Interview with Sydney Tamiia Poitier Online!

[neps]

Hey All,

The interview for the day is up. We spoke with Sydney Tamiia Poitier who plays FBI Agent Carrie Rivai!

She was really a very pleasant person to talk with, and we thank her for her time.

http://www.knightrideronline.com/news/2 ... _sydne.php

(thanks to michael parajo also for helping with the digitizing!)

Neil

[Radicalas]

Thank you! So it seems to me, that there will not be more big news until February 17th, am I right?

[Michael Pajaro]

I love the part with her dog... It's just a very "human" moment. Funny.

[knightendo_phil]

I didn't think it was possible to get any more hyped than I already am, but I'm proven wrong every time you update with something new!! Thanks again for all of these, can't wait to see what's next!!

The show sounds very up to date, I like the way her character is gay but they don't make a big deal out of it like some shows feel they have to, just that shot at the beach, very modern I felt.

Very interesting about the script too, never thought of that!

And well done in not falling into cliche territiry and asking about her dad lol... although I do wonder how he feels about her joining Knight Rider

[PHOENIXZERO]

Good interview and no dodging/evading questions like with David Bartis!


I think I'd be kind of glad if they tweaked her character's "preference" a bit. At least from the script review on AICN, it seemed like they were going an annoying route with mirroring Mike a little with her character hopefully that's changed or at least been toned down.... Then again it might just be because I think bi-women are more interesting and can be written with a bit more "leeway" for a little broader audience and hopefully less stupidity. No offense to lesbians out there, especially the non-****** man-hating ones... I love you all too! I have a feeling I'm going to catch some hell for that..... I'm sure somewhere someone will ***** about her character's sexual preference in the show whether she is gay, bi or something other than straight.

It does suck that they couldn't go back and revise the script after the strike started, hopefully what changes they would have liked to have made weren't too major and most were done in re-writes pre-strike, though that might explain certain lacking areas in the movie. I really do hope they tend to stay away from getting the main characters "personally" involved with each other, that just creates messes and conflicts that are typically not very fun not to mention they'd probably fall into making a character stupid and fall into the cliché where a character meets a new guy or girl that one the other characters disapproves of or doesn't trust which leads to suspicion and the character snooping around until they get caught which then pisses off the character entering into a potential relationship only to discover near the end that the character warning them was right all along and then has to save the day...

[knightendo_phil]

Good interview and no dodging/evading questions like with David Bartis!


I think I'd be kind of glad if they tweaked her character's "preference" a bit. At least from the script review on AICN, it seemed like they were going an annoying route with mirroring Mike a little with her character hopefully that's changed or at least been toned down.... Then again it might just be because I think bi-women are more interesting and can be written with a bit more "leeway" for a little broader audience and hopefully less stupidity. No offense to lesbians out there, especially the non-****** man-hating ones... I love you all too! I have a feeling I'm going to catch some hell for that..... I'm sure somewhere someone will ***** about her character's sexual preference in the show whether she is gay, bi or something other than straight.

It does suck that they couldn't go back and revise the script after the strike started, hopefully what changes they would have liked to have made weren't too major and most were done in re-writes pre-strike, though that might explain certain lacking areas in the movie. I really do hope they tend to stay away from getting the main characters "personally" involved with each other, that just creates messes and conflicts that are typically not very fun not to mention they'd probably fall into making a character stupid and fall into the cliché where a character meets a new guy or girl that one the other characters disapproves of or doesn't trust which leads to suspicion and the character snooping around until they get caught which then pisses off the character entering into a potential relationship only to discover near the end that the character warning them was right all along and then has to save the day...

Your comments about her character's sexual preferences are, no offense, rather offensive. In the same light someone could then say make Mike bi as well so that he's more interesting than just wanting to have relations with the one sex. Just because she is a lesbian has nothing to do with her personality as a whole, nor does it take away from how "interesting" she may be. I'd bury my head before the rants start lol. Personally, I'm not ranting, just disagreeing

As for the cliches you mentioned, I think Knight Rider itself did that with Bonnie several times lol! Besides, cliches are something I'm not worried about so far from what I've seen and read, (I've stayed away from the script review - i think the site that put that up was kinda silly in doing so, it spoils it for everyone who happens across it) and if the script is as good as they all say then it's good they couldn't tweak it in my opinion, sometimes tweaking can have just as bad an effect as it can good.

[Duster]

As for the cliches you mentioned, I think Knight Rider itself did that with Bonnie several times lol! Besides, cliches are something I'm not worried about so far from what I've seen and read, (I've stayed away from the script review - i think the site that put that up was kinda silly in doing so, it spoils it for everyone who happens across it) and if the script is as good as they all say then it's good they couldn't tweak it in my opinion, sometimes tweaking can have just as bad an effect as it can good.

Well, you can see this from two sides. Of course you can overdo the rewriting, but when you, as a writer, see the scene you have written being played out in front of your eyes, you might notice some things that could get improved, for example because of the chemistry between the actors. Overall I would see it as an advantage when they can revise the script during shooting, but from what we've heard the script seems to be pretty good in it's original form, so I'm not really concerned about that.

The interview itself was really good again. Thanks for that.

