April 11, 09:38 PM

Goodbye and Thank You!!

Connie: I can't tell you how moved I have been by all of the fans and their incredible support. The fans, the critics, and really anyone who's come into contact with the show. I'm constantly so grateful, we all are. We're overwhelmed by it.

Kyle: I've never been part of such a great show! So many reviews say we're a great show, so I look at it like the little engine that could. We're just continuing to struggle a long and the second season, we're gonna do some damage and get some great ratings!! We're gonna kick some ass! We're gonna open a can of whoops ass on these folks, be prepared! We're just so excited to get a second chance, we're HUNGRY to make it work and make it even better. We're gonna have a great year!!

And one more note...thanks to you all and to the people at NBC for putting their faith in us...we can't thank them enough!

April 11, 09:36 PM

Did the book and film infuse the series?

C: Since I was involved with both of them I have a strong opinion. I feel absolutely they were a jumping off point, but our show is so different from the film. The film was in the 80s and ours is modern day and our characters are only loosely based on them. But the most common thread is Peter Berg, who did the movie and the pilot of our show. But more importantly he created the style that makes them all unique.

K: Enough can't be said enough about Pete Berg, David Nevins, and Jason Katims. It's just an incredible situation, and they really trust the people they are in charge of and that changes everything. It's a free market system.

April 11, 09:36 PM

Shooting Away From Family

C: It was tough, but because Austin was so welcoming that made it a lot easier.

K: It's always difficult being away from your family. We had to talk about how we're going to do this and I talked with my family and we agreed as to how we were going to do it.

C: I did had to wipe some tears for Kyle on some days cause he was really missing his family.

April 11, 09:35 PM

Dogs?

Connie: It's so great to bring your dog to the set. It adds such a degree of joy. And my dog likes to train all the little puppies. She's kind of become like a mommy to the little dogs.

Kyle: Only one person had a dog to begin with...I guess two. Then I had to bring mine, then Jesse got a dog. Then Zach got a dog...now it's like a kennel!! Connie has a vicious pit bull and she drives it around in this 73 cherry red convertible and the dog is like slobbering all over the back! Classic!!

Connie: Don't believe that for a second!!!

April 11, 09:34 PM

Kyle's Hair has a Large Internet Following!

K: Yeah, I use a special pomade called "motivation". Truth be told, I don't wear makeup on the show. I shave the night before and I end up just putting gunk in my hair in the morning. Then I chat with everyone in the makeup trailer and then sort of leave, but I do my hair myself so I appreciate that!

Pete Berg told me he wanted me to look older and messy and haggard for the role. Everyone else has to get there early for work, but I pull up five minutes before!

Just think if I really did wear makeup... then I'd really be good looking.

April 11, 09:30 PM

Jack Bauer vs. Coach Taylor: who is more imposing?

C: Well of course Jack Bauer. Kyle Chandler is just a little wimp!

April 11, 09:29 PM

Bill from Maryland: Did you ride from Texas to LA on your bike?

I'm actually cleaning it right now! I've got a FJR1300 Yamaha. I live up in the hills and love doing long distance, but I didn't make the ride cause one of our crew members had an accident and my daughter had a nightmare in Austin and asked me not to ride the motorcycle so I had it shipped back. But that might not stop me from riding it back to Austin.

April 11, 09:29 PM

Share Any Traits with Your Characters?

Connie: I think there's a lot of similarities in the younger actors and their characters, too. Everyone has done such a great job with making their characters unique from themselves as well.

Kyle: In real life? Yeah, I think so. I think there's a lot of me in my character. I rally enjoy my character and I think coach is a fun guy. I can't wait to show more humor, and more humility. Connie is such a great actress and we have similar sensibilities. I'm able to show my humility with her knowing she'll support me. I know there's a lot of what I do in my real life in this character...and a lot of this character is based on my brother. His anger and his frustration and his humility...I imitate it a lot. he has the accent, which I imitate. I call him up before filming sometimes just to listen to him talk.

April 11, 09:26 PM

Baby?

Connie: A baby could make life veeerrry interesting. People respond really well to the family aspects of the show, it will really resonate with people. It will be more fun and filled with more conflict!

Kyle: I think it will allow for a lot of comedy, a lot of love, and a lot of interest in these two characters. All of a sudden you have a baby coming into a world where you don't expect it with two 40-somethings...there's gonna be a lot of fun to be had with it. We're going to have fun with having a coach taking care of a baby! What if it's twins?! What if we get a dog?!

