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Aldis Hodge: Well as far as Jeri goes, we're not certain. I mean she was great while she was here but she's actually on a new series right now so her schedule doesn't necessarily work out so well with us...

April McIntyre: Right.

Aldis Hodge: ...because she's working and which is I mean great for her, big (ups) to her and we're very proud of her. We loved Jeri while she was here.

So we're not sure but we would love to have her back, you know, if we could get it.

As far as, you know, Rick Overton and of course his partner Gerald Downey, Taggert-McSweeten, the audience loves Taggert-McSweeten and we're going to give the audience what they love. So there's a possibility you might see a little bit of Taggert-McSweeten.

April McIntyre: Very cool Very cool. My follow-up question for you is what was your favorite episode in season 2?

Aldis Hodge: My favorite episode had to have been the Ice Man job and then also the Three Days of Monica Hunter job.

April McIntyre: Interesting.

Aldis Hodge: Yes they they're the most fun to do because I got to play different types of characters and do the whole, you know, thing with the Three Days of Monica Hunter I got to play crazy person. So I really got to just explore and enjoy my imagination.

April McIntyre: Very cool.

Aldis Hodge: And that's what - that was the most fun of it all because I got to push it to the limits the first new episode.

Eunice Moseley: I enjoy your acting work, all of your projects. I'm just wondering with your love for watches does that help you in your role because Alec is a gadget technological wizard.

Aldis Hodge: Oh it does help me to understand how someone could be so into his craft.

Eunice Moseley: Yes.

Aldis Hodge: Yes watches, you know, it's all gears and everything. But I have to know a little something about computers, have to be a little savvy.

Eunice Moseley: Yes.

Aldis Hodge: But it does help me to understand how somebody could be so into I mean I want to say it's a dorky thing but, you know, some people would call me a geek, my watch - my gears and things like that. So we have that mutual understanding Alec and I.

Richard Brown: My question is how similar is the personality of the character you portray, you know, Alec Partisan from your own? How similar are you guys in real life?

Aldis Hodge: Well I - I'd say we're pretty similar. I add a lot of my own personality to the character as far as his humor, as far as how he plays in jokes. So I would say we definitely have a kinship there. We're definitely very, very close.

Richard Brown: Okay.

Aldis Hodge: And our lightheartedness as far as our way of thinking, you know, I'm not a thief but I would say that he has a good heart that I try to model after what I would like to be. So yes we're pretty close.

Richard Brown: Okay, okay.

Aldis Hodge: The only thing that he does different that I don't do is probably the hacking and stealing thing.

Richard Brown: Okay.

Aldis Hodge: But I'm definitely a loudmouth that talks all the time.

Richard Brown: Okay, a quick follow up. How much are you guys or how much are you allowed to improvise in the show from the script?

Aldis Hodge: Allowed is a very, very casual term. No we - our writers trust us enough to take these characters where we feel they need to go.

We respect what's written. We honor the idea and we respect the theory of the idea. And when it comes to improv we just, we usually improv what we feel is best for the situation or what's most respectful and relevant to the character and the situation at the time.

So ((inaudible)) sort of thing, I have a rule. I say give them one straight and give them hell which means, you know, as long as we've got an original take, a good clean original take on there which is what's written then I'm good.

And after that I play with the scene and we see how I can dress it up, make it colorful and I guess throw a little something, something on there, you know, to flush out the potential of the scene and the characters in it.

Joe Hummel: Hi Aldis. Thanks for talking to us today.

Aldis Hodge: What's happening man?

Joe Hummel: Oh nothing much. It's been one of those days. I wanted to ask about the character of Alec Hardison. He's obviously a bit of a computer geek but he's got a certain coolness. How did you avoid, you know, being a nerd on the show?

Aldis Hodge: Because I'm a nerd in real life and I like think that I'm sort of cool. It's a lot of, especially when it comes to TV there's a lot of assumption that goes with playing a specific character.

When your hear computers or geek or whatever you just automatically think pocket protector, glasses, not very social, always kind of clumsy. You think that kind of a - that kind of model.

When it came to the pilot and when it came down to me and Dean Devlin, and John Rogers trying figure this character out, you know, we kind of wanted to throw a different spin on it because nowadays I mean computer nerds, we're coming off kind of the shape of society but we're not just one thing.

And I don't want the audience to get what they're already used to having and wanted to give them something different and something fresh.

And it's funny people say there's a cool vibe there. I'm like I feel like I'm kind of dorky and corny sometimes but that's just me. But if you all think it's cool hey I'm thinking I'm going to keep giving it to you.

Joe Hummel: Okay well yes...

Aldis Hodge: ((Inaudible)) you know?

Joe Hummel: Yes, well you give nerds a little of a I'll tell you, a little higher notch up on the social ladder having your character on there.

Aldis Hodge: Hey man nerds rule the world.

Joe Hummel: Thank you.

Aldis Hodge: Like this, you know, there's a lot of sports players, the nerds are the ones who own the teams.

Joe Hummel: Yes.

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