Shanesia Davis-Williams & Sean Clark

TVGEN: Welcome everyone! Shanesia Davis-Williams, star of Early Edition, is here with series writer Sean Clark to chat with us live. Welcome, Shanesia and Sean.

Shanesia: Hi, everybody! I'm stuffing myself with pizza. Bring on the questions!

babydancer_67: Hi, Shanesia! What is the most challenging aspect of playing a blind person?

Shanesia: The most challenging is the limited movement, and there is not much dexterity that Marissa can have. That is very limiting and challenging. And a lot of times, when I have an intimate scene, instinctively you want to look at the person in the eye, but Marissa can't do that. So, I would say the physicality is the most challenging.

earlydues: How long did you study to prepare for the role of Marissa, and do you continue to study on an ongoing basis?

Shanesia: Initially, I studied for a few weeks, and then it dwindled down to a few days, and then it was a couple of days here and there where I would do things for the character. But right now, I 'm always doing research through, if nothing else, through reading, through observing people on the street, I'm downtown all the time, observing. That's pretty much it, seeing people and observing them. That probably gives me the most inspiration, because I'll see different blind people doing different things, and then I'll try some of those things for the character.

ssc640: Sean, how do you like writing for Early Edition?

SeanClark: LOL! I love having a job! Actually, I enjoy it a lot, because it's unique in that you get to write character-driven stories that have enough run and jump. It's a fun combination of action and character, and a rare instance where you can try comedy in the hour format.
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babydancer_67: How do you think the new characters added this season and dropped from last season will change Marissa's role? That is, will you play a larger or smaller part of the action?

Shanesia: Well, I guess some people would say that by Chuck's character leaving, it would make Marissa's role larger. But I always thought Marissa was an integral part of the group of Chuck, Gary, the dog and the cat, and I don't know. I'm having a hard time trying to figure it out. I think more things will be done with the new characters that are added. We have another woman on the show, Kristi Swanson, and that would leave a lot of room for estrogen bonding! And I think we could use a little bit more of that.

SeanClark: I think what's important is that Marissa's character is a constant, she is much more of a rock for Gary now. She is really the only surviving confidant. I know that creatively I feel her character is growing sideways, in a sense; she fills a bigger place in Gary's universe. Not that it's any bigger than it was, but we get to see more of it now. He doesn't have to say, "It's a choice of this or that, Marissa, what should I do?" We get to see more of his emotional stake. By sounding off of her, she reacts to his emotions.

Wizard_CaT: Do they ever plan to bring back Chuck?

SeanClark: We are filming it as we speak. He is visiting for an episode. I just watched the dailies and they are hilarious.

Shanesia: It's just like he never left, it's like everything's the same, but different, you know?

SeanClark: Plus, Fisher will be directing the twelfth episode.

Shanesia: That should be fun.
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earlydues: Are you happy with the way your character is being written this year?

Shanesia: This year, yes, I am getting more and more happy.

SeanClark: Good answer!

Shanesia: I think it's very nice to be able to put my mouth around some words and actually have a through-line, a character through-line. I think it's going to add more to her dimension, and round her out more as a believable character. And that has been my goal since the inception of the show. So I have a very optimistic outlook for this season, absolutely.

babydancer_67: What is the most surprising thing about working with Kyle Chandler?

Shanesia: Hmmm. Gosh. I'm always amazed at how he just absorbs so much information. And he's quite a smart guy. He has got some brains behind the beauty, which is very endearing and very surprising at the same time.

LilaniaTwilight: What has been your favorite episode so far, out of all the episodes of Early Edition?

SeanClark: Any one I wrote!

