Thursday, January 22th, 2009
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DAVID FURY IS NOT GAY!
Writer. Executive Producer. Director. Actor. Singer. David Fury is Buffyverse Royalty.
He ahs penned more episodes of Buffy and Angel then any other writer besides Joss Whedon himself, and give us such amazing moments as the firing of Giles in "Helpless", the homage to Raider's in "Awakening", and the vote at the end of "Power Play".
Post Angel David went on to the massive hits Lost and 24, and recently came back to Mutant Enemy to sing once again in the little project that could: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog..
Even with the premier of 24 looming, David still took the time to give us a glimpse into his creative and humourous mind, his future with 24, insight into his vision for John Locke, and answers to some difficult and fanatical questions about the Buffyverse.
Without further ado, the Emmy Award winning David Fury....
Buffyfest: Mr Fury.
David Fury: Please... Mr Fury is my imaginary father. Call me just "Fury".
Buffyfest: First of all, we just wanted to say thanks.
DF: You're very welcome.
Buffyfest: e know you're very busy with 24 at the moment...
DF: Yes, very busy.
Buffyfest: So we really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. Everyone here at Buffyfest is a big fan (as you've written some of our favorite episodes) and it's such an honor to speak with someone who has brough so much to the Buffyverse.
DF: The honor is mine.
Buffyfest: Ready for the interview questions?
DF: Oh... I thought those were the questions. Damn, this thing is hard. Did I mention I'm busy?
;-(
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Buffyfest: You had a breakthrough on-screen role as a man struggling against the trials of a harrowing mustard stain. In your most recent part, you played a stern yet hopeful television anchor who makes a stand against a network brass to deliver the news people really want to know. Tell us once and for all, who's gay?
DF: Well, it certainly isn't me... I can tell you that! No, sir, ma'am, no gayness here. I don't care what posters of Chase Crawford I have in my bedroom... or how many bathhouses someone may have seem me come out of at all hours... I'm not the least but attracted to men. Okay?... So quit hounding me about it.
Actually, my most recent part is a hard-drinking, hard-loving pharmaceutical executive trying to earn the heart of the President's daughter on an upcoming episode of 24... So, you see... I'm certainly not gay.
Buffyfest: You and the entire cast of Dr. Horrible did a phenomenal job.
DF: Well, it is all about me.
Buffyfest: At what point of production did you become involved? Did you have any idea that it was going to achieve such popularity?
DF: I saw Marti at a WGA meeting at the end of the strike. She asked me if Joss had contacted me yet about this thing he's doing. I knew nothing about it, until a week or two later when Joss wrote me to tell me of Dr, H -- he included a script and mp3 recordings of the music. Said we'd be meeting at his house for a complete reading with the cast a couple of weeks later. Of course I knew it was going to be hugely popular. It's Joss. And a bunch of other Whedons. And Maurissa. And it's a musical. How could it not be popular?
Buffyfest: What effect do you expect that the project's development amidst the Writer's Strike will have for writers in Hollywood in the future?
DF:Clearly, it's been the most inspirational use of the internet from someone of Joss' caliber. Dr. H has helped to show that writers will always be able to create content, without studios... And the can have complete creative control.
Buffyfest: How did you go from being a stand-up comic and working on Pinky and the Brain to writing some of the most dramatic stories on television for Buffy, Angel, Lost and 24?
DF: You make a left at Mutant Enemy, turn right onto Bad Robot until you reach the dead-end at the Fox cul-de-sac.
Truthfully, my career trajectory has baffled me, too... I never would have expected to be writing something as grave and earnest as 24, but I am looking forward to the day of writing some genuine snarky banter. Perhaps on my next job at C-Span.
Buffyfest: You wrote for the Buffyverse for seven seasons. What do you consider to be Buffy's finest moment as a character? How about Angel's?
DF: There are so many for both characters - Anythime Buffy and Angel looked past their personal pains and issues, and embraced their heoric destinies, either through action or sacrifice, were always great and powerful.
Buffyfest: Where do you see Buffy when she's 50 years old.
DF: Snuggled up in bed next to me. Heh he. See? 'Cause I'm not gay. Would a gay man say that? I don't think so.
Anyway, I leave it up to Joss to imagine B's future.
