calgal: Michael, how would you compare the two Summerlees you have portrayed, in the first movie, and then in the series? Were they the same man?
Michael: Essentially yes. And of course, what I learned from having been in the movie was of infinite help in my getting the character off the ground quickly in the series.
nurv: Who inspired you to be an actor?
Michael: It wasn't a person! It was being in a school play when I was five years old and knocking over a huge piece of furniture. I spent the rest of my life trying to get that right. ;)
Steph: Michael, this is from CMS: Do you prefer acting in the theatre, movies or television?
Michael: Depends what you mean by prefer. I used to love acting in the theatre because you were so much on your own and could react with a live audience, but film and TV pay infinitely better, and that tends to change one's preference slightly!
MWB.: what was the behind the scenes like?
Michael: I've never worked with a better group of people than the cast and crew in the land of OZ. And it stayed good for the whole eight months.
Lady_P_Roxton: Do you ever get tired of being the 'nice guy' and have you ever wanted to play a really nasty villain... or have you already?
Michael: Yes! I'd love to do a really evil old guy who gives the appearance of being very smooth and charming
marya2000: Can you tell us what you've been doing lately?
Michael: Having my hip replaced. And learning how to walk again. =)
Steph: This is another one from CMS who regrettable couldn't attend today: What was your worst acting experience?
Michael: On stage. Falling flat on my face off a two foot parapet where there was supposed to be steps. Worst part was, I was portraying Jupiter, the king of the gods.
Beckers: Michael, did you ever have the opportunity to try for a part and didn't then later regretted it?
Michael: No specific instances, but a number of times I've been in material which looked good on the script and terrible on the screen.
Lenzi: Did you think acting would be hard or easy and which was it for you?
Michael: I always knew it would be relatively easy for me, but it took many years to develop the techniques to justify that belief.
calgal: Do you think your portrayal in the first movie helped you get the role in the series? Did someone see it and remember it?
Michael: Actually the series people didn't know I had done the movie.
challengerspet: I have read on your web site (which is killer BTW) about the relationship you have with PM. Did you guys really pull jokes and pranks on each other and can you tell us about any of them?
Michael: No pranks. Just verbal banter, which was always fun because sometimes people thought we were having a row.
Armslore: Mr. Sinelnikoff, I noticed that in your official character biography that it was mentioned that your character had been a soldier at some point. My question is, what were you told, if anything, about what your character did in the military?
Michael: The question box doesn't wrap lines, and so I don't see the end of long questions. Suggest you keep them short. Arms, I was given no background about my military experience, although it was clear that I didn't like weapons, which is why I used a pistol rather than a rifle.
Steph: From CMS again: The scenes in "Cave of Fear", when Summerlee rescues Roxton and Marguerite are very intense. Can you share your recollections of those scenes?
Michael: It was the end of a long day and we all ended in tears.
Blue: What was the funniest incident that happened while shooting TLW?
Michael: Trying to fire a pistol in a scene with thirty extras and the damned thing wouldn't go off. I ended up by saying "bang!" and throwing the thing on the ground amid general laughter
SunKrux: (on behalf of Ryalin-Michael) If TPTB decide to bring back Summerlee, do you have any ideas as to how you would like to see the character return and his prolonged absence explained?
Michael: I'm sure you've heard the saying "On the Lost World, anything can happen." There are a hundred ways in which the Prof.'s absence could be explained. Take your pick
Beckers: Michael, do you have a favorite actor and/or actress?
Michael: I am an easy audience, and if I'm watching a really good performer, he or she will become my favorite actor.
nycfan: I've read on your web site that as well as acting you've written & directed. Which do you prefer out of the three and why?
Michael: I think Acting, by a very short margin. The results are so immediate
calgal: In More Than Human, in the whirlpool, Summerlee shouted something like "Save the women!" Do you remember, was that gallant cry in the script, or did you ad lib it?
Michael: Actually it was "Where are the women?" and yes, it was in the script.
