411 Movies Interview: Nicholas Lea of Kyle XY and The X-Files Posted by Tony Farinella on 05.11.2007
411's Tony Farinella sits down with the TV actor to discuss Kyle XY, The X-Files, and more.
Nicholas Lea is probably best known for his role as the sneaky Alex Krycek on The X-Files. Recently, he's made a name for himself as Tom Foss on the hit show Kyle XY, which will return for its second season this summer. I recently caught up with the TV actor to discuss Kyle XY, The X-Files, relationships, and a lot more. Kyle XY Season One will hit stores on May 22nd. If you haven't seen it already, you should check it out.
TONY: How did you first get involved in Kyle XY?
LEA: I live in the summer time on a Island off the coast of Vancouver. I was out there working in the garden one day and got a call from my agent saying that the people who were doing the show wanted to speak to me. I said, "Sure, I'll have a talk with them." It was the two fellows from the show. They were fans of The X-Files, which I had worked on for about seven years. They said, "We've got this role in the pilot for you. It's very small to start with, but it will become something more exciting down the road. We'd love to offer it to you because we think you're perfect for it." Whenever anyone offers me a role, I take a very long look at it. They gave me the breakdown as well. They told me a lot more about the show than most people knew in order to get my interest peaked. They gave me a long breakdown of the show. I thought it sounded great. I really liked the energy of the two guys on the phone. That's how it started.
TONY: When the show first started, did you have any idea it would become so popular?
LEA: No, you never do. You always hope, but you never know that any show is going to become popular. There's good shows that don't become popular. On the same token, there's bad shows that become popular. This happens to be a good show that did become popular. You never know. Since I'm in Vancouver, I tend not to know what the numbers are and the exact popularity of the show. I know it's doing very well, but I don't know specifically.
TONY: Matt Dallas has said in interviews that you helped him out a lot on Kyle XY. What's it like working with him?
LEA: Maybe Matt's just being kind. I've certainly offered him moral support. I tell everybody that I work with on the show that if they need anything, I'm always available. If they need me for any reason, I'm happy to help. You have to find a solidarity between the performers on the show. I was watching the pilot last night with my family, and everybody commented on how wonderful he is in the part and how simple his work is. It's very effective. He's so likable. He's a lovely performer. He's a very nice guy as well. That's rare as well. He doesn't really need much help. I think he's doing great on his own.
TONY: What makes Kyle XY unique from other shows?
LEA: I think there's a couple of aspects of the show that make it what it is. I think that the writing is very solid. The actors on the show are really committed to doing their best work. I think it has two very strong aspects. One is the mystery and the energy of the show. The other side is the humanity of the show. I think the writers and the producers work hard to create that. I think that it really pays off. I watched Episode 10 the other day, which is the finale of Season One. I got quite emotional watching it. It's quite special in a way. It does have these two sides to it. There's a dark and serious aspect to it. There's also a family aspect to show, which is very warm and very genuine.
TONY: Why do you think it's so hard for a show to last in today's world?
LEA: I don't think any of the networks give shows the chance they need to gain an audience. We live in a world where people are so ready to make snap judgments. Their attention span seems to be so short. I think the networks also play that game. They don't give an audience time to really sink into a show and get invested in it.
TONY: Do you prefer acting in film or on television?
LEA: I think the only real difference between the two is time. I've worked on crappy films where we've had lots of time. I've worked on crappy TV shows where we've had a lot of time. I just feel like there's quality out there and people are taking chances. I just feel like everybody's attention span is so short that they don't give the show a chance to mature.
TONY: How important was being on the X-Files to your career?
LEA: It was pretty important. I'm from Vancouver, and I wanted to make the move to L.A. for a long time. It was really a timing issue. It needed to be the perfect storm of having something to take me down there. I needed in my gut to feel ready to go to L.A. I actually moved down to L.A. before the show did. By the time I did make the decision, the show was really popular. It opened up a lot of doors for me. There's no question about that.
TONY: What was it like playing such a complex character on the X-Files?
LEA: That's the only kind of character that I play. That's one of the things that I like about my role on Kyle XY. It's equally as complex. He has a history and things that he's fighting for. I'm never interested in playing a guy who is just bad or a guy who is just good. It's kind of the death of a role. I don't want to play a character who is black or white. I want to play good guys who are struggling. I also want to play bad guys who think they're good.
TONY: What's your most vivid memory from being on the X-Files?
LEA: In any show that I work on, I always remember the people. Quite a few of the cast members have become very good friends. David Duchovny is a very close friend of mine. It's hard to remember particular things. I was really given an opportunity to do some exciting things on the show. I think the things that last are the friendships and the relationships. I don't have one outstanding moment on set. In terms of the show, I remember a lot. The things that stand out are the crazy stunt aspects of a lot of the things I did on the X-Files. They hung me from seventeen floors by one arm on one episode of the show. I ran out of an exploding car of gasoline, which was a lot of fun. I did a number of crazy things. If I had to answer that question, I'd say it's those moments. In the end, it's mostly about the friendships.
TONY: Why do you think The X-Files was popular for so long?
LEA: I think it's a combination of things. It offers up a tremendous amount of mystery and leads you from one episode to the next. It doesn't feed you all the answers immediately. I really respect the way they allowed us to unfold in terms of character. I think it really played to people's individual thoughts. Is there life out there? Is there something else out there other than ourselves? It had a tremendous amount of quality to it. They basically made a movie every week. You'd go from a fishing boat out in the middle of the Atlantic to a graveyard in Maryland to a little apartment in China. It was amazing what they accomplished with each episode.
TONY: Since you've been in a number of high-profile relationships in Hollywood, I have to ask you a somewhat personal question. Why do you think it's so hard for relationships to last in Hollywood?
LEA: I think there's a number of reasons for that. I think people get involved with each other for publicity reasons. That's one big reason. I think two actors living together is a difficult thing. You're never at home and you're always moving. I'm in a relationship with an actress as we speak. We've been lucky enough to have stability. You're always away somewhere. It seems like your life is in constant motion. If you're not away, you're spending a lot of time on set.
TONY: What can we expect in Season Two of Kyle XY ? Also, what are your plans for the future?
LEA: The relationship between Kyle and Tom Foss starts to mature. We get a deeper look into what motivates Foss to do what he does. My future is pretty open. I tend not to stay glued to one thing for too long. I think variety is the spice of life. I don't think any actor knows how long they're going to be any show. You hope that it's going to last, but you never know. That's not in any way inferring that anything is going to happen. I think they have improved with Season Two of the show, which doesn't normally happen. Some shows tend to lose their pace and their energy as time goes on. I think Kyle XY is just getting better.
