Thomas Calabro

Still the Place with Laura Layton, Courtney Thorn Smith.

And Daphnews and Niga an iHeartRadio podcast.

He was so excited he's here.

How he Michael, I have to share something adorable before we start. I signed in after Thomas. And when Thomas wrote the sign and sheet, it said why are you here? And he wrote for fun?

Yeah, Well, we don't wreck it for you. It was his objective.

We'll see.

We won't bring up too many bad memories.

If you, if any, we will be grateful. We're grateful for any memories at this.

Point because we're finding that it wasn't meant to be a memory test. It was really meant to be like going down memory lane, but it's turned into be a memory test for all.

Of this well because of the age that we all are.

But what we did do for you, which we I don't think we did as much for the others as we asked fans for their questions get out of here.

Yeah, there's a lot of questions.

You like Thomas him a lot. We don't really know anything about that time. We better get questions.

We're gonna wind out everything about you.

Yeah, we just want to know what we ask everyone, which is the.

Audition the audition, right, Okay?

Good?

So for me it was it was my fifteenth network test after the first series which was two years previous, which was which was Dreams Street. So you remember thirty something, Yes, the same executive producers Edswick and Marshall. Wow, I forgot your last name exactly, So that's why I fumble that. Anyway, So I was on the map and I was going back and forth. I was doing a lot of directing in New York, but I was running out of money directing and doing plays for nothing there and producing, and

Why are you.

Shooting the commercial? You found out?

Yeah, I went back to finish shooting and.

Yeah, that's when they she didn't have to do a song and dance. Sounds like it wasn't like part of that.

I did, not singing and dancing.

No, but you had a scene they had read.

Yeah, I don't remember.

What did they have you read with Josie Nope?

Really anyone?

Susan Edelman, I think it was right. She was our casting direct person.

Oh so you never got mixed and matched with anybody?

No, no, never. And here's the thing. When Susan called me the audition for Michael Mancini and I read the script, I went, I don't want to I want to do that Billy roll, and she went, shut up, you're too old to be playing Michael. Yeah. So that's how I end up reading for Michael manci who was pretty boring the first year, you know what I mean? Maybe?

Yeah, only the first year because I.

Was thirty three and Joe was twenty, So you're talking to Grant about like Jenny and that, you know, age difference. Yeah, and how inappropriate it was. I think we were more inappropriate.

Yeah, well she was legal, though at least she was legal.

I thought I thought Jens legal.

Didn't realize.

You are the oldest.

One of the things we noticed in watching the early episodes that's hilarious is that Josie's constantly trying to get you to pay attention to her and make out with her, and you're like, oh, I'm too busy. We're like, have you seen her? Do you remember that?

Look? Josiet most beautiful woman ever to walk into a makeup trailing.

Exactly need to do anything, for sure?

Remember, But Michael Man, did you found ways to avoid her all the time?

Sorry?

We got three women, one question at a time.

You start, Did you notice that that she was in the writing that you never gave her enough attention? We're on episode eight or nine now, and like you're barely giving her attention because she's about to have a baby.

You know, no, I didn't, because I always you know, I fall in love with my character and then I make everything he does the best thing he can do, and he was doing the best he could given his schedule as a medical student. Yeah, I mean that was our arc for the first season. Yeah, right, basically I'm too busy to pay attention to the relationship. Yeah, did someone else question it?

No, that was it?

And then do you remember when it changed?

Yes? Doesn't everybody know what it changed? I think it was pretty clear to me that the whole show changed when they brought Heather in. Yeah. We went from kind of soap operas, kind of real life to over the edge.

Well, it was very.

Sweet watching the first episodes. Like we talk a lot about the structure, it was a very traditional structure. There were two sort of related storylines, but it really was eight nice kids trying to make it. Yeah, every single script. So it was maybe the first thirteen.

Marcia did a guest star as your coworker on thirteen.

I came in fifteen. Heather came after that.

But my question to your question is do you remember just playing it. Was it like a sudden thing or was it subtle? These changes kind of like because I know you had an affair with you know, the Kimberly and all that.

But in season one.

Seven marriages, five women twice with Joe and twice with Laura.

That's hysterical.

Did you have seven marriages on the show?

That's right.

I love that.

Buddy in the last episode could have gone so far. So here let me tell you though, I think it's pretty interesting, is that Marsha and I at the end of thirteen, or when she first came on the end of the first season, we decided to make a choice when we were working on a scene together where I was explaining my Marriagabal problems to her. She was my confidante, you know, at work, and we decided to do a

Interesting because that was right around thirteen, which is the original order. So there was an order for thirteen episodes that at some point they weren't you know, you guys were waiting. I wasn't there, but so I hear those guys were waiting for your pickup for the back nine.

We went later, we went more than thirteen, but we were finishing.

Out the season because I planned the marriage that I had a delay with Liz until afterwards.

Because they had a real marriage.

Oh yes, the real And then so Marsh's character Kimberly came in around thirteen, and then I think that's totally when the whole show started to have that sort of graduate show. But it's so interesting that you triggered that specifically with that storyline.

I wouldn't say that I think they saw the potential I did. I think it was a better match for all the talents, you know, to do that. Obviously it was right because it turned out to be great for all of us. I just think it fit better. I think they were going for something, but it wasn't quite working right. We were low rated. I mean, we weren't

Yeah, well because the writers made us made this new train, because they saw what was happening with the matings. And even before Heather came on, I know, Amy left and then you started to change, and I feel and then she came on and just took it off. I think it was really smart of the writers obviously, Yeah, but I was just curious because because I looked, I looked ahead a little bit and I saw you know you

Came in nineteen.

