Brad Beyer at the CBS Summer Press Tour Party held at Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. on July 19, 2007.

As Stanley Richmond on the CBS television drama Jericho, Brad Beyer plays the laid back farmer with a high-strung IRS auditor girlfriend (Alicia Coppola) from Washington, D.C., and a deaf sister, named Bonnie (Shoshannah Stern). Even though Season 2 is abbreviated to only seven episodes, the 34-year-old film, television and theater actor says that there is still time for character, as well as story, development, and he thinks fans of the series will be left wanting more.

Beyer recently spoke with MediaBlvd Magazine about the unprecedented experience of having your series cancelled, and then brought back, due to fan demand.

MediaBlvd Magazine> What made you want to get into acting, and when did you know it was what you wanted to do?

Brad Beyer> I grew up in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, in a suburb called Waukesha. I didn’t really start thinking about acting until I got to college. I took a class my freshman year, called Acting for Non-Theater Majors, and I just loved it and wanted to continue with it. So, I auditioned for a couple plays at school, at the University of Minnesota, and got a couple of lead roles. One of the professors in the drama department there suggested I go to New York to study and really pursue it, so that’s what I did. I left after my sophomore year and moved to New York City to start studying and auditioning.

MediaBlvd> Had someone suggested that theater course to you?

Brad> No, I had been thinking about it. I always wanted to give it a shot because I always enjoyed movies, and I always enjoyed going to plays and watching actors, when I was in high school. I just never did it. I was an athlete in high school. I played sports. But, when I got there, I saw that it was part of a course selection. I took it and instantly fell in love with it.

MediaBlvd> How did you originally come to Jericho? Was it just through the regular pilot auditioning process?

Brad> Funny enough, with all the thousands of auditions I’ve been on in my life, Jericho was an offer. They were trying to find someone for the part of Stanley, and I was out of town, in Bulgaria, doing a movie. My agent sent over my reel and said, “This guy is really right for what you’re looking for.” And, the creators of the show -- Jon Turtletaub, the executive producer, and Stephen Chbosky, who was one of the head writers, at the time -- saw the tape and decided, without even seeing me, that I was the way to go for that character, which was unbelievable because, usually in this town, you’ve got to go through 30 auditions before they give you a part.

MediaBlvd> Were you able to immediately identify with the role, or was it something that you had to figure out once you got the offer? 

Brad> When I read the script, it was not a very large part, in the pilot. He was the guy who never got out of town. He runs the family farm with his sister, who is deaf. Growing up in the Midwest, I knew guys who did that kind of work. I was around a lot of blue collar guys. My dad’s in construction. So, I had a feel for how he should be. When I started, I had an idea in my head and, as we went along, working with the writer’s, he’s evolved from there. When I went into it, I knew the kind of guy I wanted him to be.

MediaBlvd> Are you the type of actor who like to do research and create a character backstory, or do you prefer to just go with what’s given to you in the script?

Brad> I do like to go and try to do some work on my own. It’s definitely a combination of both. You take what the writer gives you, and you take what you bring to it. It’s a combination of those things.

MediaBlvd> Did the experience that you had on Third Watch help prepare you for the grueling schedule of a television series, as one of the main characters?

Brad> When I worked on Third Watch, I was brought on as a recurring character, so it was not as much work. But, the experience of being in front of the camera and working with different people, and everything I had done up to that point, helped.

MediaBlvd> When you do a project like this, about a subject matter that could so easily become a reality, is that something you’re conscious of while you’re filming?

Brad> Some of the things we’ve been dealing with on the show, like the whole terrorist situation with bombs going off, are things that we are dealing with in this country, right now. I think all of us are very conscious of that. It’s a portrayal of a situation that could actually happen, and we have to be conscious of that, and we’re trying to portray it as honestly and realistically as possible.

MediaBlvd> Since many of your scenes are with either Alicia Coppola or Shoshannah Stern, can you talk about working with each of them and what they both bring to your performance?

