I always feel like I’m energized about The Flash; [but] I feel like I’m completely reinvigorated just being around that man for eight shooting days.
Film director Kevin Smith helmed the May 10 episode of The Flash, and following a screening and Q&A for this week’s Flash episode “Back to Normal” hosted by The CW this afternoon, we asked Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg and one of the show’s most popular actors, Tom Cavanagh, about what it is like to have an episode within Smith’s Askew view.
For starters: Kreisberg confirmed that Silent Bob’s hetero-lifemate, Jason “Jay” Mewes, does indeed guest star in the episode, and that there is one scene “that is like, literally, a scene out of a Kevin Smith movie.” He also heaped a lot of praise on the director for his work on The Flash.
“Kevin is such a fan of this show, in a way that humbles me beyond my wildest expectations,” Kreisberg enthused.
“To be able to sit in a room with him and talk to him and think about how often I quote him and quote his movies, and how he was who I wanted to be when I was in college… to sit down with him and have him speak about the show so lovingly and so intelligently and so deeply…. [and] he didn’t approach this like ‘here’s my chance to put my stamp on it’ or ‘here’s my chance to Clerks-ify it.’ His biggest drive — I hope it’s okay for me to say that — was he didn’t want to mess it up, because he’s such a fan. There was a reverence and an awe, almost, in how he approached everything,” he continued.The finished footage from the episode, titled “The Runaway Dinosaur,” came out very well. “Usually there’s a lot that goes on in editing, but this was an episode where we basically watched and gave a few notes and just said ‘go with God’ because the thing came out so great,” Kreisberg said.
Actor Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells, or “Harry” if we’re talking about his Earth-2 counterpart) also had praise for the director’s work. “He’s achieved so much. For many of who our comedy goes in that direction, we love him. And we love the fact that he is such a fan of this and is so knowledgeable about it, but just as a person, to watch somebody who has accomplished so much come on set with such humility… for Kevin, it seemed that what mattered was the day, and the fact that we are doing what we love, and he would say that every scene,” Tom recalled. “The first time Grant showed up in the suit, it was incredible to watch Kevin. He’s like ‘I just can’t believe this is in front of me, let alone directing it!’ He was like ‘Guys! Isn’t this amazing!’ After lunch, he’d have a quick speech. ‘I just gotta say, I know it’s lame that I’m saying this in front of 45 grown men and women, but I think it’s amazing that we get to do what we love’.”
Cavanagh also revealed that Kevin Smith would point out the others in the crew that make the show go along, and gave them appreciation and credit. “It didn’t seem false; it seemed like he felt like someone needed to get credit. His demeanor on set was unlike most. Jesse L. Martin said, ‘I always feel like I’m energized about The Flash; [but] I feel like I’m completely reinvigorated just being around that man for eight shooting days.’ I think all of us felt that way,” he said, pointing out that long days on set reveal a lot about someone.
“The set is the kind of place that outs you as a person. After 17-hour days, your true personality would come out. And this guy… this is who he is. He’s a good human being. He’s incredible to work with,” he said.
The Flash “Back to Normal” airs this Tuesday, April 26 on The CW. Smith’s episode “The Runaway Dinosaur” airs May 10.
