{"id":66325,"date":"2013-08-01T16:18:47","date_gmt":"2013-08-01T16:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2013\/08\/01\/michael-ealy-karl-urban-talk-almost-human\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T09:09:38","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T09:09:38","slug":"michael-ealy-karl-urban-talk-almost-human","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/michael-ealy-karl-urban-talk-almost-human\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Ealy, Karl Urban talk Almost Human"},"content":{"rendered":"

SDCC 2013 – Michael Ealy, Karl Urban talk Almost Human<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

August 1, 2013<\/p>\n

The 2-Night Series Premiere air SUN NOV 17 & MON NOV 18 at 8\/7c on FOX<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Very recently at San Diego Comic Con 2013, Blackfilm.com<\/strong> had the opportunity to speak with both Michael Ealy<\/strong>(“Sleeper Cell,” “Common Law”) and Karl Urban<\/strong>(“Star Trek”) on their upcoming TV series, “Almost Human,” <\/strong>which will be shown on FOX TV this fall.<\/p>\n

The new series is an action-packed police drama set 35 years in the future, when police officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids.<\/p>\n

The year is 2048. Meet JOHN KENNEX (Urban), a cop who survived one of the most catastrophic attacks ever made against the police department. After waking up from a 17-month coma, he can’t remember much \u2013 except that his partner was killed; his girlfriend, ANNA MOORE (guest star Mekia Cox), left him after the attack; and he lost one of his legs and is now outfitted with a highly sophisticated synthetic appendage.<\/p>\n

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Suffering from depression, mental atrophy, trauma-onset OCD, PTSD and the “psychological rejection of his synthetic body part,” John returns to work at the behest of longtime ally Captain SANDRA MALDONADO (Emmy Award nominee Lili Taylor, ” Six Feet Under,” “Ransom”). By mandate, every cop must partner with a robot. And despite his passionate aversion to androids, John is paired up with a battle-ready MX-43. But he abruptly terminates his partnership after the robot discovers incriminating information about him. So technician RUDY LOM (Mackenzie Crook) introduces John to DORIAN (Ealy), a discontinued android with unexpected emotional responses. Although such responses were deemed flaws, it is in these “flaws” that John relates to Dorian most. After all, John is part-machine now, and Dorian is part-human. John and Dorian’s understanding of each other not only complements them, it connects them.<\/p>\n

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As he adjusts to working with his new partner, John also must learn to get along with his new colleagues, including the eager and somewhat starstruck Detective VALERIE STAHL (Minka Kelly) and the distrustful Detective RICHARD PAUL (Michael Irby), who does not welcome John back with open arms.<\/p>\n

ALMOST HUMAN will follow the week-to-week missions of John and Dorian, as they fight crime across this futuristic landscape, while the mysteries surrounding his attack and the larger mythology of this new world unfold.<\/p>\n

What was the attraction to doing a TV series?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>Karl Urban:<\/strong> One of the elements that attracted me to \u2018Almost Human\u2019 apart from J. J. Abrams and Joel “J. H.” Wyman and this amazing cast was the character of John Kennex and his story. I found it intriguing that this character wakes up after two years and finds himself in an unfamiliar world. He\u2019s like a dinosaur and he has to learn how to operate in this society and not only function and protect and serve in the city but also deal with the baggage of his past, which includes this apprehensive feeling that he has towards anything robotic. He feels it\u2019s responsible for the loss of his buddies and to wake up to be saddled bio-mechanical leg is putting salt to his wound. He\u2019s a bit torment soul in that regard.<\/p>\n

Is this your first time doing sci-fi?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Ealy:<\/strong> No. My first time was with the film \u2018Underworld,\u2019 but it feels like the first time because I don\u2019t feel like a rookie. At the same time, it\u2019s fascinating. As I mentioned to someone, I really didn\u2019t care about the future until now. This show is set 40 years in the future, which is right around the corner. It\u2019s the near and the fact that our kids could be living in a world like this has created a stringer interest in the future for me personally.<\/p>\n

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Can you talk about your character Dorian changes Kennex\u2019s perspective of things and how John feels about that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> I think in the pilot there is a glimpse of how Dorian is able to show Kennex that there\u2019s possibly another way. That maybe we\u2019re not all the say. I think we\u2019re going to spend most of the first season trying to create some sort of relationship between these two guys that goes beyond a working relationship. For Dorian, who\u2019s eager to prove himself, especially with this being his second chance, I think it\u2019s going to be compelling to watch, whether or not it works.<\/p>\n

KU: <\/strong>In the beginning with the pilot, the character John Kennex is in a shell. He\u2019s beaten up and been through a tough time. He has a lot of anger, bitterness, resentment, pain, and has a sick version of technology and androids. In the course of working with Dorian, that engineers a paradigm shift and to me, that\u2019s really interesting. That\u2019s just the beginning of the story and a crack of light begins to appear.<\/p>\n

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Is it challenging trying to play a robot?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ME: <\/strong>Yes. My approach was playing a human with robot tendencies. I found that that worked out better for me as opposed to robot first. (Creator) Joel “J. H.” Wyman was clear with me from the beginning that Dorian is more human than certain humans and that makes it all the more fun to play.<\/p>\n

How human will he be? Will he be able to fall in love?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> It\u2019s funny that you say that. One of the reasons I almost didn\u2019t take the role was because when I read the script, I remember talking to my manager, and saying that \u201che\u2019s never going to have a love interest\u201d and I stopped myself in the middle of that statement, and though that whether it happens or not, we don\u2019t know, but I think it\u2019s interesting to not know right now and see how it all evolves. I try to make it clear as an actor that Dorian\u2019s desire to be human is very strong. In certain situations, it can be perceived to be possibly annoying and over eager, but I also think there\u2019s a certain amount of beauty because I like to refer to him as a reflection of the humanity that we all take for granted.<\/p>\n

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How working with Michael? In the pilot, it seems that the two of you have a good chemistry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KU:<\/strong> He\u2019s fantastic and I feel so blessed to be working with him. It\u2019s a testament to the great guy he is, but J.J. Abrams. That\u2019s what he does so well. He puts together really wonderful ensembles. He did with \u201cFriends,\u201d \u201cLost,\u201d \u201cAlias,\u201d and \u201cStar Trek.\u201d I feel truly blessed to be a part of this. These cast become like a second family to you. We\u2019ve only done the pilot, but I\u2019m looking forward to seeing more of Minka Kelly, Michael Irby, and Mackenzie Crook.<\/p>\n

How is Dorian different from those later models of robots?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ME: <\/strong>The MX-43s? Because he was designed from Synthetic Souls programs and because he has free will, he\u2019s able to everything that the MXs are able to do and more. The question is whether or not that more, which was responsible for his decommission, hurt or help Dorian\u2019s case in this particular climate? That\u2019s what we are going to find out.<\/p>\n

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On a different note, what changes do we expect from your character in \u2018Think Like a Man Too\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> I\u2019m still in love with Lauren (played by Taraji P. Henson) but they are confronted with a more mature relationship crisis.<\/p>\n

Is he making any money?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ME:<\/strong> Yes. He\u2019s doing much better financially. He got rid of that car.<\/p>\n

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8 min preview<\/strong><\/p>\n

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