BIG FAN: SCOTT PORTER

**MattBrady** · 01-19-2007, 11:46 AM

by Zack Smith

NBC’s Friday Night Lights is one of the most acclaimed new shows of the fall season. Actor Scott Porter, who plays recently-paralyzed quarterback Jason Street on the series, has earned rave reviews for his work in the physically and emotionally demanding role.

But even though he was a wide receiver in high school, off-camera, Porter is more likely to talk about the Image comic Invincible than the Mark Walhberg football drama Invincible.

A former cast member of the Off-Broadway hit Altar Boyz, Porter is a hardcore comics fan who’s a regular at cons, a highly-ranked gamer, and a veteran of the ninja/pirate wars.

And yes, he looks like that.

(Plus, he’s a darn good beat-boxer – check out his video interview at NBC.com. Make sure and pay attention to the T-shirt he’s wearing.)

Newsarama recently caught up with Porter, who will appear alongside Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore in the upcoming film Music and Lyrics, while he was on vacation in Orlando, Florida. Actually, we caught up with him as he was on his way to Coliseum of Comics to pick up some HeroClix. We discussed his work on the show, what comics-to-film projects he’d like to appear in, and who would win in a war between pirates, ninjas, monkeys, robots and zombies.

Newsarama: How big a fanboy would you say you are?

Scott Porter: I’d say I’m pretty big. On a scale of one to 10, I’d give myself an eight. (laughs) I used to be huge into everything X-Men. For the longest time, that was what I knew the most about. When I got older, as a teenager, I was into Image, and for a while, I walked away from it. When I got back, I wanted a more diverse collection, so I started reading a lot of DC, and a lot of more independent titles as well. I’ve got a pretty diverse pull list now, but I know a lot about a lot. (laughs)

I think the thing that pushes me over the edge is the fact that I game as well. I’m really big into HeroClix, I placed 11th at Worlds in WizardWorld Philly a couple years back. I’m really into fantasy as well, like Dragonlance, and Lord of the Rings and I’ve played role-playing games and video games for a while.

I’m reading Devil’s Due’s Dragonlance, and I’ve always been wary of fantasy put into comic books, but they do a good job with them. My problem always is that when you put words into pictures, it doesn’t capture how you imagined the characters might have looked, or how they would react physically or facially, but they do a good job with it. They did have a good road map, though, because of Larry Elmore and all the covers that he did. The fact that I know who did covers for Dragonlance, I should get fanboy points right there. (laughs)

NRAMA: About how many comics would you say you own?

SP: Oh man…I would say…gosh, 23 longboxes, plus I’ve got a bunch stacked around my apartment in Austin, where we film the show. I don’t know the exact count. I’ve considered selling the older ones, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

NRAMA: Let’s talk about Friday Night Lights. Try and sell your show to our Newsarama audience.

SP: Well, first off, it’s one of the prettiest casts you’ll see on TV! (laughs) There’s a girl for every guy out there. And as far as the ladies go, we’ve got Taylor Kitsch, the cover model for Men’s Health, so, I mean, the show’s not hard on the eyes.

But all kidding aside, it’s really one of the most realistic shows you’ll see on TV, one of the most unique shows, just in the way it’s shot. It doesn’t look like a television show, it’s very cinematic, like a little movie every week. The writing is great; we have a great showrunner (Jason Katims) who was on My So-Called Life, who did Roswell, who’s been around the block, and an amazing writing staff.

And, I mean, it’s a Peter Berg production, man. If you’re familiar with his work, he’s just incredible. I just saw the trailer for his new movie, The Kingdom, and it looks incredible. And the other day, I read the forward he did for Book 5 of The Losers, which is a project he’s been working very hard to get made into a major motion picture.

So, just to cap off why you should watch the show, it really does have something for everybody. It uses football as a backdrop, but it’s really about interpersonal relationships with families in the small town of Dillon, Texas.

NRAMA: Confession: This show often makes me tear up. Has any of the emotional material on the show ever just broken you?

SP: You know…it’s just with Jason and his storyline, he has so many difficulties to overcome, but one scene in particular was with my coach (Kyle Chandler) and myself, when I was lying in my hospital bed, back in episode two. After all (Jason’s) been through, he’s apologizing to the coach for letting him down. And that kind of got me, it got me big time. It was kind of hard to keep myself together, actually, during that scene. I really wanted it to be a more restrained welling-up, as opposed to full-out bawling.

