Rob Heaps – Imposters

By starrymag | April 2, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

 

A) Well, we only wrapped on “Imposters” in December and we’ve been busy promoting it in the US for the last couple of months so that’s definitely the freshest in my mind!  I’m also in an excellent British wartime period drama called “Home Fires,” which is coming out soon on PBS on April 2nd – look out for it.

 

Q) How was your character Ezra on “Imposters” originally described to you and did it change at all since your audition?

 

A) Adam Brooks and Paul Adelstein, who created the show together, are both Jewish and I think Ezra was pretty close to their hearts so they had so many useful insights – at the same time they were very keen that I bring my own interpretation.  I remember Paul got very annoyed because someone on production who knew him well had told me that he thought Ezra was basically Paul!  He told me in no uncertain terms to put that out of my mind and make it my own.  They had one reference that I loved, Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life. Like Ezra, he’s a hopeless romantic and a dreamer, but also someone who feels he’s missed opportunities in life and never got out of town when he might have done. I don’t want to give too much away, but Ezra grows significantly through this season and the guy we see in episode ten is very different to the guy we meet in the pilot. When I heard what they were planning for him once we’d been picked up to series I was pretty damn excited.  Stay tuned!

 

Q) Where do you and Ezra connect, if at all?

 

A) Well, apart from the obvious difference that he’s American and I’m British, there’s a lot of common ground. Ezra is an interesting mix of intelligence and naiveté and I have to say I strongly relate to that!  Like him I was a kid who spent my whole childhood buried in books and daydreaming.  I grew up in North Yorkshire in the middle of nowhere – it was beautiful and idyllic and great for the imagination, but it also meant I wasn’t quite as worldly when I first left home and that is definitely Ezra.  In fact, you could say his journey in the show is really about cutting the apron strings and setting out into the world for the first time with only his wits to rely on and learning how to stand on his own two feet.  It’s the classic hero’s journey, it’s just that he’s left it a little late. As far as love is concerned, I haven’t been taken by a con artist, but I’ve had my share of heartbreak in life. Like Ezra I tend to give people my trust if I think there’s a real connection, but unfortunately you can get badly hurt that way if you run into the wrong person.  I can definitely relate to that feeling of betrayal where you can have such intimacy with someone and then suddenly they withdraw, almost overnight, so that they seem like a different person entirely.  I think that’s just part of life.

 

Q) Was there something you added to your role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

 

A) Parker Young (Richard) and I met a professional magician to help us with the sleight of hand maneuvers you see us attempt in the show and I really took to coin manipulation. Adam Brooks, who directed the first five episodes, saw me playing with this coin one day between takes and said, “We’ll use that!”  I think you can see me doing it in episode four.  And it was actually the same coin I kept on me the whole season. It is a car wash token that Garry, one of the set drivers had given to me and it became Ezra’s totem, something I kept in my pocket the whole time.  If I ever left for work without it, I had to drive back and get it!  I now keep it in a very safe place.  Actors can be very strange.

 

Q) What is it about Maddie/Ava that makes her so significant to Ezra that he’s willing to chase her?

 

A) Well, the obvious answer is that she was the love of his life whom he’d just married and devoted everything to and she turned out to be a con artist!  It’s not surprising that he’s putting everything on the line to track her down.  But I think it’s interesting to look at what specifically is driving these three victims to find Maddie (Inbar Lavi) in their separate ways.  And I think what really drives Ezra more than love or money is the burning need to know who this person is.  You could argue that Richard still loves Alice and that Jules (Marianne Rendon) still loves CeCe, but Ezra isn’t chasing Ava – he’s chasing Maddie.  He just can’t understand how something that felt so intimate and real can have been an act.  He can’t understand how anyone can do what she does for a living, how she can – as he says to her – ‘throw your heart around like it’s nothing.” He wants to know who she really is, how she ended up in this life. You could say there’s a growing fascination there as much as there is repulsion.