Lady_P_Roxton: After all of your experience in TV, films, & stage... do you find yourself wanting to be the director sometimes? Do you have a pet project you'd like to see get off the ground if you could get funding for something like that?
Michael: I ALWAYS want to be the Director! But I've learned to keep my mouth shut... ;) I have a pet project right now but it's under wraps at the moment.
Linny: Michael, you have this beautiful photo at the start of your homepage that welcomes your visitors, can you tell us where it was taken?
Michael: In my living room. And it was taken by me, with a time delay on the camera.
Lenzi: What advice would you give someone who is going into acting?
Michael: Get a good answering service, a cellphone, and a good agent!
Steph: This one is from me. How did the portrayal of Summerlee in the movie differ for you creatively from the portrayal in the series?
Michael: Very difficult comparison. In the movie I had only three weeks to develop the character - in the series I had eight months.
Eva: Any chance of your having time to attend next year's TLW convention in L.A.?
Michael: I'm going to try to be there.
Melanie: Do you have a favorite episode or scene of TLW? If so which or what is it?
Michael: I have two. ABSOLUTE POWER and NECTAR.
marya2000: More about calgirl's question, you mean you just went to the audition? Did you mention the movie then?
Michael: Yes. And they looked worried. Which is why I was surprised when I was told five weeks later that I was going to Australia to do the series!
calgal: Rachel Blakely seems to have a wonderful sense of humor, and also to be a very "down to earth" woman. Did that all come across in your interaction with her?
Michael: Rachel is a wonderful human being, with none of Marguerite's negative qualities. She's actually a bit shy, although she hides that well, and is very warm and has a great sense of humor.
nycfan: As a successful actor/director/writer in the entertainment industry, what advice would you give to novices just entering the industry?
Michael: It's essential to get as much training as you can, by the best people you can find, in your chosen field. Everything is so specialized these days that you can no longer get by by bluffing it out.
Tara: (on behalf of LisaT) Do you think that many of today's actor's rely to much on action and not enough on dialogue?
Michael: It depends on the film - some are talky and some are all action. The actors have no control over the script unless they are superstars - they say what's written.
EddyP: As you were filming Lost World did you ever think your character would become so popular?
Michael: I had no idea. It's a source of constant wonder and delight to me, thanks largely to you and the other dedicated fans.
SunKrux: Michael - what was it like working for/with Cirque De Soleil?
Michael: That first year was so difficult that at one point I almost gave up and went home. But I was supported by the talent and energy of the performers.
Blue: How did you get along with the climate in Australia?
Michael: On the Gold Coast they are in a state of denial about their weather. My luxurious condo had neither heating nor air conditioning, if you can imagine it!
challengerspet: If you could design your comeback to TLW how would you have Summerlee return?
Michael: He would have been pulled out of the river by a neighboring tribe and nursed back to health. His medical knowledge would make him the equivalent of a chief. He slips away one night and treks back to the treehouse.
Steph: Last one from CMS: How do you see the relationship between Summerlee and Challenger?
Michael: Always competitive, but underlaid with deep respect.
JAXGIRL: Michael Summerlee was a good cook so my question is are you a good cook to and what do you like to cook.
Michael: Yes. Michael too is a good cook. :) Excellent meals that don't keep me crouching over a hot stove all day long.
Maggie: If you hadn't become an actor, which other career path would you liked to have pursued?
Michael: I think show business is the only profession I'm fit for. If I had another incarnation, I think I might like to have been an archeologist.
marya2000: So how much ad-libbing were you allowed?
Michael: We did a lot of ad libbing -- after all, the writers were a long way away! I like to think that what we added was always both an improvement and appropriate.
Tara: (on behalf of LisaT) I love Cirque Du Soleil. Do you think it has lost some of it's uniqueness due to modifications to make it more appealing to the mass audiences in Las Vegas?
Michael: Basically, yes. But it's fantastically successful and has given Guy Laliberté a personal fortune of six hundred and fifty million dollars.
Tara: (on behalf of LisaT) Of all your accomplishments what has been the most personally rewarding?
Michael: Winning the Canadian Dominion Drama Festival with "Look Back In Anger" with an unknown company and a starting budget of forty dollars.
