Words by Luke Kalamar | Photos by Luke Kalamar and Eric Reichbaum (FOX)
The immense popularity of Sleepy Hollow is pretty astounding. Despite having a completely bonkers premise, the show has found a perfect mix of supernatural, action, and humor to create something truly special. I even picked this Fox hit as one of my two favorite new shows of 2013. And out of the several things that I gathered from the Sleepy Hollow panel at this year’s New York Comic Con, one that really stood out to me was how popular this young show already is. It’s only on its second season and yet the 3,000+ main stage area was packed to the gills. Plenty of people really love this show. Some people have even come to call this fanbase “Sleepy Heads.” I’m happy to be a member.
Of course, this show would be nothing without its exceptionally talented staff. It takes a solid combination of excellent actors and brilliant crew members to turn this bizarre show into a network hit. On the final day of Comic Con, I had the wonderful fortune to sit in a round table interview with these exact people to discuss all things Sleepy Hollow. Spread across three pairs, I spoke with three cast and crew members each. Today, I’m proud to present part one of our Sleepy Hollow interview trilogy: Orlando Jones, who plays Police Captain Frank Irving, and Co-Creator/Executive Producer Len Wiseman. Come back next week for part two with Sakina Jaffrey and Mark Goffman!
How has the look of the show evolved visually?
Len Wiseman: It’s definitely evolved, especially through the first season. We were trying out a lot of different looks with our DPs, production design, with a lot of the visual aspects of it. I think that this season we really have developed what that look is. We’re always wanting to push things further, but in terms of now, to be honest for me, not having to be going around trying to make sure we have a cohesive look with all the elements. I feel like that is actually working now in a way that is not staying up until 4 o’clock in the morning. Episodes can look so different from one to the next, and I think we have a team that is pulling out that look in a cohesive world now.
Can you talk about what’s next for your character this season? It’s so exciting, he’s really in such peril, and we care so much about him.
Orlando Jones: Wow. He’s in a tough way, I think. Obviously one of the big things about the show is family, and he’s separated from his family having, sort of, made the ultimate sacrifice for his family. I think it’s kinda tough when people hate you (laughs). He’s in a situation where he killed, in theory, this Priest and two other police officers. To have a fellow officer thinking of someone in that particular way, but also I think his real dilemma is that his daughter believes that he killed people. It’s something that’s eating away at him in a really specific way and he’s powerless to do something about it. What I can promise you is, you have no idea what’s about to happen next. It’s a crazy season.
Orlando, your character has some bad luck compared to everyone else. Ichabod and Abbie can get through an episode and everything is fine at the end, but then you sign a contract in your own blood. What is it about your character that makes him so prone to this horrible misfortune?
OJ: Yes, I have sold my soul to the Second Horseman.
LW: I love how he really downplays it. Bad luck! (Laughs) Bad luck has made a deal with the devil. His daughter’s been possessed by a demon. That’s some bad luck.
OJ: I think it’s no good deed goes unpunished. Irving, I think in some ways, is very much a throwback because he cares about the things that people don’t care about. He takes carrying a gun very seriously. That idea that he can take someone’s life at any point is an important part of his job as an officer of the law. I think he truly is earnest. I think of him as the people who I often annoy because I would be really annoying to Irving. He would be like, “Shut up. Please? Be serious! I need you to be serious!” He’s kind of a stick in the mud that way, and I think it’s tough for him.
When you guys first read your script, what did you think? What popped in your mind?
OJ: When I first read it I thought it was crazy, and then I was compelled about the people and that I got to work with this guy (Wiseman). To be frank with you, I got in a room with him and he put me through the paces. It’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made. The Pilot is still my favorite episode by far. I make no bones about being a huge fan of Len’s and all the work he’s done in Underworld and Total Recall. I’m a fan of his and, to be a part of a show where he’s really putting a visual stamp on it from the monsters to the big themes of it, is super fucking exciting.
When you first read the script though, what was your first thought?
OJ: This could suck! (Laughs) Yeah! Because any idea is subject to execution and it could suck. When I saw the Pilot, I literally was the fan boy. I was like, “OH MY GOD THIS IS AWESOME!” That’s what I did and I’ve become that throughout the series.
LW: It’s also like, what was your first reaction when you saw the teaser, or the idea of it? I think a lot of people thought this was just too absurd. When it was being created, the idea of elements like a Headless Horsemen that we haven’t seen before that adapts to having a machine gun or a shotgun. These crazy ideas that people are either going to buy into it or they’ll completely turn away from it. As we were creating it and putting it together, it was exciting because it was dangerous in the sense that there were a lot of elements that we’re playing with, are these things all gonna to work together. I think the tone of it is actually what ultimately makes something work or not, and the tone was very important in the Pilot.
