Side Kicks

Title: Side Kicks @ This Site

It happens every television season: Little-known sidekicks steal the show
from overhyped leads. Last year, it was Jack on Will & Grace. Before that,
it was Pacey on Dawson's Creek. And this year, the honor goes to Brendan
Fehr, who plays Michael, the brooding alien bad boy of the WB's Roswell.
"I like that Michael's got a certain mystery to him," the 22-year-old
explains. "He only says what he has to. So, when he does have something to
say, it generally means a lot to the story." In fact, Fehr always had his
eye on the role of Michael, even when producers had him audition for the
lead of Max. "I wanted Michael from the beginning. I just liked his
character better for myself. I thought it was more appropriate," he says.

It's not that the young Canadian is authority-challenged in real life. Quite
the contrary. "I'm a mama's boy, the type of guy that would rather go to a
diner than a bar. I'm more mischievous than troublesome. I follow the
rules," he says.

Maybe, but he's breaking Hollywood rules left and right. Fehr has one of
those too-good-to-be-true discovery tales that just so happens to be
nonfiction. "I walked into an agency in Vancouver hoping to get some
modeling gigs, and they basically just asked me to be on television. I was
never supposed to be doing this. I was supposed to be a teacher," he
insists.

But with his undeniable James Dean vibe, it's hard to believe Fehr isn't
supposed to be acting. ("I think it's disrespectful to James to put me in
the same category," he says of frequent comparisons to the '50s movie star.)
In addition to Roswell, Fehr has what he calls his "first cameo" in the
thriller Flight 180, due out in early 2000. And he's awaiting distribution
on Christina's House, a small, independent "Hitchcockian thriller done on a
shoestring budget."

As for his hiatus plans, Fehr isn't sure. "If I don't find a movie to do,
I'll be content going home to Winnipeg and spending time with friends and
family."

Ah, a rebel with a cause.
--Amanda Rudolph