I think that's when I come in. You come in nineteen.

You inta was already with us, right.

I don't think so. I think so I came in for nineteen and twenty and like my character was stirring it up a little bit too, like panting that seed, like because of the sister. Yeah, Like, and then I didn't stay. But right after is when Heather comes. Yeah, and that sort of that tonal shift kind of was there.

Yes, stay.

It was during the first season, yeah, but it was like halfway through the first season was like a gradual working in, and then they brought in this ultra villain. I think they really felt like the show needed a villain, and it was Heather.

So broad Heather in in twenty one. You ended up doing thirty three that first season, so they must have known and they started shifting because you had brought in like an edge of your energy that you brought in different energies. So we're already sort of moving in that direction.

So I guess what we're are saying. We love you and your memory, but it's a little off.

My mind.

We didn't bring you into correcting.

Part of the engine of the new train.

You.

Yes, Heather came on, but the train was always already moving in a new direction, and that was that was you.

Tomas. I never I'm not sure when he showed up at the station, but you're anyway.

So I think I know the answer to this. Was it more fun to play Michael good guy work in his hardest or Michael bad guy never knew what he was going to do?

Question? I've been asked no less than five million.

Times, but tell the truth, no answer this.

Would you rather be a reactive character or inactives?

As simple as you guys are fun.

Instead of getting slapped across the face, I'd rather do this slap. Yeah.

So do you have any again not a memory test. Do you have any favorite storylines or like favorite eras of what Michael did?

Yeah. Yeah, that's a good question too, when I've been asked and you know, first thing that comes up with you me and Jacket. You know that I forgot the namn name of it, but you know what I'm talking.

There was an office it was something.

Burns the reception, So that was one thing. Breaking up with Marshall was always fun to do because I was just so abusive. It's terrible, just terrible everyone. Yeah, but you know, I have to say I never had an un fun day at work. I always loved it. Oh, it was always an absolute pleasure. I'll never forget Josie, Like season two or three, she's like, oh thank god, I only have two scenes this episode. You guys are right. She like every close up on the end of the day.

Your background is theater. You came from New York, you're living in New York. You did theater, you directed, I think theater. You I know that you went to Fordham, you understudied Denzel Washington. You know, you did Shakespeare, and I remember this part of you.

So I remember. Then you come to hear and you're on this hit show.

And it's like the opposite of you know, Shakespeare or a play.

I mean, actually it's kind of it's kind of pop.

Shakespeare up to popcast.

It's kind of sort of like in the Iago he did write every scene three.

Times and we did the same scene. Yeah, yes, over there.

I'm just wondering what that was like. And for you as an actor.

You know, it's this thing. I don't think of it that way, you know, Like I said, I fall in love with every script I read that I'm going to do, and I fell in love with this. And we had such a great situation, the fact that we're all sitting down and laughing about what we did thirty years ago. It was a good the cast, the crew, I mean, it was golden. It took me a while to get used to the business in Court and he knows this better than anybody. I was not good to be around.

Friend, tell her I'll text her right now.

Apologize on you.

Remember when Grant was on the show. Remember we were shooting the opening credits on Melrose Avenue at Johnny Rockets and he almost got in a fight with somebody, so.

He was very reasonable fighter.

Con right, she was Queen Chad McQueen and he came up on a motorcycle and they were like rumbling during our photo. Yeah, completely forgotten as life imitates art.

Yes, I don't have any recollection.

So I have a question. There was a reunion magazine shoot that we did.

What was that two.

Thousand and nine, ten eleven, twelve something? While right, it was about at least ten years ago and you didn't join us? Was that?

Like was that were you still sort of in this dress?

Were you still and if it's if you don't want to answer, you don't have to either, but like was that you like were you unavailable or whatever? Like we missed having it? Like that was I think when I why did you?

Yeah, like, okay, I'll tell you why I didn't do it because I didn't think about seeing all you guys together and having that kind of fun that would have made it attractive to me. And I regret it, you know, like I do, I just do. I told my wife you know later shit, when you guys call me from dinner, I was like, oh, flip, I didn't use that word, but you know, I shoot, you know that I should have gone what am I doing? But I'm not into looking back that much, you know what I mean. I'm

You know what The shift is though for me, Like I had the same thought. But it's fun to talk about that time in our lives, like it was our twenties too, I think your early thirties. You said you were thirty then, so it is our twenties and thirties two, and we're all together doing this thing in this time in our life. So that's what's been really fun remembering that time, the nineties and what we were doing in that crazy time. And we had such an exceptional thing

It's so rare.

That casts and crews would hang out between scenes, but we did because we were It was almost like we're on location because we're out in Stanley Creta in the middle of nowhere, like you would golf all the time with the crew guys right like you car would drive away.

We were so close.

I think that's really rare.

It is, and that's that's why I say, for I'd miss seeing you guys, but doing a photo shoot for People magazine, I'm not interested. Yeah, I'm just not for.

That entertainment weekly. But it was super.

You were so for me. That's all the same magazine.

But now think about it, if it comes up again, just think of it. That's background for all of us getting together.

