AGE: 41

WHY HIM: As wisecracking, yogurt-loving blacklisted spy Michael Westen, Donovan puts smoldering charisma into Burn Notice, USA’s hit action drama.

CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED: Donovan is a black belt in karate who has also studied aikido and Brazilian jujitsu. ”If someone grabbed me, I’d probably be able to choke them out in about eight seconds. Everyone should learn how to choke someone out.”

NEXT: More season 3 of Burn, which premiered June 4.

ON HIS MUST LIST: ”I’m watching Extras again. Oh, my God, it’s painful to watch. I’m in love with that series. It has to be the funniest thing ever on television.”

For an exclusive video of Jeffrey, visit Entertainment Weekly.com.

Matt Nix kicked around Hollywood as a feature writer with little to show for it until his agent suggested he pitch television pilot ideas — and he came up with something called “Burn Notice.” The original take on a resourceful ex-spy and his thrill-a-minute life in South Florida helped establish USA as a destination for lovers of quirky comedy-dramas and Nix as a producer to watch.

Nix talked with Eric Estrin about the downside of being the smart guy in the room, the benefits of acting classes for writers, and dodging bullets on television’s front lines.

I was working in features — and I was working fairly steadily — but I had never had anything produced. It was a variety of things. Two production companies actually went under while I had projects in development … things like that.

So one day my agent took me aside and said, Dude, you’re creating your own TV show. And I said, I’ve never written for television before; I don’t think I’m allowed to do that. And he said, No, it’s okay, they like feature guys now. Come up with a series idea you like, and I’ll get you meetings.

So what happened was, I came up with the idea for “Burn Notice,” and I pitched it — the first version of it — and people liked it, but the development process took a very long time.

It was at USA for about a year before we got the go-ahead. And during that time, people would raise questions about certain things, and I’d end up changing the story completely. At first, I had wanted to set it in New Jersey, but someone at the network wanted Miami. Every time there was a concern, I would have to completely change the story.

But this is what I was used to doing. I was never the go-to guy in features. I was one of the guys the producers would bring in if they wanted to hear a whole bunch of different takes on a story. And I would come up with a take, and if that didn’t work, I’d come up with another take and another one. So with “Burn Notice” it was the same thing, until they finally said yes.

The way my mind works, I’m a very analytical thinker. When I would pitch a feature idea, I would figure out how to make it work, and I would explain in the room how to fit everything together so it would work. I was not the Funny Guy; I was the Smart Guy, the guy who could take something complicated and explain how to work it out.

I remember one time I was pitching a story and I could just see in the room that they weren’t buying it. It was dead. So when I went to pitch it somewhere else, I went about it in a completely different way. Instead of explaining to producers why the story would work, I needed to make it come alive in the room so they could see it and feel it for themselves.

I had a lot of acting experience in high school and college, and I started to use that. I would throw myself into each pitch, acting out characters, doing different voices … You know, if you’re afraid of looking stupid in the room, you’re in trouble. The way to handle it for me was to throw myself even more completely into the pitch so I wouldn’t be able to worry about what anybody was thinking.

That was a huge turning point for me. It really helped me when I pitched “Burn Notice,” because Michael Westen, the main character, does a lot of different voices and characters, and I acted that out in the room

When they bought the show, I obviously had no experience in television, and they thought about bringing in a different showrunner. I mean, they could have replaced me in a heartbeat. But then they said, Well, he gave us all these different takes, he’s flexible, he has a lot of ideas, let’s give him a chance.

So we put a staff together, and I was able to learn from everyone who had more TV experience than I did — which was everyone on staff. You know, it felt a little awkward at first, but that would be like asking a commanding officer in the Normandy invasion if he felt awkward that he didn’t have enough experience.

Yeah, maybe for about two seconds, but then the bullets start flying and there’s no time to feel anything after that. You just focus on staying alive.

Source: http://www.thewrap.com

Oh, you’re putting on an Irish accent later this season because Fiona’s in trouble in Ireland and needs rescuing by burned spy/ex-boyfriend/hero Michael Westen?

Well, you’d better not be messing with us, Jeffrey Donovan, star of USA’s Burn Notice, which returns tonight at 9 p.m. for season three, because that sounds awesome.

