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Chris Gorham is easily one of our favorite actors on almost
all of our favorite shows. Right now, he's best known for
his role as Auggie Anderson on Covert Affairs. Now in its
second season, Auggie plays a blind CIA operative who forms
a sincere friendship with co-worker Annie Walker.
In the episode "Half a World Away," debuting
July 19, 2011, we finally find out how Auggie lost his sight.
In preparation for such an anticipated episode, we had the
opportunity to sit in on a conference call with Chris Gorham
himself. Read below to find out what he had to share with
us all!
Covert Affairs is primarily a story about Annie. Why do
you think that it was so important to delve into Auggie's
past, and particularly how he became blind?
Well, I think it's all tied into Annie's story really. I
mean - you know because you're right. This show is about Annie
Walker. It's not about Auggie Anderson, and it's not about
you know the Annie and Auggie. It's about Annie.
And you know, why it's important is because this is an important
step in a very important relationship in her life. You know,
her relationship with Auggie is very important within the
context of her life and especially where she is right now.
And this is a big step for those two characters.
So I think you know, that's why an episode like this is
important and not just fun.
And I was wondering, in the end - at the end of the episode,
it appeared that everything - kind of fitting what you just
said that everything is pretty good between Auggie and Annie.
Do you think there's going to be any future ramifications
for what he had her do without her knowing and - you know,
for good or bad?
I - honestly, I think that the bigger ramifications come
in the kind of deepening of their friendship. And because
Auggie's telling - I mean, that's why - I don't know how to
say this without giving it away. I think she gets her payback
at the end of this episode. You know, the fact that this is
all being revealed is his thank you to her. Does that make
sense?
Yes, definitely. Now, how was it filming in Istanbul?
Filming in Istanbul was one of the most extraordinary trips
I've ever taken. You know, it's - it was just one of those
moments in your life where you just have to step back and
just say thank you. You know, whether - you know, it's for
you know something - or you know for just saying thank you
to God or the Universe, or to whomever.
It's just one of those moments where - you know, I mean
I get flown to someplace like that - it's one of the most
extraordinary places in the world. Get completely taken care
of. I get to do this amazing job that I love while I'm there.
All the while, seeing these incredible places and being taken
and eating incredible food. And then, I get to come home and
I've got my family with me you know, for the summer in Toronto.
And, it's just - it was kind of overwhelming really.
And so, it was an extraordinary trip. And, I took tons of
pictures and video, and it's very well documented.
And, it was amazing for the show. You know, we're so lucky
that we have you know producers - the producers that we have
who are so creative and have figured out a way to take these
characters and you know instead of being satisfied with sticking
them in front of a green screen, finding ways to send them
to Puerto Rico, to send them to Paris, to send them to Istanbul,
to Rio. You know, just incredibly grateful.
Now I wanted to know how does it feel to get an episode
focused specifically on Auggie?
You know, it's - it feels great, you know. It's - you know,
I think - like I was saying earlier, it's like I don't feel
- part of the reason why I feel it's great is because I feel
it's very much in keeping with what we're doing with the show.
Like I don't feel like it's just like a gratuitous way to
satisfy me personally. You know, like I feel like it's part
of the larger fabric of Covert Affairs and the story of Annie
Walker and where she is right now. And so you know, it feels
good.
And largely, it feels - mostly because I feel like we've
done it well. You know, Auggie is a very unique character.
He's a leading man who's a disabled vet, and you know what
he's gone through is something that thousands of our veterans
have gone through. And so, you have to respect it. Like you
can't just you know, make things up whole cloth. You have
to kind of go and really explore the real emotions and the
real journey that these men and women go through every day.
And, I feel like that we did that justice.
 Can
you talk about working with Rebecca on this episode?
Rebecca Mader, she's incredible. She was so much fun. You
know, and she - and also like just the right kind of actress
to come in and play this role, because like her character,
she - you get thrust into this kind of crazy adventure. You
know, we flew up to - up and back to Toronto two or three
times, and then fly her you know, across her across the globe
to Istanbul to shoot.
Like what was - it felt like a little gorilla independent
film for three days. And, she just really rolled with it and
we had a great time. And she's so talented and - so yes, she
was amazing.
Talk to me about, you know, Auggie's back story and how
much input you had. Or, was it kind of already set in stone
for you?
The actual events that happened - I don't know if they were
set in stone, but they were maybe set in quick dry concrete.
It was a question that I had actually for Chris and Matt --
the creators of the show -- when we were shooting the pilot.
Because you know, in the pilot he tells the story to Annie
- this is one of the many versions of the story that he's
told to Annie and other characters.
And, I just thought that it didn't sound real. Why would
you get out of your armored Humvee to go investigate a dead
dog? But, they assured me that you know based on their research
- the people they'd talked to, that stuff like that did happen.
And they also said, "You know, listen. We know where
this is going. Just trust us." And so you know, I - so
I did. And it did turn out fine I think. I - you know, I'm
really happy with how it turned out.
I think that where - typically where I have the most influence
is sometimes when you kind of - the emotional journey. And
then just when I pick up little things - little details from
my own research that I can come in and add.
You know, I met with a military advisor, an Army Captain,
in preparation for this episode and brought a few things to
the table based on the conversations that we had had. And
then you know, with my blind research -- I have a lot of it
as far as to what goes on with the show.
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