Willie Garson of the USA network series White Collar!

PCM had the recent opportunity to visit the set for the new USA network series White Collar and participate in a Q&A session with actor Wille Garson, who plays Mozzie on the show. Read on as Willie Garson dishes about what drew him to the character, how he became involved with show, and what he loves about filming in NYC.

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Be sure to check out our interviews with Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay and Tiffani Thiessen !

Garson's character Mozzie is described as lacking charm and charisma, but most of the other journalists present at the session, myself included, completely beg to differ! When asked how the writer's came up with the name Mozzie, Garson informs us:

"I have no idea. I don't even know if that's his first name or his last name. That hasn't really been established yet. We're just kind of going with the gods of Jeff Eastin and what's coming out of his brain. What's pouring out of his brain right now?"

Garson went to tell us about some of his initial thoughts on his character and if he would like that type of person here's what he had to say:

"Yeah, I did because it's very different from anything else I've ever played. Although-how do I make this not sound the way it's going to sound? I guess because it's me, he's somehow becoming more stylish. All of a sudden, he's looking-wearing pretty cool clothes. And I don't know how that happens to me, but I am blessed with always wearing cool clothes.

But I was really drawn to kind of an under-the-radar kind of guy rather than an out-there kind of guy. And it also gives a lot of opportunities to play with, you know, me pretending to be other people and working scams behind the scenes rather than in front of the scenes. So that's pretty cool. And I just thought-I'm also a big fan of all those shows that I grew up on, and this is-it's Huggy Bear, its Angel from Rockford Files. It's that subversive guy in the background, the brains behind the brain. And that's very-that was interesting to me."
He goes on to that much like his character of Mozzie, he has a very "wry, not-trusting view of the world and of, you know, corporate America and governmental agencies".

Garson states:

"I'm from New Jersey. I come from working people. And I was really taken by, this is such a good show for this time, as we've certainly seen a lot of really hard-working people lose their livelihood, and we all are interested in who are these people who are finding out ways to steal money and stuff without going out and working for a living? You know, I'm fascinated by people who will just come up with more and more ways to screw people out of money, instead of just getting a job."

Garson was then asked: "Isn't that just like Neil?" to which he responded:

"Well, that's what he was. He is no longer. He came to the good side. I mean, it's just very interesting. I'm amazed at how obviously the obvious, the big elephant is Madoff, but just that this goes on all the time. I've worked as a dishwasher for $3 an hour and it wouldn't occur to me, like, "Oh, well, what if I came up with a dishwashing scam and I can make $50 an hour and do nothing." I just don't understand that this is-not to get too heady about it, but that this is where our planet is at that we're all here to screw each other?

And so I like that this show takes a viewpoint that's like, well, you can try, but there are people out there with their eyes on you to make sure that, you know, do the right thing. So that's a real underlying thing of the show. And it's like we have a scene in an upcoming episode where we get drunk and we're talking about, "Why do you do this," Peter says," Is it because of all this stuff?" And I'm like, "It has nothing to do with the stuff. It's so we feel alive."

I mean, I could steal from you or you, or I could steal and give it back to the good guys, you know. It doesn't matter. It's about feeling alive and having something going on. That's what drives Mozzie and that's what drives Neal. And it's like it doesn't matter. I don't need another car, another painting. It's about doing it. So if we can do it for the good guys, you know good for us. "

I think all of us were very curious to know if the character of Mozzie was going to continue lurking about in the shadows or finally begin interacting with the other cast members. Garson tell us:

"I will be lurking. Well, you know, it's funny. We know as much as you know as the scripts come in, but I am more out in the field, so to speak. But, you know, there's a lot of question of how much is the FBI aware of me. So it's coming that eventually Peter's going to have to eventually know who I am, and then can we use him, and what's the legality of--how much can the FBI actually use me to do anything. And so that's actually developing right now on this last episode, so."
Garson also discussed with the panel about his characters not so subtle ways and fills us in on an upcoming scene that will showcase Mozzie's not so smooth moves!
"There's a scene coming up where we go and we try and-we basically steal a car. Borrow. And we act as police agents who are going to impound the car. And of course Mozzie takes it way too far, and the guy goes, "Hey, hey, just take it, you know. This is out of my pay scale." And I write him a fake ticket, and I go-just as a parting shot, I just added, "And just say no to drugs." Like, Mozzie just always takes it to the wrong extra level. He's such an idiot. But that's why he's kind of been in the background I think most of the time."

Garson plays the incredibly recognizable role of Stanford in Sex and the City and he discusses with the panel his ability to delve into the role of Mozzie, who is a completely different type of character.

"Well, it's interesting. I truly do try to make everything exactly different. As different as possible. I went straight from Stanford, I went straight back to David Milch to play a nerdy, Jewish lawyer, you know, badly dressed, you know, living in San Diego. I mean, it couldn't have been more opposite. And then this was like, obviously it's-there's an issue with me on the street in New York back in New York, and it's-but I-everyone is totally different. They're all always different.
A big question that always comes up is always, "Dude, are you careful about typecasting," or whatever. But typecasting for actors is kind of like what you do to yourself. I mean, I can tell you, my desk for many years had, every flamboyant, high-fashion character on the planet was sitting on my desk, and I could have made a fortune. But what's the point? God bless Kelsey Grammer, but I didn't want to play-you don't want to play Frasier Crane for 25 years or however long he played him. It's a choice. It's a choice to make, and fine.

I just-it's kind of why I like to make TV. I'm one of the few actors who enjoys doing TV more than I like making movies. I like that it's a new script every week. I like that it's totally different. And for as long as that goes, great. But how long is it really going to go? I mean, I don't work in the world of a soap opera where I'm going to be on a show for 35 years, playing Dr. Wilbur Heffington for 35 years. "
I would kill myself. It just has no fascination for me. But yeah, I do long periods that I can. I mean, NYPD was three or four years. Sex is much longer than any of us thought that it was going to be. I mean, it's unbelievable. I mean, we shot a scene yesterday with all of us in it on Sex and the City, and it was like-we go to say-at the end of the scene, everyone's like, "So, should someone make a speech that this is the last time we're all together, again?" I mean, it just seems so weird to us. We shot that pilot in 1997. I actually had some hair. That's how long ago it was."T