The Castle Renewal Thread

[Cyranetta]

 

I laughed so hard when I read this I had tears in my eyes. I try not to blame fans too much. The press was out of control with this crap. But at some point I just throw my hands up and say believe what you want to believe.

I'm beginning to believe there's a secret fan-fiction archive of Castle Negotiation Drama Scenarios...<g>

[metaphor]

When the truth is,  (now that's it all said and done I can say it) they had to lock in Nathan because Stana wanted whatever they were going to give him. So they had to figure his crap out so then they could do hers and then they knew what they could offer the supporting cast.

 

Good for Stana for asking for, and presumably getting, an equal paycheck, especially if this is going to be the final season of the show. I guess she's been locked in to a significantly lower one in previous seasons, after all. I do wonder if she asked for the same perks, too, e.g., the four-day workweek. Selfishly, I hope not, because while I enjoy the supporting cast just fine, I really am in this for the two leads.

 

On another note, I hope a good female writer or two comes on board. Am I correct in thinking Christine Roum is the only female left (or who at least hasn't announced her departure) among the current crop of writers?

[KaveDweller]

It wasn't just money. Even so she wasn't paid much lower anyway prior to this.

 

Well if you don't include the perks it's not really equal is it? That makes sense to me.  I agree with metaphor that I really just care about watching Castle and Beckett, so I hope the screen time isn't too reduced for them.  But I think it's great if they met her request for equal pay/benefits.  (I hope that doesn't come across like some obsessed Stana fan, I'm just all for feminism). 

 

It must be nice to have a job where you can ask to work fewer hours and get paid more money. Not to mention having stuff like stylists, free clothes and drivers, and God knows what else actors get that us real people only dream of.

[verdana]

 

On another note, I hope a good female writer or two comes on board. Am I correct in thinking Christine Roum is the only female left (or who at least hasn't announced her departure) among the current crop of writers?

Roum is the only one left but I find her one of the weakest writers there unfortunately, it would be great to see a few more talented women hired for next season especially given the main focus is on Castle and Beckett's relationship. It's important to have a good, healthy mix of individuals in a writers room.

Edited May 14, 2015 by verdana

[femmefan1946]

Oh totally I mean Nathan is SUCH a good networker. He didn't just get lucky by working with Joss early on.

 

Hmm- His first job was in 1995 on OLTL. Then he was on Two Guys and a Girl from 1998-2001.And he was working pretty steadily even outside of those, including small parts in Saving Private Ryan and Blast from the Past. 

He didn't get cast by Whedon until 2002.

[verdana]

 

It must be nice to have a job where you can ask to work fewer hours and get paid more money. Not to mention having stuff like stylists, free clothes and drivers, and God knows what else actors get that us real people only dream of.

Now Stana has signed I hope she's got first dibs on all the clothes and lovely boots she gets to wear and she can take some of them home when the show is done. 

[Elysium1973]

Am I the only one not amused by "Scully and Mulder"? I agree with your above statement Verdana and you are correct Castle fans would go berserk. But that's the issue. I feel like like these two actors are cashing in on fans who blur the lines and almost making fun of them in a way. It's good promotion for the show but at what cost? 

Hal, you know I love you girl, and I love pretty much everything you've said in this thread. And as we both know All Actors Are Assholes. Stana with her Unicorn Art Shit and Nathan with his, well, whatever it is he is.  Does the man have a fucking OFF switch? Christ.  I'm really over the two of them at this point, and am glad as fuck this contract shit is over. 

But I'm a dyed in the wool Phile, and while the cynic in me does think "yeah, what the fuck is going on with DD and GA?" the other part of me is eating this shit up.  And in no small part because those two used to hate each other - and it wasn't this maybe they did or maybe they didn't we have with some other shows I could speak of - they would full on talk a bunch of shit about each other in the press.  And there were probably a lot of reasons for that (GA not getting paid what DD did, the intense shooting schedule they had with just the two of them, literally, all of the time, in Vancouver, their collective immaturity, etc).  Since 2008 they've started to make progress and certainly 2013 was a major turning point for them when they did Paley and NYCC for the 20 year reunion.  DD actually talked GA into doing the revival because she didn't want to do more TV, especially since it would be a 3 month shoot in the States away from her young kids.  So now she's referred to him as her "BFF" and he's been very affectionate to her in interviews before this "concert" even happened.  So are the trolling the fans? Yeah, to some degree.  But there is also a very clear attraction and affection between those two the belies just wanting to promote a 6 episode show that won't be seen for seven months. 

