Tory Kittles – Colony

By: Lisa Steinberg

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

A) The most recent thing I’ve worked on was “Colony.” I have other things in the mix, but right now it is all about “Colony.”

Q) Have you been enjoying the fan feedback you have been receiving to the series?

A) The response has been intense. I’ve never really engaged in terms of social media, but with this show the fans have come out in such a big way that it has been great to engage them on that level. We appreciate it and it has bene a lot of fun.

Q) Is there a scene you are most looking forward to fans getting to see?

A) No, I don’t want to speculate on how fans are going to react. I can say there are a lot of surprises coming up that I don’t think people will expect to happen.

Q) Did your character evolve at all since your audition?

A) When I first read the pilot, Broussard wasn’t in it too much. He was only in a few scenes and I wasn’t sure where they were going to take him. I went off the strength that it was Carlton Cuse, Ryan Condal, Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies involved. April Webster, the casting director, put me on the phone with Ryan because I had some questions after reading the pilot. It was a fantastic world that they had set up, but I didn’t know where the character was going because it was sort of ambiguous – which was sort of interesting to me. It was fascinating to me because of the ambiguousness of what he was going to become. As we started shooting, it started to unfold in a way that I never, ever suspected.

Q) How might dynamics shift as this season progresses?

A) I could say that the dynamics will definitely shift as the season progresses. We’re getting so much fan feedback that I just don’t want to spoil it for the fans. You want them to be in the moment. I’m very excited about it, but I don’t want to get ahead of them. I don’t want to spoil it for them.

Q) What has been the most challenging aspect of your role?

A) What I loved about the character was that on the page it was a guy who seemed to be hiding something. He was very complex but it also felt like he had a lot of heart. He wasn’t a guy who carried his emotions on his sleeve. He didn’t reveal too much. I thought it was interesting, complex and smart. They set him up to be a very smart guy. You didn’t know if he was being manipulated or doing the manipulation. So, that was fascinating.

Q) What drew you to be a part of the series?

A) A lot of things! I’m a big fan of sci-fi, action and thrillers. The show had all of these aspects mixed into it in a lot of ways. It’s an espionage sort of spy thriller in the sci-fi genre. That to me was exciting.

Q) What do you think it is about “Colony” that has hooked so many viewers?

A) I think it is tapping into the egos in terms of what is important. Carlton and Ryan, one of their inspirations for the creation of the show was the French revolution. What would it be like to be occupied? I think people can look at the show and think, “That could be a possibility.” Not that we’re in the state right now, but it poses the question of “what if.” You always think about how you would act if something occurs of this magnitude, but you never know. The audience can identify with certain characters and think, “I would do what Katie is doing.” Or “I would do what Will is doing.” Maybe they would say, “I would become Proxy.” Maybe they would become Broussard. We’re tapping into that and people are identifying and making choices of what they would do. In life there are a lot of gray areas in that and I think the show is exploring that.

Q) What have you taken away from being a part of “Colony?”

A) It’s great to work with great people. There is a certain trust that comes along, obviously, when you work with someone like Carlton who has a track record for success. That’s not by accident. You could give yourself over into what that vision is and that’s very special. You look to your creators and writers and know they are going to give you interesting things to play and be a step ahead of you. You commit to the journey and the ride they are taking you on. It’s a surprise and it becomes a gift in a way.

Q) What would you like to be sure we share with fans about your work on the show?

A) It’s exciting that when it comes on Thursday that my Twitter account gets more traffic. It’s exciting that people are finding it and we’re all very proud of that. We get so excited to shooting the show. I’ll go to work and I’m bumping into Carl Weathers on the set. That’s someone I grew up idolizing him. You think, “That’s Carl Weathers from Creed and Predator.” You get starry eyed, but then you go, “That’s the level we’re playing on.” It’s just great when you can be a part of something like that.