A MAN CALLED FITZ
The successful twisted family dramedy, Call Me Fitz, about a morally bankrupt salesman, stars Canadian actor and ACTRA member Jason Priestly.
Set almost entirely in a used car dealership, Call Me Fitz is a show about a handsome, substance abusing scoundrel, FITZ, who torments his naive co-workers, sleeps with any woman who has a pulse and — thinks his life is perfect. Priestly’s TV creation is forced to become business partners with his inner conscience, an offbeat do-gooder intent on healing Fitz’s mangled psyche, one hilarious disaster at a time.
DIRECTV launched the Canadian half-hour comedy on its 101 Network in April 2011; the 13-episode series premiered on HBO Canada in fall 2010.
Fitz is a bleak, black and twisted Canadian production that is raising a middle finger at the establishment, but doing so with ACTRA talent, ACTRA contracts and now Jeremy Webb sniffing around.
SUPER: The ACTRA logo on black.
MUSIC: a rock beat kicks in, something Canadian and classic.
EXT. NEW MINAS, STREET – DAY
A wealthy, suburban neighbourhood just outside of town. A cluster of crew trucks are gathered in front of an expensive, detached house on the quiet street. It’s cold and the film crew is bundled against the first icy winds of the Nova Scotia Fall.
SUPER: On The Set of ‘Call Me Fitz’
CU on JEREMY WEBB, the ACTRA guy, as he emerges from the backseat of a minivan. Devilishly handsome, rugged and charming, Webb has a high opinion of himself. He shudders at the chilly breeze that hits him in the face.
SUPER: His Mission: to see the ACTRA agreements at work
WEBB
Holy crap, that’s cold. I should’ve brought a bigger coat.
Webb wanders across to the craft services table and waits in line. He’s here to see Priestley work, but he always gets his priorities in the right order on a TV set. Coffee and a muffin, then work.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL BAR, TORONTO – MORNING
Flashback. SUPER: Ten days earlier.
Webb stands in a swanky Toronto Boutique hotel bar, looking out of place. He looks nervous. His palms are sweaty. He moves a tape recorder on a table half an inch to the left for the fiftieth time. A WAITER comes over and eyes Webb suspiciously.
WEBB
(Gushing and sharing too much) I’m here to interview Jason Priestley!
The waiter is not impressed.
At that exact moment our hero enters the bar. JASON PRIESTLEY is in his early forties and very good-looking, with a few days beard on his face and a tailored two-piece grey suit, without a tie. He carries a Hollywood-issue cellphone and spots Webb straight away (aside from the bar staff, Webb’s the only one there.)
WEBB
Hello! Mr. Priestly, I’m Jeremy Webb. Good to see you.
There’s a handshake and the two men head to the table and sit. They are similar height, similar in age, yet one looks like Jason Priestley.
EXT. NEW MINAS, STREET – DAY
We are back on the set. All eyes are on the front door of the house. The camera crew is poised. The director is staring at the door. Webb is staring at the door.
The set goes quiet and out of the house a man emerges. He’s buttoning a grey, two-piece suit jacket and squinting at the light. He pauses, looking a lot like Jason Priestley. It’s the character Richard Fitzpatrick. He walks past the camera and huddled crew.
FIRST AD
Cut! Check the gate!
CU on Priestley, he spots Webb crosses the lawn, putting on a big production crew parka and lighting a cigarette.
PRIESTLEY
Hi! How are you?
WEBB
Great. Thanks. Great. Cold.
Webb plays it cool, denying to himself even the existence of a man-crush.
CU on Priestley: a slight eyebrow raise. He’s seen this before.
INT. PRODUCER’S OFFICE – DAY
SHERI ELWOOD, producer and show runner of Call Me Fitz, sits opposite Webb, behind her desk. They’ve been there for a few minutes. Webb leans in close and hits her with his question.
SUPER: Earlier that day
WEBB
Jason Priestley heads your cast, how did you find him?
Was he always ‘Fitz’?
