Tonight at 9PM (ET), The CW is showing their last Monday episode of Beauty and the Beast for a while, and the remaining six episodes have yet to be scheduled. As we anticipate tonight’s show, we figured now is a good time to share more of our interview with Austin Basis, the man who plays J.T. Forbes who also happens to be “King Beastie” in the hearts of fans.
Before starting with our interview, we asked Basis about the “King Beastie” name that he has inherited from fans on Twitter. Where did it come from? “I’m not quite sure,” he says. “I don’t think I named myself. That would be a little beyond my ego and my bravado. But I think I named someone ‘Queen Beastie’ because they were so active as a fan on Twitter… but then people were like ‘if she is the Beastie Queen, then you’re the Beastie King.’ I probably said ‘I only have room for one queen in my life and that’s my wife’,” he laughs.
Thanks to Twitter, Basis has served as a bit of an ambassador between the show and the show’s very large online fan base. How and why did he get so involved?
“When I do something, whenever I’m on a team, in a game, I’ve never really been comfortable not giving 150%, and so when I’m part of something, whether it’s an independent film or something that needs my support outside of just performing my role and being a part of the production, I’ve always done it. In college, I was kind of artistic, and I could draw, so if I was in a play, I would design the playbill, and we would probably get a T-shirt that I would design,” he explains. “That was always part of feeding my creative need and desire, outside of just performing as an actor. In this case, it happened to be social media, and that’s the way I’m able to connect with the fans, which is also a first for me, because when I was on Life Unexpected, Twitter had just started. They did a lot of Twitter events with The CW where we’d do CW Tweet Week or something, and that was an event, whereas now, it’s kind of a more routine thing for actors, writers, directors on shows to communicate with the fans as the fans watch the show. I think it’s a great relationship to honor, and to also continue. You also have to respect it, too. Just like anyone is trying to be a better actor, I feel like, as someone in the public eye, you look to other people that have done good things, and then you look to other people that have not used Twitter to its advantage, and you try to model yourself on what you’d like to be, and you proceed forward as best you can, and try to be the vision in your mind of someone that is accessible to the fans, but also respectful, and keeping things positive. I always want to put positive out there in the media or online, in social media, [and then] you should expect positive back. Tweet unto others as you would have them tweet unto you!”
The role of J.T. Forbes has become even more layered and exciting in Season Two, especially with the recent revelations of why J.T. always has had Vincent’s back. “When we did the pilot, it was fairly early in pilot season, and my character, J.T., only had a couple of scenes,” he recalls. “So, I did my work on those scenes, and thought of what their relationship was like before, and a lot of times in a pilot they’ll leave it a little vague, so that they could develop it over the course of the show. So, in my case with J.T., I think he was the factor there – he has scientific abilities, intelligent, he has a sense of humor, he’s a little on edge all the time… like he’s had one to many Espressos and not enough sex… living with his best friend for ten years, I’m sure that was a factor.”
“I am an actor of the training where you try to think about things that the audience wouldn’t necessarily see, like backstory, what the character’s thinking, where he was just before this scene happened… so you try to create this world around the scene, so that it’s not just like you’re just an actor playing a part, and just doing the scenes, so that the character has a life around the scenes that links their world in a way that the audience may never see, but will hopefully see in your performance, and as part of that, I wanted to understand where they were thinking about going with the characters, where they thought the characters came from. Their upbringing, and how they met, what their relationship was like. Were they just med school roommates, and really friendly and stayed friends, or were they friends from the beginning?” he continues. “Sherri Cooper, who is the person that I spoke to in between the pilot and the second episode last season, before we came up to Toronto to film the series, she said ‘we don’t know how this is going to happen ultimately, but we’re thinking that J.T. is somehow responsible for Vincent becoming a Beast.’ As an actor, that is amazing. To me, that sets it up so perfectly, as an actor, to play every scene with that guilt that drives you to do that. Go a little further than you would as a normal, loyal friend, and as you see J.T. over the course of the 30 episodes beforehand, it was like that. You’d say ‘wow, he’s a really loyal friend,’ and then all of the sudden, they would be like ‘would you do that for your friend?’ I don’t know if I would do this. You have to create the circumstances in which you would, and guilt along with love are very strong driving forces to what people do in life. So, if you love someone, there are things you would do that don’t logically fit into what you would do in your life. They set up a perfect arc for me, and the question really, was just, only when it was going to come out. And if it never came out, I would always still have something driving me or helping me make choices of how far to go, as an actor, to play J.T. doing things for Vincent, whether it’s stealing blood, or breaking into the Morgue, or risking his life with Muirfield. So, the fact that it finally came out was good,” he says.
