Posted in: Movies | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

Con Man Season 2, Available Now (Ish), Bleeding Cool Talked To Cast And Crew

Con Man Season 2 is here (or hereabouts), debuting on streaming service Comic-Con HQ today in the USA. And while that's still geo-locked for a Brit like me, I'm told that it will be made available for the UK, Canada and Australia on Friday. Which is a massive and welcome shift in policy. For me, anyway.

Because I loved season one. And thankfully I have already been able to see the first four episodes. It's a definite change from the first season, the convention circuit is no longer with us – not initially anyway. The Spectrum movie is in nascent steps, but Wray Nerely , still played by the show's writer, producer and director Alan Tudyk, is trying to avoid its gravitational pull. He'll take anything to escape it – but especially the lead in a new TV series being piloted called Doctor Cop Lawyer. About a doctor who is also a policeman and also… yeah. Seriously, it sounds less and less unlikely the more they talk about it.

Battling with disappearing agents, lawyers, girlfriends and still never actually meeting Jack Moore, played by Nathan Fillion, the series moves away from the reaction of fans to fame, but continues to rip through the jealously between actors, the narcissistic personality types and the unique sense of privilege of an actor who has had any level of success – for which they become ungrateful. And, of course, starring all sorts of people for whom this criticism could be made against. Con Man continues to be the show that has its cake, eats it, complains that the frosting wasn't organic and fires the caterer.

And does end up with Wray Nerely suspended in the air in an astronaut costume squeezing his balls in a vice while people throw rocks at his head. All in an attempt to avoid being in another sci-fi TV show.

I had the chance to join a round table with Alison Haislip, Felicia Day, Mindy Sterling, Laura Vandervoort, Nolan North and PJ Haarsma. And there was lots to learn.

Con Man-like experiences, where actors would take all the food home from green rooms at shows, for their evening meals. Laura about the surprises of seeing tattoos of her signatures popping up hours after they'd signed people. And Alison having a fall from grace when having a photo taken of her at a show, only to then be asked who she was meant to be cosplaying as.

The concept of typecasting comes up in the show, but the cast seemed to see it less as a problem than Wray does in the show, in that it can help getting work, but it's useful to create new roles to create new impressions of you – but then that can become a new stereotype, such as Alison becoming the new "geeky girl" of choice. But against Wray Nerely's experience, that if you are stereotyped in sci-fi, you end up with the best, most loyal fans. There are upsides, it seems more than downsides and Laura talked about loving going back to Supergirl with the new TV series. Nolan North did insist on turning down roles without full frontal nudity. It's his only chance to "free the twins".

As to Wray having a "five year plan" as an actor in the show, Alison said that hers was only to be hired in another five years, and there is only so much you can plan when you are so dependent on others for work. Nolan talked about his son wanting to become an actor, talking about treating it as a business of getting the job, until you get the job.

I asked about recent discussion about some actors choosing to do conventions rather than taking acting jobs. This seemed to be rejected by all, that acting is a full time job, Nolan saying that if you'd choose a show over being in a show, you should lose your acting card – unless you're Stan Lee. Laura talked about how it may be more of an option for retired actors, and how she knows Margot Kidder went to shows to pay for her grandchildren's school fees. Mindy, who plays the "insane inappropriate human being" Bobby says that if you make doing shows your only job, the exhaustion of it all will make you jaded.

Which is, of course, where Wray Nerely is. But for older actors, returning to their fans, its more about getting the gift of love.

There's was much more of the show to talk about. Felicia Day talked about her role in the second series, appearing fro Lou Ferrigno as she did for Wray in the first series, copying his moves and even sporting a very hot muscle suit to match. And how she suffered for her Lou Ferrigno art. As for that take in the first series, she talked about watching Alan Tudyk inbetween takes while trying to learn his own lines for upcoming scenes, as crucial to mirroring his ticks.

And everyone was in awe of the scene that reveals that Nathan Moore's hair is just a wig. And the skull cap that Nathan Fillion had to wear gave everyone a gasp. But it was one that PJ was nervous of Nathan's reaction to – he needn't have worried.

PJ did mention that the actual option to a Spectrum movie has been taken by Lionsgate. But to watch for the Con Man game which will integrate aspects of Season 2 into it – including Doctor Cop Lawyer.

Here's a trailer from the second season, directly from Comic-Con HQ. Which now has the actual show ready for you to stream – or will do very shortly…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZqDddrcAsM

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!