April 11, 09:25 PM

For Lei: Where would you want your characters to go?

K: From my point of view, one of the great things about doing a TV show like this is you don't know. The unknown is sort of just as much fun as the knowing. I really wouldn't want to be the actor and writer of my own character. I enjoy the "Christmas is coming soon" every episode.

C: I feel the same way. I would rather not even try and think about where we're going to be with it and that's the joy of having great writers.

April 11, 09:23 PM

Emotional Episode?

Kyle: Well, it wasn't very emotional for me in the sense that we went to Dallas and a lot of the stuff with Connie was great, but all the stuff on the football field...the day before I got there I got hit with the flu really hard. And I don't really remember everything we shot, that's how sick I was. I was really fortunate that I was prepared...if I hadn't rehearsed, it would've never worked.

Connie: Kyle literally became a different person...he was so sick. He couldn't speak outside of saying his lines, he couldn't even really stand. It was crazy!

April 11, 09:21 PM

Has the cast become a second family?

K: At the very beginning we hung out a lot, but once production got started everyone is busy working and we kind of lost touch. Toward the end, we got back together again, and pretty soon there's a bitter-sweetness when he had to leave. I imagine it will be the same when he start up again.

C: We really do feel a sense of closeness. Having the season come to an end and leaving Austin was a bit of a shock to the system. It's a little like camp in that way.

K: The most difficult thing about doing TV shows like this is that throughout the year you have three stages where you feel like a puppet: 1) you don't know if the show is getting picked up. 2) once the season is over you don't know if it's getting picked up for next season. 3) After you shoot the pilot you don't know if you'll get picked up at all. And our ratings haven't been that strong even though we're the most highly rated show right now. It's always tentative as an actor cause you never know what's going to be around the bend.

April 11, 09:21 PM

Living in Texas

Connie: We love Austin and we feel like it's an important part of the show. We feel like Texas is its own character in the show, and I don't think we'd be able to be as true to the story if we weren't there. In terms of Austin, the people there have been so welcoming to us. We just enjoy being there so much. Which is saying a lot, since we're away from our homes, so it's great that we can see we actually like being on location.

Kyle: We live in Austin while we're shooting and we love it. And if that wasn't the case, I would bitch about it right now, let me tell you!

April 11, 09:19 PM

Are we married and do we have children?

K: I'm married with two kids so I use a lot of that; I've never played a married character on TV before. I use a lot of my family life, to my wife's chagrin.

C: I'm not married so I figure it out as I go.

April 11, 09:18 PM

Not Telling Smash's Secret/Steroids

Kyle: No way, I was being paid not to tell anyone! No, but seriously, I like when the coach bends what's right and what's wrong...there are so many different rights vs wrongs. Even facts are based on half truths! For Coach Taylor at that point to do that, he knows his kid is going to survive. And I thought the kid's survival was much more important than everyone knowing what was going on. I like that it's their secret.

April 11, 09:16 PM

Rehearsing demanding storylines/approaching things differently

K: I would say that sometimes the more difficult scenes we do get together and work our way through it, but the way we shoot the show, we shoot the scenes in so many ways that the editors almost get to create their own show. The possibilities are immense the way they shoot it.

C: I was thinking the same thing. We get so many options at going through a scene. We have one primary director who has such a vision with the show that he lets us keep tweaking and working with a scene until we get it right. So I never look back and say I wish we had done it differently.

April 11, 09:12 PM

Working with Young Actors

Connie: We get asked that a lot, and I have to say first of all, they are all so good taht I never really had to think about the fact that I'm working with a young actor. But also, for me, I think it's important not to look at them other than a peer because I think we're all just working together professionally. So it wouldn't really make much sense for us to look at them like children. It's worked out really well.

Kyle: They absolutely hold their own! The way that this show is shot teaches us all to be better actors. I told these younger actors to just wait until they do another show...it's totally different. Just think of the one thing you love to do most in life, and someone comes along and says "I'm gonna pay you to do this the way you like to do it." And that's how this show works...we're paid to do what we love and we have the freedom to do what we love the way we know best. Physically, emotionally, work ethically we have freedom...I love this show for that reason. It really means a lot to me to do it this way.

April 11, 09:12 PM

Did we audition with each other?