I know you and I are both cynics when it comes to the world of Showbiz, and kudos for calling out the total and utter bullshit on the Good Wife.  We both know there are so many more stories to tell, but often it is best to just let it be.  Even if the general public knew half the truths out there, it would probably fuck them up for life.  ;)

[madmaverick]

It wasn't just money. Even so she wasn't paid much lower anyway prior to this.

 

I didn't think it was just about the money but I also don't believe it when actors and fans say it's not about the money.  Especially for a network procedural. ;)  So other than money and time off (although I think both Stana and Nathan have a day off already in past season(s)), what else does a network offer actors to entice them?  Development deals?  Or would they be something negotiated separately?  Offers for other roles within ABC/Disney?  Just wondering what else Stana and Nathan may have wanted from their deal.  And is it confirmed that both have only signed 1 year deals with no built in option to extend?  

 

And I am curious if that whole recasting drama actually got whomever was behind it a better deal due to fans writing in.  I doubt it, but who knows.

 

Thanks, Hal and other people with knowledge who have contributed to a more factual discussion during this negotiation period.

 

Roum is the only one left but I find her one of the weakest writers there unfortunately, it would be great to see a few more talented women hired for next season especially given the main focus is on Castle and Beckett's relationship. It's important to have a good, healthy mix of individuals in a writers room.

 

 

Roum doesn't do much for me either.  I'm not sure how attractive a job on a long running procedural like Castle is for talented, in demand writers, of any gender, honestly.  I've noticed that Castle writers tend to jump ship to other network shows, with the exception of Beall who made it to the movies.  I wonder if there's a 2 tier hierarchy of writers as well, for cable shows and for network shows.

 

I merely pointed out that he got lucky working with Whedon early on, BEFORE he was Marvel's golden child.

 

 

Sometimes I think Nathan might have gotten even luckier if Whedon or James Gunn had hit it big earlier, and Nathan was also at a prime age (mid 30s) to break out when they worked together.  Someone like Chris Pratt really had good timing (as well as talent of course) to work with talented people on a critically acclaimed comedy and making the jump to becoming a bona fide movie star in his mid 30s.  As an aside, I don't love everything Whedon or Gunn have done, but gosh, their interviews are about a million times more entertaining than Marlowe's!  

 

I know actors can get fed up if they are associated with one particular role but it's better than nothing - don't complain embrace it. I have no idea what her future holds but what I do know is that she's not getting any younger at least in Hollywood terms and her choices are hardly that commercial but then is she getting any decent offers? Whatever happens I hope she's smart enough to have saved well for her future so if everything does fall away she's financially secure.

 

 

I'm sure Castle's paid for the cast's houses and holidays over the years.  Molly may be the luckiest of them all.  Not many people at her age could have the kind of steady income that she has.  Can't be compared to the crazy money young Harry Potter actors earned that has them set for life of course, but what can?

 

Frankly, I don't think either Stana or Nathan had a great offer waiting out there in the wings, either financially or artistically, and that's why they chose to stick with another year of Castle.  If they'd been offered something like a part in a big movie then I think they would have gone.  No idea if they are getting decent offers out there, as it is very competitive.  I think being a lead on a network procedural only puts you in the position of being a lead on another network tv series in the future, not necessarily anything more than that.  If you look at the seasoned, talented actors who are doing network TV, and the many whose pilots don't even make it to order, you might think again before turning down guaranteed employment.  Plum roles on hot cable series are often taken by movie actors, even if the line between movie and TV actors is blurring all the time now.

 

I can't help laughing seeing this Page Six article on twitter and thinking can you imagine the meltdown if Nathan and Stana got on stage to promote Castle and did this?  So good.

 

 

Didn't Stana adlib a kiss in Still according to the writer?  Don't know what the actor etiquette is for doing it in on camera, or for doing it in real life promotion, and whether it's different coming from a man or a woman.  I suppose if there's trust between the actors then anything goes.  But I can't see that kind of thing happening with Castle actors, especially now that Stana is married.  Maybe in another 20 years. ;)  We may get to see them sing and dance (and kiss) on camera but we're never going to see them do it for fun off camera because fans blur the lines enough as it is.

