The TV Chick

Ringer finally premieres tonight and I’m very excited about it. The new CW show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as twins Bridget and Siobhan. One takes the other’s place, one’s running from the law — classic, good drama. Kris Polaha plays Henry, the guy Siobhan was having an affair with and Ioan Gruffudd plays Andrew, Siobhan’s distant husband. I recently had the chance to talk to the cast at Comic Con, and both Ioan and Kris had some interesting things to say about their characters and why this show fits with the CW, instead of CBS, which it was slated for.

How much do you know about your characters?

Ioan Gruffudd: We’ve been given sort of a broad stroke, but that could change within two episode. So I don’t know. We are going to introduce a new character, Olivia, who is Andrew’s business partner, that Jamie Murray’s playing, so there could be some intrigue there. And I’m just one character. That’s the beauty of the show is that we all as audience have been let in on a secret. The twins have swapped lives. And you’ll get to discover the other characters through both of their eyes.

Where are Andrew’s suspicions going to lead as the season continues?

IG: I was thinking about it and it is rather strange for us as an audience. We have to suspect that somebody’s wife would come home and it’s somebody different that he’d [know] but I think he’s desperate to have his wife back. The backstory that I made for myself is that they were desperately in love but she’s a big part of his success. She’s the brains behind the operation, and it’s gone sour for whatever reason. Of course, we all know she’s having an extra-martial affair and so I think that he is desperately trying to cling on to — just trying to keep a family, a basis for more success.

Could you tell us a little bit about your relationship with Siobhan, Kris? Seems like it’s a little troublesome?

Kris Polaha: Henry and Siobhan are having an affair. I guess he was born on the Upper West Side. They all live on the Upper East Side, but they live in this sort of socialite and very successful world of the Upper East Side and Henry doesn’t really vibe with that group and Siobhan didn’t really, so they had this nice bond and I think it was pretty genuine. So when Bridget shows up in Siobhan’s shoes, Henry’s whole thing is upset. My character is not too happy. We snapshot and zoom in and he’s about to make some major changes. He’s hoping Siobhan’s on board and then obviously, she’s not. This guy (points to Ioan) fucks it up.

Are we going to learn what lead to the affair in flashbacks?

KP: I don’t know. I mean, honestly, I don’t know anything.

IG: I am sure we have a duty because the audience is already intrigued. So we have a duty to answer those questions whether it’s immediately or towards the end of the season. But I think that we have a duty now that we’ve set that up, we can’t cheat the audience now that we’ve told them what to expect. It’s kind of like a Greek tragedy in that sense. We told them this is the premise, this is the story, and now we’re going to show you how that transpired.

What are your thoughts on the show being on the CW and how do you think it fits in with the network?

KP: I just think that the show obviously was slated for CBS, it’s no secret. I think that Les Moonves very smartly looked at it and said this show is going to do a lot better on the CW, as far as its audience and the demographic that we’re working towards. And then you marry that with the idea that Sarah Michelle Gellar was on the WB for Buffy so it’s sort of in a way, a homecoming for her. And the CW frankly has laid out the red carpet for the show in regards to how much they are willing to spend per episode and how much they are spending on promotions. And I just think the CW has a really, really loyal — my buddy Jensen Ackles is on Supernatural and the numbers aren’t amazing every week rating-wise. The numbers wouldn’t allow that show to survive on any other network. But the network has gotten behind it. It’s on its 7th season. It has a huge international following. It’s become an anime show in Japan. It’s become this boutique network that services this type of show really well. So, I think it’s a great fit. Because if we were on CBS and our numbers weren’t like, a billion people watching in the first episode, they’d gack us by the third episode and you’d have this embarrassing sort of mess on everyone’s hands. So I think it’s a good fit.

IG: Well said.

KP: He can do the storyline. I just sit back and listen to him. That thing about the Greek Tragedy? I was like, “That’s fucking brilliant!”

Do you think we’ll see a confrontation between your two characters?

IG: I would love that.

KP: I am sure there will be something at some point where Andrew will be like, “Henry, I need your help. I can’t figure this out. Will you take Siobhan to the lake this week?” And I’ll be like, “Yes! I will! Are you kidding me?” And then he’ll get suspicious and try to kill me.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 PM to the CW for the series premiere of Ringer. It’s a cant-miss!