Washington's 'Bionic' part a lightning rod
July 18, 2007
BY DOUG ELFMAN Television Critic
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Isaiah Washington is a dillweed, but now he's a dillweed with a thriving career.
On Tuesday, the cast and crew of NBC's new "Bionic Woman" faced grumbling TV critics who wondered why Washington, he of the word "faggot," has been signed as a five-episode guest star.
"We feel he is the right actor for the role, but also we believe in second chances," said "Bionic" executive producer Jason Smilovic.
"When somebody does something wrong, and you have a systemic problem, the best way to change that problem is not by casting them outside of the system," he said. "It's by allowing them to make amends, allowing them to make reparations and do the right thing."
OK, so to make reparations, maybe he should engage in a gay kiss in "Bionic Woman," a TV critic suggested at the "Bionic" press conference. Smilovic, who holds a degree in a political theory, responded with political blandness.
"I think that would do a lot more than break down the third, fourth and fifth wall of television. We're trying to make a show."
Here's another good question: If it had been a white actor using the n-word -- instead of Washington using that f-word -- would NBC be touting that it had hired that scandalized actor?
"That's a theoretical question I really can't answer," Smilovic said.
All right, then, is it disrespectful to gay people for NBC to hire Washington?
"Absolutely not. We embrace the gay community. We are hoping that they're going to watch the show," Smilovic said. "This is about making a television series ... and we found a great actor to do that."
What a mess. And Smilovic didn't seek out Washington. The actor was thrust on him by NBC's new co-chair of entertainment, Ben Silverman. What's Smilovic going to say? "My boss was wrong to hire a pariah?"
After the press conference, I asked Smilovic if the media's fixation on Washington is distracting him from making the show.
"No," he said. "I get it. It's the snake eating the snake."
Personally, I'm sick of the Washington story. He said some jerky, hateful things, but so have Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson, and those guys rule Hollywood. And to tell the truth, Washington's brief acting in the movie "Out of Sight" is better than any performance Cruise and Gibson ever did.
After his stint as a government man in "Bionic," Washington begins development of his own NBC action show. He wasn't at Tuesday's press conference but told the AP he's "humbled" by the new opportunities.
In the midst of all this is the new "Bionic Woman," Michelle Ryan. She's a British soap star so dedicated to the role that she's getting bruises during three to four hours of daily physical training, including something called "Israeli martial arts."
Ryan, 23, is most interested not in Washington but in her character's mighty might as a half-woman, half-cyborg.
"As a young female actress, I always enjoy strong female actresses like Angelina Jolie in 'Tomb Raider,' " Ryan said. "I want to be like that. I want to be strong. I want to be confident and empowered. I think that's a really great message that 'Bionic Woman' brings out there.
"I mean, she's a woman, so all of these feelings and hormones and emotions will come up. So initially, it's going to be dealing with being bionic and dealing with her abilities, but down the line she's got to have some romance."
Yes, hormones. When she said that, it reminded me of another 1970s hit show I'd be more interested in seeing resurrected, so I asked Smilovic if he could produce "Three's Company" next.
"I think you could make 'Three's Company' today," as long as it came with contemporary changes, he said. He seemed glad to be off the Washington subject.
"Larry was great, with the three buttons opened [on his hairy chest]. Always went out with women named Yvonne and all these great exotic names.
"Jack was always relegated to the cold shower."
Maybe a metaphorical cold shower should be Washington's fate. Or maybe not. Who cares? Can we move on and await next year's movie version of "Wonder Woman" and its island of scantily clad, empowered women?
delfman@suntimes.com
BY DOUG ELFMAN Television Critic
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Isaiah Washington is a dillweed, but now he's a dillweed with a thriving career.
On Tuesday, the cast and crew of NBC's new "Bionic Woman" faced grumbling TV critics who wondered why Washington, he of the word "faggot," has been signed as a five-episode guest star.
"We feel he is the right actor for the role, but also we believe in second chances," said "Bionic" executive producer Jason Smilovic.
"When somebody does something wrong, and you have a systemic problem, the best way to change that problem is not by casting them outside of the system," he said. "It's by allowing them to make amends, allowing them to make reparations and do the right thing."
OK, so to make reparations, maybe he should engage in a gay kiss in "Bionic Woman," a TV critic suggested at the "Bionic" press conference. Smilovic, who holds a degree in a political theory, responded with political blandness.
"I think that would do a lot more than break down the third, fourth and fifth wall of television. We're trying to make a show."
Here's another good question: If it had been a white actor using the n-word -- instead of Washington using that f-word -- would NBC be touting that it had hired that scandalized actor?
"That's a theoretical question I really can't answer," Smilovic said.
All right, then, is it disrespectful to gay people for NBC to hire Washington?
"Absolutely not. We embrace the gay community. We are hoping that they're going to watch the show," Smilovic said. "This is about making a television series ... and we found a great actor to do that."
What a mess. And Smilovic didn't seek out Washington. The actor was thrust on him by NBC's new co-chair of entertainment, Ben Silverman. What's Smilovic going to say? "My boss was wrong to hire a pariah?"
After the press conference, I asked Smilovic if the media's fixation on Washington is distracting him from making the show.
"No," he said. "I get it. It's the snake eating the snake."
Personally, I'm sick of the Washington story. He said some jerky, hateful things, but so have Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson, and those guys rule Hollywood. And to tell the truth, Washington's brief acting in the movie "Out of Sight" is better than any performance Cruise and Gibson ever did.
After his stint as a government man in "Bionic," Washington begins development of his own NBC action show. He wasn't at Tuesday's press conference but told the AP he's "humbled" by the new opportunities.
In the midst of all this is the new "Bionic Woman," Michelle Ryan. She's a British soap star so dedicated to the role that she's getting bruises during three to four hours of daily physical training, including something called "Israeli martial arts."
Ryan, 23, is most interested not in Washington but in her character's mighty might as a half-woman, half-cyborg.
"As a young female actress, I always enjoy strong female actresses like Angelina Jolie in 'Tomb Raider,' " Ryan said. "I want to be like that. I want to be strong. I want to be confident and empowered. I think that's a really great message that 'Bionic Woman' brings out there.
"I mean, she's a woman, so all of these feelings and hormones and emotions will come up. So initially, it's going to be dealing with being bionic and dealing with her abilities, but down the line she's got to have some romance."
Yes, hormones. When she said that, it reminded me of another 1970s hit show I'd be more interested in seeing resurrected, so I asked Smilovic if he could produce "Three's Company" next.
"I think you could make 'Three's Company' today," as long as it came with contemporary changes, he said. He seemed glad to be off the Washington subject.
"Larry was great, with the three buttons opened [on his hairy chest]. Always went out with women named Yvonne and all these great exotic names.
"Jack was always relegated to the cold shower."
Maybe a metaphorical cold shower should be Washington's fate. Or maybe not. Who cares? Can we move on and await next year's movie version of "Wonder Woman" and its island of scantily clad, empowered women?
delfman@suntimes.com
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