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Patrick Bauchau: TV Guide/AOL Chat

From TV Guide Online / AOL -- September 29, 1999

Note: The original text has been edited to correct typos, etc., and to add part of one answer that the chat moderator had missed typing.

Tvgchat: Welcome, Patrick. Glad you could join us today. How are you doing?

Patricktvg: Hello, this is Sydney...I'll be taking care of you for a while!

Question: What direction do you see your role with the young Jarod and MTW's character?

Patricktvg: With MTW Sydney's aim remains the same, which is to bring about a situation in the Centre in which they would be able to get rid of a lot of the local monsters and bring back Jarod of his own free will and take over the Centre. I don't think it will be accomplished in the fourth season. Sydney is a long-term investor....

Question: Patrick, how do you feel, portraying the only person within the Centre with a recipe for TLC? -- Ice

Patricktvg: The Centre is a lonely place. I guess all the other characters around me share in that feeling. We never speak about it.

Question: Will we be seeing more of Nicholas and Michelle this year? -- Mari

Patricktvg: His name has not come up so far, but we're certainly looking forward to another occasion with him. It looks as though the Centre this year is going to be more on the comedic side. The darkness of the third season has changed towards something more comedic...a change in the weather.

Question: Is Sydney going to be part of any Centre experiments any time soon?

Patricktvg: His main occupation at the Centre is as an experimenter. This has brought him into a conflictual situation with Jarod as he was his experiment. He has that surrogate father position with Jarod which is something of a conflict with experimenting. I'm not sure if that answers your question, but the world of Sydney at the Centre when he is not playing games with Jarod and Broots...his position is essentially that of the experimenter. He's the scientist in charge of the experiments.

Question: Are you a regular on the Internet, and if so do you visit fan-based pages for TP?

Patricktvg: I can't say that I'm doing enough in that direction yet. I'm fast becoming more computer literate. Sydney has Broots, his henchman on the computer. At the moment I don't really have anybody. This is Patrick answering.

Question: Does everyone in the cast get along well?

Patricktvg: Peachy! Sunshine.

Question: What is your character's justification (that you use as an actor) to justify Sydney's actions (i.e. participating in keeping Jarod locked up as a lab rat)?

Patricktvg: I first met with Jarod as a lab rat. That's the way he came into my life. That relationship of course is there because that's the position that occupies the Centre. It has modified over course of time into that relationship whereby Jarod is the closest person to me...as my son. My struggle is to monitor Jarod and make sure that he is not brought back to the Centre until the situation at the Centre changes. As an actor this has brought about a situation where in a certain way MTW avoids Sydney because he doesn't want our friendly relationship to interfere with the reticence that is the center of his relationship with Sydney. So we see little of each other in everyday life.

Question: Aside from Sydney, <g> what was your favorite role as an actor?

Patricktvg: I guess the first one I did, a French film La Collectionneuse...The Collector. It got me in there. But there are so many. I could mention 2 or 3 of my most recent ones that were very interesting to do. I played a priest in The Interview, which is a Brazilian film shot in English. I would mention an Italian film in which I play one of the 3 magi kings, Balthazar...a comedy about looking for the baby Jesus today. It's the announcement of the new millennium. A wonderful film. I really enjoyed it.

Question: How do people react when they see you in the street??

Patricktvg: :) hahahahaha "My God! There goes Sydney!" Very friendly. My position in the series is privileged since I play a character that is both sympathetic and realistic. People feel warmly towards Sydney when they recognize him. I'm not that easy to recognize though. The question they often ask..."Has the series been renewed? When is it going to air?"

Question: How long is your workday? -- Michelle :)

Patricktvg: It varies. Usually it's about 7 AM to about 6 PM or sometimes 8 PM depending on the day. As Sydney is relatively discreet, it's often just a few hours. Depends on the schedule.

Question: Hi, Patrick. I think you are a wonderful actor. What was the most challenging performance you have given in an episode of The Pretender? -- Cheryl

Patricktvg: They haven't tried me very hard yet. I'm looking forward to that time.

Question: How does it feel to work with so many talented cast members? Do you also spend time with them on a personal level? -- Michelle :)

Patricktvg: Absolutely. My dear friend Jon Gries is a regular in the house. We dine together weekly. Miss Parker...very wonderful person to work with and a great lady. Dinnertime...partytime.... Mr. Raines is a frequent visitor as well...and of course Daddy Parker. He brings me manure from his ranch for my rose bushes...he flies it in.

Question: Do you know if your "son" will be appearing again in a future episode, maybe you'll be a grandpa? -- Michelle :)

Patricktvg: I'm not deeply enough into the secrets of the gods, but I'm dying to find out. We rarely have more than a week's notice ahead of the audience on the latest developments that were concocted by our wonderful writers. They do a good job of hiding the solutions to the last minute. That question is really for them.

Question: How long have you been an actor, and did you think you would be where you are now when you were younger?

Patricktvg: I got into it without a moment's thought. It has remained pretty much like that. I've had an incredible amount of luck in the sense that I've almost constantly been employed. I've tried to recognize the daily face of providence in each project that came along...with a question mark at the end of the phrase. :)

Question: How do you like being Sydney on the show, and how many languages do you speak? Thanks.

Patricktvg: I think Sydney is definitely not occupying the position of the doer. He cannot do much unless someone pushes him. He's more the sheriff than the gunslinger. Sydney cannot take much of an initiative. It generates a certain amount of frustration in him, but Miss Parker or Jarod keep him moderately busy. My answer is yes...I really enjoy it.

I have played leading parts in 5 different languages. They sum up my own linguistic capacities -- English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. Depending on how much time I spend in these zones, one or the other will be rusty in my head...German right now because I have not been there in a long time.

Question: Do you plan to be in any future movies/shows? -- Michelle :)

Patricktvg: As much as I can. At the moment with the series going on it's difficult to find enough empty slots to do a major part in a film except in the Summer. This Summer I hope to do a film in French. In the meantime Jon Gries and I were in Twin Falls Idaho. This season I just finished a Jennifer Lopez film called The Cell for New Line Cinema. The Polish brothers...I really admire their film, Twin Falls Idaho, which is still in a lot of theatres all over the country.

Tvgchat: Thanks for joining us tonight, Patrick. Best of luck, and please come back again.

Patricktvg: I'm looking forward to doing this again. We've only barely covered the tip of the iceberg. The rest will wait for another occasion.

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