Want more from Jeffrey about what to expect in season three of the hit spy show, including news on guest stars and dramatic turns? Press play above for that, and then click in for Gabrielle Anwar’s take on the future of Michael and Fi…

Full story with video up at E! News Online

Can some, kind soul donate a clip of this interview? My audio is out of sync. Please email me at gertiebeth@gmail.com if you can donate a copy. Thanks!

UPDATE: I have not head from anyone today about a better copy, so I went a head and made a copy with the audio out of sync.

While I normally do not mind at all when people redistribute my media to places like You Tube and their own sites, I respectfully ask that you do not repost this anywhere and instead link to this post. It’s embarrassing. I will replace this copy if and when a better one comes along.

Enjoy it and the new season!!

Question: Can you please give us some Burn Notice spoilers — preferably about Michael and Fiona’s relationship? — Jessica

Ausiello: I have a hunch Fi is going to need Michael more than ever in light of this exclusive casting scoop: Lipstick Jungle hottie Paul Blackthorne has been tapped to play Thomas O’Neill, an Irishman who arrives in Miami with a longtime grudge against Fiona. He show up towards the end of the season 3, which debuts tomorrow! BTW, Jeffrey Donovan is dropping by tomorrow for an ATV Q&A, so send those Qs to ausielloscoop@ew.com ASAP.

Source: EW.com

By setting the show in Miami — and actually filming it here — producers have been able to make the city itself a character.

“Burn Notice,” whose third season begins Thursday, is the top-rated cable show and the first scripted television series to shoot at least three seasons primarily in South Florida since “Miami Vice” more than two decades ago. Shows like “CSI Miami” are mostly filmed in Los Angeles.

As a multiethnic, multicultural, international city located in a tropical climate, it’s nearly impossible to fake Miami anywhere else, Freilich said. Even the actors seem to respond to the climate and culture of the city.

“It’s visceral, and it’s something you can read on camera,” Freilich said.

“Burn Notice” revolves around Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), a former U.S. spy, who is fired in the middle of an operation and dumped in his hometown of Miami. When a spy gets fired, it’s called a burn notice.

Westen, with the help of his friend Sam (Bruce Campbell) and his sometime-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), uses his spy skills to help those in need, while trying to figure out who burned him and why. Michael also uses his time in Miami to mend relationships with his nagging mother (Sharon Gless) and irresponsible brother (Seth Peterson).

Most television shows and movies set in Miami have actually been shot in L.A. over the years, but Freilich said it’s never quite right. Miami’s palm trees sprout fronds sooner, the leaves are greener, the ocean is more turquoise, the air is cleaner and the city’s signature Art Deco architecture is unmistakable.

“Everything about the city infuses the film that you shoot here,” Freilich said.

By using the closed Coconut Grove Expo Center as their sound stage and headquarters, producers have been able to take full advantage of the city, said Matt Nix, the show’s creator and producer. Besides having ample space to build their sets, the building’s centralized location makes it relatively easy for actors and crew members to film at locations as many as five days a week.

“You can go two miles away from the convention center and you can be in a working-class neighborhood that’s a little rough,” Nix said. “You can find mansions and suburban neighborhoods. As a back lot, it works wonderfully.”

Graham Winick, president of the nonprofit group Film Florida, said “Burn Notice” has become the highest impact production in the state. The show employs more than 100 Florida crew members and casts mostly Florida actors for supporting roles and extras. “Burn Notice” spent just more than $34 million in Florida during production of its first two seasons, according to state records. That made the show eligible for nearly $6 million in state subsidies.

Besides the direct spending, the show also provides exposure for other South Florida businesses, particularly tourism.

“Burn Notice is a largely free infomercial for the city,” said William Talbert, president of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

While “Burn Notice” has become a successful part of the South Florida community, it was only a matter of chance that the show ended up in Miami at all.

Nix initially wanted to tell the dark, gritty story of a spy who had severed all personal connections to enter the cutthroat world of international espionage.

But rather than Miami’s sunny beaches, Nix originally envisioned the show in Newark, N.J. Network executives quickly dismissed the idea and suggested someplace sunnier. After some wrangling with the executives, Nix finally agreed.

“I had to reconceive the show as something that would work in Miami,” Nix said. “It became more about seeing this darker character in relief against a brighter background. I discovered in working on that, it freed me up creatively and made the show lighter and more fun to write. It actually turned out to be a great idea.”

Source: Associated Press