Psych

I wanted to know what's it like to film in Vancouver as Vancouver.

James Roday: Well it's easier. That's for sure. We spend a lot of time running around and covering up signs and replacing license plates and moving fake palm trees.

Dulé Hill: And flags, taking down flags.

James Roday: When we shot for actual Vancouver we didn't have to worry about any of that stuff which means we could allow our minds and the minds of some of our crew members to drift in a good way.

Dulé Hill: About Maple syrup.

James Roday: That's right.

Dulé Hill: And you also don't have to frame out the ice capped mountains either. You can use that.

James Roday: Oh, that's true. Good point, Dule. That's sharp thinking for this early in the morning. I'm very impressed.

What can you tell me about the Twin Peaks inspired episode?

James Roday: Well I can tell you that it is probably the most proud I have been of any of our achievements on the show, which as you know have been plentiful. It's me basically being a fanboy. Twin Peaks was my favorite show of all time. And, you know, to be able to work with seven of the original cast and basically pretend like I was in an episode of Twin Peaks was unbelievable. In addition to that, and I think it's just something that Dule and the rest of the cast all got to enjoy as well, we discovered that several of the original cast members hadn't seen each other in 15 or even 20 years. So we were basically doing a Twin Peaks reunion within our Twin Peaks show. And watching them sort of reconnect and reminisce was pretty special as well. So it was sort of like two unbelievable experiences for the price of one.

I want you to tell me the best thing about working with the other.

Dulé Hill: Well I would say from my side the best thing about working with Roday would be I guess the challenge of working outside the box. That would be it for me. I mean he's such a talented actor that his mind will go anywhere and sometimes keeping up and staying on the train is a challenge for me but I enjoy it. You know, it's a muscle that I haven't really used in previous parts of my careers. So I'm definitely enjoying the time right now.

James Roday: That's it? That's all you've got?

Dulé Hill: Yes, that's all I've got man. That's it. That's all I got.

James Roday: That's very nice actually. Thank you. Well I would say that in addition to, you know, the obvious which is that Dule is a very gifted actor as well and that he actually makes my job easier by keeping us on the tracks so that I can do all my crazy stuff. I mean that's sort of what makes the show work and that's why our chemistry has been so good from the beginning. It's sort of a - pieces just really fell into place nicely and we're very lucky. But also he also says everything that we're both thinking that have nothing to do with acting whether it's weather-related or food-related or trailer-related or anything you can think of, you know, we're always thinking the same thing but then he always says is out loud and then I don't have to which is awesome.

You've done so many pop culture references on the show and I am like a pop culture junkie. If there was one pop culture reference that has not been done yet that you would love to do, what is it?

Dulé Hill: Yes. I mean I'm on a show that's about pop culture references but that's not really my forte. I'm not really that big into it. Maybe something about Emmanuel Lewis.

James Roday: Yes. You know, gosh, I think there's still so many areas that are deep and plentiful. I wonder if there's time that we did like a major sort of ALF reference of some kind. I think he's probably due for some love.

James, you guys left us with one heck of a cliffhanger with Juliet and Shawn at the end of the season there. Are there any kind of details you can give us about what to expect with the two of them?

James Roday: Well I can tell you that you're not going to have to wait for long. I guess we all sort of decided that we had made you wait long enough and it's addressed pretty cleanly and thoroughly in the premier on Wednesday. So if you can wait for two more days, then I think you'll have all of the answers that you seek.

Dule, any relationships on the horizon for Gus?

Dulé Hill: That's a good question. In terms of Season 5 I don't think so unless I'm blanking out on something Roday might think of.

So are you guys then both happy with the course of the love life for your characters then?

Dulé Hill: I mean I would say I think Gus is definitely kind of backed up. He could use a little bit of tender care, you know what I mean. But we'll see what happens going into the Season 6.

I'm a huge fan in addition to you two also of Cary Elwes and I'm excited about the Extradition episode and I just wanted to hear a little bit about the upcoming appearance and what he's like on the set.

James Roday: We had a lot of fund with Cary. I think we had more fun with him the second time than we did even the first time because he, you know, he was sort of comfortable in the skin of the character. And he sort of got of better idea of what our set is and that it was going to be all fun and games all the time. And he just came up to sort of goof around this second time. And we spent more time with him off set as well and met his beautiful wife and unbelievably beautiful little girl. And he's an all-around good guy and very funny in the episode.

In addition to Cary Elwes, what other guest stars can we look forward to seeing this season?

Dulé Hill: Well beyond the Twin Peakers which come up, we have Ralph Macchio. He'll come up - he'll be in one of the upcoming episodes. We have the return of Ally Sheedy. And then we find out who Mr. Yin is. And then we have Mena Suvari who comes up in that same episode. Who am I forgetting?

James Roday: We have Tony Cox.

Dulé Hill: Oh, yes, Tony Cox came up. That's right.

James Roday: Very funny. Keshia Knight Pulliam, a little Bud/Rudy symmetry there. And Jacob Vargas, very good actor. I think we had a shorter winter season. I think that's most of the highlights there.

What's the favorite name that Shawn has called Gus?

Dulé Hill: For myself it's always been the one I think from Season 1, which may have been the first or second episode, where he called me Gus "Silly-Pants" Jackson. Because when he first threw that out it kind of caught me off guard first of all because I believe that was one that was just off the top of his head. And it cracked me up. I just thought it was a hilarious thing. And, you know, we're big fans of Stoney Jackson over here.

