An Eerie Encounter with “Houdini & Doyle” Star Michael Weston

Weston who portrays Houdini in the series debuting tonight at 9 pm ET on Fox recently joined select journalists for the samp233ance in the Houdini Samp233ance Chamberamp160pictured below at Hollywoodamp8217s famed Magic Castle The eerie exchange was conducted by magician and medium Misty Lee The results were surprising yes amp8220contactamp8221 was madeamp8220I didn39t know what to expect going inamp8221 Weston told TV Download after the show amp8220I am a total skeptic so I thought I would be outed as one and Misty Lee would be all angry at me But I was impressed with her ability to withstand all of our skepticism and deliver such a good showamp8221The series centers on the reallife friendship of amp8220Sherlock Holmesamp8221 scribe Arthur Conan Doyle a staunch believer in all things paranormal and Harry Houdini a desperate wanttobeliever with a penchant for debunking charlatans Think a yeold Scully and Mulder and you39re on the right trackLike his Houdini character Weston left the samp233ance mind unchanged amp8220I39m not sure I39m more convinced there are ghosts now than I was walking inamp8221 he laughed amp8220I39m not a convert but it was pretty exciting I love that they really go for it here at the Magic Castle it39s sweet Sometimes I wish I had little more of that and wasn39t such a cynic Maybe if Iamp8217d had a few drinks amp8230amp8221One thing that did impress Weston were the surroundings in the Houdini Samp233ance Room which is filled with artifacts and actual personal items of Houdiniamp8217s including a straightjacket from which he escaped handcuffs from which he couldnamp8217t escape and vintage promotional posters from his showsamp8220This role has offered many opportunities in a way that are amazing as an actoramp8221 Weston said amp8220While the show isnamp8217t all about his magic I did get to do some of his escapes and got to learn about the magic and to learn magic on the fly That39s a humbling experienceamp8221Weston was quick to add that the series is in no way a biopic of the reallife friendship of the two men and that he will probably amp8220receive flack for misconstruing historyamp8221 Still itamp8217s the unique take on these two epic personalities and their very different views of the supernatural that gives the show its unique characteramp8220I love that Harry Houdini who was an incredible magician and escapologist was the skeptic about the supernatural while Arthur Conan Doyle who wrote all the Sherlock Holmes books was a doctor and scientist who believed in ghostsamp8221 Weston said amp8220They had a reallife friendship and a fallout over this very thing duking it out over the supernatural and what is real what is the afterlife and are there such thing as ghosts and another realm I love that these guys had that and that there was a great rapport between themamp8221According to Weston his skepticism for the paranormal was something shared by costar Stephen Mangan who plays Doyle Mangan pictured below leftamp160with Weston is best known to US audiences for his role on the Showtime comedy amp8220Episodesamp8221 amp8220In real life I think we were both skeptical but the great thing about it is that Houdini himself wanted to believe He wanted to find the answer and find a medium who was real so he could visit his wife Bess from the afterlife if there was such a thingamp8221amp8220I think there is a beauty in thatamp8221 he continued amp8220There is a part of me that would to love believe I guess you just don39t want to be had I39m envious or maybe not vulnerable enough to think maybe there is something Maybe there is As soon as you want to put a period on it it does raise a question markamp8221With the entire series in the can Weston has hung up his straightjacket and chains for the meantime and looks forward to viewer reaction to the series Heamp8217s also about to join Twitter for the first time and hopes a season two might be around the corner amp8220I would love to do this againamp8221 he sharedDonamp8217t expect his newfound magic skills to be shown off with a residency at the Magic Castle pictured below amp8220I wanted to do all of it so I could be in the wider shots and not have a pair of hands doing it for meamp8221 he revealed amp8220But I have not yet been invited to perform my debut at the Magic Castle and hell no I wouldn39t I can39t guarantee any of my magic was good or even made the final cutamp8221The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers

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An Eerie Encounter with “Houdini & Doyle” Star Michael Weston

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An Eerie Encounter with “Houdini & Doyle” Star Michael Weston

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Steve Gidlow

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