TVGEN: Hahaha
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Shanesia: LOL! Oh, man, that's tough, because there's a few. I like "Second Sight." I liked that because the roles got switched, so to speak. And I thought it was good to see someone with a disability, if you will, saving someone else. There is this story; I was listening to the radio a few months ago and it was about a guy who was on this road in a rainstorm, in the dark, driving with a cast on his leg. He had a flat tire, and happened to stop in front of this house. This 8- or 9-year-old little girl came out, and he asked her to help him. And she said, "Hold on a minute, I'll go get my grandpa." So this kid comes out with this older man, who's about 75 or so, in a raincoat, the rain is coming down in sheets. They slowly walk up to the car. They proceed to change the tire. Meanwhile, the driver of the car is getting upset, because he's getting impatient, he's wondering what's taking so long... how can this kid and this senior citizen do this... come on, hurry up. So they finally get it done, to make a long story short. The driver offers the old man some money, and the kid says, "Nah, he won't take it." And the guy is looking at the old man, and he's not reacting, he's not saying anything. And he says, "What's wrong with your granddad? Why isn't he talking? Why isn't he taking the money?" And the kid says, "Don't mind that, he won't take it, my grandpa's blind." And that story is so amazing to me, as it was to the person it actually happened to, because it shows how we can have perceptions of people, and just our own limitations limits the person that we don't know anything about. I thought it was a neat story to prove to a lot of people never to underestimate anyone. I hoped I answered the question.

TVGEN: From the Internet: What do you and Marissa have in common, and what are some of the differences between the two of you?

Shanesia: Well, we are women, we are African-American, and we get kind of noisy sometimes! And I think what we have most in common is that we are always looking for balance. The differences are that Marissa's solutions usually work out a little bit better than mine. And that's pretty much it. Marissa is more level-headed than I am, but that's because people like Sean write words for her!
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peregrin_anna: Sean, are most of the EE scripts written solo, or in collaboration?

SeanClark: It's a very collaborative process. It normally starts, however, with one writer presenting an idea or an area. The writing staff bounces these off of each other, and then we present it to the executive producer. He then approves parts or all or none of the idea. And then we work about finding an outline together. Following that, if the outline gets approved by the executive producer, one of the three of us it's only a three person staff goes and writes the script. So, that's about that.

SRT3: Shanesia, how did you start your career?

Shanesia: A long time ago, as a kid, I used to make faces in the mirror in the bathroom. And one of my brothers was an actor also, and he was an inspiration to me. And he passed away from AIDS a few years ago. His passing was pretty much the catalyst for me giving up working at the bar and restaurant and pursuing my career whole-heartedly.

SRT3: In what other shows/movies have you appeared in?

Shanesia: Gosh, it's been a while. The Howard Beach Story. With Honors. Gabriel's Fire. And I was in Backdraft, and it was great, but they cut my role out. It was a good experience though, I got to work with Robert De Niro and William Baldwin and Ron Howard. It was kind of cool.

earlydues: What is the most satisfactory thing you've ever done in your career?

Shanesia: My career. I'd start it with landing the role on Early Edition, actually. And becoming pregnant. And still having support by the network and the studio and everyone involved to continue as Marissa on the show.
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Chevalim: Sean, who do you find it more challenging to write for?

SeanClark: Interesting. Because Kyle is such a gifted actor, often the instinct is to go off an expression on his face. And he looks at the newspaper, it's a visual moment. And we'll forget that Marissa doesn't know what he's doing. So you have to write dialogue that isn't too clumsy, but covers the exposition you need. It's also frustrating sometimes to not be able to let her do more run-and-jump. But we sent her flying around some scaffolding in episode one. Emotionally, I think we would like to do more, and it's hard because our show in a sense is very much an anthology. And it's very difficult then to build our very few, regular characters. So hopefully, we can take time out and focus on each of them for an episode or two throughout the season, while Gary is involved in whatever emotional story that the guest stars are part of.

ATHRASHE: Sean, do the actors ever demand you rewrite their character in a storyline?

SeanClark: LOL! No, not really. We do have conferences from time to time, or at least hurried phone calls, more about the dynamic in a scene, whether a line is out of character. Or is there some action that's hard to do, or a reason we would not have foreseen? But I've been on literally a dozen television series, and from MY side of the continent, it seems to be a pretty happy ship.

peregrin_anna: When will Hell Cab be released?

Shanesia: Well, it opens tomorrow. And I'm not sure if it's nationwide, or if they have limited distribution. But it's out, so please look for it.
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TVGEN: Tell us about Hell Cab.

Shanesia: It's a day in the life of a cabdriver in Chicago. It's like a dark comedy, internal, bizarro. And it just runs the whole gamut of what cab drivers go through. I think it says a lot about human contact, which can go back to the story I told about our perception of other people, and the limits we put on them without knowing anything about them. There are some great actors in the movie John Cusack, Laurie Metcalf, Gillian Anderson, Paul Dillon, among a few. And I think it's going to be a good movie that will get a lot of reaction from people. It will probably be a cult classic! Because it's become one here in Chicago, it's a cult-theater classic. And actually, it goes over to Ireland this weekend.

babydancer_67: What is different about the Early Edition set from other sets you've worked on?