James Roday: Yes, we are. That's the one that sort of kicked it all off. So I think it's always going to be special for us since everything sort of sprang from that.

Are you guys having a Christmas-themed episode and if so, can you tell us anything about it?

James Roday: Yes. We are returning to holiday Yule entertainment this season. I actually directed our Christmas episode and I can tell you that it's pretty out there. It's our sort of bizarro take on It's a Wonderful Life. Shawn learns what everybody would be doing if he had never come back to Santa Barbara. But prepare yourselves because it's not It's a Wonderful Life. It's something different and the only thing I can guarantee is that you'll get to see the characters that you've grown to know and love in ways that you never thought you'd see them.

I'm wondering, you know, the "will they, won't they" thing has been always such a part of the show and if you guys are actually going there now with Juliet was there like just oodles of hours of discussion as to which way that should go or was it just the time to do it?

James Roday: I think there's always been plenty of discussion. But I think, you know, first on the list is when is the time to do it. So I think those things sort of came to a head and everybody was on the same page that five years of "will they or won't they" was enough and that it was time to throw a curve ball and mix things up, cross our fingers and hope for the best.

I was going to see if you could tease some of the upcoming episodes and maybe tell us a storyline you haven't come to yet that you'd want to maybe like zombies or something.

Dulé Hill: We have Police Academy.

James Roday: We do have a Police Academy episode which features Ralph Macchio who we mentioned. Shawn and Gus have to save a polar bear that may or may not be being framed for murder. We have an episode in a haunted house in an amusement park. Probably the closest we will ever come to embodying the cast of Scooby Doo. And then we do - we bring home the Yin-Yang Trilogy. That will be our finale where everything comes out in the wash. Pretty packed, pretty solid winter. I can actually tease that at some point next season we'll be doing vampires.

Dulé Hill: I have a feeling Gus will have a chance to say, "Oh, Sookie."

James Roday: Yes. We can probably work that in there. We've been talking about a musical forever. That's up on the board. Baseball has been on the board for awhile. I think it's probably time to make that happen as well.

How do you think your relationship with Lassiter is going to change now that, you know, they are working together more and he sees how well Shawn is working, you know, helping solve the Yin case and stuff like that?

James Roday: You know what, he's watched us solve, what, 80 murders. He hasn't softened up to us yet. Something tells me he's never quite going to.

Dulé Hill: I think with Lassiter it's less about - for him the issue is not about the outcome it's more about the process. He doesn't respect our process.

Now what would you like to see Shawn and Gus do more of?

Dulé Hill: I would like to see Gus obviously release some tension. Honestly, I would say I wouldn't mind seeing Gus do a little bit more dating, you know, but expanding his horizon outside the Psych office.

James Roday: I would say I'd like to see Shawn and Gus use their wits like at a three-to-one ratio over their legs.

About the Twin Peaks episode because it's my favorite show of all time too. Two questions, does David Lynch know you're doing it? Have you tried to contact him?

Dulé Hill: He does know we're doing it.

James Roday: My understanding and I'm obviously both titillated and nervous about this is that he is aware of the episode. His dear friend Catherine E. Coulson, aka "The Log Lady", came up and did the episode and called and left him a message while she was sitting on our set. So I'm pretty sure that he's aware and I can only hope that we did him proud. I feel like we did. You know, our whole hearts went into that episode and we had the support of, you know, about half of his cast. So if he doesn't like it, there's going to a lot of people in trouble.

And finally about Twin Peaks since Shawn and Gus are so into food, will you be enjoying some cherry pie?

James Roday: We definitely enjoy pie.

Dulé Hill: Pie, yes.

James Roday: But we made it our own and it's not actually cherry.

My question is about Shawn's dad. How does he feel about Shawn and Juliet getting together now that he's working at the police station and how does their relation - Shawn and his father's relationship progress this season?

James Roday: If memory serves, I'm not sure if he ever - I'm not sure he ever wizens up to Shawn and Juliet. I don't think...

Dulé Hill: I don't think he does.

James Roday: I don't think he does. I think that's, you know, we're sort of proceeding with great caution on that front. And then as far as our relationship, I will admit I didn't know how the whole moving him to the police station was going to work but I actually think it worked pretty well because it kind of renewed that antagonism that we had from seasons past where Shawn was always having to look over his shoulder and nothing's ever good enough and I think it motivates both of them. And it's an energy that I thought, you know, always served the show very well and that we got away from sort of in the middle seasons. And I thought it was good to have it back. You know, those two guys are never going to be on the same page but they do find strange twisted ways of appreciating one another. And I think we get to see more of that with Henry in the police station than we did with him, you know, out on his boat or making sandwiches in the kitchen.

We've talked a lot about the guest stars that you've had and sort of like your favorites. Do you have a wish list of guest stars you'd like to see on the show? Anyone who hasn't been on who you'd want on?

Dulé Hill: I would say I'd love to have Chris Tucker come and do a quick spot. I don't know if he ever would but I mean, you know, he's just hilarious to me and it would be great to have him come swing through the show one time. I doubt it will ever happen but, you know, you can always dream.

James Roday: I've been saying David Bowie since the first season so I'll stick with that until he actually shows up which again may never happen. But it doesn't cost us anything to hope, you know what I mean. Hope doesn't cost like money. Hope is free and it springs eternal. It's actually Dule who taught me that.

You can watch James Roday and Dulé Hill on the new episodes of Psych, which premiere on Wednesday, November 10 at 10 PM ET on the USA Network.