MWB.: did you use a stunt double?
Michael: Definitely! It certainly wasn't me that fell backwards off the treehouse balcony!
MWB.: did you actually appear in Man of Vision or did they 'cut and paste'.
Michael: I did not appear. It was all "cut and paste" and voice-over. And there was a costumed double.
calgal: Did you ever find it difficult to "react" to nonexistent monsters, such as the giant bee in "Nectar"?
Michael: They usually have a grip who holds a Styrofoam model so that your eye direction and reactions can be right. But one director insisted on roaring like a Dinosaur which put us into helpless laughter and promptly stopped the scene.
Tara: (on behalf of Nadin) Did you like being Summerlee, in comparison with your roles in other projects?
Michael: Yes, I enjoyed the old Prof. very much. By the end of the series I almost felt that he had become a friend.
calgal: Of course we have to ask about Will Snow. He also seems to be a guy who likes to laugh. And also to be serious about his craft.
Michael: Will laughs a lot and, when he doesn't have his nose buried in stock market reports is friendly and sociable. He is scrupulously professional about handling props, observing marks, taking direction, which makes him a pleasure to work with.
Lady_P_Roxton: Your career has spanned a long time... how do you like all the *blue screen* acting as opposed to the old days?
Michael: Even blue screen is going out of date. With new CGI techniques, actors can be in the final location and fantasy figures (or anything else for that matter) can be added later.
Lady_P_Roxton: I've heard working with children and animals is unpredictable... which is harder?
Michael:Yes they're unpredictable, but even worse, they're scene stealers!
Beckers: Did you have a good feeling about the LW when you entered into it? Did you think that show would become as popular as it has?
Michael: None of us knew if there'd be a second season. When I talked to Jeff Hayes about it, he said it would either be a big success or bomb completely. Nothing in the middle.
sec: Mr. Sinelnikoff I'm not sure if this was asked, what was your motivation in taking up photography. One can see you have an eye for it.
Michael: I was asked to be President of my university camera club, and that gave me access to many cameras, photographic and developing material. It soon became a favorite hobby.
Blue: To which character did Summerlee develop the strongest relationship?
Michael: An interesting and difficult question. I think probably Challenger -- fundamentally they had so much in common, despite the bickering, and also the same wonderful old-fashioned sense of ethics.
Birgit: When you were shot by an arrow in the season 1 cliffhanger and fell into the abyss, did you know your character wouldn't reappear in the forthcoming seasons?
Michael: Actually I was a bit worried, and I asked Jeff Hayes (who didn't know at that time what the writer's were up to) about it. He smiled and said "Michael, nobody dies of an arrow in the stomach." Hah!!
Linny: Is there a place on earth that you enjoy the most?
Michael: My own little apartment in Montreal...
calgal: Do you have a favorite U.S. city that you like to visit? And/or one in Europe?
Michael: I've always loved San Francisco -- and I'd love to go to New Orleans. In Europe it's a toss-up between London, Paris and Rome.
calgal: Had you ever worked with any of the writers or directors involved in TLW prior to joining the cast?
Michael: No. But I quickly became friends with Richard Franklin, who did the double pilot, as we shared an interest in American musical comedy and Richard is a personal friend of Steven Sondheim's. In fact, the first assistant director used to get a bit pissed off with us and have to drag Richard back to the camera lens.
Lenzi: In Nectar you can tell it was an emotional episode, did it ever get too emotional for you or the other actors?
Michael: The trick with doing an emotional scene for many hours is to explore the emotions during the rehearsal, and during the takes focus on your interpretation and technique, borrowing just a tiny drop of the emotion, like oil in a machine, to keep you on the right track.
Lady_P_Roxton: Genre TV. has grown with made for cable/direct to syndie productions. Would you consider doing another show on a regular or guest basis?
Michael: I'd love it. It's wonderful, in an instant medium like TV, to have a long time to develop a character.