Shanesia: Nothing, really. There's lots of men, lots of food, lots of lights. And I don't think it's any different, it's a real professional atmosphere. And I'm sure if you picked out a guest star, they would say we made them feel right at home. The crew is absolutely great.

chickfishman: Sean, are you going to start writing scripts that are entirely indoors, now that it is getting cold in Chicago?

SeanClark: LOL! No way! It's warm out here in L.A.! It's very hard. Of several shows I've been on, this show goes "out" more than any other, because of the nature of Gary getting involved in other people and their lives. It's very, very difficult to do what they call a "bottle show." We've tried in the past, and the bottle shows develop into something bigger, because our show just has to go out.

bradusc: Hey, you have a great presence on screen and the show is such an eye-grabber, what's your favorite part of playing Marissa?

Shanesia: Gosh, my favorite part is because it's a challenge to everyone involved. I don't think I've ever had an easy role in any portrayal. I like Marissa because she's smart, she's intuitive, and she represents independence. That's what I like about her.

earlydues: Have you been recognized by the blind community for your positive portrayal of an independent blind woman?

Shanesia: I would like to get more feedback than I have. I received an honorary award for the portrayal of Marissa, but no, I haven't gotten as much feedback as I would like, good or bad. Any changes I should make I would welcome.

nonniemous: Do you read any of the Early Edition fan fic that's been written and posted on the net?

SeanClark: I can easily tell you it's very dangerous for us to do that, from a legal standpoint. In the same way that if somebody sent me a script without a legal waiver having been signed. They don't know about this catalogue of ideas that we work from, that we generate and we try to create stories out of. You might very well send us a similar notion of what we are doing. If we read it, or if we don't even, you could claim we stole your idea. So we have to avoid that like the plague, because I don't make enough money to get sued! I have never caught that web site.

_TeeJay_: Hi, I'm Tina from Germany! What made you accept the role as Marissa in the first place?

Shanesia: Gosh, the opportunity! When I first got the breakdown for the character, she was this very spirited, mischievous woman, like someone who could get you to do something without you realizing that they put you up to it. It seemed like she'd be fun, you know? And that's it!

CajunCoonass22: Hello! Great job on the show. I have a cute question that your fans would like to know! Are you ticklish???

Shanesia: Yes, I am, extremely!
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nonniemous: If you could write for Marissa, what would you have her do?

SeanClark: Maybe I should leave!

Shanesia: Gosh, I would really like for Marissa to defend herself or someone else, where she would not be the victim. She could use her stick in some kind of way... you never know, the blackout could have been a good representation. Something having to do with her family, how she became the kind of woman that she is, a background. I think because Marissa is very nurturing, and she's a very loving character, so to speak, unless it's with Chuck! Maybe something that could show what blind people can actually do, in terms of raising a family, or even taking care of a child. I used to live in the same building with a woman who was blind. She had two little girls, one was about 4, the other was an infant. And she was a single mother. She took care of these kids very well. But somebody stole the baby, the infant, from her. And because there was such a strong community around her, everyone in the neighborhood and the police force, they eventually found the baby and returned it to her mother. The point of that is it shows she can take care of her own by herself, but she's still vulnerable, not because she's blind, but because nobody's perfect. Do you understand? Sighted people get their kids stolen all the time and not returned.
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ATHRASHE: Sean, do you ever get writer's block? How do you deal with that?

SeanClark: No, you don't have time for writer's block in television, you have to feed the monster.

prissy74: How is the best way to send fan mail?

Shanesia: You could send it to the production house in Chicago, to October Holdings, and I will be sure to get it.

SeanClark: Or to Sony Studios, in Los Angeles.

TVGEN: Shanesia and Sean, thanks so much for joining us tonight.

Shanesia: I love the support that I've been getting, and it just makes me want to do better! Thanks!

SeanClark: Absolutely, and just plan your weekend around Saturday night! (So my child can get some shoes!) Thanks!
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