Brad> Both Alicia and Shoshannah are incredible. Shoshannah is a real deaf actor. She’s a fourth generation deaf person. She’s one of the most intelligent, talented actresses I’ve ever worked with. She can convey so many different emotions and feelings without speaking. She can do it through her sign language and she can do it with her facial expression. All the sign language work that I had to do on the show, she held my hand through all of that. She helped me out so much. If it ends up looking real at all, it’s because of her. She’s just amazing. And, she brings out a vulnerability in Stanley that is really valuable and important. Working with her has been incredible. And, Alicia Coppola and I, right when we met, knew that there was a connection and we had a certain chemistry, especially the way the two characters are written. It just really worked out great. She’s an amazing actress. She’s a very funny actress. She’s got great comic timing. And, she’s just a dream to work with.

MediaBlvd> Did you no sign language prior to doing this role, or did you learn it specifically to work with Shoshannah?

Brad> No, I did not. I learned it as we went. It’s been great. Shoshannah has an interpreter named Ramon. When we have a sign language scene, we try to get it a week beforehand, so that when we get on set, it looks good. It’s been incredible. It’s something I, otherwise, probably would have never learned, so I’m very glad for the experience.

MediaBlvd> Were you shocked when you were told that the show would be coming back, after it had been cancelled? How did that whole process happen? Did they tell you the show was finished, and then call you and tell you they changed their minds?

Brad> We were officially cancelled by CBS. I got the hard phone call from Jon Turtletaub, our head producer, and was very sad. We were all very sad. We did not expect to get cancelled. In my head, I didn’t want to believe it, but after a week, I had to come to grips with it. And, just as I started to try to move on, we got a call saying that there was all kinds of activity over the Internet to try to bring the show back. Next thing you know, there was this huge nuts campaign, and people were writing in, and CBS changed their mind, which is incredible because nobody ever does that. It’s pretty unprecedented.

MediaBlvd> Without giving anything away, what can viewers expect from these seven new episodes?

Brad> Without question, it’s the best seven episodes we’ve ever done. It’s like a freight train, the way it moves. It’s very powerful, emotional and funny. It runs the gamut of emotion. It’s the best work, as a cast and crew, that we’ve ever done.

MediaBlvd> Will there be a conclusion at the end of the seven episodes, or is there a cliff-hanger? Will viewers feel that things are wrapped up, or will they be left wanting more?

Brad> Hopefully, the way it’s done, if our numbers are good and things are going the way we hope, there is definitely a season cliff-hanger.

MediaBlvd> Are you hoping to come back?

Brad> I would absolutely come back. I love the show. I love the people involved with it. It’s been one of the best experiences of my career, and I would certainly want to come back.

MediaBlvd> Do you think the writer’s strike could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the show, since there is a lack of new programming right now?

Brad> Funny enough, it just might. We’re going to be one of the only shows on TV with new programming. And, we’re coming back after that whole drama of being cancelled and then being brought back, so I think people are going to be very curious to see what the show’s all about, if they missed it the first season. Our DVD sales were very strong and people are curious about the show, so I’m thinking and hoping that it will help us. I hope there’s something good to come of it.                                                                   

MediaBlvd> What has been the most rewarding thing about being a part of Jericho, and what have the biggest challenges of being on the show been?

Brad> The most rewarding part of it is the cast and the crew that I’ve been able to work with. It’s the best group of people I’ve worked with, in my career. And, also, getting the chance to play such a great, well-rounded character that the writers have created. For an actor, it’s a great thing to be able to do. As far as challenges go, I’m just hoping that we get to come back. If we don’t, it’s going to be a challenge letting it go because it is so great and so fun.

MediaBlvd> Having done film, television and theater, do you have a personal favorite, or do you hope to continue to work in all three?

Brad> I really do hope to continue to work in all three. An actor benefits from working in all the different mediums. Theater is the actor’s medium because you’re on stage every night with other actors, by yourself. There’s no director there to guide you through a performance, like they are on a television or movie set. I enjoy all of them, equally. I love doing theater, and I would love to get back to New York and do a play. But, for now, I’m really enjoying what I’m doing. 

MediaBlvd> Is there a particular type of role that you look for, or that you’re hoping to play, when you’re deciding what projects to do?

Brad> I don’t think I ever say, “These are the kinds of roles I want to play.” It all depends on the script and the story, and how the character works into the story. It’s all on an individual basis.

MediaBlvd> Do you have an aspirations to work behind the camera?

Brad> Yeah, I do. A screenwriter friend of mine and I wrote a short movie that we’re doing with the cast of Jericho, that’s been really fun and exciting. I definitely hope to direct, but at this point, I’m just starting to write. I’m branching off into that, which is really fun.