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Drew Z. Greenberg - Interviewed at the Buffy soundstage February 2002
Back To School
How did your writing career begin?
I came here from law school, basically. I was in law school in northern California and decided while I was in school that this thing that I'd always done as a hobby - this writing thing - was too fun to pass up.
I thought a really nice study break would be writing my own episode of Star Trek. It seemed like it would be a fun way to take a break, and eventually what happened was that studying for finals became my break from writing my Star Trek episode. If anybody ever goes back and gets hold of my transcripts from law school, you'll be able to have proof of that for sure.
I sent the script off to the Star Trek office. They liked it and brought me down to pitch stories. That was when the light bulb went off over my head and I said, "This is something I can do."
So I graduated from law school, moved to Los Angeles and started writing. I did some freelance work on some shows and wrote a pilot for a series which was never produced, but which was bought, and got some really good positive attention. Then [my work] landed on the desks of Marti Noxon and Joss Whedon.
Now't so queer as folk
Is it true that you wrote scripts for the American version of Queer as Folk?
It is. It is true. You've certainly done your homework. I did a freelance episode of the American version of Queer as Folk. I was a huge, huge fan of the British version.
Before we had that available to us here I was begging, stealing, cheating, lying, doing whatever I could do to get my hands on bootlegged video tapes that were floating around.
I finally got it, and was one of the lucky few who had the British version of Queer as Folk. I loved it, and so when I was invited to do the American version, I did a little happy dance in my apartment.
I met some really good people there, people who helped me get my pilot done. It was a wonderful experience.
Sexy Slayer
Which show has more sex in it, Queer as Folk or season six of Buffy?
It's pretty neck and neck I have to say. Pardon the pun. That's not really much of a pun actually now that I think about it.
We are certainly pushing the boundaries, but the thing about Queer as Folk is that you see a lot more. You need to see a lot more on a show like Queer as Folk because of its importance in terms of presenting the experience of those characters.
With Buffy, people say were all risqué but I have yet to actually see anything on camera that shocks me - it's all implied. Say what you will, [but] I think it's all in the imagination of our audience, and they should get their minds out of the gutter!
Addicted to magic
Was it difficult to handle the drug addiction metaphor that Willow is going through in your first script, Smashed?
It was, it definitely was. The idea for me in terms of the addiction storyline - at least what I was keeping in my mind - was that Willow had been bound for a couple of years now, by one person in particular who was saying to her "You have to be careful, you have to be respectful, you have to limit yourself," and this person was suddenly and dramatically no longer there for her.
Willow was set free to do what she wanted, and in my head I was thinking, "What would that experience be like?" Suddenly [there's] this thing that you've wanted to do all along; you've been very good about not doing it, and suddenly that restriction isn't there. You can go and do whatever you want.
I was trying to give her the vibe of a kid in a candy store, and I think that was where I was approaching Willow's mindset when we started that. I think a lot of us had that same approach to it.
Talking Italian
Did you get any feedback from Alyson Hannigan? Was she worried that Willow was going to be portrayed in a darker light?
Alyson is such a pro that she handles anything we throw at her, so no. The only issue that Alyson may have had, was the Italian spell that she had to do at the beginning.
She was unhappy with me for forcing her to speak lines and lines and paragraphs of a language of which she wasn't completely familiar, but in terms of the presentation of the character, no.
She's wonderful about being able to go dark, and that's amazing. When you have actors like we have, like Alyson and like our entire cast actually, we keep finding that no matter what we throw at them, they can handle it.
She got to play some of that really dark stuff, and it's a side of Willow we don't get to see very often. Alyson handles it like pro because that's what she can do. She's got so much depth.
The Rat is back
Fans will undoubtedly be indebted to you for bringing back Amy. How have you moved her character forward?
It wasn't hard for me. I was excited too because I've been a fan of the show from the first episode myself, even before I was even working on it, so I've been waiting for Amy to come back.
When I found out that that was going to be part of my first Buffy episode ever, I jumped up and down as a fan. Then, as a writer, you sit down and you're like, "Oh God, how am I going to make this happen?"
The truth is that Amy's been in her own little fuzzy prison for about three years and that changes people. It affects you when you've been in a totally strange and different environment, the way I imagine she has been, so I didn't feel really bound by anything we'd seen before.
I think that the core essence of Amy is there in that she's a cool girl who wants to have fun, but she's got an edge to her which is different than what we've seen before. I think it's entirely appropriate given the circumstances she's been living with for three years.
Scene Stealer
One theme that's been running throughout the season is Dawn's developing kleptomania. How have you tackled that in your scripts?
More than anything else, we're trying to show that Dawn is a very real teenager surrounded by people who lead very extraordinary lives. Her reaction to it is what any teenager's reaction would be when surrounded by people who have lots of other things going on in their lives.
She used to be mystical and different and now she's a normal girl, as far as we know, and she's reacting in a way that I think seems to say, "Look at me, pay attention to me."
