1. While you are getting back into acting, what would you like to be doing the most? (live theater, TV, silver screen...etc)
****Kirsten****
Right now, independent films really appeal to me. Even if some of them aren't as polished as the big budget movies, I love seeing the wide range of topics and unpredictability they bring. So I guess I would like to be involved in one too !
2. I have to admit, while I just loved everyone on the show, I also fell in love with the horses ! (Especially Katy !--Was Katy actually a male horse, by the way ?) I've always been around horses, and knowing how unpredictable they can sometimes be, I was wondering if you ( or any of the cast ) ever suffered injuries while working on the show ?
****Joanna****
Katy actually is a male, whose name is "Duke" ! We never suffered any injuries caused by the horses. They were all highly trained 'cast horses', that would usually hit a mark and stay still for a long time before getting antsy. If there were gunshots in the scene, the horses would get cotton in their ears, so they wouldn't get spooked ! Plus, we all became pretty good riders after the first few shows, and we had great teachers in Richard and Rose Lundin, who were the head wranglers.
3. It seems with all the different locations used in every episode of TYR, that there would have been a lot of waiting for your next scene on the set. What did ya'll do to amuse yourselves while waiting around ? (You can probably tell by now, I love all the behind the scenes stuff !) Were there times when you guys just cracked each other up while trying to do scenes ? In a couple of episodes it seems like ya'll are doing everything in your power to keep a straight face, and I loved that ! Especially during the "dinner table" scenes ! I always wondered if whoever had their backs to the camera was making weird faces or something ?
****Joanna****
That's pretty obsevant of you ! Yeah we had a hard time trying to get through those scenes sometimes. It was tough in the bunkhouse because it was cramped with all the equipment (lighting and camera), after a few hours we sometimes got to trying to make everybody on camera laugh. It made for great chemistry, but we were trying to get through those cramped scenes without going crazy. Sometimes the producers got a little pissed off though ! You know....time=money.You're right, there was a lot of waiting time. I spent most of it playing guitar, going over lines, reading, studying music, or just talking with the cast or crew.
4. Ty, I know that when you work everyday with a horse, you can get pretty attached to them (we travel to roping competitions all over the Western U.S. with our horses). Did you, or any of the cast members keep the horse you rode after the series was over ?
****Beth****
I did get attached to Duke (Katy), and thought about buying him when the show was cancelled, but I figured I could always visit him up at the Lundin's ranch, and he would probably be better cared for and with other horses. Plus, this way he gets to be in more movies and such !
5. Hello Ty! Ok, I'll see if I can unconfuse my question so it's not so confusing. :-) I have a few scripts from some of The Young Rider episodes, and I notied that there were large sections where someone in the cast said their line but it was worded quite different from the script. Were you allowed to rephrase parts of them as it felt comfortable to you, or were you always told verbatim what to say? I know they did edit several parts, so was there any particular season that you found more fun and adventuresome than the other? Thanks!!
****Kirsten****
All three seasons were fun ! None more than the other for me. I consider the whole run of that show an adventure !Depending on the line and who wrote it, it was actually okay to rephrase in order to fit the situation. The shows were written in L.A. and we were filming in Tucson, so getting approval for a line change was time consuming. The director was usually trusted enough by the studio to give the go-ahead.
6. Hi Ty! I'm really curious about something concerning the horses used on the set. I'm a bit of an animal rights freak and I want to ask you if any horses were actually injured while filming, especially where the riders pull them down to pretend that they were shot. Thanks for reading this rather unusual question; your're just the best!!
****Daniela****
Hey, I'm glad you care ! No, no animals were harmed. When you saw a horse get "pulled" down, you saw them fall in a pre softened section of ground, usually sand covered with leaves or very soft dirt, like in the pilot episode. The wrangler, usually Monty Stuart, would rehearse the run over and over so the horse was accustomed to what was going to happen, finally doing the actual fall.
