Brett: Welcome everyone and thank you for coming tonight!

Cass: Brett, if you had to choose between a good script or a good cast, which would you choose and why?

Brett: A good script is the first thing I would chose because the story is the most important element in the making of any project.

murphy86: I got the feeling there was some history between Annabelle and Martel. Were scenes cut from the movie about the two of them?

Brett: There was a scene in the beginning of the movie that was cut that hints at the fact that we had a prior relationship that wasn’t spelled out, but you got the feeling that they had connected at some point before the movie had started.

murphy86: What is your favorite scene in the movie?

Brett: My favorite scene in the movie would be the one with Keanu in the locker room, from an acting standpoint. And also, the scenes I had with Gene Hackman.

murphy86: What was the story behind the hair under your lip? Was that your idea or someone else’s? It made you look very sinister. And, what do you call that? A soul patch?

Brett: First of all, that’s what I tend to grow when I’m not working. And I had finished Legacy and I had grown that; it was my signature sort of feel because I’m a surfer. And I showed up on the set, and the director, who’s a friend of mine, liked it and asked me to keep it. And yes it’s called a soul patch.

Cass: Does changing your appearance help you get into character or does it really not make that much of a difference?

Brett: Well, yeah, I think I change my appearance in everything I do, because I don’t want to look like Brett Cullen…I try to reflect the period that I’m in. And it does make a difference because whether it’s your hairstyle or your clothes you’re wearing, you adjust to the way the clothes feel on your body. You develop a different walk…if I’m driving a Porsche, or putting on a uniform, it does make a difference. Your whole setup changes. You’re now sort of dressed in character.

AnnePhillips: Did Hurricanes Floyd, Harvey and Irene (which hit the East Coast last fall) affect the shooting of The Replacements?

Brett: No, Hurricane Dennis did. And they made me fly in on my birthday to shoot a scene with the girl and it got cut.

goaway7: How many weeks of football training did you have to go through?

Brett: Two weeks.

WendyW: Brett, did you suffer any injuries during the making of the movie?

Brett: Nothing serious. Some various deep bruises. I had my running back run into me and my bicep turned purple and yellow for about two weeks.

WendyW: Did you ever feel intimidated by the sheer size of the football players surrounding you?

Brett: Yes. I showed up weighing about 195 and after two weeks of training I put on about 15 pounds from a lot of beer and desserts. The linemen are all huge and I tried to bulk up some, lifted a lot of weights and ate a lot of food.

Cass: Brett, did you play any football in school?

Brett: I played football until I was in the 9th grade when I got kicked off the team for making fun of the coach’s play drawings on the big blackboard. I then quit playing football and started playing baseball.

Cass: Brett, what was it like to go to a big Hollywood premier? Is it just really loud and annoying or is it actually fun?

Brett: It’s actually quite fun. Most people don’t realize that working as an actor is a lot of hard work and that’s when you get to go and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Wilma: What was it like working with Gene Hackman?

Brett: It was an absolute pleasure and honor to act with one of the greatest actors of our generation. He was extremely kind and open to me as an actor and just unbelievable to work with. He liked the fact that I didn’t back down from him.

murphy86: Did you and the other actors hang out together during filming? Who did you hang out with the most?

Brett: Yes, we hung out quite a lot together. A lot of the football players and myself hung out together. From a partying standpoint, I hung out with Gailard Sartain and Rhys Ifans.

Tracy711: Hi Brett…First I want to say thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I would like to ask you when you were filming in Baltimore, and you had some time in between shooting, what about Baltimore did you like the best?

Brett: I had a blast in Fells Point. And one of my favorite nights was when I went to McCormick and Schmick’s and had dinner and Lyle Lovett performed across the channel.

Cass: Brett, if you were given a script with two equally well-written roles, one for the good guy and one for the bad, which would you choose?

Brett: Which ever one I would be best suited for. I would be happy to play either one, but obviously I’d like to play the good guy, because everyone likes a hero.

snitch: In the bar fight scene, just how much of the stunt work did you do?

Brett: I did the punches with Keanu. And I got tackled by the stuntman that doubled for Jon Favreau… And the rest of the beating was a stuntman and he was a great double for me.

goaway7: Were there a lot of pranks on the set? Working with funny guys like Orlando and Gruff?

Brett: None, really. It was us just trying to get the job done. Everyone was really focused on getting the job done. Everyone was there taking care of business.

Cass: Brett, why do you think Martel crossed the picket line? Was it just because he was a jerk or what? I didn’t feel like we were given enough insight into your character to determine why he would do that.

Brett: The movie was based on the 1987 strike, which was not successful, and most of the players ended up crossing. So my character crossed because the strike was going to come to an end anyway and I didn’t want to lose my job to a scab.

murphy86: Do you have a better appreciation for football players in the NFL after making the movie?

Brett: Yes, I do. The average career of an NFL player is supposed to be 3-5 years. And these guys take a huge beating on their bodies and they deserve the money they are paid, but I just have a problem with the lack of loyalty that players have to their organizations, because they just go where the most money is.

Cass: Brett, is that the most weight you’ve gained for a role?

Brett: Yes, it is. I like my weight to be somewhere between 195 and 200 and I weighed about 215 in that movie.

Ev3a: Did you feel intimidated by the big name stars? Or do they feel like peers?

Brett: No, I didn’t feel intimidated by the big name stars…Gene Hackman was wonderful and Keanu was a sweetheart and Jack Warden I’ve worked with before. And everyone else was just part of the ensemble. So, yes, they do feel like peers.

goaway7: Brett, I loved this movie and hope to see you in some more soon! Are there any plans for another one soon?

Brett: Right now I’m focusing on trying to produce two movies and would probably act in one of them. But there is stuff in the making that I can’t talk about at the moment but I will let you know as soon as I can.

AnnePhillips: Did being in The Replacements make you glad you make a living as an actor and not a football player?

Brett: Absolutely! It made me feel very happy I’m an actor and not a football player!

snitch: What did your wife think of Martel? Did she enjoy seeing you play the antagonist?

Brett:Yes, she did. She didn’t like it very much but she thought I did a great job. It’s fun being the bad guy, because you get to be evil and it’s fun.

Cass: Brett, I noticed you were listed in a different order in the opening credits as opposed to the closing credits. Any idea why?

Brett: Because of my contract! It’s contractual. When you make a deal, your credits are part of the deal. The closing ones are usually in alphabetical order or in order of appearance. Closing credits I don’t have any control over.

WendyW: Is there any possibility that you will act with Meatloaf?

Brett: Yes, there is a possibility. One of the movies we want to produce we probably both will be in it.

murphy86: Did you get to play during the halftime at the Baltimore Ravens game? If so, what was it like playing in front of so many football fans?

Brett: No, I did not play during the halftime at the Ravens game but I was there. It was a preseason game and the fans were sort of lackadaisical during the real game but when the actors came out on the field, they went absolutely wild. They had 8 ½ minutes to shoot on the field, and they got it.

AnnePhillips: Has the Screen Actors Guild Strike affected your working and has it affected any Yellow Rose productions?

Brett: No, because the SAG strike is against the advertising and commercials and when the theatrical issue comes up it will affect us.

Cass: Brett, I didn’t get the whole cheerleader thing. Were the original cheerleaders on strike with the players or what? It was hysterical, but I didn’t know what their purpose was other than laughs.

Brett: Yes, the original cheerleaders went on strike, except for the head cheerleader, so she had to hire scab cheerleaders for replacements.

Ev3a: Making a big Hollywood movie sounds like a fantasy come true. What is the worst about it?

Brett: The logistics and the planning is the worst part for production, but it doesn’t really affect acting. We just show up and do our job.

Cass: Brett, did you get to choose number 7 or was it just written that way?

Brett: It was written that way.

Ev3a: Did your family get to visit the movie set?

Brett: No, they did not. It was the first time in my career that I didn’t have my family with me and it was very lonely. And I would fly back to LA ever so often. My wife didn’t want to fly back to the East coast for 4 months after we had just left Virginia.

spikedme: On the whole, which of your movies or shows did you enjoy having the most fun to make?

Brett: Well, Apollo 13, Something to Talk About, the series Legacy, the series Orleans, and The Replacements. From the Earth to the Moon was a blast, too.

Ev3a: How long does it take to film a movie?

