During a conference call on November 3, 2014, I spoke with Willie Garson about the final season of USA Network’s hit series, White Collar. Garson plays Mozzie, a quirky yet lovable con man who, along with his partner Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), try to stay one step ahead of agent Peter Burke (Tim Dekay) and the FBI.
Readers who follow my reviews know White Collar is my favorite show and discussing its end with Garson wasn’t easy. I was surprised by his candor when he admitted that in his mind, White Collar is ending 20 episodes too soon.
Mozzie’s fans will be happy to know Garson plans to incorporate many of Mozzie’s traits into his next character in a remake of The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, which Garson is co-starring in, as well as producing.
Several times during the call, Garson’s phone broke up, including during my last question, and that is reflected in the transcript
Tune in to the final season premiere of White Collar on Thursday, November 6 at 9/8c on USA.
Keep reading for my question, followed by the remaining Q&A of the call.
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Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Greg Staffa from Your Entertainment Corner, please proceed with your question.
Greg Staffa: Thanks for taking our questions today it’s a pleasure talking to you. I thought you were hilarious in the premier. Can you explain a little bit about your process for choosing a role and now that Mozzie is done for you, what will you miss most about playing him and can you describe the evolution over the seasons as you see it for Mozzie?
Willie Garson: Well thank you, you know, the pilot Mozzie was going to be this kind of underground, dark behind the curtain figure. And what happened was they – the producers’, Jeff Eastin the creator and the other writers had to figure out a way because the character worked so well, to make him more involved with the show. So that was a huge decision and which changed kind of changed the show in a lot of ways because it affected all the other characters that Mozzie was now going to be known to the FBI and part of the FBI’s process, which is absolutely if you think about it it’s absolutely insane. However it worked for the show because of how well Tim Dekay I feel especially played it. You know, so that evolution took place really on camera in terms of how much can Neal be involved with the FBI and keep his old life going, which means Mozzie. So that was really great. As far as choosing roles, you know, as actors in general on television the roles kind of choose you. I’ve been pretty fortunate in that they’ve been pretty decent projects that I’ve been very luck to be in. But, you know, I always joke that you go after NYPD Blue as hard as you go after Gilligan’s Island you get the one that you get. But I’ve been very lucky to go from NYPD Blue to Sex and the City and John from Cincinnati and then straight to White Collar. And now that I’ve been doing this for 100 years I get the opportunity to create something on my own, which is, you know, the remake of (unintelligible), which I’m developing with Fox. So it’s been an interesting ride but you kind of – I believe as actors you end up where you belong. You do – you get the role that’s the role you’re supposed to be getting and I’ve just been very fortunate.
Greg Staffa: Social media has really changed how fans interact with shows in its cast and I know you’re active on things like Twitter. You’ve got fans from – for White Collar from the U.S. to Scotland not to mention a dozen fan sites. Is there anything that you would like to say to those fans that don’t have the chance to talk to you today and thank you for six wonderful seasons?
Willie Garson: Well, you know, it’s always so interesting to me and I think to all of us when fans thank us all the time. And, you know, the real thanks is from us to the fans because, you know, there’s nothing worst – when I was studying acting there’s nothing worst than actors saying, you know, I had an amazing experience in this scene and I really felt this is the scene. And it’s really, it’s actually a two-way street, it’s me acting but it doesn’t matter if I’m acting if no one is watching. So it’s been just a delight to have all these fans who care so much about us and it keeps us, you know, literally employed and able to do what we do. And social media has been terrific as a way to be aware of what people are thinking and what they like and don’t like and how they feel and it’s also in a worst – on the worst side of it it’s a fantastic ego boost because to know that you’re actually affecting so many people is kind of why we do this for a living. So this way it’s just very tangible and it’s a minute-by-minute thing. I can Tweet one thing and get 500 replies within two minutes and that’s amazing and I don’t take it lightly and I don’t think any of us do. It’s been terrific, Twitter has been terrific for me so I love it.
Greg Staffa: And then a quick follow-up. You’re producing the Courtship as well as acting right?