Probably You're absolutely right, Like we've said it a million times. We feel so lucky that the group of us were. It was just such a nice and magical time and looking back on it now has been so fun, like especially through the podcast and everything and these you know, random reasons for a reunion. It's just such a great excuse to get together and like revisit the friendships.

But I am curious because he has an answer. Your answer was you don't look back, you don't like to. Is that in general, Thomas, is that kind of like just with life in general?

Forget the show. I'm just curious or if is it.

You know about a career thing that you did too long ago or what is that?

No, No, I don't know what to know. It's just who I am, you know. I just like, like, what the heck, it's all that's done stuff, And you know, I like to wake up early in the morning and enjoy the day. You know, what do you do?

What is a day like with Thomas?

I mean not with Tom, not with you, but as you like, what are you up to now?

Yeah, I mean if you got the house and ocean side on, working on I'm working on the house over here, you know, visiting with my children. I'm playing tennis, doing yoga.

Oh you are some love us traveling.

We travel a lot. We enjoy traveling a ton. And occasionally I get a call and I do with put a little project four episodes of this or six episodes of that or something like that. Yeah, but I don't want to It's like more like a paid hobby now than anything. I'm just not as interested as I used to be well doing it, pursuing it.

Yeah.

I even think, first of all, series don't work like ard. You'd never do thirty two or thirty three episodes again, like people are lucky to get eight or ten episodes. But I physically couldn't do it. Like we worked ten and a half months a year, fourteen to sixteen hours a day. I couldn't do that anymore. I remember Deborah A. Dair coming to Deborah Dare coming and it was like five in the morning, and I was like, oh, I'm exhausted.

Totally I totally agree the energy and stuff, but you look really fit and you're do you have this is without of being older than the rest of us, no issues of energy and stuff.

I'm curious he sounds that you have such a healthy, wonderful.

Like actually being older on the show was a great benefit because I had sixteen years of professional work behind me. It wasn't all that. I remember when Laura come in and Andrew even like with those little experiences you had, it was like, you know, I thought it was a lot. You know, Doc, there's no perspective. So I struggled for most of those sixteen years. So like for me, it was like gravy time it was like, Oh, this is

Yeah, speaking of experience, so you stayed for season six and seven and I'm dying to hear how those were because we all left after five. So what was it like with every day? Did you think I missed those girls so much?

Please?

You missed us? Basically, there's a hole in my guard I don't know what it is.

But it sounds like there was plenty of like more weddings and.

We were in sixty seven many times?

Did you get married?

I've already proven that I have the worst memory in the room. I don't know, but I know it was a lot.

Yeah that's statistic.

Because I've said it so many plenty times. Okay, so it's more the memory of having said it than actually remembering it.

But did it feel different? Like, how did it feel at that point because a lot of people left and it was like a brand new cast basically, yeah.

There was right, we had Renee Sofur and then we had Renee.

You're the only cast member who was there for me.

You were the beginning to the end, well.

The only one, I honest, look, my goal in my career was one do the best work I possibly could given my abilities, which I never thought was that great, and making enough flipping money that you don't have to worry about ever working again. Yeah, and we were lucky. We had this great show. You say, like thirty two hours a year. We did our thirty four somewhere in there. So we did eleven and a half year run in seven seasons. I wasn't quitting that dang show for a doc.

I did feel because you were so close to the crew, so maybe it didn't feel that different to you because a lot of your friends were in her crew and they stayed. But did it feel different, like what are these people doing on our set? Because by the time I left at the end of five, there were a lot of new people. It did feel different. We're looking at the first episodes were on. We were such a small, tight group and we're actually watching the friendships for them,

You know. Again, I just took it day by day so it didn't feel so much different. Is that's who am I doing the scene with today and adjusting to to styles, patterns and how they want to work and how deeply they want to not be kissed or not right. Every time you have a you know, scene with one of you guys, I had like, okay, what are you okay with with kissing? You know, with Josie tongue no tongue? Did you ask? Did you have that?

Love it when people have that conversation.

Most of my time on Melrose Place making sure that sheep didn't cover the boot pass.

Right now.

Yes, I love scene with you.

Love scenes.

Those are the hardest.

Do you remember there was a scene where I think Michael was trying to kill Sydney and they took they said it. I mean one of the many times of the many times it wasn't trying. But we were like in some cabin in the woods and then we had to go to there was a swimming hole and you were gonna drown me.

Do you remember this?

I wish I did.

Do you remember what do you remember?

Oh?

My god, I remember this. I mean speaking of boot patches, because I think we were skinny dipping, right, so I was in like things that weren't really staying on in the water whatever. But like I think there was this swimming hole. I'm gonna see if I can jug your memory.

It was like.

It was like this dirty water of swimming hole thing and we were in it.

No, okay, we were.

Out on location somewhere. We had trailers out in the woods somewhere, and then yeah, and like you Michael was gonna drown Sydney or whatever. I just remember being in this filthy water and like I had to go under him, like like it was so gross or whatever, and like so many things that I think an audience doesn't realize. But what I remember was just like the discomfort of being in this filthy water and we were swimming in it.

Did they try to kill you or did you out smart him? Did you actually get to the point where he's trying He did not.

He did not kill me.

Well, I know he didn't. Actually, you know, I think.

This is a this is A good question for my memory. I don't remember the actual outcome. It'll be in like season yeah the fans will like mine is but season four or five? And I think maybe you had like your conscience got the better of you and like you changed your mind, like yeah, well that's.