Brett: Anywhere from 8 weeks to 4-6 months, depending on whether it’s a studio film or an independent. The average length is 8-12 weeks. The Replacements was about 3 ½ to 4 months.

murphy86: How difficult was it going from a wonderful, kind character like Ned Logan to a bratty, sort of unlikable character like Eddie Martel? Was it hard making the transition emotionally?

Brett: It was a challenge as an actor but it wasn’t that difficult. It’s creating a different set of circumstances for that character’s motivation. Ned’s motivation was to raise his children and the horses. LOL. Martel’s were, at this point in his life, to protect his career.

murphy86: Does it bother you that I wanted to punch Martel out 20 minutes into the movie?

Brett: That’s flattering! LOL. I wanted you to punch Martel out. That was my purpose in playing the character! If you didn’t hate Martel, you wouldn’t have liked Falco as much.

murphy86: During training camp, did you get to know any of the NFL players?

Brett: Well, we had ex NFL players that we got to know. Along with Canadian football players, arena players and ex college players. But we didn’t hang out with any real NFL players that are currently playing.

WendyW: Do you prefer making movies or television shows?

Brett: It doesn’t make a difference. Doing TV is a much faster pace. Making movies, you have more down time on your hands.

Cass: Brett, that was a sporty little car Martel owned in the movie. Did you ever get to drive it?

Brett: No. LOL. They didn’t trust me! (laughing wickedly)

murphy86: The music in the movie was great. Do you know if there is a soundtrack coming out?

Brett: Yes, there is a soundtrack coming out, as a matter of fact. You’ll hear me on the soundtrack, talking.

murphy86: Did the movie turn out the way you thought it would from reading the script and the filming?

Brett: I had hoped that they would have shown a sequence at the end of the movie where I was locked in the equipment room, where you would have seen Martel cheering when they scored. But it didn’t work out that way. Where you would have seen Martel’s love for the game.

Ev3a: Do you try to find sympathy for “bad guys” you play?

Brett: Initially, you try to find some empathy somewhere for the character, but in the long run you realize that the bad guy HAS to be bad, and you just try to make him as real as possible.

Cass: Brett, when you have to play a bad guy or a jerk like Martel do you delve into your own inner dark places or do you draw upon your experiences with the personalities of others? Do you think one method over the other would make for a better performance?

Brett: I think you have to delve into your own dark places. And use a little bit of experience from people you observe. You get a mixture of both. Part imagination and part reality.

murphy86: Did you have any other scenes that got cut?

Brett: Some stuff got cut, but not major, big huge scenes. Some bits and pieces that we shot got cut. There were scenes where you see me watching Falco that would have heightened that whole relationship.

snitch: Did you get to keep any of your wardrobe? Those suits that Martel wore looked like they belonged on the cover of GQ!

Brett: No, I did not. I ‘m a blue jeans and t-shirts kind of guy!

Wilma: What role would you like to play next?

Brett: I don’t know what role I’d like to play next. Something interesting, hopefully!

Ev3a: What do you do during the “down time” making a movie?

Brett: You hang out with the cast and crew. You create a sense of family with the people you are working with. You create a relaxed atmosphere with them. And also I spent a lot of time on my computer answering letters!! The down time between setups in a scene, you are constantly trying to keep your energy up.

WendyW: Brett, how long have you had a computer and do you consider yourself computer literate?

Brett: LOL. I’ve had a computer for 4-5 years. No, I do not consider myself computer literate!

Sheri_Berry: Hi Brett, this is the infamous Sheri. I guess the question I want to ask is how a nice guy like you wound up playing something like Martel?

Brett: Because the director liked my butt! LOLOL. No, it’s because the director is a friend of mine and asked me if I would be interested in playing it.

counterfeit: Brett, what position did you play in baseball?

Brett: I was the pitcher and played until I was 20. From the age of 6 until I was 20.

goaway7: Did a lot of the scenes have input from the actors? Or was it strictly the director’s?

Brett: The director, Howie, is an actor’s director. He tried to get what he wanted out of a scene. He certainly allowed us to improvise. He’s wonderful to work with!

Brett: I have to go now, but I’m really happy that you came, and I hope we can do this again soon. I have to go now because I have a prior engagement, but thank you for coming and I’ll be talking to you soon. Goodnight!

Moderator: Brett will be joining us via telephone shortly. Marion Zachary will be on the telephone with Brett. At 9 p.m. ET, the room will become a moderated chat room. At that time the only ‘voices’ you will see will be the Moderator(s) and Brett’s. You can still type your questions in below at any time but they will only show up on your screen and the moderator’s. The Moderator will send your questions to Brett.

Moderator: Welcome everyone, we have switched to Moderated Chat.

Moderator: Brett is about to enter the room.

Moderator: Please begin sending through your questions

Brett Cullen: I‘d like to welcome everybody to the chat and thank you for coming and hope I can answer all your questions.

Moderator: SJ: Brett, have you ever been invited to play in the AT&T Pebble Beach Golf Tournament? Would you like to play?

Brett Cullen: No, I’ve never been invited and I’d certainly like to play! (laughs)

Moderator: Jen: Hi Brett! Are there any similarities between you and Ned Logan?

Brett Cullen: Um, Hi Jen, and yes, there are…because I have a daughter and I think it’s important to be a good father figure to your children. That’s one of the reasons I took the part, because of the family aspect of the show.

Moderator: janett-marie: My husband and I really enjoyed “Legacy” –we miss it…my question is 2 fold.. 1) as an actor, is it difficult and frustrating to create a character such as Ned and know how the story and character can develop only to have the show canceled and 2) what has been your most challenging role to date?

Brett Cullen: It’s not so much difficult as frustrating — to fall in love with a character and then to have a network not appreciate it. And then to cancel the show without actually having them see the rest of episodes not shown. And the most challenging role to date would probably be either playing Dave Scott in “From the Earth to the Moon”…or Ned in “Legacy.”

Moderator: amy23: Hi Brett! In “Search Party,” Ned went through such a gauntlet of emotions, how did you prepare yourself for that episode, (you were so great in that, btw)

Brett Cullen: I guess I was primarily motivated by….what I focused on was imagining that my own daughter was taken and what that would feel like. And those emotions were very real to me because I dearly love my daughter.

Moderator: logans_legacy: I hear you are good friends with Meatloaf… do you call him Meat… Mr. Loaf… or by his real name?

Brett Cullen: I call him Meat! That’s his name! That’s what he wants to be called. And also, Meatloaf, Meat Loaf, is two names.

Moderator: SJ: What is in the works for future projects?

Brett Cullen: Hmm..Meat and I have a production company and we are trying to produce 2 or 3 films right now — we are looking for financing. And the name of the company is Yellow Rose. Also, we are waiting to find out about some other projects, but I’d rather not talk about them until I know more for sure. And we will post them on the web page as soon as I know.

Moderator: Jess: Brett, do you keep in touch with any of your former cast mates from “The Young Riders?”

Brett Cullen: Um…I kept in touch with Travis Fine for a period of time, but I haven’t heard from him in a while. And I saw Stephen Baldwin before I left for Virginia at a golf course. Melissa Leo, of course, was in “Emma” and “Search Party.” And I dearly love her.

Moderator: violin_girl23: Hey Brett! I have enjoyed your work since “Falcon Crest.” What was it like to work with Jane Wyman and the rest of the cast?

Brett Cullen: It was a real treat to work with her and I enjoyed the role that I played. And it paid for my very first house, so I loved it!

Moderator: Gevra: Hi, Brett, have you heard anything about the likelihood of the show staying alive on another television station?

Brett Cullen: Um..I talked to Chris Abbott yesterday and there is the possibility that another network might be interested, but we won’t know for a while.

Moderator: logans_legacy: Is there anything you would simply not do on screen?

Brett Cullen: Ah…full frontal nudity! (laughs) But seriously, I have a hard time doing anything that I have to explain in depth or apologize to my daughter for.

Moderator: nursepat12: Brett, just thought I would ask if there was any other little thing Ramona and Mare could do for you?

Brett Cullen: Have a network buy our show!

Moderator: logans_legacy: Where did you grow up?

Brett Cullen: I was raised in Houston, Texas — lived there until I graduated from the University of Houston and then moved to California… Los Angeles..

Moderator: amy23: I love the Ned/Lexy relationship, they have such a strong, unique bond. Are you close with Sarah off camera?

Brett Cullen: Yes, I’m very close to Sarah, in fact, she and her family were at my house yesterday and we went out to dinner. She is my daughter’s idol! I think she was one of the best actors on our show. I love her very, very much.