Buffyfest: You wrote "Awakening," which ends on a scene of Angel making love to Cordelia (with his eyes closed the entire time). As he loses his soul he cires out "Buffy!" Some fans concluded he was actually imagining he was with her, while others believe he was saying it simply out of fear or that you were just echoing "Surprise"> What was your actual intention?
DF: Wow... That was, like, fifty years ago, so it's difficult to remember. I'm gonna go with answer B. or C. I think it was more of a sense memory thing, rather than imagining he was with Buffy.
Buffyfest: Was it difficult writing the fight between Spike and Angel in "Destiny", especially having Spike win, knowing the fans tend to have such strong opinions on the Spike versus Angel issue?
DF: Truthfully, Steve DeKnight wrote most of the fight in "S=Destiny" (off my outline). Originally, Angel won the fight (Y'know, 'cause show called ANGEL), but as I was scripting the first couple of Acts, I realized it HAD to be Spike in the end. I called up Steve who was writing the later acts to tell him of my brilliant revelation. Then we had our own big fight over it. You can hear about it on the commentary for the episode. Suffice to say, Steve kicked my ass.
Buffyfest: You also hold the crown of being the only person other than Joss to write a season finale for Buffy, "Grave". Did you feel extra pressure to write a killer finale since that season was so controversial and divided in fan reaction?
DF: I felt a great responsibility, but not really pressure. Joss and Marti were very involved with the story break so I just did my best not to screw it up. I knew it was a terrific honor.
Buffyfest: How did it make you feel to write and direct the send off of both Cordelia and Charisma Carpenter from the series in "You're Welcome"? Did you have a similar feeling with writing "Parting Gifts", which followed Doyle's death.
Buffyfest: "You're Welcome" was another great honor thrust upon me. This one I felt a bit more pressure for... It took a lot of last minute writing from everyone, including Joss, to give the 100th episode the weight it deserved -- not the least of which, to give Charisma a send off that was respectful to her and Cordelia Chase. I was very proud to have my name on it.
"Parting Gifts" didn't have the same weight, since Doyle had died in the prior episode. The fun part was introducing Wesley into this world.
Buffyfest: What do you think of the Buffy: Season Eight and Angel: After the Fall comics? Does Angel: After the Fall have similar parallels to what the televisied Season 6 of Angel would have been like?
DF: I can't comment on the Angel comics since I haven't seen them, but I have read a handful of the Buffy Season 8's. They're undeniably fun, but I prefer not to think of them as canon, even if Joss does. It's like a movie adaptation of a great book... Two different mediums need to be appreciated as separate entities. The plus side of comics is there are no limits to what can be imagined or created... But those limits are what made the show such a great accomplishment of storytelling. Still, it is nice to know the characters live on...
Buffyfest: Is there a sense of loss or strangeness when a character whose personalitiy your writing has greatly helped to define (for instance, Connor though his soliloquy in "Peace Out", or Locke via his flashbacks in "Walkabout") is later drastically altered and/or killed off?
DF:: Well, in the Connor case, I didn't really have a hand in defining him until "Peace Out". And I ws proud of my efforts to help people understand and feel for Connor a little more than they had up to that point, but that was very much at the end of Connor's arc. I never sensed that the portrait I painted for the kid who grew up in a hell dimension was altered after that, or was inconsistent.
Locke, on the other hand, was a character I had a hand in defining from the start and it was greatly frustrating to watch episodes that diminished him, or took away his power. Flashbacks about his working in toy stores and being scammed by his father... They did nothing but made the man more pathetic... When in fact, they should have been building him up. It was a waste of Terry O'Quinn's talent and charisma. So, yes, I did experience a sense of great loss... Not for me, but for the show.
Buffyfest: What's next for you after 24? Are you currently planning any other upcoming projects we should know about?
DF: With the exception of a limited run of my old comedy troupe BRAIN TRUST, and collaborating on a pilot script with my old writing partner (and young wife), I got nothing.
I would love to tell you of my other big plans and upcoming projects as I was certain I'd be moving on from 24 at this time... But, instead, I am in the process of renewing my contract as an executive producer of 24 for two more seasons.
I'm a glutton for punishment.
Buffyfest: Thank you once again, Mr Fury. We appreciate it very much.
DF: You're very welcome.
