It’s the return of the Gretas tonight on Chuck!
That's right, we said Gretas, plural, when the rest of Jane Bentley (special guest star Robin Givens)’s team shows up, and it's a couple of familiar faces. Isaiah Mustafa and Stacy Keibler resume their roles, only this time we get to learn their actual names when their seemingly-perfect agents come into Castle to work on a private mission with Casey (Adam Baldwin) and make Chuck (Zachary Levi) fear he will no longer be needed at all.
LA TV Insider Examiner got to hang out on set for part of the filming of this “Chuck vs the A-Team” episode, and we witnessed first hand just how Chuck tries to welcome these two into his work space and how he attempts to bond. But of course, in typical Chuck fashion, series star Yvonne Strahovski shared that though he will make an effort to be nice to these newbies, she'd like to take them on.
"She'd like to go against them," Strahovski laughed. "I think she'd like to smash both the Gretas’ faces in, but you know, things get a bit heavy in the episode, and I think they're sort of forced to be in a sticky situation together and work with that.”
In between takes we grabbed a few minutes with both Mustafa and Keibler to talk about the evolution of their characters and why they’re both thrilled to be back working on the best spy series on television. Read on!
LA TV Insider Examiner: It’s great to see you guys back on Chuck! Now, last time around, you were each portraying a Greta. How are your roles different this time around? Are they bigger and badder than before?
Stacy Keibler: I am a part of a new team with Casey, and Robin Givens is actually my boss. I get to be much more physical; I’m holding a gun a lot more in this episode. I’m thrilled to be back, and I’m thrilled to get to be a lot more physical because I really love doing this action stuff.
Isaiah Mustafa: I think he was always big and bad, but now you get to see where that big and bad takes him. How his relationship with his partner develops. And you just get to know this Greta’s name this time around. It’s Rick. Rick.
S.K.: We are on the same team and we are very-- I like to say my character is kind of an evil robot at times. She is just one kick-ass, badass woman. She means business. She’s definitely-- I don’t think anybody thinks twice that she couldn’t kick their ass and throw them down.
How is that yout partnership? Do Rick and Vicky get along?
I.M.: Oh yeah, we get along. We’re military, so I think we have no choice. There are no likes and dislikes; it’s just how it is.
So there shouldn’t be any fighting amongst the team--
I.M.: No, she’s great! She’s super cool to work with. When they told me I was going to be paired up with Stacy, I was like ‘No way, cool!’ I used to substitute teach junior high, and the only way we’d get the kids to, like, listen and watch was if I brought in WWE the next morning. The kids, you know, they loved her, so I was telling her ‘You helped me keep my class in line. It’s so cool to be hanging out with you!’
But we should anticipate some fight scenes nonetheless, I'm sure. Yvonne did mention that she thinks Sarah would like to go after both of the Gretas and smash their faces in [Laughing]. So what can we expect from you guys, physically, in this episode?
S.K.: I’m doing a little kung fu; I went through shooting-- gun practice. Pretty much, we’re doing a little bit of everything.
I.M.: All I do is stunts, so I always feel at home doing a little bit of action. This time around I get a little bit of gunplay and a little fisticuffs, let’s say.
What are your favorite aspects of that kind of stuntwork?
I.M.: I like the hand-to-hand combat aspects because to me it’s a lot more fun. The guns, quite frankly, I’m not a gun guy. I’m not anti-gun either; I’m just a lover, not a fighter, so I tend to stay away from guns…I’d rather do hand-to-hand. I’m a ninja! I like swords and knives and stuff like that.
S.K.: I’d say the kung fu. I have to go through rehearsals to learn the kung fu and try to make it as realistic as possible and also make sure that everyone-- as authentic as it is, me never having studied kung fu-- there’s a little bit of protecting each other that has to happen. It’s a challenge I’m always up for. I really enjoy learning about these stunts and fighting and stuff, and it makes me want to go on my own time and learn, do some more martial arts.