Moderator: logans_legacy: Who have been your biggest influences in acting or life?

Brett Cullen: In acting it would be Cecil Pickett, who was my acting teacher in college, who just passed away and is really missed. In life, it would be my parents, my wife and daughter, and my dear, dear friends who have supported me. But mostly, my wife and daughter.

Moderator: Sandy: In “The Hired Heart,”" you looked very much at home behind the piano. Do you have any musical training?

Brett Cullen: I’ve played drums for eight years, and I play a little guitar and had to learn to play piano for that role, and it was very challenging (laughs)…but I have a lot of friends in the music business, and I watch them and can tell how to act when you are playing.

Moderator: Jen: Have any “Legacy” cast members asked you for personal advice?

Brett Cullen: Yes, they have. Ron and I are very close, and I’m close to Jeremy, and I, in many ways, am a sort of sounding board for them, not in terms of acting, but in terms of their personal life. You become what you play, and I sort of became their dad in many ways.

Moderator: logans_legacy: Of all the characters you have played, which is most like you?

Brett Cullen: Hmmm…let me see….You have a situation that occurs when you play a role and it starts to come through in your personality, and I’d like to think I’m a lot closer to Ned than some of the other roles I’ve played. But I think the character I played in “Orleans,” with Larry Hagman, was very close to me, he had a dark side, and it touched on the that side of my nature…but I’d rather be thought of as being closer to someone like Dave Scott, who is a wonderful man, and who likes to run and drink beer, just like I do.

Moderator: BunkhouseGal: Which of the characters you’ve portrayed would you want to portray again and why?

Brett Cullen: Umm, I would think probably Ned. I would dearly love to continue to play him. I love the show and would want to work with Chris Abbott again, who I adore — and I would love to play Dave Scott again and the character from Orleans. There’s a show I did, called “Keys,” a 2-hour movie of the week, and we talked about doing a sequel, but it never aired in the United States. I played a cop..I had a flat top.. you’d never recognize me. I would love to play that one again.

Moderator: Allene: Brett, I just wanted to say that you are my favorite actor, I was wondering if your are going to stay with “Legacy” if it goes to another network?

Brett Cullen: Thank you, thank you very much, and I would definitely go to another network!

Moderator: Maribeth: Hi Brett! If you did not have an acting career what would you be doing?

Brett Cullen: Ah..(laughs) I would have tried to be a pro baseball player, which was my goal before acting — if not that, I would have tried to write.

Moderator: Sandy: What rodeo events did you participate in while on the pro circuit?

Brett Cullen: I was never on the pro circuit — I did charity events for Ben Johnson, I was a team roper and a team penner. And we would do one pro team and one actor team.

Moderator: logans_legacy: Was working with Julia Roberts intimidating or just a whole lot of fun?

Brett Cullen: It was not intimidating, it was a whole lot of fun! She’s just a good ole Georgia girl and we would go out two steppin’ and we had a lot of laughs.

Moderator: Gevra: Brett, have you heard any news of success with the “Keep Legacy Campaign?”

Brett Cullen: We’re not sure about the success, but it does have some impact, because it has renewed Alliance’s vigor in trying to sell the show.

Moderator: amy23; How long have you been riding horses?

Brett Cullen: Since I was a child.

Moderator: What are some of your favorite Legacy scenes?

Brett Cullen: My favorite scene in “Legacy” was the scene with my daughter in Homecoming — at the very end when I go in to tell her what her mother sounds like.

Moderator: BunkhouseGal: What was the funniest thing to happen to you on the set of “Legacy?”

Brett Cullen: (laughing)…one day Ron and Jeremy took my car and I was “wrapped” and they had to work, so I moved their car, and they had two different cell phones and I switched them! And also, things that couldn’t be aired like the horse would fart or go to the bathroom and we couldn’t use the scenes.

Moderator: Holly_in_KY >>is nervous because she has never done this before…I just wanted to express my enjoyment of your character on Legacy and was wondering if you will be coming to the Kentucky Derby with the other celebrities this year.

Brett Cullen: Um..don’t be nervous…I really appreciate that you enjoy Ned on “Legacy,” and I don’t know that I am coming to the Kentucky Derby, but if I get an invitation, I would happily go.

Moderator: Evalina: What is the general spirit among the “Legacy” cast? upbeat, nervous, hopeful…?

Brett Cullen: I would say a little nervous and hopeful at the same time. Frustrated…would be another adjective I’d use because we would all love to do the show.

Moderator: Phyllis: Brett, what inspired you to choose the acting profession?

Brett Cullen: A man by the name of Cecil Pickett inspired me to become an actor…and after I did my first serious play and saw what affect it had on the audience, and in the process, began to learn so much about myself, that I realized it would teach me to learn how to become a better person as well as learn to create other worlds and other characters. Also, I don’t think acting is something that an actor should do for himself, I think it should be something he does for the audience..if he is doing it for himself, he is just self-absorbed…without an audience, one doesn’t work.

Moderator: Allene: Hi Brett, I read that you are a big history buff, are you in any history reenactments?

Brett Cullen: No, I’m not in any history re-enactments…but thank you anyway!

Moderator: Evalina: Do you feel like you’ve “arrived?” Do you feel famous?

Brett Cullen: (laughs)…I’ve worked as an actor for 20 something years and I don’t think I’ve arrived…no I don’t feel famous, I feel like a working actor.

Moderator: Jen: Has there been a time when you disagreed with the writers as to the how Ned would handle a situation?

Brett Cullen: I wouldn’t use the word disagreed, because I think Chris works as a collaborator — I would read the scripts and give her my ideas as to where Ned should go emotionally and for the most part, she agreed. When push came to shove, Chris was the boss, but usually, we were in agreement.

Moderator: Phyllis: How do you feel about the fans rallying to bring the show back on the air?

Brett Cullen: It makes my heart soar. I’m very grateful…

Moderator: Evalina: What is your dream role?

Brett Cullen: I would like to play this character by the name of Monty Walsh..a book written by Jack Shaefer, he wrote “Shane.” I would like to make it into a miniseries…that’s been a dream of mine for years.

Moderator: Sandy: What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Brett Cullen: Umm..I love to golf, I love to surf, and I love playing with my daughter and wife — not necessarily in that order.

Moderator: ddixon: Have you been playing more golf since you returned to California? Have you ever played with wooden golf clubs? I have some that were my grandfather’s–antiques, but its much harder to use because your accuracy has to be precise.

Brett Cullen: No, I haven’t been playing much since I came back to California because I’ve been traveling. And I have played with wooden golf clubs, that’s what I started playing with — they were my aunts and they were antiques, but I hope to be playing soon again.

Moderator: Jess: Do you ever visit any other web sites devoted to you, or TYR (The Young Riders)?

Brett Cullen: No, I haven’t actually, because I just became computer literate ..Meat and I got on line so we could communicate from different continents.

Moderator: Allene: Did you enjoy filming in Richmond, VA?

Brett Cullen: I loved filming in Richmond. It was a unique area that hadn’t been used before in a television show. I was there for eight months and was never in one traffic jam, and came back to LA and was in two the first week I came back. I love Richmond.

Moderator: SJ: Do you have an office to request autographed photos, or just a photo?

Brett Cullen: The Gersh Agency, it’s on the web site…

Moderator: acqed: Do you have an interest in recording, or was Life’s a Lemon just a fun thing to do with a friend?

Brett Cullen: It was actually a fun thing to do ..my wife and I went in with another couple and had a blast in the studio… I was there for a lot of the recording…Meat was in LA instead of NY.

Moderator: AmeliaRose: How would you like a new network to handle “Legacy” differently than UPN did? What would it take to get the audience it deserves?

Brett Cullen: I think the new network would have to publicize the show more fervently and I think that an audience is out there waiting to discover the show. I wish UPN would or could have been more patient because if they had I think the show would have succeeded. I personally think it’s the best show UPN has on its lineup. The classiest and best show…but I’m prejudiced!

Moderator: Jen: Which “Legacy” scenes were most difficult for you? Why?

Brett Cullen: hmm…I think there was a character that the network brought on the show to be my wife, I think that playing scenes with her were difficult for me, to buy that Ned would marry her without knowing her very well — that was difficult for me as an actor, but I took it and ran with it and did the best I possibly could.

Moderator: Merry: What was your first acting job?

Brett Cullen: My very first was..I worked in a theater..my first paying job was a dinner theater production of “Guys and Dolls” and I played Rusty Charlie. And the first paying TV film job was a small role in a small role in a TV show called “Girls in the Office.” The first job in California was a series called “The Chisholms.”

