Breaking In cast during WonderCon 2011
“Breaking In” is an offbeat workplace comedy about a high-tech security firm that takes extreme – and often questionable – measures to sell its protection services. Created by Adam F. Goldberg and Seth Gordon, the series centers on a team of uniquely skilled oddball geniuses hand-picked to work for a manipulative mastermind.
Contra Security, corporate America’s answer to “The A-Team,” gives clients a sense of security by first ripping it away. The firm is led by OZ (Christian Slater), a larger-than-life head honcho who is a man of mystery and master of manipulation. The members of the odd squad include alluring bad girl MELANIE (Odette Yustman), who is in charge of lock-picking, safe-cracking and heart-breaking; and CASH (Alphonso McAuley), a fanboy who specializes in strategy, logistics and office pranks only a mad genius could think up. Oz’s newest recruit, plucked right out of college, is lovable and charming computer hacker CAMERON PRICE (Bret Harrison).
Cast of Fox's "Breaking In"
During the past weekend’s press event for the show, we at Whargarbl TV got to sit down with the cast and ask a few questions about the show. Odette Annable was the first to come sit down with us alongside Executive Producer Doug Robinson; Odette describes the show as “The Office meets the A-Team or Gone in 60 Seconds, when you have that great dynamic and everybody works in the office and there’s that comedy, that off-beat comedy that comes from there, but we’re also on the field and doing the action. So it’s like shooting a mini-movie every single week. Ambitious, very ambitious.”
Odette plays Melanie who is “very much a guy’s girl. She’s a little bit of a badass, but you really don’t understand why she does what she does. She’s the team lock picker, the safe cracker…” and goes on to talk about the character’s background which we will leave for the series to show the audience. She also explains Melanie’s boyfriend Dutch, who is played by Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), as a “Douche-bag, but a thoughtful douche-bag.”
Christian Slater is Oz in the Fox Series "Breaking In"
Doug Robinson explains how the cast was able to put a lot of pop-culture references and their own input giving the example of how Christian Slater was able to bring in the Captain Kirk chair that Slater actually owns. “Adam Goldberg, who created the show, –this should be his home Wondercon, because everything around here is who he is. So we have a lot of pop-culture references to Star Trek, Star Wars…” explaining how the show plays very much to the geeks and the nerds, which makes this writer very happy and excited to watch the show.
Christian Slater, who was a delight to have at the table, came over next. Slater explains how Doug Robinson mentioned his previous TV roles, and said that “here’s an opportunity to get involved with something on the ground floor, and really kind of create a character. So that sounded like an interesting opportunity. I’ve never really done a specifically focused character driven piece before.” Slater mentions that he’s bringing in pieces of himself, and by that we mean his nerdy side of himself. When asked what elements of himself he’ll be bringing into the show, he answered “Really, as much as I can get away with. I got the bow and arrow from Robin Hood. I got all sorts of things in my pocket, tricks up my sleeve that I will be [bringing] out at times.” Slater explains how the cast is able to sit down with the writers and producers and really put their own stamps into the characters.
Christian explains his character Oz to the press. “Oz is definitely a guy who’s got his hands in a lot of different pots. I think he’s got deals going on beneath the surface. There’s a lot more going on in that office than really meets the eye, which I think will get revealed more and more over time. Oz is just a character with a lot of secret rooms, and he’s a guy that’s 8 moves ahead.”
Bret Harrison plays Cameron Price in Breaking In
Bret Harrison who plays Cameron, and Alphonso McAuley who is Cash was the next to sit in the round table. They explain how the chemistry off camera is just as fun as it seemed on camera, talking about how there’s a nerf-gun episode that trailed on even after the shoot. So it’s safe to assume that the pranks on camera also ensue after the cameras stop rolling.
Within the previews, Cash is a prankster who picks on the new kid, Cameron. Alphonso explains Cash as an “Overachiever. He gets his work done, so he could play. So he do the pranks and work on his side projects.” The relationship between the two characters is rocky to start off with but Bret adds “We’re best friends – the relationship morphs over the series.” Alphonso explaining that “The pranks is the bridge” to their best friend relationship.
Bret Harrison’s character is a computer hacker, who Alphonso explains as “The Lebron of the team– when he comes into the team he’s like the hyped one — they’re like ‘oh my gosh! we got the hot rookie!’ you know, that’s him.”
When compared to other shows, the show has a bit more to offer than just smart people pulling off an amazing heist. The elements of comedy, action and drama flows through the series. Bret says, “We’re all going about getting the job done in a very unorthodox way, we ultimately get the job done, but kinda in the vain of Get Smart. We’re a bunch of idiots, like we’re smart – but fun to watch smart.”
When asked about the nerdy level of the cast members, Alphonso would like to rate himself at the nerd level of “5, out of 10, if there was a 10″ but for the most part they all agree that Adam Goldberg, the creator of the show is the nerdiest of them all. Bret Harrison states that “Adam Goldberg is Nerdstrodamus and we are his Nerdlings. We are his prophet nerdlings and we are learning from him.” The quote of the Con in my perspective.
BREAKING IN is produced by Happy Madison Productions, Adam F. Goldberg Productions and Sethsquatch, Inc. in association with Sony Pictures Television. Goldberg, Gordon and Doug Robinson (“Rules of Engagement”) serve as executive producers, while Goldberg serves as writer. The pilot was directed by Gordon.
Here’s the trailer for the show if you haven’t seen it yet:
The show premieres right after American Idol on Wednesday Apr. 6, 2011. 9:30-10pm EST. The show’s first season is running at 7 Episodes, and hopefully it will run for more. It’s one I’m looking forward to and wishing the best of luck to. A spot after American Idol, is a good way to start off the season. Let us know what you think, leave thoughts and comments below.
