Eric Millegan – Bones

By: Jamie Steinberg

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

A) I ran the New York Marathon last year and I’m going to run again this year. A few years ago I did a movie called Lady Peacock, which was fun. That is available on Amazon. I do a cabret show once every four years and I’ll be doing it this year in New York at 6pm on November 5^th. I also brought the show to Oregon, where I grew up. The other thing I’m working on is something I am just getting started. My brother and I are producing “Survivor” like games for families. We produce for your family or office a weekend of a “Survivor” like game called The Eric Millegan Challenge where people compete in challenges and get voted out. Everyone has a fun time. We just did one last weekend for the family of magician Michael Turco. We’re looking to do more so if anyone is interested email KingSpeedForever@aol.com. And then, of course, back in April what I did was shoot the season finale of “Bones.” Starting next week, I shoot the first episode of the next season.

Q) What was it like for you to step back into the role of Zack?

A) It was so much fun! I was excited as it was when they asked me to do it, but when I got the script and I saw that I was the cliffhanger for the season…The very last scene in the very last episode of the season was exciting. I thought, “Oh my gosh! This is going to be a big deal!” It was flattering and exciting. Getting to do it was fun because David Boreanaz was the director and he’s a very good director. It was written very well and I got to work with Emily [Deschanel.] Stepping in for the role was natural. They do a very good job of writing it. Zack is older now, as he should be because it has been a long time and he has been through a lot, which we’ll learn more about as things go on. But it was a blast. It wasn’t so difficult, actually.

Q) What was it like for you stepping back on set?

A) I worked one day and it was actually after the wrap party. I was supposed to work before the wrap party, but it was afterwards because they still had not done my scene. So, I went to the wrap party and then a few days later I shot my scene. I was there for a couple of hours. It was very exciting to be back on the set.

Q) Where do we find Zack emotionally?

A) Well, it’s hard to say. I don’t want to give anything away for the next season. I will say that as an actor, you don’t always know where it is going when you play the scene. I didn’t know what was going to happen when I played the scene back in April. So, I think the big thing is as an actor is just to play the scene honestly in the moment and play what they have given you and don’t worry about what is going to happen next or what happened already. They edit it all together and make it work if you are alive and in the moment. That’s what I did. I did not know where it was going so I just played where I was and that was fun.

Q) Does Zack have physical scars?

A) Yes, he has a scar on his forehead. We learn more about that as time goes on. The script says, “He has a scar on his head as if he was lobotomized.”

Q) Zack is such a beloved character. It must have been hard to say goodbye and then happy you get to welcome him back.

A) It was hard to say goodbye. When we shot the season finale of Season Three when I am in the hospital bed and then you find out I kind of admit to killing someone – assisting Gormogon. We did one of the takes of the scene and Tamara [Taylor] was there. I went up to Tamara and said, “I don’t want to leave…” But it was still fun because it was such an exciting storyline. Then, we had the episode where Zack escaped from the mental hospital and he admitted to Sweets (John Francis Daley) that he did not kill anyone actually. Then, we haven’t seen Zack since that time. I did two more episodes, but one was like a dream and one was a prequel. So, we haven’t actually seen Zack in real time for eight years. When I heard that I was coming back, I thought of two groups of people – my dad who I knew was going to be thrilled and I thought of the fans. I know people get up at panels and Comic Con and ask when Zack is coming back. I get tweets every day asking when I’m coming back and “Bones when are going to bring Eric back?” I know there was the “Bring Back Zack” movement. So, when I found out I was doing it I just felt really good for the people who wanted me back on and, of course, I felt good for myself to get to act and go back and work with the people that I love. And financially make a little bit of money. [laughs] So, it was all positive.

Q) What keeps challenging about you playing this role?

A) I wouldn’t say it isn’t too much of a challenge because I have done sixty-one episodes. So, I’ve really got a lot of experience in playing Zack. I think the episode I have coming up that starts shooting next week is going to be more challenging than anything I have ever done because it is quite an adventure what he goes through and I have never gone through with this character what he goes through. I worked with Emily, who is going to be the director, so it is going to be great having her work with me and on my side. So, I know she will make it the best we can, but it will be difficult. I won’t say it has been difficult leading up to now, but doing this episode is going to be a really fun challenge.

Q) Was there someone you were most looking forward to reuniting with or working with for the first time?