Moderator: myscribe: What kind of impact does the fans supporting “Legacy” after UPN cancelled it, have on you?

Brett Cullen: It is extremely flattering to the whole show and to me and I hope it has an impact on the production company. And I thank everyone for supporting it.

Moderator: ddixon: Who owns the rights to the last four episodes already taped? Will UPN show them? If not, who did your character end up marrying?

Brett Cullen: UPN owns them and will show them in the summer. Just watch and you’ll see..it’s a very unsavory character.

Moderator: Jen: What are the most difficult scenes to perform? Why?

Brett Cullen: Well, scenes that are exposition, because you’re just telling info…you’re discussing it.. to the audience.

Moderator: janett-marie: Since you enjoyed playing Ned Logan and Dave Scott (two strong, intelligent men) do you have a romantic side that we as fans would ever get to see?

Brett Cullen: Well, if you saw “Something to Talk About,” and the “Hired Heart,” you would definitely see a romantic side! Ned and Dave didn’t, and they are the only ones that really didn’t have a romantic side…the rest have been romantic…

Moderator: Jen: How many pages of dialog did you have to memorize daily? How did you manage it?

Brett Cullen: Anywhere between 5-8 pages and is not difficult, because if you’ve done theater and worked on stage and done Shakespeare…memorizing a TV script is child’s play!

Moderator: SJ: Hi, Brett! Since you wanted to try being a pro, what is your favorite baseball team? The Astros?

Brett Cullen: Abso-lutely! (laughs) The Astros! Maybe one day they’ll win the championship!

Moderator: Lilah: At one point on “Legacy,” it looked like you were filming at Westover on the James. Was it Westover, and where was the Logan house?

Brett Cullen: We definitely filmed at Westover and it was the Winter’s house, and we also shot at Berkely, and the Logan house was Tuckahoe Plantation and that is where Thomas Jefferson lived between the ages of 2 to 9.

Moderator: Jen: Are there any “Legacy” characters that you would like to see modified? How?

Brett Cullen: No, that’s Chris Abbott’s area!

Moderator: Tammy: Did you enjoy working with your wife on “Legacy,” and have you two worked together before?

Brett Cullen: I adored working with my wife, I would love to do it more and we worked..we’ve done several projects together..she was in Apollo 13 and she ended up being cut out…she is a wonderful actress, my wife.

Moderator: Sandra: Hey Brett, where do you like to surf and what kind of board do you ride?

Brett Cullen: Umm, I like to surf Point Dune, I like to surf Venice Beach and Baja, California, in a spot that will remain unnamed, (laughs) and Kauai, Hawaii. And the board that I ride is a 7′4″ Johnston surfboard that was shaped by my friend Andy Johnston and I have a 7′10″ Becker that I surf on and a 9 foot 6 Becker Long Boy.

Moderator: sprite: Do you act on the stage at all? If yes, how different is it?

Brett Cullen: Yes, I’ve acted on stage a great deal in the past. But I haven’t been able to the last few years. And the difference is it’s an immediate reaction to the audience as opposed to television. Once the curtain goes up, there’s no “Cut!” and “Take two.”

Moderator: nursepat12: Do you own any animals?

Brett Cullen: Yes, I have a cat.

Moderator: ddixon: Do you really read your own fan mail?

Brett Cullen: Yes I do!

Moderator: Jen: Have there been any practical jokes played on the set?

Brett Cullen: I would always tell Jeremy Garrett that he was wanted on the set and he wasn’t, and he would come storming back in, cussing me!

Moderator: Jen: What a unique perspective! In what way does acting teach you to become a better person?

Brett Cullen: When you play a role, you first have to look to yourself to find a connection to that character. For instance, if you’re playing a racist or a bad guy, you have to find something in yourself to find that connection, so it is real — and then exploring that, you discover things about yourself and it forces you to confront them and overcome them, because in my mind, you believe it’s the kind of person you want to be.

Moderator: SJ: What was it like when you filmed “The Thorn Birds?” Were you actually in Australia? What season, and for how long? That was another great cast to work with, I would think.

Brett Cullen: It was a real thrill to be in “The Thorn Birds.” We shot in Simi Valley and Hawaii. And it was half a season — it was a great cast to work with, I was very blessed with that!

Moderator: BunkhouseGal: Which character you’ve portrayed was the least like you.

Brett Cullen: Umm…there was a TV movie I did called “Complex Fear,” a true story that took place in Atlanta. I played a serial rapist…it was not a pleasant experience to play that character.

Moderator: Jen: Do people recognize you on the street? Are they intrusive?

Brett Cullen: Sometimes they do…but no, they are not intrusive, they have always been polite! An actor that doesn’t expect that shouldn’t be an actor.

Moderator: violin_girl23: I read that you were in a band with Dennis Quaid. Did you ever record an album?

Brett Cullen: No, I was not in a band with Dennis Quaid…he had a band and I was just friends with the band and watched them perform. So, no, I never recorded an album, and neither did Dennis!

Moderator: BunkhouseGal: Would you let your daughter go into acting?

Brett Cullen: Hesitantly…but if that is what she chooses to do with her life I would support her 100%.

Moderator: Jen: If “Legacy” returns, do you have any aspirations to write any episodes?

Brett Cullen: Yes, I would try my hand at that…I am trying to do that now — writing another script, not Legacy.

Moderator: logans_legacy: If you could work with anyone, who would it be?

Brett Cullen: I would love to work with Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood. Directors I would like are Larry Kasden, and Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, and the list goes on forever of other people.

Moderator: Jen: Have you ever had any bad experiences with horses?

Brett Cullen: Not really! I’ve only been thrown twice in my life and that was my fault. And that was while I was roping.

Moderator: ddixon: I have really enjoyed watching you as Ned Logan. You are able to use your body language so effectively to convey emotions. Is that something you learned at the beginning of your career or did that develop over time? That little hat trick where you twirl your hat was cute. Was that your idea?

Brett Cullen: Body language…that just comes with time…and the hat trick was mine — I taught the boys how to do it.

Moderator: Jess: Has it been your experience that most of the casts you have worked with in various shows have been close knit, or is it kinda like, everyone does their own thing?

Brett Cullen: It’s been my experience on most of the shows I’ve worked on, that a family-like atmosphere takes over on the set — the cast and crew become merged with one another in a strong ensemble. And that it’s a wonderful, creative process that everyone enjoys.

Brett Cullen: I have to go…but I want to thank everyone, especially Ramona and Marion, for putting this chat together, and hopefully we’ll be able to do it again in the future. And I deeply want to thank all the fans of Legacy for their continued support, and I hope we can continue performing for you! And I must now go cook dinner for my family!

Moderator: Thank you, Brett, for coming here and talking with us!

Moderator: The floor is now open for general chat! Check the web site for the latest news on Brett Cullen.

Brett Cullen: I’d just like to say hi to everyone and hope that they’re enjoying Legacy. I hope they’re enjoying watching it as much as we enjoy making it.

Cardinalseven: Hey Brett. What’s up?

Cullen: I’m about 6′2″.

hypergirl98_98_98: How old are you?

Cullen: Old enough to play the father of these kids!

Cardinalseven: Tell us about your show.

Cullen: It’s a period drama in 1881. The story of a single father trying to raise his children on a horse ranch. The day-to-day drama of raising a family, the heart, drama, and complexity of this life.

trevorlockwood: How long have you been in the acting business?

Cullen: I’ve been making a living as an actor since 1979.

Sexy_69_98_1998_98: Who is your favorite actor?

Cullen: I have several faves. Spencer Tracy and Gary Cooper, and for more modern actors, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, Robert DeNiro.

WhiteTiger_21: What would you tell someone who wants to go into acting?

Cullen: To study acting in a university situation. Read as much literature as possible and do as much theater before TV and film as possible because that’s where you get your experience. An educated actor is the smartest thing an actor can become.

BSBsuperfan: I am a big fan and I would like to ask how you deal with the fame and attention and more importantly the media?

Cullen: Hmmm… I have up to this point in my career not had to deal with fame so much because I manage not to publicize myself so much. The work comes first. At my age (whatever that might be) I believe I’ve worked long enough and been around the business long enough to know that the stuff people are saying about you is their opinion and that you have to stand by your work and believe in it as I do in Legacy. It’s still flattering to know that people recognize you and like your work. It tickles me.