Basis is aware that some fans are not happy with some of the “VinCat” drama but implores them to stick with it. “I respect the act of the full season, and the fact that for an episode or two, or three, there may be a conflict between Vincent and Catherine. They don’t have to kiss and make up at the end of every episode. It’s not a procedural; it’s a serial type of show where we’re telling a story over a period of 22 episodes. I just think that [they should] have confidence and trust that we’re telling the story of Beauty and the Beast — we’re not telling the story of Beauty and Gabe, or Beast and Beast, or Tori and Beast,” he says.
“We’ll make it interesting and romantic in the sense that it’s problems that people run into, and these are extraordinary circumstances, and there are extraordinary problems, and there’s a deeper mythology that will unveil itself that will hopefully direct people back to the priorities at hand, of the story we’re telling – Vincent and Catherine, Beauty and the Beast, and the mythology that connects them beyond their love and affection and feelings for each other, that they are fated to be together somehow. We just have to figure out why that is,” he promises. “Whether or not Vincent and Catherine make out at the end of every episode, they are still always connected to each other. They’ll never not be connected to each other. And I think there’s stuff that happens that’s interesting enough to tide people over and build up that anticipation of that moment when they come back together. And, the fact that the series of events leads directly to them coming back together. Everything’s that happened in the last few episodes is all about them evolving to the point where they realize themselves, but also, that whatever information they learn allows them to see that they’ve been fated by powers beyond their control.”
As for romance for his own character… could things happen with Tess and J.T.? “I think if J.T. had his druthers, it would definitely be on, and frankly, Nina and I have fun doing our scenes, because they’re filled with jokes and great little moments, and I think that ultimately, there’s a definite relationship. Whether it’s for the long haul, or whether it’ll be consummated this season… I think they’re headed that way. J.T. is all in, and we’ll just have to see if Tess reciprocates the feelings,” he teases.
Beauty And The Beast is new tonight (March 10) at 9PM ET on The CW.
18 Comments
Well writers, go ahead and tell your story, let’s see where it gets you when you’ve ruined the integrity of the characters.
The story is poorly being told/executed. So much for knowing your audience!
And who said anything about VinCat kissing and making out every episode?! It’s NOT AT ALL about that, it’s when you add these cheap plot devices called love triangles that RUIN an epic love story and ruin characters. The charm, innocence, purity, integrity of Vincent, Catherine and their love story is ALL GONE AND YOU CANNOT GET THAT BACK!!
I will say just one thing. This show and VinCat stopped being epic the moment V slept with Tori, and only degraded with Cat sleeping with Gabe. So no matter what they do from now on will ever change that. All I’m asking now is, “PLEASE STOP CALLING IT EPIC!!
Tonight’s ep was great. VinCat is back together again, Sam is in jail, and it looks like Gabe is now the antagonist.
And since the previous replies lacked manners, THANK YOU Mr. Basis for doing this interview and playing JT with such heart and humor. You’re a credit to the show.
Lovely interview with Austin; he is always generous with his time and it really makes my day when he acknowledges something I’ve said. I have enjoyed the ride this season; yes it is a bit different to the last but I put that down to the need to change if the show was to have any longevity. TV is about entertainment and I have been well and truly entertained by all the twists and turns, action and romance and the development of the characters. This show has captured a lot of imaginations and spawned a community which will be saddened if it is not renewed for another season.
What a fantastic interview from Our King Beasties, Austin Basis. He is amazing with the fans of the show. Some people should understand that he gives his time freely & should be given more respect. Beasties really appreciate all his support.
I love to way the show is coming back together, stronger & better than it was before. VinCat is back. Season 3 #BatB will be EPIC (I still have faith). The cast, writers & crew deserve my highest praise for giving their heart & soul for the show. Beauty and the Beast is worth saving.
