Volume 4, Issue 5 – October, 2001

Chris Demetral: Not So Secret Adventures

Wanted: Handsome young actor to portray the father of science fiction — while he was still wet behind the ears. Must be willing to be hijacked in dark alleyways every other episode, allow villains to suck his brains out through his eyes and never get the girl. Must be passionate, idealistic, and something of a goody-two-shoes. Naiveté a real plus.

We don’t know if the producers of The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne actually sent out a casting call like that, but that’s what they got when they hired Chris Demetral to play Jules Verne. At Dragoncon 2001 Demetral and his wife, Jana, talked to Crescent Blues about his passion for Jules, his fans and a far less talkative past life.

Crescent Blues: How did you get the part of Jules Verne?

Chris Demetral: Like every other actor, I went through the audition process you have to go through. I came very close to not trying out for the part. It’s actually Jana’s doing, because I had read three scripts and didn’t think Jules was anything like me, and I didn’t want to waste the other cast members’ time or my own. Thank God I did it — talk about little decisions you make that change everything. I tried out in Montreal and the audition included sword fighting as well as acting. I tried out, got the part.

Had you read Jules Verne’s fiction before the audition?

Chris Demetral: No, actually, I hadn’t. I started to read his work after I got the part and realized that in the American translation they ended up toning down all of Verne’s works and ripping up all kinds of technical information and meticulous notes that Verne liked to do. I felt that [the American versions were] almost a disservice to readers.

Jana, what made you think that Chris was right for the part?

Jana Demetral: I thought Jules Verne was idealistic and passionate and Chris is all of those things, and I always thought he could pull it off. I like Jules Verne and I thought that he could capture that essence.

Chris: See the great stuff that happens when you listen to your wife.

We’ve heard some rumors about pranks on the set.

Chris: There are a lot of running jokes, mostly off color, so I can’t drill the other cast mates without them knowing. But we like to have fun and a lot of the common ones are: “let’s see who can make the other one crack up first.” And when you have someone with a rubber face like Michel [Cortemanche] — and Francesca [Hunt] and Michael [Praed] — it’s very easy.

What was your favorite prank?

Chris: I was Mr. Clothespin Man. I would take the clothespins that they used to hang the cels up and pin them to various crew and cast members’ backs. Sometimes I’d make smiley faces or constellations of the stars and then take a Polaroid(tm) of it when I was done. It’s just one of the little fun games we did to break up the monotony because, unfortunately, the old saying of hurry up and wait is very true on the set.

In your other roles, you didn’t really do a lot of special effects. What are the differences to acting to nothing as opposed to acting to another actor?

Chris: It’s much more helpful to actually have something to look at, and it’s great if you can actually see the location. I’ve used so much grid screen, especially when we’re flying, because there’s nothing there. But fortunately, with the monsters there was usually something there, except for the alien [from Crusader in the Crypt]. And then we had to use a prop guy off stage with a broom to help us keep our eye lines consistent. To tell you the truth, I think acting is making believe anyway, so really [acting to a grid screen] is just a deeper level of make believe. You’re pretending that you’re flying, so even though we couldn’t see what we were supposed to be flying over, it’s just another extension.

How did you picture Jules Verne at the start of the series, and if you go into a second season, where do you see him going?

Chris: I thought it was really important to show him as a hero with a lot of faults, that he wasn’t perfect. Not like other characters, who know all the answers right off the bat. I wanted to make Jules what he was at that time, a young writer out of law school. He’s very clever and very curious about the world and technology — what it could lead to, both good and bad. But Verne learned early in life about the positive side of technology. It wasn’t until later in his life that he started to see the darker side and it started to appear that technology had become something more than he had planned.

So you see him becoming a little less innocent and a little less idealistic?

Chris: Yeah, I didn’t want him to be an Indiana Jones type that comes knocking on your door. I didn’t want him to be a very good fighter at the beginning. I think it would be fun in the second season (and in subsequent seasons) to show that he is learning and that he is becoming a better sword fighter and that Passpartout has taught him some more fighting styles and tricks and stuff. I agree that it would be nice to see [Jules] lose a bit of that innocence about technology and start to see some of the darker sides. I always try to characterize what a character will be like in subsequent seasons, even if there aren’t any. I think it helps the actor and makes things easier. Plus, it always keeps you thinking, because you have someplace to go.

