SCIFI.COM | Exclusive Chats

Victor Browne of Tremors: The Series

ChatMod: Hi everybody, thanks for joining us. I'm Ben Trumble for SCIFI. Tonight we1re pleased to welcome actor Victor Browne of the SCIFI Original series TREMORS. Victor plays Perfection Valley's resident Tyler Reed, former racer and fast car enthusiast, and now the owner of Desert Jack's Graboid Tours

ChatMod: Brief word about the drill. This is a moderated chat -- please send your questions for our guest to ChatMod, as private messages. (To send a private message, either double-click on ChatMod or type "/msg ChatMod" on the command line - only without the quotes.)...Then hit Enter (or Return on a Mac.)

ChatMod: First question

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Question for Mr. Browne Do you consider your character the trusty sidekick, or the co-hero?

VBrowne: Well at first I was a sidekick

VBrowne: But now I'm more of a co-hero

VBrowne: Or field officer for B's plans

VBrowne: I think as the writers went along it just became that way

VBrowne: \That eventually I would be a partner in keeping the valley safe

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Question for Mr. Browne: Do you find yourself actively trying to make your character different from the Desert Jack character?

VBrowne: Not necessarily different

VBrowne: I don't know that much about Desert Jack

VBrowne: I just use my own take on my character

ChatMod: <aillann> to <ChatMod>: Is it fun to work on this series? It seems that you are out in the dessert with livestock-- it seems isolated.

VBrowne: I love the landscape

VBrowne: It's very hot and windy

VBrowne: But you're playing cowboys and indians

VBrowne: How great is that!

VBrowne: I love it

ChatMod: Do you know as much about guns as your character does?

VBrowne: Absolutely not

VBrowne: But my character is new to guns too

VBrowne: He's learning from Burt

VBrowne: In an upcoming episode I try to kill; something big with a small gun and he kind of gives me the talk on using BIG firepower

ChatMod: <aillann> to <ChatMod>: Were you familliar with the Tremors movies before you got this job?

VBrowne: I'd seen the first film

VBrowne: Great cult movie

VBrowne: The others I waited to see AFTER I started the series and I'd gonna a feel for the story, terrain, and character

ChatMod: aillann> to <ChatMod>: How did you get your start in acting?

VBrowne: I was interested in acting from a young agae

VBrowne: I went to New York in the early 90's to acting school

VBrowne: I got some lucky breaks

VBrowne: Then I got a role in I Shot Andy Warhol

VBrowne: Before that I'd appeared in some student films for folks at NYU

VBrowne: I came out to LA to work on a Series called Rescue 77, kind of like Third Watch

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Question for Mr. Browne: How much driving do you actually get to do in the show (vs. stunt drivers)

VBrowne: I try to do most of the driving myself

VBrowne: If you can see me I'm driving

VBrowne: I'm a fan of fast driving

VBrowne: I try to get them to let me drive as much as possible

VBrowne: I never had any formal driving tarining

VBrowne: But on my resume under special skills it says Fast DRIVER

VBrowne: I'm in a Honda Accord commercial now as a test driver

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Question for Mr. Browne: Did I read somewhere you're a former USAF brat? Are you familiar with Rhein Main, AB, Germany or McClellan AFB, CA? Ever draw on that upbringing for any acting roles?

VBrowne: I am an air force brat

VBrowne: But we lived in the Dakotas, Edwards in CA, PLattsburg NY

VBrowne: Morrocco

VBrowne: NC and SC

VBrowne: Quite a fvew places...just not Germany

VBrowne: In answer to the followup on Honda. If you look for me you can see me in a lot of commercials

VBrowne: Like Rooms To Go in Texas etc

ChatMod: <aillann> to <ChatMod>: Did you ever spend a winter in Plattsburg? BRRR!!

VBrowne: Thankfully no

VBrowne: But I spent many a winter in Maine...Brrrr...

ChatMod: What's your take on where the Graboids come from?

