(Links)

PCM's Allison Ruppino got to meet the "characters" of USA's hit series White Collar, to gear up for the second season premiere on July 13th at 9 PM ET. The network set up an exciting afternoon for all of the journalists, and brought everyone to the actual set in Long Island.

Each of the cast members took breaks in-between scenes, to come speak to the panel of journalists. Every person who was interviewed had a refreshing sense of humor, a pleasant demeanor and appeared to be a genuinely sweet indivudal.

Matt Bomer plays con artist Neal Caffrey, who was imprisoned by FBI Agent Peter Burke. Neal does escape from prison, only to get recaptured by Burke. With his skillful ways, it is decided that Neal's scheming mind could be put to use. He now assists the FBI in solving crimes,
but he must wear an anklet that monitors his movements.

Panel: You play such a brilliant criminal mind, do you ever when you’re at, like in a bank or something, does Neal kind of pop out and say, "Icould take this place."
Matt Bomer: Well, you know, one of the real bonuses we have this season is that I now have an advisor, a con artist who advises me on set on a lot of things. So, I am getting a little bit more confident with my pick-pocketing skills, and I can actually pick a lock now. So, watch out. But as far as breaking into a bank, I’m not going to try to go there, because the main difference between me and Neal Caffrey is my a** will get caught.

Panel: I asked my readers if they had any questions for you. I’d say about half of them came back to me with “anything I would ask him would be inappropriate.” Does any part of you wish that you were a smidgen less attractive?
Matt Bomer: You all need to come in here and see me before I go through hair and makeup, and then we can revisit this conversation. I don’t, to be honest with you, I mean, that’s sort of an impossible question to answer. So, I don’t ever, I’ve never really thought of myself as anything special in that regard. So, thank you for that question. It’s brightening my day a little bit, but I don’t really know how to answer it.

Panel: How important is it for you to actually be able to do this show in New York?
Matt Bomer: I don’t think it could take place anywhere else. I think New York is really a central character in the show. And what I love about our show is that it looks up on New York and you see the tops of buildings. You see the big buildings in the background and it’s a very optimistic sort of blue skies version of New York City. And we have an amazing director of photography, Russell Fines [ph]. It’s kind of a love letter to the city the way he shoots it.

Tim Dekay is Special Agent Peter Burke on the USA hit series. He has captured Caffrey twice, and has developed a trusting relationship with the con artist. They help each other out in solving white collar crimes, and together make a strong team. Burke is dedicated to his job, as well as to his marriage, to wife Elizabeth Burke, played by Tiffani Thiessen.

Panel: When did you think that the relationship between Neal and Peter changed between the convict and the person who caught him, to an actual friendship?
Tim: For me, it was when he was, it was an episode called Vital Signs. And there was a time where, in order to get Neal out of that clinic—he was drugged at the time—in order to get him out, Peter had to one, go in there and get him and there was a moment where Peter had to make the decision to steal the surveillance tapes from that clinic. And that was a moment where Peter, you could say, crossed the line and did something illegally, and it was simple for him, it was for Neal and no other reason other then that.

Panel: Do you think you have anything in common with your character?
Tim: Yeah, I do. I think like Peter, I try to do what’s right and I think he’s an ex-jock, as I am. He’s got a good marriage, so do I. I’m certainly much more creative than him. But Peter’s got a sense of humor though. Peter, he, like his sense of humor is back door which I think is like mine a bit too. He’s happy watching sports like me, and I think he’s an avid reader, I think he reads a ton when he can.

Panel: How do you like being portrayed in one of the healthiest couples we’ve ever seen on TV?
Tim: It’s wonderful, it’s just great and it’s not healthy in a Leave it to Beaver way either. It’s healthy in a very mature—what’s the word I want there? They’re savvy, they’re both, they’ve got it going on, they’re a good couple to emulate.

PAGE 2 - PAGE 3