The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne is the first high definition television (HDTV) series. What did you like best about working in HD?

Chris: I think the thing that I like best about HD is that it allows you to tape much more of the takes without stopping. Film is obviously very expensive. Tape is not, and if you blow a line or an actor drops a prop, you can just go back four lines and start over. You end up having these really, really long takes, and it’s fantastic because you can stay in the role, you can stay in the character without all the cuts, reset, relight and, possibly re-slate, and just keep going. I hope that it shows in the show because you don’t have all the start stop start stop.

So it really is actor friendly?

Chris: Yes, except for the fact that it is so very clear. If you watch our show in the HD, you can actually see some of the lace lines in the actors wigs and where I cut myself shaving. Makeup will have to be changed. You just can’t get away with all the tricks that they used to. It’s 21st century and more power to it.

We’re all hoping there will be another season of The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. Has everyone said that they’d all try to come back if there is?

Chris: Yes, all of the actors.

Michael Praed, Francesca Hunt…

Chris: And Michel.

We’re all hoping that Michel Courtemanche will come back. He really knocked the fans out.

Chris: Michel’s a big teddy bear, he’s so jovial. You want to hug the guy all the time. He has such a magnetic personality.

Can you tell us a little bit about Michel’s ad lib episode?

Chris: Oh, when he was fighting the magnets?

That was great.

Chris: Michel’s so in touch with his physicality, and he’s ambidextrous. Like the scene with the nunchuks, he’s the only actor that didn’t have to rehearse because he can just pick it up. He probably could have been a star athlete if he had decided to go into it. Some people just have that natural ability.

It seems that a lot of people started watching the show because of Michael Praed. He has such an enormous fan base.

Chris: That’s great.

And many think he is eye candy. Which, by the way, you are too.

Chris: [Blushing.] Thank you.

The bottom line is you all were great, the whole ensemble was great. However, a lot of the fans were a little bit nervous about the first show.

Chris: I agree.

But then the camaraderie kicked in, and it became obvious that there were connections between all of the cast.

Chris: Yeah, we were friends off the set and that helped.

Personally, it was just interesting in watching how the characters worked out. Jules was so much fun because he was sort of like the ultimate “geek” alert: “Oh look, he’s going to go down that dark alley again;” then “Thank God, he jumped in and did something;” to “Way to go, Jules!”

Chris: See, that was always my plan and a lot of people after seeing the first episode didn’t like Jules because he was too weak and I kept telling them “Fair enough, but give him a chance because he changes, trust me.” He evolves, give him a shot, he’s not like your typical character. That is just the way he is then. If a character doesn’t move, change, evolve, grow, learn something, he’s boring.

Good call, because Jules wouldn’t have had that kind of experience as a young student. After all, how many flying ships complete with beautiful secret agents, wealthy raconteurs and their lovable valets appear in the average law student’s life?

Chris: [Grins.] Yeah, it’s rare even in the 21st century.

You have a definite presence on the Web, a lot of direct contact with your fans, and you have one of the best celebrity Web sites I’ve seen.

Jana: Thank you!

How did you get involved with the Web? Did you sit down one day and say, “OK, I’m going to make a Web site”?

Chris: I love interaction with the fans. I feel honored to be working, and it’s also a very humbling experience to have so many people care about me and my work. I wanted to have a unique relationship with the fans and a website is a great way to do it.

A lot of actors seem to be so afraid of the fans, why aren’t you?

Chris: This might sound trite, but we don’t have anything to hide. That might be the reason why. Like I said, once you start down that path to your future, the fans make you what you are. You can’t forget about them, and you can’t think that you are somehow a deity above them.

I abhor arrogance and dishonesty above all else. Accept no alternatives. Honesty is the only way. I think actors forget about that. They don’t want people delving into their lives. I’m sure with some actors it is difficult. They can’t go out to dinner and stuff, but that’s part of it. If you can’t handle it, then don’t be an actor. My wife always says that if you aren’t ready for the consequences, then don’t do it.

I hate hearing actors say, “Oh, it’s so hard.” No it’s not. I think acting is the greatest job in the world, and I’m so blessed, and that’s why I did want to reach out. In fact, that’s why, after several episodes of Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, I went on SciFi Channel chat to talk to the fans and answer any questions they might have in person. In fact, my wife, and I went to dinner with some of the fans of the show last night. I love that interaction with the fans, and I feel that I owe it to them. And frankly I love them.

