Heroes: Fuller speaks out on Zack (is he or isn't he?!)

[cwoody222]

http://popgurls.com/article_show.php3?id=665

See this part...

Now, there was some drama as to if Claire's friend Zach was going to be gay.

That big debacle!

Yes! That debacle! Was that really a path that you were going to take?


(the rest of the article is good too)

[nedthelab]

and we care becuz?

[jsmeeker]

didn't we already talk about this months ago??

[5thcrewman]

He has 'Fierce' powers?

[Bierboy]

didn't we already talk about this months ago??Yes.

[dswallow]

Considering mommy pulled Dekker out anyway, the writers should've just left the line in and been done with him. Frankly I wouldn't want to hire an actor with mommy problems like that anyway, it's bad enough when the actor/actress is a diva, let alone their manager/mommy.

[jsmeeker]

Yes.


so, what's changed? Since that time, his feelings/non-feelings for Claire have been a total non-issue in the sory line.

I don't see the big deal story line wise here. They moved past an element that probably wasn't working or just didn't add to the story.

[drew2k]

That was an interesting article, and it's too bad they didn't get to fulfill their original plans and have Claire "come out" as Dekker's character "came out". The parallels would have been interesting to watch.

[dswallow]

so, what's changed? Since that time, his feelings/non-feelings for Claire have been a total non-issue in the sory line.

I don't see the big deal story line wise here. They moved past an element that probably wasn't working or just didn't add to the story.
I think the writers simply adapted the story to what they had to do with the actor. We'll probably never know how the character was originally intended to develop... at least partly because that's just not the direction they went so they didn't develop it.

[Rob Helmerichs]

I don't see the big deal story line wise here. They moved past an element that probably wasn't working or just didn't add to the story.
The big deal is that a plot-line was dropped not because it wasn't working out or because it didn't add to the story, but because an actor couldn't be bothered to do the job he signed on to do (and even if it was the agent's idea, he still has the ultimate responsibility for his choices).

In oh so many ways, it must suck to be a writer in Hollywood, and be at the mercy of morons and cowards every step of the way. As Frank Miller once said, "The writer is a fire hydrant, and the dogs are lined up around the block."

[jsmeeker]

ehh... He was a minor character. Even when it appeared he may be gay, he was minor and it would not have mattered.

No big whoop. It's just a TV show.

why get so hung up on the sexual orientation of one ficition character??


get pissed at the actor. Not at NBC or the writers or anyone else. Actually, don't even get pissed at him. Actors pick and choose roles just like any one else picks and chooses work. If they don't like it, they stop. Why feel forced to do work you don't like? It may be for reassons you think are lame, but whatever.. We have our choices to make.

[marksman]

I still don't understand that if this was SO important to them, why they failed to ever mention it to the actor who was playing the character.

Seems pretty irresponsible to me.

Clearly it could not have been that big of a deal for them or they would have told the actor about it.

[Rob Helmerichs]

I still don't understand that if this was SO important to them, why they failed to ever mention it to the actor who was playing the character.

Seems pretty irresponsible to me.

Clearly it could not have been that big of a deal for them or they would have told the actor about it.
My understanding is that the actor knew, but his manager didn't, and when she found out the character was "coming out" at the same time the actor was up for the lead in the Terminator series, she went ballistic.

[cwoody222]

ehh... He was a minor character. Even when it appeared he may be gay, he was minor and it would not have mattered.

No big whoop. It's just a TV show.

why get so hung up on the sexual orientation of one ficition character??


get pissed at the actor. Not at NBC or the writers or anyone else. Actually, don't even get pissed at him. Actors pick and choose roles just like any one else picks and chooses work. If they don't like it, they stop. Why feel forced to do work you don't like? It may be for reassons you think are lame, but whatever.. We have our choices to make.

First off, I don't think anyone's "pissed".

I'm just disappointed that a fictional storyline was changed due to real-world hangups, managerial disputes, fears, whatever you want to call it.

The story, as the writers originally intended, should have been allowed to prevail... in a perfect world, of course...

[jsmeeker]

First off, I don't think anyone's "pissed".

I'm just disappointed that a fictional storyline was changed due to real-world hangups, managerial disputes, fears, whatever you want to call it.

The story, as the writers originally intended, should have been allowed to prevail... in a perfect world, of course...

the writers can still have a token gay guy if that's what they wanted. Just make someone else gay. That, or it should have been stated as such upfront (internally) so there was no real mystery or unknowns.

The writers weren't robbed. It's just one actor/agent who didn't like it. That's it. Nothing sinister going on here. It's a popular show that will be back. ample opportunity to get the characters they want.

[Rob Helmerichs]

The writers weren't robbed.
Well, yes, they were. They spent the better part of a season setting up a situation that was never able to pay off.

And we got robbed, as well, because the screen time that was spent setting up the Gay Zach storyline could have been used for something else...and in TV, a few seconds here and there can REALLY add up.

[mitchb2]

But how can she "pull him from the show?"
What about contractual obligations? Especially since they removed the line from the script.

[Rob Helmerichs]

But how can she "pull him from the show?"
What about contractual obligations? Especially since they removed the line from the script.
In sports and entertainment, contracts are only as strong as the willingness of both parties to live up to them.

Sad, but true. Sports owners and studios are apparently not willing to alienate talent by enforcing contracts, except under extraordinary circumstances.

[MickeS]

Well, yes, they were. They spent the better part of a season setting up a situation that was never able to pay off.

And we got robbed, as well, because the screen time that was spent setting up the Gay Zach storyline could have been used for something else...and in TV, a few seconds here and there can REALLY add up.

Never mind if he was gay or not (I personally just figured he had a crush on Claire), they spent a bunch of time with the character, setting him up as her only confidant, and clearly taking the storyline in a direction where he would be involved in her revealing her powers somehow... and they they just had to drop it. Very irresponsible on the part of the actor.

[drew2k]

the writers can still have a token gay guy if that's what they wanted. Just make someone else gay.
I don't think they wanted "just a gay guy" - they wanted someone who was in the process of coming out sexually to parallel Claire's story of understanding and not being afraid/ashamed of who she is.