THE DIRT ON DIG

Q: What drew you to this new role?

Jason: He's an FBI agent embroiled in this conspiracy. I get to run around and pretend to be cooler and tougher and sexier and smarter than I am, which is fun. This is mostly because [executive producer] Tim Kring is one of the great storytellers in television. He's proven that for many years. And [executive producer] Gideon Raff somehow manages to tell stories that are not only completely engaging, but reach out beyond the story into the zeitgeist.

Q: Can you tell us a little about the investigation that your character begins to uncover?

Jason: The FBI has somebody stationed at every consulate and embassy in the world. Peter is investigating the murder of an American on foreign soil, and it starts to seem like there are other forces at play. Only Peter and the audience can see these different threads coming together and can tell that there is something that is much bigger, much scarier and much more sinister and unstoppable happening. It’s Peter’s job to do his best to stop it.

Q: What do you think you've brought to the role of Peter that has made him come alive?

Jason: The more acting I do over the years, the less I think about it; I try to be in the moment. I just turn up, try to be the character in the situation and not think about the consequences. The story is always bigger than any actor. One of the great privileges of my job is that I get to meet FBI guys, soldiers, policemen—all of these men that fill up traditionally alpha male roles. I’ve continually found them surprisingly, more nuanced than you would imagine and happy to be vulnerable. I try not to make Peter an "FBI Agent." He’s just this guy, he makes mistakes, he gets frightened, he gets hurt and he also kicks butt.

Q: What makes the show so appealing?

Tim: I think it's both familiar and different. The familiar part is that it's a thriller, that it's fast-paced, aggressive storytelling. By aggressive storytelling I mean that a lot happens in every episode, in that breathless kind of way, where you can't keep up with how much story you're getting, [but] in a good way. That's the part that I think will become addictive for people. By having a beginning, a middle, and an end and not an ongoing series that has to drag on for a long time. It allows us to cram a lot of story in. So that's the part that I think is both familiar and unique. We are dealing with symbols and prophecies and ancient secrets and secret societies and all of that. It also has some similarities to the psychological paranoid thrillers of the '70s, about the little guy who uncovers something he wasn't supposed to find out. Then, because of that, he gets in trouble and now everybody is after him and he doesn't know who to trust.

Q: Can you talk about the preparation and research that went into this project?

Tim: The research we did for this was really incredible. It's highly Google-able subject matter that we're dealing with. The opening scene of the show, all you have to do is Google what that is about, and you will find thousands of Web pages devoted to it. We had researchers in Israel who were doing a lot of research on the archaeological aspects, and we had Reza Aslan on our staff, who was great for the historical context of some of the archaeological stuff that we were dealing with. He was really great at helping us design story around that.

Q: So what can we expect from this new event series?

Gideon: DIG is an archaeological thriller that takes place in Jerusalem, about an FBI agent, played by Jason Isaacs, who investigates a murder of a young American and uncovers a conspiracy 2,000 years in the making. It's also about Jason's character, who is dealing with his own personal grief and how he lost his faith because of a trauma that happened. You see this guy who is dealing with his own inner demons in a place that is extremely Holy.

Q: How important is the city as a character?

Gideon: Jerusalem, by its very nature, is the central pivotal character in the show. We bring Peter, who is struggling with his faith, to the holiest place on earth and the holiest places underground. In that sense, Jerusalem plays a huge role.

Q: What's one of the biggest challenges you've encountered on this project?

SJ: My biggest challenge in some ways is that it's such an epic story. In the pilot episode, there are three different worlds, there's Norway, there's New Mexico, and Jerusalem. I needed to make sure that I gave each of those worlds a very distinct tone and atmosphere. The challenge was realizing those worlds in a way that they played in harmony with each other, but were distinct enough so that immediately when you cut to a scene in that location you know where you are and you understand that you are in a different arm of the storytelling while also making it feel like it’s one complete piece.

Q: So tell us about your character.

Alison: Emma Wilson is an archaeology student. She's on a dig in Jerusalem studying under a renowned archaeologist. She meets Jason Isaacs' character, Peter Connelly, and they have this beautiful adventure through the streets of Jerusalem at night. They develop a pretty unique relationship and then she gets in over her head a bit in her curiosity. Emma is an incredible character and the show is written so well. It's like a great book that you don't want to put down. It's so fascinating. The more you learn about it, the less you understand. You think you have the answers and then there are more twists and turns. It's brilliant.

Q: Did you do a lot of research into archaeology?

Alison: I read as much as I could get my hands on and tried to have conversations with people that had been there or that were involved in archaeology in one way or another. It is amazing when you start asking around. When you talk to people and mention that you are in Israel and you are playing an archaeologist it seems like everyone has this story in one way or another. However, for me the real research started when we got to Jerusalem. You can read about history all you want, but it comes alive when you're looking at the stones and you're smelling the smells and you're looking at the trees, the landscape, the buildings. It’s a different world. I fell in love with it instantaneously.

Q: Do you remember how you felt when you got the script for the first time?

Anne: I am always looking for something that is going to push me to a place I haven’t been before and so I was thrilled when I first read the script. I was already excited about the talent involved. I immediately dove in, and it was a page-turner. I love reading scripts for the first time as an audience member, but it’s great when you realize you can be a part of bringing the story to life.

Q: What characteristics did you bring to your character that was not on the page?

Anne: The challenge for me was playing a character that wasn't a combination of every female FBI agent that you’ve seen before on screen. Lynn is an unconventional woman, she travels all over the world and has chosen not to have a family. It’s my job to portray Lynn in a non-cliché way to the audience.

Q: What attracted you to the project?

David: Good writing makes interesting television. The actual storytelling is intriguing because you are not going to know the answer. It's a big mystery. The mystery started thousands of years ago and it's happening now. There is enough reality inside of the fiction that when you go and actually do any research on it, you're going to be like, "I'm sorry, what? This is based on what? It makes for really compelling stories. This show does not lack for ambition.

Q: Do you think Tad is a villain or a hero in his own mind?

David: Tad feels a righteous connection to destiny. The interesting thing about his internal conflict is that he is compelled to do something that he feels conflicted about. I don’t think he would consider himself either a hero or a villain because the overarching goal is based on so much faith that he would say he is an instrument of a higher power.