Patrick Gilmore can be seen starring in the new series ‘Travelers’ on Netflix in the role as David Mailer. The show premieres on December 23rd. Patrick can also be seen in his recurring role as Shaun in the hit comedy ‘You Me Her’ which will premiere February 14th on Audience Network (on DIRECTV and AT&T’s U-Verse) and the streaming service, DIRECTV NOW.
Recently we got the chance to chat with Patrick who told us he has been getting into the holiday spirit by listening to Christmas music including his favorite, ‘Let It Snow’ by Doris Day.
Check out our interview with Patrick!
PHOTO CREDIT: KAROLINA TUREK
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about ‘Travelers’ and your role as David?
Patrick Gilmore: ‘Travelers’ is a new take on the time travel genre where the time travelers are actually coming to our time. It is a character piece. It is the type of show if you watch it with the sound off, right away you would know that it is a Sci-Fi show because it is so gritty and enrooted in reality which really attracts me because the more real something is the more likely it will be that the audience can connect to it. I think we are doing something fun and new.
David is not a time traveler. He is someone who has a relationship with the body of one of the time travelers. A time traveler comes into the body of somebody that David knows. David is kind of the in for the audience, he is the guy witnessing all of these odd things that are starting up in the beginning of the season. I think David is the guy most people can relate to because he is a fish out of water almost as much as the time travelers are. He is the guy that doesn’t have a lot of adventure in his life and he is kind of forced into it.
upfrontNY: It sounds really interesting!
Patrick Gilmore: I like time travel and this is a way of telling a story that speaks to me because I like Sci-Fi but I like Sci-Fi that I can see myself involved in.
upfrontNY: Were you always interested in time traveling?
Patrick Gilmore: Yeah, I don’t know what started whether it was “Star Trek 4” or “Back To The Future” but that is a fantasy, a daydream. That gets put up there with being invisible and flying, turning back time. I think more people would rather turn back time or visit the future than fly or be invisible. It is a super power that nobody ever talks about. It is surprising to me that TV hasn’t jumped on that time travel wave. I know there have been attempts in the past. I will watch anything that has time travel in it. I am a sucker for it!
upfrontNY: If you could time travel, where would you go?
Patrick Gilmore: It changes from year to year depending on where my head and heart is. I’ve always thought about 1920s Paris, kind of around the time when Hemingway and Fitzgerald were living there. There is something about that time I would love to have witnessed.
upfrontNY: The show will be seen on Netflix. Are you a binge-watcher?
Patrick Gilmore: I have developed into the binge watcher. I hate to admit it because to me I like the idea of earning your pleasure and delayed gratification. The last show I ever watched like that was ‘Lost’. They did such an amazing job and at the end of every episode you were like “NO oh god” and it became an event every week. I think the first show I ever binged watched was ‘Six Feet Under’ and it was exhausting because you were so emotionally invested. I think I watched the entire 6 seasons in a matter of weeks. You end up living with these characters. For a show like ‘Travelers’ there will be 12 episodes / 12 hours. When it gets released on December 23rd people will be able to spend 12 hours immersed in this universe witnessing these characters that hopefully you’ll grow to love and engage with and witnessing some epic moments in their lives. You can’t help but walk away from that 12 hours and not been affected if we have done our job right. That is why I love this new renaissance of tv because not only is binge watching a thing but you are not diluting the story with 22 episodes anymore. You are wilting it down to what is really important and what really matters in the telling of the story. I am a full on binge watcher because it allows you to immerse yourself completely in that universe for more than just an hour.
upfrontNY: It is being released on the 23rd which is great timing for the holidays!
Patrick Gilmore: I hope so. Last Christmas everyone was talking about Netflix’s ‘Making A Murderer’ and I think there is a formula there. We were lucky enough to get out before Christmas so that you can spend the holidays and chit-chat about it. It is going to be fun for me and my family over Christmas.
upfrontNY: What was it like working with Eric McCormack?
Patrick Gilmore: I didn’t know much about him besides from he is Canadian and ‘Will and Grace’. When I got to have a scene with him I was looking so forward to acting with somebody that had so much training in television and comedic timing. I’ve seen him on stage and he did David Mamet’s playh place in Vancouver a couple years ago with a friend. We walked away blown away from his ability to command your attention without having to do anything.
When it came time to have a scene with him, I was looking forward to stretching myself to work at his level. You surround yourself with people that are better than you so you can grow. When I have surrounded myself with some really professional veteran actors it has always been fun when they yell action and you see in their eyes they are in it and it excites you and makes you better. It is really exciting to have that moment with Eric. Eric makes you a better actor by giving you the room to perform and supporting you as well as doing your own job. It was seamless. He was such a generous, giving, and yet completely focused on his own craft actor that every chance I had to work with Eric. It was like vacation but also going to school. He is a wonderful guy.
upfrontNY: Aside from Travelers what else do you want others to know about you or your projects?
Patrick Gilmore: I did a show called ‘You Me Her’. We just finished season 2. It is a small role but we had fun with it! I just wrapped season 2 and I play a hipster bartender. They gave me the freedom to make him my own. He is very colorful and daft. After ‘Travelers I did ‘You Me Her’ and now it is back to auditioning.
Get to know Patrick Gilmore!
PHOTO CREDIT: KAROLINA TUREK
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