Willie Garson: I am producing and story rights, it’s a combination of the original show Courtship of Eddie’s Father combined with myself and (Nathan) my son our life together as an adopted father of a (same role) adopted father combined with courtship. So I came up with it and I’m producing it and I will be acting in it as well, yes…
((Crosstalk))
Willie Garson: …it’s in development for Fox so show knows what’s going to happen but we’re on our way so.
Greg Staffa: Is there any chance we could see White Collar alums make an appearance?
Willie Garson: In my perfect dream world absolutely all the time. So let’s all keep our fingers crossed for about two years an we’ll see what happens.
Greg Staffa: Thank you.
Willie Garson: That’s all right.
Greg Staffa: As fans we tend to identify with the character often more than the actor himself. When I see you on other shows to me that’s Mozzie appearing on another show. What character are you surprised that you’re identified with the most and can you give the audience maybe three tidbits about you that might surprise them to know about the real you rather than the character that we associate with.
Willie Garson: That’s hilarious. You know, I guess Sex in the City was a real – I don’t want to say a hurdle but it’s something to always that people just assume that I was that character. And, you know, because of the success of White Collar I would say it got to about 50-50 where people now think I’m Mozzie, which is terrific too and that’s a very big compliment to, you know, I need to say it but I guess to my work I mean that’s very nice that people believe that. What’s a surprising thing? I’m a pretty good athlete, which I think is surprising to many people. I have a pilot’s license I think that’s surprising to people. Let’s see people know about my poker playing so that shouldn’t be to shocking and I’m a huge fan of reality television, and all those three things aren’t interesting at all.
Greg Staffa: Wow, I appreciate your time I’ve seen the first two episodes and I can’t wait to see where you guys take it.
Willie Garson: That’s great thank you.
Greg Staffa: Over the last few years we’ve seen a evolution in TV as far as shows like Fargo and several others how they – they’re more smaller and movie actors are coming to TV. And there’s been the real kind of shift in how we approach TV. You’re now moving behind the scenes, you directed a White Collar episode and now you’re producing. How are you approaching your show differently than you might have had you had done this a few years ago?
Willie Garson: Well that’s a good question, what’s happened is people with power being, you know, like big movie stars moving to television have decided as TV has evolved and the art form has evolved, it’s only 50, 60 years old, have figured out that there are ways to do this better. So what’s great about television is that it does offer in the realm of a number of episodes it does offer more control of this is how we’re going to make this environment, this is how I’m going to stake this scene in, that scene, that scene, which if you did that with a movie you only have the 90-page script and you stop doing it for a year or two years. With TV you get a lot of practice to hone it and make it a better place and do it better. And I have found every time now it was really started on Sex in the City by (Sara Jessica) who came in and said our show is going to be a different place. We’ve all been in different shows that have not been a good place to work. So let’s make this a better place for our guests, for the way we treat each other on set and the way we get our best work out of each other. I took that to White Collar and with Matt and Tim and (Tiffany) and Marsha and Sharif, we said let’s make this a better place and let’s improve our (unintelligible). And then with the – with our partners at USA and with Jeff Eastin in our studio or CBS they said okay go, run. Make it, make the show that you want to make together. And now I’m going to take that into Courtship of Eddie’s Father and (unintelligible) yesterday about well how do we make this an even better place where people are thrilled to be here. Like where White Collar ended up was the word on the street about White Collar was it’s a great place to be, you are half there. So we got incredible guest stars, movie guest stars who had no problem having to do an episode of unintelligible). And that was a testament to people wanting to be there, directors were (unintelligible) to be on White Collar. And that – we can just continue to make it better and that’s why movie stars it’s very hard to do a (unintelligible) movie to have that environment, but we can have that environment on a $3 million television show and that’s why people are flocking towards TV.
Greg Staffa: Well thank you.
Willie Garson: That may seem a little esoteric of an answer but that’s actually the real answer.
Greg Staffa: No it works.
Willie Garson: All right.
