Interview with "Revenge" & "24" star James Morrison. "Bill Buchanan" becomes a killer!

James P. Morrison never sang for the Doors. No, he isn't "Broken Strings" singer James Morrison either. James P. Morrison is however a fantastic actor, musician, director and family man. You will recognize James' face from his many wonderful roles on TV & film. A fan favorite for his role on "24" as Bill Buchanan, James has also appeared on "Hawthorne", "Private Practice" & many more hit series. James' latest role is as the mysterious "White Haired Man" killer on the smash ABC show "Revenge". I recently talked with James about this role, his "Showing Up" film and more.

ABC Revenge site: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/revenge

So tell me how you came to be a part of "Revenge" cast.
James: Mike Kelly called me out of the blue and said that they wanted me to be a part of the show. They didn't have anything written for me except that they were calling me "The Bearded Man". It transformed into "The White-Haired man." He promised me that I'd be the most evil bad guy of all time & I was in! 


You have told me that the set of "Revenge" has been the best set that you have ever worked on.
James: Yes! When you come aboard a show as a guest star, except for rare instances, you are treated with "What are you doing here?" I was greeted on the set of "Revenge" by Emily Van Camp, Madeline Stowe & others with hugs. They told me "We're so happy that you are here!" Everyone is so kind. Madeline Stowe is the most swell thing in the world! I adore Emily so much!

James went on to tell me about how the cast & crew went out of the way to be kind to a couple of youngsters from his son's school.
James: Two of the students were interested in being a make up artist and an actress. I got permission to take the kids on the set and they were treated like Queens for the day. Emily and others spent time with them and gave them a day to remember.

http://www.showingupmovie.com/
I talked with James about the "Showing Up" movie that he directed & is now in the process of promoting. A fabulous film! Actors open up about the audition process like they never have before. The movie stars "Mad Men" 's John Slattery, Mary Lynn Rajskub from "24", Kristin Chenoweth among many others. I asked James how he came up with the concept.
James: I was talking with a character actor who shared with me a truly horrible audition story. I said to myself, I have to do something with this. Years later, this film is the result. We all audition in our own way. No matter what we do in life. 

How easy was it to get all these great actors to participate?
James: Easier than I thought! We went to our friends first and then the great community of New York actors came through for us. Fantastic folks!

I have to ask. The "24" movie is in the works. Even though Bill Buchanan is dead, is there any chance we will see him in the movie. Death hasn't stopped them before!
James: You know what I'm going to say! I can't imagine that happening. A shame because that character brought something to the soup that was needed. "24" was a great ride.

Do you still get stopped on the street by "24" fans?
Yes, but you never know what you are going to be recognized for. I recently got stopped by someone on the subway who recognized me from "Numbers" You never know!

James' son went through a challenging health situation a few years ago. He had a brain tumor which was operated on & followed by a year of chemotherapy. Immediately after the surgery, he couldn't walk, talk or see. I asked James how Seamus is doing today.
James: He is doing great! He is making great strides! He was an amazing baseball player and dancer before the surgery and he has regained his skills. 

James: Today Seamus has a full head of beautiful hair. He sometimes likes to cover it with a snazzy hat that he crocheted himself!
It's hard to convey on paper, the love, affection & pride I heard in James voice as he talked about his son. Seamus is a lucky boy to have such a great Dad.

James told me that the organization http://www.thinkagain.org/ was instrumental in helping Seamus regaining his skills. We both urge you to visit their website and support them with a donation. A fantastic cause!
James also shared that the good folks at http://www.wish.org/ granted Seamus his wish and provided him with some great smiles during the tough times.

I thank James so much for spending time with me! Catch him on "Revenge", order "Showing Up" the movie & follow him on Twitter!


James P. Morrison links:
http://www.jpmorrison.com/
http://twitter.com/jamespmorrison
http://www.facebook.com/james.james.morrison
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0607175/