A wait, wait, I got to turn it back on you. Do you remember when you were the stripper and I discovered you were stripping?

Do I remember?

Do you remember that scene? I sure do? How much did you hate me that day?

I hated you a ton? In fact, I we just talked about this. It wasn't that I hated you, It's that I felt I mean, I felt so vulnerable during that scene anyway, And your job as your character was to make me feel horrible, right, that was your job. So I just remember that scene.

Like totally making me feel tearable, like vulnerable and like icky about myself, right, And but your job as your character was to rub it in Sydney's face, and you did it, and because you were so wonderfully you know, mean and gleeful at it and literally, yes, I absolutely remember that.

But that's so interesting.

I never think you liked me after that. I thought it was over because I had a spot. I talked Josie I watched your interview with her, and she said that I was spontaneous or something, and I'm not sure I was always so spontaneous, but I do remember being spontaneous in that scene because I had caught your garter and I punched a scene at the end after it was done, by putting it over your head, pointing at

Do you remember that's really what you meant to call you know what.

I'm proud of myself that that's the word I choke.

But then the scene was over, so I didn went to feel terrible, and I don't remember if we ever spoke about that again, but we're speaking about.

It now, so I'm it's so, it's so, I'm sorry too, because it's interesting. No, just like that, like it's it's something he's taken what he doesn't remember much, but he does remember that.

You're sorry for interesting?

Yeah, because it was a big feeling for me. So that's why I remember it, right. I don't remember the everyday scenes and all that stuff, but we do all have those, you know, spots, specific memory moments where something happened that stayed with you, because that's that's.

What acting is.

It's such a you know, it's really does tap into you as a human being, your your sense of whatever. So that sounds like that was a spontaneous action.

It was, yeah, you didn't like me because I was a mar idiot.

I could have been the other reason I love you and I like you, and it was like it was always the character, like the character Michael was supposed to, you know, be gleeful and evil, and that was their dynamic and it was just that I just from my memory of it, we just talked about this.

It's like that, Thomas, did you have other moments like that because you played such an evil guy like that that.

Did you have other feelings like that throughout your seven years?

Because well, no, well this is specific because I knew I had hurt Laura and not Sydney. Right. So there's another scene with Marsha where she just dripped down the wall when I give her handle my divorce papers in the middle of the hospital and I'm like, get over it, honey, what's wrong with you know, like totally being glib about the whole thing, and she's up against the wall and sliding down it. And no, because I think we didn't have that. I knew you know that, Marsian knew it.

Because one of the questions we got was what it was like for you to play that kind of character. So you felt that because maybe you sensed her her frailty and she was new at acting maybe and Marcia was also came from theater.

And she's used to that kind of stuff, right, right.

Yeah, Marsha and I often talked about how we wanted to play it. We tried different ways. That was just our way of working together because you know, we don't have a lot of rehearsal time, right.

So yeah, So I found the change of going from films, which I'd done eight years of, to TV, which goes so fast. Yea hard because there's no time to rehearse. You just hit your sandbag there that little line and then just say your thing and they move on.

Was that hard for you or no?

No again, because I had the sixteen years behind me, But like Amy Lokine, because I watched the pilot to like you guys, somebody asked me to do and I you know, my heart broke a little bit for Amie because I'll never forget she came from doing a few films, not a lot of experience. She was young, and Amy came to me after like episode three and she was struggling because they wanted her to do a dialect which

Yeah, I mean, what you do have on TV, though, is you played the character for so long that eventually directors come and go, and we had regular directors, which I loved. But you know the character, so you go and know it. I remember Andrew learning his lines on the way into work, right almost.

Yeah, most of them.

Vaguely learning the way to work. But you do know the character so much, so eventually it really is an actor's medium because you know the director sort of moving you around. But if they say her character to do this, you'd be like, I've been playing this person for three years. So yeah, a lot of them know that they do.

They have.

The more experienced was absolutely yeah. They also they come back. You start to trust them more so if they have an idea, you're more willing to try it.

Yeah. They I mean they say the stage is the actors medium, film is the directors, and television is the producers. And as you know, I as you guys, of course not. I directed about four or five episodes whatever it was, and I definitely felt that it was producers medium. You know, you feel that weight, You've already got a style, you got to shoot the same way, the same thing.

You a little about the directing what that was like?

I loved it. Again, if it wasn't you guys, I don't know what it would have been like. But you guys were all so great to work.

I remember you being very happy as a director, like you felt happier to me, like you were so.

Like.

Also, your character is more intense, and as a director you've just come in as Thomas, and you were so lovely. And it's great to work with an actor as a director because of the way you communicate with us. It's so funn I'd forgotten that, so you just mentioned it. Did you like it as much as you seem.

To like it? I loved it. I hated the unknown because I didn't know technical so much, although that got better as you know. The first episode I directed, I got hives. I was covered in red all over wow, And but yeah, that kind of calmed down and then I had the trust of everybody, which was a great a great comfort. But yeah, did I love working with you? Yeah? Except Rob Besti's was like, stay away from me, Thomas, don't come over, don't get out of your chair, because I gave him way too much.

You did. So did you feel like the producers are breathing down your neck to get what they needed.

You're saying it's their medium, or did you?

Yeah? I mean I was aware of it, you know, So it wasn't like they had to come and you know, look over me. It's just that sometimes, yeah, you felt they were pushing you in their direction rather than the one you want to go in. Even though it was more like later episodes, it was when Frank took over well.

