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Every day,
ex-"Dynasty" star Jack Coleman is asked by someone if the
mysterious character of "H.R.G." that he plays on NBC's
"Heroes" – this year's top-rated new series – is
essentially a good guy or a bad guy. Coleman always answers with
authority:
"Yes."
That ambiguous reply also reflects Coleman's (now a new series regular)
duplicitous alter ego who has many veteran television viewers wondering
if "H.R.G." (or "Horn Rimmed Glasses") is played by
the same actor Coleman who stopped hearts in the 1980s as Steven
Carrington on the red-hot "Dynasty," which once soared to
become the top-rated series.
"Even when I got the pilot script, 'Heroes' already had a
tremendous buzz behind it in the industry," said Coleman.
"There was all kinds of potential for espionage and intrigue. And
as soon as I saw myself put on the giant horn-rimmed glasses, it was
very scary – I looked like my dad, circa 1968.
"I see my character as someone who could be either good or bad, but
definitely creepy. That's the operative word. He's a guy caught out of
time, like a refugee from the Cold War in the 1950s. H.R.G.'s default
position is to plot – he doesn't know any other way."
Coleman, who is also a writer, admires how creator-executive producer
Tim Kring and the creative staff have crafted the character and the
direction of "Heroes" so that the audience is always left
guessing -- and craving more clues about the characters.
"They've made H.R.G. even scarier since he loves his daughter
(cheerleader Claire, played by Hayden Panettiere) and his family, and
thinks he's doing everything for the greater good," he said.
"Every time he goes too far in one direction, they bring him back
to the other direction. They've woven a rich tapestry and the show
creates insatiable hunger for answers that form the journey."
"It seems H.R.G. is the only one to have tentacles into so many
other characters, but he might be biting off more than he can chew. And
the ultimate question is – who does he take orders from?"
As for himself, Coleman doesn't bother the creative staff to gain
insight into what might happen in long-range storylines.
"I feel it's only on a 'need-to-know' basis, just like on
'Dynasty,'" said Coleman, who starred on the primetime soap from
1982-88. "It's not mine to know. Things can change due to so many
factors. Even my agent says, 'Don't tell me. I want to find out for
myself.'"
Nevertheless, Coleman occasionally logs on to one of the many raging
chat rooms dedicated to the series and observes what viewers have to
share about recent episodes. "I just saw a lot of reaction to the
'Save the Cheerleader' revelation. That got a lot of people wondering
what that meant."
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Coleman (who describes himself as
"blind as a bat," and hence, wears contact lenses), was a
young, inexperienced actor from Easton, Pennsylvania who was thrust into
stardom virtually overnight when cast as Carrington on
"Dynasty" (which, like "Heroes," began its run on
Mondays, 9-10 p.m.). "Being in that show was a wild, wild time –
like being one of the Beatles in 'A Hard Day's Night,'" he recalls.
"There were fewer choices for TV audiences and we had triple the
viewers that shows today have.
"I remember that the cast once came to Bloomingdale's in New York
for a personal appearance and they had such a riot that they had to shut
down the store. We were mobbed in Italy. It was a different world at
that time."
Since then, Coleman counts himself grateful for the experience and has
worked hard to learn every aspect of his craft. "After a hit show
is over, you soon realize this is a very tough business – brutally
tough. But I'm a better actor and I have more gravitas than I had at 24
with bleached-blonde hair."
Coleman's resume has included stints on Broadway and guest-starring
roles on "Entourage," "Nip/Tuck" and "Without a
Trace." In two of his favorite roles, he won a Los Angeles Drama
Critics Circle Award for his performance in "Bouncers" and
earned another nomination for his work as Tom Griffin in the play
"Stand-up Tragedy" at the Mark Taper Forum. He also wrote,
produced and acted in the film short "Studio City," a black
comedy centered on the entertainment industry. He also hopes to produce
his current screenplay, "Can't Help Falling," a comedic-drama
about a family's love triangle.
For trivia buffs, his sixth-generation grandfather is the legendary
American inventor-patriot, Benjamin Franklin ("It wasn't until I
was 10 that I even knew we were related to him!"). Coleman and his
wife, Beth, have a 7-year-old daughter, Tess, who appeared in the Wes
Craven film "Red-Eye."
For the time being, he will continue to keep those giant horn-rimmed
glasses polished enough to perplex diehard "Heroes" fans –
and keep America wondering if good or evil is at work when he is on
screen.
Then again, perhaps Coleman might offer a clue.
"There's so much clarity in the way H.R.G. operates with
deliberation in such an ambiguous part," he says. "Because if
you've got a show called 'Heroes' – aren't you going to need some kind
of antagonist?"
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