Chee_key: Please tell me you’re not married?!!

Cullen: Unfortunately for your sake, I am married, and happily at that. I have a daughter as well.

MiwaHi: How did you get your role in Legacy? An audition?

Cullen: No, I was offered the part. I read the script and really loved it and had a phone conversation with Chris Abbott, the producer. We talked, and I said I’d get on a plane to fly out to Richmond, VA, where we shoot the show.

Ramona25H: Do you have input into the show? I noticed that you have worked with Ron Melendez on another project.

Cullen: I have some input in that Chris respects my opinion, but the producers, including Atlantis Films, have final say. There’s an upcoming episode in which you get to meet my dead wife, which resulted from conversations between myself and Chris. And yes, I have worked with Ron Melendez on an NBC movie of the week, The Perfect Body. Obviously they weren’t talking about me.

Quintara17: Are you really good friends with everyone on the show?

Cullen: Yeah. The cast is extremely close. I play golf with my “sons.” We go out to a karaoke bar and some nights we play poker. Ron Melendez thinks he’s the big poker player, but naaah.

B_S_G_98: Hi, this is Nina and I love the show. I watch it every Friday. I’m skipping a party on Friday so that I can watch the show. Tell me a little about your character.

Cullen: First of all, thanks for missing the party and watching the show. My character is Ned Logan, a widower who’s wife died giving birth to his youngest daughter. I breed racehorses and I want to keep my family tight together, and I haven’t remarried because my children are far more important than finding a wife. It says something about Ned that he puts his family first.

MiwaHi: You played Sam in Young Riders. You seem to often play good guys. Would you prefer to play bad guys?

Cullen: I would like to think that there’s a grey area of a good guy occasionally making a wrong step. But playing men of good values who you can look up to is rewarding, although playing a bad guy is fun!

Monica_87: What is your favorite thing about show biz?

Cullen: The freedom it allows me. You get paid fairly well, travel a lot, and meet a lot of interesting people.

BSB_LOVER20: What is to come in the future of the show?

Cullen: I think you’ll see the characters becoming more involved with each other. You’ll see my dead wife in an episode, “Homecoming,” a four or five hankie episode. There’ll be more horses and racing as we grow closer to the Kentucky Derby.

WhiteTiger_21: What else have you played in?

Cullen: I did Apollo 13, and Something to Talk About with Julia Roberts. I did Orleans (a series with Larry Hagman), From the Earth to the Moon (a series with Judith Light), The Young Riders, The Thorn Birds… a lot of one-hour dramas and miniseries. I was in the director’s cut of Wyatt Earp but got cut from the theatrical cut.

WhiteTiger_21: When does the episode “Homecoming” air?

Cullen: I don’t know the date, but keep your eyes peeled. There’ll be an episode in which I go into a coma, and that will lead into it. I think it’s the ninth one — closer to Christmas time. My daughter asks me about what her mother sounds like, and I can’t answer that. I actually get the head injury and go into the coma in “Homecoming.”

Lady_Skylar_ofthe_DarkRose: Are you from the South, ’cause you sound like my North Carolinian hick friends.

Cullen: That’s so charming! I was born and raised in Houston, TX, but moved to CA in 1979. I pride myself on being able to do a lot of accents.

MiwaHi: What would you expect from the character you play now? More romantic situations?

Cullen: Yes, and that’s forthcoming… so keep your eyes peeled.

wolfpack999: Are you involved with any other projects right now?

Cullen: I’m involved as a producer with several projects, unnamed at this point, with my own production company.

MiwaHi: Have you considered directing one of the episodes of the show?

Cullen: Yes I have, and there have been discussions, but nothing concrete. We want to make sure we have a solid audience base first, and then I’ll take a stab at that. I’d like to do that so as a producer I’ll understand what the director is going through and facilitate the director’s process.

rosebudgogo: How many hours a day do you work?

Cullen: I generally wake up around 5 and work through 6 or 7 pm.

Skater345: Is it hard for you to see your family when you are filming all the time?

Cullen: My family is with me in VA, and sometimes my daughter and wife come visit on the set, hang out, and have lunch. In fact, my daughter has her own chair with her name on it. She’s friends with all the cast, and when she noticed everyone’s names on their chairs, she said, “Where’s my chair?!” So I had the propman get her a chair.

_Oneofakind_: What is your favorite episode?

Cullen: I think, probably the pilot and the “Homecoming” episode are my two faves so far. I like the two-parter that just aired a great deal. We were very fortunate to have Melissa Leo play Ron Melendez’ mother. She was outstanding.

mar35_98: Who is the person who had the most impact on your life?

Cullen: Four people. My mom and dad, my artistic father Cecil Picket — my acting teacher at the University of Houston. He just passed away. And my wife — my best friend. Oh yeah — my daughter, who opens up my eyes to stuff I missed.

CRUSHADAMS: Whatever happen to The Omen, the series pilot you did?

Cullen: HA! Fox decided not to do a series based on it… ah well…

Garett60: What was your best part ever?

Cullen: I think I’d have to say three so far. Ned Logan on Legacy, Apollo 13 as part of that great cast, and From the Earth to the Moon to portray Dave Scott, with whom I’ve become friends. It was a privilege. He was an advisor.

Nickey_Carter: What was your most embarrassing moment?

Cullen: I don’t know if I have one that bad, but there have been many. I did something called Dead Solid Perfect for HBO about the PGA tour. I was lining up for the first tee, and I managed to hit a ball into a woman’s foot. She had to go to the hospital. This was unlike me, because I play a lot of golf. I have a 10 handicap. I guess I was nervous.

CRUSHADAMS: Are you related to Bill Cullen, the game show guy?

Cullen: Not that I know of. I’m related to the Cullens of Texas, a fairly well-known family down there.

jayjay5_98: Did you like working with Julia Roberts?

Cullen: I loved working with her, and had more fun off set when we’d go dancing and have dinner. She was a joy to work with, and being from Georgia, a good proper Southern girl.

Ramona25H: Is there a website devoted to you or do you shy away from that sort of thing?

Cullen: No, there isn’t one yet, but you can check into the Legacy one through a link at www.upn.com.

TVGEN: Thanks for joining us tonight, Brett.

Cullen: I really appreciate you watching the show.

TVGEN: Please join us again.

Cullen: Tell your friends, and I feel in my gut that this is a fine show to watch. I appreciate it.

The National Space Society working with PEOPLE Online and LIFE have brought together the astronauts, actors, flight directors, and film directors for a series of live webchats.

Joining us tonight are…

Actor Tim Daly who plays astronaut James Lovell in E2M. Tim is also known for his role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom “Wings” and more recently as the voice of “Superman” in the animated series.

Andrew Chaikin, author of “A Man on the Moon,” on which Executive Producer Tom Hanks based the HBO miniseries.

And actor Brett Cullen, who plays astronaut Dave Scott (Apollo 15) in E2M. This is not Brett’s first role in a recreation of the Apollo program — he played a director in Mission Control in the movie “Apollo 13.”

Astronaut James Lovell was also scheduled to join us this evening — I have been told that Captain Lovell had a family emergency this evening. I hope he will be able to join us later.

PD: Our first question is for Tim Daly… Was it intimidating to play an authentic American hero — while that hero WATCHED?

Tim Daly (TD): No, because Tom Hanks had already played that hero. I didn’t feel that I had to do an imitation of Jim. Plus, Jim was broken into the idea that an actor would portray him. I’m sure that Tom had to bear the brunt of that. By the time I got there, Jim was used to it.

Neutropia asks: Mr. Daly and Mr. Cullen, what was it like first to act in From The Earth To The Moon and second what was it like to work along side of Cary Elwes and all the other actors?

TD: It was a lot different acting in it than seeing it. I’m recalling looking out a porthole in an Apollo 8 capsule, supposedly at the Earthrise, with a look of awe in my face. What i was really looking at was a piece of plate tape next to the camera. Working with Cary was great… he’s just another white guy with short hair.

Brett Cullen (BC): First of all, the experience of From the Earth To The Moon was an epic experience, one I’d never be able to describe how wonderful it was. And how generous HBO was to all the actors. I never personally worked with Cary. Tony Goldwynn and Garith Williams (Jim Irwin) were great. Garith went to the moon with me. I had a blast. It was absolutely thrilling. And who doesn’t like working for Tom Hanks. To have Tom direct me and also be my boss was kind of funny and nostalgic at the same time.

SeaHeather98 asks: Brett, do you remember where you were when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon?

