Terry Chen – Van Helsing

By: Jamie Steinberg

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

A) I’ve been back in Canada for the last year and since then I’ve worked on a couple of indies and a couple of series for Syfy. Just recently, I just got off of “The Expanse,” where I joined Season Two halfway through. Then, before that it was “Van Helsing” and a little indie film called Birth of the Dragon.

Q) You frequently take on lot of action films and roles. What is it about this particular genre or characters that draws you to them?

A) I think they kind of find me or so, to be honest. I’ve been really lucky to play some fun roles and I think all three of the projects I just mentioned are all different characters as well. I’ve been having fun playing some fun characters.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series “Van Helsing?”

A) Simon Barry and Neil LaBute from the top down. It was a series that shot in my hometown of Vancouver. Everything was just very serendipitous and fortuitous so it was a no brainer, really. To get to play in an environment with great actors and a great crew – yeah, it’s a no brainer. I always wanted to do this dystopian post-apocalyptic vampire show anyways. So, this fit right into my schedule.

Q) Brendan is part of a group of survivors that find Vanessa Van Helsing. What is his first impressions of her?

A) Strong, empowered. His group is looking for help at this point and she definitely becomes a savior of sorts. At the point of meeting her, it was a very impressionable first encounter.

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

A) I think with all characters you have to come from a place of nonjudgement and so much of “Van Helsing” is character driven and perspectives. So, just always bring truth and in these types of genres conflict is so paramount that it is going to come out of a real rooted base and has to be grounded. There is a lot of high stakes in this environment. It was fun to play.

Q) there is more than meets the eye to Brendan. How long will it be before people start to notice these differences?

A) There is no façade with Brendan. I think that he believes in what he is doing and whether there be ulterior movies…Again, I think this is a highly volatile environment. I think everyone has some sort of ulterior motive. He is a conduit of sorts and also someone who moves the story along. So, it will be interesting to see how that unravels for the audience later on in the series for sure.

Q) Talk about the stunt work you had to do for the role.

A) Our stunt coordinator, Kimani Ray Smith, is an absolute pro. So, any work that I did on set was definitely met with a lot of preparation and rehearsal with him and the other incredible stunt people that work on our show. They are done with absolute professionals and this was the case. Kimani and his team were absolutely incredible. We came to set as prepared as possible. As much as things shifted and changed as they usually do on set when you are working with people of that caliber it makes it fun and easier to adapt.

Q) Were you familiar with the other cast members before joining the series?

A) I was familiar with most of them. I think this was the first time I worked with a few of them, but Christopher Heyerdahl I’ve known of his work for a long time. This was the first time we have gotten the chance to work together. He is an absolute gem. David Cubitt and I had actually just did a short together so I knew him and how talented he was. There are a few people in the community that I had known about like Rukiya [Bernard.] I had worked with her and always loved her work as well. It was a coming together of sorts that made this project (as we talked about earlier) really attractive. It was a really nice sense of family on set to have so many familiar faces around.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from behind the scenes or from filming?

A) I think that a lot of the time of the down time was great with people that I mentioned and some people I can’t recall at the moment. We did have some down time and we were sequestered in this common area where there were couches that we could lounge on, talk on your phone, read books or do whatever you wanted to do. But some of those moments were really funny because we would get into these great conversations and taking pictures of each other. That sort of time where you feel like you are in camp a little bit, hanging out with friends and telling stories under this environment of vampires and the supernatural makes for a really fun time.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you will be receiving to episodes?

A) Yeah, absolutely. This is a part of what we do. It’s very different from theater where you have that immediate feedback coming off the crowd. This is as close to I think what actors and people on our side of the camera can get in terms of interaction with fans. So, I very much look forward to every encounter on Twitter and whatever platform you use.

Q) What do you think it is about the show “Van Helsing” that will make it a fast fan favorite?

A) It’s just fun. It is very grounded in terms of its mythology. It doesn’t take much for the audience to suspend their disbelief because the world that has been created by the writers is just so rich and like I said character driven. You will align yourself with certain factions and groups that arise. It’s got that very tribal feel to it. The vampire mythology is I think very original as well. So, it will be a great world for fans of the genre to dive into. I was a huge fan of “True Blood” and I always looked forward to any new take on vampire mythology. It will be a very fun ride.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure that fans know about Brendan and the series?

A) Just remain open minded. It will take a lot of different twists and turns. Brendan is definitely a fun character to play. I hope everyone gets a chance to watch.