Beckers: Michael, are you aware of how often Summerlee's name has been mentioned this past season of the LW? Have you seen any of the episodes? What are your feelings about "Arthur the beetle?" :)
Michael: Yes I'm pretty much aware of Summerlee's high profile, and I find it very touching considering how long he's not been in the series. As for the "beetle," I found it very funny. And typically Challenger.
SunKrux: Michael, what is your favorite movie?
Michael: A very vanilla answer: Citizen Kane.
Tara: As a very avid reader and lover of fiction in print, what are your favorite authors and novels?
Michael: This could be a long answer. But to keep it short, I've always liked Tom Wolfe. Especially his earlier work.
challengerspet: If you could work on any project and financing was not an issue, what would you do?
Michael: Oh, that's easy! I would like to do Dr. Watson, with a really excellent Sherlock Holmes.
Tara: (on behalf of LiseT) In your teaching experiences have you had a student that has gone on to be someone we would all recognize?
Michael: Not actually a student. But in the 70's I did a half-hour drama with a relatively unknown, delightful and attractive young actress called Margot Kidder.
challengerspet: Will you come to the US to do theater/acting?
Michael: Have profession, will travel, if the fee is right.
Beckers: You look very dignified as Summerlee with your pipe. Do you really smoke a pipe, Michael S.?
Michael: Actually I'm smoking my pipe right now, and clenching down on it so hard that Peter, who is doing my typing, doesn't always hear what I'm saying!!
nycfan: I'm sure you're all very busy but... Are you still able to keep in touch with the cast/crew members?
Michael: I'm in regular touch with fellow Canadian David Orth, who, as you know, plans to take up permanent residence in Australia.
challengerspet: Have you read any of the fan fic on Carolyn's site? And if you have what are your opinions?
Michael:I must confess I haven't read any fanfic -- I should really put that right, shouldn't I !
challengerspet: who is peter?
Michael: Peter Letts is a friend of twenty years back who kindly offered to type for me as he does it very fast and very accurately, which has saved us all a lot of time and enabled us to move on quickly. (Peter's note: any typos are (c) me :) )
calgal: I can't remember if I read this anywhere--were you in England during WW II? Specifically London during the Blitz?
Michael: Yes, I was at school at Harrow-on-the-Hill, in suburban London. We had a few firebombs and a couple of V-1's and V-2's (unmanned explosive rockets), but nothing that actually damaged anything near where I was living.
calgal: Are you an Orson Welles admirer, or simply that one movie? He made many great ones.
Michael: I am a total Orson Welles fan, and another favorite film is The Third Man.
Jaclyn: The interviews on your site state that you enjoy using computers. Do you have a favorite site or one that you simply must visit every day?
Michael: Two sites: The Montreal Gazette, and The Toronto Globe & Mail. I also visit two classical music newsgroups, from which I have downloaded some wonderful MP3s.
jac: Under your background information, under Adjudication Credits, Maritime Drama Festival in Newfoundland. Being a Canadian, Newfoundland has its own explanation. Do you remember any of it.
Michael: I loved Newfoundland and the Newfoundlanders: They are very direct, warm, and often very funny. And they are not at all dumb, despite all the newfie jokes. I actually bought a tiny cottage near Stephenville which I rented out after I returned permanently to Montreal. It was sold about 15 years ago.
marya2000: What was your role in "Look Back"? Actor, director?
Michael: I played the lead role, Jimmy Porter (with a wonderful hairpiece to hide my already-thinning hair!) and co-directed it. Winnipeg, 1962
mel: How you became involved as with the Cirque and your role in its foundation?
Michael: They were looking for someone with theatre experience and who could work with low budgets (!!!). I was responsible for coordinating groups of people from different parts of the world into a coherent two-act entertainment, in other words partly creating the original scenario and concept, and directing them during rehearsals and getting them onto the Ring for the opening night in Gaspé, province of Quebec.
chantal: as you played Summerlee, did you give him some of your traits, and if yes, which ?
Michael: Summerlee's background was in some ways similar to mine, so I found him easy to relate to. Every actor has to put a bit of himself into a role, even if he has to reach into the darkest recesses of his soul sometimes
calgal: Speaking of classical music, any favorite composer or composition?