 

Q) You spend a lot of screen time searching for Maddie with Parker Young and Marianne Rendon. What is something viewers would be surprised to learn about them?

 

A) [Laughs] They’re both full of surprises and I can think of a couple that maybe I shouldn’t share here.  But the biggest is how well they (and all three of us) get on, despite being from such different backgrounds – like our characters.  Marianne is a cool, alternative girl from NYC and Parker is this all-American hunk from Arizona and yet within hours they were joshing around like siblings (while I tried to keep the peace, again like Ezra does…).  Marianne is a very talented musician. She’s a singer songwriter, plays guitar and piano and sings beautifully. Check her stuff out online.  Parker does none of those things, but you know he’s got a sensitive and thoughtful side that people often miss at first sight and you can see that emerging in his performance as the season progresses.

 

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

 

A) There are were so many.  This was a really fun set to work on.  I have a showdown with another character in episode nine, which I felt really proud of when we shot it…I also came to set to watch Uma Thurman’s big scene with Inbar Lavi in episode four, which was a masterclass from both of them.  Marianne’s first day on set was a highlight just because she was instantly brilliant.  But I have to say my fondest memory of all was filming the gas station scene in episode two with Parker where we try to con the asshole and get busted…I don’t think I’ve never laughed so much on set.  It actually became a problem. There were a couple of takes where I couldn’t keep it together.  Also, Parker was annoyed because I was driving and not him and that made me feel nice and warm inside.

 

Q) What makes the series such a perfect fit for Bravo?

 

A) It’s a really exciting new direction for them. Being a Brit I wasn’t that familiar with Bravo’s output, but it’s fantastic they’ve decided to get behind another scripted show. I’ve seen a lot of tweets saying things like, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting this to be so good,” but I think it’s actually lovely that “Imposters” is encouraging people to take Bravo more seriously in the scripted space now having three scripted shows.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the show that has made it a fast fan favorite?

 

A) It’s a cliché, but I really think “Imposters” has (almost) everything.  It has suspense, romance, humor, good pace and it never stands still – that’s what I really love.  Every episode takes you in a new direction, not just in terms of story, but in character and tone, too. I think audiences like having the rug pulled from under their feet.  Everyone in this show has a surprise or two in them, even if they don’t know it yet themselves.  Everything is constantly shifting – identity, loyalty, emotions.  Also, like any good story, it has a great hook. I mean, you want to know if this person is going to get what’s coming to her, right?  And it has a sense of fun!  It doesn’t take itself too seriously and is a little bit mad…and I’ve always thought all the best things (and people) in life are a bit mad.

 

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

 

A) I have to be honest, before this job I was barely on social media and was pretty suspicious of the whole thing, but I’ve surprised myself by how much I’ve been enjoying it!  Especially Instagram – I’m an amateur photographer and took shots of everyone behind the scenes during filming and it’s been great being able to share those.  It’s also very fun watching Twitter when a big twist happens, as it did last week at the end of episode six – a few people will be tweeting, “Yeah, good episode, really enjoyed that,” etc. and suddenly there’s this explosion of OMG’s and NOOO WAAAYYYY’s!  That’s very satisfying to see happen live.  I actually live tweeted that episode from the @Bravotv Twitter account and it was great being able to chat to our fans in real time.

 

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about “Imposters” and your character?

 

A) I don’t think so…it’s all there on screen!  “The proof is in the pudding,” as my Dad likes to say.  There’s a lot more to Ezra than meets the eye. He grows a lot through the season and I just hope people enjoy watching him as much as I enjoyed playing him.  Same for the show – just know that we’ve got a lot more story to tell!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Honestly, it’s so hard to get anyone to watch anything these days. There’s so much TV and to have so many people responding so positively to “Imposters” and to Ezra – it’s beyond words.  We all thought we had something special on our hands the moment we read the first scripts and to see that so many people agree and are so invested in the story and our flawed, messed up characters – that’s about the best feeling you can have.  I would just ask everyone who’s enjoying “Imposters” to spread the word!