BC: I do remember exactly where I was, sitting in my house in Houston TX watching it with my family. I was absolutely amazed — there was someone standing on the moon we had looked at all our lives.

TD: I think I was at camp. I was in love with this girl, and I sort of missed the importance of man on the moon.

TexasSpaz asks: What is the most fascinating thing you learned while acting in this movie?

Andrew Chaikin (AC): For me, since it was my first and only acting experience, and I got to act in a scene with Tom Hanks, I realized I could reach the top in one easy step. Just write a book.

TD: That human beings, as a species, can accomplish whatever they decide they are going to do.

BC: Getting to know Dave Scott who I played, and the tech advisor on the show. One of the most kind and generous men I ever met.

TRICOSE__ asks: Andrew — what gave you the inspiration to write this series, personal interest or through experience with the space program?

AC: The inspiration to write the book was that Apollo happened. I was 13 when they landed on the moon. When I became a journalist I realized that no one had told the story of every mission from the astronauts’ perspective. It took me 8 years, which was longer than I expected. I had to get the astronauts to talk to me and it was such a massive story to tell.

Nasaniki asks: How did you simulate anti-gravity in filming the series?

TD: A combination of high-tech teeter-totters and strong thigh muscles.

BC: The way we did it….we had a teeter-totter when we were in the lunar module to simulate weightlessness. We also did a couple shots where we were hung from wires and they took the wires out digitally. Working with Tom Hanks makes you weightless anyway.

TD: Stop being such a suck-up, Brett!

AC: I watched them filming the moonwalk sequences in an enormous hanger in California. The stuntmen and actors were suspended from 50-ft long helium balloons to simulate the moon’s 1/6 gravity. I tried it and it was pretty exhausting. After a half hour I was wiped out. The balloon had a mind of its own.

PD: Great idea for a theme park – helium balloons!

BC: The interesting thing about what Andy is saying, Dave Scott said he wished they had been trained this way to be on the moon.

TD: The theme park idea would never work because everyone would breathe in the helium to make that stupid voice!

Juco83 asks: Tim and Brett, did you get the feeling of a real astronaut?

BC: Yes I did, for 2 reasons; First, when I was playing Dave Scott he was coaching me and it made you feel you were actually there. Secondly, it was such an epic undertaking to do this show that you felt you were actually going to the moon. It was such a massive effort. It was actually like being part of the space program.

TD: I would have to say, no, I did not get the feeling of a real astronaut. I got it more when I was flying in an F-18 with the Blue Angels. Talk about g-forces!

AC: I watched Brett and Tony Goldwyn preparing to film the sequence of the Gemini 8 emergency, when it was tumbling in space. Dave Scott was coaching Brett and Tony on which switches to throw and what actually happened during the emergency. I was learning stuff I never learned in my research. It was like they could actually have flown the spacecraft with the instructions they were getting.

BC: I had the advantage of doing Apollo 13 and working with Jerry Bostik, one of the mission control engineers on that mission, and Dave Scott. When I did From the Earth To The Moon, I was a step ahead. I was aware of how the astronauts felt. The other guys were jumping in on it for the first time.

TD: I only play people who fly: Jim Lovell, Joe Hackett, and Superman.

BC: I was gonna say, Tim… Hey Tim, how is your golf swing?

TD: (Laughs) It’s in hibernation for the winter.

PIguest_9a02547 asks: Mr. Daly/Mr. Cullen, has your role(s) in this mini-series changed your thoughts on the space program?

TD: I would say that it’s only strengthened my belief that man has an innate desire to explore. And that it’s important for that desire to be satisfied.

BC: Yes. I believe that NASA and the US Gov’t has made a big mistake by not continuing their exploration of the moon, a possible space station on the moon and other planets in our solar system.

Daniel_Days asks: I have a question for Tim Daly: Mr. Daly, you played a pilot – Joe Hackett – for many years. You’re now in this part as Jim Lovell. Is there anything in pursuing the skies that fascinates you as an actor?

Groxburgh asks: Andrew, DTD: Not particularly. “Wings” didn’t really deal with what it was like to be a pilot. But I think the trait that the characters share is that they have a great of passion for what they do.o you appear in any of the episodes?

AC: Why yes, as a matter of fact. I play the host of Meet the Press in the first episode. So it’s a bit of a step from book writing, maybe not a new career, but fun.

MSEDS_CD asks: Given the chance, would you 3 fly in space for real?

BC: Absolutely, in a heart beat! I would love to experience 0 gravity.

TD: I’d have to consult with my wife. But it sure would be tempting.

AC: When do we go?

TRICOSE__ asks: For any of the guests – how many of the actual surviving astronauts helped you with character development and technical advice for your particular scenes?

BC: DAVE SCOTT DAVE SCOTT DAVE SCOTT

TD: I got most of my help from Dave Scott, who is probably the coolest guy on the planet earth.

BC: He was the backbone of info for everyone who worked on this show, including Andrew who wrote A Man on the Moon.

AC: Dave was an incredible help when I was writing my book, A Man on the Moon. He had some amazing stories of what it was like to explore the moon. He was the first to drive the lunar rover. He and Jim Irwin drove 100s of feet up the side of a lunar mountain and they picked up rocks that were 4.5 billion years old, and the view from up there was incredible. The lunar module was just a speck in the distance.

TD: And quite a bit of help came from Jim Lovell who I spoke with on the phone, who is also off the scale on the cool-meter.

TIM asks: Did you have any role-models growing up?

TD: Actually, no. I’m still looking for a role model. I asked Dave Scott if he’d be my role model, but there are already too many people in line.

TexasSpaz asks: Is there anything you could not prepare yourself for in this role?

BC: Yeah, there was. I had Dave Scott over for dinner and my wife asked him what it was like to actually be on the moon. And Dave’s response was “You’d have to be part poet, part novelist, and part actor to be able to describe the feeling of standing on the lunar surface. The technical part you can prepare for, but the actual experience we can never have.

TD: Depending on what was served for lunch, there was a distinct opportunity for auto-asphixyation when wearing the space suit. Seriously, the complexity and the brainpower that went into this massive effort, and I was unprepared to discover how difficult it was.

Nwinski asks: Andy C, is most of the emphasis on the astronauts or is there extensive coverage on the behind the scenes people too?

AC: If you’re talking about the book, in the book I concentrated on the astronauts because their story had never been told. In the series, they tell the astronauts’ stories and the familys and the flight controllers, the engineeers who built the spacecraft and even the reporters who covered the mission.

One800collect asks: Mr. Daly, should the United States attempt to go back to the moon?

TD: I think we should attempt to go far beyond the moon. I think Mars should be our next goal.

Nasaniki asks: What was the biggest challenge you had in creating From The Earth To The Moon?

TD: Learning in an extraordinarily short period of time how to mimic the complex actions of the astronauts flying in outer space. AC: I think one of the biggest challenges was making each story unique and interesting to everyone. You can’t tell the same story in each of the 12 episodes. You have to find, as I did in my book, a different lens to look through. For example, the second moon landing, Apollo 12, the story was that the 3 astronauts, Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, were best friends from the Navy. It was a great shared adventure.

BC: The challenge I had in playing Dave Scott was trying to find the reality in making it come to life, and the challenge of playing a guy who first went up with Gemini 8, then Apollo 9, the first test of going to the moon, and thirdly, going to the moon in Apollo 15 which was really the first extended geological expedition where the astronauts were truly trained in geology, where they were looking for the Genesis rock, the original crust of the moon, which they succeeded in finding.

H2ODuckie asks: Tim and Brett did you get to go into a flight simulator?

TD: No, I didn’t get to go into a flight simulator. Bummer.

NatlSpaceSoc_RZP asks: Brett, you also starred in Apollo 13…how did the movie compare to filming the series?

TD: I’ll answer that for Brett: He just loved Tom Hanks so much and felt weightless whenever he was around him.

BC: The movie Apollo 13 was truly an exciting experience for me being raised in Houston and seeing all the missions. It was a real thrill as an actor. The difference with the series is that From the Earth to the Moon is much more comprehensive study of the Apollo program. It was just a exhilarating as an actor, but I learned much more about the mission of sending a man to the moon.

AC: I think Apollo 13 paved the way for From the Earth to the Moon. It showed Hollywood that the real stories of Apollo were the best stories. You didn’t have to embellish.

PD: Andy, how was your perspective in From the Earth To the Moon different from Tom Wolfe’s in The Right Stuff?

