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Exclusive Interview: 'VERONICA MARS' JASON DOHRING SPROUTS FANGS FOR 'MOONLIGHT' - iFMagazine.com Send to a friend
© (c) 2007 The CW Jason Dohring in VERONICA MARS

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Exclusive Interview: 'VERONICA MARS' JASON DOHRING SPROUTS FANGS FOR 'MOONLIGHT'

Star talks sexy vamps,living forever, and a new direction not taken for the cast of MARS

By SEAN ELLIOTT, Senior Editor
Published 8/2/2007



Not much is known at this point about the new CBS vampire drama MOONLIGHT. Taking a cue from Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt’s BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER spin-off series ANGEL, MOONLIGHT is about a vampire detective with a soul fighting the good fight in Los Angeles. The series, originally called TWILIGHT, has been plagued with problems from the onset. Producer Joel Silver never actually had a full pilot filmed, and instead presented the network with selected scenes to get a green light.
 
Beyond that the series was joined by producer Greenwalt and there were massive casting changes involved including the addition of VERONICA MARS alum Jason Dohring. Now, in a recent turn of events, Greewalt has left the series. So, where do they go from here?

iF MAGAZINE spoke with Jason Dohring recently to at lest get the low down on his role on this tumultuous new series and see what his thoughts for the future of MOONLIGHT hold.
  
iF MAGAZINE: You’ve just started shooting and this is a re-envisioning of what was being worked on before?
 
JASON DOHRING: Yeah it’s quite different than the original pilot, which I don’t think anybody has really seen. So do you want to know story points?
 
iF: You play a 400-year-old vampire named Josef?

DOHRING: Yes, a 400-year-old vampire who has a penthouse in Century City. He’s a billionaire hedge fund trader similar to Gordon Gecko’s character in WALL STREET. He has women lying around everywhere to drink from whenever he wants and gets hungry. He’s full or pleasure and life. He’s the head of a ring of vampires in L.A. and he’s one of the oldest and therefore has some authority and rank. He’s something of a mentor to our main character, Mick, because he is only ninety years old or so. He knows and has been around the block.

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iF: I hate to use terms from another vampire series, but is Josef the master of the city? Is he the oldest vampire in this neck of the woods?
 
DOHRING: I don’t quite know how old we’re going to go, but he’s one of the oldest at 400. From what I’ve been reading, once they get around a thousand years old that’s where you get the real power. But, I’m sure they’ll have other vampires show up eventually that are older than him and higher in rank.

iF: Even though he is so old, it’s like he’s going on thirty?
 
DOHRING: He’s going on twenty-three is what they told me. Obviously, he has a lot of gusto for life. Imagine 400 years of experience. He knew Mozart and he knows where ancient art pieces are buried. So they could write stories altering history if they wanted to make him a part of it.
 
iF: How much of a back-story did they give you to play with because 400-years-old is a really difficult idea to play?
 
DOHRING: I think we’ll just create it as we go because we can’t know all of the things that have happened. We’re about nine episodes down the line in terms of story and I think there’s going to be some cool things in terms of younger vampires trying to take over and overthrow the status quo, meaning me. So I think there’s some really interesting things to explore.
 
iF: How far from the end of VERONICA MARS was this series offered to you?
 
DOHRING: I don’t know. VERONICA MARS’ fate was a little uncertain, but Rob Thomas came to me and said that it was about a ten percent chance that it would get picked up, but there was the idea that was more promising of a series set four years in the future with Veronica working in the FBI. They did a pilot presentation for that and there was about a forty or fifty percent chance that it was going to go, but then I got this. This role is so intense and fun. It’s the most creative and intricate thing that I have done so far.
 
iF: So the vampire makeup is different from say the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER vampires with the crumpled up foreheads?
 
DOHRING: No, It’s very real and natural looking. They really made a point to do that with the makeup. The vampires are very sexy. These guys are sleek and sexy and it’s going to be great.
 
iF: Clothes by Armani and Versace?
 
DOHRING: Oh yeah. We did a wardrobe test and it was all Dolce and Gabbana suits and that was all we had. He’s at the top of his game and young looking and he’ll always be in suits.
 
iF: Do you know if your vampire has made others?
 
DOHRING: I’m sure he has. I don’t know to what extent. I’m just excited by this project because these characters have an extraordinary outlook on life and have tons of experiences, but they happen to be vampires.
 

Reader Comments

LA (No. really. >,<) from CA (Seriously) sez....
YAY Jason! I didn't watch Veronica Mars, but I'm obsessed with Moonlight!!! Kya!!! YOU MADE THE NEWS!!!!
7/12/2008 3:17:49 PM

Bridget from Miami sez....
JAAASOOON!!!!<3
1/21/2008 10:44:36 AM

Victoria from LA sez....
jason is THE hottest guy i the world<3 I love him<3
1/21/2008 10:42:03 AM

laura from italia sez....
jason sei molto affascinante e sexi...mi piace molto il tuo ruolo in veronica mars e tu e veronica nel telefilm formate una bellissima coppia...io vi adoro,mi fate commuovere...W la coppia logan e veronica...i love you!!!!!
11/28/2007 9:36:57 AM

Corinne from New Orleans, La. sez....
I think Jason will be a fantastic asset to Moonlight. The potential for great storylines is never-ending
11/21/2007 3:18:45 PM

very from italia sez....
jason dohring 6 fantastico e bellissimo. lo so ke nn mi puoi capire. jason e kristen insieme formate una coppia da sballo. Logan e veronica= love forever
10/27/2007 5:28:03 AM

soukaina from italy sez....
i think that this programm is musch nice and is an entersting story
9/27/2007 7:00:57 AM

M from Cracow sez....
Vampires are my achilles'heel It is great that J.D will be in Moonlight he really suits to this role he have this....charm
8/6/2007 1:02:04 PM

Betsy from Charlotte sez....
I loved Jason on Veronica Mars, and I am sad it is gone. But I look forward to seeing Jason branch out and do something different
8/3/2007 11:56:15 AM

Victoria from Kansas City, MO sez....
I love J.D. he was amazing in Veronica Mars, I can't wait to see him in this role!
8/2/2007 6:50:14 PM

GM from Chicago, Il sez....
Any idea if Jason's character would have continued on the series if Veronica Mars had been picked up with the FBI premise?
8/2/2007 12:27:17 PM

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