OK, let’s look at some of James Remar’s recent work.
He plays a sad man who lost a child but gets a new spark in his life in the heartwarming made-for-TV movie The Christmas Hope, which debuts across Canada on Wednesday on Vision TV.
He plays ghostly dad Harry Morgan in Dexter, the fourth-season finale of which airs Sunday on The Movie Network and Movie Central.
Plus, he has signed to play the father of vampire brothers Stefan and Damon in the rookie hit series The Vampire Diaries, which airs on CW and CTV.
Well, one thing you can say about James Remar’s career: There’s no pattern.
“That’s good,” said Remar, a 55-year-old native of Boston. “That’s acting. That’s what I was trained to do. That’s my job.
“It’s good that I can come off as being honest in any of those parts. That’s really the mission, to try to play the part honestly. If I can do that, they should take care of themselves.”
It’s noteworthy that Remar has room on his resume for traditional holiday fare, amid his roles as the dad of a serial killer and the dad of blood-suckers.
“I was very lucky,” Remar said of The Christmas Hope, which was filmed in Winnipeg and is a product of the Lifetime cable network in the United States. “I had worked before with Madeleine (Stowe, who plays Remar’s wife) and she approved of my casting.
“The producer knew me from other projects and thankfully knows me to not really resemble any of the characters I play, personally. They had faith I could do it, so it was a nice little Christmas present.”
Remar and Stowe are Mark and Patty, a couple that has suffered a personal tragedy and is drifting apart. But their lives change forever when they take in orphaned youngster Emily, played by Canadian Tori Barban.
“This little girl brings sunshine to a dark part of two people’s lives,” Remar said. “I’m eager for The Christmas Hope to come out and I hope it’s well received, because it was a real treat. Madeleine Stowe and the young lady were just terrific.”
As for his notable roles in Dexter and The Vampire Diaries, Remar sure gets a lot of screen time for a dead guy, doesn’t he?
“Yeah ... geez ... I guess I was well-preserved,” Remar said with a chuckle. “They put me on ice in Winnipeg and the rest is history.”
Recently Remar also taped episodes of FlashForward (ABC, A) and Numb3rs (CBS, Global), plus he has a role in the upcoming movie Red, with Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker, among others.
“I keep my feet on the mark and remember my lines,” Remar said when asked to explain his steady employment in high-quality projects. “I try not to make too much trouble.”
We suspect he was being modest, but hey, there’s something to be said for just being a pro.
“It’s tremendous good fortune and it’s not lost on me,” Remar said. “It’s very clear.”
