Interview with John Cabrera

Most of you know him as one of Lane's bandmates, Brian Fuller, on "Gilmore Girls". In our interview, John Cabrera told us more about his part on the show, what fascinates him most about "Lost" and why he occasionally speaks German.

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1. Somehow it is always surprising to hear that Americans speak German. Where and why did you learn it?

Yeah, it’s just as surprising to me when I hear Americans speaking German. I guess Bruce Darnell is a fun example, right? It’s a challenging language to learn in adulthood, I mean all languages are really. I visited Germany for the first time about a year and a half ago. While I was there, I met some really amazing people and started to develop a deep interest in the culture and the language. Now that I’m learning, I try to get back when my schedule permits. But to be clear, I wouldn’t say I’m fluent in the language. Ich lerne nur seit 1,5 jahren Deutsch. Ich kenne genug Grundgrammatik und verstehe viel. Aber wenn ich spreche, stottere ich viel und sage immer "Wie bitte?" oder "Ehm… Wiederhol das langsam, bitte." Wenn ich Deutsch schreibe, klinge ich vielleicht besser.

2. You and Michael Muhney are really good friends and he also speaks German. Do the both of you sometimes talk in German?

Sometimes yeah. But they’re never serious discussions. More like, "Hej, hör mal! Wir sprechen Deutsch!" "Cool! Über was sollten wir sprechen?" "Ehm… Lost?" And then of course it’s back to English so that I can talk about my "alternate universe" theories. But who knows, maybe someday he and I will be able to answer the question "Bestimmen Parallelwelten unser Schicksal?" from the May 2008 edition of P.M. Magazine. Vielleicht, hilft das mir mit meinen "Lost"-Theorien, oder?

3. When and why did you decide to become an actor?

I decided in high school, just before applying to universities. I ended up attending an acting conservatory which sort of commits you to that career path. But for most of my young adult life, I thought I was going to be a graphic designer. I even went to a special arts high school for a couple of years. But I lost my passion for visual art around the time I found acting. The irony is that many years later, so much of what I do, even as an actor, is influenced by my years studying design.

4. In "Gilmore Girls" you played the part of Lane’s band mate Brian Fuller. Have you ever been in a band in real life? Do you still play the bass guitar or the piano, now the show is over?

Funny, I always forget that Brian was technically the keyboard player too. Oh mann, if the show had continued one more season we could have covered MGMT before they blew up. I might have been a front man for once! Anyway, no. Never been in a band.

5. The name of that role always reminds me of writer and producer Bryan Fuller ("Heroes", "Pushing Daisies"). Do you know if the writers of "Gilmore Girls" wanted to make a reference to him?

I’ve actually been asked that a few times by fans of the show. But I don’t know for sure. Here’s what I do know, and maybe your readers can put the pieces together. I’m pretty sure Brian’s first name was inspired by one of our "band consultants", Brian. He and a few others musicians worked with us whenever the band played on the show, and they were actually friends of Amy and Dan Palladino. But for a few seasons Brian didn’t have a last name. In fact, I remember Todd Lowe intended to loosely pitch a last name for Brian. He wrote an original piece of music that he wanted to show the producers, and he labeled it "lyrics by Brian Schmelt." I don’t know what happened with that, but eventually Brian got the last name Fuller and… well… I have to imagine when it first came up in the writer’s room it reminded somebody there of Bryan Fuller the TV writer. Either they didn’t have a problem with that, or they intended it. This was a show that loved inside jokes, after all.

6. You’ve been a part of the show for four years. Which episode is your favorite and why?

Hehe. Well, five years actually, but who’s counting. Let’s see, I had a bunch of episodes I loved. The Festival of Living Art was one of my favorites all around. Even if I hadn’t been in the episode it would have neared the top of my list. The Korean New Year scene is one of my faves as well, partly because the food was so delicious. We actually ate that full meal… well I did, at least. But my all-time favorite scene was Brian barging in on Lane and Zack’s first date. And the way the scene ends with Brian slung over Zack’s shoulder, his ass between their faces as they go in for the kiss, is both hilarious and sweet. A perfect Zack and Brian moment.

