Hollywood On Productions: Janet Donovan & Brendan Kownacki
No one actually got seasick on the set, according to cast members of Michael Bay’s “The Last Ship” that premiered in Washington, DC at The Newseum, although the original TNT series was actually filmed on an active Navy destroyer.
“I did not get to go out to sea,” Australian born actor John Pyper-Ferguson who plays Tex told us. “We were always at the dock so there really wasn’t a reason to get seasick. We were out on some ribs a couple times and some other boats.” Eric Dane, on the other hand, did – go out to sea, that is. Dane, who plays Commander Tom Chandler, was a commanding presence on both the Red Carpet and in the movie.
Eric Dane
The series is based on the novel The Last Ship by William Brinkley – a former naval officer – and will premiere on Turner Network Television on June 22nd. The apocalyptic drama, all agreed, is not so far fetched and certainly not stranger than fiction……a dismal thought at best.
“When a global pandemic wipes out eighty percent of the planet’s population, the crew of a lone naval destroyer must find a way to pull humanity from the brink of extinction. Their mission is simple: Find a cure. Stop the virus. Save the world.” Production Notes
Actress Christina Elmore
This night, though, celebrated the spirit of the Navy both inside the Newseum and out where on lookers shook hands with our men and women in uniform. Inside, the band played on: Anchors Aweigh; the Color Guard marched; a huge screen captured the moments as cast members saluted the real deal in a show of respect. Energy levels were so high in the main hall where sailors lived it up, it was a missed opportunity for recruiters.
TNT partnered with the US Navy, from which it drew its authenticity. Capt. Brian Quin served as the Navy expert on the show.
“My favorite part of production was when the actors turned and saluted the national ensign during morning colors. It showed the depth of respect the actors had for the uniform and the Sailors who wear it every day. What they did was never going to show up on camera, but they did it anyway,” said Quin in an interview with America’s Navy. “I had a lot of fun acting with the Sailors,” said Eric Dane. “The Sailors are really good actors. You get them in the environment where they know what they are doing, because they do it day in and day out, they really add a lot to the show.”
Eric Dane
“Michael Bay’s first note to me was ‘get to know the Navy Seals that were on set with us,” said Travis Van Winkle who plays Lt. Danny Green. “So I sat with them at lunch, talked to them on set, asked them questions, just picked their brains. The great thing about these guys is they’re all amazing people. These warriors, who trained to go out there mentally and physically to go out and do stuff that all of us are not capable of. But then you speak with them on a human level…they all have so much creativity….it threw me off, I was expecting them to be much more hardened.”
Travis Van Winkle
On the Red Carpet with Eric Dane, John Pyper-Ferguson, Adam Baldwin, Charles Parnell, Steven Kane, Rhona Mitra
TNT welcomes you to The Last Ship:
The Trailer:
