CynbytheSea Interview with Josh Holliday
(Torture Twin)


 Josh, the members of CynbytheSea applaud you, in your involvement in La Femme Nikita, we thank you for teaching us more than we knew, and we wish you the best in your career!

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Q1.) Would you make any changes in the way your character was played on "La Femme Nikita"? I think I did the best I could under the circumstances. It was a relatively minor role in the grand scheme of things. Sort of a sidekick to Lindsay's character, and I think it's kind of cool that he never speaks, though if the series went on it might've been interesting to explore that further. Did you have any input about it?

JOSH: I didn't really have much input into the character beyond what was scripted. Generally, in larger productions, the smaller roles aren't given a lot of leeway to play around with their characters.


Q2.) What is your next project?

JOSH:I'm in an Independant film called Twist (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339827/), playing another kinda creepy character. It comes out in late May. If you're in the U.S. I recently did a kinda silly commercial for Popeye's Chicken, though I have no idea if it'll ever hit the air. I'm also performing live comedy in and around Toronto, and doing some local radio work.

Claudia Conde ~ Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Q3.) On La Femme Nikita", Why did you take this role?

JOSH: I'm pretty low on the acting food chain, so I pretty much take what I can get. ;-)


Q4.) Would you play this kind of role again?

JOSH: I would definitely play this type of role again. It was fun, and no memorization of lines!


Q5.) Did you enjoy the way the role was played?

JOSH: Yes, I liked the fact I was sort of a large guy, but subservient to Lindsay's character.

Cheryl Dame~ New York
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Q6.) In "La Femme Nikita", you and your "sidekick" Elizabeth always looked so scary, is this the way the part was written or did you use your own ideas and how you should act/look?

JOSH: I think they wanted us to be as odd, and intimidating as possible. It was written that way, and greatly enhanced by the wardrobe people who tailored our looks to the part at the start of each season. There wasn't a ton of leeway on how to play it, but we certainly made choices when it came to reactions, or in Lindsay's case, delivering lines. of it.


Q7.) I understand in the first season of "La Femme Nikita" you did not portray one of the Torture Twins, how did you audition for this part and what lead you to take this kind of role?

JOSH: I kinda lucked in to the role, not so much through talent or a great audition, but because I looked like a big creepy guy, and that offset and complimented Lindsay's stature. As I mentioned above, for actors on the lower end of the acting food-chain, its rare to actually turn something down. There are some things I wouldn't do, if I felt ethically against them: promoting smoking, etc.


Q8.) Your latest role in "Twist" was rather unusual a well. Do you enjoy these type of parts or what kind of part do you prefer?

JOSH: I much prefer these types of roles to the "leading man" types. There's much more to work with, and the roles are usually much more fun to play. Some of the best actors are character actors: William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Chris Elliott.


Q9.) In your days as an interviewer, did you ever get the chance to interview prior, one of your fellow La Femme Nikita actors or directors?

JOSH: I don't think I ever interviewed anyone from the cast before working with them. That would've been interesting. Near the end of Nikita, I did audition for another show once that was being directed by a regular LFN director (Rene). I had a terrible audition, and I was sort of embarassed.


Q10.) I understand you like standup comedy, this is a far cry from the above portrayals, please tell us why you like this type of entertainment and would you prefer to do this?

JOSH: I've always been a more comedic actor, and a comedic person in general. It was kind of fun playing a character that had absolutely no humor, though we tried to play the humor of certain situations. Dark comedy. Again character stuff is fun, but I prefer humorous characters.


Q11.) What endeavors or projects will you be having in the future?

JOSH: One never knows! I'm continuing to write my comedy stuff, and trying to find interesting and challenging roles.

Thank You so much,
Sandy Meridith~ Kansas, USA
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Hi Josh,
First off let me say..first time I saw you, you scared the life out of me..lol

Q12.) What was it like to pair up with Lindsey Collins as "The Torture Twins"?

JOSH: Lindsay was really, really sweet. We spent lots of time chatting about all sorts of stuff between takes. At the time, her husband was the lead on another Sci-Fi series, PSI Factor. Talented couple! She's a terrific actress, and was really easy to work with. I think the physical differences also made it kind of funny.


Q13.) Was there one time taping when you had a prisoner strapped to the chair.. that you could not keep a straight face?

JOSH: I think it was sometimes the villians who had a hard time keeping the straight face. It was sometimes an effort to keep the dead-serious expression, cause I'm so used to smiling and being light-hearted.