And also I imagine as a theater director you want to spend time talking about the character and the motivating like, we don't have time for that. We got to get it in the can.

The biggest challenge as a director was I kind of plotted everything out, but I went over the scenes so much that I wanted to be able to adjust to whatever you guys needed, right, Jack might say, like, I'm not going to stop there. The great thing about doing it was that I was prepared for that, and some of the greatest stuff came out of that, and I

Were you difficult to work with?

Tom?

How did you like working did you keep asking yourself, did you hurt yourself?

You're feelings? I couldn't speak fast enough. That was my problem.

All right, let's go back to another fang question. So since you say you got married seven times, Michael got married.

So Michael got married.

That's it.

So there are a couple questions in this direction, as you guys probably read too, Who do you think was best matched?

Wait? Who do you think was your best you?

Michael, your partner?

Who was Michael's best match?

I have to say, Laura, first of all, well, I'm right there.

I'm here.

Before during the marriage, I was trying to kill it.

When I wasn't when I didn't have my brain thing, Remember.

That there was a.

There is a brain, and you were playing that on and then you were playing on me. So I kept going but I wasn't and then I got you tied up in bed.

That was the end of that.

Oh my god, because Michael, Michael, what are you doing? I'm not brain dead or whatever I was. I forgot.

That's so funny because Alison went blind and then got her site back but kept pretending to be blind.

There's a theme on the show. Yeah, you have very good memory that I can't wait to more excited.

Yeah, except for the dirty hole.

You married Sydney twice, Laura twice?

Do you and Joe Jose? Joe?

You never married Joe, just saying old Joe.

You never get on the show.

We never got together on the show. Oh never, No, but well no, don't say no. But like there was an off camera thing.

No, Heather, Heather I had a one time or with because she had cancer and needed help. Why wouldn't he be joyful?

You remember a lot, mister, He's faking it even now. I love what you're remembering.

So there was Joe. So I betted Heather before Jack did, which was just a little person for Jack to.

Heather was with all of the regular characters. Amanda was all well except Doug, except she was not with Matt way through because she changed to me because her character had this thing is such a slut. And Alison was a good girl. But I actually had more boyfriends on the show. They just bring them in for a couple couple episodes and then send them out, so they didn't stick with people I was. Alison was actually not a slut, shame, but Allison had more fun.

I didn't even know this thing is such a thing as slutshaming. But good, don't do it.

That's where to do it.

But so she she made her way every she dated all the regular characters, really very generous. Well Melrose dated for cancer help.

So wait, so answering your question, m I love them all.

I mean, I mean even that word match.

Who do you think we're best matched? I mean in your and Michael's character? Who was the the It was like this tumultuous, evil mutual.

Could it have been Kimberly, could it have been? You know what I mean, It's not like happily ever after.

Well, you know, it depends on you know, the benchmarks for good right, for a good match. So I would say Josie for heartfelt honest. Also because it was early in the show and the show show hadn't changed tone, so no one else really got that chance. Comedy, I'm gonna say Sydney because we just had a ton of good fun stuff to do all the time. Kimberly, Kimberly, Yeah, I mean for high drama. You can't beat that. Yeah, so high drama. We got three things covered. Megan Kelly

That's why it probably didn't last long.

Right, she was a hooker with the heart of goals. I remember.

I don't remember you with the heart I was briefly.

That seems to be another theme, faking illness and hookers with a heart of goals.

We'll get there.

Great Nosa Rena.

I was memriered to her maybe season six were you guys gone?

So doesn't she go with Jane again and then back with Jane?

When when she came back to the show and you finished with Jane? Is that right?

So that's with a playboy bunny on my on my lap, That's all I remember. We're looking at the camera.

I have a question speaking of Lisa. So Lisa and I knew each other after the show, and and she's her experience because she played a bad guy on the show, is that people sort of treated her like she was mean. I was always a good guy, so we were.

Like, hi, we love you.

Did you find as your character was darker, would people react to you like you were a bad guy? Or where they still happen? Could they separate you from your character?

Pretty much? I think most of the time it was a separation. I never got a rock thrown at me or slapped across the face. So that was interesting, right, because that doesn't often happen you people think you are who you are television. But somehow the Melrose fans were able to make that separation.

Well, you started nice, so maybe they had that sense of your progression. They had a sense of couldn't.

Be I started grumpy. According to Jane, I started grumpy that I got mean.

But they were also like the ultimate like bad guy right, like to so out in the world when people go, I love that.

You know, guys did point me out as the meanest man on television in nineteen something or something. Yeah, yeah, you were. You were my favorite.

Accolletees, wastingly evil for a while, Like you just got meaner like it.

It was like it was a fun me.

You always want to cut an energy and a smile and a joy with your meanness.

That's yeah. You seemed like you were having a ball a ball.

Yeah.

There was Jack when he directed one episode and we were doing a scene together when he was directing, and I guess I was playing it too real or something too low key. He's like Thomas, come on, just do what you do. They're like, oh, I become a terrible actor. I know, I love that.

What else we got there?

This is my favorite fan question. Do you remember that this is specifically for you? Which is the funniest part to me? Do you remember the perfume called melrose Place and did you wear it?

They wanted to ask me that question.

All I didn't know, wants to know specifically.

I know we had bobble heads and stuff like that, but the merchandising check does not reflect the Melo's Place perfume because it would be huge.

None of us are aware of it.

