After the success of the mystical series The Vampire Diaries, The CW finds another whimsical hit in this fall’s Beauty and the Beast, a reprise of the original 1987 cult sensation. Smallville bombshell Kristen Kreuk returns to the network as Catherine Chandler (“Belle”) who after witnessing the murder of her mother as child, would’ve been killed herself had someone (or something) not stepped in and saved her life. Fast forward to the present, she’s now a police officer and her boss is Lieutenant Joe Bishop, played by Brian J. White. “It’s a complete update,” White says of the production. “It’s now a procedural that focuses heavy on character. It’s not always about solving the case; it’s about how the characters respond to the process of solving the case and how it affects their lives, their emotions and their relationships.” Beauty promises the mystery, magic and forbidden romance of both the original series and the beloved fairy tale. The Beast (Jay Ryan) is trying to find a cure for his hulk-like tendencies, while Catherine is working to find her mother’s murderers. The pair agrees to help each other out, and of course they’re drawn to one another.
No stranger to the world of cop-drama, White has starred in shows like The Shield and Moonlight, roles that White went above and beyond the call of duty to prepare for. “When I was working on The Shield, we spent 2 or 3 days a week riding along with the LAPD. We’d ride around with them all night, go on arrests, go on raids, go to the shooting range. The more experience I can get the better. I’ve been out with the FBI, CIA, ATF, and police departments in about 7 states trying to be a part of anything that lets me know what their lives are really like. Knowing what the stakes are helps me do my job better.” A former professional NFL player, he brings a little athleticism to everything he does. He even does his own stunts. “I never use a stunt double. Doing wire work and running from building to building is amazing. Whether it’s me and Channing Tatum kicking each other’s butts in Fighting or letting Tyler Perry kick my butt in Good Deeds, I can always find ways to use the skills I’ve had and develop them and push myself to the limit.” Don’t miss the premiere of Beauty and the Beast on October 11th at 9/8c on The CW.
Interviewed by Ashley Symone Lee
Photographed by Vince Trupsin
ABC’s Last Resort packs loads of conflict into what Autumn Reeser describes as a “political thriller meets epic action romance.” A new drama from the creator of The Shield, the series follows the crew of a United States Navy nuclear submarine who after being attacked inexplicably by their own country, take refuge on an island in the middle of the Pacific. Meanwhile, Reeser’s character Kylie Sinclair, an ambitious weapons lobbyist, is back in Washington, D.C. trying to unravel the political conspiracy. “It’s an incredibly complex story line. One of the special things about this show is that their storytelling is really ballsy. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, it pushes far beyond that.” 
Wilson Bethel—a New Hampshire-born, San Franciscan charmer – possesses a quiet wit that sneaks out from beneath his cool than cool exterior. Fans know him best for his role as Wade Kinsella, “the roguish town bad boy with a heart of gold” on the CW’s Hart of Dixie, opposite leading lady, Rachel Bilson. “Working with her is awesome,” says Bethel of his costar. “She’s just a really cool down to earth girl and we have a lot of fun. We share a similar sense of humor. I count her as a friend.” Throughout the first season of Dixie, we tracked the rocky relationship between Wade and Zoe (Bilson) and in the season finale, the push and pull culminated with what Bethel describes as “an epic freak-nasty session. There was definitely drama for your mama. The word from the writers is that for a show that didn’t have too much making whoopee, there’s going to be a lot more. People are just going to be jumping each other’s bones. Lots of R.Kelly. That’s word on the street. We’ll see if it comes to fruition.” Freak-nasty or not, viewers and the stars of the show alike are eager to see how the second season will play out. “My hope is that we’ll get to take the story places that we didn’t go last year. A lot of the dynamics have shifted since last season so there’s going to be a lot of new stuff to explore. [For Wade] growing up was one of the pieces that was starting to come in focus last season; this arc of his attempt to grow up and be a bit of a man. Hopefully we’ll see him rising to the occasion getting out of man-child adolescence. “Will Zoe make the choice between George and Wade? “My sense is that Wade and Zoe are meant to be. My guess is that in the very end Zoe and Wade will be together.”