Well I wholeheartedly agree that Austin is our KING BEASTIE and he has proved that over and over again. He has been the one that has kept us connected. And for me that is one of the things that has kept me going this year. It has been a tough year for some, and the thing I love about Austin is that he tempers everything and makes it easier to understand and take for the fans and is not continuing to say “come along for the ride, it is super fun, etc etc. I feel that this year has been very different from last year, and there has not been the connectedness between fans and the cast and crew like there was last year. But AUSTIN has kept us there over and above anyone else. CATHERINE ASHTON is also fantastic and Sendhil and Nina are great as well as Stu Gilliard and Roger and Gemballa but we have not heard as much from the others like we did last year. I know they are busy and have private lives but they did last year too and we were much more connected. We used to hear way more from Sherri and Jenn with Producers Previews etc but even those disappeared, so THANK YOU AUSTIN for being our champion!
In saying that however, I have to disagree with a few of his statements. This is my opinion.
I know and I think we all do that it is a season story and that there is an evolution of things that get to the resolution of the problem of the season. We all knew end game was Vincat but it still needs to be watcheable and able to understand etc to keep people watching to get to that end game and this season struggled with that.
It was a great vision but the way it was presented was not, for many. Some loved it but just as many if not more did not. In a recent article by Tiffany Vogt from TV FANATic she said you CANNOT disappoint your fans because it is as easy as the flick of a button, they change the channel and are gone forever. ANd that happened this year, IMO and there were indicators so it wasn’t just a sudden thing. As a fan I don’t get everything I want, I know that and I have to deal with some stuff I don’t like but collectively a lot of people could not do the changes this season. It wasn’t about not being able to do change but about big changes all of a sudden. You cannot have a season where you change your characters so much that people don’t even like them anymore and think that you are going to sustain your viewers. The signs were all there: first the ratings, which outdated or not at this point in time, is what advertisers go by=then the comments and the social media comments. They started right from spoilers in the summer and fans said do not do certain things and they did anyway and the show paid for it.
For me it wasn’t about buying into the season or understanding the story or any of those things; it is all about the fans. We are the determinting factor is whether shows are on tv or not. You can have the best actors, writers, onscreen chemistry whatever and we HAVE all of those things, but if the fans don’t watch then the advertisers do not advertise. You HAVE to listen to your fans to make a show successful to a certain point. Again it cannot be everything the fans want but when enough people say the same thing and the ratings and social media say the same things then STOP trying to disrespect how we feel and tell us to come along for the ride ; let us tell our story. You tried and it didn’t work so you need to change how you tell the story.
Again I love Austin and without him and a few others, we would be doomed but this season should not be where we are at. We should have built on last year and had millions of viewers but the creative decisions did not work and instead of taking the time to change course and still be able to tell that story in a sustainable way, because there was time. 22 episodes do not get shot right away and we know from social media that episodes are not all written right away-so there was time to make some good changes that would have sustained more of an audience.
I totally agree with Maureen. We begged them not to go with certain things, and no matter how much we begged they repaid us by turning a deaf ear to our plea’s. You can’t keep fans if you treat them as if they don’t matter. We barely even got any recognition from either cast or crew for our efforts in helping them win the PCA’s. Last year there was so much. Oh well, can’t make them, I guess. If not for Austin, we would totally be forsaken by them. So thank you Austin for being so good to us.
Beasties. You have to remember that love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Although the moment in the series when Cat and Vincent fell out big-time (the shooting of Vincent) was almost impossible to watch for a fan of the show, the anger and hurt was as a result of the fact that they loved each other so much. Vincent was still in love with Cat when he (appeared) to be off with Tori and Cat was still in love with Vincent when she tried to launch a new relationship with Gabe. That is EPIC love. Loving someone when all hope seems to be gone.