There are other scenes that get to me all the time with other actors as well. Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), when he found out his grandmother had been found in somebody else’s bathtub, and she was crying, and he was just trying to walk her to the house. There are a lot of very beautiful, very poignant moments. It’s very genuine, very honest. It’s not melodramatic, you know, it’s not trying to pull the tears out of you. It’s not forced; it’s real life.

NRAMA: What was filming the recent “Murderball” scene like?

SP: That was possibly the most fun I’ve had with the show until now. I mean, everything’s been amazing, but that was kind of bittersweet, because I was a football player myself, and I was all stoked about playing football. And I knew going in that Jason was going to get hurt, but that took football away from me. So “Murderball,” or quad rugby, came up, and they tried to put a stunt player in, and I was, “Nope, no way. There’s no way I’m getting out of this chair. Strap me in it, I’m going to be in it all day.”

We shot for 13 hours that day. We shot eight hours of footage for the “Murderball” game. And it’s just…it’s really an intense sport. The guys who play it are amazing. Everybody in that scene, except Herc (Kevin Rankin) and myself are members of the Texas Stampede, which is a national quad rugby team that Mark Zupan (star of the documentary Murderball) plays on. If anybody has not seen the film, I suggest you see it, and get Zupan’s book Gimp and that you read through it. Because these really are just amazing men who, you know, could have had their life end, but instead chose to start a new life in spite of their injuries.

NRAMA: Music and Lyrics is coming out soon. Do you do any singing or dancing in that?

SP: The character does sing and does dance, yes. He’s kind of the George Michael character of Hugh Grant’s 1980s rock band. My character kind of has this huge success with Hugh Grant, and then he decides to quit and go solo and has this huge successful solo career. So the film’s about Hugh Grant trying to make a comeback, and you’ll see me singing and dancing in it. It was refreshing to me because it’s a very comedic kind of role, very over-the-top, really, really out there, whereas I play a character on a daily basis who is so realistic. It was fun to lose it for a little bit.

NRAMA: What was it like working with Hugh Grant?

SP: Oh, Hugh Grant, man…you see him in movies, and in real life, he is that guy. He’s exactly how you see him in some of those more charming roles he does. He’s a guy’s guy – all he was talking about on the set was getting back to the U.K. to sit down with his mates and watch the World Cup, which was going on at the time we were filming. He was all about that, he couldn’t wait to get back and sit down and have a couple of beers with his buddies, just like I would when I watch the Broncos play on Sunday.

NRAMA: Getting back into comics…a lot of the cast members of Friday Night Lights have comic book or at least genre connections. Kyle Chander was in King Kong, Kevin Rankin was in Hulk and has done episodes of Birds of Prey and Buffy, and Adrianne Palicki’s done…everything [Palicki has appeared on Smallville, Supernatural, the unsold Lost in Space and Aquaman pilots, and is the sister of online comic creator Eric Palicki]. Do you ever ask them some fanboy questions?

SP: You know what? I talk to Kyle extensively about Peter Jackson, because I am a huge Lord of the Rings geek. I wanted to know all about what he’s like in person, and what kind of guy he was, and Kyle told me all about that. They shot down in New Zealand as well, and that’s my first vacation when I get a chance.

Adrianne and I went to WizardWorld Texas together to sign some autographs, and she’s just a huge, comic geek. Her brother Eric writes a lot of comics as well, he has a lot of online stuff. We talk comics a lot, and I pick up Supergirl for her when I pick up my books at Bee Cave Comics on Wednesdays, and I’ll drop it buy her house. And sometimes she’ll come in (to the shop) with me, and all the guys’ jaws will go on the floor, and everyone will drool. (laughs)

NRAMA: What was it like going to WizardWorld as an actor?

SP: To me, it was amazing. I was in my element, with people that understood me, but also that were also really supportive as well. We had a line out the door for us, and everybody watched the show, and everybody loved it.

I gotta tell you man, just being there as a guest, and being able to meet all these writers and stuff…creators. I was more blown away with meeting the writers of my favorite books than I have been when I've met actors and directors at awards shows for Broadway and television and film. (laughs) I feel such a connection to these people from reading their books for so long, like Marv Wolfman and George Perez and Peter David, who…I love Peter David, he cracks me up. He wrote my favorite comic book of all time, which is X-Factor #87, when Doc Samson puts them all down on his couch for psychiatric profiles.

NRAMA: Do you go to conventions regularly?

SP: Oh yeah, I’ve been to WizardWorld Philly twice. I collect HeroClix, so I go and game a lot as well. I went to DragonCon that one time, and I’ll be going to WizardWorld LA, hopefully as a guest again. I’m going to make it a bigger part of my life now, try to hit as many as I can. Of course, everybody tells me I gotta go to Comic-Con.

