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Billy Campbell on the twisted and infectious return of ‘Helix’ (Includes interview and first-hand account)

“I’m not quite sure exactly what they were smoking in the writer’s room, but they sure seem like they had a lot of fun, because the show is even more intense, twisted and exciting,” jokes Helix leading man Billy Campbell, referring to the upcoming sophomore season of the critically-acclaimed SyFy Channel thriller series. “The whole show feels different. Last season, on Helix, we were trapped on the base in the Artic. But, this season, the story really opens up, not only because there are not only more characters but there is more space. We are in an entirely different location and not confined to a few labs and a few hallways. If you thought the first season was intense and twisted, well hold on to your hats for the second season, because we have doubled-down.”

Film and television star Billy Campbell (The Rocketeer, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The 4400) is not exaggerating. With a new location, a dauntingly different disease and whole new cult packed with villains galore, Helix is returning with a vengeance — maintaining storylines that are equal parts thrilling, shocking and intensely gratifying.

“I really believe the show kind of flowers this season,” the witty and unassuming actor insists, phoning from his second home in Norway. “Admittedly, it’s a sick and twisted flower, but it kinda blossoms this season. Helix has a whole new attitude. For fans, I think it’ll be a welcomed thing.”

At the beginning of Season Two, the doctors from the Center for Disease Control — Dr. Sarah Jordan (Jordan Hayes) and Dr. Peter Farragut (Neill Napier) — are still haunted by the deadly Narvik outbreak and the events that took place in high-tech Arctic Biosystems research facility. The scientists reassemble to investigate a deadly outbreak of a new disease on a Windjammer cruise ship. The newest member of the CDC team, Dr. Kyle Sommer (Matt Long), a world-class toxicologist whose charm matches his sharp intellect, joins them as the try to uncover the baffling secrets behind a hideous new virus. Their investigation leads them to a mysterious island inhabited by a cult led by the enigmatic Brother Michael (Steven Weber), a charismatic man who, on the surface, is attempting to create a utopian society.

Having spend practically all of Season One shooting on cold, sterile soundstages in Montreal (which stood in for the Artic research facility), the new plot-lines gave the cast a chance to go out location and enjoy the Quebec countryside.

“We filmed outside Montreal in a place called Oka, which is a 45-50 minute ride from downtown Montreal and it is gorgeous,” admits Campbell, who portrays Dr. Alan Farragut on the series. “It’s where we shot all the island sequences. There is a natural forest out there, and we were shooting in an old monastery or abbey, with apple orchards in the back of it. It was just gorgeous. It was so nice out there that I kept a room at the abbey, and I would just stay there at late nights so that I could get up and go running in the mornings. We had a blast.”

Billy Campbell and Steven Weber in a scene from Season Two of  Helix

Billy Campbell and Steven Weber in a scene from Season Two of ‘Helix’
SyFy

However, the newfound freedom enjoyed by Campbell — who recently became a proud papa of a newborn son with his longtime girlfriend — and the rest of the Helix cast (which included Kyra Zagorsky, who returned as Dr. Julia Walker) had one unexpected side effect — independence.

“We kind of all headed our own separate ways once we were in the wild,” the former star of The Killing says with a laugh. “We did a little more hanging out in the first season, and I think that was really because we were always working on the soundstage. We were always right there. And, last year, there were very few storylines, so we were kind of all together every day. This season, the storylines kind of diverge, and we are out there in Oka on locations, people have families, and we much further away from Montreal, so we didn’t do quite as much hanging out. But, that bonding, that family feeling that we developed in Season One, is still very much there. Working with all the actors on Helix is one of those sort of rare and pleasurable experiences where everyone in the cast really gets along. There aren’t any prima donnas on the set, expect for me.”

Billy Campbell in  Helix  - Season Two

Billy Campbell in ‘Helix’ – Season Two
SyFy

With nearly 70 film and TV roles to his credit, the humble and down-to-earth Campbell has every right to act like a pampered celebrity — if he wanted to. In fact, he began his career on an iconic ’80s television show that was packed full of fictional divas. Billy got his start in show business in 1981, snagging the groundbreaking role of Luke Fuller on Dynasty, playing the gay lover of character Steven Carrington on what was then the top-rated television show in America.

“I was so thrilled to be on Dynasty, because it was my first real gig,” he remembers. “I had done an episode of Family Ties and an episode of Hotel, and then, all of a sudden, I was on Dynasty, a number one hit show. It was a thrill. Surprisingly, I had no idea that the part I would be playing was a gay character until I got the job. They sort of kept that under wraps, actually. But, I loved the part. A lot of people have said it was a revolutionary move for the show. Unless I’m mistaken, I think it was the first openly gay relationship in primetime. I’m proud I had a chance to contribute something substantial to primetime television.”

Having filmed all 13 episodes of Helix‘s second season, Campbell — long considered one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood — already has his next role lined-up.

“I’m going to stay here in Norway and play at being a real dad to my new son,” he confesses. “I’m not doing anything for a while. And, you know what? I am happy as a clam to be out of work. The only think I have planned for the near future is that I am going to go up to Bergen to see Bill Pullman in a production of Othello, on the stage, in a different part of Norway. He’s playing Othello. I’m going to check him out in that. Other than that, I’m not going to work until possibly the next season of Helix.”

Although the first season of Helix — which is produced by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), showrunner Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) and Lynda Obst (Contact, Sleepless in Seattle) — became an instant cult hit with sci-fi and horror fans alike, Campbell is anxious for fans to experience the regenerated, reinvigorated series. This time around, Billy feels the show is finally hitting its groove.

“I know that the writers were a little hamstrung with the first season, because I think they had some story input from somewhere else,” admits the 55-year-old second cousin of Burn Notice and Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell. “It was someone else’s idea that the show go in the direction of zombies, and that’s not exactly what they had planned to do or what they wanted to do right away. So, they had to shift gears. We were actually a couple of weeks into production when that happened. So, they all felt a bit hamstrung and had to make stuff up on the sly. However, they were really determined, this season, to open the series up and show what they can do if they were unconstrained. Now, I believe Helix is right on track.”

Season Two of Helix premieres on Friday, January 16 at 10p.m.EST & PST / 9:00p.m.CST on the SyFy Channel.

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