After a painful break-up it is normal for people to try to seek solace in the arms of someone else. The show was realistic in going down this road, despite the obvious pain caused to the fans. Vincent’s brief relationship with Tori was doomed to failure because his heart was not in it. It lay elsewhere. He knew it and so did Tori. Cat was in complete denial about her love for Vincent, squandering several opportunities to be honest with Gabe about her feelings, because the intensity of her feeling for Vincent, despite all his mistakes/problems scared her so much. But, in the end, there was no denying it and thanks to Vincent being able to tell she was lying, she finally had to admit it to Vincent and to herself.
So now we enter another chapter in the show. The final ‘coming back together’ was nothing short of beautiful. But it had been coming slowly but surely since the held hostage episode. The reasons for them to be apart melted away like snow on a sunny winter day and it was nice that it was Vincent, who had caused the break-up by his actions, was the one romantically wooing Catherine, asking for another chance to prove that he was worthy of her. The final 6 episodes of this season are likely to test their relationship with problems and obstacles but VinCat is back. They will face them and overcome them together. Roll on Season 3. The magic has NOT died for me. I still have butterflies and goosebumps when I see Cat and Vincent on screen togther.
I totally agree with everything you are saying Alison but that isn’t really what the problem is or was,IMO. It was a great romantic episode and all of what you are saying is true about love and hate but all of what happened could have been told with the same balance we had in Season1. Now we are at the point where the next 6 episodes will be satisfying and epic and we get the love back but we have to wait for an indefinite period to get there. All the stuff t hat happened up to this point, lots of fans could not take and no one listened, or so it appeared. I think they did a bit as at one point we were told Tori would not be in the whole season. So now we are fighting for a 3rd season, and maybe if fans were listened to from the very beginning then we would not be having to worry about it or wait for months to see the end of the season story. This isn’t like a book where it gets published and the author cannot change what is in the pages. There could have been changes, the story could have still been told, the end result would have been the same and we would be assured of a Season 3.
I get what you are saying Maureen but we are not writers. I know what I want to see but if I got what I wanted every week on the show, it would maybe not be that dramatic. I wouldn’t put Vincent in Jail or have him argue with Cat at all or lose his memory because I love him as a character and would not want to see those things happen to him. But if they didn’t happen, what would season 2 have been about?
I am far from happy about some of the things in this Season. Vincent hurting Cat physically was the most shocking, although as was explained, he couldn’t remember her and she was pushing him contantly for information. She could have been some femme fatale sent by one of the people, controlling a beast, to distract Vincent, as far as HE knew. She could have been lying to him about being his girlfriend. It wasn’t til he remembered flashes of her that he knew she was telling the truth.
I think the ‘Vincent and Catherine apart section’ went on too long and slightly damaged Cat’s charater as she was in denial about her feelings for Vincent for far too long. Cat of Season 1 would have put Gabe in his place earlier and left him in no doubt. She was a little too flaky during this period for my liking. It looks like we have Season 1 Cat back now as the promo for 2×17 shows her willing to go on the run with him. She’s ‘all in’ again which is good to see.
I understand what you’re saying about season 3 and that if the fans had got more of what they wanted, Season 3 might have been assured. However, I think the CW didn’t want to renew this show and that’s why they put it on a Monday night in the US, up against other cheap but popular reality TV. The show is popular in Canada, UK and all over the world. It has a massive internet fanbase. I myself watch it online as here in the UK, we are only up to 2×05 and most on the fight scenes and sex (if there is any) is cut as it aires at 8pm in the evening. So why is it failing so much in the US? I love Arrow but there are so many programmes in the US about Extra Terrestrials, Vampires and super heroes. The Flash is now getting his own show. Give the puplic some variation for a change. Don’t just pander to the Comic Book generation. This is the only show where LOVE is the main element, not just one of the elements.
I just think it’s a shame that fans who loved Seson 1 were so quick to ditch the show when there were a few storylines they didn’t like. Where’s your loyalty people? The internet is littered with moaning fans saying things like ‘the love is dead’ ‘I loved my Vincat but now Vincent is an abuser (excuse Me????) ‘Cat is weak (no confused, conflicted maybe, but not weak). The day before an episode is aired, people were coming on this site to complain before they’d even seen it. I’m sure the CW money people have had fun reading those comments and might be thinking of canning the show and keeping their money in their pockets. Fans got season 2 with their compaigning and unfortunately, some of the same fans may be the reason the show is axed, if it’s axed. They have to take a share of the blame, not just the writers.