Mint stop it. Oh my god.

Our producer each a bottle of I kid you not melrose Place?

You eBay?

Or is this like.

We're going to find out right now? Thank goodness.

Here now you can answer question that I got it.

It's not bad. How you do this?

Is it?

Teenage girls are going to be chasing you down the ston I love one.

I'm going to try it.

I'm doing it.

It smells very nineties.

That's this way, you guys. We look like Melrose Place.

And we smell like it smells kind of like I wore in high school.

This is kind of a nineties got bad.

This is where a guy.

It's a little bit a cologne or is it?

I don't know it's cologne.

Okay, now I'm going to go home with this.

We were ahead of our time.

It ain't a Caroline Morrera.

But is exactly perfume. Is that you'll believe you when you say smells place? Yeah?

Right, Melrose, Wow, we all smell something like the nineties. This is hilarious.

Right, It's not bad though, I did it.

That's that's right.

The look on Thomas's face right now is.

Like, yeah, I'm not a smelly guy like natural smells.

Another good question that I actually really love. How much coaching did the show provide to make the medical stuff believable? Do you remember having to memorize a medical jargon?

Not a lot. Whenever I had stuff like that, I just went to my sister who's a surgeon, so you know, I just went to her and asked her about stuff. Wow, they're having their own private what's going on over there? They're doing.

Something.

Every other episode.

Together we're talking about that was Jos should have filmed there seemed separately, because you guys could not stop separating.

Yeah, I didn't even think they exaggerated. I think they underplayed what actually happened because I next up and like, what's freaking holding the thing?

Like a total like makeup redo because we're crying laughing. These are fan questions. How hard was it to play someone so obnoxious?

This is a fan question, not a Laura easy question, not at all hard going, all hard. I love it, very easy, very fun.

Yeah, I feel like I should get the same question, how hard was it to play someone so obnoxious?

Or hard is it to play? Thank you?

Super fun?

Your character changed all the time, like sometimes you were sweet, sometimes you were mean, sometimes you were vulnerable. So it wasn't like like Thomas for a long time you were unrelentingly.

You're just a bad guy.

Gleefully mean, you said, gleefully mean. What that's a perfect way to say gleefully mean?

And that that was a choice I made because everybody in the audience knew what I was doing, so doing it meanly wasn't adding anything. So I kept making other choices, you know, gleefully fun, or maybe I'll play with them a little bit, torture them, don't bring you know, write out. And that was that's why being proactive is so fun. Everybody knows the bad guy's bad, so now you can do it anyway you want, and if you do it gleefully, it turns out they like it even more, which was a blessing.

Yeah. Do you think your theater background came in that and your that's not well?

You know how it is with training, right, You're you're always experimenting and playing, and you're getting direction from your teacher and you're saying, why not this or why not that? You're going to do the same scene maybe five six times sometimes, and so you go in in your experimenting. So in that way it helped me know what my choices were and also being able to execute those.

Yeah, very well, I might very well in your imagination, what an affair between Michael and Joe or Michael and Allison?

And I think answer that, I think something with her could have resulted in a fistfight, I mean the actual battle. And who else did you ask me about Allison? Alison?

No idea was on the show. I was on the show.

We must I can't imagine in the number of years we worked together, in the episodes we performed in that it's at some point Michael didn't make a passage. It must have kind of almost happened.

We had very few scenes together. It's fun to watch the first season because we had scenes together, but like you knock on my door and say there's someone in the courtyard, and it was sweet. But then our storylines just was almospletely veered apart. Right, We just didn't overlap very much.

No, I don't think we did. But still even in that they had it write something in there at some point.

Apparently they did.

Apparently they didn't. They just brought on apparently.

Okay, So what would tell me what our relationship would have looked like? I think he would have.

I would have said, that's so mean, and then it wouldn't have been any fun for you. I think Allison would have very earnestly said that feels really mean to me, and would.

Another victim?

You would slink away and guess what?

Skim the pool?

You skimmed the pool a lot, a.

Lot, gardening because I was the man you were doing the landlord the pool skimming.

Yeah, and we had the other guy. I've seen every other scene skimming too, so I was like we were dual skimmers. Yeah, the faceless man who just skimmed.

I remember Scott, the prop guy was off.

The that's right, Scott, and he would like slip in there, and you know we've seen him shooters in the background.

That's right.

Which apartment was yours? So we had that because your apartment on the show is upstairs right.

Now, downstairs, right across from the pool, so we could skim.

Watch the pilot you come right across across from you.

Was that apartment a full apartment in there?

Yeah? Some weren't, some weren't right, So I think we had the living room, kitchen, there was.

I thought there was a bedroom in a bathroom at times too.

I think there was.

It could be a full moment because that was mine too, So either I took it from Jane, I don't.

Know it was you moved in.

It was definitely married, her brother, her husband, but then I also lived there alone.

It became Sydneys and you kicked and.

You lived in Number five was yeah, there was number five when we moved when Michael to Od somehow.

I got moved whatever, moved to the beach.

For five years because I didn't want that to happen. When I was shooting. Oh my gosh, you right.

Everybody was annoyed the whole first five years that we were together, the only five years that we were together, you never knew my name, and I was like, I think he's doing that on purpose.

No, it was so I wouldn't forget when we were shooting.

It's proving now, but he actually, yeah, he still.

Doesn't look My own kids don't get called the right name.

It's not personal.