OJ: It’s so crazy because it’s biblical and it’s historical. It has a mythology but it has these themes like family and redemption, and all these other things. And it was funny! That’s what really kinda blew my head. Tom Mison (Ichabod Crane) is hysterical! He’s laugh out loud funny and he’s not being goofy about it either. It’s really difficult to do and he’s doing so in a really brilliant way as a performer. He’s really, really lovely and it was beautiful looking.
On the site I write for, Pop-Break.com, I chose Sleepy Hollow as one of my favorite new shows of the year when it premiered. One of my absolute favorite parts is whenever Ichabod goes on a tangent about modern day features that he just does not understand. What are your individual favorite Ichabod moments?
LW: One of my favorite moments actually just came out when he goes to the bank and is using the pen. Things like that where he really does make a statement. “We’re supposed to entrust you with our fortunes and money and you can’t even trust us with a pen.” Those are things you don’t even think about. I’ve never thought about that until the moment Crane has picked up that pen and makes a comment on it. That’s one of the most recent ones that I thought was brilliant.
OJ: That was a good one. I like the name dropping, I do! It makes me giggle. I always feel like I want to tap him on the shoulder and be like, “Excuse me Ichabod you just dropped something. It was another name. There you go!” (Laughs)
I just enjoy that he is 250 years old. He was part of this world when it was being formed, as we know it, and looking at the principles that he was fighting for and, frankly, died for if it wasn’t for his witch wife. It’s interesting to see how he feels about it today. It’s one of my favorite themes of the show, and I like that element that you’re talking about, but I like the connection to history that is really cool.
Can you talk a little bit about how important it is for your character to keep an open mind?
OJ: I think redemption is really important. You look at a character like the Second Horseman. Ultimately he is just a son who has an estranged relationship with his parents that has caused him to make some really evil choices. For me, the question is will he find redemption? Will he find a way to reconcile his life with the mistakes that were made with his family? And because he owns my soul, I really want him to figure it out! (Laughs) I need you to get your shit together, seriously dude. But I think that theme is very key. Will Abbie (Nicole Beharie) and Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) ultimately be able to put their drama behind them? Will Katrina (Katia Winter), who has decided to stay behind and be a spy in many ways, will she ultimately get what she has always wanted which is the life with the man she loves?
LW: Everybody is just trying to work out their issues. Henry has some massive issues. He’s just trying to deal. He got dealt a bad hand with his parents and they’re all trying to get through.
Will we see how he met Moloch?
LW: We’ll tell the story. In terms of us actually visually seeing that, we’re not necessarily going back to that exact moment.
OJ: Yet!
The revelation that Henry was the Horseman of War, and also Ichabod and Katrina’s son, was the big “mic-drop” of Season One. Would you introduce another Horseman in a similar manner to that?
OJ: Mic-drop! (Laughs)
LW: That’s going to be in every pitch meeting now. Hey guys! This is our mic-drop moment (laughs). That’s the holy shit moment. Holy shit! It’s a mic-drop moment.
But we will do whatever will freak anybody out. We love to twist where people think that we’re going, it’s part of the fun of the show. There’s always a plan. Henry with that twist in the end was the plan from day one. When you’re able to have a long term plan, you can really plant seeds for some really great twists. Yes, I don’t think it’s fair for a Horseman to just show up without some fun twist to it.
How do you feel about your character now being in a mental institution? How do you feel about not being part of what’s going on?
OJ: I don’t mind it, no, because of where it’s going is completely awesome. Look, the conclusion is no fun if you don’t enjoy the journey. I love the fact that he’s in the position he’s in right now because I think it’s an interesting journey for him. It’s not what you would have expected when the season started. He could have easily been angry police captain in the Pilot and obviously Len didn’t do that, and the journey he’s taken is not the journey of any police captain you’ve seen on TV before. So I’m really excited about that. It’s really its own thing.
I really enjoy it. I think I’m in an interesting way. It’s a really fun job to do. Stay tuned because it’s about to get crazy!
Catch Sleepy Hollow every Monday, 9/8c on FOX.
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Luke Kalamar is Pop-Break.com’s television and every Saturday afternoon you can read his retro video game column, Remembering the Classics. He covers Game of Thrones, Saturday Night Live and The Walking Dead (amongst others) every week. As for as his career and literary standing goes — take the best parts of Spider-man, Captain America and Luke Skywalker and you will fully understand his origin story.
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 and producer Len Wiseman about the hit FOX series.){kind=link}
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