What is your favorite part about coming back to Chuck?
I.M.: I love working with everyone; it’s a great group, and I feel like a big kid every time I come here. I mean, I remember watching [Adam Baldwin] in D.C. Cab; I was a huge Mr. T fan; it was so funny to me. And I came to set and I was like ‘Dude, you were in D.C. Cab!’ And then he grabbed me by the neck and it was like Full Metal Jacket. [Laughs]
S.K.: It’s just such an awesome cast and crew! It’s a great working environment being on this set! It’s great to see Zachary Levi and get to work with him because we’ve been friends for years, and Yvonne is amazing as well. I got to meet more of the cast and get to do more action with all of them, so it’s been an awesome shoot.
Does it make it easier to work on such physical scenes when you have that kind of history with another actor?
S.K.: I think that it makes it more fun. I think it just makes it a more fun working environment, and yeah, it does make it a little easier that we already have a relationship and have been friends.
I.M.: I didn’t really get a chance to work with Yvonne last time, but this time…
You guys have a little bit of a war?
I.M.: A war of words maybe! [Laughs]
Do you think Sarah might be the perfect physical match for Rick? If he had to go head-to-head with anyone, who do you think stands the best chance against him?
I.M.: Honestly probably my partner. I’m assuming they’re teamed together because they’re equally matched and the best at what they do.
And how is the dynamic between Rick, Vicky, and their boss?
S.K.: I think she’s going to be a pretty tough boss, and I think that I’m right on her team because my character is definitely on it. I think she knows I’m responsible and I get the job done.
It was revealed during our chat that neither Mustafa nor Keibler had shot a scene opposite Givens yet, though they met her in the make-up chair but Mustafa expressed his excitement on working with her because he was a huge Head of the Class fan. Later in the day we got to observe production on their first scene together, and though it was a simple one, their working relationship becomes quite clear immediately. You are not going to want to miss this episode!
Source
That's right, we said Gretas, plural, when the rest of Jane Bentley (special guest star Robin Givens)’s team shows up, and it's a couple of familiar faces. Isaiah Mustafa and Stacy Keibler resume their roles, only this time we get to learn their actual names when their seemingly-perfect agents come into Castle to work on a private mission with Casey (Adam Baldwin) and make Chuck (Zachary Levi) fear he will no longer be needed at all.
LA TV Insider Examiner got to hang out on set for part of the filming of this “Chuck vs the A-Team” episode, and we witnessed first hand just how Chuck tries to welcome these two into his work space and how he attempts to bond. But of course, in typical Chuck fashion, series star Yvonne Strahovski shared that though he will make an effort to be nice to these newbies, she'd like to take them on.
"She'd like to go against them," Strahovski laughed. "I think she'd like to smash both the Gretas’ faces in, but you know, things get a bit heavy in the episode, and I think they're sort of forced to be in a sticky situation together and work with that.”
In between takes we grabbed a few minutes with both Mustafa and Keibler to talk about the evolution of their characters and why they’re both thrilled to be back working on the best spy series on television. Read on!
LA TV Insider Examiner: It’s great to see you guys back on Chuck! Now, last time around, you were each portraying a Greta. How are your roles different this time around? Are they bigger and badder than before?
Stacy Keibler: I am a part of a new team with Casey, and Robin Givens is actually my boss. I get to be much more physical; I’m holding a gun a lot more in this episode. I’m thrilled to be back, and I’m thrilled to get to be a lot more physical because I really love doing this action stuff.
Isaiah Mustafa: I think he was always big and bad, but now you get to see where that big and bad takes him. How his relationship with his partner develops. And you just get to know this Greta’s name this time around. It’s Rick. Rick.
S.K.: We are on the same team and we are very-- I like to say my character is kind of an evil robot at times. She is just one kick-ass, badass woman. She means business. She’s definitely-- I don’t think anybody thinks twice that she couldn’t kick their ass and throw them down.
