there's something to do, And so they found a way to sneak me into season three, to get into season four, and I was just so grateful and just and if you don't ask, you're not going to know. So it was one of those things for me where I got really lucky to get back on the show that I really really loved and hated not being a part of when I was shooting Hawka.
The show examines a lot of themes ecological issues, clash issues, social issues, social justice issues. Is that an important part of the show for you on top of the story. Is that something that is important that those messages are there?
I think so. I thought the writing was so great on the show and just the subversive nature it almost had. And that's one of the things I loved about Battlestar. They hid the messages within the story, and I felt that's what was happening a lot with snow Piercer, that they were really you know, sustainability and the climate change and the classes and how no one's different than the other person and then taking yourself back. That was one of the biggest things for me, is like You're not
going to put me in a box. I know what I can be, and I'm going to fight for what I am. All those things really kind of spoke to me. All those things just have it mattered. And you know, I love doing whatever project it is. But when you know that there's a through line of a message that every episode is really kind of getting to its core, those are the things that definitely speak to me. And I really really enjoyed that part of the show.
Well, I know the fans are very excited to see how it all wraps up for you and everybody else there on snow Piercer. I'm told that you are the co founder of a newly launched legend water. Oh drinking it right there, hailing from the Rocky Mountains, Oh Canada. Well, and what's cool about it? Which again I mean I wasn't leading you with your answer, and folks, we didn't plan it. But one, the water is trying to get
rid of single plastic use bottles. But two also shine a light on mental health issues and eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health. In fact, every single can has a QR code. Tell me about this.
So yeah, so the QR code leads you to our site, but it also leads you to a suicide crisis hotline, and because we're in Canada, it leads you to a rehab facility in each province in Canada. And we're building right now. We're really building to do some charity events and we're putting portions of sales towards events that we can do. And again, I want to get rid of that stigma. In my generation, it was a weakness to
talk about it, like if you're struggling. I love the fact that I want to be able to and that's why we design the can the way it is so it feels and not only sustainability, and get rid of single plastic use because again, as you know you work on set, it's just plastic bottles, plastic bottles, plastic bottles. And the big thing that I just wanted to just kind of introduce it as much as I can, and any can that gets used as one less plastic bottle
being used. So that's that was the big thing. And then we really kind of dipped in because everybody in the company, and you know, a lot of people that I talked to every day have not only gone through something themselves, but have friends and family that they've either lost or is really struggling. And if one person hits that QR code on a moment where they need to just need to talk to somebody, the job is done. So that that to me is that that's what really
really speaks to me. And you know, I I just dropped off a cases last week to Owen Wilson because he's all about sustainability and he was so kind and we have pictures together with the can we worked together on I spy years ago. I didn't even think he would remember me, and then it just worked out to a point where you know, he he I don't think
he understands the impact he has on people. And for him to do something like this for us was such a huge boost to our to our brand of getting the message out there, the big message getting rid of single plastic use and just getting people getting rid of the stigma and just getting people talking when they want to talk.
Yeah, that's great.
And the cool thing is that in the beginning of twenty twenty five, we're going to have the first resealable can, so we're going to be able to close it back up. Yeah, We're we're we'll have it in twenty twenty five. It's a little hash hush. I can't talk about who, who's who's partnering with us. But that's so exciting because on set, you know you're in a post apocalyptic world. You want to you want to be able to not have particles
of the set drop right in. So I get the idea of why can aren't popular on set, and hopefully that will turn it around where you know the resealable can will be something that people will use.
You're a fascinating guy. I mean, I mean, that's the sum total is that? Are you? Are you into manga.
A little? Only when I did the The I did a series in Japan.
Yes, you did see the Silence Service. I was like, wait, what is it? He's a boxer. It's I mean, honest to god, it's like, you're Dwight Truth. You're like a boxer into Japanese manga. You've got a huge heart. But my god, I've compared.
To him, and that's great.
I love well love it. It's just it's all about contradictions. That's what it is for me. That's what and that's by the way, by the way, that's what makes fascinating people. That's it. That's the thing right there. Yeah, yeah, I mean that's what I love about exploring characters. That's what I love about talking to people like you on this program here. It's fascinating to me. I love it. I love what you're doing. I think cannot wish you. I
wish you all the best success ever. Even though your timelines are very it was definitely more like ten years ago in the in the bar and slut in place there in Vancouver.
That's right, with Caroline Ray.
That's right. Yeah, no, I remember. It's great to see you again. Thank you. Come back anytime and h and next time we'll have some new manga for you.
I love it. I'm in I'll come back anytime to talk to you, my friend.
All right, cheers Alex. Alex, that was so great, and I want to thank you for being so open. Your ability to well to go there during this conversation is touching and refreshing and yes, makes me like you even more. I'm going to be rooting for you, my pal. Thanks for coming and talking to me. Catch Alex in the final season of snow Piercer, airing now on AMC, and don't Forget to come back here next week for more fun. We have an Oscar winner in the house from this year.
Who could it be? Come back and find out. Off the Bead is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our senior producer is Diego Tapia. Our producers are Emily Carr and seth Olanski, and our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Breton