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Kristin: Hi everyone thank you so much for joining us today. We are really excited for the premier of the sixth and final season of White Collar this Thursday, We have the incomparable Willie Garson on the line, we’re really thrilled that you could join us and we can actually go ahead and begin the call whenever you’re ready.
Operator: Our first question comes from the line of Joshua please proceed with your question.
Joshua: Thank you, hi Willie how are you doing today, thanks for your time.
Willie Garson: I’m well thank you.
Joshua: So Willie what would you say excites you the most about this final season?
Willie Garson: You know, what excites me the most is that we got it, that we got one actually because it was a little in jeopardy just to due to economics. And it was really important to us and eventually also thankfully to USA to give us these six episodes to finish up the story as much of it as we could. So we’re really excited because our fans are so into the show, which we’re very thankful for and we really want to give them some kind of closure. And so we have – we really took that opportunity seriously and worked very hard on these last six. So I’m excited for people to see it.
Joshua: Right yes, we’re obviously disappointed to see it go. It’s been a great series, you guys have been super entertaining on it. What would you say is your biggest take away from this experience?
Willie Garson: Well that’s a great question, my biggest takeaway from this experience is that TV shows can be run a different way and this show was run a different way in terms of the collaborative nature of it. From the way the studio, which was FTBS and the network USA and our creator executive producer Jeff Eastin set up the show to be a very collaborative place where we all felt that we were – had some kind of ownership of the show. In terms of how it’s made and what goes on and what happens. And it just made it a different place than I’ve worked before where we all felt a real part of making it rather than just showing up to work and doing what was kind of presented to us.
Joshua: All right. Great. Thanks, Willie.
Willie Garson: Thank you.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Jay please proceed with your question.
Jay: Hi Willie, nice to talk to you again. We met years ago when you used to work with my friend (Lou Hirshall) on (Escariot). So that’s been a long time.
((Crosstalk))
Willie Garson: That was in the late 40s yes okay.
Jay: Now, in recent seasons they’ve been giving certain hints about Mozzie’s background. I know that in the last six episodes they really got to sort of focus mostly on Neal and Peter’s background, but will they have time to explore anymore about Mozzie’s background in those final episodes too?
Willie Garson: Very much so and in a very incredible way.
Jay: Okay cool.
Willie Garson: So it was a massive surprise to me and it will be a massive surprise to our fans. So it’s terrific, I think it’s episode four and it’s quite terrific so people can really look forward to that. Any Mozzie, any very strange Mozzie fanatics can really look forward to that episode.
Jay: Terrific, now not asking for any spoilers or anything but where do you think that Mozzie would like to end up like five years from now and where do you see him winding up?
Willie Garson: Well it’s always been an interesting question about Mozzie because Mozzie is kind of like where he needs to be. He doesn’t have a goal other than that this is it, pulling cons, being – outsmarting people, being the smartest guy in the room and living comfortably. I, you know, it’s interesting if Mozzie suddenly woke up to a treasure of $200 million I don’t know if he’d be fully happy just sitting there and rotting. I think he’d be one of those guys who would actually try and get rid of it so he could get it again. The game is what keeps Mozzie going and I think he would do that forever.
Jay: Okay great, thank you.
Willie Garson: Thank you.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Ryan please proceed with your question.
Ryan: Hi, it’s great speaking with you today.
Willie Garson: Hi.
Ryan Schwartz: I was wondering with White Collar and Sex in the City you’ve now been part of these two iconic New York shows where the city is as much of a character as it is a backdrop. Has that been a choice to keep trying to do shows in New York or has that solely been a blessing?
Willie Garson: It’s been completely by coincidence. I’m from there but I’ve lived in Los Angeles for a very long time, since 1986, which is amazing because I’m only 20 now. But what’s amazing is that I’m just thought of as a guy who worked out of New York. While NYPD Blue was shot in LA obviously it’s thought of as a New York show. And then Sex in the City is obviously just I don’t know why I’m thought of as someone who lives in New York but I’ll take it as a compliment I guess, is it? I don’t know. And then this one came up, I’m hoping my next show just because of the logistics of raising my child in Los Angeles I’m hoping that I get to shoot Courtship of Eddie’s Father that we get to keep it in Los Angeles, which is what we’re trying to do but we’ll see what happens. But I’ve been blessed to be on iconic New York shows and New York has treated us like gold, like we’re on the Yankee’s, it’s been fantastic so it’s been a great city for us.
