Interview with James Napier took place on 1st November 2002 on The Tribe message board. I hope you don't mind me using your replies fans! Questions are in yellow, James' answers are in red - enjoy! Stillwaters Will you miss working with Dan Weekes this year? Yes, I will miss working with Dan, for a guy his age he had a lot of talent. However there are lots of other great people to work with on S5, including the new cast, so although Dan will be missed, the show must go on. What is your favourite part of your tribal look? My favourite part of my tribal look is probably the whole black thing it's got goin on .. good contrast with the blond hair. The tribe looks at issues that affect teenagers. Is there a particular issue you think should be investigated within the show? I think that the show's doing a great job with the teenage issues so far .. there are some very good storylines to do with this coming up in S5! What aspect of your character have you most enjoyed playing? The Techno General, the big brother, the love interest etc? I have really enjoyed pretty much all of the aspects of Jay, he is a lot of fun to become!! Sometimes you can't always relate to the character, but when you can it's great! Have you ever read the fanfic MY Sweet Grace about Jay and his pre tribe girlfriend on the bb by Emeraldeyes? Yes I have. A while ago when another cast member showed me the BB, I read some of your fanfic. You are a very talented writer! Please keep it up, you could have a future with it TribalChick Do you have a girlfriend? Yes I do. Have you ever noticed the similarities in looks between yourself and Dan Weekes-Hannah? I guess that's why they cast us as brothers. The hair is the key. Do you live in the cast house or do you have to be picked up every morning? No I don't, I have my own place. How would you compare yourself to Jay? Are you anything like him? Yes I am like Jay in some respects. I agree with his morals. Which other Techno character would you love to play? Ram Which other Tribe character, from all series, would you want to play? (including Bob the dog if you really really wish :lol Bob the dog - he had great makeup. Have you ever been attacked by maniacal fans? No - What do you think when people say you have ‘puppy dog eyes’? Hence wanting to play Bob the Dog What colour would you most like to dye your hair? So far blond has been extreme enough - but who knows in the future Is the material for the Techno costumes as… urm… clingy as it seems? Definitely! It's lycra and it makes you really cold when you're cold and really hot when you're hot. Have you ever had a major blow up with a member of cast? What was it about? No, sometimes everyone gets a bit stressed out but we always remain friends at the end of the day. Are you the kind of guy who sneaks around the forum under an assumed name and reads all our posts and stories and all? No I don't - but I've been shown the board before by other cast members Ninja Who would you rather have Jay hook up with, Amber or Ebs? Characterwise he would probably suit Amber more but a bit of contrast between characters has never been a problem before!! Have you ever thought of visiting Finland? I have now! jazz I'm dressed as Amber, series one. And waiting to go to work for a halloween night. What did you do last night for Halloween? And happy November the first. I hope you have a good halloween! I have been filmin quite long hours and have caught a cold .. so I had to forgo the halloween nightlife at the moment ... Hope you enjoy New Zealand It's a very nice place to live. Who knows, I might bump into you *Mercie* Do you see you’re role on The Tribe as something special, and something that you are very grateful for, or is it just a career step? It's the most special role I've been able to play so far - and I'm very grateful for the opportunity VoldyMuyo I was just wondering if there's anything specific you do before taping to get into character and go from James to Jay? Sometimes I'll try to get myself into the headspace of where Jay might be in the scene - but it depends on how intense the scene might be. Silver_Sox88 Did you enjoy filming the Tribe? Yes I very much enjoy filming the tribe. The hours get long sometimes, but it is awesome fun, and I hope people watching it enjoy it as much as we enjoy making it! *JenMeryl Cassie* Have u got a girlfriend? Yes I have Do Have you any nicknames? I was nicknamed Goldie because of my blond hair. With who of the cast do u get on best? Any best friend? I get on well with them all but I guess some of the actors I interact with more in scenes are the ones I get along with the best simply becasue we get to spend more time together. Did you know any of the tribe actors before you joined the cast? did u watch it before? No, none of them and yes, I had seen Teh Tribe before I joined. Do u smoke? No. Where are u born? and where u live now? Wellington but I live in Auckland now. Who´s your fav actor and actress of TT and AH? I can't answer that! They're all fantastic, it wouldn;t be fair to put one above the others. Who was the first person u met when u first arrived at Cloud9? Emily from the Internet Services gang followed by Raymond Thompson. Do u enjoy kissing meryl cassie? Professionally speaking Meryl's a very convincing kisser. Who´s the shortest,cutest,largest,sexiest,funniest and coolest cast member? Shortest - Jacinta, cutest - Jacinta, largest personality - Tom Hern, sexiest - I'm sure you have an opinion yourself on that one!, funniest - Beth, coolest - Jacinta has an air of coolness about her. Will Jamiee and Dan be in S5? No. *Jays_Lover* R u aware that here on the BB u have been dubbed the breast man,bcoz of some pix where u appear to be looking down girls tops? No I wasn't aware of that! I know how that could happen though .. ok, most of the photos on the tribe website are not from a camera, they are 'stillshots', frozen frames from the video footage (of which