NRAMA: What are your current favorite comics?

SP: My current favorite comics…wow.

NRAMA: Go crazy.

SP: I tell you, some of my favorite reads right now are all in trade paperback. I didn’t get into Walking Dead or Invincible or Y: The Last Man or The Losers until they came out in trade. I fly, I travel a lot, so those four are great to read on a plane.

As far as week-to-week, issue-to-issue, I’m digging the new JSA that just came out. That’s one of the reasons I started reading DC in the first place, Geoff Johns and the great work he was doing. I love NextWave, one of my favorite reads. As far as the X-Men world goes, I have to say even though Astonishing is excellent, I just love New X-Men. It just feels like back when I was a kid, when I was reading it, it has that danger back in the book, “us against the world,” very on the ropes. Runaways is another first read for me as well.

You know what though, I’ve really been disappointed by some of the major crossovers. It always seems like the first three issues are great, and then there’s this bump in the middle as they wait for a big reveal at the end. It’s a little bit boring for me. It’s been like that for Civil War and Infinite Crisis.

There’s two that I read first whenever I get them, and that’s The Trials of Shazam, because I’m really interested in how they’re rebuilding that character, and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. The Escapists was great, I loved all six issues, I wanted more. Oh, and Mouse Guard, I love Mouse Guard. I got my brother and my sister reading comics because of Mouse Guard.

And one of my favorite DC books is Teen Titans, primarily because of Tim Drake. Tim and Martian Manhunter are two of the main reasons I even began reading DC in the first place. With Tim, I love the idea of a kid finding Batman on his own, and I love Martian Manhunter. I’m a little disappointed with the new direction, but I love him as a character. So that’s a pretty wide line of books that I pick up.

NRAMA: You mentioned in an interview on NBC’s web site that your favorite book was Invincible. Why is that your favorite?

SP: You know, it’s a retelling of the classic superhero set up, but it’s done in a very clever way. I love the connection between (Mark Grayson) and his father, I love the artistic style, and the writing, I think is topnotch.

NRAMA: Okay, there’s a 100 percent chance Robert Kirkman will read this – would you want to play Mark in a movie?

SP: There’s a 100 percent chance…?! Yes, I would love to play Invincible in a movie, are you kidding me?! I’d be all over it!

NRAMA: Okay, sell yourself in this role...

SP: Why I should play Mark Grayson in Invincible...well, I’m already capable of playing a youthful kid and a strong hero, as evidenced by Friday Night Lights. I definitely have a step up on how it is to grow up under extraordinary circumstances. You know, Jason’s in a wheelchair, trying to learn how to deal with what’s happened to him, and it would just be a polar opposite from having things taken away to play Mark while he’s gaining powers.

Both characters are similar in that they have to deal with huge physical changes, and have to adjust accordingly. Mark to his powers, Jason to his wheelchair. In the loss department, Jason has his legs, Mark has to deal with Omni-Man not being the man he thought he was. You know, that’s a huge loss, a huge void in his life, and I think I could really get in touch with that as well. I think I got the look! I think I can definitely handle the role. If I could just sit down with Robert and just talk about it, I would love it.

I just love all the little quirky moments in Invincible, like when he’s getting super-strength, and he throws the garbage bag at the dumpster, and it just keeps flying on into the atmosphere, you know, the little witty type of things like that. I’d love to sit down with (Kirkman) and show him I could handle more of a witty, clever type of character like Mark is in that book.

I could go on about why I could play Mark…I really like the relationship with his mom. My biological father left me when I was two, it was just me and her for a while, and, I don’t know, there’s a lot of similarities. Even though it’s this extraordinary tale of this kid with superpowers, he just humanizes it, by showing the family unit and how people around him are affected. I love the fact that his girlfriend knows. I love the fact that all these things…I don’t know, there’s just so many elements that I can connect with.

NRAMA: One more casting question: You turned down the opportunity to play Tarzan on Broadway. Now that Guillermo Del Toro is developing a Tarzan film, would you want to be involved in that?

SP: You know, going through the audition process for Tarzan on Broadway…it was just about letting go of everything. There was no choreography, so to speak, but there was someone who came in and taught you exactly how these animals move, and there’s something so interesting about letting all your humanity go, really becoming this kind of primal animal.

In the final audition I had, where I got the offer to play Tarzan, I just lost it a little bit. I kind of went to this place where you just don’t think. I was flying around the room, throwing papers everywhere…I loved it. Del Toro’s probably going to have a darker take, a very dark, primal take on Tarzan. I love playing roles like Jason, with his injury, that really challenge you physically. So Tarzan? Yeah, I’d love to do that.

