Charles Parnell – The Last Ship

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) “The Last Ship” is my most recent project. I also did a guest star on the show “Better Things” that is still in production. I’m always doing voiceover work as well.

Q) Where do we pick up with Jeter this season of “The Last Ship?”

A) When the season starts, we’re kind of at a settled point. Things are okay and I just found my wife’s parents at the end of last season. With me, I had a major event then and we kind of settled the situation with the immunes – the fight over the cure we were having. Things were kind of at a set point and then we get kidnapped at a party. We get snatched at a party and I’m a prisoner of war right now. That sounds like fun, doesn’t it? [laughs]

Q) What has been your favorite part of your character’s development?

A) My favorite thing about Jeter in general is the balance he has to play between the Captain (Eric Dane) and the XO and the crew on the other side. It is because I have to stand up for the crew emissary, but I also have to bring the hammer down on the crew if necessary. So, dancing that line is always fun for me. My favorite times are really when I get the Captain to speak to me in a way that he doesn’t speak to anyone else. As the Captain, he’ll be off to the side and try to express his doubts to me. Most of the time he has to play strong for the crew, so the moments when he breaks down we have a more private moment.

Q) How was Jeter originally described and did that change or evolve at all?

A) He started off almost as a counselor/chaplain/psychologist for the crew. He still is, but in the beginning, he was more like a man of the cloth. He did funeral ceremonies and was everyone’s counselor. As time went on and as the show grew and the situation changed, the fighter in me had to come out more. When things get amped up, I become more involved with the action, which I like.

Q) To playing a prisoner of war, did you do any research?

A) Not specifically on prisoners of war, but I did a little reading on people who have been detained in different ways to get the general experience. Sometimes people who have been in jail and gotten out have written about their experiences so I read about that to kind of get in touch with it. When you read about captive situations, the people who you are held with form bonds a lot of the time and become closer because of the experience. That happened with the actors who were playing the prisoners. I noticed that towards the end of us shooting for the prisoner of war scenes. We developed kind of a bond through the experience, which was cool. I imagine that happens in real situations and that is fascinating to me.

Q) What has been the most challenging part of the character or series?

A) Maintaining that counselor quality is tough because the situations are so intense on the show that my feelings are always coming up. I have to have a cool headed calm one so that is a challenge for me because I can be a strong emotional actor, but this part requires a lot of strength. I came up in theatre and when you are on stage you have to open up the pipes and you are free. You can expand and put out as much energy as you want because you have 400-500 people. When you have a character that needs to bring it down and be more cool headed, it takes some adjusting. That is the least natural part for me.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from behind the scenes?

A) My first favorite moment was when we were shooting the pilot. For the pilot, we didn’t have a studio. We were literally in San Diego at the Naval Base using the ships, the Navy and all of their equipment and property. We were on our third of fourth day and I hadn’t met Michael Bay yet. We had done our second or third take of a scene and right before we were about to shoot and the sound guy says, “We don’t have sound! We can’t shoot!” The director takes off his headphones and says, “What do you mean?” Michael Bay walks in and shakes everyone’s hands. The next thing you know, he has a camera in his hand and has these guys shooting a scene that none of us recognized. Six guys with rifles and black jackets run out the side of a ship and they start shooting at something. He goes outside with the camera and starts whipping the lens back and forth up in the sky and around. Everybody is silent, standing around watching. After ten minutes of this, he walks over and gives the camera back and says, “Guys, I’m sorry. When I see sunshine and shots, I just have to take them.” After he apologized and finished, I asked what all of that was and he said, “You’ll see.” When the pilot airs, they ended up having planes and helicopters and everything he did end up in the pilot. It was amazing! That was the first shock – meeting him and doing all of that in the first fifteen minutes was cool.

Q) What would you like fans know about Season 3 of “The Last Ship?”

A) All the characters that get captured all go through a shift and a bit of a change. I don’t want to give anything specific away, but we are all a little different for it. Also, I want to say that the Navy itself has been amazing to us. They have helpful, focused and supportive all the way from the Secretary of the Navy. He was actually on the show in the second season! He wanted to be on the show. That’s how much support we get from them. I always like to say how amazing it is and eye opening it has been. I don’t come from a military family so seeing these people who are nineteen or twenty years old and they are so dedicated and focused. That’s where the biggest effects the show has had on me, appreciating those young men and women who are defending us and sometimes giving their lives. It’s a big deal.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive to episodes?

A) It’s great! I’m really just starting to get my Twitter game strong. I am starting to get into it so I love the live tweeting. I’m really going to be on it more. My Twitter is @ChasParnell and that is my Instagram as well.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure we share with fans?

A) Our fans are amazing! I’ve been to Wonder Con and Comic Con and all the fans that come out, watch and tweet thank you. I love you all! I’ll be tweeting with you soon.