Actor Christopher Gorham discusses “Covert Affairs,” his role on the show, and more
(A version of this story was published in the Life section of The Oklahoman Nov. 14, 2011.)
Portraying a disabled veteran on the USA Network spy drama “Covert Affairs” is not only interesting and challenging for actor Christopher
Gorham, it’s an honor.
California native Gorham, 37, who has appeared in television shows such as “Popular,” “Ugly Betty” and “Harper’s Island,” plays Auggie Anderson, a former CIA special operative who was blinded during a mission and is now heading up the tech ops department with the Domestic Protection Division on “Covert Affairs.”
The series, which also stars Piper Perabo as CIA spy Annie Walker, airs at 9 p.m. Tuesdays on USA.
Gorham discussed “Covert Affairs,” a new romance for his character and more during a recent phone interview while he had some time off in Los Angeles after the show wrapped production for its second season.
Q: What do you like most about playing Auggie and/or working on “Covert
Affairs”?
A: I think Auggie’s such an interesting, complicated, challenging
character to play, which are all things that you hope for when you do
what I do. It’s not always the case. You’re often asked to just kind of
play a carbon copy of yourself.
The nice thing about it, too, is playing a disabled veteran as a leading
man on a major television show on a major network is such an honor, and
a real opportunity to honor the sacrifices that are very real –
veterans are making every day, and the sacrifices that they make in
their lives, and honor the way in which they come home and stand up and
move forward, and their families that stand with them. It’s just an
extraordinary opportunity and I don’t take it lightly.
Q: Has playing a blind character affected your perspective in real life
in any way?
A: Oh, sure. I notice little things, like little things that help with
accessibility on the street. When we were shooting abroad, I couldn’t
help but notice in each country how they would modify their street
corners to make them more accessible to the disabled — you know, as
putting in like tactile pads down or tactile tiles, and so you can feel
when you’re on the corner, and the different beeping sounds that they
have in each country at the crosswalks. You know, those little things
that you don’t really pay attention to as a sighted person, but when
you’re in it like I am, thinking about it all the time, you notice
little details, and it’s kind of interesting.
Q: As this fall season of “Covert Affairs” has begun, Auggie has met the
younger sister of one of his fallen comrades from Iraq and they’ve begun
a relationship. What kind of future does Auggie have with Parker (Devin
Kelley)?
A: The unfortunate part, aside from the potential complications of
having such a tragic thing in common (her brother’s death), is that
she’s signed up to go into the Peace Corps and is gonna be leaving
within a few months
So we’re gonna see this kind of like concentrated relationship … it’s
a nice relationship. We get to see a bit of a different side of Auggie.
We get to see kind of a more vulnerable side, and see just exactly how
caring he can be as a boyfriend, and kind of see him in a very private
moment.
There’s a couple of very private moments between the two of them that I
think are nice reveals of his character and the type of man that he is.
And then, you know, of course, that relationship ends up affecting his
relationship between Annie and Auggie, and I think in a very unexpected,
interesting way as we head towards the finale of this fall season.
Q: Would you like to see Annie and Auggie’s friendship blossom into
romance at some point?
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