NRAMA: If you could go back in time and be cast in any one comic-related film, what would it be?

SP: You know, Bobby Drake has long been my favorite character in comic books. And I know Iceman isn’t the lead character in any of the X-movies, but I’ve got to say, I’d want to play Iceman, because he is my favorite. I love that he has this amazing potential, but doesn’t ever really tap into it, doesn’t realize it, because he’s too interested in being a clown.

I think some writers have lost a handle on him. I’ve come to know him so well, and this is where being a fanboy comes into play, but you come to know these characters so well when they’re written correctly that when they’re written wrong, it throws you off big-time. I thought in the movies, he was done really well, and Shawn Ashmore did a great job, but I would have liked to have had a stab at that.

NRAMA: Now, I saw in NYLON magazine that you got actively involved in the ninja/pirate debate…

SP: Oh, my goodness.

NRAMA: Tell us a little about that.

SP: My involvement in it came into play from a website called HCRealms, which is the HeroClix online community. I saw this thread, at www.realultimatepower.net, and it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. And I started to talk to these guys online, I was in Japan at the time, and it was great to get to communicate with some people from the states. I got to talking and…I just picked up the katana. I picked the ninjas over the pirates! Which is funny, because I’d worked at a place called “Pirates Dinner Adventure” down here in Orlando, Florida, so I’m kind of on the fence.

When I was doing Altar Boyz, the Altarholics, who are the main fans of the show, knew I did the pirate show, so they made this big model of me as a pirate they called “Pirate Scott,” and they brought it to the show, and I wear a lot of ninja t-shirts….so there’s a war over Scott Porter between the ninjas and the pirates. It’s been a fun ride!

NRAMA: Ultimate fighter showdown: Pirates, ninjas, zombies, robots and monkeys. Who wins?

SP: (immediately) Monkeys.

NRAMA: Why monkeys?

SP: I gotta tell you – I think anything else would think too much. The monkeys, they’re good fighters. They’ve been around for a long time, and they are survivors. Whenever all those things are involved, I got to give it to monkeys. A close second would probably be ninjas, though.

NRAMA: What’s coming up on the show?

SP: Well, as evidenced in last week’s episode, Jason and Lyla are not finished yet, not by a long shot. They’re trying to sift through the damage that was done with her relationship with Riggins, but she’s closed the door on that for now, and Jason is really looking for someone to just be with him.

Beyond that – there might be a lot more Murderball, and I’m really excited by that. And there’s some tension between the Streets and the Taylors, there’s a lawsuit coming up, because Jason’s parents can’t afford to take care of him, and that might take the form of a lawsuit against the school and the team and Coach Taylor.

NRAMA: How does it feel to be thrust into the spotlight with the show?

SP: A lot of people might see me as an overnight success.. I’ve paid my dues, on stage, running around Florida in bands and performances for years. I feel less pressure, I think, because I’m on the show with such an amazing ensemble cast. I feel like my life really hasn’t changed that much. The pressure to lead this show isn't felt by any of because we are all intricate to the story. We help each other as actors and as friends.

I mean, I’m still trying to learn here. I don’t completely know what I’m doing. This is my first TV role. It’s been great to have such a positive critical response to the show, that’s been the big plus for all of us as young actors. I hope and pray that every single one of us has a long career, and hopefully we all get the break that we deserve.

Friday Night Lights airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. If you haven’t watched it yet, recent episodes are available online as streaming video at NBC.com.

The Guvnor · 01-19-2007, 12:01 PM

Good interview.

This is what the comics world needs, people like actors or sports stars declaring their love for comics. Just to show the general public that not only "fanboys" read comics.

Charlie Hustle · 01-19-2007, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Guvnor

Good interview.

This is what the comics world needs, people like actors or sports stars declaring their love for comics. Just to show the general public that not only "fanboys" read comics.

The interview was fine but I'm not sure what you mean about it helping comics because people who visit newsarama are comics fans already.

KenScud · 01-19-2007, 12:31 PM

Nice interview.

FNL is, by far, the best show on TV. Glad to see it getting some pub here. And Scott Porter does a great job.

Hope he comes to NYCC (and brings Adrianne!).

motteditor · 01-19-2007, 12:34 PM

Fun interview. I wasn't crazy about the one ep of FNL that I tried, but maybe I'll give it another shot. I figure comic fans always deserve support. : ) I was surprised there weren't any questions about Heroes, though.

