Interview: Quentin Plair Talks Joining ‘Roswell, New Mexico’, Dallas’ Journey, and the Latest Cliffhanger [EXCLUSIVE]

Brianna
17 Min Read
John Golen Britt / The CW

With the latest episode of Roswell, New Mexico bringing Dallas, the newest pod squad member, closer than ever to the answers he seeks we were able to sit down with actor Quentin Plair to discuss the introduction of Dallas, that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, and more. Check out the interview below!

Nerds and Beyond: Dallas became quite an important character very quickly in season 3. How did you prepare to play Dallas and what drew you to the role?

Plair: It’s actually super interesting that you ask. Through the audition process, I just remember the actual scene from the audition was something that I’d never seen on TV before. We didn’t actually end up using that scene on the show, but it was a scene where I was seated across from Isobel and having all these conversations about what is God, whether God exists or not, all this kind of stuff I don’t think you’d ever hear a preacher say. You could tell he was a very different thinker and he was a very progressive preacher. The way it was set up I actually thought I was coming in to be a love interest for Isobel since Noah was out of the way. When I actually got to Santa Fe and had a conversation with Chris Hollier he told me where the character was going and I was like, “Oh wow, I get to be an alien? That’s dope!”

I think initially I was really attracted to the way they had him written as being different than I had ever seen preachers portrayed. He had a different way of thinking and a different way of connecting with people, and once I found out more about the story and where they were going to go with it, it really attracted me to being one of the aliens on the show. That’s where you want to be, that’s the cool place to be, you want to have powers and all that kind of stuff. I got thrust into the thick of it so fast it actually made it a little easier on me. Sometimes as an actor it’s almost easier to deal with some of the heavy stuff. Boom, now I’m right in the middle of figuring out how to defeat Jones and this stuff with my father. I didn’t have to tippy toe into it, it submerges you into the life of the show.

N&B: I remember being hesitant about a new alien joining the ranks, but Dallas fit right in immediately and won me over from the start. Were you nervous to join the tight-knit pod squad?

Plair: [There’s] definitely nerves when you come into any established show. When I got it, it was before I came in for any filming so I sat down and watched season 1 and season 2 on Netflix and I became a fan of the show as well and the quirks, I really liked it. I think I was more so nervous because I am really a fan of Lily Cowles and how she acts. I feel like she’s so emotive and so present in everything and I could see that on screen watching her. Again, in the audition process, I really thought I was coming in to be a love interest of hers so I was trying to mentally develop chemistry with her before even meeting her type of thing. When I got there and found out more about what I was actually going to be doing on the show and what my role was I feel like because I didn’t have a lot of time to sit there and think about it I didn’t have as much nerves. I had the nerves that are involved with coming to a show and performing, but all that stuff is more so Quentin insecurity not necessarily about Dallas falling into the script. The way it was written, I feel like episode 9 in season 3 is when they realize Dallas was an alien and he was the Johnny Doe. But episode 10 was so heavy on Dallas getting immersed in everything and episode 11 behind it I felt like it was like, ‘Ok, you don’t have time to be nervous you have to make this thing work.’

All the other actors were incredible to me and so warm and welcoming, and the directors. As comfortable as you can make it for a new actor coming in with a big portion of the story that quickly, they made it that comfortable for me. That took a lot of the nerves away.

Michael Moriatis/The CW

N&B: That’s great to hear. Let’s talk about the latest episode and those jaw-dropping final moments for Dallas. He’s the center of this episode and he’s on this journey and has the glasses and bible, then Clyde shows up. What can you tell us about where we see him at the end of that episode?

Plair: I think it was super interesting because Andy [who plays Clyde] is actually such a nice guy in real life, but then he shows up and the whole time I’m like, “I just got these glasses! Now I got to give them away?” Honestly, it’s to save Bonnie and I think it’s very fitting to who Dallas is and is a nice callback. Through this season so far there’s so much you have to deal with in storytelling for this kind of ensemble of a cast. One thing I feel has gone a bit by the wayside, not in a negative sense because you can’t show everything, but Dallas’ connection to being a pastor. His connection to the bible and his faith, I feel like that is happening more offscreen. So, the fact you get this moment of all that he has been searching for and all he has been yearning for in this connection to his father, he gives that up to save Bonnie. I feel like that’s really the heart of who Dallas is, he really cares that much about other people and healing even though all these things he’s gone after all season, the truth of who he really is comes out in that moment when he sacrifices it for someone else.

N&B: I do love that about him and then he gets sucked into the quicksand with her anyway! It was supposed to save her.

Plair: Which is exactly how it’s supposed to go! You sacrifice for someone else and then you both die anyway, well not die, but both go down into the quicksand anyway.

N&B: Right. It does almost allude to, I won’t say he is dead because I refuse to think that, but that or something else going on that we aren’t aware of yet. Is there something there for fans to tide them over for the week to come that we just haven’t seen yet?

Plair: Obviously I don’t want to give away storylines, but I will say this will not be the last you see of Dallas.

N&B: Deep breath for the fans!

Plair: Yeah deep breath, you have more to find out and explore. Whether it’s from the way his father has come back in or in the real world, Dallas has more to give to Roswell. I’ll say that.