I love the "Torture Twins"..
Bless you and Lindsey for adding some weird into the show.
Deb Schwartz~ Michigan, USA
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Q14.) As one of the recurrent characters in "La Femme Nikita", you became almost a trademark of the show. Is there any character from movies or literature that you used as an inspiration for this one? I do hope you don't know anybody like that in real life :)

JOSH: I don't think there were any specific characters that I based the character on, but I liked the idea that it was very matter-of-fact, like someone fixing your car.


Q15.) If you could imagine a follow-up story based on the show, what do you think became of your character?

JOSH: We used to joke that they should make a spin-off about the Torture Twins, or that they should show them at home as a really normal couple. Or show some bizarre relationship with Madeleine Lots of possibilities.


Q16.) I remember one of the "bloopers" that circulated where you were talking shop with the other torture twin. Were there any other funny or special moments you remember from the show?

JOSH: It was a really fun set. Not too much tension. I think part of had to do with the familiarity of the cast and crew, after being together for a few years. Everyone was at ease. I can't think of a specific moment offhand, but the atmosphere was usually light.

Dana Vrajitoru~ Indiana, USA
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Q17.)What other movie or TV roles have you done besides LFN? Have you done any stage work at all?

JOSH: I've kinda done bits and pieces of everything. Not a ton of TV/Film stuff in the grand scheme of things. The radio thing kept me pretty busy. Lots of commercials, mostly comedic. I've done plenty of improvisation on stage around Toronto. I did a fun play here in Toronto that ran for about 3 weeks. Played a meek husband. The main actress in the show also wrote the play, and had me in mind for the part. She has another play in the development stages, with me in mind. Looking forward to it.


Q18.) Did you get any information on what your character would be and who it would be prior to joining the cast of "La Femme Nikita"? And once you did find out how did you settle into the role of "The Torture Twins?"

JOSH: I didn't know too much about the character, but learned relatively quickly once arriving. I came onboard for Season 3, when they decided to expand the Torture Twins role in the show. . I never had a moustache!!! That was someone else. It was fun coming to set each time we'd get booked for an episode, as we pretty much knew we'd be torturing someone. The fun part was finding out who (Adam Ant!), and seeing the devices the props guys had come up with. It was also fun to catch up with Lindsay each time on what we'd been up to in the weeks between. Hike. See Movies. Shop. And yoga.


Q19.)Are there any moments you remember the most in that role?

JOSH: I liked the episode we shot at a downtown hotel. Added a bit of variety. I also liked near the end where we injected a little more personality into the characters, and they gave us names.

Thank you very much for your time
John Leister ~ Adelaide ,Australia
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Q20.) Was "La Femme Nikita" the most intense role you have ever done?

JOSH: Hmm. Yes, I guess it was pretty intense for the character, but it was really laid back between takes, so that off-set the tension. Wasn't a ton of time to think about getting intense...just put on the serious face, and do your thing!


Q21.) When did you get started in acting? And who inspired you to get into it?

JOSH:Well, I've always been interested in putting on shows, and acting. When I was a kid, I think they called it "showing off." When we were little kids, liked to do shows in the basement. As far back as Grade 5, I remember being involved in doing shows at school. In my early teens I liked doing magic shows. In high school, I sort of headed up the drama program at our small school. I guess I was born with the "needs attention" gene.

I'm not sure there's any one specific person, but I remember being a kid and seeing a part of David Letterman's daytime show - I was really young - and finding it really funny. SCTV and Martin Short was a big favorite early on. Saturday Night Live. Chris Elliott. I was just enchanted with the whole idea of creating an illusion.

Kelly Shaw~ Oklahoma, USA
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Q22.)I have seen pictures of you at LCA conventions and I wonder if you thought that even the small part you played would lead to you being invited to these functions.

JOSH: I had no idea! It was totally surreal. It was amazing to see the fans of the show come together in such a way. I never would have guessed. I'm just a working actor, and it was fun to see the enthusiasm for these characters, despite the little screen time they had on the show.


Q23.) And what do you think of "La Femme Nikita" fandom, and TV show fandom in general?

JOSH: I think it's a great way of bringing people from all cultures, and all ends of the world together. I was always amazed to see people who knew each other only through their shared interest in the show, and the magic of the internet, forge strong friendships. The charity work of the fandom is also a wonderful thing. Same thing with other shows, though LFN fans are much cooler than the Star Trek folk. ;-)

Warren Stewart ~ Perth, Australia
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Q24.) I just must ask..and you can tell us, What were those little slashes under the eyes all about????????!!!!!!!!! Spill it!!!!!!!!!!!!