7. Hi Ty, I have a few questions for you. First, a few years back I saw some old episodes of "General Hospital" and I thought I recognized you as one of the kids in Felicia and Colton's youth center-was that you?- I've always wondered about it. Second, was there any episode of "The Young Riders" that was especially fun making? Third, have you ever seen the final result of any or all of the episodes? Well, I guess that's it...at least for now. :-)I wish you all the best, and I hope we all get to see you in new and challenging roles soon!!Ride safe.
****Kristin****
For me the pilot episode was the most fun, partially because it was the start of a new role, new people to work with, new places to travel and steady work ! I have seen finished episodes, but if my Mom hadn't taped EVERY episode, I probably would have seen none !What a fine memory you have ! Yeah i recall a day or two on General Hospital, but i can't remeber if it was in the youth center. Wow, that was a long time ago !
8. Ty, you were awesome at the "fist fighting" sequences ! Especially that one in the episode "Daisy" where you and Josh Brolin slug it out ! (I really believed ya'll were killing each other !). My question is, did you find those scenes to be incredibly hard ?. I would think it would be so difficult to make a scene that long look that real, and to duck or punch at just the right time. (Oh, and I can't believe that beautiful horse had such a simple name ! Duke sounds like an old hound dog ! Katy was much better ! I bet that horse had an identity crisis !)
****Joanna****
The fighting sequences were great fun. They really weren't that hard, it was like choreographing a dance or something, just going through the 'moves'. Really, the hardest part is pretending you're tired.
9. Hello again, Ty! I guess we're into the 'fighting' theme questions here. On the shows there were some very realistic gunfights....but I noticed that on several occasions, Kid was usually shot in the left arm. Was this because they wanted Kid's right shooting hand to still be free? Not that I enjoyed watching him getting injured or anything.....just wondered if they had to keep stitching the same arm back on! Thanks a bunch, you are so kind to take the time to answer all of our questions!! Our curious brains can breed some strange ones!
****Kirsten****
I think there were times when my shooting arm (right) was shot, but you're probably correct, I seem to remember the left getting shot often, too. It was for that reason, exactly.
10. Hi once again !!! (I'm a never ending source of questions, you know!) I was wondering, what months did you film the show ? The reason I ask is because it must have been incredibly hot in Arizona, (the two times i've been there I thought I was going to evaporate!) and yet your costumes always included long sleeves and jackets ! Did you at least get to film during the early morning or late afternoon hours when the heat wasn't so bad, or were ya'll just grinning and bearing it at high noon ? And how on earth did you all keep from burning to a crisp ? Also, I'm just amazed at the show's popularity outside the U.S. ! People visit our Young Riders pages and operate their own from Australia, Japan, Sweden, The Netherlands, France, England, Brazil and even Indonesia !!! Did you have any idea while you were filming he show, or even now, The Young Riders had such a global following , and does it amaze you just how many people have been exposed to, and love the show around the world ? Let me add my thank you to the others ! You are so incredibly kind to take the time to let us see a little of the "inside" of the show, and yourself ! I know that when I was younger I used to dream about meeting one of The Young Riders for hours on end, and this is the next best thing !!! You are the best !
****Joanna****
It's great how popular the show was, and how much support it still has. I'm as amazed as you are !It was VERY hot out there, especially with he jackets and leather, but only for a couple of months while we were filming. During the hottest months of summer, we were on hiatus, thankfully !
11. During the wedding ceremony, why did Lou and Kid put the wedding bands on their right hands ? Thanks.
****Julia****
You got me on that one ! I'm going to have to dig it up. It could be an 'insert shot', but I honestly don't remember the right hands being used. You guys miss nothing !
12. Hi Ty ! I'm from Europe and thus I know next to nothing about United States history. I heard that William Cody and James Hickok really "existed". Is Kid a real character to ? (excuse my ignorance ^_^)
****Daniela****
'The Kid' was the name of the pilot when it was first bought by ABC. He is a fictional character all the way. You are right about Hickok and Cody, though...they really did exist.