And Connor's thirty now, so.

You didn't remember that we were in it.

Sometimes sometimes it's a crap shoot.

You're now answering Our first question was like why you don't like to look in the past. You're answering that question because you don't remember anybody's names?

Remember, correct?

But remember so many? Do you remember? We've talked a lot about double ups. You remember when they did double ups for the first time, we thought this will never work. I do were you in Oxnard because Laura remembers having to go from ox NERD to Santa Karita in one day totally.

Remember we usually had a day is shooting there every episode when we had it, and then another day, so I used the back those back to back. Yeah, so when we're doing the two episodes, I was there with one director and cast member whoever it may be, and then the next day the other director in there. So I stayed up there overnight.

We would stay overnight because we'd be there two days in a row.

And yes, yeah, I remember that.

So do you remember get Going showing up at the wrong location sometimes during double ups.

Don't drive think I ever did that because I was so anal about getting the boards early because I needed to study. I needed to know my lines at least four days before we shot. I like to have them so I could just spin them out without thinking. So I always wanted forward things. So all the ads were used to getting me the stuff early in the boards.

So wow.

And every time they said we can't promise this is going to stay, Thomas like, I know it's year five, you don't have to tell me.

But they did a great job. Talked about that. Can you imagine, especially since you've directed, how they would board that six episodes shooting two at the same time, How they would board that. We often knew within a few hours, like I've done other shows. You go, you wait five hours at Moros they were I remember sometimes because Andrew would play with the time. He would be literally like pulling up their like were ready for you. He'd race

Set like it was.

They had it down. Remember that.

Yeah, one of the best ads I've ever worked with, maybe the best. Yeah, and who else do we have?

That was that.

It was a big part of making that all have him on the podcast as well.

It was fun.

Yeah, yeah, So they were a really good group. And then when we did Doubles Up, I just treated as a two hour script and so I could keep my mind straight. That's how I did it.

Oh interesting, but it wasn't you'd have six because so much happened at that point, especially in the later seasons. So much would happen in six shows because Daphnie and I talked about it. We had a storyline during Double Ups where I was going to testify for her for child custody. And that was when Allison was in her adorable drug and alcohol phase and I was high when I was supposed to testify. But we couldn't like from scene to scene we were best friends. Do I like you or do I hate you?

Now? Yeah?

We had Did you not show up for me when.

I'm about to lose my baby?

Do you have a brain or do you not have a brain?

Right?

Yeah?

Are you pretended?

Yes?

Yeah? Yeah, there's sometimes fun stuff.

Don't you think during TV? Things would go maybe not you, It doesn't sound like you. But sometimes I hope this is the right intention to play right here.

I hope it is the right way to say.

Keep it sort of vague. They can direct anything on you.

Going to be good enough.

That every scene I marked where I was coming from and where I was going to, so I knew.

That, I know that's your train.

I would do ye remember going up to married saying, I've completely lost my footing? Where am I in witch script? Because they would just start to float around in my mind.

It's hard.

She gets so fresh, she goes, you know, your hair on this side.

Your hair is on this side. We got to put it on this side.

I'm like, don't touch my hair, and they'd spray it, spray it. Because I didn't understand that yet so much. Maybe you know I should have.

Yeah, it's really amazing the actors that can, you know, mark it so well the technical aspect, but then forget it. And bring in the emotion and know exactly where, you know, we lift up the drink or we point to the other person.

And it's a lot you got to remember.

And the script service will come up and tell you that beforehand, and you can't let it, you know, Trump used, you just.

Got to like somehow your brain has to get it all in. You got to say the lines mean it. You have to, you know, with emotion.

And and yet if you pick this up at the wrong time, and it's just I remember learning all that. So to what you said earlier about like not having energy, I don't know that I'd have the brain.

It was like, no props, no blocking.

Can we just sit and do this? Can I sit here and do them in order?

Ye?

In the center a radio.

Show, I think. Unfortunately, that's what you start to do when you've got a lot of business is try to cut it down to nothing so you don't have to remember anything. But then you're just focused on remembering the lines, and then you take the life out of it. I know. Remember Victoria Huckburg, Yes, a lovely director. Lovely loved her, we thought constantly because she had because she wanted you to do specific things her way. She had a really

I remember loving her because I had such dramatic stuff up at the beach house when Marcia has my baby. I go in and I'm screaming, and she opens the door and there's like that chain there and she's like breastfeeding my baby. Yes, And it was like I remember being Victoria and just I go around and I slam through the thing, and I felt freer with her stuff.

For some reason. Was that with the camera stuff.

I don't know.

I did.

Really passionate.

I could get into the.

Emotion of it.

Couldn't be her, no, But it just took me a while to adjust because I was I think, as in a director, I'm like, show me what you guys feel right, what feels right? Let's moving around okay, because I think that's easy to repeat because you're going with your instincts and I'm working off of that. She didn't.

So this took me a while, but I read direct Every director was different. Every director was different. I mean, you know, Charlie Corrall did a lot of them. There were some that would come in from other shows, and I felt like they were more technical, just kind of like you know, doing the traditional over the shoulder. And even though we know our characters, I like a director, I like an emotional direction at least a suggestion.

Yeah, yeah, you know. I think when we were in our groove by season two, then the directors were coming in and moving the camera around, and there was very little like you should do this, you should do that, or try this or try that. I mean so I don't remember that lot, right, do you guys? No?

I remember people coming right.