[madmaverick]

As far as other perks they can want: producer credit, work day time mandates, time off (specific vacation weeks or days off), outs for other projects, part of the profit sharing, wardrobe perks (getting to keep their stuff), a personal driver to and from set, their own trainer, development deals, episodic guarantees ( actor will only do certain number of episodes in a season), casting consultation (if they bring on a new character the stars can have a say)

 

Thanks for explaining.  I imagine profit sharing for a syndicated show like Castle would definitely be something to negotiate for but also one of the things on the list that the network would be more reluctant to give much ground on.  Both Nathan and Stana appear to have been given some leeway in the past in getting time off and there's always a few episodes per season which don't revolve around them so it'll be interesting to see if they are getting any more than that.  I think that would be difficult given the structure of the show.  If either wanted an out to do another project, it could be hard to make happen.  Wardrobe perk?  I'd say it would be a perk for Stana, not so much for Nathan.  Either way, it's not like Stana can't afford all that stuff on her own anyway.  I also think it likely that both of them and maybe all the other actors as well already have their own personal trainers, on their own dime or not.  The actors don't seem keen on sharing their personal fitness/beauty/diet regimes, but I'm sure there's a whole host of things they do and it's not just effortless. ;)  

 

I think Nathan had a development deal with ABC and that's how he got attached onto Castle.  Not sure whether that means he's more or less inclined to go for another one after.  It will be interesting to see if Stana will go for a development deal as so far she's seemed to be more interested in doing films and indie films rather than more TV, especially network TV.   Although she's said she would go anywhere with Marlowe & Bowman, I don't see her getting involved in another TV project with them at this point in her career.   I don't see Nathan working again with Marlowe either.  But Hollywood can surprise you.  As for casting consultation, I think they've gone to Nathan in the past if the person they want is someone he knows, like Dana Delany, so that's probably already happening informally.

 

I hope they're keeping Susan Sullivan for at least the same number of eps next season.  And I wouldn't be opposed to a reduction of Tory episodes but more Perlmutter!

[KaveDweller]

I think I missed something....why are we calling Stana a unicorn?

[madmaverick]

That's just the highlights.

 

I don't envy you the lowlights! ;)

 

I suppose any profit sharing the actors get a piece of would still be far less than what the studio, creator, producers get?  Not like in some films where actors made big bucks by opting for a low(er) salary but a bigger piece of the pie from profit sharing.

 

Out of curiosity, does Marlowe lose a lot of $$ from not being EP/showrunner anymore, or he still retain the chunk from being creator and whatever profit sharing deal he has with Castle with the studio?

 

Meanwhile she's just like any other woman an actress in Hollywood. Drinks green juice and drops the F Bomb occasionally when the camera is rolling.

 

 

And that's what makes her human and likeable.  I don't need to believe she's a perfect unicorn and 1000% more intelligent and beautiful and cultured than all other actors to appreciate her.  I don't understand the need for some to put down others to elevate her.  I think she's talented for sure but I'd need to see her in better roles in better films and more diverse roles before I'd say she's the next Meryl Streep.  Or even Emmy winner.  She has acquired some trappings of Hollywood as her status has evolved with the show; perhaps that is just the way it goes.  I like Stana much more than I do her fandom because of their constant need to emphasize that she is amazeballs at everything. ;)  Honestly, if I were her, I'd stop reading stuff from fans because it would drive me crazy!  

Edited May 14, 2015 by madmaverick

[KaveDweller]

And that's what makes her human and likeable.  I don't need to believe she's a perfect unicorn and 1000% more intelligent and beautiful and cultured than all other actors to appreciate her.  I don't understand the need for some to put down others to elevate her.  I think she's talented for sure but I'd need to see her in better roles in better films and more diverse roles before I'd say she's the next Meryl Streep.  Or even Emmy winner.  She has acquired some trappings of Hollywood as her status has evolved with the show; perhaps that is just the way it goes.  I like Stana much more than I do her fandom because of their constant need to emphasize that she is amazeballs at everything. ;)  Honestly, if I were her, I'd stop reading stuff from fans because it would drive me crazy!

If I was Stana, I'd be embarrassed about the fans. Like that thing where they bought the stuff she was auctioning off to give it back to her? Kind awkward. I guess (hope) most of them are young, but that's odd cause Castle isn't the typical show for young girls.

I generally like Stana because she gives good interviews. She'll sound really excited about good story lines or just says pretty intelligent things. Some of that may be an act, but I don't really care about that. I care about the side I get to see, I'm sure she has her flaws.

