Actor Robert Buckley takes a look back as 'iZombie' future takes off
PASADENA. Calif. | For former "One Tree Hill" star Robert Buckley, who played Clayton Evans from 2009-12 on the shot-in-Wilmington drama, his new role on The CW's "iZombie" (9 p.m. March 17) calls for him to be oblivious to the reality that his girlfriend has become a zombie.
Buckley plays Major, fiancé of Liv (Rose McIver, "Once Upon a Time"), who called off her engagement without giving Major a reason for ending the relationship. "iZombie" is based on a comic book and executive produced by Rob Thomas, creator of cult favorite "Veronica Mars."
In January, Buckley previewed the new series and reminisced about his time on "OTH" and the reunions that keep the show alive for the show's reuniting cast. (Buckley is not currently slated to be at the "OTH" reunion March 27-29 in Wilmington.)
Q: Do you wish your "iZombie" character knew about the zombiefication of Liv?
A: Yeah, especially because when we meet Major, he's very much pining over the loss of his relationship with Liv. And so he does want to know what happened, because I think the hardest thing dealing with a breakup is when you don't know why it happened. So he's just looking for some sort of explanation as to why his soul mate suddenly doesn't want to be with him. And I know selfishly as the actor, I'm also like, "Come on. Look at her hair. Look at her skin, Major. Like, is it not obvious? Ask what happens. Like, she didn't just go emo/goth overnight." So, yeah, it was a lot of natural curiosity.
Q: Can you talk about how that relationship plays out over time?
A: Initially, there's not a whole lot of him in the pilot. And I remember speaking with Rob beforehand and generally just asking, is this guy going to be more or less a purse? Like, is he just going to exist to occasionally come in one scene and be like, "I still want to be your lover," and she's like, "But we can't," and the audience swoons and then he's gone. And fortunately, he reassured me that, no, he very much has his own life. And as you start to see in Episode 4, he's a social worker, and then he does find his way into the wild world of zombies.
Q: Do you miss Wilmington?
A: How do you not miss Wilmington? To be able to spend three years there – sometimes we work in places where you go, alright – but it was so beautiful.
Q: Do you stay in touch with your "OTH" co-stars?
A: I'm very good friends with just about all of them. I still get to see them at reunions. Wilmington is a small town so we really did become a family and became close-knit friends.
Q: What is a "OTH" reunion like, a "Star Trek" convention?
A: I was just in Paris for one about a month ago. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. The level of enthusiasm the fans have, they are still so passionate about the show, so excited. It's like going on a – being paid to have a fun vacation, it's not work. I'm back on stage with old friends talking about stuff we had fun doing.
Q: Who knows the show better, you or the fans?
A: The fans, 100 percent. Anyone planning to ask questions at a convention, prepare for me to need to have my memory jogged.
Freelance writer Rob Owen: RobOwenTV@gmail.com or on Facebook and Twitter as RobOwenTV.
“iZombie” premieres at 9 p.m. Tuesday on The CW.