13. Ty, thank you for your support and consideration in responding to our questions ! I have been a fan of your acting talent and hope to see you on stage or film in the future, My question is : What do you see as the greatest challenge to you persomally, in the profession of being an actor ?
****Gina****
The greatest challenge for me is to keep growing, both personally and professionally.It's trying not to be stagnant, and it's finding the courage to take a risk.
14. Hi Ty. Thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions, we really appreciate it. How do you initially prepare and develop a new character ? Did you workshop the characters for The Young Riders before filming began ? I am also curious to know if you have any tricks for remembering lines, I know that many actors use things like word association and visualistation to help them commit their lines to memory. I'd also like to add New Zealand to that list of previous countries that got TYR, mentioned in a question above - we may be little, but we hate being left out :o). Thanks Heaps.
****Jacqui****
Right on, New Zealand ! It really depends on the role, as far as preparing goes. Acting is such an abstract art form in many ways, so I don't really have a 'set' way to prepare. There are some constants, though, such as doing a character history, and ofcourse learning the lines. As far as remembering them, I try to learn the lines in the context of the scene,and ask questions as it unfolds. With the Young Riders, I was working on it within two days of my final audition, so there wasn't much time !
15. Hey, I was wondering if you came across these sites, did you just surf on in, or did some one tip you off about the unbelieveable amount of sites which keep popping up (and may it continue being the same way) ? Oh ! and one more country to add to TYR list - Israel. Thanks
****Danit****
I think I came across The Young Riders Express Station Page when I was wandering around with a friend......It's incredible the amount of support the show still has. Glad to hear it's seen in Israel !.
16. Hi Ty. I'm sorry i stumped you on my last question. maybe I won't this time around. There were a number of guest stars on the show. Was there any one particular guest you enjoyed working with the most ? Thanks again.
****Julia****
Wow, there were so many great actors, it's tough to single anybody out. My girlfriend at the time did a small part in an episode, so that was kind of nice ! (Sarah Buxton...I don't remember the name of the episode).
17. Hi ! I was just wondering what aspect of 'show business' do you like the most, and what do you dislike the most ? In addition, I was wondering if you have plans on entering the music industry and putting out a few albums ??? Thanx for taking the tiem to read and answer these question by the way ;-)....
****Jessica****
I've been working on my first CD for a while now. I have no set date for it to be finished or if I'll try for distribution or any of that. Probably I will have a website with some Real Audio clips, and a page to order it, but i'm still in the middle of it, so there's no tellin'! How's that for vague answers?! 18. Okay, well it's been 2 weeks since i last asked a question....what self control ! Anyway, I was on the phone with a guy from ABC (preparations for setting up a class filming thingie with them....don't ask me exactly what for, I don't have a clue ! But hey, I'm game for adventure !) and the man says to me "Oh, so you've had some classes....then you can tell me what 'slating' is ". I just sniffled and said I didn't know My acting has been focused on scene study and character analysis (for the stage)....no fancier techno vocabulary. This isn't something i'm going to lose sleep over...yet anyway. But could you tell me what that is ? The only hint I got was that it had something to do with the whole camera shooting process. Thanks Ty, I'll owe ya ! ****Kirsten****
I like the travel and irregularity of the hours, and moving from one project to the next. There are some dislikes, but no more than any other profession, I suppose. It is pretty tough not to know if/when you will work again, and the audition process can be discouraging at times, but its' a pretty cool gig if you can get it!Slating is nothing more than the board that the person puts in front of the camera before a scene starts. S/he clicks the "sticks" on top of the board so the sound and picture can be synchronised. Hence, sometimes it is called "sticks". Occasionally, it will be done at the end of a scene when the director will call for "end sticks". You've probably seen slating on some of the entertainment shows, when they are covering a TV or Film shoot. These days, they have red LED numbers on the board itself, to aid in syncing.