7. If you look back, which season of "Gilmore Girls" do you think was the best and why?

It’s a toss up for me between season 5 and 6. Perhaps because many of the characters were going through transitions and struggles I could better relate to. Maybe because a bunch of the stories were so turbulent. Or maybe because my memories of working on the show those seasons are the fondest.

8. You have also been on the season finale of the show. Did you like it or what would you have done differently?

Well I was certainly happy to be a part of the finale. But I wasn’t glad it came that season. Like most people, I thought there was still plenty that needed tying up. Maybe someday it will.

9. Have you kept any "Gilmore Girls" mementos?

Hmm… I have a couple of guitar picks that I forgot to give back. I’m sure Warner Brothers doesn’t mind. I have all my scripts. Oh actually, you know what? Somewhere I have one of the hats Hep Alien was selling during its summer church tour… and a t-shirt, I think. But I have to admit, I’m not too sentimental when it comes to that kind of stuff.

10. Are you still in contact with some of the cast members like Sean Gunn?

Well, I guess I’ll always be in contact with Sean Gunn, since he’s been one of my closest friends for almost fifteen years. We went to university together, and the fact that we both ended up on the show is partly coincidence. I’m also still very close to Keiko Agena and Nick Holmes (who played, Robert Grimaldi, one of the Yalies). And I still see Todd Lowe and Sebastian Bach on occasion.

11. You are a big fan of "Lost" and you blog a lot of theories about what’s going to happen next or how everything fits together. What do you like most about the show?

Well, from a story perspective, I love all the ancient and cryptic artifacts. I’m a geek for that kind of stuff. The writers have crafted such a creative world. And the character life is so rich. But the thing I love most about the show is how the communities of online fans kind of reflect the little community of survivors on the show; People from all over the world, coming together every week to try to figure out a way off the island… right?

12. On your vimeo account you present some of your work as a director. Do you like producing short films or do you also dream of directing a feature some day?

Sure, I’d love to direct a feature at some point, perhaps in the next few years. But I don’t really see it as a step up from directing short form content. Certainly from a career perspective Features tend to pay more, and they come with more prestige in the industry. On the other hand, my career focus has lately been on internet media, which is still relatively young and remains mostly short form. But in terms of what would fulfill me, there’s not much distinction between the two. I like to create interesting works in a variety of mediums. It doesn’t really matter if its 1 minute long or 3 hours long… on film, video, or paper.

13. You seem to be a very avid Twitterer. Why do you use Twitter and for whom? Who called your attention to it?

Ja, Mann kann sagen, dass ich eine kleine Twittersucht habe. I consume a lot of internet news and content, so I’ve known about the site since it started. But I only began twittering myself a little over a year ago. And I love the fast interaction, the immediacy and connection it allows me to have with other artists, interesting people, fans of the show, colleagues, family, etc. And I like this larger community that’s formed out of those groups. I also believe that aside from being a powerful source of information, Twittering, or perhaps just status updating in general, is becoming its own little art. So I guess, it’s also a new form of expression that I’m exploring.

14. What is more fun: acting or directing?

I’m sure you can guess my answer to that one. They’re just too different to compare. I’ll always love to act, write, and direct. There are things I find extremely fulfilling about each… and things that are totally frustrating as well.

15. Do you have any new projects you can tell us about?

Right now I’m working on a web series called "H+" with Warner Brothers and Bryan Singer's company ("Superman Returns", "Valkrie"). We’re about halfway through the writing process, and the hope is to shoot in the fall. I can’t really talk much about the project, yet. But I will say that it takes place in a near future, has an international flair, deals with computer technology, and is heavily influenced by serialized genre television… shows like "Lost", "Heroes" etc.

16. Since myFanbase is an online magazine about TV series do you have a favorite one?

Haha! Come on. Do you even have to ask? - Well by now it's probably pretty obvious. Lost, of course! Although there are a few other shows I can geek out over. Dexter, The Amazing Race, Survivor, and The Office are a few. But I watch a lot of it later online or on DVD. Right now, Lost is the only thing I watch when it airs.

Catherine Bühnsack - myFanbase