Interview: Drew Fuller
Source: Séries Magazine
Article By: N/A
Transcribed By: Cristal Line
Date: January/February 2005

Teaser: After a short career as a model, Drew Fuller decided to launch a career in acting. But the beginning was difficult and he had some tough times. By chance, just at the time when he was ready to give up, the role of Chris, in Charmed, was offered to him. Interview secrets...

Q: After the end of this (sixth) season of Charmed you seemed to have definitely quit the series...
A: In effect, except for an apparition during "Someone to Witch Over Me," which aired in the US during Halloween, I think Chris will not be returning to the series.

Q: The disappearance of Chris, at the end of the sixth season, was it a surprise for you?
A: Completely, I wasn't expecting it at all. I thought that the writers wanted to create a surprise and make a principal character disappear. Unfortunately, it was me whom they sacrificed. However, I try not to let this type of thing get to me. That's how Hollywood works. It's necessary for one to fall down to evolve in this business.

Q: You have said that the orbing teleportation was the hardest part to play in the series. What would you like to say about that?

A: It's very strange, but until the end, I was terrible at acting out the teleportation. The problem came because I would never arrive normally in one piece. It was necessary that I talk right away, without having the time for a classic entrance. Luckily, there was a small way that allowed the actors to play it naturally. And this helped me a great deal …

Q: What was this method?

A: I don't know if I have the right to say it... Oh, it's so bad, I'll just go ahead and say it. Not like they can fire me, I already left! [laughter] So, this is how it happens: when I need to orb, all the actors freeze on the spot, I arrive walking in, I stop, and I start to speak. And it's only when my voice is heard that the other actors start moving again. Then, the magic light is added to the special effects and the scene is played.

Q: It is said that you were the lone actor in the series who knew the secret of Chris…

A: It's true. I was the only person working on the show, apart from the writers and producers, who knew that Chris was the son of Leo and Piper. They made me swear not to say anything to anyone, because they wanted Brian and Holly, being that they play Leo and Piper, to not know the truth. The producers gave me the confidence to help play the part with the most authenticity possible.

Q: On the set of Charmed, how was your rapport with Alyssa, Rose, and Holly?

A: They played the game of teasing me in the first few months. They treated me as if I was a young kid, a debutante who didn't know how to do things right! For example, as each time I had a scene or I was to say a small monologue, they pretended to fall asleep, they yawned, they snored... All the means to try to make me miss my cue!

Q: And how are Alyssa, Rose, and Holly on the set? Are they seen together apart from on the show?

A: Sadly, that's a taboo subject. I refuse to talk about it! I'm not giving any details about the girls.

Q: Do you mean to say that they don't get along?

A: No, I didn't say that! I simply don't want to talk about it. They don't like it when people talk about them behind their backs. So if they stumbled upon this interview and found that I talked about them, I'll be an annoyance! [laughter] I'm not going to take that risk.

Q: That's understandable… But let's return to the subject of the environment on the set. Did you get along better with certain people than others?

A: Sadly, I don't want to answer that question any more than the other one! [laughter] If I say that I get along better with one person, then I risk upsetting the others. The fact is that I get along well with everyone. I just have different affinities for each person.

Q: What kinds of affinities do you have with whom?

A: Eh, you're not going let this go, are you? [laughter] Fine, I'll say that Alyssa is role model and a teacher to me. Holly is like a big sister I can say anything to. As for Rose, she's a woman in her all splendor, cultivated, funny, spiritual. What surprised me the most about her was her memory, she doesn't forget anything! And she reads a lot of things; it's most fascinating.

Q: And Brian Krause?

A: Him, I detest. [After holding a serious look for an instant, Drew breaks out in laughter.] Was that it? You wanted to have a scoop and not the truth? Oh well. No, Brian is a nice guy. With him, it's like I'm hanging out with a friend. He loves sports and he loves talking about sports. Every time we had to spend some time together, we'd talk about sports to pass the time, like friends would.

Q: You are a very athletic person. How do you reconcile your passion [for sports] with your profession as an actor at the same time?

A: It's not always easy. Once an actor signs a contract for a film or TV series, he renounces practicing all athletic activities that might cause injury. Imagine a little that the star of a TV series breaks his arm in plain view during the middle of the season; it becomes a problem for everyone involved in the production of the show. Therefore, when they asked me to play the entire season during season [sic] 8, they demanded that I sign a contract with this clause. But I have sports in my blood, and I wasn't able to give up surfing, snowboarding, and rock-climbing for a year. Thus, I had to insist to the producers, and finally, they made an exception and let me play sports in my own way. It's quite rare, in Hollywood...