Exclusive: ‘Deadwood’ actor not giving up hope just yet
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- August
- 28
W. Earl Brown (right), who plays Dan Dority on HBO’s “Deadwood,” sent me two MySpace messages Thursday to address recent exchanges with series creator David Milch.
“There is still a slight chance the show could come back,” Brown wrote. “I called Milch’s office regarding a separate matter (Thursday) afternoon. David got on the phone… his tone of voice about ‘the future’ was a bit brighter than it was when I saw him face to face. The word ‘Deadwood’ was never spoken, but it floated above every other syllable spoken. The next couple of weeks should let us know for sure.”
Brown’s assessment mirrors sentiments expressed on his MySpace blog Aug. 20, somewhat of a shift from the more pessimistic tone of his blog entry three days earlier. In other words, it might not quite be time to open a can of peaches, but it couldn’t hurt to at least dust it off.
On Aug. 17, Brown documented an in-person encounter with Milch shortly after HBO canned Milch’s “Deadwood” successor, “John from Cincinnati”: “I left David’s office with my optimism on the wane. It doesn’t look good, dear DEADWOOD fans, it doesn’t look good … That ain’t to to say the horse is completely dead yet. It is just lying trailside foaming at the nostrils and heaving for breath.”
In his Aug. 20 blog post, called “Further Musing on the Dying Horse,” Brown gave a nod to the reporters (ahem) who viewed his insights as news. He wrote: “As I sit here (Aug. 20), my hastily written (Aug. 17) blog has found its way onto the Web and into a few high profile, legitimate newspapers. Wow.”
I’m reasonably confident those other newspapers discovered the story because Remote Access’ scoop was promulgated by Google News, but that’s neither here nor there.
After the break, learn more about the struggles behind the scenes—including a supposed spat between Milch and “Deadwood” star Ian McShane.
Other interesting “Deadwood” facts, according to Brown’s Aug. 20 MySpace blog entry:
Brown gets “about a dozen” MySpace e-mails daily asking about the status of “Deadwood.”
He resists urges to accept that “Deadwood” is done: “I can not accept that something I poured my heart and soul into could be so off-handedly quashed. I can not accept that one of the few shows that, as a fan, I obsessively awaited Sunday nights for could just so suddenly Stop – notice I say ‘stop’ not ‘end.’”
He isn’t as quick to defend some of his other projects: “I’ve done crap that I wouldn’t recommend anyone sit through.”
He enjoyed the “Deadwood” experience, behind the scenes, calling it “the most rewarding and pleasurable experience I’ve ever had” in TV or film: “It is very, very rare on a production for there not to be at least one a****** in the cast and/or crew … Which is another reason its abrupt cancellation was such a slap in the face. Not only did we not get the chance to properly end the story we were creating, but we did not get the chance to say goodbye to one another. I miss those folks.”
He hopes fans who claim that “Deadwood” belongs to the masses will stop attacking Milch: “Without Milch there never would have been a (“Deadwood”) to begin with. … For anyone who wants to confront David with the mantra of ‘the show belongs to us all – not just to you’ There is no gauging the response you might get. Catch David in the right mood and he might be contrite. Catch him in the Bad Place and he might kick you in the (privates).”
He weighs in on what appears to have been a feud between Milch and McShane, who deservedly won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Gem saloon owner Al Swearengen: “Milch was quoted in VARIETY as saying ‘Swearingen was written for Ed O’Neill. If Ed had played the role, DEADWOOD would probably still be on the air.’ Several of yall have asked me about that. Well here is what I know – Ian said some things to another person that he (regretted) saying. In fact, he phoned the person up a few weeks later and apologized. Here is what I’m guessing – in the interim, Ian’s opinions got back to David. David had a phone interview with VARIETY immediately following his hearing of Ian’s choice words. He reacted by mouthing off.”
Brown has respect for empathy and respect for both Milch and McShane: “Just because one is a great writer or a great actor, doesn’t mean one is infinitely in the right. We can all be petty. We can all be mean. We can all say s*** that we later come to regret. … Ian is a great actor – Ed (O’Neill) is too. However, no one could come close to embodying and elevating Al Swearingen like Ian McShane did. Like me, Ian was blindsided by the cancellation of our show. And like me, he isn’t entirely over it 16 months later.”
For all the talk of actors’ schedules being a roadblock for the “Deadwood” finale, Brown vouches that the show’s most pivotal actor is one of many willing to return: “Ian wants to play Al (Swearengen) again. Tim (Olyphant) wants to be Seth Bullock. As for the rest of the cast—I know of seven cast members who have new shows premiering this fall. Every single one of them wants to return to DEADWOOD. Almost all of them got their shows because (their) producers were big (“Deadwood”) fans. I’m sure they would be allowed to spend a few days working on new DEADWOODs.”
Brown was scheduled to have lunch this week with McShane and Sean Bridgers, who plays Johnny Burns: “If we concoct a new take on things, I’ll be sure to let you know. We best open a can of peaches…”
Avoid the unauthorized cinnamon, gentlemen.
(Photo of Brown via MySpace.)
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 1:53 pm by Chris Serico.
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Thank you for the update. We certainly hope that Milch and HBO work something out to get this fantastic show on the air again. HBO is a wasteland of at the moment and could use the caliber of Deadwood gracing its screens.
