Background on Lord John Roxton, according to the article: The youngest
son of a lord, John Roxton never expected to inherit his father's title. His older brother William was attacked by a great
ape...John killed the animal, but the bullet killed his brother as well. John inherited what should have been his brother's
title and along with it a tremendous guilt that pushes him into adventures of even greater danger.
Background on Will Snow: Becoming an actor was at one time the furthest
thing from Snow's mind. "I saved up money and then left to train as a commercial diver. Eventually...a friend of mine got
me involved in doing TV commercials." In 1996, Snow made his TV debut on the Australian series Pacific Drive.
Prior to being cast on The Lost World, the actor starred as adventurer David Grief on the Australian TV series
Tales of the South Seas.
What are you doing now?
We've had a bit of time off this week because we're close to wrapping production
on the third season. Then we'll all return to our respective haunts and rest up for the next season. The work is a lot of
fun, but it's also taxing.
How did The Lost World come about for you?
I happened to be in Los Angeles at the time and met with executive producer
Leslie Belzberg about the show. (he was in LA and I missed him?! Aughh!!)Then I came back to Australia where I read
for the role and the rest, they say, is history.
What was your reaction to the pilot script?
I knew that the series was going to be physically demanding because of
how the original script read, and I was pleased about that. The action component of the show makes it more fun.
How has Roxton changed, and how will he change as time goes on?
In the pilot and probably into the first season Roxton was played I dare
say in a fairly stereotypical Great White Hunter fashion. He had plenty of arrogance, he was proud and staunch, all the usual
things. However...we gave him some flaws and little quirks...he tends to find himself amusing. He'll laugh at his own jokes
when no one else necessarily finds them funny...but when the chips are down you can always rely on him to be there for you.
[and later?] We may even find that Roxton isn't all that he's cracked up to be. I think we're going to learn that
my character has a few dark secrets of his own which will come out.
What does Roxton think of the other explorers?
The Marguerite/Roxton relationship is obvious. As for Challenger, my character
sees him as a visionary...He loves the 'mad' absurdities of the man. He has the utmost respect for Challenger. My character's
feelings for Veronica are those of an older brother. Although she's capable of taking care of herself, he's still very protective
of her. He also respects her because she's a survivor and a skilled hunter. Roxton sees Malone as a younger brother and feels
responsible for him. They've shared a lot of the same experiences, especially when it comes to the war.
What kinds of stories in TLW do you like?
I love stories where Roxton has been transformed in some way. They allow
me the chance to step outside the mold of my regular character and play someone different.
What are some episodes you like?
In the first season's Blood Lust, Roxton contracts a disease that
turns him into a vampire. I couldn't portray a cliche and neither could I overplay the madness that possessed Roxton. I had
to walk a fine line between the two and I enjoyed that. Another episode that comes to mind is Stone Cold. In it,
Malone, Marguerite and Roxton seek shelter in a deserted castle. They change out of their wet clothes and into period costumes.
Not long after, they begin to take on the personalities of the people whose clothes they are wearing. I thought that whole
premise was very clever. I'm also partial to shows that have Roxton and Marguerite either fighting or ogling each other, such
as in The Outlaw. That was a major turning point for the two of them because up to that time their relationship hadn't
been focused on very much. It features some rather heated moments between Roxton and Marguerite. We actually just finished
filming another wonderful episode for both our characters called Trapped.
Can you relate a funny moment working on a scene?
In Mark of the Beast, [I] got up close and personal with a bevy
of cane toads. People were giving me all sorts of grotesque looks but that's the way the scene had to be done. I kept on shoving
toads down the front of my shirt-I had no clue how many were down there-and after four takes we managed to get a few of them
to hop out. Trust me, there's never a dull moment on The Lost World.
Can you give us a final thought?
You learn something new with every role you play. I think that's the only
way to keep it [acting] interesting for yourself and, ultimately, your audience.