 

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

 

A) Well, we only wrapped on “Imposters” in December and we’ve been busy promoting it in the US for the last couple of months so that’s definitely the freshest in my mind!  I’m also in an excellent British wartime period drama called “Home Fires,” which is coming out soon on PBS on April 2nd – look out for it.

 

Q) How was your character Ezra on “Imposters” originally described to you and did it change at all since your audition?

 

A) Adam Brooks and Paul Adelstein, who created the show together, are both Jewish and I think Ezra was pretty close to their hearts so they had so many useful insights – at the same time they were very keen that I bring my own interpretation.  I remember Paul got very annoyed because someone on production who knew him well had told me that he thought Ezra was basically Paul!  He told me in no uncertain terms to put that out of my mind and make it my own.  They had one reference that I loved, Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life. Like Ezra, he’s a hopeless romantic and a dreamer, but also someone who feels he’s missed opportunities in life and never got out of town when he might have done. I don’t want to give too much away, but Ezra grows significantly through this season and the guy we see in episode ten is very different to the guy we meet in the pilot. When I heard what they were planning for him once we’d been picked up to series I was pretty damn excited.  Stay tuned!

 

Q) Where do you and Ezra connect, if at all?

 

A) Well, apart from the obvious difference that he’s American and I’m British, there’s a lot of common ground. Ezra is an interesting mix of intelligence and naiveté and I have to say I strongly relate to that!  Like him I was a kid who spent my whole childhood buried in books and daydreaming.  I grew up in North Yorkshire in the middle of nowhere – it was beautiful and idyllic and great for the imagination, but it also meant I wasn’t quite as worldly when I first left home and that is definitely Ezra.  In fact, you could say his journey in the show is really about cutting the apron strings and setting out into the world for the first time with only his wits to rely on and learning how to stand on his own two feet.  It’s the classic hero’s journey, it’s just that he’s left it a little late. As far as love is concerned, I haven’t been taken by a con artist, but I’ve had my share of heartbreak in life. Like Ezra I tend to give people my trust if I think there’s a real connection, but unfortunately you can get badly hurt that way if you run into the wrong person.  I can definitely relate to that feeling of betrayal where you can have such intimacy with someone and then suddenly they withdraw, almost overnight, so that they seem like a different person entirely.  I think that’s just part of life.

 

Q) Was there something you added to your role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

 

A) Parker Young (Richard) and I met a professional magician to help us with the sleight of hand maneuvers you see us attempt in the show and I really took to coin manipulation. Adam Brooks, who directed the first five episodes, saw me playing with this coin one day between takes and said, “We’ll use that!”  I think you can see me doing it in episode four.  And it was actually the same coin I kept on me the whole season. It is a car wash token that Garry, one of the set drivers had given to me and it became Ezra’s totem, something I kept in my pocket the whole time.  If I ever left for work without it, I had to drive back and get it!  I now keep it in a very safe place.  Actors can be very strange.

 

Q) What is it about Maddie/Ava that makes her so significant to Ezra that he’s willing to chase her?

 

A) Well, the obvious answer is that she was the love of his life whom he’d just married and devoted everything to and she turned out to be a con artist!  It’s not surprising that he’s putting everything on the line to track her down.  But I think it’s interesting to look at what specifically is driving these three victims to find Maddie (Inbar Lavi) in their separate ways.  And I think what really drives Ezra more than love or money is the burning need to know who this person is.  You could argue that Richard still loves Alice and that Jules (Marianne Rendon) still loves CeCe, but Ezra isn’t chasing Ava – he’s chasing Maddie.  He just can’t understand how something that felt so intimate and real can have been an act.  He can’t understand how anyone can do what she does for a living, how she can – as he says to her – ‘throw your heart around like it’s nothing.” He wants to know who she really is, how she ended up in this life. You could say there’s a growing fascination there as much as there is repulsion.

 

Q) You spend a lot of screen time searching for Maddie with Parker Young and Marianne Rendon. What is something viewers would be surprised to learn about them?