Please Beasties. Let’s have no more negativity. Cat and Vincent are back together and all is well with the world. Let’s forgive the mistakes made in Season 2 (like Cat forgave Vincent and he her) and fight for a Season 3 together.
I totally again agree with all you are saying and you have captured a lot of the essence of this season and agree with your views on some of what has happened.
I respect your opinion and this is mine-not meant to cause an argument but just seeing things differently which, to me, makes the world go around. If we all loved everything we saw, nothing would ever change, nothing would be for the better and the world would be a pretty boring place. In amongst everyone’s comments supportive or non-supportive are good things. Good suggestions to make changes; good things to keep; etc. And ya some people did leave the show and too bad for them, because as painful as it has been for some of us, the end was always going to be rewarding, but I cannot fault them for leaving.
I am sorry Alison but I have to disagree with you that some of the fans have to take some blame for the reason the show is not successful. Basically you are saying that as fans we HAVE to like everything in order for a show to survive. No, IMO, we don’t . WE are the FANS and whether we like something or not is up to our individual choice and what we do or do not write on a site is OUR decision to make, not someone else’s. It is the writer’s and showrunner’s fault if people don’t like what they see. It is THEIR job to make it enjoyable and engaging and if people do not like what they are seeing and do not buy in, then it is up to the writer’s etc to change that. Do you honestly think that the CW trolls these sights looking for a reason to cancel the show? I think they have more to do than that. It is just like our choice to what certain actors and actresses. I like certain ones. I love JR and KK and AB and NL. I do not like some of the actors in Hart of Dixie and I don’t watch that show. And what foods we eat. The food companies don’t blame the people for not liking their product, they try to make it better so more people will like it.
For me personally, I have not liked much of Season 2. I hung in and watched almost every episode, not all and have fought just as hard as anyone else and want a Season 3 more than anything cause I love the actors and the story. I certainly do not see myself as being part of the reason. What I watch or do not watch is up to me to decide as it is my TIME that I am giving up.
What I think is really sad is the continued blaming of the fans that have not liked the season, the ones that left because they could not do the storylines, the fans on twitter who even comment on another show they watch and get blasted because they are suppose to only support BATB, the critics who are criticized for posting their honest opinion about what they perceive as what is happening and the idea that if we are unhappy we are not seeing the whole season story. That is NOT what a fandom is suppose to be about. And that is not what living in a free country is about. If people are not suppose to be free to comment how they should, then there should not be any fansites.
I could have dealt with most any obstacle they threw at VinCat, but the love triangles should never have happened and never should happen on a show by this title. It’s not just your typical show. If they wanted that they should have called it something else. I will never get over Vincent being with Tori, or Cat with Gabe. It will always taint VinCat for me.
Maureen,
I think we are talking at cross-purposes as you have mis-quoted me. I did NOT say fans have to like everything the writers write. I admitted I didn’t like everything they wrote myself. What I am saying is that it they are fans they will hang in with the show and hope for things to turn around for the charaters, not come online to state publicly that they won’t be watching it anymore, that the relationship of the main characters is DEAD to them and negative things like that. It seems to me that TV networks in the US take more notice of ratings and opinions like that than they do anywhere else in the world. It’s simple. Do we want a Season 3 or don’t we? If we do we have to play their game. If Beauty and the Beast has no credible Vincat relationship, according to fans, then the CW WILL cancel it as it’s the main reason for the shows existence.
What ever you say, Fans coming online to state that they hate the season ENOUGH to stop watching gives the CW ammunition to cancel the show which is certainly not what the FANS want. It’s not all the fans but some have been negative to the point that their comments damage the future of the show. In England, we have a saying. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. This is what some so called fans have done and are still doing. Forget about Tori already. She died 5 episodes ago people. (That was not directed towards you Maureen).
Of course, as fans, we have the right to say what we want and to critisize certain aspects. But critisism has to be constructive not destructive. Some sites I have looked at have some fans going to extraordinary lengths to fight for the show and these fans have nothing but my admiration. The writers have to do their jobs and give us things to worry about as well as things to enjoy, like the majority of episode 16. Without the lows, the highs are not so enjoyable. When I saw Vincent standing on Cat’s roof in his tux, with the snow falling all around, he reminded me of Mr. Darcy. My heart soared and I nearly cried and I don’t think I would have felt so elated if all the problems between Vincent and Catherine had not happened.