there are lots of frames per second). If an actor glances or even moves their head quickly, any point of that movement can be frozen, and it can appear that they had paused and stared at something that in reality flashed by in a milisecond. Imagine you are being filmed right now, and glance around the room as fast as you can, then back to the cpu. You won't have actually 'seen' everything you looked at, most of it will be a blur. However if every frame of you was turned into a photo, it would look like you paused, and stared at each point, when you would know you didn't! As to why Cloud9 would put these insinuating photos on the site, I don't know! Doesn't make it easy for the actors though does it! Is it weird having so may girls fancy u? I don't see any of that, and don't really think about it! I have seen some actors become big-headed due to the exposure they get, but I'm aware that as fast as things come, they can be ripped away, so I just focus on doing what I do as best as I can What do u think to the rumours that ur gay? The rumours I'm gay? Well, if I said I wasn't, would it stop them? Probably not .. the fact that they're just rumours is enough to just ignore them .. In case it helps though, for the record, I'm not Esther14 Have you ever been to the Netherlands? I haven't been to the Netherlands, but will try to in the future! Kay88 What was your first reaction when you heard that you got a part from the tribe? My first reaction - I was over the moon! Did you like your role in Being Eve? ( I like that show...) Being Eve - To be honest no - I did the role for the experience but it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience. Have you seen Mel Gibson's movie 'We were soldiers' ? No I haven't seen We Were Soldiers - but I intend to What would you do if somebody would offer you a role from the movie where you could act with Mel (Gibson) ? Yes I would definately take it .. provided it was a good role Do you know where Finland is? Yep I know where Finland is!! Stormy_Raine How are you anyway? Hows filming going? I'm good thanks, suffering from a cold but that's ok, filming is going great, it's good to be back. How do you feel about being on TV? Do you ever watch yourself on Tv? Watching yourself on tv is in some ways unavoidable but like a lot of people I find it hard to watch myself. HOW DO YOU FEEL HAVING LOADS OF FANS? It's nice to know that Jay is well liked. How do you feel knowing that you are a sex symbol to girls/women? (laughs) Good on Jay! {Must be the lycra! Tee hee, Internet Services comments} ~Rina~ Next time, when it'll give a promotion tour in Germany, are you going to come to Germany??? Or who? Yes, I'd love to comeon a promotional tour, it would be a great experience but we don't know who will be on the next one. Southern_Hawks If there's going to be a next Tour of Europe do you want to go? Yes I hope there is another tour, it would be fun .. Do u have any views on Abortion? if any? I believe in freedom of choice, and so therefore I agree with abortion in the right circumstances. Do u have any silbings? I have two brothers, and a sister. What is your dream car? Dream car? Ferrari 512 bb.. a long way off! Fely Do you like singing???? Yes, I sing and play guitar in a jazz/rock band. Pink Bubbles Have you ever ridden a motorbike? No, I've never ridden a motorbike but my father was an old hand on a motorbike though. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Yes, I can touch my nose with my tongue. Can you make scrambled eggs? Yes, I can make scrambled eggs! TribalFreakForever What role did you have in Mercy Peak? I played a young waiter, who doubles as an arsenist, and proceeds to burn down lots of MP buildings Quite fun. What's it like working with Fleur again? It's great to work with Fleur again. She's a great actress, lots of fun. Are you planning on doing any of your own musical work, or perhaps with Cloud 9 ala another album? I definately intend to pursue music, whether it is with Cloud9 I'm not sure .. but when the acting starts to become sparse, I'll push my music more .. Have you done any other work besides The Tribe, Shortland Street, Mercy Peak and Being Eve? I have done lots of theatre, from shakespeare to musicals, but those are the only TV credits I have done. Are you going to ask Cloud 9 for a costume change this season? Surely that Techno suit would be getting smelly by now... Haha, yes I have asked! But I'm not the one who makes that call .. I think Ray likes the techno look .. Do you own a pair of Scooby Doo boxers, and if you don’t, how would you like a pair for Christmas? No I don't, yes that would be great! At the end of season four there was a rather *ahem* succulent kiss between your character and Meryl’s. Just how much of that tongue was in the script, eh? Hehehe .. when you have a director screaming at you "More! More! Give me more than that! I WANT MORE!" you do whatever will keep them happy! Canned_Pears I want to wish you all the luck for the future. How did u end up being in The Tribe? I went through a rigorous auditioning process to be on The Tribe. Thanks for your wishes! tally14 I know, I shouldn't ask, but have u got a girlfriend? There's nothing wrong with you asking! Yes i do, she lives in Auckland. ~jacksgirl14~ Has anyone ever thought you were dumb just because you hair is blond? Um, yes probably but they haven't told me so vocally! biology Did you watch the tribe before you worked on it? Yes, I had seen The Tribe before I started to work on it. akimachel Just wondering, who has inspired you the most throughout your years acting and just living? Acting wise probably either Daniel Day Lewis or Edward Norton. Personally in my life I have many people that inspire me, mostly family and close friends. Purple Flower Which tribe scene is the one that you remember the best?? There's heaps but one that sticks in my memory is the first one ever where Jay sneaks into Ebony's room