How did you get started in acting?

Chris: I’m kind of an actor by chance. I always wanted to act from an early age, but it just kind of sneaked up on me.

Were you the class clown?

Chris: Yeah, class clown. And sometimes the teacher’s pet at the same time, which is a tough scale to balance. But my parents divorced when I was seven, and I moved to California with my father. When you’re seven, you think anything is possible, and just by moving to Los Angeles you’ll somehow magically become an actor. You think it’s that easy.

I tossed around for a few years going to classes, you know: “Give us all your money and we’ll teach you absolutely nothing about acting or the industry or anything useful.” But when I was 11, I got a lucky break and went on an open casting call for “Night of the Living Dead, Part 2.” I didn’t get the part, because I was too young, but the casting director saw something she liked and sent me to a child’s agent that signed me that day. I guess she saw something in me, but I don’t know what it was.

I bet Jana knows. [Jana smiles.] How did you two meet?

Chris: We met at a Jeep™ dealership actually. Out of all the reasons, an automobile brought us together. She was the receptionist, and I was there having a security system installed in my Jeep. She was this very lovely girl and polite. I was trying to read a book, and she was polite enough to ask what I was reading. It started off with a simple question and here we are today. So my advice is to always have a good book with you, because you never know when a gorgeous lady will ask you what you’re reading.

We heard you have a “child.”

Chris: [Laughs.] We have a dog that acts like a child but we have no children. Aurora, a Boston terrier, is essentially a child. She will pull the microphone out of the computer when we’re in an online chat. She’s very jealous. She’s a diva, and she knows it.

What other kind of roles would you like to play? Is there something else you’d really like to do?

Chris: I’m a little bit of a writer. I’ve been writing the same romantic comedy since I was 16 years old, and I keep correcting it because, you don’t know anything about love at 16. You know nothing at 18, and I’m 24 now, and in another two years I’ll realize how little I knew at 24, so it keeps evolving. So one of these days I’m going to have to stop rewriting it and come up with a version that I can say: “Well, this is at least good for now.” I’ll write the 30-year-old love story when I’m 30.

So you want to get into the writing end of the business?

Chris: I think that would be fun. I would love to do a really nice romantic comedy, something that is really funny, something you can take a date to and feel good about it.

How about directing, have you ever had the itch to do that?

Chris: I think it would be fun. It’s very involving working around the set. Yeah, I think that would be fun. I’d like to think I’d have a good rapport with the other actors and that I would see things from their perspective and our exchanges would be good to help to make it a fun set. Yeah, I think directing would be fun, but I try to take things one day at a time. I’ve got a great family, a great wife. I’ve got a great acting career. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Is there anybody you would like to act with?

Chris: Oh, there’s the classics like [Robert] DeNiro and the younger set like Edward Norton — I think he’d be fantastic. The list goes on and on. Kevin Spacey — he’s one of those actors who just talks, and I enjoy hearing him speak. He could read a telephone book out loud, and people would find it interesting. Talk about delivery! He’s just one of those actors.

OK, what’s the story behind the tattoos?

Chris: [Laughs.] Ah, tattoos. My only suggestion on tattoos is not to get something like the Domino’s Pizza Noid^™ which I saw on some guy — which was very popular back in the 80’s but very stupid to have now in 2001. But tattoos all mean something to the individual at the time.

We heard that you and your wife had matching tattoos on your ankles.

Chris: Yeah, she’s got one on her ankle that says my name. But it’s in Chinese so you don’t know what it says — at least we think it says my name. Or it could say, “You’ve wasted a lot of money on nothing.” We don’t know.

Tattoos are interesting. As an actor I try to put them in places where they’re easy to disguise. That’s why you always see Jules Verne wearing socks when he’s sleeping in bed. Tattoos are interesting and addictive, and I enjoy them, although I might regret them when I’m 80.

In another lifetime, what would Chris Demetral be if he wasn’t an actor?

Chris: Oh, a doctor or a psychologist. Jana and I both hate crime, so something with law enforcement would be fantastic. I’d want to do something where I could help people everyday and feel like I was doing a service to society. Life’s short and I want to try and make a difference.

Okay, if you believe in past lives, what were you in a past life?

Chris: Now, I did hear this: someone said that I was a monk in a past life. A monk that was a mute.

A mute monk?

