Matt Malloy

OF ALASKA DAILY ON ABC

Q: You’ve done plenty of work in both TV and movies. What do you like about doing a continuing character in a series such as “Alaska Daily”?

A: I have been fortunate to make a living as a day player/guest star for decades, and as such I am often hired on a Tuesday to shoot on a Thursday. I quickly learned that I’m expected to briskly reveal the character while plausibly and quietly moving the plot forward. And ... don’t slow things down with questions.

Being a series regular at times allows you the luxury of time – time to prepare, time to exchange ideas with the writers in advance, time to ask the writers if a slight tweak of a line is OK, time to sit with the costume designer and talk about the look and feel of the character. Also, being a series regular can sometimes embolden you to ask for one extra take if you feel you really didn’t quite get it right. It also pays more.

Q: How are you finding it to work with Hilary Swank, who’s both a fellow star and an executive producer of “Alaska Daily”

A: Well, pretty much everyone has a built-in respect for her and her body of work. You don’t get two Oscars by accident. Her intelligence, honesty and courage are hypnotic, and these traits make you want to go into any situation with her. I expected to like her, but when I heard that she was driving across the country with her five rescue dogs and two birds I was downright smitten.

Aside from her artistry, she’s clearly mastered the technical aspects of filmmaking ... camera angles, lenses, flawless continuity, and an editor’s precision of what is needed. You need not look any further to confirm her skills than the fact that she managed to hide being pregnant with twins for three months from a bunch of nosy, needy castmates.