K: No, we didn't. I met one actress before we started and that's cause I met Pete Berg at a restaurant and I was on the list of people he was meeting that day and Minka Kelly was there and I met her for five minutes. He asked what I thought about her, and one thing about Minka is that she's blond, which is stunning because she's such a beautiful brunette and I don't even remember what she looks like as a blond. How's that for some information?

C: We didn't meet each other until the first day of shooting on the set.

K: In fact, we all made fun of Taylor Kitsch - a Canadian kid coming in to play a Texas. But when he got there you couldn't help but fall in love with him cause he's such a great guy. But they're all such wonderful actors.

April 11, 09:09 PM

Is Connie Patient? Is Kyle Grumpy?

Connie: I'm patient and awesome, he's grumpy and awesome! I am SO NOT GRUMPY!

Kyle: Yes, I am grumpy but the thing is...is Connie patient? NO! We get along so well because we're both grumpy people!

April 11, 09:08 PM

Do you feel FNL has offered you room to grow as actors?

K: Yes, 100%. Every project offers you something new to do, but this project is so unique in the way that it's shot and the process we're going through, that you can't help but learn something new. Not just about filmmaking but about acting as well. That's another reason why it's such a joy to do this show.

C: I would have to concur. I've learned a lot just having to put up with Kyle Chandler each week! It's amazing how much patience you learn putting up with Kyle.

K: It's a joy talking to you, too, Connie.

C: As actors, we've grown so much. I know I have and I know Kyle has, too. We've gained so much being able to shoot this way and it's great.

K: I compare our show quite often to doing a rehearsal for the first day of a play. IT's when you start to air out the dialog with the actors that you find out what the scene is all about. It's a shorter process, obviously, but it's no less full of imagination, anxiety, anticipation -0 everything you can want as an actor is in that day of work.

April 11, 09:07 PM

My Hours and Typical Days

Connie: Thanks, Heather! I hate to admit it, but we have probably one of the easiest shooting schedules on hour-long television. Because of the special way we shoot, we shoot with 4 cameras going at all times, we don't rehearse, there are a lot of things that usually happen that we don't do...so our days are a LOT shorter. A lot of those hour shows you watch shoot 12 and 14 hour days, we shoot maybe 9 hour days. If we have a 12 hour day, everyone starts complaining. We're pretty lucky, I have to say.

April 11, 09:05 PM

Enjoy most about my character/would I change anything?

C: I wouldn't change anything. I just love playing the character. The great part about doing series TV is that you learn more about your character each week. My favorite part of her is her sense of humor - it's a very Southern thing. No matter what's happening or what adversity you're dealing with, everything can be approached with a sense of humor and it makes things easier to get through and that's one of the most fun things about the character for me.

April 11, 09:04 PM

For Keith: My favorite scene

There have been so many, and by the way, thank you. I just love being able to play these characters who are so particularly Southern. Everyone can relate to them, but to me, having grown up in Virginia (my dad was from Tennessee), there is something special about that world and Southern families.

I love working with all the actors and every day has been great, but a really fun moment was that scene I had with Kyle in the field with the cows. That was such a beautiful night and it was magic hour and that field was beautiful and expansive. There was something great and fun about shooting that scene.

April 11, 09:04 PM

Working with Cows...

Connie: Well, it wasn't at all difficult...first of all, I love shooting on location rather than on a sound stage. And we shoot in Texas, so we're REALLY on location. But it's totally worth it because you feel like you're really there, in the place where you're supposed to be. In terms of that scene in the field, it was one of the easiest ones since it was in a field, but you know there were COWS there. And the cows were so cute and I walked toward a cow and then it started coming towards me and i was like UH OH so I started running! And I was surprised to see that's the take they used, because after that take someone came up to me and said "Just so you know, those are my cows and they're really tame...like family pets." But I didn't realize that, but then ever take after that I was standing around petting them so it's so funny they used the only shot where I was actually running AWAY from the cows.

April 11, 08:55 PM

We're here!

Hi everyone. We're here and excited to talk to you guys.

April 11, 08:29 PM

If I Was in Tami's Position...

Connie: When I first got the script from the writers, I was like woah...but one thing I understood from Tami's perspective is the fact that she has really wanted to have a sense of doing something important for the community, aside from being someone wife/mother. Her job as a counselor has been a really important thing in her life, so that part of it I can understand. I could see where it would be a difficult decision.