Interviews Conducted by Robert J. Beck

How has it been on set over the years? I mean has it always been cohesive or have you felt some of that tension on set?

Hayden: We hate each other. We don’t get along at all, no.

Masi: It’s -- you know, we’re a big family and we just love working with each other. And I think it’s definitely, you know, it’s hard not to ride the highs and the lows of the show. Without a doubt Season 1 was absolute lightning in the bottle and, you know, we knew we had something absolutely special and, you know, and Season 2 and 3 it was definitely hard for them to meet the expectations in some senses. But Season 4 as I said I think there’s some senses -- there is a sense, you know, we understand, you know, our backs might be a little bit against the wall but because of that we’re swinging -- creatively swinging for the fences. And we’re taking -- there’s so many like bold choices and risks that are being made and a lot of creative freedom in some senses because of that. And I don’t know but I’m really, really excited about, you know, this season. I would probably say this is, you know, as favorite of a season as Season 1 if not my second favorite season so far. So it’s kind of -- it’s fun to ride that ride or the wave’s ups and downs and it’s great to be on the crest again this season.

Would you agree with that Hayden?

Hayden: Yeah, absolutely. I think our closeness too during seasons also depends on whom we’re working with the most. And, you know, some seasons, you know, we haven’t seen me with a lot of people. Masi, lucky duck, got to work with a lot of the cast but some of us just don’t cross paths all the time, not frequently. It’s exciting when we get that chance, that one scene or that one episode where we get to do that. But we are -- I just celebrated my fourth birthday on the set, my fourth birthday cake. So it’s been awhile and, you know, I grew up with these guys. These are my family and I was 16 years old and now I’m 20 and we’re still loving what we do and enjoying each other. But I definitely agree though that when we ride those waves of up and down and everything’s good, everything’s, you know, teetering a little bit, you feel it and you just try to be there for each other and make it the best you can which is I think what we’re doing.

Hayden, how do your film projects -- does it energize you to get back into the season? How does it affect your work on Heroes? And Masi, also will we be seeing you on the big screen? And, you know, how do the two connect? Do they help each other, you know, that type of thing?

Hayden: Well it does make me excited to go back to Heroes when I do movies. I love to do movies. That’s something that I find so much joy in, in being able to travel around and play new characters. But there is also something settling about coming back to a place where you know where you’re going to go every morning, you know who’s there and who’s waiting for you and you’ve known them for such a long time and you’ve spent so much time with them. So there is -- it’s like going home.

Hayden: It would be the -- it just felt good to know your schedule as opposed to getting on set -- the first day of I Love You, Beth Cooper I walked on the set and we shot eight hours later. You walk on to the set of Heroes you know as soon as you’re there and as soon as they’re ready, most of the time, 99.9% of the time you are not sitting down for more than five minutes.
But yeah, they do help each other and they help us be able to spread our wings a little bit and we get -- I know I personally get a little rusty when I’ve jumped back and forth. But yeah, they definitely help each other.

That’s good. And Masi are you planning to do anything on the big screen any time soon or...

Masi: If you have something for me I’d be more than willing! No, I think I’m very fortunate to work with Steve Ferrell but personally I’m -- as much as I love Heroes and I love acting I’m also finding creatively something exciting about working behind the scenes. I have an opportunity to work with some of the most amazing people and amazing cast on our show and my dream is kind of like, you know, continue this relationship. Hopefully if I’m writing and producing a project, you know, bring my favorite actors. Hopefully they’ll give me a costar discount... because I’m not sure we can afford, you know, some of the big stars we have on our show like Hayden and Zach and Milo. But when we do that’s -- I’m kind of really excited about being in front of the camera and behind the camera.

Do the writers sometimes come to both of you and say, “Hey, what do you think about this idea?” Or is it pretty much, “Here it is, go for it”?

Masi: Our writers are very collaborative in that (manifest). But at the beginning of the season we kind of talk about the arc and where are characters might go and they’re
very open to it and, you know....