ELWOOD
Jason was suggested by the casting agent and he auditioned like
everyone else. I didn’t know if Jason could be funny; I didn’t know
him. I looked the material that he had done. I had not seen him do
any comedy. I had never watched 90210. I looked at a couple of
YouTube videos. One in particular of (the radio show) Q with Jian
Gomeshi. Jason rolled in after a night of partying, scruff and an old
shirt. He just sat that there and I thought ‘God, that guys cocky:
Perfect!” Very funny and confident. I can’t imagine anyone else
playing the role.
The character is based on my brother, who is a used-car
salesman. It’s based on my family, this show; unfortunately!
He has since rehabilitated. My mother thinks it’s eerie. Jason
just channeled the spirit of my brother. My brother thinks it’s
great, but doesn’t think the shows about him!
INT. HOTEL BAR, TORONTO – MORNING
Flashback. SUPER: Ten days earlier.
The two men, Webb & Priestley sit opposite each other at a low table in the bar. They both have an iced tea, but Priestly also sips a coffee. Webb has just asked a question.
PRIESTLEY
It (Fitz) came to me. I was directing a web-series in LA for Warner Bros
called The Lake. There were these two writers who had just been working
with Sheri Elwood on a TV series. While we editing the web series
they kept talking to me about his Canadian writer and this pilot she
had written for this series. About the fact it was one of the funniest
shows they’d ever read. And about the fact that she was trying to get
this show to me, that it was the perfect show for me. And ‘Oh My God,
this thing is so great!’ We were trapped in an editing room together for
weeks and weeks. I kept hearing about the show. And as you know,
you know, nine times out of ten, when somebody talks up a piece of
material that much you are horribly disappointed.
Webb nods as though he knows. He’s lying; he doesn’t know.
PRIESTLEY
I read this thing and it was one of the single greatest pieces of material
I had read in the last twenty years. It was absolutely perfect. It was so
well crafted and well thought out. The characters were all so fully
developed and the world in which the inhabited was perfectly conceived.
It was right. You know? I immediately emailed Sheri. And said ‘I love
this piece of material and Richard Fitzpatrick such a beautifully flawed
character. What a beautiful opportunity to play a character like this.
She said great, Amaze has the show. We are setting it up at HBO
Canada. E1 as another partner. I’d love for you to come in and meet
with me about playing Fitzpatrick. Here are all the pages to prepare
and come on in and read for me.
I said fantastic. I prepared. The scenes were big scenes. Me as a
director, I understand the desire to have actor s come in and read
for things. So I got the role the old-fashioned way.
CU on Priestley: a winning smile.
Cut to:
INT. CONFERENCE CENTRE, GEMINI AWARDS GALA – EVENING
Flashback. SUPER: Nine days ago.
We circle around a rowdy table of TV types as they celebrate multiple Gemini wins. Sheri Elwood is there, and she is surrounded by the actual hardware. The table of cast and producers are in high spirits. The awards show has just completed for 2011 and Call Me Fitz was nominated for sixteen and won seven, including Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Guest Performance (female), Best Sound, writing, Direction and Editing.
Everyone is on their feet and celebrating. Jason Priestley runs across the stage from behind the scenery, after presenting the last awards of the night. He joins his posse and, without warning, Jeremy Webb is right there.
Webb manages to line up a candid photo of ACTRA National President FERNE DOWNEY with Priestley, before everyone moves off into the night. That’s one for the ACTRA magazine, Webb mutters to ACTRA PR guru JOANNE DEER, who stands off to one side.
Cut to:
(Fade away from the script.)
Producer Sheri Elwood is leaning back in her chair in her office above the used car lot set of Call Me Fitz. She’s talking about the Gemini nominations and subsequent wins weeks earlier in Toronto and she’s beaming from ear to ear.
“Did you hear our table screaming?! I was so shocked,” she confesses. “The first season on our show… we really were under the radar.” She explains that shooting in rural Nova Scotia allows her a creative control and freedom she enjoys. “I can do it really fast and no-one can stop me.”
She laughs again “I told everyone do it like we’ll never get to make TV again. To see the team recognized in almost every category at the Geminis was amazing.”
