Joss Whedon: The Biography (78 page)

BOOK: Joss Whedon: The Biography
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She was all cranky …
” Whedon, quoted in Havens,
Joss Whedon
, 19.

portraying Buffy’s grief “was probably the most awful …
” Gellar, quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”


It’s my own fault …
” Whedon, quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”


Buffy had cut a swath …
” Loeb, interview by the author.


I’m not sure if he’s asking …
” Ibid.


One wanted to star Giles …
” Ibid.


funny, clever, had twists …
” Whedon, interview in
Joss Whedon: The Master at Play
, DVD
.


Unlike the series …
” Whedon, quoted in Robinson, “Joss Whedon—Web Exclusive” (interview).


That’s a tall order …
” Loeb, interview by the author.

his new series and his previous one “were very similar …
” Wight, interview by the author.

a demonic driver’s ed instructor …
Loeb, quoted in Cairns, “An Animated Guy.”


It’s a very silly show” …
Whedon, quoted in Robinson, “Joss Whedon—Web Exclusive” (interview).


the scripts were like fine pastries …
” Loeb, interview by the author.


We were met …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.


It was like getting ready …
” Loeb, interview by the author.


because of the sale …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.


Essentially what that means …
” Ibid.


I’ve always said …
” Loeb, interview by the author.


The first time we move …
” Grushow, quoted in Hontz, “Bloody ‘Buffy’ Spectre.”

16. Once More, with Feeling


We will take all the revenue …
” Kellner, quoted in Schneider and Adalian, “‘Buffy’ a Toughie for WB.”


They don’t have wheelbarrows …
” Grushow, quoted in ibid.


The WB has been so supportive …
” Gellar, quoted in Grossberg, “Gellar: I’m Gone if Buffy Leaves WB.”


Nobody wanted the show” …
Kellner, quoted in in Rice, “Slayer It Ain’t So.”


26 to 29 years old in year 2 …
” Whedon, quoted in ibid.


Other networks reach more people …
” Ibid.


The studio did everything it could …
” Armstrong, “Vampire Smackdown.”


The whole thing made me so angry …
” Whedon, quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”

their “contractual right to exclusively promote …
” Schneider and Adalian, “WB Bans ‘Buffy’ Adieu.”


The STORY is in charge …
” Whedon,
Buffy.com
post, May 23, 2001.


The community …
” Cole, interview by the author.

it didn’t seem as if the WB “realized …
” Quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”


They were actually really excited” …
Whedon, quoted in Owen, “Is Buffy Dead?”


The college years can be …
” Noxon, interview by the author.


reading new writers …
” Ibid.


Sarah Michelle piped up …
” Head, interview by the author.


He’s a huge musical theater aficionado …
” Batali, interview by the author.


That’s really almost kind of like music …
” Saralegui, interview by the author.


No, it doesn’t feel right” …
Whedon, quoted in Head, interview by the author.


I was doing this jump backwards …
” Strong, interview by the author.


I was basically his slave” …
Cole, interview by the author.


We listened to that over and over …
” Ibid.


I started to listen …
” Head, interview by the author.


It’s obvious now that they were good …
” Marsters, quoted in Norton, “411mania Interviews: James Marsters.”


At that point the cast knuckled down …
” Ibid.


I basically started to cry …
” Gellar, quoted in Schilling “Vamping It Up.”


It took something like 19 hours …
” Ibid.


an incredible experience” …
Gellar, quoted in McCabe, “Buffy Hits a High Note.”


I was rather sad …
” Head, interview by the author.


He has exquisite taste …
” Minear, interview by the author.


It wasn’t Hello Kitty” …
Whedon, interview by the author.


At that point we were overjoyed …
” Marsters, quoted in Norton, “411mania Interviews: James Marsters.”


Being able to navigate the swing …
” Noxon, interview by the author.


the songs were only half-memorable …
” Zacharek, “The Hills Are Alive.”


There are websites devoted to …
” Noxon, interview by the author.


It wasn’t who Buffy was …
” Gellar, quoted in Jensen, “The Goodbye Girl.”


I really thought that was out of character …
” Ibid.


That’s where having feedback …
” Noxon, interview by the author.


The truth is the writers on Buffy …
” Marsters, quoted in Norton, “411mania Interviews: James Marsters.”


Spike’s a villain” …
Noxon, interview by the author.


I realized, just the other day …
” Whedon, quoted in Utichi, “A Buffy-Style Kicking.”


If you heard her talking …
” Gutierrez, interview by the author.


Let’s end it in the asylum …
” Whedon, quoted in Gutierrez, interview by the author.


Joss never undermined …
” Gutierrez, interview by the author.

17. We Aim to Misbehave: Firefly


a gritty realism …
” Whedon, quoted in Russell, “The CulturePulp Q&A: Joss Whedon.”


particularly the ’70s westerns …
” Whedon, interview by the author.


I wanted to play with that classic notion …
” Whedon, quoted in Nussbaum, “Must-See Metaphysics.”


Never watched any British sci-fi” …
Whedon, interview by the author.


how politics affect people …
” Whedon, quoted in Russell, “The CulturePulp Q&A: Joss Whedon.”


Buck, the serio-comic driver …
” Erisman, “Stagecoach in Space.”


about Joe Schmo …
” Whedon, quoted in Miller, “The Man Behind the Slayer.”


It was nice to have a show that was about …
” Ibid.

Captain Reynolds “ is a man who …
” Whedon, quoted in Nussbaum, “Must-See Metaphysics.”

