It's Paley Fest time!

 

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending my first event 'o the season, with the amazingly beautiful in person cast of The Mentalist. They showed the episode "Bloodshot" which I was happy about because we got to see the sweet Rigsby/Van Pelt "you're not dead" hug scene on the big screen. Apparently they wrapped shooting today and Tim Kang was doing the last scene, so he wasn't there - boo! I would've really liked to see his real life personality. Amanda and Robin were the only two people on the panel with American accents. Museum clip of the night was a HILARIOUSLY bad accented Robin Tunney clip from "Dream On." OMG too funny. I tried to break down the stuff I remembered into categories, which is a new thing. We'll see how it goes...

At work
-Bruno said the cast is very professional but always try to enjoy themselves
-OY was pointed to as being "class clown"
-when asked who gave him them most grief about being "Sexiest Man" Simon said "Tunney by a MILE" - they were really cute the whole time with their bantering
-an audience member asked how they assembled the cast and knew they were going to gel, and Bruno said they didn't until stuff started happening. He said it was just luck & chemistry. Amanda said she started to feel it when they had their first table read and everyone was together at one time.
-Robin said that the atmosphere comes from the top down because Bruno is a really intelligent, shy guy and doesn't throw his weight around. She said she feels really safe and likes coming to work {Ed. note: this was really heartfelt and genuinely said...aww!}

Real Life vs. Fiction
When asked if any of them had gone to a psychic, Simon said when he used to be on location a lot he would pretty much go to one in every town. He was lonely and "in lieu of a prostitute" he would go to one to spend his per diem. Hilarious delivery of this story, I must say. Owain said someone once had one at a party and she said she saw terrible things in his future and that he was going to die within a year!! Amanda said she had been to one once, but they didn't tell her anything that wasn't obvious. None of them admitted to ever being hypnotized. {Ed note: I was hypnotized at a Renaissance Faire once - ask me how!}

Apparently the C.B.I. did indeed used to exist, but doesn't anymore, which Bruno said is great because it's realistic but they can't sue. He said the real life C.B.I. took on high profile cases the local PD couldn't handle and that's basically the model they use for the show. This is also handy because he wants the show to be enjoyable visually, so having rich/famous/high profile cases lets them go pretty places to film.

Rome If You Want To a.k.a. Bruno Heller Speaks
Bruno was really smart and eloquent about most everything he discussed, but one of the more interesting things he talked about was psychics/mentalists in real life. He said any town anywhere has one and it seems about 50/50 in society of people who think they're charlatans and people who think they are good and insightful. He said they play a role like that of a priest or psychoanalyst BUT they're lying, so there's the enigma and uniqueness of the situation.

He said Red John exists because there is darkness in the world and the truth about people is that we're all going to die. Red John is there to provide the dark, constant basis so that the show can have levity and be a bit of fun. You couldn't just have the fluff with no acknowledgment of the bad stuff in the world. He was just really eloquent and insightful about all this and I really need direct quotes to convey it, sorry. The cast looked like they had some knowledge dropped on them too re: Red John.

Props
It was Simon's idea to use the car that Jane has. He named the exact model and everything and apparently they have to rent it every time they use it. He was like "it's awesome isn't it! {little boy grin}....doesn't run so well." He said just like Patrick wears "old worn shoes" he felt like he would have a unique car, not something like the network would want (a Taurus). When discussing the wardrobe Bruno said they have Patrick wear the wainscot (suit vest) so that there would be a subtle element of magician/showmanship without sequins or shiny things.

Accent..uate the Positive
Why can't they use their real accents? Well, maybe ONE character on the show, but not two. OY mentioned that the character comes first so how would it work out that Rigsby is from Wales? He said he goes to a dialect coach and it gets easier the longer he's here {in America}. He mentioned that it cuts both ways, though because when he gets home it all "oh, look how American you are with your tomatoes {said in American accent, 'natch}" and then when he's here he'll say "I just fell off the sidewalk {British accent, 'natch}" and everyone's "ooh, how British and quirky!" Hilarious.

Simon Baker R.N.
Apparently for about two month back in the day, Simon Baker went to nursing school. Basically he and his buddy wanted to get out of their small town AND meet girls, and nursing school was just the ticket. 85% female and 85% of the males are gay. He was an awful student, though, and didn't last long. He said the next Judd Apatow comedy will be just this - two small town guys go to nursing school {Ed note: I've heard worse!} He also apparently wore some kindof skin-tight alligator suit for a photo shoot?! His explanation: "mate...it was the early 90s!!" Robin apparently found this picture and passed it around the set - this was revealed like so:
OY: I need to see this!
RT: {offhand} What, you didn't see it? I showed it to everyone on set!

An audience member asked if he ever wanted to be in action movies like X-Men and he basically said yes, but in that he wants to do all sorts of roles and BE all sorts of characters. When he was kid looking up at a movie screen he wanted to BE those people...not the actors, but the characters they were. This bit also included a cute Hugh Jackman impersonation.

Sexy Time!
During a discussion about the relationships on the show, there were a lot of great insights:
-Bruno thinks people have sex way more "on telly" than they do in real life
-Once people start getting laid, they have to keep getting laid, and there's only five characters on the show
-Robin and Simon are very anti Jane/Lisbon for various (valid) reasons, Robin said they are both damaged and Jane still wears his wedding ring
-Simon said he sees R/VP as the young, sexy, passionate relationship on the show, whereas J/L is an adult relationship where they are coming from different perspectives, sometimes it is sibling-like and sometimes it's maternal/paternal, but by having it not be all "sexy time" it allows that space to be filled with relationship traits a lot of people have (i.e brother/sister)
-Robin was just wondering how people though that would work. They have sex and then slap on some gloves and go out to the crime scene?
-Owain said speaking from experience work relationships can be weird since you're, you know, working. One day you think you're getting somewhere, you've gone for cappucino, and the next day it's all work again
and after all this..."sex scenes are hard to film" - Bruno Heller - ha!

Owain Yeoman Live!
Moderator discusses the "Jisbon Forever" facebook page much to the disturbance of all panelists, but says it only has 18 members
OY: {to audience} "stand up"

Moderator asks when someone on the show is going to get laid
OY: "Where do you think Tim Kang is?"

While cast discusses a guest actress in an upcoming episode
OY: "I love our shorthand - 'the Canadien in the monkey episode'"

Upon revealing that he and TK read a lot of trivia books about Chuck Norris and Mr. T, the moderator asks for a good one
OY: "When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn't push-up, he pushes the world DOWN" {proceeds to giggle like a schoolgirl}

Biggest Laugh of the Night
Due to the aforementioned constant ribbing by Tunney of Simon re: Sexiest Man, she would make a lot of jokes with guest stars like "now, be careful, it may get hot in here," etc. One time she was like "okay, now you may get flushed or hot, but it happens a lot when people are around him, so don't worry" etc. Simon kindof solemnly nods his head like "yes" playing along. After the shoot the woman came up to Robin and was like "I never got hot!? Does he REALLY think he gets women hot?!" {pause for reaction} HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Random Stuff
Would Kimball Cho cry while watching Susan Boyle on youtube? OY answers: yes, in private at home but with people {does stoneface mask impression of Cho}

Wardrobes:
OY: white v-neck t-shirt, jeans, blazer and sneakers
AR: black skirt, killer black heels, ruffled cap sleeve/scoop neck off-white silky top
RT: sleeveless black satiny minidress, black leggings
SB: blue suit and black glasses (looked very similar to his Grammy outfit)

Everyone looked AMAZING!!