One-on-One with WAREHOUSE 13’s Eddie McClintock

Hey GMMR fans. Your old pal Seels recently had the opportunity to chat with the one and only Eddie McClintock, star of SyFy’s original series WAREHOUSE 13. In this GiveMeMyRemote.com exclusive Eddie talked to us about where he’d like to take Pete in Season two, a little about tomorrow night’s season finale, and his hopes for next season.

Since season one was completed before the writers knew about season two, have you had any discussions on where you’d like Pete to go? Now that the writers can take their time a bit, what type of character development is in store for Pete, and do you have any hand in that?

Eddie: Um, yeah, I do have input. I’ve been invited to say whatever I feel in regards to the character. I thought they did such a great job, that I don’t know if I really need to add much to it. I’ll kind of let them do their jobs, and Jack Kenny (executive producer) runs such a great efficient writers’ room that I feel like I don’t really have to say much. But I want to make sure that Pete stays…I tend to really kind of go for the joke a lot. Like even if something isn’t necessarily written in the script to be funny, I’ll always try and find something funny in it. I feel as I’ve watched some of the episodes, I feel like maybe…and Jack will probably kill me for saying this, but I feel personally, that maybe my performances at moments felt pushed to me. So I want to make sure that Pete remains grounded and remains…I want him to seem competent at his job. I don’t want him to turn into just a silly character.

Right. He’s a top agent. That’s why he’s at the Warehouse to begin with.

Eddie: Exactly. Look, I love the fact that he’s funny, but I want the character to be spontaneously funny and not just a caricature. With that in mind, I will boldly go into Season Two.

So you’re basically getting a chance to self edit, based on the episodes, after they’ve all been shot.

Eddie: I know a lot of actors will say they don’t watch themselves, but I tend to watch every episode. The first time I watch it, I can’t think of anything except the ridiculous things. Once I get past that, then I can start breaking down the performance a little better, I can see the show for what it is, and so for me, watching the episodes is a good learning tool.

What is your favorite type of scene to do on WH13 – physical, serious, or funny?

Eddie: I guess what would be great would be to have a scene where I get to do all three, and for them to be well balanced. I love a well balanced scene, and that’s another thing I love about the show is that it can be really, really serious and then the next moment, it can be funny, and then it can be serious. I mean, that’s kind of how life is, you know?

Kind of what you’re describing is the beginning scene of “Implosion”, where you are doing the sword routine. It was very funny, but it was also probably physically demanding in some ways, and while it looks like you were having a good time, you probably had to take that very seriously.

Eddie: Yeah, I was taking it really seriously. I was trying to be funny, but, I was really worried that it was going to look ridiculous. I knew what I wanted to do there, I knew how I wanted it to look, but I just had to trust that it looked the way I wanted it to. I’m going to be hypercritical, but if other people like it, that’s all that truly matters. I’m really just doing it for them.

Right, you have to know your audience, but it (acting) has to be somewhat self-fulfilling, I’d think.

Eddie: Yeah, you know, there’s a ton of actors who are doing this, and they’re really miserable. I don’t get it. It’s like, you have the greatest job in the world, and you make a ridiculous amount of money to pretend you’re someone else. Just get over it!

For 13 nights in 2009, we saw you as Pete Lattimer, but what about the other 352 days of the year? What’s life like outside of the Warehouse? What else are you working on?

Eddie: The other days that I’m not Pete Lattimer, I’m a full time dad. I’ve got these two little babies. They’re a lot of work. They’re the greatest thing I’ve ever, ever done in my life, and they’re also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But, with great difficulty comes great reward in regards to the boys. I guess music is the other thing, and my art. I went to college to be a graphic designer, a graphic artist, but I got scared that I would be alone and poor, so I kind of put my art on the back burner and got my degree in business communication. But I still work on my art, and I’m actually getting ready to try to start selling some of my artwork.

Saul Rubinek was once asked in an interview when he knew the show was going to be funny and when it wasn’t going to take itself too seriously, and he said something like “The moment they hired me, and the moment they hired Eddie McClintock.” What do you think about that?

Eddie: I love that. I love that. I think that’s a great answer. Because Saul has a great knack for subtle comedy. I would do well to learn from him in that regard. Again, I feel that a lot of times, I’m such a laugh whore that I’ll push a little too hard, so…for him to say that is actually a compliment.

Where were you when you received the news that WH13 was picked up for Season 2, and what was your initial reaction?

Eddie: They called me here at the house. The executives, called and told me, and you know, I’m happy. I’ve been doing this for twelve years. This is my fifth series, ten pilots, and this is the first time I’ve ever gone into season two in all that time. So I’m cautiously optimistic. The business tends to beat people up a little bit; you learn to be a little guarded. Things can change tomorrow. I love that I’m going to be able to go back and explore who Pete is a little bit more and find out more about the Warehouse, find out more about Saul, Joanne, Allison, and they’re all such great people. To have an opportunity to spend more time with them is great.

You keep bringing it up, but is there any chance Pete and Myka WILL travel to Hawaii?

Eddie: I don’t know. I hope so! I hope there’s like the Brady Bunch episode. They go to Hawaii, and they find a Tiki, and there’s a tarantula. And Vincent Price is there. I mean Greg gets hurt surfing, they find the tiki, and Vincent Price is on! As a kid, I was like, are you KIDDING me?

One of the highlights of the show is seeing what crazy artifact of a famous person will pop up next. If you, Eddie McClintock, could pick an artifact for next season, what would it be and who would it have belonged to? What would be its power/force?

Eddie: Well, I kind of thought that it would be a backstage pass from Woodstock, but this backstage pass would give you the power to travel through time to any concert ever, and go to that concert. I could go see the Beatles, and Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and the Doors and some of the bands I never got to see because I was too young.

But what would be negative about that? There would have to be something bad about it.

Eddie: Every concert you go to, you have to drink a gallon of Jack Daniels. So, that would be the downside. You get to see a lot of great music, but you’d end up in rehab. (laughs)

What scoop can you give us about the season finale, “McPherson”?

Eddie:There’s a cliffhanger, of course. There’s a good chance we’re going to lose one of our characters.

Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 22nd for the season finale of Warehouse 13 at 9pm on Syfy.