[madmaverick]

The thing about having fans particularly in this age of social media is you can't ever say anything the least bit critical about them, regardless of how you truly feel, or you're going to suffer the very vocal consequences! ;)  And fans are always going to interpret their idol's words and behavior as being supportive of their own (even if not really), which in turn reinforces intense crazy behaviour.  For example, I don't think Stana and the other actors taking photos with fans on location necessarily means that they are always keen to see loads of fans descend upon them repeatedly day after day when they are at work.  But the fact that they are usually willing to do so is interpreted by these fans as a sign to keep doing it.  Stana was always going to be gracious about getting back her shirt- what other response could she offer?- but I'm sure she had reasons of her own for letting it go in the first place, acknowledged by fans or not.   From what I see, crazy intense fan behaviour is not limited to the young.

 

I think Stana generally gives good interviews too, but I do think she's sounded less enthusiastic about the show lately.  Maybe that was part negotiation tactic, maybe it wasn't.  And it's not like there's been a lot of interviews anyway.  We've had more *yawn* interviews from the EPs than the actors.  But I'm not sure I subscribe to the idea that she has huge creative issues with the show this season because Marlowe started it with that WTF finale last season and she still seems to love Marlowe so...

[Nadine]

She pretty much said it all in a radio interview she gave in NYC last fall.   In not so many words that she's not sure where the character has to go.

 

And that's a dilemma that faces pretty much all actors when it comes to long-running series. I certainly wouldn't have had a problem if she had decided to pull the plug at the end of S7 (same mindset if Fillion had decided to pull the plug) because it's one of those two-edged swords when it comes to committing to a series.

[Gant]

From the whole cast I like Seamus Dever's interviews about the show the most. I find that he usually gives fairly detailed answers yet still injects a bit of humor and perspective. Stana tends to use big words, big ideas and general "artsy" feeling too much for my taste, this is my personal gag reflex, so no judging :). I just often find myself good-naturedly eyerolling and wanting to say "Oh, come oooon, not "my craft" again". Nathan seems to honestly have nothing to say about the show, it's actually funny to see him scrambling and straining to feign some interest and find words to convey it, he has good vocabulary so usually manages all right, but it's still a more or less generic stuff. It just seems like he sees the show as a pretty cut and dried procedural and secretly wonders how and why people find anything of interest enough to ask questions :). Looks very different from the interviews when he is truly interested in the topic, he's a crappy actor when he is not an actor ;). Jon's interviews are very uneven, as far as I can remember, he can give good balance like Seamus, or he can go off on a tangent, as if emulating Nathan, only his tangents can be odd and disturbing, like that time he talked about wanting to have a make out scene with Susan Sullivan or something like that. I still have nightmares (I don't). Molly needs to acquire some polish where interviews are concerned, she does lack diplomacy and is kind of abrupt in her opinions. Tamala.... yeah.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Gant

[KaveDweller]

And that's a dilemma that faces pretty much all actors when it comes to long-running series. I certainly wouldn't have had a problem if she had decided to pull the plug at the end of S7 (same mindset if Fillion had decided to pull the plug) because it's one of those two-edged swords when it comes to committing to a series.

That's why I kinda hope the show doesn't go on for too many more seasons. There comes a point where a show outlasts it's welcome and the characters become annoying. Mainly because the writers run out of story lines. I hated ER by the end and they had lots more cast changes that should have helped that problem.

But I still get enjoyment from Castle so I think it has a little more life left in it. Hopefully the actors are still somewhat into it.

[verdana]

Gant thanks for the analysis on the various actors and their behaviour during interviews, so true. Heh. 
 

Her fans act like she's sooooooooooo different than other actresses. They make a big deal over everything she says and does. They pit her against Nathan and make it seem like she's off reading literature and listening to opera while he plays with Star Wars action figures and doesn't know who is president.

Meanwhile she's just like any other woman who happens to be an actress in Hollywood. Drinks green juice and drops the F Bomb occasionally when the camera is rolling.

Whilst all this has been going it's been an eye opener to read things from the angle of the truly committed Stanatic and hear the way they talk about her as if she's some magical higher being and that doing what seem to me very normal things are deemed extraordinary. I don't see it myself but it's fascinating stuff and I can understand why she might want to create some distance between that level of worship (and it does feel like that) and not be too vocal about her true feelings be they personal or professional. She's beautiful of course but otherwise seems pretty ordinary and pleasant. I can understand her concerns about Beckett as a character, that's why I'm not surprised if she's been ambivalent about continuing with Castle even if it means job security. 

Edited May 15, 2015 by verdana