VBrowne: They're prehistoric and an endangered species -- but I don't know if they're really of earthly origin. But of course like all endangered species they need to be protected

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: What's your favorite monster movie? Have you been abke to make any requests of the writers for future episodes?

VBrowne: I really like King Kong, and Jurassic Park

VBrowne: I haven't had much input in future episodes except to request a NASCAR race in Paradise Valley. Nancy Roberts our exec likes that

ChatMod: What brought your character to Paradise?

VBrowne: He met Jack in Vegas, and he got suckered

VBrowne: He went along for the adventure ...and what an adventure it is!

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Sorry to stray from your character, but is there really a Burt Gummer: Monster Hunter video? What is playing on the TV in Chang's in the background?

VBrowne: In the Valley there is...And it's playing in Changs in the background

ChatMod: Do you consider Tremors to be a comedy?

VBrowne: Absolutely

VBrowne: An action comedy

VBrowne: Look at the government agent

VBrowne: But it has a dry sense of humor, something for BG to play against

ChatMod: What's it like to work with Michael?

VBrowne: He's really a giving guy

VBrowne: And of course I grew up watching him

VBrowne: As a young actor I couldn't ask for better

VBrowne: And he's the one who keeps it all together on the set.

ChatMod: Do you stay in Mexico when filming?

VBrowne: Yes. Just south of the border on the beach. Most of us stay there when we're working

VBrowne: I go back to LA occassionally when I have time

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Even though your character is a driver, I see you carry no "spare tire". What do you do to stay in shape on location? Is it a requirement of your contract you stay in shape?

VBrowne: No

VBrowne: \It's just important to me to stay in shape and healthy

VBrowne: And it's a very physical part

VBrowne: We do hit the Craft Service truck a bit too often sometimes

VBrowne: So we have to work it off

VBrowne: The heat helps with that

ChatMod: What's your favorite kind of role?

VBrowne: Good writing

VBrowne: I lobe doing what I'm doing now

VBrowne: I'm too young to have experience m,y favotite role yet

VBrowne: The writers on our show are great about building the character around the actor

VBrowne: Certainly a role like Crowe had in Gladiator would be amazing

ChatMod: What do know if anything about another season of Tremors?

VBrowne: That's up to the audience and the ratings

VBrowne: We come back on the air in late June

VBrowne: If everybody watches, we'd love to come back and fight off more monsters

ChatMod: <LadyNRA> to <ChatMod>: Any funny stories about the filming of the series?

VBrowne: Well people are always messing up and cracking jokes

VBrowne: I was doing one scene and I had forgotten my lines, so I just threw something out as we were filming... So Michael asked on film -- what langauge are you speaking. He busted me in front of 70 people

VBrowne: We have a great time at work

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Ever get jealous of all the many weapons and props Mr. Gross gets to use for his character?

VBrowne: Hell yes!

VBrowne: Look at his truck!

VBrowne: I get nothing

VBrowne: But he does share sometimes

ChatMod: How would you like to see your character change?

VBrowne: I'd like to see him carry the story for awhile

VBrowne: Or maybe have a relationship

VBrowne: Or even make him a father

VBrowne: That could add some interesting dramatic tension

ChatMod: <ActionBur> to <ChatMod>: Playing Tyler, do you think he'd pick Jody or Rosalita? Is there any direction from producers/directors as to who Tyler is partial to?

VBrowne: There's no direction from the producers

VBrowne: He likes them both

VBrowne: But it's a small town and he doesn't want to rock the boat too much

VBrowne: But he likes fire, and that's Rosalita

VBrowne: But Jody makes a mean burger

ChatMod: Do you have a favorite episode?

VBrowne: My favorite hasn't airred yet...You'll have to wait... It's called Water Hazard

VBrowne: I like the first episode too

ChatMod: <GoForward> to <ChatMod>: Are you a gun enthusiest?

VBrowne: Not really

VBrowne: I've became more aware of how dangerous they can be

VBrowne: I'm a lefty and most guns are set up for right handed folks