 [Photo: © 2010 USA Network] |
Tomorrow night is the season finale of Psych. Some of us were given the chance to preview the episode so we could ask questions of the show’s James Roday and the episode’s guest star Ally Sheedy. It was a conference call interview with both of them answering questions from multiple people and a very interesting conversation. Here’s what was discussed:
Q: My first question is what are some of your favorite episodes in Psych’s four seasons?
J. Roday: I assume you’re asking me that question?
Q: Sure, well, if Ally wants to answer as well…
J. Roday: That’s a lot of pressure to put on Ally.
A. Sheedy: That’s okay. I love the episodes that have Yang in them.
J. Roday: Yes. Ally likes the Yang episodes. I too, like the Yang episodes. I would toss in just a random sampling of – let’s see, I’ve always been really fond of the tele-novella episode where we spoofed a Spanish soap opera that was called “Lights, Camera, Homicidio.” I think like half of season one is very dear to me just because we were sort of flying by the seat of our pants and every week was truly a new adventure. I look back at some of those episodes and even though they may not be the greatest episodes they’ll always have – they’ll be very near and dear to me because it was just so much love happening to get this show off the ground.
Then more recently they let me direct for the first time in season three and I’ll always remember that very fondly. That was the “Tuesday the 17th” episode and the first time John Landis came up to work with us on an episode called “Scary Sherry,” that also was one heck of an experience. But mostly the episodes with Mr. Yang.
A. Sheedy: See why I like doing this show? There you go.
Q: Where do you get the creative inspiration for your character to be so bizarre and different? Do you get all that from the script or is there someone in your life that you modeled the character after?
A. Sheedy: I’m not sure, who are you asking?
Q: Oh, James.
J. Roday: It’s a really great character because he kind of lives by his own set of rules and he’s Peter Pan. He’s Puck, I don’t know real people like him. To approach any situation first and ask questions later that’s just Shawn, and I think I’ve sort of found it along the way. Like I said if you go back and watch early episodes and compare them to the stuff that we’re doing now I think the evolution of the character is – you can see a lot of differences. I’ve always sort of trusted in the fact that this guy doesn’t think a whole lot before he does stuff, so I try not to think too much before I do stuff, and I think it’s worked out okay.
Q: Clearly in this episode there is a lot of Hitchcock references. James I was wondering if there is anyone else you drew inspiration from – influences from when you were directing this episode?
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