JOSH: We didn't even know!!!! Maybe it was an easy way to the brain. Or maybe we just thought it looked cool, and was a calling-card of sorts.


Q25.) Which do you enjoy most..... .being the interviewer or interviewee, given your background?

JOSH: I really don't like talking about myself too much. I'm inquisitive by nature, and find interviewing can be plenty of fun. I like injecting interviews with comedy. Always liked David Letterman in that respect, and Jon Stewart on the Daily Show is very clever.


Q26.) Can you tell us a little about your home life? What do you like to do, etc.?

JOSH: I lead a pretty low-key life. Single, living alone in downtown Toronto. Dating here and there. No wife yet. I share a dog with an ex-girlfriend who lives in St.Louis. It's totally amicable, and there are pictures of Austin the Beagle on my website. I absolutely love going to movies. I try and see as many as possible, and generally like the independants more than the blockbusters. I'll also hang out with friends, and check out comedy in and around the city. On a day-to-day basis, I audition for bits n pieces: film, tv, voice, commercials. I also contribute to a morning radio show here in Toronto, which means getting up really early a couple of times a week.


Q27.)What did you buy with your first real "paycheck" from your first acting job?

JOSH: Hmm..I can't recall. It's nowhere near a Jim Carrey thing where I bought a relative a house. I probably paid rent. I know it's pretty unglamorous.

Thanks Josh for giving us this time with you! We love your character!!
Brenda Allison ~ Missouri - USA
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Q28.) Did you and Lindsay think up any of the torture stuff yourself?

JOSH: The really talented props guys came up with the torture stuff we used each week. They came up with all sorts of great devices, cobbled together from odd pieces of electronic scraps.


Q29.) What do you like to do in your spare time?

JOSH: I love movies. I like to watch hockey. I have always been a voracious reader: try to do about a book a week. I've been walking the city quite a bit of late, now that the winter is gone. My parents have a cottage about an hour and a half north of Toronto on a ake. During the summer, I try to get up there as much as possible.


Q30.) You`ve done quite different things for television and radio, which do you prefer?

JOSH: I've always had a preference for the visual stuff. Film. TV. I'd like to do some television hosting, and continue to explore possibilities in that area. I'd also love to do sitcom stuff, but most of the sitcom work centres in L.A. and there's that whole green card thing. ;-)

Chrissy Langeveld ~ Netherlands
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Q31.) Your character was very controlled and focused, was it hard to keep your face so emotionless?

JOSH: Yes, I'm prone to smiling, so keeping the facial features as dead and as serious as possible was a bit of a concentration challenge...plus the situations were sometimes just funny.


Q32.) In the torture scenes, everything seemed so real and frightening, may I ask what scares you?

JOSH: I kinda get creeped out by spiders. Being alone in a remote place can sometimes get my mind wandering. I'm fascinated by sharks, but when I'm in an ocean, I'm kinda scared, even though the odds are so long that anything would ever happen. George W. Bush scares me.

Angelique ~ Norfolk, Virginia
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Q33.) My brother is a radio disc jockey, obsessively made noises/ sounds, remarks, come backs, all his life, it was no surprise he found a career in radio, where you similar in nature?

JOSH: I always like to be putting on a show and making sound effects when I was younger. I was the class clown from grade school, through university. I've always been a wiseass, yes.


Q34.) Is your radio field work confined to a studio, or do you also do play-by-play in sports or events?

JOSH: Most of the radio stuff I've done has been in studio, doing characters or comedy bits. The studio at the old station I worked at was a street-level affari, open to the public, so we always had intersting charcaters coming in and out, and it was right on a busy street, so we were by no means isolated. I also love using the phones. you can hear some samples on my website. As for play-by-play, I've never done it...I don't think I'd be quick enough, or be able to keep that sustained energy for a whole game. Maybe color commentary. I've Emceed a bunch of events, but not for broadcast.


Q35.) What geared your interests towards multi-media?

JOSH: I think through it all it was just the basic idea of creating an illusion. From magic, to TV, to film, to radio, its all about creating a perception. Even on the non-performing side, it's something that interests me. I did technical stuff for a large theatre in my late teens, and found it really enjoyable. I also had a blast working at Universal Studios, giving tours of the backlot. I guess it's just in my genes.

Cynthia Wilkerson ~ Texas, USA
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COMMENTS:
I hope I've answered your questions thoroughly enough for you. Feel free to check my website (www.joshholliday.com) for a wealth of information, or if you want to e-mail me for more information. Thank-you for reading, and for having such a strong interest in the show and its characters.
Josh

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