Travis Fimmel of A&E The Beast exclusive interview about Patrick Swayze series filmed in Chicago

January 16, 8:50 PMChicago Community Life ExaminerChristine Nyholm

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Chicago Community Life Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

 The series premier for The Beast starring Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel aired on January 15, 2009 on A&E. Patrick Swayze portrays Charles Barker, a rogue FBI agent who mentors rookie Ellis Dove, portrayed by Travis Fimmel.

Ellis is a rookie FBI agent and Charles Barker's trainee in the undercover trade. Under intense pressure from Barker to become a chameleon, Ellis never knows when Barker will send him on some impossible little test, some on-the-spot improv that may or may not cost him his life. Stressed, tense, under impossible performance pressure, Ellis needs a break. However that’s not the worst of it. An Internal Affairs team is trying to recruit Ellis to spy on his mentor Barker whom they feel has gone rogue.

The Beast airs on A&E Network of Thursday nights at 10 pm Eastern.

Travis Fimmel spoke with me today about filming in Chicago and working with Patrick Swayze, who he called a fantastic man and movie icon.

Q. Chicago looked like a real character in the show, but looked like many of the scenes were shot at night. Did they have you filming in the middle of the night?

A. I loved Chicago. I saw a lot of it while we were working, but other than that did not get round much because we worked such long hours. I would have liked to stay and see more of Chicago. Chicago is much different than L.A.

Q. Was The Beast shot entirely on location in Chicago?

A. Yes, we spent over four months in Chicago filming and all of December. December in Chicago was cold - .the coldest I have ever been.

Travis Fimmel Biography

It was not long before he realized that the only way he could stay in Hollywood would be to get a modeling visa. He was found by scouts from L.A. Models in a pub in Los Angeles where they arranged housing and set up meetings. While he started booking ads for Gap and L’Oreal, it was Calvin Klein that made him world famous. One Calvin Klein billboard ad featuring him caused such a commotion on a busy London street that it was removed after an auto club claimed that women drivers were slowing down to ogle the billboard, triggering accidents and traffic jams. His work enabled him to get a modeling visa and stay to study acting with acclaimed acting coach Ivana Chubbuck, the woman responsible for preparing Halle Berry and Elisabeth Shue for their Oscar-caliber performances.

In 2003, Fimmel landed the lead role as John Clayton in the series “Tarzan” for the WB, produced by Laura Ziskin. In 2005, he starred in the WB pilot “Rocky Point” opposite Billy Campbell for executive producer John Stockwell and in 2006 starred on the FOX pilot “Southern Comfort.” This year, Fimmel played a supporting role opposite Matthew McConaughey as Johnny Doran in the Anchor Bay Entertainment film “Surfer, Dude”, a comedy about a surfer experiencing an existential crisis for director S.R. Blinder and he also had a role in the DVD release of “Restraint.” Also this year, Fimmel plays a lead role in the film “Ivory”, a drama about a concert pianist produced by Academy Award-winning producer Gray Frederickson and Amy Briede and directed by Andrew W. Chan.