Hi Alison
I am loving our discussion. This is what makes a tv show great in my mind, being able to see differences of opinions and that the show brings that out in fans.
I agree that fans that say they are never coming back are wrong but I honestly do not think that is what drives a network to cancel a show. To me what more would drives a network to cancel a show if that is one of their reasons is the divisiveness of a fandome when one side refuses to accept that some fans are not likeing the direction of the season. If the network were to cancel a show because of some negative comments then they would also be shooting themselves in the foot as there are other shows on that same network.
In my mind, a network has to have a justifiabe, measurable tangible reason for cancelling a show And those are ratings and production costs. Both of these have not been in balance this year for this show-low ratings and higher production costs-ratings affect the advertisers and if the advertising cannot cover the production costs then that is what the network makes its decisions on.
The comments are peoples opinions and I am not part of other fandoms for the other shows I watch,but I do go on their sights and they pretty well have the same comments-some loving some hating. If that is how the network made decisions, there would be nothing on tv.
I do really feel sorry for the fans that left as you are right the VINCAT roof scene was amazing and made better by what we had seen the previous 15 episodes but it is a bit marred by the fact that we have absolutely no idea really when we get to see the last 6. WE hope May as that is what we have been told but really we don’t know that.
In my opinion, good writers look at every review and read comments and take what they say to heart-they don’t change everything but the fans are their biggest critics and they need to be lsitened to and IMO those constructive comments did not get listened to or respected by not only the writers but some of the other fans as well. Writing comments means you do care about the show and the networks love to see that. This show is an obsession and by writing an honest comment or question the creative decisions is because we all love this show and want it to continue and just because someone writes a comment that is perceived as negative does not mean they are not fighitng just as hard as anyone else to have a season 3. I personally want a season 3 because I feel cheated out of almost a whole season and I don’t feel by commenting that I have betrayed the show. I love it will always fight for it and will be devastated if it gets cancelled but I don’t blame any of the fans for that.
Again great discussion!
Great article. I love Beauty and the Beast, nothing, not the direction the writers took this season, or any negative comments could ever keep me away from my favorite show!!!
Adele,
Great to hear that. Keep watching. I willl be.
Maureen
Agree with all you say. One other factor in the show losing viewers must be the contant breaks between episodes and this latest hiatus hasn’t helped. Whilst some fans are waiting with baited breath I think some slightly more fickle ones might just go off the show and not bother coming back when the show returns. What better way to cash in on the last, great, sweepingly romantic episode than to show the next episode immediately. No, instead we have to wait until 2nd June to get our beloved show back and see what happens next in the Vincat relationship.
In the UK there are none of these breaks with the English made drama. It is non-sensical. But we are now suffering breaks in dramas from the US because of these silly breaks. Show a season from start to finish to keep the interest going please. We don’t need mid-season finales and spring breaks. Breaks are for school holidays, not great TV.
I know the hiatus thing just sucks. We do usually get a bit of a break in the spring but only two or 3 weeks then the season finale. i totally agree that the breaks have not been great for continuity. We had 8 weeks after midseason and now we at least know it is back on June 2,but that is another over 8 weeks. it would have been better in my opinion to just run the season and not try to have to use midseasoI shows to replace shows not performing great What would the CW have done if BATB ratings had been good. It seems like they came up with a schedule for the fall and them moved it all around. I don’t blame the CW for wanting to do something with BATB because of the poor ratings and think the wake up call was good for everyone; the showrunner, writers, and fans but doing it by putting us on indefinite hiatus, was maybe not the best move to make. We, as a fanbase, would have fought for the show anyway, though I think it was good to have the fans stop snarking at each other and start working together better to save the show. I just think it is too bad a few more changes weren’t made to storylines so that ratings would have improved after Christmas, but they really didn’t and if we get a 3rd season, I hope that advertisers take the other plusses the show has to offer than the ratings.