Ryan: That’s great and Mozzie has certainly been supportive as he is concerned this season about (unintelligible) Pink Panther but at the same time he’s also really warming up to the computer given their news. Did you ever think back in season one that Mozzie would warm up to Mr. and Mrs. (Supp) quite the way that he has over six seasons?
Willie Garson: No, not at all I never thought that Mozzie would have any contact with anyone near the FBI. He’s actually – I think it’s in season three is that great scene where Mozzie actually comes through the FBI office for the first time and he can barely step off the elevator…
Ryan: Right, right.
Willie Garson: …in which (unintelligible) everything going blurry. I just thought that was handled so well. And, you know, what’s great about this show is that, you know, it’s the agility of the writer. It’s like they handle it and they move on. It’s like okay we did that, Mozzie gets ready to go in the FBI. Well now next time he goes to the FBI he’s been there already, it’s not that big of a deal. And that’s been what’s great about this show is it’s never as actors we talk about hitting beats and it’s never – the show doesn’t hit the same beat over and over it keeps going forward and that’s been a real blessing. : No, not at all I never thought that Mozzie would have any contact with anyone near the FBI. He’s actually – I think it’s in season three is that great scene where Mozzie actually comes through the FBI office for the first time and he can barely step off the elevator…
Ryan: Right, right.
Willie Garson: …in which (unintelligible) everything going blurry. I just thought that was handled so well. And, you know, what’s great about this show is that, you know, it’s the agility of the writer. It’s like they handle it and they move on. It’s like okay we did that, Mozzie gets ready to go in the FBI. Well now next time he goes to the FBI he’s been there already, it’s not that big of a deal. And that’s been what’s great about this show is it’s never as actors we talk about hitting beats and it’s never – the show doesn’t hit the same beat over and over it keeps going forward and that’s been a real blessing.
Ryan: That’s great and lastly, do you think that Neal and Mozzie still want the same thing when the show comes to an end?
Willie Garson: I think – I’m sorry you’re cut out a little.
Ryan: I’m sorry, I was asking if you think that Neal and Mozzie still want the same outcomes as the show comes to an end?
Willie Garson: I believe they do, I don’t know how much it’s discussed in the episodes. But I believe that the characters are cut from the same cloth in a lot of ways in terms of we’re con men and what’s great about the show is even when Neal – when (Tim), when their match character has been deeply involved in an FBI situation, the show never forgets that he is an international con man.
Ryan: Right.
Willie Garson: And I think that Mozzie is cut from the same cloth as well. So possibly they do want the same outcome.
Ryan: That’s great, thanks for taking my questions today.
Willie Garson: Sure.
Operator: We have a follow-up question from the line of Jay. Please proceed with your question.
Jay: Now knowing that these were the final episodes that you were all making, what was the experience like on the set? Was it different than it had been on previous seasons knowing that it was coming to an end?
Willie Garson: It was sad and horrifying for all of us. It came to quickly, it was a lot of tears and a lot of is this the last time we’re doing this, the last time we’re doing this. It came to quickly I mean none of us were – we have been pretty open about that none of us are rewriting history. It just was a situation where art and economics just did not mesh on the same page. And we are ending to early and we’re all aware of that. USA found a way to thankfully, you know, make room and – for these final six to give us a chance to tie up a lot of loose ends and we did the best that we could. But it all came to soon, we honestly felt we were going to have a full sixth season and a full seventh season and then be done. So we’re about 20 episodes short. That said we were thankful that they gave us the six and we’re thrilled for people to see them because we worked I don’t want to say extra hard because we worked hard in all the episodes, but these were, you know, very carefully designed to build to a quick climax in the final episode.
Jay: Now looking back on the six seasons what were some of your favorite episodes to act in?
