Tim Rozon – Vagrant Queen

By starrymag | April 23, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

A) last year was super busy because the opportunity for “Vagrant Queen” came about because I almost lost “Wynonna Earp.” So, I was in this weird state of mind and living because I almost lost the show that I love more than anything and have been a part of for so many years. Then, it was kind of back to auditioning. Maybe the second or third audition I got was for “Vagrant Queen.” It was weird because it was like, “Oh man. I actually can love other parts. This can happen.” Then, “Vagrant Queen” happened. Maybe two days after I booked “Vagrant Queen” that “Wynonna Earp” came back. Then, at the same time, three days after that I booked this Hallmark movie that was shooting in Vancouver. So, I went from having like nothing to being super busy. Then, I kind of came home and, as most people know now, I ended up becoming a father in the six weeks that I was home. I came home from Africa, became a father and then boom – I went out west to go back and work on Season 4 of “Wynonna Earp.” We literally got through half way (episode six heading into the hiatus) when the COVID-19 pandemic took over. Now, we’re waiting again in limbo and we’ll see what happens.

Q) How was your character Isaac originally described to you?

A) I was pretty lucky. When I got the first breakdown and when in for the audition, I did a good enough audition that I knew I was getting a call back. Nothing offered or anything like that, but there was interest. So, I knew it was based on comic book and I am a huge comic book fan. I just called my comic book shop that puts away comics for me anyway and I said, “Listen, track me down this book.” I read the graphic novel by Magdalene Visaggio and Jason Smith. That gave me a great heads up for who the character was when I went in for the callback, which actually turned out to be my screen test. That was great because then I really understood the character just from the book. If you’ve not read the book, you should go read the graphic novel because it’s good. The series just adds on it.

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them on “Vagrant Queen?”

A) No. No, I had never worked with anyone. Adriyan [Rae] is from LA and I’m from Canada. Alex is from Cape Town, South Africa. We’d never worked together. I worked one time in South Africa before but it was very briefly. So, I had not worked any actor on this before. So, it was super cool. The actors in South Africa are amazing and the crew there was just mind-blowingly good. And the prosthetics need all the awards because I got to work with aliens every day, but practical aliens. It just changes the game. Because if you’re just working with special effects when you’re filming it that’s just going to be like a tennis ball on a metal rod that someone is saying, “Pretend this is like a space monster talking to you,” and you have to act with that. As opposed to on “Vagrant Queen” where the prostethics are the actual aliens. So, when we did a scene there was a real alien that could act. It just changes the way you act and react. It was super cool. Plus, these actors were probably in prosthetics for four hours in the morning before shooting in the morning and then another two hours to get the prosthetics off at the end of the night just to go through all of it again the next day. I don’t know when anybody slept. I don’t know how prosthetics do what they do, but they just need all the awards. Hair, makeup – all the crew! They just worked so hard and it’s just amazing.

Q) Was one of the things that drew you to being a part of “Vagrant Queen” the opportunity to flex more of your comedic muscles?

A) A hundred percent. I love Doc Holliday. I will play Doc Holliday for life. It’s the character of my dreams. But you know Doc can get a little heavy and on “Wynonna Earp” he can be the heaviest character at times. Dramatic wise. Someone has to bring the drama. So, Doc can do it. And Season 3 was a lot. The character went through a lot of stuff. So, when “Vagrant Queen” came along that was definitely the appeal. There was just a lightness and a fun-ness to Isaac. He just didn’t take himself too seriously at all and I really, really wanted to do that. The other thing is coming off “Schitt’s Creek” I was on one of the best comedies, maybe ever. But my character, per se, was never funny himself. He was in funny situations and the character of Alexis (Annie Murphy) is always really funny. But Mutt is kind of the straight man. In comedy, they say there is a “straight man” and a “funny person.” So, I didn’t get to say be funny whereas with “Vagrant Queen” Isaac gets the chance to be the funny. He’s just kind of the goofball and it’s very fun to play.

Q) Is that also what you found challenging about this role?

A) Yeah, because comedy is hard. But, like I said, luckily coming off of “Schitt’s Creek” and “Wynonna Earp” I’ve been working with just masters over the past five years. Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy, Dan Levy and then you go into Melanie Scrofano and Kat Barrell. They are funny! On “Wynonna Earp” those girls are really funny. Melanie Scrofano and Kat Barrell are really funny. Melanie may be one of the best actresses I’ve ever worked with because she has the ability to jump from comedy to drama in a second. It’s crazy how fast she can do it and just effortlessly. That I don’t know anybody else who can do that. So, my hat is always off to Melanie because I’m always blown away by how fast she can jump from being dramatic to being funny. So, I just kind of studied everybody else and then it was my turn. But I felt like I knew some of the tricks.

Q) It sounds like the women you’ve worked with have really influenced your comedic timing.

