Romancing the Stone Fox
"I imagine if these fans do not sort of gravitate towards me in some way by the third episode that I'm in," Eric Dane says, "I can guarantee you that [my character] will be in Hong Kong for some time."
By now, Dane should know whether fans of The WB's Sunday-night hit Charmed have warmed up to his character, Jason Dean, a millionaire who purchased the newspaper that employs advice-columnist Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), the middle sister of a trio of good San Francisco witches.
Over Jason's first three episodes, he and Phoebe have become more than just colleagues, marking her first serious romance since breaking up with her half-human/half-demon ex-husband, Cole (Julian McMahon).
"At the beginning, he's not abrasive, but he's like a bull in a china shop," says Dane, taking a break between takes in the set of the sisters' Victorian-style living room. "He comes in, takes over the newspaper. He has his own way of running things, based on his experience. He's been ridiculously successful doing it, so taking feedback from anybody is not something he's looking for."
"He comes in, and Phoebe actually thaws him out a little bit. Not that he's the ice king, but she softens him up a little bit, because he develops feelings for her and eventually falls in love with her."
His character falls for Phoebe, Dane says (with an exaggerated air of being put-upon), "Because she's so cute. I don't know why it happens. I think primarily it happens because that's how the writers wrote it. So, yeah, I fall in love with her because they made me. It was real tough. People have asked me this question, 'What's it like kissing Alyssa, or what's it like having that kind of chemistry and relationship with Alyssa?' And it sucks!"
"When I get up in the morning, and I know I have to come to work and act like I have to kiss her, all I want to do is sleep. I just want to sleep in."
At this point, Dane can't help laughing. "No, I'm kidding. Alyssa's a great girl. Not only is she great, but she's beautiful. Not that that's a prerequisite for me wanting to kiss somebody, but she's a really sweet girl. That's not something she wants to hear, that she's sweet. She's a stone-cold fox. But she is very sweet."
In the episode being filmed this day, "Necromancing the Stone," airing May 4, a business deal is sending Jason to Hong Kong for at least six months, and he wants Phoebe to come with him. So, not only has Jason replaced Cole in Phoebe's heart, he may be taking her away from her sisters.
"You know what?" Dane asks. "Nobody's going to like me. This is a lose-lose situation for me. Or, we can do Charmed in Hong Kong. We got the budget, right?"
No matter what Phoebe decides, there's a good chance Jason will show up next season. Dane is happy to come back, provided the character isn't let in on the sisters' demon-fighting supernatural activities.
"Phoebe told me there are bad people and demons and whatnot," he says, "but I don't think I've bought into any of it. I think it's all kind of weird. I'm not sure I'll ever know the sisters are witches. The second they expose the magic to me, I think it's the second that I die. I'm super happy I don't have magic, and I don't know if I even want to know the secrets."
Not that Phoebe didn't take a stab at an explanation. "It was in the beginning," Dane says. "She was telling me about demons. I was kind of listening, kind of not listening. She said 'demons,' I said, 'OK.' I don't think she's crazy. I think I thought at the time that demons were analogous to some cranky in-laws that she had staying over for a weekend. She kept talking about her family and things like that, so maybe it was just her stepmother."
At the moment, Dane is just happy to be working at The WB, even if he is feeling a little bit over-the-hill. "The WB and I, it's a strange thing. I'm 30 years old. I'm a senior citizen at The WB. Their age group is, like, young and geriatric. They've got the old people in the show, because the young people are so young they need old people around. So I'm kind of in a tough spot for The WB, but they definitely created some opportunities for me."
Although he's on a woman-centered show, Dane is feeling like a man with his own mission. "It is a chick show, but I don't think I'm here to support anybody. I'm not in a supporting role to facilitate and move along the story line for the girls. I've got my own thing. I'm trying to drag one of the girls off to another country -- there's nothing chick show-y about that."
As for those holding out for a Cole-Phoebe reunion -- made practically impossible by McMahon's new job on the upcoming FX series "Nip/Tuck" -- Dane says, "There were some Band-Aid guys, but I'm the real deal. Maybe the Cole-Phoebe fans will open their eyes.Let's just tell them there's no chance this guy is ever coming back, so you can either like me or you can live in the past."
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