Exclusive Interview: 'Life is Wild' Star D.W. Moffett
The newest CW family drama,
Life is Wild, premieres tonight at 8pm and stars
D.W. Moffett as Danny Clarke, a world-famous veterinarian. One day he decides to move his entire family from New York City to South Africa on a humanitarian trip. Living in the old bed and breakfast founded by the parents of his late first wife, he struggles to bond with his children.
D.W. Moffett spoke to BuddyTV a while back, calling in from Africa, where
Life is Wild is currently filming. Below you will find the mp3 audio file of the interview, as well as a brief synopsis of the major points he discussed.
-Shooting in Africa just seemed like the logical choice. The show is based on a British series called Wild at Heart which also films in Africa, and the availability of the animals and locations just makes sense. Also, it would cost a whole lot more to try to recreate the South African setting in Vancouver or Los Angeles.
-Filming in Africa takes a bit of an adjustment. D.W. compares it to an independent film, where instead of fancy air-conditioned trailers, you get tents.
-Traveling becomes difficult, because it takes so long to get from South Africa to Los Angeles or New York that it's impossible to just get away for the weekend. However, D.W. more than enjoys the opportunity, and would be fine staying in South Africa as long as it means Life is Wild stays on the air, because he feels it fills a void on TV.
-D.W. describes Life is Wild as "a real feel-good family drama" in the vein of 7th Heaven or Little House on the Prairie. It's a show he can watch with his 10 and 4-year-old children, one that everyone can ehjoy not just for the stories, but also for the African settings and the chance to see something largely missing on American television outside of National Geographic specials.
-Many of his friends and family originally expressed worry at D.W. living in Johannesburg, but he says that everyone has a smile on their faces, and that it's a very modern city, a lot like New York.
-Interview conducted by John Kubicek
(Image courtesy of the CW)