I think that was something I had to transition into, coming from films where directors really love to direct you and let's try it again and try it this way. That's great, we'll print it, but let's try this and let's try that. I really relied on a director to help my performance and so coming on this and they wouldn't do that kind of just chat to you in between, and then we're going to move the camera here. You know, it looked beautiful cinematically, but I had to learn to like, Okay,

It's just a weird adjustment to make, but you just make it.

You talked about the comedy part, like there was a couple of seasons three and four and five maybe where we got to sort of move into more that objective, and I think the directors too, started to have some fun with that to see that opportunity, and they were in certain storylines, in certain settings like that office setting that Mancini burns. We were just it was like a uniquely creative environment because we'd tapped into something that was

I thought that was, like, well, they took advantage of having all three of you who can do comedy in one place, right, they really took advantage of that.

Well, that was super fun.

When I remember back on the show poorly, as you have pointed out, I thought we were more drama and real and stuff, and there wasn't that much comedy. And then we transitioned, as we said, somewhere between thirteen and season two, Okay, let's just keep it. But when I rewatched the pilot, there was a lot of funny stuff in that I was I was kind of surprised at how funny it was.

There was definitely comedy in the beginning, but it was sweet, authentic kind. It's like the characters being funny with each other, and later became this camp, this high camp.

That's what I think it was. I think at burns Mansni. Now it finally occurs to me the name of the office. The comedy was in our sincerity in doing all our evil deeds together at the same time. I was trys you to get him, and then I'd run into my office and he would come out, well look, and then you'd leave, and then you'd be doing a scheme on both of us, and.

Yeah, and that kind yeah, that was great.

See, Joe didn't get that. I, I, you know, always got this real stuff, but an earnest but over the top.

Horrible stuff happened, and I'm taking horrible guys.

That were doing horrible things to me, and I would just be like, and then I'd pick another guy sort of similar. So I just remember going Everyone's calling this a soaprop up, but I find it like very serious, you know.

Like so one time, I and we.

Didn't have time to watch a lot of the episodes. I didn't have time to go back and watch them because we were just shooting and shooting, and the would air on a Monday or Wednesday night those I think there were the two nights. But did you did you watch while we were everyone, well, we were shooting.

Whenever they came out or if shortly thereafter.

If you weren't at work, especially.

Early on, I watched them sooner again for me, you know, here goes mister Anal. It was quality control. I want to know if what I was doing was translating on film. And I also was interested in how the editing process was going and what they were using because I played scenes a lot of different ways normally that was just the way I like to do it. And I was like, oh, I choose that. I thought the other stuff was so much stronger. But I didn't see it on film, so wow,

But I wish I I wish I had Maybe I don't know, I remember.

And there are some actors that like watching themselves and some that don't, because like after that, after Meloer's plays, video Village was became a thing where you could actually watch it there on set.

I know, thank god that doesn't exist now that in social Media's reason, I don't care about working anymore. I don't have the strength to do all that stuff too much.

Do people actually like watch back a scene they just did? Yeah, you can't I would be frozen. I've had directors frozen solid.

Yeah, I know.

I've had directors ask do you like, are you one of the ones that like to watch yourself like you're there, you've just shot it, And I'm like, no, to this day, it's too you don't want to get in your.

It's going to take twice as long.

Well, but also you get out of your body and start acting from the outside. Yeah, if you have to check it as you and I.

Don't know if it was always like this, but the shot, you know, the bunch of stuff I've done since Melrose Place. Man, there's a ton of people around Video village. I mean everybody's down there. Yeah. Yeah, the producer, we had the writer. We never even the writer.

They were they were writing the next episodes, Frank and Darren for a while, and Carrol and Carol.

Yeah, they were.

Writing far away.

Weren't even on Morow's place. There wasn't a monitor, right, they were watching the scene trusting the DP.

There was no there was a monitor. Yeah, yeah, it was yeah, annoyingly, I never used it. I stood right by the camera because I don't know why. I thought that was better out of my face, Like I feel your buddy, But I can't.

I can't well because I remember them saying did we get it right? And if they were watching the monitor, they know. I remember directors saying to the DP, did we get it? Don't you remember that?

Maybe check the gate kind of stuff? But you're right, yeah, I remember that as well though. But I know there was also a monitor because Chuck was always behind the monitor.

Because we were filmed like we would have fifteen minute breaks, remember changed the film. We'd have a fifteen minute break when they had to change.

You know, you were on for seven years, so I think there there might have been a changeover.

HD happened in the middle of our run, remember that makeup change and everything else. I hated it. We all hate it.

Well, we have loved having you here. And as much as we sprayed some stinky perfume, I hope you would be willing to come back again before if we promise not to spray you with anything that sticks next time, you please?

That went so fast. You were right, You said it on a sign and sheet. You set an intention. It's going to be fun and it was super fun.

And will you come back?

Will you come back? That's the question.

Oh, God, no, and then we have to live up to this again. We can't.

Yes, we'll get in when we're in Mancini Burns, that's probably when we'll happen.

I'm not sitting next to him because you know he's.

You and Jack together.

Jack, you know we'll separate you, but.

Separate Laura and you and Jack. Poor daph will be the only one allowed in the room and you'll have.

Yeah.

Sorry, we'll spray Jack.

Well.

We've loved having you.

Thanks for all the questions fans.

Thank you.

Those were the most fun.

Thank you, thank you, and we'll see you next week.