Willie Garson: That’s – it’s really hard when people ask questions like that it’s so difficult because the reality is as an actor on a show that shoots the way we shoot, which is 10, 11 pages a day it’s all kind of one long episode. So it’s like a six-year episode. So it doesn’t feel like I really like that one, I really like that one, you know, personally in terms of scenes I always like scenes that are not so much about a caper but more about two people talking. So because Mozzie has been such a usable character on the show, I’ve been fortunate enough to I exchange (Ron) and (Jeff’s) normal conversation with every other character, you know, with Jones, with Diana, you know, with Marsha’s character. Certainly with Elizabeth, with Peter and obviously with Matt, I mean I just – we love scenes where we’re just talking about feelings, you know, whatever but all actors feel that all the time.
Jay: Well if Mozzie was to pop up on some other show like sort of Frazier or Detective (Munch) from Homicide, where would you see him landing?
Willie Garson: Well I will say that a version of Mozzie is landing on this show I’m developing…
Jay: Yes.
Willie Garson: …it’s called Courtship of Eddie’s Father, kind of the best friend business partner of the father of Courtship of Eddie’s Father. So that I kind of created for myself because I really liked Mozzie, you know, Mozzie was certainly the closest to myself that I played and I found that that was very freeing in a lot of ways to have more fun with. So, you know, Mozzie could show up on any show. Maybe not survivor but there are many shows that Mozzie could show up on.
Jay: Yes, okay thank you.
Willie Garson: Thank you.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Rachael please proceed with your question.
Rachael: Hi Willie, thanks for taking our questions today, I know you heard that a lot today.
Willie Garson: Well thank you all for asking them.
Rachael: I just want to say I’ve been a big fan of yours for a long time and I’m going to miss White Collar. What are you going to miss most about White Collar when it’s over and done? As Willie Garson what are you going to miss walking away?
Willie Garson: You know, really the day-to-day camaraderie and fun of being together. We – we’re all very much the same kind of people and we just jelled perfectly. You know, Jeff Eastin the creator along with the network worked very hard in – on casting this show. And they just got it right in this blend of people and as hard as we all worked actually to get it. And it just worked out perfectly it was never like all of us, I got some (unintelligible). It was like no, no I got the one I wanted and we all felt that way and I got it with my friends who I was friends with already Tim and (Tiffany) and Matt just fit in perfectly in my life. And so I’m going to miss the camaraderie and also the collaborative nature of it. We felt like- we almost felt like we were in a high school, that first time when you’re acting in high school plays and you’re all in it together making it as good as it can be together. And that somehow transferred into a big time TV show and it was just delightful. So that – I’m really going to miss that camaraderie and seeing Matt and Tim and everyday is a big deal for me. So we try to now even though we’re not working together.
Rachael: Well thank you very much.
Willie Garson: Thank you.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Meg please proceed with your question.
Meg: Hi Willie thank you for doing this.
Willie Garson: Sure.
Meg: When I spoke with Jeff Eastin a few years ago and asked him what was the most surprise for you when you started creating this show and he told me it was your character.
Willie Garson: Yes.
Meg: A pleasant surprise of course.
Willie Garson: I hope so.
Meg: And you know what I’m a big fan of this show and you always bring in so much fun and delight and it’s just so – I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed you as Mozzie.
Willie Garson: That’s very sweet thank you.
Meg: And I wanted to ask you, what did you enjoy or what did you like about
this character so much…
((Crosstalk))
Willie Garson: Well…
Meg: …go ahead.
Willie Garson: …what I liked most about this character was that it was the closest to myself, which I never really had a chance to play that much to myself and in that was very freeing in terms of adding stuff and coming up with ideas that had to change me. So I was – I really got the opportunity to entertain myself on this role. That said that all comes from the way Jeff set up the show, you know, it’s so collaborative. And I think it was a surprise because this was going to be a very ancillary character who just kind of, you know, helped where Neal would maybe go consult with him once an episode for a scene about something nefarious. And it turned into it had to be part of the actual family of the show. And Mozzie thanked him for that and I thank, really I thank the parents for that and it’s just been a great opportunity to – for me to have more of a playground. It’s been a playground the whole time, they also let us write stuff and change scenes and fix scenes and add stuff and it’s just been terrific in terms of all of that and that’s been a very special experience I don’t know if I’ll have that again. I’ll try to have it but I don’t know if I’ll have it as well as it’s been done on this one.