Lucifer · 01-19-2007, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenScud

FNL is, by far, the best show on TV. Glad to see it getting some pub here. And Scott Porter does a great job.

Here, Here. I love this show as well. Great acting, great emotional moments. I find myself cheering and getting choked up almost every episode.

Keep up the great work Scott...and you're one of the luckiest people in TV getting to swap saliva with Minka Kelly ya jerk!

Eric Palicki · 01-19-2007, 12:46 PM

FNL is probably the best new show of 2006, and I say that without bias.

And Scott Porter is an excellent human being.

Batman1983 · 01-19-2007, 12:47 PM

Great job. Hope the show continues and good to hear about a couple projects to keep my eye out for.

Same guy from the matrix,
Bats

creatorman · 01-19-2007, 12:49 PM

It is great that an actor is openly talking about comics. Everyone should be reading them.

Remlik · 01-19-2007, 12:51 PM

Friday Night Lights is one of the best new shows of the year and he's great in the role. Fantastic to see that he has a true love for comics industry as well...

IceGambit · 01-19-2007, 01:00 PM

You're a class act, Mr. Porter. I watched the pilot of the show a few days ago and now am motivated to continue through the season.

The Guvnor · 01-19-2007, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie Hustle

The interview was fine but I'm not sure what you mean about it helping comics because people who visit newsarama are comics fans already.

I mean like people in the "outside world". I was meaning that it would be better if more famous people didn't cover up their love of comics as they think it might be geeky or uncool. Think how much more good publicity the industry would get if people done that.

Michael D. · 01-19-2007, 01:04 PM

How great is it to have an actor talk about the more obscure* titles like Nextwave, The Escapists, Y: The Last Man, etc. ?

*I know they're not obscure for us.

Kolimar · 01-19-2007, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Guvnor

Good interview.

Agreed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Guvnor

This is what the comics world needs, people like actors or sports stars declaring their love for comics. Just to show the general public that not only "fanboys" read comics.

That would be nice but I think the positive effect would be minimal unless a really BIG number of celebrities (particularly the currently "hot" ones) did so until it became a powerful trend. The new cool thing to say and do.

Yeah... I can dream, can't I?

Jeremy Williams · 01-19-2007, 01:18 PM

I wonder how tall he is. Because he would be a solid choice for Captain America.

Kolimar · 01-19-2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Palicki

FNL is probably the best new show of 2006, and I say that without bias.

And Scott Porter is an excellent human being.

Heh. Y'know, I read "Adrianne Palicki" and I thought "Hey, could it be...?"

**MattBrady** · 01-19-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Guvnor

I mean like people in the "outside world". I was meaning that it would be better if more famous people didn't cover up their love of comics as they think it might be geeky or uncool. Think how much more good publicity the industry would get if people done that.

in years past, sure, but now? Eh - I don't think that's an issue nearly as much. Reading comics in public doesn't send mothers grabbing their children and running in fear like it used to.

Besides, the celebrities with HUGE fanbases who want to be like them, and do everything they do (which could, potentially include reading comics) don't give off the vibe that they do, or can read - not at all like Scott here.

I mean, it's not like you're gong to see Paris Hilton hunkered down reading anything, is it?

MattB

nightwing878 · 01-19-2007, 01:21 PM

Great interview! It's always fun to read about other fans, whether famous or not, and their current tastes. Have to say he likes a lot of great titles. Dragonlance is a fun read and I have little interest in fantasy stories. Also, Friday Night Lights is a great show and Mr. Porter does a fantastic job. I don't even watch the games on Sunday, but I always tune in on Tuesdays (and now Wednesdays) to see how the Panthers do.

Kolimar · 01-19-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy Williams

I wonder how tall he is. Because he would be a solid choice for Captain America.

Who should play "Steve Rogers" in "Captain America"? I'm such a pimp...

Crusader K · 01-19-2007, 01:25 PM

Ok. He sold me on "Friday Night Lights" mostly because he seems like such a cool guy. I will tune in to see what it's like.

Always looked good in the previews but I never actually watched it. I'll check it out.

Kolimar · 01-19-2007, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

in years past, sure, but now? Eh - I don't think that's an issue nearly as much. Reading comics in public doesn't send mothers grabbing their children and running in fear like it used to.

Besides, the celebrities with HUGE fanbases who want to be like them, and do everything they do (which could, potentially include reading comics) don't give off the vibe that they do, or can read - not at all like Scott here.

I mean, it's not like you're gong to see Paris Hilton hunkered down reading anything, is it?

MattB

Heheheh ouch...