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| From left: Huntington, Witwer, Rath. Courtesy Syfy |
A show with this much happening only works when the actors on camera have chemistry, and the cast of Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath and Sam Witwer seem to have a supernatural amount of it. An attractive, likable trio, they appear realistic in their relationships within the show because their off-screen relationships are also the real deal.
Paranormal Pop Culture recently had an opportunity to ask the actors about this chemistry on the second season (read Season Two secrets here), and the funny exchange that follows was their answer.
Paranormal Pop Culture: One of the things that makes Being Human successful is that you guys have this believable chemistry. You actually seem to get along with one another. So from Season One when we spoke about this to Season Two, how are you guys interacting differently as actors on set this sophomore year? Do you trust each other more, do you seek out advice from one another about how to deal with a scene? Do you feel more comfortable to fight and push back?
Meaghan Rath: I do not do a scene without first consulting Sam Witwer. He coaches me.
Sam Witwer: It’s true. And I give her the OK whether she should do it or not, and sometimes she shouldn’t do it. I’m like look.
Meaghan Rath: Often it’s just 'don’t do it.'
Sam Huntington: Those are horrible directions.
Sam Witwer: You have to march right back to the producers and tell them you’re not doing this.
Sam Huntington: Yeah it’s miserable. And I’m on the outside looking in, I’m just sitting there in my trailer waiting it out, you know what I mean?
Sam Witwer: Yeah well it’s kind of fun because Meaghan has almost gotten fired several times because of things that I told her to do.
Sam Huntington: Exactly. And the weird thing is she’s so loyal to Witwer that she won’t start, like no, there’s this guy who’s telling me not to do this.
Sam Witwer: Yeah, me and Meaghan have this relationship where it’s a little bit like the bond between kidnapper and victim.
Sam Huntington: Yes.
Sam Witwer: It’s a little bit like that.
Sam Huntington: Brainwashed.
Meaghan Rath: I have Stockholm syndrome.
Sam Witwer: So if this is partially answering your question like we really like hanging out. We really do and this year the three characters they get split up a little bit and they go off on their own little journeys and for us that just made us appreciate every time that we had a scene together all the more. And you know I think there’s like one or two scenes with us at least in every episode with all three of us. But I think our favorite episode to shoot was this episode that’s coming up down the line. Where we’re in every scene together throughout the whole episode. That was kind of, for us it was like oh this is the way to do it, this is the way to do the show. Who needs other actors?
Sam Huntington: Yeah, it’s what the show is about and to be honest like we were comfortable with each other instantly on set. Our relationship in that regard hasn’t changed. I feel like we like pretty much learned who each other were by half way through the first season, not even and have - our friendship has grown and built and everything. But we have so much trust and faith in one another and like I just know, when we’re in a scene with one another, it’s going to work and there’s going to be that shorthand and it’s going to be fun and it’s going to be loose and it’s going to be natural.
So you just have that confidence going into it and then in all seriousness like I think we also - I can speak for myself anyway - when I have a question or if I have a concern or if I am struggling with a piece of motivation I always ask Sam or Meaghan what they think.
And because I respect and love them so much and trust them so much so it really is truly as lame as that sounds it’s kind of true and also I feel very fortunate to have that relationship with them.
Sam Witwer: I think something that’s really cool about our relationship is this thing with me and Sammy and Meaghan is that both of those actors can do a whole bunch of stuff that I can’t. And I think that’s really awesome. Like there’s not a lot of overlap in terms of personality and ability so we all have our own turf with which we have to play with but at the same time I love watching an episode and seeing what they’re doing.
Because it’s like wow, look at all the stuff that they’re bringing that I frankly don’t know how to do. I love watching them and then stealing from them when I can.
Meaghan Rath: Yah, I think the best thing about it is that the trust level has gone up so much and for me these two guys are the people I trust most on set and you always feel like in scenes you’re in good hands. Like you’re never questioning the direction the scene is supposed to go in because it just always works every time we’re together. We just are able to feed off each other in a way that I’ve never experienced before.
Sam Huntington: There’s a scene in episode one, it’s actually online right now, it’s the scene that they teased, the scene in the kitchen where Kristen comes down and she’s like you know I pulled this you know high school reunion invitation out the trashcan and Meaghan’s very funny, Kristen’s very funny.
Anyway when we - obviously it’s episode one so you get the set and you know we’re shooting that scene I’m like God is this - is it - like I couldn’t tell what I was doing, like it was still so fresh in the process of season two and we were like getting back into it. And I was like this feels good but I really hope it’s working and then you see that scene and it just - I personally think it’s fantastic. Like it just nails the relationship, it picks back up exactly where it left off. And I was just so happy to see that.
Sam Witwer: And also Kristen Hager [who plays Huntington's love interest "Nora"] is just wonderful this season, she’s so great. She is such a talented actress and we - and it should be noted we feel tremendously bonded to Kristen as well. You know she’s one of us and is really awesome when we see someone that we’ve worked with for so long and that we bonded with come to set, it’s like oh it’s her, it’s Kristen. You know she’s there a lot so that’s good.