Michael: Easy answer: Bach's Mass in C Minor, a colossal wonderful work which changed the face of music for ever..
challengerspet: Did you make your web site yourself or have it done for you?
Michael: Once again the credit has to go to Peter Letts. And we're planning some major expansion fairly soon with lots more pictures, short stories, anecdotes, oddities, and the like. Stay tuned. :)
challengerspet: do you think TLW will gain in popularity as Star Trek has done?
Michael: It might, if that fourth season can finally get off the ground.
challengerspet: Is there a country that you have not traveled to that you would like to?
Michael: Always wanted to see the Imperial Gardens in Kyoto, Japan.
calgal: Do you think Summerlee had any guilty secrets besides "abandoning" his wife on her deathbed?
Michael: I think it might take an episode writer to dream up an answer to that one!
SunKrux: Michael -- Eddy was kind enough to send the bb the links to the pictures you took of the cast... did you take any more of the cast and or crew?
Michael: Yes, I have a lot of pictures which I haven't scanned. But they will eventually appear on my site. Not real soon now, but soon.
challengerspet: Do you have a favorite past time.
Michael: Listening to recorded music and watching DVDs on my lovely plasma screen & surround sound system. Oh, cooking of course for small groups of people, and trying to pretend my balcony window boxes are a real garden
Tara: What is your most memorable moment from TLW?
Michael: The scene with Rachel in NECTAR when I'm delirious and guilt-ridden, and she takes on the role of my dead wife to comfort me.
SunKrux: Michael, do you have a favorite playwright? If so, who?
Michael: Second, Tennessee Williams (The Glass Menagerie) and first, Will Shakespeare.
Beckers: Do you play a musical instrument? If not, which would you like to take up?
Michael: I used to play the piano quite well but the little finger of my left hand has become bent over and I can't stretch the octave any more. I have a few home-made recordings from when I could play, which give me and my friends some pleasure.
challengerspet: If given the opportunity would you do any Shakespeare?
Michael: I'd love to. But only on the stage, as I haven't done any stage work for thirty years, I'm not sure about my memory. So what would be ideal would be a tryout in a small role to see what being on stage again feels like.
challengerspet: Was there any scene or episode you really didn't like?
Michael: Easy answer! Episodes in which I had a few seconds either at the beginning or at the end because my contract said I had to be in every episode. :)
Beckers: If a university were to ask you, and you felt healthy and capable, would you consider teaching an acting class for a semester or two?
Michael: I don't think I could do that, however much it would appeal to me, as my agent wants to keep me on the acting market, which is a day-to-day business.
chantal: Michael which Shakespeare play do u like most ?
Michael: A Midsummer Night's Dream -- it deals with three traditional aspects of Human Love.
Birgit: Both your parents were Russian. Do you speak Russian or any other foreign language (you were raised in England, studied in Italy, live in Canada -- have you ever been to Russia too?)
Michael: I used to speak Russian when I was a kid, but most of that has gone now. I speak French very well, but with a noticeable anglophone accent. And I can hold my own in German, which I can ready pretty well
chantal: how do you prepare yourself for a role, do you research, check similar backgrounds...?
Michael:I will do some research if I don't understand the character. But mostly, I build an imaginary biography in my head, with as many details as possible about the person I'm creating, and then sort of slip it on like you'd put on a jacket.
Blue: What do you think is Summerlee's most positive character trait?
Michael: You said it: being as positive as possible with humor, and compassion.
Linny: If you could invite 5 people from the past for a little get together, who would it be?
Michael: Very clever! The other five members of the Lost World cast, of course! :)
challengerspet: How do you cope with all the recognition? Does it get to be a bother?
Michael: What recognition? <grin> I can walk around in Montreal without being recognized.
Tara: On behalf of everyone I'd like to thank you for your time and giving us two fun filled and informative hours, it's truly been a pleasure having you with us today!!
Michael: It was really great having this interchange with you -- thank you all very much, and see you on the message board!