AC: Tom Wolfe only wrote about the Mercury astronauts and flight. My goal was to take this handful of men, 24 humans who made the first voyages to another world, and tell their stories so vividly that you’d feel you were in the spacecraft with them.

It was a tough job. First of all because not all the astronauts were not willing to talk. And also because so much research was necessary and so much storytelling was required. I had to work very hard on my storytelling style to create the narrative that would satisfy my own standards and be truly compelling to the reader. Basically, I wrote A Man on the Moon because it was a book I was dying to read.

Actually, I just wanted to read a forward by Tom Hanks.

TD: If you wrote a book you were dying to read, are you accusing yourself of plagiarism.

Dorkyboy asks: where was the filming done?

TD: I’ll give you a hint. There were a lot of big ears on everything.

BC: We shot From the Earth To The Moon primarily in Orlando, Florida and at Cape Canaveral, and part of the time in Borrego Springs, Calif. We shot the actual lunar surface in a blimp hanger in a marine base in Tustin, Calif.

CES6498 asks: How long did the series take to shoot?

TD: Did we wrap yet?

AC: About a year.

BC: Principal photography lasted from April 1997 through March 1998. This includes doing all the lunar surface and special effects shots.

PD: Two more questions!

H2ODuckie asks: Which actual space flight do you remeber the most and touched you the most?

BC: There were 2 that absolutely blew my mind, the first manned flight by Alan Shepard, and the Apollo 11, the moon landing. I lived in Houston and we were in front of the TV.

AC: Ed White’s walk in space, Gemini 5, hooked me on the astronauts. I also remember each of the Apollo missions vividly. I was glued to the TV for all of them.

Lass24 asks: What is the goal of bringing to life these past events, in your opinions, of course?

AC: Well, Apollo is something we need to teach to our children as an example of what the human spirit is capable of accomplishing when we all pull together. It’s a moment in human evolution when we became citizens not only of our planet but of the universe. We are fortunate enough in our time to have witnessed that moment, and I think it’s something that we need to cherish.

TD: I would say that it’s to remind people of a monumental achievement in the history of man, and hopefully a wake-up call, as to what else we might achieve in the future. Plus, there are so many people now who don’t remember Apollo, that they’re going to find out for the first time some really cool stories. It’s an incredible adventure.

BC: One, when we made Apollo 13 I had friends who had no interest in the film because they knew the ending. They went to see it because I was in it and they were moved by the film and loved it. They knew all the events and were still emotionally moved.

Because of that, this massive undertaking, the people who watch From Earth to the Moon will see a period of history in America where an entire country pulls together for a national goal and succeeded and the pride we had in our country and our fellow man. This is the most important element you can get from this project. You can only pray we can find this again.

PD: And I think that’s a good place to stop for this evening! Brett, Andy, Tim — thanks so much for spending this hour with us.

Mr Lovell, again, regretted that he could not join us this evening.

TD: Happy landings!

BC: Thank you. I enjoyed this.

AC: Thanks! I really enjoyed this also.

PD: Thank you for joining us tonight! Be sure to join us next Saturday night, when we will be hosting E2M’s screenwriter Al Reinert, and actors David Andrews and Nick Searcy.

More information can be found at the National Space Society’s E2M Viewer’s Guide at nss.org/apollo

In addition, LIFE is proud to announce the unveiling of its new website, “A Giant Leap For Mankind” which covers the facts and photographs from the Apollo program — http://www.pathfinder.com/Life/space/giantleap

This is Patrizia DiLucchio for PEOPLE Online on Yahoo!Chat — don’t forget to tune into From The Earth To the Moon tomorrow night.

Brett Cullen: Howdy!

Lee Silver: Thank you.

Kell_99 asks: I’m Kelly and I’m 16 years old and I would like to know how does it feel to be in space?

Brett Cullen: (laughs) Weightless!

David Scott: Absolutely weightless. We’ve had a lot of people in space, and maybe you Kelly, will have the chance.

Lee Silver: I wish I knew.

Nighthawk76567_1998 asks: Do you think we will be living in space soon?

David Scott: We’re living in space now. The shuttle has been up for several weeks at a time.

Brett Cullen: Its a matter of definition.

Lee Silver: First of all, we’ve had a number of extended missions both on the original Skylab and on the Soviet Mir space station and there have been folks living there for over a year. I suppose Nighthawk76567_1998 wants to know when we’re going to make permanent homes in space. I think that will be quite a few years yet.

David Clennon: I haven’t mastered living on Earth yet, so I haven’t given a lot of though to living in space.

Moon1969 asks: For David Scott, what missions have you flown?

David Scott: Gemini 8, Apollo 9, and Apollo 15.

Brett Cullen: I have a question for Dr. Silver: What was the difficulty of training the astronauts? (Was it a difficult chore?)

Lee Silver: No part of it was a chore. A better word is challenge.

David Scott: (laughs)

Brett Cullen: (laughs)

Lee Silver: I got to see the segment 10 last night and was very pleased with it. But it failed to show that after I spent the day with the astronauts I had to cook dinner for them. They were very good with the dishes.

Brett Cullen: Did you really? What kind of cook was he, Dave?

David Scott: He was a really good cook. Someone had to do the chores while Silver had the challenge.

Lee Silver: I worked them so hard that they were always hungry.

David Scott: That’s true.

Lee Silver: That’s basically the way it was. I have to say I had a first rate post-doctorate research fellow who did a lot of the work.

David Scott: Yeah, that’s for sure.

Lee Silver: Tom Anderson was his name.

Orbital_Decay asks: Mr. Cullen and Mr Clennon, how do you feel about the Apollo program now that you have experienced it as both observers and storytellers?

Brett Cullen: Well, I believe it was probably one of the greatest achievements that our country has ever pulled together to accomplish. I feel very honored to be a part and to play my good friend Dave Scott and it was a great part to play.

Besides, he likes to drink beer and run, just like I do!

David Clennon: I actually didn’t follow the Apollo program as it was happening. In 1959, I was 26 and in the early sixties I was very taken with the manned space program. But as that decade went on, I became more concerned with the Vietnam War, Civil Rights and the other turmoil on the ground. So I wasn’t following the program.

In retrospect, I respect the dedication and commitment of everyone who worked on the program, and I would have to say that the achievement of the Apollo program was truly remarkable.

But I guess I still don’t feel the same thrill that others did both when the program was happening and in retrospect, I really don’t share Tom Hanks’ enthusiasm for it.

Brett Cullen: I also believe that most people don’t realize what type of accomplishment it was, not just for the astronauts and flight directors, but also for those who built the machines, as illustrated in last week’s episode Spider.

David Clennon: I like the way they took the emphasis off the more glamorous figures and focused on the people behind the scenes. Their contributions, such as Dr. Silver’s, were very valuable. They found people like Dr. Silver, who were top-notch scientists and great teachers.

Orbital_Decay asks: Mr. Silver, what types of geologic finds did you hope would be discovered or confirmed on the moon?

Lee Silver: That’s a good question. We had, prior to the exploration of the lunar surface in the sixties, only a limited knowledge of the materials that made up the surface of the moon.

There was a great deal of controversy about what the dark plains of the Moon were composed of, in addition to the mountain ranges and the deep-impact craters, which was where we were getting samples.

In the series, Pete Conrad and Al Bean went to Surveyor 3 and demonstrated 3-point landing capability. That Surveyor gave us the first information about the actual chemistry of the lunar surface. There were two other Surveyors which were successfully landed and gave us information.

It wasn’t until the Apollo program brought back samples that could be examined by many scientists which finally gave us lots of information about the surface of the moon. This made us ask questions about the Earth which we hadn’t asked before.

And as a consequence, we began to understand both the Earth and the Moon much better. We closed in on preferred models for the origin of the Earth and the Moon.

The impact of the information we received or derived from our Moon visits revolutionized our thinking about the Earth and the planets. And the origin of our solar system.

PEOPLE Online: Now, I’ll present two questions together…

CANTSAYguest_d8d41959 asks: How long did it take to film “From the Earth to the Moon?”

Kristin012 asks: What was your favorite part of filming this movie?

David Scott: To film it, literally, took 8-9 months. To produce it took much longer. This was because first the writers had to prepare the episodes as screenplays. Then it had to be filmed and edited. So the process took approximately 18 months.

And you have to remember there were 12 episodes, so that was like 12 little movies. As for my favorite part, it was working with the actors and the directors.