How is that yout partnership? Do Rick and Vicky get along?
I.M.: Oh yeah, we get along. We’re military, so I think we have no choice. There are no likes and dislikes; it’s just how it is.
So there shouldn’t be any fighting amongst the team--
I.M.: No, she’s great! She’s super cool to work with. When they told me I was going to be paired up with Stacy, I was like ‘No way, cool!’ I used to substitute teach junior high, and the only way we’d get the kids to, like, listen and watch was if I brought in WWE the next morning. The kids, you know, they loved her, so I was telling her ‘You helped me keep my class in line. It’s so cool to be hanging out with you!’
But we should anticipate some fight scenes nonetheless, I'm sure. Yvonne did mention that she thinks Sarah would like to go after both of the Gretas and smash their faces in [Laughing]. So what can we expect from you guys, physically, in this episode?
S.K.: I’m doing a little kung fu; I went through shooting-- gun practice. Pretty much, we’re doing a little bit of everything.
I.M.: All I do is stunts, so I always feel at home doing a little bit of action. This time around I get a little bit of gunplay and a little fisticuffs, let’s say.
What are your favorite aspects of that kind of stuntwork?
I.M.: I like the hand-to-hand combat aspects because to me it’s a lot more fun. The guns, quite frankly, I’m not a gun guy. I’m not anti-gun either; I’m just a lover, not a fighter, so I tend to stay away from guns…I’d rather do hand-to-hand. I’m a ninja! I like swords and knives and stuff like that.
S.K.: I’d say the kung fu. I have to go through rehearsals to learn the kung fu and try to make it as realistic as possible and also make sure that everyone-- as authentic as it is, me never having studied kung fu-- there’s a little bit of protecting each other that has to happen. It’s a challenge I’m always up for. I really enjoy learning about these stunts and fighting and stuff, and it makes me want to go on my own time and learn, do some more martial arts.
What is your favorite part about coming back to Chuck?
I.M.: I love working with everyone; it’s a great group, and I feel like a big kid every time I come here. I mean, I remember watching [Adam Baldwin] in D.C. Cab; I was a huge Mr. T fan; it was so funny to me. And I came to set and I was like ‘Dude, you were in D.C. Cab!’ And then he grabbed me by the neck and it was like Full Metal Jacket. [Laughs]
S.K.: It’s just such an awesome cast and crew! It’s a great working environment being on this set! It’s great to see Zachary Levi and get to work with him because we’ve been friends for years, and Yvonne is amazing as well. I got to meet more of the cast and get to do more action with all of them, so it’s been an awesome shoot.
Does it make it easier to work on such physical scenes when you have that kind of history with another actor?
S.K.: I think that it makes it more fun. I think it just makes it a more fun working environment, and yeah, it does make it a little easier that we already have a relationship and have been friends.
I.M.: I didn’t really get a chance to work with Yvonne last time, but this time…
You guys have a little bit of a war?
I.M.: A war of words maybe! [Laughs]
Do you think Sarah might be the perfect physical match for Rick? If he had to go head-to-head with anyone, who do you think stands the best chance against him?
I.M.: Honestly probably my partner. I’m assuming they’re teamed together because they’re equally matched and the best at what they do.
And how is the dynamic between Rick, Vicky, and their boss?
S.K.: I think she’s going to be a pretty tough boss, and I think that I’m right on her team because my character is definitely on it. I think she knows I’m responsible and I get the job done.
It was revealed during our chat that neither Mustafa nor Keibler had shot a scene opposite Givens yet, though they met her in the make-up chair but Mustafa expressed his excitement on working with her because he was a huge Head of the Class fan. Later in the day we got to observe production on their first scene together, and though it was a simple one, their working relationship becomes quite clear immediately. You are not going to want to miss this episode!
Source
- Code:
http://www.examiner.com/tv-insider-in-los-angeles/isaiah-mustafa-stacy-keibler-take-over-chuck
