DVDs
Television
Music
DVD
Television
Television
Television
Television
Movies
Television
Television
Television
Blu-ray
Television
Television
© c) 2008 Sue Schneider
Kari Wuhrer at the wrap party for TNT's LEVERAGE and THE LIBRARIAN: CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE
Television:
Exclusive Interview: ACTRESS KARI WUHRER HAS A 'REUNION' AS A GUEST STAR ON 'LEVERAGE'
The Season Three premiere event airs tonight at 9:00 PM (8c) on TNT
By CARL CORTEZ, Contributing Editor
Published 6/20/2010
For Kari Wuhrer, getting hired as a guest star on tonight’s two-hour premiere event of LEVERAGE (airing at 9:00 pm/8c on TNT) was like her own special little reunion. Ironically enough, the episode she was in was titled “The Reunion Job.”
Wuhrer had previously worked for LEVERAGE executive producer/director Dean Devlin on the 2002 movie EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS (that Devlin had produced) and Wuhrer’s husband James Scura is also the UPM (Unit Production Manager) on LEVERAGE in Oregon where the show shoots.
That said, she admits that getting the role of the mysterious Nikki in the episode, she didn’t curry any favors. She had to earn it the hard way by auditioning.
“I had to audition like everybody else actually, even though my husband works on the show,” says Wuhrer. “They were originally going to hire an actor for this character out of Portland. So they put me on tape to send to [director Jonathan] Frakes so I could get this job. Good thing I got my tape up there quick. They saw it and it was the perfect job for me. But after I got the job I was very happy because I felt I earned it.”
In the episode (the second half of tonight’s episode), she plays a sexy vixen who attends a 25 year high school reunion set up by our Leverage team, but her interest is with the episode’s Big Bad – a software giant played by Ayre Gross.
[BEWARE SPOILERS BELOW]
“Nikki is a hit person who is hired to assassinate Ayre Gross’s character,” says Wuhrer. “And she gets in the way of the Leverage crew when it comes to their job. So I basically have to go in there and get Ayre where he’s most vulnerable because he’s all about living in 1985. And it’s funny too, because it’s the year I graduated high school and this is a high school reunion. He’s trying to be big man on campus because he was a dork in high school. I’m this seductress hit person and I get to make out with Tim at the same time – so it’s kind of fun.”
Working with Hutton was a blast for Wuhrer who says the talented actor really gets to show off his comedic side even moreso than in previous episodes.
“This is an episode where you see Tim push his comedic chops even further, because the character within the episode is very funny,” says Wuhrer. “It was great to watch him and he was great. And we got to do these little bits together. It was funny to watch him do his stuff. Tim could do a sitcom of his own next. He’s great.”
And how was it working on the same show her husband is UPM on?
“It was so funny, so many people on the crew were like asking him, ‘that’s your wife – how’d you get her?,’” says Wuhrer. “Of course, I’m in perfect hair and make-up and push-up bra the whole time – and they’re thinking he’s like this nerdy numbers guy and I’m like this hot actress. He was just proud – and he got to watch me make out with two different guys on the same day.”
As for her work on EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS, Wuhrer loved that experience and was unsure she would even get the job since she had to put her audition on tape when she was in South Africa while making another movie, but she ended up getting an in-person audition when she returned home and Devlin called her personally to tell her she got the part.
“The movie was groundbreaking to some extent,” says Wuhrer. “Dean had this idea of making a sort of 1950s crazy B-movie into something with modern effects and a bigger budget. Everyone I talk to who is a fan of the movie loves the humor in the movie – it’s exactly what he wanted to get across. And it was so much fun to do. When I did ANACONDA, I had to react to a giant snake as a green piece of tape on a C-stand. So I was really prepared to do the same for EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS, but they really made the off-camera visuals fun and interesting. There were spiders on set – it was cool.”
Wuhrer was also known as the go-to genre actress for awhile appearing in HELLRAISER, PROPHECY and HITCHER sequels – and she relished all of those projects.
“As an actor, it’s really challenging and high-energy work,” says Wuhrer. “I especially loved doing HELLRAISER: DEADER with Rick Bota out in Romania. I loved working with those guys. As an actress it’s great. I’ve never really worried about what labels have been put on me, and doing what I like to do. I really love the work I did, it was challenging and I got to travel to really great places. The fans are great. I went from that and did a soap opera for a year. I just do what makes me happy. I’ll work wherever they’ll have me.”
In the meantime, she’s thrilled to have been part of LEVERAGE and would love to see her Nikki character reappear at some point. But more than anything, she thinks LEVERAGE is a great show and is really proud of what they accomplish week after week.
“I think these actors are doing a phenomenal job, working very very hard and creating an energy that brings an audience in and brings them back again and again,” she says. “In this day age, against these very violent and volatile television shows people are trying to make, it’s great to have something that you can sit and watch with your family that doesn’t embarrass you, make you bluish or make you feel uncomfortable. There’s a little bit of violence, but overall, it’s a show I can be proud of to sit and watch with my family and knowing mommy and daddy have worked on it and you don’t find that anymore."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE EXCLUSIVE 'LEVERAGE' INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS AND NEWS
Reader Comments
CandyMaize from here and there sez....
Enjoyed the Nikki character and was great to see Kari guest acting on Leverage. Nice interview! :)
6/21/2010 9:21:32 PM
Jen from Wisconsin sez....
She was fabulous...I loved the bit when she locked Tim in the closet and stuffed the key down the front of her shirt. The duel between her and Gina was fun to watch as well!
6/21/2010 7:54:02 AM
Larry Fleming from Atlanta, Ga sez....
Kari is a good actress, I was glad to see her doing this serious role(chuckle). Nikki has her reputation to defend, a return role?
6/21/2010 5:13:45 AM