I think that over the course of season six that's going to be developed a little bit more. I think you're going to see that side of Dawn brought out and what's going to be really key is that even when she gets discovered, if and when these little acts that she's been committing get discovered by her family, what is their reaction going to be?
What direction is Dawn going to go in? That's part of the fun of her character, and some of what we're going to see in the season.
Terrifying Traffic
Now that you're in the business of writing horror, what was the last thing that really scared you?
Have you seen the traffic on the 405 [freeway]? I pretty much go with that. I'm not easily scared myself, but everyday stuff scares the crap out of me, so I'd say traffic. Los Angeles traffic - not fun.
If you were one of the geek troika, What would be your geek wish list?
What was Jane's answer? Well I'll go with that: monkeys, jet packs and boys, boys, boys. That seems to work for me too, if it works for Jane, I'm fine with it.
Meeting the Boss
Describe your first meeting with Joss Whedon.
The only thing I remember is a little voice in my head [saying], "It's Joss Whedon, it's Joss Whedon, it's Joss Whedon." I think there was a big grin on my face and I may have drooled a lot. Other than that I'm not really sure.
It was the most pleasant, most fun experience a person can possibly imagine. I was stepping into the office of not one but two of my idols, Marti Noxon and Joss Whedon. I got to meet both of them at the same time, and that's quite heady, I have to say.
We sat and we talked about the stuff I'd written, we talked about the pilot I'd written, we talked about the spec Buffy I had written which they had read. We discussed the details of that. Coincidentally my meeting with Joss and Marti was the day after the final episode of season five, The Gift, aired in the US.
So, frankly, I was like, "Look, I don't care if you hire me or not, I've got tons of questions and you're doing to answer those questions for me." We talked a lot about what it meant that Buffy died, and what the outcome was going to be of that.
I was definitely a fanboy at that point, and it was like going to see the wizard and having some of my questions answered. They didn't answer all of my questions until I was hired officially.
Party Time
Tell us about encountering your fans at this year's Posting Board Party charity event.
It was absolutely - and I say this with all love and affection [as] I think the fans who were there will understand - the most bizarre experience I've ever had in my entire life.
They're fun, they're so enthusiastic and they care so much about the show, that when you walk into a room like that, no matter how much you tell yourself you're ready, you're never prepared for this wave of love that hits you.
When you walk in, it's quite remarkable being surrounded by all these people who just want to be a part - the same way that I wanted to be a part - of this experience. This is the chance for all of us to be a part of it together, and so I think it's really cool. Plus, I got to be a rock star for a few minutes, and good golly that's not bad.
Redeeming Spike
Given the way the Buffy/Spike relationship is developing this season, do you think he's redeemable as a character?
I think that Spike is showing signs of change this season, [but] I don't know if it's going to be enough. I think that Spike is at his core a killer and that's just my take on it.
This is one of those things that's open to interpretation, but [if] you want to know what I think, Spike's a killer and Buffy getting involved with him will go one of a couple of different ways.
She might be making the biggest mistake of her young life, or she might be leading him in a direction where he's going to change enough that he'll want to try to strike up a relationship with her. Is he going to be able to, though? He's still a killer, and all we've got right now is that chip in his head that's keeping him from reverting back to what he was. What happens if something happens to that chip?
I think that it's a really fascinating coupling. and I think we're all a little curious to see where it's going to go.
Unasked Questions
What's the one question no one ever asks you - and what's your answer?
There's a show here that airs on a little cable network here called Bravo [called] Inside The Actor's Studio, and they bring on for an hour each episode a different actor, director or writer.
They ask them really smart questions about their craft, and it's a very different kind of interview show for us in the States. It doesn't focus so much on the hype, it focuses more on the art of what they do. At the end there's always a questionnaire that the person gets asked with questions like, "What's your favourite curse word? If you couldn't do what you're doing now what do you wish that you were doing? What other profession other than the one you have would you want to attempt if you couldn't do what you do now?"
Nobody ever asks me questions like those, so I suppose the question really, "What professions would I want to attempt if I couldn't do the job that I have?" and I know that initially I would always say, "Writing is my true love and it's my true passion, and it's absolutely where I want to be."
If I were restricted from being a writer, if somehow the day came when I couldn't be a writer anymore, I would want to go back to the law - which is what I was studying before - and work in public defence. That is probably my second favourite love.
And then there's, "What's your favourite curse word?" but I'll leave that one for the next set of questions that we do.
Upcoming Episodes
Tell us what kind of stories you will be scripting for the rest of season six.
I'm pretty sure there's some vampires involved. I'm pretty sure there's some evil. Buffy's going to fight it and she and her friends are going to sit around and talk a lot and discuss things. Then they're going to go out and fight some more evil.
Okay, there's more to it than that. The third episode that I do this season has more to do with the relationship between Buffy and Spike, and there's quite a fascinating turn that happens there. One more development in a season of developments between these two.
{There's also] something that I hope people aren't expecting that's going to take us off yet again in another direction between the two of them. Without giving too much away, I will just say that it's something that Buffy doesn't see coming and I was quite pleased to be able to have a hand in that.