Without Deadwood, I don’t need hbo. I do like Big Love but not as much as Deadwood!!!!! I Like Deadwood more so than I ever liked the Sapranos. Oh by the way John from Cincinatti-terrible, ridiculous, a total waste of tv air time.
JFC wasn’t a total waste of TV time- it’s only a total waste if NO ONE likes it. I for one did. It was no Deadwood- for certain- but except for the reused actors it wasn’t trying to be… Two greatest shows ever- The Wire and Deadwood…
Thanks for the update. I’d love to see Deadwood return to HBO, and was wondering when that would happen.
Sopranos, Deadwood, John From Cincinatti, The Wire, and a few Showtime efforts- pools of clean water in the vast television desert. I hope the powers that be, and the egos, see fit to bring Deadwood back. I’d much rather be challenged, and poked, and puzzled, and disturbed by the likes of Milch( yes, praise be to JFC,also- absolutely) then sedated by the rest. However, if Deadwood is really gone, and John From Cincinatti was really too idiosyncratic even for HBO, then I still can’t wait to see what Milch comes up with next. I’ll be watching.
I don’t have HBO since they cancelled DEADWOOD.
I would get HBO again if they make the 2 movies liked they PROMISED!
I would also like to see GERALD MCRANEY in the movies.
He was robbed of an Emmy nomination this year.
Ian IS Al. Ed is not.
BRING ON THE MOVIES AS PROMISED HBO and MILCH!!!!
PLEASE revive the show! You can’t leave us like this with so many questions. The acting was excellent..I hope we will see JFC come back.
I am not an amarican. I enjoyed Deadwood. According to Milch Deadwood was “Birth of America and Birth of civilization”. I hope they expand it to 2 more seasons.
I SUBSCRIBE TO HBO BECAUSE THEY PROMISE TO DELIVER, WELL THEY DON’T. HBO IS NOT CHEAP AND IT’S 97% CRAP, IF DEADWOOD IS DEAD, SO IS HBO! “JFC” WAS A JOKE! DAVID MILCH HAS LOST HIS MIND AND POSSABLY CANNOT DIRECT. WHAT ELSE HAS HBO GOT TO OFFER? I’D RATHER WATCH INFO-MERCIALS ALL EVENING. GOODBYE HBO I’M GOING TO THE BOOKSTORE!
I agree with most everyone that Deadwood was without question the best show on tv period. I would never have hbo as a premium channel again unless Deadwood returns. What the hell were they thinking getting rid of Deadwood and putting that piece of crap JFC on the air. Mr. Milch PLEASE make things work out for all the Deadwood fans, and thank you and your staff and all the actors for a great 3 seasons. It would be nice to see the story continue for a few more seasons.
Without Doubt Deadwood was the greatest show I Have ever seen on TV when I saw episode 4 of season one I was absolutely hooked for a Tv Show absolute Genius .
I never missed another episode, the Creator of this show could easily run this Forever for Me, McShane and Brown were Terrific, its such a shame Directors & Producers don’t Know what the have until they have dumped it.
There is so much sh-t on tv now i cannot believe something of this Quality is finished…A Very Disappointed Scotsman
I just finished watching Episode 1 again on DVD and remembered back to the first time I came across this show as my wife was catching the first 3 re-runs. I have NOT been glued to a series on TV-of any kind- or pay TV since I was in my teens, but Deadwood made me a “TV HOOKED LIKE ON CRACK” WATCHER. Why in God’s name did they, Milch, whoever, stop this show? What were they thinking, what were they drinking? It certainly wasn’t whiskey at the Gem, if so the show would still be on. If the folks at HBO, Milch, the actors all thought about it long and hard they’d be back at it. By the way, isn’t the basic law of economics “supply and demand”? Don’t these folks get it that there is a “demand” here that they were “supplying?” Swearenger would surely understand that, wouldn’t he?!!!!!!
Deadwood is the finest entertainment production to date. The acting is raw, pure and rare. The writing is on par with any in history. The lighting, set, costumes, sound, photography and editing have not only been elavated to the pinnacle of todays technology but more importantly have been held their. The entire effort is unprecedented. As it happens HBO was the most likely film company for the phenomenon to have occured. While HBO had the means to produce Deadwood they apperantly do not have the vision to recognize film making genius. I subscribed to HBO when I discovered Deadwood. I canceled when they stopped production. I will subscribe again if production resumes. Before Deadwood, HBO never produced anything I would buy.
They produced Deadwood. It was a fluke. They don’t even recognize what they have made.
Comments from across the pond: I have to say that I and thousands like me feel sad at the loss of such a great show, particularly in light of anything decent to replace it (I mean – Lost..what’s that about).
Lets finish this thing off even if it is one more series – we need closure.
Clearly my comments are late in coming. After watching all three seasons of Deadwood straight through, within a week for the third time, I’m again left in awe of what I consider fine cinamatic art.In fact I can’t think of another film, western or otherwise that equals it except maybe Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven and, or course Lonesome Dove. The fact Deadwood ended after three seasons leaving many of us craving for more is probably a good thing. By the way, I’m still struggling a little with Brian Cox’s Jack Langrishe role and how it fit in to the overall story, knowing of course Langrishe had his theatre in Deadwood.FN
I miss deadwood
Like to watch Stargate Atlantis episodes and also Lost. I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.