A “guy who looks into the void …
” Ibid.


Of course the captain was …
” Whedon, quoted in Miller, “The Man Behind the Slayer.”


Wash is an absolute contrast …
” Whedon,
Serenity: The Official Visual Companion
, 11.


The last thing that Fox said was …
” Ibid, 11.


I walked into an office” …
Fillion, interview by the author.


This’ll be great” …
Whedon, quoted in Fillion, interview by the author.


Which I am” …
Fillion, interview by the author.


He would describe something in the universe …
” Ibid.


I’ve had a lot of meetings …
” Ibid.


After that, it was up to me …
” Torres, quoted in Whedon,
Firefly: A Celebration
, 48.


You wouldn’t want to cross him …
” Baldwin, interview by the author.


I was petrified” …
Staite, interview by the author.

Neil Patrick Harris was in contention …
Harris, interview by the author.


This whole moment in the pilot …
” Maher, quoted in Vary, “Life Inside the Whedonverse.”


He immediately started joking …
” Baccarin, interview by the author.


I put on my coat …
” Fillion, interview by the author.


I had trouble in the early going …
” Baldwin, interview by the author.


It does make perfect sense” …
Kozac, “Serenity NOW!”


You can say something that’s paragraphs long …
” Ibid.


When Joss directs …
” Fillion, interview by the author.


If you don’t have a second-in-command …
” Whedon,
Firefly: A Celebration
, 16.

he “could not find anybody even remotely of the caliber …
” Ibid.


I want to give you a spaceship” …
Whedon, quoted in Minear, interview by the author.


Oh, for God’s sake …
” Minear, interview by the author.

David Greenwalt “did not take it lightly …
” Whedon,
Firefly: A Celebration
, 16.


When Angel came around …
” Whedon, interview by the author.


when three shows came on …
” Ibid.


He’s done his thing” …
Buchanan, quoted in Adalian, “Whedon Widens Mutant’s Reach.”


OK, you did your time” …
Cole, quoted in Whedon, interview by the author.


I didn’t feel a daily pressure …
” Fillion, interview by the author.


Because I’ve had experience …
” Whedon, quoted in Baldwin, interview by the author.

18. Curse Your Sudden but Inevitable Cancellation


My marching orders …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.


hugely depressing” …
Whedon, quoted in Vineyard, “‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Sing-Alongs Killed.”


That’s what we do in our homes …
” Whedon, interview in
Joss Whedon: The Master at Play
, DVD
.


This is something that was problematic” …
Whedon, interview by the author.


It was very dark” …
Minear, comments in
Firefly 10th Anniversary: Browncoats Unite
.


the most twisted new show …” Firefly
promos, Fox network.


We knew we were in real trouble …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.


we got the best people …
” Fillion, interview by the author.


I never worked with an ensemble …
” Whedon, interview in
The Write Environment
, DVD.


I’ve always pulled …
” Fillion, interview by the author.


seeing this beautiful woman …
” Minear, comments in
Firefly 10th Anniversary: Browncoats Unite
.


I went to Fox very early …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.


Without Whedonesque …
” Cole, interview by the author.


I’m only posty for a moment …
” Whedon,
Buffistas.org
post, December 12, 2002.


We were on the bridge …
” Minear, interview by the author.


I’ve never seen him so mad” …
Baldwin, interview by the author.


It was right before …
” Staite, interview by the author.


We’ve just been canceled …
” Minear, interview by the author.


We would screw things up …
” Baccarin, interview by the author.


I understood how that scene …
” Ibid.


It’s Friday. The show is finished …
” Minear, interview by the author.


God bless them …
” Fillion, interview by the author.


I promised these [actors] …
” Whedon, interview in
The Write Environment
, DVD.


I went crazy …
” Whedon, interview in
Making It with Riki Lindhome
podcast.


Joss was so dedicated …
” Baldwin, interview by the author.


I love him” …
Baccarin, interview by the author.

19. End of (Buffy’s) Days


Every set has its own sort of tenor …
” Whedon, quoted in News of the Week, Sci Fi Wire, November 25, 2002.


We both kind of felt …
” Gellar, quoted in Jensen, “The Goodbye Girl.”


A lot of people were ready …
” Ibid.


A lot of people owe Sarah …
” Prinze, quoted in O’Hare, “End of ‘Buffy’ Only Makes Gellar Stronger.”


Not everybody was best of friends …
” Whedon, quoted in Ken P., “An Interview with Joss Whedon.”


There was a whole thing about it …
” Whedon, quoted in Faraci, “Exclusive Interview.”


Villains don’t think …
” Fillion, interview by the author.


Honestly, gentle viewers” …
Andrew in “Storyteller,”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
.


Buffy also became a little bit …
” Whedon, quoted in “10 Questions,”
New York Times
.


It would have been Faith …
” Minear, quoted in “Kung Fu Faith,” BBC.


Honestly, if I had a strong answer …
” Whedon, quoted in “10 Questions,”
New York Times
.


I realized that there was a scene …
” Whedon, interview by the author.


We had taken that story …
” Whedon, quoted in Ausiello, “Angel Mystery.”


My relationship with Joss …
” Carpenter, panel comments, Dragon Con.


The character lost its thrill …
” Kartheiser, quoted in “The Man in the Light Gray Flannel Suit,”
Giant
.


spent most of this year trapped …
” Gunn in “Players,”
Angel
.

20. An Astonishing Return to His Roots

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