A) Everybody! It will be fun to work with John Boyd, who plays Aubrey. It will be fun to see him. I’m looking forward to working with everybody. David is one of my favorite directors. He is great so it was fun working with him. I’m looking forward to working with Emily because I know I will have someone in my corner who is going to make sure I do the best work that I can. Of course, TJ [Thyne], Michaela [Conlin] and Tamara – love them. Then, not the entire crew is there from when I worked on the show eight years ago, but there is still a good amount of people. It was good to see them again on the set. Everybody was really welcoming. The showrunners on the show are different than they were before. When I was on the show, it was Hart Hanson and now it is Michael Peterson and Jonathan Collier. Michael introduced himself when I was on set and said that the fans were going to be so excited. I haven’t met Jonathan yet, but I have met other producers who were all very welcoming. There was an interview with Michael Peterson a few months ago where he said, “I was a fan and watched the show before working on it. And when I watched the show I thought Eric was fantastic.” That’s one of the nicest things anyone has said about me in the business. I just thought that was really nice so I feel like he is in my corner and he is doing a great job. He wrote the season finale and he is writing the first episode of the last season. When I go to see him on the set next week I’m going to thank him very much for all he has done. I’ll thank him for writing this episode for me.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming “Bones?”

A) I liked the season finale of Season Three even though it was sad. Punching Hodgins was fun. One scene that was fun was in the Christmas episode from the first season. That may be my favorite episode ever where we are all trapped in the lab. At one point, we have a little breakfast cart with fruit and orange juice. I decided that Zack was going to eat fruit in the scene, but if you decide to do that it means he has to do that every take so that means you’ll be eating a lot of fruit. I was like, “I’m going to do this every take…I have to eat at the same cue.” That was fun. That was quite a memory. One fun scene was probably my biggest action scene. I think it was season three where I got blown up. It was Booth, Brennan and Zack going to this place where they found a dead body that was booby trapped. I put my hand on a bag of powder and we heard a click. So, Zack has his hand on this body that has been booby trapped. Booth throws a table down so we can jump behind this table and then I’ll let go and jump behind this table so I don’t get blown up. That was exciting and it came off really well. It looked really good. On TV, you see someone saying that Zack died and they pan away and you see he is still alive but has all these scars on his face. That was fun. Another scene was where Hodgins and Zack are in Zack’s room (they call it “Zack’s ooky room”) and we had an explosion where we were covered in black soot. When we shot it, I basically had to jump back and they edited it perfectly. It looked like we really got blown up. It looked really cool! Of course, we had to leave all that dark stuff on us so that we could do each camera angle with all of the black stuff on our face. TJ and I went to lunch while we were still shooting that scene so we went to lunch with black stuff all over our face. That was fun. The episode where Hodgins and Brennan are buried alive in the car and it was fun because we all are working really intensely to save them and it was all four of us – Cam, Angela, Booth and myself working together to find them. That was exciting. Then, of course, there is Zack singing. Near the end of Season Three I got to sing “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing” in a scene where I explain to Hodgins that I used to take singing lessons when I was a kid. That was fun and interestingly enough a couple of years ago I went to a Knicks game and I was courtside. I was front row center. At one point during the game they played a scene and they focused on me. They call it “Celebrity Row” and they show the various celebrities that are there. They played that scene so I was like, “Oh my God! They’re playing that scene!” So, that was a really exciting, “I’m so famous” moment.

Q) What do you think it is about Zack that continues to make him such an endearing character to the fandom?

A) When we started the show and there was a scene about how Zack didn’t know what “take a hint meant.” I thought, “Really? He doesn’t know what it means?” Hart wrote it and I thought, “I don’t know.” Then, there was a scene where I said that I don’t drive and I was like, “Really? Zack can’t drive? Zack doesn’t know what ‘take a hint’ means?” Hart was right. He wrote it and he knew how to write the character so he would be endearing to the fans. I thought he did a really good job of that. Then, what I naturally brought to the role just kind of clicked between Hart and myself, creating that character. It’s just a collaboration between Hart and I and I am pleased that people have responded.

Q) What would else can you share about your upcoming “Bones” appearance?

A) Tonight they will see his return and what little we know about him in his return. I think that will make everybody anxious to see what happens next. It is going to be a long time before the next season, but what I can tell the fans is that they will not be disappointed. I read the script and you will not be disappointed about what happens to Zack in Season Twelve. They have done a really good job of writing it and it is probably the best thing that has ever been written for me in my career.