Technology Digital speaks to the star of the popular TV show Heroes - what does "Ando" have to say?
By Adam Zarboni
Recently Exec Digital spoke exclusively with James Kyson Lee aka Heroes’ Ando, who was promoting Fan Expo Canada. Fan Expo Canada, is the country's largest fan convention. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Fan Expo Canada has grown into the largest event of its kind in Canada and the third largest in North America. The event caters to more than 36,000 science fiction fans in just three days. With more than 600 exhibitors and an exciting roster of celebrity guests including Leonard Nimoy, Lou Ferrigno, Linda Hamilton and Bruce Campbell, the 15th anniversary edition promises to be as exciting as ever.
We spoke with Lee on a variety of topics from the success of Heroes to his own personal influences.
Exec Digital: So were you expecting the almost overnight success that Heroes obtained?
JKL: I didn’t but I had a very good feeling about it as soon as we began filming.
ED: Any major projects in the works?
JKL: Yeah, I have a movie coming out called “White on Rice” that will begin showing in the West Coast and then will be released across the US and Canada. It’s a comedy comparable to Superbad. I play a musician.
ED: So I hear that originally they wanted you for the role of Sulu in the Star Trek film, were you disappointed that you didn’t get it?
JKL: I guess I was, but I can totally understand, I think that the concern was that there would be to many people from the Heroes cast. But it would have been a great role.
ED: How have superhero comics influenced your life?
JKL: Well I grew up on Spiderman, Batman, and a bunch of Mangas like Dragon Ball Z. I loved them!
ED: We have seen your character Ando go from Hiro’s sidekick to the actual superhero, will this trend continue in the upcoming season?
JKL: It has been a fun transformation, and with Ando’s boost power and you’ll see that he can now concentrate it into a blast, which I have been calling “the Ando Lazer!” I get a laugh but we all call it the “Ando Lazer” now.
ED: Its such a large cast how is working with everyone?
JKL:The cast is interesting because we are all working on different storylines, so we often don’t even see each other for long periods of time unless we are doing a story that has them in it. So when I see it on television, its really cool because I am often surprised on how the story fits together, I some times say “oh that’s how it all fits together, and that’s where those guys were.” So sometimes I am just as surprised as audiences.
ED: What do you think has created this appeal for the show?
JKL: The characters are extremely relatable, they are everyday people. And that’s the question I think the show is asking, if you were a day office worker, a cheerleader, to a cop, and something happens to you, how would you deal with it? With the stuff they are doing with CGI and special effects it becomes very believable. But sometimes I have to go to a movie just for the escapism, like with District-9, which was a great movie, and it lets me escape from reality for a little while!
ED: So any hints about what is in store for us next season?
JKL: Maybe, I can’t tell you much but I can tell you that Ando starts a new business which is interlinked t the rest of the plot in an unexpected way, and someone from the past is returning which will be a very nice surprise! There is a new carnival setting in this season which will be very cool to see.
ED: Are you going to keep the superhero costume?
JKL: Ha-ha. Well I can tell you for sure the spandex is gone, but I think I am going to keep the Ando-bike!
ED: So you said you loved comics, what is it like to see yourself in the graphic novels that have been made for the show?
JKL: It is every boy’s dream! It’s incredibly cool, and its almost the best part of doing this, and now I have an action figure! It’s a surreal feeling. Its also very cool to work on this show because we get to go to all these different places like Australia, and Canada and everyone knows me, and everyone seems to be a fan, it’s a really great feeling.
ED: So any changes we should look forward to?
JKL: I want to do a lot more action stuff on the show and with the “Ando-Lazer” I think that’s going to happen. So I hope for people to see more of me firing some lazers out of my hands!
Please Visit: http://www.hobbystar.com/fanexpo/ for more information