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April 1st 2009
Man of mystery
Metro Detroit native embraces ‘black sheep’ role in suspenseful new
series
By Cortney Casey
C & G Staff Writer
STERLING HEIGHTS — Dean Chekvala never knew week-to-week whether his
character on the upcoming CBS thriller 'Harper’s Island' would be
killed — or be a killer.
The Michigan native is
part of an ensemble cast in the murder-mystery, premiering April 9.
The 13-episode
limited-run series centres on friends and relatives returning to an
island off the coast of Seattle for a wedding. But the atmosphere
quickly turns less than celebratory, as characters are slain, one
per episode, until the show’s July 2 conclusion.
The plot was so
hush-hush that even the cast was kept in the dark until just prior
to filming each episode, said Chekvala, 31.
"The writers, the
producers wouldn’t tell us anything," he said. "They wanted to know
what we thought."
Chekvala likened the
cast’s eagerness to read each successive week’s script to fans
lining up for each new Harry Potter book, then holing up in their
bedrooms until they’d devoured the entire thing.
"For us, it was kind of a built-in game," he said. "Everybody
literally shut up, went home and read the script, and couldn’t put
it down until it was finished."
The whirlwind readings
were followed by a flurry of phone calls between cast members, who
bet on the next character to meet a grisly end.
Chekvala hopes viewers
will be equally enthralled with the series, predicting that fans of
unnerving dramas like 'Lost' and older shows like 'X Files' and
'Twin Peaks' would find 'Harper’s' appealing.
His talent manager, Farmington Hills native Bruce Economou,
described 'Harper’s' as a 'dark thriller,' in a similar vein as
Agatha Christie’s '10 Little Indians.'
"You don’t know who’s
being hunted, and you don’t know why, and you don’t know who’s doing
the hunting," said Chekvala.
But unlike a traditional TV series, the limited run — which he said
is more comparable to a long movie or miniseries — guarantees a
satisfactory resolution by the final episode.
"The benefit of it is, by the end of the show, you’ll know all the
answers," he said. "It’s really new and kind of innovative. Going
into it, everyone knows it’s 13 episodes, and then it’s out."
The show taps into the
'reality television mentality' by supplying appealing characters
whose ranks are winnowed weekly, said Chekvala. If the format proves
successful, he said, he could see it spawning similar series.
'Harper’s Island' premieres in a coveted Thursday night timeslot —
at 10 p.m., directly after lucrative lead-in 'CSI.'
"It’s comforting to know
they have the confidence in the product," he said.
While CBS bills Chekvala’s character J.D. Dunn — the brother of
Henry, the affable groom — as the 'black sheep' of the bunch,
Chekvala described brooding, tattooed J.D. as "misunderstood."
"The role I’m playing in ‘Harper’s’ I really gravitate to and enjoy
a lot," he said. "He’s kind of a loner, with kind of a chip on his
shoulder. He’s extremely intelligent, which was one of the things I
liked about him."
Filming took place in
Vancouver, British Columbia, over a six-month period, wrapping up in
January. Each hour-long episode took seven or eight days to shoot,
with cast members working 12-16 hours a day, he said.
Chekvala’s past work includes guest stints on TV shows like 'ER,' 'NCIS'
and 'Numb3rs,' and theatre performances in metro Detroit, Chicago
and Los Angeles, including a production of 'Hamlet' in a Hollywood
graveyard.
Growing up in Clinton Township, Chekvala was so painfully shy that
he never imagined he’d ever feel comfortable onstage, but he became
hooked after taking acting classes at Clintondale High School.
His parents moved to Sterling Heights when he was at Wayne State
University, where he studied theatre. After graduating from WSU in
2000, he moved to Chicago, then Los Angeles.
Blair Anderson, chair of WSU’s Department of Theatre and director of
the University Theatres, instructed Chekvala in an acting class and
directed him in the lead role of 'Our Country's Good,' a play set in
18th century Australia.
Anderson said Chekvala came in "naturally soft-spoken" but worked
diligently to develop his "vocal instrument."
"He had the honesty we
really love in actors," he said. "Oftentimes, people believe acting
is putting on a mask or putting on a character. But in reality, the
really good actors are the ones who can find out how to be very
honest. Acting is really not about lying or pretending; it’s really
about plumbing your inner resources so you can share a compelling,
honest story. Dean always had those qualities."
For budding actors, Chekvala advised taking advantage of Michigan’s
increasing presence in the movie and TV industry. He suggested
individuals hone their skills via classes, contact local agents and
casting personnel, watch interviews with actors, and read relevant
books.
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