Meg: Well I think you were successful in guarding your character as a guardian of the character and it was such a delight. Thank you so much for six years of…
Willie Garson: Thank you.
Meg: …it was just wonderful thank you so much.
Willie Garson: All right thank you so much too.
Operator: We have a follow-up question from the line of Rachael please proceed with your question.
Rachael: Hello again Willie.
Willie Garson: Hello.
Rachael: You just said that you’re a big fan of reality TV. You are a man (with) my heart, what are your favorite reality TV shows? Do you watch the Housewives and which one is your favorite?
Willie Garson: I have been known to watch – to dip into the Housewives pool. I have a soft spot for New Jersey because it’s where I’m from. I have a soft spot for Orange County because I know a few of them. And I, you know, you can never count out (unintelligible), which for a long time was the Cadillac of jokes. I like any reality shows that have to do with real estate because I’m a huge fan of (unintelligible) international. And anything to do with food, so I love cooking ones and I love Anthony Bourdain I know the (unintelligible) episode and I’ll even watch a little daytime when I’m at the gym to see my friend (Mario Patelli) on the (unintelligible).
Rachael: So you’re a food network junkie?
Willie Garson: Not a junkie because it’s, you know, there’s things all around the dial not with food but I am a partner in two restaurants here in Los Angeles and I am a good guy so I like food.
Rachael: Which restaurants if I might ask?
Willie Garson: I am an owner of a restaurant called Dominic’s and another restaurant called Little Dom’s both here in Los Angeles.
Rachael: Very good, awesome thank you.
Willie Garson: All right, thank you.
Operator: We have a follow-up question from the line of Meg please proceed with your question.
Meg: Hi Willie it’s me again.
Willie Garson: Hello.
Meg: Ending a show is very difficult to do because I can’t think of any ending that I really loved except for maybe (House) was good. And Desperate Housewives I think they were good too. But other than that I can’t think of anything that I’m like wow that was such a nice ending show. So are you happy with how it ended?
Willie Garson: I think it’s a really hard thing to end a show that satisfies everyone. I think in away I think ours will be pretty successful and for not the reason that you think it’s – I think it’s because we were in a hurry. And we didn’t have a ridiculously long amount of time to prepare for it. So because of that, you know, much like I tell my son when he’s playing tennis, the longer he waits to take that shot the worst the shot is going to be. And that’s a lot how I feel about ending shows, we didn’t have – it came to quickly and we were not prepared for the show to end so we just went to work and quickly summed it up. And I think it came out in a really elegant way that I was surprised at how lovely the final episode actually is. So we did our best, I think (unintelligible) tried to do their best and we did our best. So there you have it.
Meg McNamara: Well I believe in Jeff and so I’m looking forward to it thank you so much.
Willie Garson: Thank you.
Kristin: All right, if no one has any other questions then we’ll go ahead and wrap up the call.
Willie Garson: Let me just before you wrap up, we just wanted – we always take these opportunities and this is our last opportunity for this show, but to thank you all for being unbelievably supportive of this show and for writing about us and getting the word out about this show. It did not go unnoticed and this show has been a real fan driven show and that’s because of people like you. So we thank you a lot for that, so know that we’re aware of that we’re very please and thankful for what you’ve done for us.
Kristin: Thank you so much Willie.
Willie Garson: All right very good, enjoy.
Kristin: Thanks everyone.
Willie Garson: Bye-bye.
END
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That is the tricky part of doing these calls. The studios provide us with the copies of the transcript. With this call, Garson’s line was very spotty and the transcript picks up what it can. We simply post what the studio gives us realizing that the heart of the call is still there.
Thanks a lot for the transcript, Greg!!
But seriously, Jim DuKay?!