A) A hundred percent. I’m always watching. Kat Barrell is very funny and really good at it. They just don’t get enough credit because our show isn’t just funny. They are really, really funny. Then, “Schitt’s Creek” is the same thing. I was like a fly on the wall sometimes and I would just listen in on Eugene and Catherine breaking down a scene, talking about it. Or Dan and Anne talking about a scene or just getting direction. Or just watching Annie in scenes while she was doing them because she’s hilarious! So, I learned. I’m like a sponge. That’s what I do. When I’m on a set I’m just trying to soak everything up.

Q) Did you and Adriyan Rae spend much time together off screen in order to develop that needed childhood bond?

A) We were just thrown into it. I remember when we first arrived in South Africa, Jem [Garrad] wanted to do a reading with the two of us since we all hadn’t actually read in a room together. It was just impossible. Adriyan was out in LA, I was shooting out in Vancouver and Alex [McGregor] was living in Cape Town. So, when we finally got to South Africa, we did one table read the three of us and then Paul Du Toit (who plays Lazaro) Skyped in. That was one of two. So, we did the karaoke scene where we had the through where we read and sang the song “Nothing is Going to Stop Us Now” for the first time ever. The three of us just kind of looked at each other and we bonded incautiously and we knew we had something special. Then, later Jem wanted Adriyan and I to read out the first scene together before filming. We just went into a little conference room, the two of us, and did the scene together. I remember thinking after she left, “This is going to be awesome because we’ve got good chemistry right off the bat.” So, her and I got along like peas and carrots right off the beginning, which is perfect because Isaac and Elida have to get along. Not all the time – but they have to get along.

Q) What have been some of your favorite scenes to film or episodes that fans should look out for?

A) There are so many. That’s the thing, every episode is just so fun. The scripts themselves are just some of my favorite scripts I’ve ever read. Jem writes really good stories and they are all little stories you can watch each episode as a one-off, but by the end of all ten they will connect. I will say the episode people should look out for is episode eight. Do you remember Clue, the movie? We did our version, the “Vagrant Queen” version of Clue the movie. Everyone should watch Clue before the watch the episode because there are so many Easter eggs and so many nods and so much respect to that movie. It’s really, really funny. So, we did the Jem Garrard “Vagrant Queen” take on Clue. So, episode eight is definitely the episode everyone should look out for. Then, the other one was episode three. It was kind of a Mae-Isaac episode, which was so fun to play because Elida can obviously kick everyone’s ass and take care of business and Isaac can’t. Amae is not the ass kicker that Elida is, so it was great to see these two characters get in and out of trouble without the help of Elida. That was really fun, too. That was fun to do also. But every day was awesome. You’re playing a space cowboy who is always messing everything up. You know you are going to be doing fun things. Like every episode there was just super, super crazy fun things going on.

Q) The show is about the anti-hero finally stepping up. Do you think that is what has made it such a fast fan favorite series?

A) Well, I think at the end of the day, yes, it’s got humor but under all of that the driving force of “Vagrant Queen” is its heart. It’s got a lot of heart. At the end of the day, it’s a story about friendship and family and bond and whatever that family means. They aren’t the stereotypical family with mom, dad, brother and sister. It’s the family that these guys have made together being three complete strangers from different galaxies and a robot. And they are buddies and it’s about family and heart and the relationship between them. Then, the underlining blossoming love story that may or may not be happening.

Q) You are a part of social media. Can we expect more behind the scenes videos and pictures from you?

A) Yeah, I mean I take all kinds of shots here and there. Oddly enough, I never bring my phone to set, which is weird. So, I don’t know how I’ve got all the good behind the scenes that I do. But I do have a lot of pics.

Q) Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive to episodes through social media?

A) I’m so new to social media. I never had Facebook or anything or any of those things before. I have had Instagram and Twitter since we started “Wynonna Earp.” They were kind of like, “You don’t have any socials,” and I didn’t even know what that was. They were like, “Well, you need to set them up.” Then, they were like, “We’re going to get you the little blue checkmark.” I didn’t know what that means, but I knew the people that didn’t have one were mad that I had one because I was never on there before. [smirks] But, for me, it’s great because I can connect with the fans and these Earpers are the most incredible people that I’ve ever met in my life. The Earpers from “Wynonna Earp” – the fans – have changed my life. They’ve influenced me and inspired me in ways that no one ever could before. I owe them a lot. So, it’s just fun and I can’t walk away because it’d be like walking away from the Earpers and I’m just never going to do that. Now, you have the “Vagrants” and the “Vagrant Earpers.” I love social media. I also don’t go down the rabbit hole of some of the negative stuff that could be on there. Most of the stuff that I’m a part of is very positive. So, it’s a fun place for me to go.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure we share with our readers about your time on “Vagrant Queen?”

A) A hundred percent that it is all female writers and directors. Jem is the first female showrunner most likely in South Africa. You can double check that, but I’m pretty sure she is the first female showrunner. There is a strong female lead. That’s got to be at the top of the list.