Charmed And Dangerous
Source: Cult Times Magazine [Special #28]
Article By: Ian Spelling
Transcribed By: Drew Fuller Fan.com
Date: November 2003

He may be the new Whitelighter, but can Chris Perry be trusted to protect the Charmed Ones? Drew Fuller tells us about his mean streak.

Drew Fuller is one lucky lad, and he knows it. He's picked up a key role in the sixth season of Charmed as Whitelighter Chris Perry, as such he gets to spend hours every day in the company of Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan. "I'd done [double-length finale 'Oh My Goddess'] last season and originally it was kind of on a trial basis, but not really," he recalls. "They wanted to see how the character gelled with the girls and see if it would work. And then I was on vacation when I got the call this past summer that they wanted me on permanently. I was walking in San Francisco at the time and I swear to God I screamed at the top of my lungs, I was so psyched. At the end of last season I'd supposedly killed Leo [Brian Krause], who was their Whitelighter. When they called me to ask me to be a series regular I was like, F**k me! I'm the only guy on the show!' I was thinking it was the three girls and myself. Not that I have anything against Brian. I love Brian. He's awesome and fun to work with, but at the time I was thinking I was going to be the only guy working with these three girls who all have really strong, distinctive personalities. So it was exciting and nerve-racking, but I was totally into it."

Before arriving on the scene, Fuller --who's credits include the features Voodoo Academy and Vampire Clan, as well as a regular part on the short-lived TV series The Black Sash --hadn't really watched Charmed all that much. "To be honest, it's been an education coming onto the show," he explains. "They've had to fill me in on what's been happening the last six years. And I learned about Whitelighters. They're kind of like guardian angels that look over and protect the sisters. That's what I was told and if someone asks me now what a Whitelighter is that's still the exact answer I'd give. But what gets crazy are all the different powers and the rules of what I can and can't do."

While it is very true that Chris is a Whitelighter, he's not necessarily a good guy. Yes, he watches over the Halliwell sisters, but his motives seem sinister. Half the time he appears out to get them, not to protect them. "Chris is both a good guy and a bad guy," Fuller says. "I know that sucks and that that's a shitty answer, but it's true. There's a part of Chris that is very, very good and a part of me that is mischievous. Chris has an agenda, and I'll really stop at nothing to get my agenda executed. I, as an actor, do know what's going on, but I can't tell you. I've had many conversations with [executive producer] Brad Kern and he basically mapped out my character for me, which was very, very helpful. It helps my acting and it helps drive the show. I use what Brad's told me to the best of my abilities, so I can try to make the right acting choices when I'm playing the part. Things could change. Different realities and different situations can take place and all of a sudden they might have to change the scripts and change the character. But right now I'm playing the character to the best of my abilities based on what I've been given. They're actually revealing my character a little bit quicker than originally planned. You're going to find out a lot about me. I'd say that even before Christmas fans will have a good idea of who I am and why I'm here, but not completely. Chris likes keeping the girls in suspense because it means I've got something over them."

So what has it been like working with Milano, Combs, and McGowan? "It's great," Fuller reveals. "Working with the girls, it's been fun. It's nice to be on a show that's established, where everyone is happy with his or her job and no one is worried about being picked up for another season. It's just a free-flowing machine. It's so well-oiled. You can seriously sit and work on your craft. There are no complaints on my end. I've also gotten to work a lot with Brian. A lot of my scenes are with him right now. He was the Whitelighter and I did push him out. He knows it and I know he knows it, so there are a lot of scenes where you can see the strain between these Whitelighters. He's very angry. I'm suspect and he just wants to get to the bottom of it. He wants me to come clean. So you'll see a lot of confrontation with Leo. He doesn't believe anything I say. He doesn't trust me, but I am definitely protecting the girls. My mission hasn't changed."

Bottom line: so far, so good. Fuller likes the gig. The producers appreciate Fuller's work. And the Charmed fan base is into Chris. "I'm happy because Chris has the fans' interest," Fuller concludes. "People might get really angry: 'Get Chris off the show! He's ruining everything. Piper and Leo have to be together!' If they're saying that, it means I'm doing my job. If they're angry at me it means I'm executing my choices clearly. But I also want to give them just enough so that they'll like me, or at the least not hate me. So I'm trying to work in enough of both."