 

A) [Laughs] They’re both full of surprises and I can think of a couple that maybe I shouldn’t share here.  But the biggest is how well they (and all three of us) get on, despite being from such different backgrounds – like our characters.  Marianne is a cool, alternative girl from NYC and Parker is this all-American hunk from Arizona and yet within hours they were joshing around like siblings (while I tried to keep the peace, again like Ezra does…).  Marianne is a very talented musician. She’s a singer songwriter, plays guitar and piano and sings beautifully. Check her stuff out online.  Parker does none of those things, but you know he’s got a sensitive and thoughtful side that people often miss at first sight and you can see that emerging in his performance as the season progresses.

 

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

 

A) There are were so many.  This was a really fun set to work on.  I have a showdown with another character in episode nine, which I felt really proud of when we shot it…I also came to set to watch Uma Thurman’s big scene with Inbar Lavi in episode four, which was a masterclass from both of them.  Marianne’s first day on set was a highlight just because she was instantly brilliant.  But I have to say my fondest memory of all was filming the gas station scene in episode two with Parker where we try to con the asshole and get busted…I don’t think I’ve never laughed so much on set.  It actually became a problem. There were a couple of takes where I couldn’t keep it together.  Also, Parker was annoyed because I was driving and not him and that made me feel nice and warm inside.

 

Q) What makes the series such a perfect fit for Bravo?

 

A) It’s a really exciting new direction for them. Being a Brit I wasn’t that familiar with Bravo’s output, but it’s fantastic they’ve decided to get behind another scripted show. I’ve seen a lot of tweets saying things like, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting this to be so good,” but I think it’s actually lovely that “Imposters” is encouraging people to take Bravo more seriously in the scripted space now having three scripted shows.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the show that has made it a fast fan favorite?

 

A) It’s a cliché, but I really think “Imposters” has (almost) everything.  It has suspense, romance, humor, good pace and it never stands still – that’s what I really love.  Every episode takes you in a new direction, not just in terms of story, but in character and tone, too. I think audiences like having the rug pulled from under their feet.  Everyone in this show has a surprise or two in them, even if they don’t know it yet themselves.  Everything is constantly shifting – identity, loyalty, emotions.  Also, like any good story, it has a great hook. I mean, you want to know if this person is going to get what’s coming to her, right?  And it has a sense of fun!  It doesn’t take itself too seriously and is a little bit mad…and I’ve always thought all the best things (and people) in life are a bit mad.

 

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

 

A) I have to be honest, before this job I was barely on social media and was pretty suspicious of the whole thing, but I’ve surprised myself by how much I’ve been enjoying it!  Especially Instagram – I’m an amateur photographer and took shots of everyone behind the scenes during filming and it’s been great being able to share those.  It’s also very fun watching Twitter when a big twist happens, as it did last week at the end of episode six – a few people will be tweeting, “Yeah, good episode, really enjoyed that,” etc. and suddenly there’s this explosion of OMG’s and NOOO WAAAYYYY’s!  That’s very satisfying to see happen live.  I actually Iive tweeted that episode from the @Bravotv Twitter account and it was great being able to chat to our fans in real time.

 

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about “Imposters” and your character?

 

A) I don’t think so…it’s all there on screen!  “The proof is in the pudding,” as my Dad likes to say.  There’s a lot more to Ezra than meets the eye. He grows a lot through the season and I just hope people enjoy watching him as much as I enjoyed playing him.  Same for the show – just know that we’ve got a lot more story to tell!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Honestly, it’s so hard to get anyone to watch anything these days. There’s so much TV and to have so many people responding so positively to “Imposters” and to Ezra – it’s beyond words.  We all thought we had something special on our hands the moment we read the first scripts and to see that so many people agree and are so invested in the story and our flawed, messed up characters – that’s about the best feeling you can have.  I would just ask everyone who’s enjoying Imposters to spread the word!

 

 

“Imposters” airs on Bravo every Tuesday at 10pm ET/PT