Chris: A mute monk who died because he couldn’t call for help. And that’s supposedly why I want to talk so much now and be an actor. I died in the snow because I couldn’t call out to people. Poor guy, I hope that’s not true.

I don’t know, but I definitely think that past lives are a possibility. Hopefully, I’m not on my last go round.

Are you doing anything now besides promoting the show?

Chris: That’s pretty much it right now, because of the strike that never happened. The studios killed a lot of things and fired a lot of people. Agencies had to let go of their agents, and it’s just now starting to build back.

Would you accept something else in the interim?

Chris: Yeah, I would, but my heart is with Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, and it always will be. But if something fun comes along in the interim, I’ll do it.

Jana, how do you deal with the beautiful women the producers of Jules Verne toss in Chris’s direction?

Jana: It doesn’t bother me, because I was an actress before I met Chris. I was a theater education major in college. I wanted to act; that’s what brought me to Los Angeles. So I understand it from that point of view. The only problem I have is with the ones that have a crush on him. Other than that it’s all part of the business. You know it’s great when they get a good actress. But I don’t mind it.

The other part of it is the fan element. Most fans are really very good. But there is always that fringe element that tends to fixate on a character. Have you had a problem with that?

Jana: Not really. We have very good help in Chris’s personal assistant, Arinne, who handles that.

Chris: Thank God for Arinne.

Jana: So we don’t see too many like that. One or two weird emails, maybe. But for the most part they are really sweet and great and want to promote the show. The show has been really blessed. Like the fans that are here who are also attending Aurora Con next weekend. It’s really flattering that they care enough to do all that.

Did you have to move to Montreal when the show was filming? How did that affect your career as a teacher, Jana?

Jana: I wasn’t working at the time, so I came up there for a couple of months. I worked for a couple of months after that, but we hated being apart, so I decided to take some time off.

Chris: Having her there in Montreal with her support made all the difference.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Jana and Chris Demetral: Thanks to all our fans for their support.

Teri Smith

Additional information about The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne can be found at the official Web site, Scifi.com, and the official fan site. For a more irreverent view, check out the Two Evil Monks Guide to The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne.

Readers Respond

I haven’t actually completed reading the article but wanted to point out that Jana Demetral’s name is misspelled. It’s typed “Janna” online; however, it is actually spelled “Jana” — just a little thing I personally found a bit distracting while reading it.

Jeniffer

Got it, Jeniffer. Thanks for pointing out the error.

Jean Marie Ward, Editor

I very much enjoyed the article on Chris Demetral by Teri Smith. It was well-written and showed a knowledge of the show in which Chris is the lead actor. So many times articles are written by people who never have seen the show they are talking about, and so the questions seem off target. Ms. Smith did a great job.

Also, a special thank you for including a link to my web site, Two Evil Monks Guide to The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne at the end of the article!

Becky Christiansen (ephian)

I wanted to thank you for your impressive article about Chris Demetral and his lovely wife, Jana. As a fan of the show, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, I am always delighted to find information about one of my favorite shows and the actors involved. Thank you so much for recognizing the worth of this show and taking the time to help promote it by giving it more exposure on the net.

Andrea Alworth

Just wanted to say thank you for your article, “Chris Demetral: Not So Secret Adventures.” Chris is a real sweetheart. I was one of the fans lucky enough to meet him and his darling wife at DragonCon and fell hopelessly in love with both. I have linked the article into my web sites and have been spreading the word. Thanks again,

Vicci Varner

This was such a wonderful article because it gets behind the character (Jules Verne) and into the actor himself. It is also one of the only interviews I have seen in which the spouse is included, which makes for an interesting point of view.

Although I am already a fan of the show (I was one of the people at DragonCon that went to supper with Chris and Jana, in fact), the interview allows people to see Chris’s views of being on the set. The chemistry among the actors both on and off screen is very evident.

As Chris mentioned, some actors don’t want to be bothered with fans. As a fan myself, I can only wonder why these actors choose to flaunt themselves in front of a camera and then not expect people to know them and want to talk to them. Chris, and the rest of the cast, has been so wonderful to us. The more I find out about the show, and Chris himself (Jana, too), the more interesting and nicer they become. It is very refreshing to have a young actor and his character both be positive role models. We need more shows, characters, and actors like Chris Demetral.

Laura (Known as Yurikosan on the SciFi bulletin board)