There’s no doubt that ACTRA agreements facilitate the creation of Call Me Fitz, with such a Canadian ensemble cast
“ACTRA has been extremely considerate of our creative needs. It’s especially tricky being here as the talent pool isn’t huge. Once we’ve used someone in a guest spot it’s tough to recycle. There’s been a lot of trucking actors in and permits.” She chuckles again and admits “We like ACTRA but I’m not sure we’ve been that easy for them to deal with!”
Reports from the Maritimes have been nothing short of glowing.
Elwood is thrilled with her Canadian cast. “We are allowed to have the occasionally American guest star. Joanna Cassidy is American. I think we’ve got the strongest ensemble cast on Television right now. We spent months casting. Our cast is rock solid. Everything we need is right here.”
Jason Priestley is in full agreement about his co-stars and the actors the show has utilized.
“Canadian actors are like actors everywhere: committed to their craft and they work hard at what they do,” he explains. “No different to actors everywhere else. I’m a Canadian actor. I went to theatre school in Canada.”
Priestly pauses mid-thought for the photographer to capture the perfect candid shot.
“The people that I associate with a lot of the time in LA are other Canadian actors, who like me, went to school in Canada. Eric McCormack and guys like that: Canadian actors.”
The actor continues “We all went to school here, started our careers and moved down there. We ended up leaving at a time when the industry up here was struggling and we had to go and ply our trade.”
Priestley knows , like all ACTRA members, that actors are a nomadic breed. “We have to be. We need to go where the work is. It’s part of the career we have chosen.”
“I left Canada in 1987; I left Vancouver,” he recalls. “At that point it was simply a service industry town. There were 3-4 American television shows shooting there. Once you’ve done them, you look around and go ‘well, I’m either gonna move to Toronto or move to LA.’ Those were your options. LA was a lot closer than TO, so that’s where I went.
Priestley has noticed the growth in member-generated projects, with ACTRA members getting in to the producing, directing, and writing roles.
“Hobo With A Shotgun was a big turning point for that kind of thing. The Trailer Park Boys have been very successful.”
Priestley has directed an episode of the second season of SyFy’s Haven, also shooting in the Maritimes and he also shot a four-episode story arc as a guest star. Haven is loosely based on Stephen King’s short novel The Colorado Kid.
This past summer, Priestley reunited with former Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Luke Perry to direct and star in the Hallmark Movie Channel Original Goodnight for Justice. The made-for-TV Western was penned by Perry and filmed in Vancouver.
Also behind the camera, Priestley has directed numerous episodes of ABC Family’s hit series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, based on Rolling Stone article by Jesse Hyde, Priestley is developing the feature film Death of a Freerider. The film is based on the tragic true story of Sam Brown, a young Canadian mountain biker who got caught up in the world of international drug smuggling.
“My ACTRA number is 1482; that’s how long I’ve been a member! I was gone for a long time, not working up here. Starting in the late 90’s I started coming back here a lot to work. The industry for me shifted back and then ACTRA started to play a much bigger role in my life again. I have been very thankful for everything that ACTRA has been able to afford me.”
Priestley muses on what his union does for him on a daily basis. “Now that I have children, I’m married; I look at the AFBS and see the money I can put away into my retirement account, my RRSP and I’m very thankful for all of that!
“As an actor/artist classically we aren’t the most responsible with our money. It’s always very cyclical,” he smiles. “It’s difficult to save. One minute you make a lot, the next minute you don’t make any.”
“To have our union take care of putting away that money is a huge benefit. You don’t think about that when you’re younger. You get into your middle age and you see the money that your union has put away for you without you even knowing it…you appreciate the union.”
Back in New Minas, Nova Scotia, showrunner Sheri Elwood explains how she creates a show.
“As an artist I don’t write with borders in mind,” she says. “I’m a person of the world; I’ve lived in Canada, the US, in Europe. When I come up with a story I write to character. I don’t write to regional tax incentives,” she laughs again.
