http://www.bauchau.com

Patrick Bauchau: Xposé Special Pg. 2

Caring or self-serving? You're not sure about The Pretender's Sydney, as Patrick Bauchau tells David Richardson.

From Xposé Special no. 9 -- September 1999
by David Richardson (continued from Page 1)

The executive producers of The Pretender, Craig Van Sickle and Steven W. Long Mitchell, have gone to great lengths to ensure that their ensemble of larger than life characters do not become caricatures. Gradually we have come to discover the complex past history of each one of them. In Sydney's case we've encountered Michelle (Leigh Taylor-Young), the love of his life, who worked at the Centre -- until she was forced away. In season three Sydney was introduced to their son, Nicholas (Darren Kennedy) who would later fall into mortal danger.

"Sydney's relationship with his own son is fairly remote because he never brought him up," defined Bauchau. "He feels somewhat guilty about it but somehow his own son is more on a back burner than Jarod. This was very well played in ["Flesh and Blood"e;]. That was quite an interesting episode."

The relationship between Sydney and Jarod has developed over three decades. It's a complex history of which edited highlights are saved for posterity. Over the years, Jarod's simulations were stored on disc -- and flashbacks are regularly incorporated into episodes, in which Alex Wexo plays the younger Sydney, and Ryan Merriman plays the child Jarod. For these scenes, Bauchau dubs over Wexo's voice with his own.

"In a certain way I am sorry to be imposing my voice on the work of a very good actor," sighs Bauchau. "I feel a bit guilty, but guilt is one of the essential keys to Sydney anyway! I guess in France the same situation occurs, where they dub it into French and the same actor plays my voice and young Sydney."

Was Bauchau aware of this rich history waiting to be untapped when he first joined the series?

"There were hints and we could take an educated guess at the direction in which this might go," he says. "For the detail, like you, I learn it from week to week. The creative invention of our writing team, particularly of Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle, is endless. They can create twists that absolutely boggle the mind."

As Bauchau is keen to point out, his character is not the only one to have benefited from some excellent storylines in season three. An ongoing story arc found Miss Parker falling in love and contemplating leaving the Centre, while Broots teamed up with Jarod in "Betrayal".

"Miss Parker has become much richer this season," he enthuses. "She has really blossomed in quite a remarkable way. Broots is the same. Andrea Parker and Jon Gries have both become much richer and in that way I think the writers and directors have had much more to work with."

Continued on Page 3 -->.

Image: Are they friends or foes? Sydney with Mr. Parker (Harve Presnell). Photo from Xposé © 1999. Click image to see a larger version in a new window. Do not use without prior, written permission.