Joss Whedon

Exclusive Interview: Michael Muhney on life after VERONICA MARS

The actor talks BATTLESTAR, SUPERNATURAL, and Joss Whedon

Sheriff Lamb may be among the recently deceased on VERONICA MARS, but Michael Muhney, the actor behind Lamb is all smiles as he faces the future. The old saying of a door closing and another opening seems to be coming true for the actor, as he is being considered for a new top secret TV project. Muhney told iF what he would miss the most about MARS, where he goes from here, and his take on SUPERNATURAL as well as the worlds of Joss Whedon.

iF MAGAZINE: How far in advance did you know you would be exiting VERONICA MARS?

MICHAEL MUHNEY: I’ve exited VERONICA MARS? I’m dead?! [Laughs] Thanks for telling me! I knew with enough time, about six weeks ago when we started shooting the episode.

iF: What did you think of Sheriff Lamb after three years of living with him?

MUHNEY: There was such vast potential for this character that wasn’t realized, but what I was given I really had a lot of fun delving into that character. I had a lot of fun playing this snarky guy, and it was a joy to play this kind of character, and to basically get paid to be a jerk to people. [Laughs] I would like to have seen some Lamb back story about his child abuse and the GREAT SANTINI reference, and I would have liked to have seen that whole story. I would like to have seen more on the Grace Manning case. I had created a whole back story, where Lamb is the kind of guy that would have followed up and did do something with the Mannings, but the show isn’t about him, so the storyline of me following up on the case happened in my own time in Neptune, but it was nothing that needed to be brought to Veronica or Keith’s attention so they would not have heard about it.

iF: What will you miss the most about VERONICA MARS?

MUHNEY: This sounds so cheesy, but if I’m going to give an honest answer, the fans. That was the best experience and the most rewarding, and I know those fans aren’t going anywhere.

My favorite part on the set was Enrico [Colantoni]. He is a class act and I’m going to miss him. That San Diego crew is good bunch of people, so I’ll miss being on the set with people who don’t care about Hollywood B.S., they just do their job and they enjoy it. I’ll also miss San Diego, because it was starting to feel like home after a few years.

iF: I’ve noticed you talking in interviews a lot about BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. What is that all about?

MUHNEY: I’m always available for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. I am a whore for BATTLESTAR, because no one is paying me for this and they wouldn’t have to pay me to go up there and shoot either. I love that show. Who wouldn’t? What BSG fan in the world wouldn’t love to get a note in the mail that they’ve won a walk on role, who wouldn’t do that for free? Well, so will I.

I’ve got a few connections to BATTLESTAR. The first is my friend Mark Sheppard, who is going to be in the final three episodes of this season, and then there is Lucy Lawless who I went head-to-head with in Neptune. I’ve survived one-on-one with a Cylon. The car I’m driving right now, I purchased from a Cylon. I was at an audition and I told him his car was beautiful and he offered to sell it to me even though he had just bought it, because he wanted to get a Cadillac. So the next day I met him and bought it from him. So after all of this involvement with Cylons I just might have to become a Cylon myself.

iF: You have a connection to SUPERNTURAL as well?

MUHNEY: SUPERNATURAL, I couldn’t be happier for what’s happening with that show, because Bob Singer the executive producer co-creator, discovered me. He literally found me when I was in Chicago when I was 21, didn’t have a SAG card, and I was doing theatre. He picked me up and flew me to Los Angeles to star in a CBS series and I got the part. I ended up being one of the Turks in TURKS. It’s been fun to see him blossom with this show, because he is so talented and he’s such a good guy, so I’ve been cheering for him and it’s great to see his show doing so well.

You’ve got two leading guys who are talented, and a writing and production team that is so talented, that it just has to be good. There would be a void in the heart of all of the fans out there that like this kind of genre show; if this were not on the air they’d go into withdrawal. I think SUPERNATURAL fills that void. What is interesting about that show, is you can tune in half way through the season and feel welcome. You’re invited in to watch the show in your family room and be right there with the episode.

iF: So then, tell me about your connection to the universes of Joss Whedon.

MUHNEY: I sort of feel like an honorary member of the Whedon-verse; I feel like there is a spot on my resume where someone used white out on the show that I shot for Joss. Somehow, my emotions are telling me that somewhere I’ve worked with. He was a guest on VERONICA MARS, he has bragged on and on about the show, and I’ve worked so intensively and closely with Amber Benson on her film LOVERS LIARS AND LUNATICS. Then, Alyson Hannigan came on to our show, and then I fell in love with FIREFLY and the Browncoats who are the fans behind FIREFLY. If I haven’t done a show for Joss, I feel at some point it’s going to happen. I appreciate his work and his style so much that I just can’t see it not happening at some point in the future, but until then I’ll remain honorary.