Alba, Weatherly, and the 'M' Word
What's the fastest way to get on the bad side of the stars of Dark Angel? Ask them about their upcoming wedding, then you'll really understand dark.
Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly, the photogenic and winsome actors who play a couple of corruption-fighting idealists in the hit sci-fi drama, about a genetically modified soldier (Alba) and a paralysed cyber-journalist (Weatherly), are a real-life couple.
Everyone who watches the show or has picked up a women's magazine in the past year knows this. It seems natural to ask about the relationship, but it's a bad idea.
A phone conversation with the 21-year-old Alba, formerly the star of the 90s remake of Flipper, who is sitting in a Los Angeles office building, degenerates as soon as the "M" word is uttered. Her voice drops an octave, from perky to pissed off. Her publicist, who has been listening on another phone, jumps in to steer the interview away from the nuptials, for which a date is yet to be set. Then the interview is finished abruptly.
Ten minutes later, a phone conversation with more laidback 33-year old Weatherly, also in Los Angeles and also shielded by a publicist, turns strangely formal when the question is raised. Are you engaged? "That is a truthful fact," he says after a pause.
"I understand that there is an interesting quality to people being together, but it's better to leave it shrouded in mystery than to shine any light on it. It worked for Bogey and Bacall. We're just making movies, Baby."
But the fact is, as any publicist not working for Dark Angel would acknowledge, relationships between co-stars encourage more people to tune in.
Dark Angel - set in Seattle, Washington, 20 years from now after an electromagnetic pulse let off by nuclear terrorists has turned the US into a Third World country - is no different, although the Weatherly-Alba lovematch may not be enough to keep viewers.
The future of season three, due to begin filming in Vancouver, Canada, in June, is in doubt as the Fox network juggles its September lineup.
The rise of another butt-kicking action programme featuring a strong female, Alias may be a factor. Since September, the CIA spy drama, starring newcomer Jennifer Garner as a double agent, has averaged 6 million viewers a week, almost double Dark Angel's.
Weatherly used to work with Garner on a failed 1998 sitcom called Significant Others and is effusive in praising the newcomer. "I love Jennifer Garner and I think she's great."
It turns out Weatherly is an effusive guy. He won't praise his co star and fiance but he can't say enough about series co-creator James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of Titanic.
"James Cameron is one of the most genius and successful directors to ever point the camera," says Weatherly. Cameron, apparently, is like Thomas Edison and watching him at work is like trying to figure out how a lightbulb works.
"He's like [Steven] Spielberg except I don't know if Spielberg ever gets behind the camera. Jim grabs the camera, puts it on his shoulder, jumps into the crowd, tells everyone what's going on and 14 hours later he's doing the same thing."
Alba, who wants to become a producer for Dark Angel, won't comment on whether she thinks the hit will get the nod for another season, but Weatherly is confident. He uses the question as another excuse to say true fans of the show "don't care about his and Alba's personal life.
More to the point, programme merchandising is in full swing, which would suggest Fox is planning to give its sci-fi hit another chance. Action figures have been released and there are trading cards, games, a calendar, soundtrack album and books. It seems likely writers have already started dreaming up plot twists for season four.
"Hopefully the storytelling will be aimed at adults and geared towards intelligent audiences who don't need to be spoon-fed," says Weatherly of future episodes. "God knows we don't need any more of those type of shows on television."