Elwood feels that she’s seen shows attempting to fit their own square peg into a round hole, purely for financial reasons.
“There are shows that call for a very specific Canadian locale; you know, that backdrop. North of 60, Heartland, so quintessentially Canadian. But a show like this is sleazy dealership, ‘Anywheresville!’ It almost undermines the concept; it pokes away at the universality I think.”
The producer/creator divides her time between here and L.A. but she’s delighted to be in Canada. “It feels like home to me. I’ve known this crew for years, they all worked with me on my first film which was shot in Nova Scotia. So I have a real safety net and a real support system.” That first feature was Deeply, starring Lynn Redgrave, Kirsten Dunst and Brent Carver.
“Fitz is my first big series that I’m doing on my own, that I’m responsible for, so having a lot of Nova Scotians watching my back is immeasurably good.” She laughs once more.
Back to the script:
INT. HOTEL BAR, TORONTO – DAY
Flashback.
Webb has inched closer to Priestley, who is looking a little unnerved, but remains in good humour with the British interviewer.
WEBB
You’ve taken your career into your own hands now: directing,
And producing. So what’s it like on a show like Fitz, where you
have some control. How’s that career development for you?
PRIESTLEY
It’s something that I’ve been looking to. I’m not a guy who
likes to micro-manage. Bill Fleming our production designer is
an incredibly talented guy who creates things that are genius.
I would never try and imprint my ideas on him. I want to
incorporate his ideas into what I want to do. As a producer/director
it’s about empowering other people to be creative and maximize
their creativity. That’s what I’ve learned through my career. I’ve
seen it the other way, where someone stifles everyone’s creativity.
Everything grinds to a halt. If you kill creativity you don’t get
anything out of anyone.
I like to see it thrive and grow in a production. We all want to
create an unbelievable product. Let people bring you their A game.
Webb senses his time is coming to a close and on cue Priestley’s phone rings. Webb glares at the device, sure that the phone is about to come between him and his new guy-pal.
WEBB
What’s next for you, Jason?
PRIESTLEY
Twelve episodes of Fitz. January/February: I’m going to shoot
a horror movie for Paramount in LA called 999. March/April:
there are some offers.
Webb nods knowingly. He wishes he had some offers for March/April. Or even next week.
WEBB
So, let me wrap here by saying congrats on all the Gemini
Nominations: best actor, best ensemble…
Priestley stands, putting away his cellphone and draining his coffee. Webb reluctantly stands too. Can it really be over?
PRIESTLEY
I feel like the ensemble we have in the show is so strong…
everyone is so capable. I can’t believe I work with these
supremely talented actors every day. They all come with so
many ideas and so much ‘stuff’…I get to go to work with.
It’s a wonderful gift.
WEBB
Do you get a sense of the shows longevity?
PRIESTLEY
It’s season by season. I hope this show has longevity. I’m
having fun. I’d like to do it for a long time. It’s one of those
things where we are having so much fun.
The show works on many levels. The show is a tragedy.
The tragedy of this family falling apart and what caused this
family to implode the way they did.
I’ve shot in Nova Scotia myself a few times. The crews out there are
phenomenal. Talented filmmakers who are tireless creative
craftspeople. They love to make movies. They take pride in
what they do. I love to go out there and shoot stuff.
Priestley holds out a hand. That’s it; the interview is over. Webb grips the actor’s hand and shakes it firmly. He doesn’t let go straight away. It’s awkward for a moment.
EXT. FRONT LOT OF FITZ CAR DEALERSHIP SET – DUSK
Webb emerges from the front of the building, reluctant to leave. He moves close to camera and he turns slowly taking in the whole scene. There are used cars and a giant piece of signage: Fitzpatrick’s name is huge.
He walks off down the street. Content that his time visiting with the Call Me Fitz folks has proven that ACTRA is a big part of a Canadian success story.
This interview was commissioned by ACTRA National. To see the entire ACTRA Magazine CLICK HERE
ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists – www.actra.ca) is the national organization of professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of 22,000 members across Canada – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community.
Copyright: Jeremy Webb 2011
