Life Unexpected's Kristoffer Polaha & Emma Caulfield Dish on Everyone's Fave: Love Triangles!

Exclusive blog from the CW star

Hello gentle readers and fellow travelers of the blogosphere, Kristoffer Polaha back with a brand new blog! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that our little show extended the joy of the season into this week.

Tonight's episode puts Baze right in the middle of two very important people: Emma, the girl he loves, and his dad, who is opposed to Baze and Emma's relationship because it breaks the rules of his firm. So, let's talk it out! This week's guest is the incomparable, smoldering Miss Emma Caulfield.

Last week I gave you a little sampling of what was to come, so here it is in all of its glory, the Emma Caulfield interview! Emma was a star of the original 90210, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and now the new love interest of Baze on Life Unexpected! Let's start where we left off last week, shall we?

Kristoffer Polaha: What were some of your first impressions in those first days?
Emma Caulfield: I thought it was funny that for someone who thinks psychic phenomenon is bulls--t , you know a lot about a lot of things. And it took me a minute to get the humor of the crew. Drier than I was used to. Subtle and deadly.
K.P.: Yeah, we roll hard.

K.P.: Let's give the people what they want: Give me some juice here. Tell me about your funniest moment, first day on set—come on, girl, just give me some dirt.

(Emma has now complained about having to type her answers about three times and asked why I can't record her answers...twice.)

E.C.: Well, I've never had to write my own answers for an interview before. Lazy. You. Not me. Okay, first impressions. Jerry Levine directed my first episode and he spoiled me for the rest of the season. He's an actor's director. We filmed all the gym sequences that day, and I don't think I had ever worked my body out like that. And I work out.

I remember you in your suit, looking all Cary Grant handsome. I might have told you my life story during a smoke break, backed when I smoked. Why I felt it okay to talk to you about my life and what I had gone through for the first half of the year is a testament to who you are, I think. That and I felt an immediate rapport with you. I didn't work with any other members of the cast for a few weeks at least, so they were all this big question mark.

K.P.: Well said. Yes, I felt a very strong need to take care of you. It's like we were on our own show—just you and me for about three episodes and I didn't want you to hate your time up here. I felt like I was your very own one-man-host-family. Speaking of family, have you enjoyed joining our little family?
E.C.: (Kris just asked me if that is a stupid question...awww.) No, it's not. And yes, I have. I was up for the role of Cate in pilot, so to revisit the show in this way was unique. I was also intrigued to work with a female creator, as that doesn't happen very often. But, wouldn't you rather ask me inciting questions? Like religion or politics? My sex life?
K.P.: Suddenly I'm acutely aware of how much I am going to miss you.

E.C.: Let's segue—the show is ending soon. Do you handle endings well? Because I find that when I'm ready for something to end, I transition quickly. But when something ends before its time, I find it hard to move on. You? I would think being the spiritual person you are that you handle change well. Like you know you're safe ultimately.

K.P.: I do feel safe and I'm ready for the next chapter of my career to begin. I'm excited to see what comes my way. I love meeting new people, so the newness doesn't scare or bother me. However, I do grieve the loss of the character I'm playing when a show comes to an end. In high school with every play I did, I would mourn the ending, the death, of my playing a particular role. Not true with all the TV work I've done, but with this show, with Baze, I am sad, and I will be sad when it's over. I will mourn the loss of Baze and I will grieve for a little while. He's filled a very special place in my life as an actor. Parting is a sweet sorrow.

K.P.: Tell us a little bit about Bandwagon?

(Emma has no idea, but I've not seen it yet, oops, but now we can all see it. Enjoy episode on of Emma Caulfield on Bandwagon here. )

K.P.: I'm deeply curious and I want the dope.
E.C.: Bandwagon is a film I co-executive produced and stared in about six years ago. We did the festival route, and proud to say even won an award, but ultimately couldn't find distribution for it. We decided to shelve it and chalk it up to a great growing experience, but recently thought to explore it again. We cut it up and turned it into webisodes and now are set to begin a second season next month.

