Wes Brown: Interview with the star of 'Deception'

Actor Wes Brown, who stars in NBC’s midseason drama, Deception, talked with TheCelebrityCafe.com about working with the cast, what is next for the show, and a cause that is very close to him.

Brown was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he later attended Louisiana State University. Before Deception, Brown was best known for his role on True Blood.

His film, Shadow of the Mesa, recently debuted on the Hallmark Movie Channel on March 23.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: You started out at [Louisiana State University]. What did you study there?
Wes Brown: Business, Finance, and Theater.

TCC:Then you took some acting classes that led to an interest in acting?
WB:I was taking electives, and that branched into theater. Theater led to me taking a break during the summer between my junior and senior year. After I graduated, I ended up moving out to L.A. But in my senior year, I made it a part of my major.

TCC: Your movie Shadow of the Mesa just premiered on Hallmark as the second highest rated and the second most watched original movie in network history.
WB: I didn’t even know that. Alright, we got the silver medal [laughs].

TCC: Deception is pretty much your biggest role to date?
WB: It was probably the most significant by far [having] a lead role on a drama series for a major network. That probably had the most weight so far.

TCC: Did you realize how successful the show would be when you were first handed the script?
WB: No, I didn’t even think I would get the part. Originally, the part was written for somebody in their forties, and I didn’t understand why I was auditioning for it. Come to find out, that was their original intention. [They]actually called me because I had done a show for them before called Trauma, and they were going to either go one of the two ways. Luckily enough, it swung my way that time.

TCC: How was it working with such a great cast [Meagan Good, Laz Alonso, Victor Garber, Katherine LaNasa, and Ella Rae Peck] on this show?
WB: I would describe that situation as what every actor hopes for when they decide to do this for a living. There are a lot of shows out there that don’t have that quality, and I couldn’t think of a better cast. It was nothing short of a huge blessing. You learn a whole lot from working with people like that. That’s why I hope this thing continues, because that’s pretty much the top right there. Two of our actors were leads in the Academy Award winner for Best Picture [Victor Garber and Tate Donovan in Argo]. How often does the same TV show have two lead actors in one Academy Award Best Picture? It’s really surreal, but it’s a lot of fun.

TCC: What has been the best part about playing your character, Julian Bowers?
WB: The best part about playing him is just being in this cast. Also, I had never really spent much time in New York, so to shoot in a place like that was a new experience for me. Superficially, it’s a lot of fun to play him. [He's]a billionaire, bada** kind of guy. That’s been fun on a superficial note, but that’s not really me. I like the depth of the character a lot. It gives him a lot to do. I’ve seen a big change [in] him, from the beginning of season one to the end. You find out he does have a beating heart, and that he does care about people. I like the arc they’ve taken, not only with my character, but kind of [with]everyone. I could go on and on. There’s a ton of stuff I really love about it, but that’s a few of them.

TCC: As you mentioned before, you hope the show goes on. What exactly is the status of renewal as of now?
WB: I can honestly say [that] I will find out when you find out. They are having the upfront [presentation] May 13. Unless something happens between now and then, really I will find out when everyone else does. May 13 would be the absolute latest, because that’s when NBC will announce its new lineups for the fall, and either a renewal or cancellation for Deception. Fingers crossed!

TCC: Were you surprised at how hard the fans have been pushing for the show to have a second season (with the petitions that are out there)?
WB: I gotta be honest. I wasn’t really surprised at the support because people seem to really love the show. That’s not coming from an arrogant standpoint. That’s coming from a huge thank you to how good the writers and the actors are. It’s surprising in a way that you kind of don’t know how the show’s going to do. Let’s be honest. It’s kind of a flawed system how they rate shows. It is surprising in a sense that you’re just really grateful, but people seem to really like it. We’re really thankful for everybody wanting this to come back so much.

TCC: Hopefully, the fans will be able to see more of the relationship between Joanna and Julian. How is it working alongside Meagan Good?
WB: [I] love her. She’s fantastic. She’s a really great person, a really fun actress to work with, and she has a great sense of humor. She takes her work seriously. This is kind of a cliché thing to say, but I don’t have anything even close to negative to say about her. She actually just booked Anchorman 2, playing Will Ferrell’s boss, so that should be good. She really deserves it. Hopefully, we can do [another season], and she’s a big reason why.

TCC: In other works, like on Private Practice and in one of the first episodes of Scandal, you worked with Shonda Rhimes (creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal). How was that experience?
WB: Shonda Rhimes is at the top of television. It really doesn’t get much bigger than Shonda, so it is very humbling that I had a shot in the pilot [of Scandal, as soldier Sully St. James]. Initially, I was supposed to be in Grey’s Anatomy, but they switched it at the last minute. I appreciate the top tier of television, so it’s a really great experience all around. On a personal level, Shonda is a great person to hang out and talk to, and to listen to your ideas. [Rhimes], her producing partner, Betsy Beers,[and I have] definitely kept in touch. I actually told them about each project that I’ve booked. If you look at who she hires, she tends to hire people again and again. You just really hope that you stay in that circle of her friends.

TCC: Are there any projects you are working on right now?
WB: No, but every single day is new here. When I got back from shooting Deception, I was under contract with NBC, so I can’t really do anything. Now, we’re just having a fun time. We’re going on vacation for May, and things will start picking back up in June.

TCC: Is there any truth to the rumor that you are in the works to play Christian Grey in the film adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey?”
WB: I have no idea. Not a clue. I’ve heard that rumor too about a lot of other people, but I don’t know. Obviously, it’s something that has been brought up. Of course I’d do it.

TCC: Switching gears, I was told that you have been a huge part of the “Steele Red Carpet Party” fundraising event since its beginning.
WB: Dustin Price [co-host of the event] has been my best friend for well over a decade, and he’s out of Houston (I met him out here in Los Angeles a while back). He asked me to do this a year ago, and he picked up the phone and asked me to do it again. He is the reason that I met everybody, and Karen [Steele, founder of the event]. It’s always nice to help out whenever there’s a television off-season. I think it’s your duty to give back whenever you can.

TCC:What does this event mean to you, especially since this year it will be benefiting Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP)?
WB: I hadn’t heard of the program before, but they enlightened me on the importance of it. Of course, I’m a huge pet lover, and I have a dog myself. We had her spayed and neutered a few months ago. I have never been one to stick to just one certain cause. One of my best friends passed away late last year of ovarian cancer, and the Steele Party last year was for breast cancer. This year is for animals. I like the causes that they help out, and I’m happy to give them my time.

For more information on The Steele Red Carpet Party, a fundraising event benefiting Spay Neuter Assistance Program, an agency that provides affordable animal wellness to low income Houston and San Antonio families, visit steeleredcarpet.com

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