Greg's interview with B.D. Wong

[Source]
Out actor BD Wong debuts tonight in Awake

Former Law & Order: SVU star talks to Gay Star News about new NBC series

01 March 2012 | By Greg Hernandez

Photo: NBC

BD Wong has made a terrific living as the voice of reason trying to help screwed-up people make sense of themselves on some very successful television shows.

Wong played Father Ray Makada on HBO's Oz for six seasons and Dr. George Huang for 11 seasons on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and returns to series television tonight (1 March) on NBC's new drama Awake.

On Awake, he plays Dr. John Lee, a psychiatrist who is trying to help series lead Jason Isaacs figure out which of his alternate realities is his real life.

'I was taught early on in my acting training that being an actor relied a great deal on being a good listening,' Wong tells Gay Star News. 'If you could really learn how to listen then you could really be a better actor and I think I really took that to heart.'

'I like to think of myself as a person as someone who listens well to my friends and family in situations where it really counts,' he adds. 'I hope that's what I'm accessing when I'm playing these parts. It may be indicative that I'm somewhat successful that I keep getting asked to do this listening thing.'

A Tony Award winner for the Broadway musical M Butterfly, Wong signed on to his long-running gig on Law & Order: SVU when his son was born in 2000. Even though that New York-based series continues to ride high in the ratings, the actor felt it was time for him to try something new.

'I just opened my horizons up to potentially doing a show that was shooting in LA which I haven't done for many years,' he said. 'My son's 11 now and I stayed on that show for 11 years. He was old enough and it was time for me creatively.'

'I always hunger to do something new and different,' he added. 'This show, even though it's someone with the same job description [as his SVU character], it's a very different show and it's a great opportunity for me in different ways.'

Wong, 51, has built up an impressive list of television, stage and feature film credits over the years and he wants to continue to try new things.

'I always am looking to do something wildly different,' he says. 'I continue to try and do independent films and work in the theater so I can have that. When I was on Law & Order for so long, I was able to do theater and that allowed me to feel much more three-dimensional.'

An article from T|V

[Source]

July 17, 2011 03:41 PM PDT
Fall TV Scoop: B.D. Wong Reveals His SVU Fate


Matt Webb Mitovich

The fate of yet another actor facing the prospect of double duty this TV season has apparently been decided. B.D. Wong, who fills a major role on the NBC midseason drama Awake, announced on Twitter Sunday that Law & Order: SVU viewers likely have seen the last of forensic psychiatrist Dr. George Huang.

“I actually do not return for Season 13,” Wong told one follower during his live tweeting of USA Network’s Sunday afternoon “What Would BD DO” SVU marathon. “I am jumping to Awake! It’s awesome!”

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Wong hinted at a possible parting of the ways with the long-running crime drama when I spoke to him at NBC’s upfront presentation unveiling the network’s 2011-12 schedule. “[The SVU powers-that-be] gave me the blessing to do [the Awake pilot], which was really nice,” he shared. “But I don’t really know if I can do both or not.”

Fall TV Preview: TVLine’s Guide to What’s New

Since Awake doesn’t debut until midseason, there seemed to be some hope that Huang would return at least to say goodbye. But as Wong tweeted Sunday, “I don’t know if or when I’ll be back [on SVU]! It was amazing to have such a cool job for 11 years and to be a real NY Actor.”

Wong’s exit marks the last bit of cast upheaval for SVU, which has lost series vet Chris Meloni, added Danny Pino (Cold Case) and Kelli Giddish (Chase) as series regulars/new detectives, and is welcoming back Stephanie March and Diane Neal (as prosecutors Alexandra Cabot and Casey Novak) for an undetermined number of episodes each.

Fall TV: NBC Sets Premiere Dates, Including Late Start For Chuck‘s Final Mission

On Awake — which, as B.D. said, is rather awesome — Wong plays one of two shrinks that Jason Isaacs’ troubled lawman sees, each in a separate reality. Cherry Jones (24) plays the other therapist. You can get a peek at Awake here; grab a Kleenex first:

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