John Golden Britt/The CW

N&B: Ok, I’ll take that, thank you. With everyone’s powers in question, it’s been exciting to watch Dallas begin honing his abilities. Do you have a favorite power of his that you really loved for him?

Plair: When I found out I was going to have powers, I loved that these powers were water-based. I don’t know if you are a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I’ve always known to myself that if I was a bender and couldn’t be the avatar, I would always choose water bending. With this, I got to kind of be a water bender of sorts. For that to be my power, my connection to water, it was just cool that’s the one they chose for Dallas. If given the opportunity that’s the one I would have chosen for Dallas. It was fun to play on screen with figuring that out, harnessing the power, and to do some of those childhood things that you would do, “Oh, can I make this move with my mind,” and play that out on screen. It was just really fun.

N&B: You might be the newest but your acting has fit in flawlessly with the rest of the cast. How has it been acting opposite each of the cast and what have you enjoyed most about the set?

Plair: That goes to the cast being so welcoming. I think sometimes you can come into a show and people can be cold, or not cold but not take time to open up, and that’s not how this show was. When I came in season 3, Jeanine was just so nice, so welcoming, so accepting of me day one and I think for the most part it shows. If that’s how your number one is it trickles down in how you treat new people. From day one I feel like I really bonded with Jeanine, I really bonded with Michael Vlamis, and that really only intensified in season 4. We’re all in a fantasy football group together so we had that to talk about, we’d go to Vlamis’ place and watch games on Sundays, we’d go to movies together with cast, crew, some of the directors. I think because we were shooting on location in Santa Fe, I personally didn’t know anyone in Santa Fe, so if you wanted to hang out you were hanging out with the group and I think it really shows in what goes on TV. You can tell that we spent time together not just when we were filming and I think that seeps through when you’re watching. We were a pretty good group of friends that did hang out outside of just work.

N&B: That’s awesome and sounds so fun! Sadly, we know that the show was canceled recently. Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans as they get ready to say goodbye to Dallas and to the show?

Plair: I’m just really thankful that people have embraced Dallas the way that they have. Again, when you come into a show and it’s already established and people have things that they care about and relationships that they care about it’s sometimes hard to find your footing in that. I just really appreciate people accepting him and connecting with Dallas and I think it sucks that the show has to get canceled, but I personally really did like the way that it ended. I feel like a lot of loose ends get tied and a lot of characters have beautiful endings. Hopefully, people can have some kind of solace with that, with it going away in the way that it does. I don’t want to tease anything, but I feel hopeful that fans feel connected to the way that it ends and can look back on a series that they loved and enjoyed and appreciate it for that.

John Golden Britt/The CW

N&B: Lastly, we are Nerds and Beyond so we celebrate all things nerdy here. What’s something that you nerd out to? You mentioned Avatar: The Last Airbender, but is there anything else?

Plair: There are so many things. I am one of the biggest Harry Potter fans you will ever find. I’m a hardcore Slytherin, one of my dream roles would be if somehow I got cast in if they did a life story of Voldemort and I could play Voldemort.

N&B: You know what I could totally see that!

Plair: Gosh I would love that! But yeah, I watch a good amount of anime. Goku and them in Dragon Ball Z is one of my favorites, as I said Avatar, Yu-Gi-Oh! I love. Pokemon, I tell people all the time if pokemon were real I would drop everything and become a trainer right now no questions asked. Harry Potter is the biggest thing though. There’s so many, fantasy movies are my thing, I’m going back through and re-watching Lord of the Rings. I think when I initially saw it I was a bit too young to appreciate how great filmmaking it was. I just finished all the Hobbits and now I’m going on to Lord of the Rings, extended editions of course.

For the first time, I just rode the Rise of the Resistance ride at Disneyland, it was incredible. It was the greatest ride I’ve ever been on experience-wise. You have to ride it, I went for the first time and it’s incredible. It’s like a 25-minute ride, you go and get on one part then you go to another part and there’s actors playing the Republic. I don’t want to spoil the ride too much but please if you ever go to Disneyland you have to ride Rise of the Resistance. It’s incredible.

N&B: I’m definitely adding it to my must-ride list then! Thank you so much for chatting with me, and I can’t wait to see what the remaining episodes have in store for Dallas.

Plair: Thank you so much, I appreciate it.

A huge thank you to Quentin for chatting with us about his time on Roswell and his favorite nerdy things. Be sure to catch the latest episodes of Roswell, New Mexico airing every Monday on The CW. You can also find our latest coverage of the series including recaps, synopses, images, and more here.

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By Brianna
Brianna works full time in the publishing industry, passionately building books to bring to the masses. Her first fandom was Harry Potter, which she joined at age 11. Her love for books took her abroad to earn her Masters Degree at University College London, after which she lived in New York City, and now resides in Austin. She loves all things fandom including Supernatural, Doctor Who, and more. Ever the introvert, she can usually be found reading, playing with her dog, listening to music and practicing yoga. Brianna joined the Nerds and Beyond staff in 2018 where she unites her love for all things "nerd" with her passion for writing. Find her on Twitter here: @bookbag09
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