On Sunday night, Tom Cavanagh, the lanky "Ed" actor with the skeptical expression, opens the second season of "Stories From the Vaults" on the Smithsonian Channel.
Jacqueline Trescott / (c) 2009, The Washington Post | Posted: Saturday, July 11, 2009 12:00 am
On Sunday night, Tom Cavanagh, the lanky "Ed" actor with the skeptical expression, opens the second season of "Stories From the Vaults" on the Smithsonian Channel. In each half-hour episode, Cavanagh, 45, prowls the various museums' halls, selecting items from their millions of artifacts and talking to curators. We recently caught up with Cavanagh about the series, a co-venture with Showtime Networks that is distributed by a half-dozen major cable providers.
Q: Are the host and subject matter a good fit?
A: I have always had an interest in astronauts and the space program. So there I am in a room in front of Alan Shepard's spacesuit. It is a thrill for me. Then we go to the collection of musical instruments and there I am with the chamber musicians playing a Stradivarius. If you are curious, it is awesome to have this kind of access.
Q: What kind of balance are you trying to achieve between being Everyman, not the nerd, and funny but attentive?
A: There is a perception about the Smithsonian. Occasionally people don't know how vibrant it is. I wanted to treat it with respect but treat it with humor. These are people who have been interviewed their whole lives on their expertise. At the same time I didn't want to bore people, and neither do they. I didn't try to balance. I am not playing a character. I am listening, I am learning.
Q: What about the pace of the Smithsonian series vs. television?
A: When you do the television series, you are used to the $2 million budget, all the people, all the apparatus. This has a splinter crew of five or so. You can move quickly. You can say, "Hey, guys, let's go over here and get this." It is a nice way to go.
Q: The new season has a segment called "Let's Eat," and now you have told additional thousands that the best food on the Mall is at the National Museum of the American Indian.
A: Of course we would have lunch every day. But we would save up to have our big gala lunch at the Indian Museum. By Thursday (at the end of the four-day shoot) we were freaking out, just waiting. The food was so great. And then to end up with the chef behind the scenes.
Q: You did "Ed" and that was a hit, and then you did "Trust Me" and that didn't quite click. What happened?
A: Actually I don't think much about it. The fact is that I did a character I love every year.
Q: What's next ?
A: Ed Asner and I did a Christmas special. I sing and he sings.