[PHOENIXZERO]

Your comments about her character's sexual preferences are, no offense, rather offensive. In the same light someone could then say make Mike bi as well so that he's more interesting than just wanting to have relations with the one sex. Just because she is a lesbian has nothing to do with her personality as a whole, nor does it take away from how "interesting" she may be. I'd bury my head before the rants start lol. Personally, I'm not ranting, just disagreeing

I'm going to try realllllllllly hard to make this as PG as possible, but I might fail at that and be overly long.

What would be the reason for her character to be a lesbian or even bi-sexual aside from initial shock value? In the scope of things I really couldn't care less as long as it isn't done in a in your face manner.

Apparently I should have made it clear as to what I meant by "interesting" and separated it from other part when talking about giving her character more leeway. That had nothing to do with the fictional characters in this TV movie and was a more of a personal preference/experience sort of thing. At least to me, two girls is infinitely more appealing than two guys, especially if the girls aren't uhhh "exclusive". I really don't know of any straight, gay or bi females or straight guys that finds two guys, no matter of looks together as a turn on as they would two attractive women, not all straight women but some.. I have absolutely nothing against either gender's sexual orientation, I have friends of both gender that are though. Ugh, that really sounds like the typical back peddling line but whatever. Unfortunately some of the girls that I've known from before they "discovered" they were gay have fallen into to the male hating, butch haircut stereotype.. It was amazing how quickly that happened.

Besides that, I was more agreeing with Sydney Tamiia Poitier with that it gives way possibilities that wouldn't be there if the character just liked the same sex even if that'd probably lead to a love triangle which if it happened, hopefully wouldn't be a drawn out thing. On the other hand, to spare us from that maybe she should just be a lesbian, though that doesn't prevent a triangle thing from happening, hmmmm. That would actually be more interesting. Sarah, after a messy break up with Mike several years prior found comfort....... Okay I'll stop there. <_< >_>

KRO: So you mentioned love interests... Do you think your character has a love interest? Is there a possible love triangle with the characters?

POITIER: It's possible. Initially my character was a lesbian, and then I think they're planning on making her bi, so it kind of opens up the possibilities. So there could be something happening. At least that's what they said, but I couldn't tell if they were kidding or not. (laughs) So there's definitely a possibility. Nothing exists in the pilot. Mike's romantic interest is Sarah. So who knows what will happen down the line.

Here's what I was referring to when it came to "mirroring" Mike's introduction.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34497
MIKE TRACER: an ex Army Ranger, now disillusioned and disenfranchised. He’s a *?$# gambler and an unsuccessful race car driver. He’s pulled into the world of K.I.T.T. because of his very special connection to the past KNIGHT RIDER incarnation. The first time we see him, he’s waking up in bed with a fabulous babe. A few minutes later, another one steps out of the restroom.

CARRIE RAVAI: a bad-ass FBI agent. The first time we see her, she’s waking up in bed with a fabulous babe. Not exactly the same but but a similar introduction, not really anything spoilierish there that we already didn't know from the NBC press release, minus a couple small things when it comes to Mike that may or may not have made it past the version of the script Merrick reviewed. I had reservations about the writers of this falling into the stereotype I mentioned above or something similar, if not in the TV movie, the series that might come about and there's a half dozen writers. I just dread that they'd go screw it up and/or certain groups would complain not just about the characters sexual preference but others on whether it's being done "right". We still don't know her character's personality and really won't until the TV movie and then series and they get fleshed out more beyond the pilot. Thankfully she certainly doesn't have the stereotypical "butch" look.

As for the cliches you mentioned, I think Knight Rider itself did that with Bonnie several times lol! Besides, cliches are something I'm not worried about so far from what I've seen and read, (I've stayed away from the script review - i think the site that put that up was kinda silly in doing so, it spoils it for everyone who happens across it) and if the script is as good as they all say then it's good they couldn't tweak it in my opinion, sometimes tweaking can have just as bad an effect as it can good.

[/quote]

It didn't really spoil much, just the characters and part of their background, plus it was an early draft and certain things were obviously changed. My thing with clichés had to do more with if they go to series, which I think is almost a given unless the TV movie bombs in the ratings.

As for what if Mike was bi.... Well, I'm not going there....

[cloudkitt]

This is a tad off topic - but the thread's kinda getting off topic anyway.

Why can't they revise the script because the writers are on strike? If all things were normal and someone tweaks the script during the shooting, is it a writer that does it? I didn't think so, I figured it's the director or producer or someone else on set. I fully admit that I don't know a whole lot about the writer's strike, but the things people can and cannot do just because they're on strike is kind of ridiculous.
To anyone who knows more about this, why can't the media treat this the way NHL did when the hockey players struck, or the way Ronald Reagan did when the air traffic controllers: "Okay, you won't work then." I'm not suggesting that that is what they should do, but it seems clear that the television stations couldn't do that if they wanted to, why not?

I apologize, at ANY rate, thanks for the interview, that was interesting, can't wait.

[Michael Pajaro]

Hollywood is VERY unionized. Writers are on the set at all times and they have to be the ones to make changes. In some cases you will have writer/producers, but then that person belongs to the WGA and must go along with strike.

The air traffic controllers strike affected the nation in a huge way; that's why Reagan stepped in. Delaying episodes of Desperate Housewives is hardly a national crisis.

There is no single governing body that rules over all of Hollywood. It's a complicated mesh of unions and agencies and studios and artists. There is no all-powerful entity that can simply fire everybody. So it's a complicated, delicate situation.