Bandwagon Darker Times is currently the name being tossed around. It is a satire, a mockumentary, where I play a twisted version of myself, Emma Caulfield/asshole celebrity. Once people can get past the offensive nature of our plots, I think they will find themselves challenged and hooked on our too-real-to-be fake social experiment. People really seem to like it and we couldn't be happier. My manager, when she saw the rough cut, told me in a concerned voice that I was running the risk of never working again because of the subject matter and how I represent myself. Of course, that only fueled me to push harder. You've seen it right? Oh wait, that's right, you haven't.

Liz Tigelaar: Liz here. Awkwardly interjecting to a conversation I'm not a part of. Which is not uncommon, in that I'm always lurking around actors giving them wanted and unwanted feedback. I will just say that even as a Cate and Baze fan, I have completely enjoyed writing the relationship of Baze and Emma. I love them together! You both are so much fun to work with and finishing your last scenes together made me so sad. I want it to continue because it's so much fun to see two actors with so much heart, chemistry and respect for each other. And I like laughing in the trailer with you. A lot. It will be awkward to do that by myself since I'm not that funny and don't have a trailer.

K.P.: That's right , Liz, you don't. Which is really sad to me because you created the show. You should have a trailer. Although, I noticed Shiri's is extra big. Alright, Emma, how did you feel stepping into the middle of the Cate-Baze love affair. People really love the Cate and Baze chemistry. Did you consider it when you started the job, or did you even know who Cate and Baze were?
E.C.: I didn't know much about it.. I had boycotted the show when I didn't get the pilot. (Love you, Liz!) I think you were the one who filled me in on the Cate-Baze-Ryan triangle, and I remember thinking that I wish I didn't know anything about it. I wanted what we were doing to exist by itself, on it's own, and let the audience find us. Let them fall in love with these two people as they were falling in love with each other. I also though that we would give Cate and Baze a run for their money.

We had a natural ease about us from the get go. You recently said to me that we are really honest with each other, sometimes brutally so and that kind of honestly can only come with trust. You know you are safe with me and I, you. I don't think that kind of trust took long to build. There was, as least on my end, an immediate, 'oh, I know you', in regards to how I felt about you. There is a sexiness to these characters together. You combine that with how we are in real life, and it's potent and fun to watch. Cate and Baze who, I say!

K.P.: [Laughter erupts from me!] That's great. I remember that day when I told you about Cate and Baze and I remember feeling very vulnerable for my character knowing that the audience finds a big thrill in watching Cate and Baze together. As one half of that magical duet, I was now alone and embarking on a new relationship that would either float or sink Baze for the audience. So, it wasn't so much a 'hey listen, there's this thing don't mess with it,' as it was a 'alright, if I want to keep working we need to really have some heat come from us, something for the audience to really root for and get behind.'

I can say, after reading Facebook and hearing the word on the street that we accomplished this feat. People like Baze and Emma together, people can root for us. They might still pine for a Cate-Baze reunion, but in the meantime, we ain't so bad. And personally, I have had so much fun working with you. You are a very generous actress, you are present and in the moment when you act, game for anything, and most importantly, you laugh at all my jokes. Even the really unfunny ones, and nothing makes a man feel better than a pretty girl who laughs at his jokes. That was a smart move on your part. We created some really great chemistry onscreen. And I liked you offscreen, too.

K.P.: Finally, the Ten in One. Favorite color?
E.C.: Blue/green.
K.P.: Favorite band?
E.C.: U2, but Radiohead comes close.
K.P.: New York or LA?
E.C.: To visit, New York. To live, Los Angles.
K.P.: Jason Priestly or Kristoffer Polaha?
E.C.: No question..
K.P.: Emma or Cate?
E.C.: Duh. Emma.
K.P.: Late Sunday mornings or late Saturday nights?
E.C.: Sunday mornings. Sunday is my favorite day.
K.P.: Boxers or Briefs?
E.C.: Boxers.
K.P.: Dogs or cats?
E.C.: Dogs.
K.P.: Most craved food item?
E.C.: Cheese.
K.P.: Beef or salad?
E.C.: Carpaccio salad.

Well there you have it folks, the other half of the Baze-Emma lovefest, the real life Emma Caulfield!

Thanks for watching tonight, We had a blast shooting this episode because the entire gang was on set for two whole days, goofing off and having a blast at work. "Thanks Ungiven" was written by Patti Carr & Lara Olsen, and in her North American debut was directed by Cherie Nowlan, an amazing director from Australia.