and threatens her to back off. e_poelman Is there anyone, dead or alive, you would love to meet??? I'd love to meet Bruce Lee. emeraldeyes Who is your fave co-star on the show? I can't say who my favourite co-star is! That wouldn't be fair to the rest of them! thompsg2 Whats it like working with dan weekes and wat is he like in real life and does he use purrave.com because if he dunt some 1 is pretending 2 be him Working with Dan was great, he's a really nice guy and a great actor. I don't know if he was on that site. jez3_uk From reading your answers to interviews on the Tribe web site. You come across as somewhat sarcastic, for want of a better term. Would you say that was an accurate assumption about you? And if so, has it ever gotten you into trouble? Um, some questions require a level of sarcasm. No. I'm not generally a sarcastic person but if the occasion requires it then I could be and yes, this has gotten me into trouble in the past! Having gone beach blonde barbie yourself, you will be able to answer the question that many scholars have fought over. Do blondes have more fun? I think it's all a state of mind. If you dyed your hair blond to have more fun then yes, og=f course you would. Do you have any siblings? And if yes, in what proportion are they (male/female, older/younger)? Sister, older; twin brothers, younger. You play a bully on Being Eve, and a kind of do-gooder in the Tribe. Do you have a preference to playing a good or bad character? The character in Being Eve was a very steroetyoical dull character that I didnlt particularly enjoy playing and only did due to the circumstances. I much prefer to play a character like Jay as although a goodie, he is much more 3 dimensional than Jared from Being Eve. Do you or have you an interest in attending University in the future? Yes, I would at some point in my life like to go to Uni. Not for a job though but to learn some more interesting subjects. Best kick ass TV chick? Buffy. Beer or spirits (Vodka, Barcardi, Jack Daniels, Malibu)? Depends on the occasion. Death: oops? Go to heaven? Go to hell? Second time lucky? Depends on how you live your present life! Pride* How did you like kissing Meryl? Professionally speaking it was great. Do you read all your Mails yourself? If there was time to read them all I would but I'm often too busy with filming. How would you describe yourself? Urrmmm, I think I'm idealistic .. (if that's the right word!) I have tried very hard to get where I am so far, and I never take things for granted .. I'm also very aware that things can disappear as fast as they came .. the drawback of this is that I can't really sit back and enjoy any successes so far .. I'm too busy making sure they don't disappear!! Can you imagine beeing at The Tribe till the end of the series? I am liking the tribe so far, no reason to stop! What musik/ bands etc do you like the most? I enjoy quite a wide range of music, my favourite artists would be .. Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, Ben Harper, Our Lady Peace, Tool, A Perfect Circle etc. Faye What's your dream-role? I mean in which movie or series...? My favourite role? Hmmmm ... my favourite role I've done so far would definately be Jay .. for the future? dream role? Yikes, there's a lot I'd like to do .. Playing William Wallace would be amazing .. Tyler Durden would be fun! there's so much i wan't to do though that i can' t really put it into one role. Ocean Do you get to know the plot of the whole season or are you getting surprised by getting the transcript to study your role week by week? Definitely getting surprised week by week. Are you bound by a contract that you mustn't say anything about the plot of the new season, or is it more like a gentlemen's agreement ? Gentlemen's agreement. Jataaka Do you like the new cast members? I knew Fleur from previous acting work and so naturally get along with her great. The other two cast members seem very interesting people and I'm sure I will have a great time with them. Crazy Penguin When you want 2 smile do u have 2 use self hipnosise? Hahaha, no, when I want to smile, I don't have to use self hypnosis Jay is 2 serious and I don't like seruis ppl coz they scare me! Yes, sometimes I find Jay is too serious and obsessed with 'saving the city', but that's the character and I still love to play him I'm not as serious myself, but joking on the internet isn't that easy .. once when I made a joke it backfired on me; I was asked what movie best described my life? I could think of any answer, then I saw the poster of Mel Gibson in "what women want" .. I thought it was funny and put that .. however when I actually saw the questionnaire posted I was horrified at how arrogant it sounded!! Sarcasm through text isn't that easy!! Whats ur fav flavour of natural yogurt? Do u like Dan in real life? I like hazelnut & vanilla yoghurt, and yes i like Dan in real life Tribe lover nl How did you found out that you wanted to be an actor? I guess I just loved to act .. and so decided to try and make a career out of it!! And any good tips for coming talent? Good tips? PERSERVERANCE!! The only way to get where you want is by sticking at it .. i had a lot of rejections early on in my career, and had to do a lot of soul searching to stick at it .. but now I am glad that I did .. just stick at it , and learn to be thick skinned! There's a lot of rejection out there, don't let it stop you! *Jay_and_ved_are_lush* Did you enjoy playing "Jay" in Tribe4? Yep I loved playing Jay in tribe4. What was ur favorite scene? My favourite scene? ... hmmmm, too many to list .. action scenes are good fun, but the close, character driven scenes are the best Are u looking forward to being in tribe 5? I'm looking forward to it, and am currently loving it! It's good to be back! Thanks everyone for taking the time to chat! I've really enjoyed answering all your questions and I hope you enjoy Tribe 5!! - James back to top