Brett Cullen: My favorite part was working with all the great actors. But secondly, getting to work with Dave Scott — getting to explore and speak with him in private about his experiences on the Moon, to be able to hang out with an American icon.

David Clennon: As I recall, it took us about 12 working days to shoot this episode, but that doesn’t count the segment where you see Dave Scott and his partner actually walking on the Moon. Those segments were shot with stunt men on a special stage after the actors had been released.

And I think the shots of the astronauts — the recreations of the astronauts’ activities on the surface of the Moon — I believe were done with the stunt men hooked up to helium balloons which made them look lighter and then the strings from the balloons were erased on the computer. Thus the men in those suits looked as it they are operating at 1/6 of Earth’s gravity. I understand that was quite a challenge to film.

And all that work was done after the actors went home.

Brett Cullen: David, most of the work on the Moon was done by stunt men — but several of the actors, including myself, were brought in to shoot some of the closeups in the lunar suits. Which was a month after principal photography.

guest_1bc42900 asks: Where on Earth can I find geology most like the moon?

Lee Silver: The geology of the Earth and Moon differ in may ways. Earth shows the effects of having an atmosphere, oxygen and water. There is no place on the moon that shows those effects. The astronauts reported only gray and black colors.

But there are places on Earth with a partial similarity. Some of the great lava fields are similar. They have volcanic cones and explosion craters which are similar in an approximate way to the craters of the moon. The rocks of the highlands of the Moon have some significant similarity to rocks in the old mountain ranges on Earth. These are the light colored rocks which the Apollo 15 crew was very excited about when they found them on the flank of the Hadley Delta Mountain.

But there are so many fundamental differences about the Moon rocks. They are older than almost any rocks we know on Earth. Therefore, they carry a geological record of a much earlier stage of the evolution of our solar system. They also seem to have been generated in a planet which has no atmosphere and no water.

Nemo_56 asks: Hey Dave, did you get to say, “The clock is running.” when you lifted off?

David Scott: Yes. That’s required. It indicates that the internal system of the spacecraft has started, so the ground knows that everything is running.

Skywaker9 asks: What was the most significant moment in NASA for you?

David Scott: Arriving at the Hadley Appennine. (At the exploration site, just like on a field geology trip on the Earth, the best part is when you first arrive there.)

Snoprncss asks: I’ve always dreamed of being the first woman to set foot on the moon, any suggestions on how to accomplish this goal?

David Clennon: Dave Scott would be the authority on how to be admitted to the program.

David Scott: Well, I should think that to be the first woman on the moon, being a geologist would be a good step. Be a good field geologist…

Brett Cullen: And a pilot…

David Scott: You can do that, but there will always be people flying. You would probably have a better chance being selected for your geology skills.

Corganbill asks: I just finished watching the 8th episode in the miniseries and I was curious as to why the press played such an important role in the episode as opposed to the technical aspects of the Apollo 13 mission?

David Scott: Because the Apollo 13 mission has already been portrayed in a feature length film. This was an opportunity to portray some of the cultural shifts occuring in the late 1960s.

David Clennon: You would have the ask the script writers who chose to emphasize the role of the media over the people who actually experienced the events.

I believe that Tom Hanks felt that the technical aspects of the mission were covered in the feature film “Apollo 13″ in which he starred. So he chose to emphasize the drama that was played out back on Earth.

Corganbill asks: Dr. Silver, what kind of challenge was it like to get the later Apollo astronauts to appreciate the importance of studying the moon’s geology knowing that a lot of the astronauts didn’t want to spend most of their EVA’s collecting rocks.

Lee Silver: I don’t accept that last qualifier. I think that one has to appreciate the incredible pressure to demonstrate the engineering and flight capabilities that had to be answered by the first flight, including those thru Apollo 7 to 12.

Everyone of those flights had to demonstrate an accomplished technical capability. And I think that the astronauts who flew as well as the flight controllers and engineers, first and foremost had to demonstrate that they had the capabilities to get to the Moon, do it under control, and that they were then ready to go into the science exploration phase.

That had been anticipated in the planning for the J missions, where they had an upgrade in capabilities. They had transport, a better landing module, and better communications, so they were in a position to work with confidence on pursuing scientific objectives.

I think they moved in a wonderfully rapid pace and were ready to move into science in a timely way by the time Apollo 15 flew.

Dave Scott could comment on this.

David Scott: Yes, because the mission was layed out such that it advanced incrementally. Each mission built off the last mission. So as each challenge was proven and demonstrated, it enabled the last three missions, which 15 was the first, to handle the science.

PEOPLE Online: Right now, we have a comment and a question…

C_Murder13 comments: We watch the show in Science class all the time at my school. I just wanted to say that my science teacher thinks you guys do a great job.

PeeP2001 asks: When you decided to do these movies did you think they would be used in the classroom like they are for me?

David Scott: I sure hoped so.

Brett Cullen: Well I think they have a very smart science teacher to use these shows to illustrate what happened during that time period. The teacher should be applauded.

Lee Silver: I’m sure Tom Hanks had that in mind.

David Clennon: And I’m sure that HBO was thinking about that, too.

guest_1bc42900 asks: What were the most important accomplishments of the Apollo 14 and 15 missions?

Lee Silver: Each one had some very special accomplishments.

Apollo 14 brought us a very special set of samples collected by the astronauts that taught us more about the chemical evolution of the Moon than anything we had before. I compare that with the continents on the Earth. The materials sampled at the site called Fra Mauro come closer to resembling the material we see on the continents on the Earth than anything else we have sampled on the Moon. The Earth continents are the product of a long history of chemical evolution of our planet. And at Fra Mauro we saw that the Moon had started to evolve in that direction but the planet was chilled and stopped thermally before it got into the complete cycle of continent formation. What we did learn from 14 was extremely important in that regard.

Apollo 15 visited many of the features which characterize the surface of the Moon. It visited the great lava fields, it visited the highest mountains on the Moon, it collected samples which represented the most extended exposure of the Moon’s surface to the radiation from the Sun and the cosmic rays. It sampled materials which represented the oldest crust, it sampled materials which came from the deepest part of the Moon we’ve been able to sample, estimated at 200-250 km (150 miles). This material was blown up by volcanic activity. It had sat on the lunar surface until these guys got there.

This wasn’t covered in the film, but they sampled something called “green glass” which is one of the more critical samples from the Moon because it represents volcanic activity originating deep within the Moon.

But one must recognize that Apollo 14 did not have the capabilities for extra-vehicular activity and mobility that 15 did.

Both missions made extremely important contributions, but Apollo 15 was prepared to do science and it had intelligent people who understood the targets and they did their job.

MSEDavid Scott_CD asks: Would the actors actually fly in space given the chance?

David Clennon: I guess I would. I would like to have that experience. But I wouldn’t want to go through all that training. Just strap me in and send me up.

Brett Cullen: I would fly in space in a heartbeat. All I need is an invitation.

guest_1bc42900 asks: If you could get the answer to any question in science, what would it be?

Lee Silver: What is the fundamental scientific principles are that govern the behavior of the universe?

The parallel: Why are humans human? And I don’t think I could handle that question either.

David Clennon: How can we keep from destroying this planet before we take off for other worlds?

PEOPLE Online: I’m afraid those are all the questions we have time for tonight, but before we go I’d just like to ask for any closing thoughts from our guests.

David Scott: Well, I would give the thought that all the viewers tonight get to watch the films more than once, and enjoy and learn from them.

Brett Cullen: Well I would hope that the younger generation that didn’t experience the Apollo missions to the Moon, would hopefully, by viewing these shows would inspire to continue the exploration of space — manned and unmanned. And that by doing so, would continue the search to learn all we can about our universe.

Lee Silver: To the extent that I’ve seen 10 of the 12 segments, I think the entire series is a tremendous contribution. Of course I’m terribly biased, and very influenced by it. I’m just pleased to see that this is recorded for students everywhere.

David Clennon: The professor put it very well. Not having participated in the making of the series, he’s better qualified to comment on the quality of it.

PEOPLE Online: Well, we’re going to have to wrap it up. I’d like to thank our guests for joining us. It’s been great talking with you online. And thanks to everyone in our audience for your attention and your great questions. Don’t forget to watch “From the Earth to the Moon” tomorrow night on HBO at 8pm ET/PT. And join us next Saturday night online for another chat. Next week’s guests: Astronaut Harrison Schmitt and actor Tom Amandes (who plays Schmitt). Thanks for coming tonight!