<Moderator> Hi everyone, thanks for joining us here. I'm Ben Trumble for SCIFI. Tonight we're pleased to welcome two actors whose joint appearances on the X-Files were gems to the show's many fans -- Bruce Harwood and Tom Braidwood -- The Lone Gunmen. Guys who proved for all time that just because you're wrapped up in Conspiracy Theory doesn't mean that can't be funny, and can't have fun.

<Moderator> Brief word about the drill. This is a moderated chat -- please send your questions for our guests to Moderator, as private messages. (To send a private message, either double-click on Moderator or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)...Then hit Enter (or Return on a Mac.)

<Moderator> <AlienPrincess> to <Moderator>: i enjoyed both your characters on the X-Files and tlg. i was just wondering if either of you are doing films now thanks for the autograph picture. thanks alot billie reid

<tbraidwood> AT THE PRESENT TIME I'M FOCUSING ON DIRECTING

<Bruce> I haven't been too busy since the X-Files ended

<tbraidwood> I'M ABOUT TO BEGIN 4 EPS OF A SERIES CALLED EDGEMONT

<tbraidwood> IT'S SORT OF A TEENAGE SOAP OPERA

<Bruce> And in Vancouver the film business is quiet right now. But I'd love to do a film if it came my way.

<tbraidwood> LIKE DAWSONS CREEK

<Bruce> You're directing that Tom. Don't be modest

<tbraidwood> HAHA--

<Moderator> <ahmad> to <Moderator>: when can we see you again on something related to X-Files?  Will you guys have a movie?

<Bruce> I was told we would be in the movie if there is one...But since we're dead I don't know how that's possible

<Bruce> Unless they prop up our coffins 

<tbraidwood> NOT TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, PERHAPS IF THERE IS A 2ND X-Files MOVIE,

<tbraidwood> IF WE ARE LUCKY WE'LL SHOW UP IN THAT

<tbraidwood> ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN THE X-FLIES

<Bruce> I've just heard there might be an X-Box X_Files game. maybe we'll be in that. I heard it's coming out sometime

<Moderator> <Knowname> to <Moderator>: were you as confused as some of us as to why TLG had die? And why didn't DD do his cameo at your funeral? He was on set before it aired.

<Bruce> I don't know about the cameo

<Bruce> But at that point in the series he was still on the run

<Bruce> As for why we had to die

<Bruce> Self sacrifice was more dramatic

<tbraidwood> I THINK WE WERE ALL A BIT SURPRISED THAT WE HAD TO DIE. I THINK THEY FELT THAT IT

<tbraidwood> WAS SOME SORT OF POETIC JUSTICE FOR THE GUNMEN

<Bruce> Poetic justice? What did we do to deserve that??

<Moderator> <monica-1013> to <Moderator>: Did you enjoy working with Annabeth and Robert?

<Bruce> I did, a lot. They were both terrific people. Robert was full of energy. It always amazed me

<tbraidwood> ABSOLUTELY, THEY ARE BOTH TERRIFIC ACTORS AND GOOD PEOPLE WE HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH THEM.

<Bruce> You could come in at the end of a 12 hour day and he'd still be excited about what came next

<Bruce> He said it was the coffee

<tbraidwood> AND I THINK THAT ROBERT HAD A TOUGH ROW TO HOE

<tbraidwood> BUT HE'S A GREAT GUY AND I MISS HIM A LOT

<Bruce> Yes he did have a tough row

<Bruce> Because fans saw him as a "replacement"

<Moderator> <Loops> to <Moderator>: Did you ever desired to change something in the X-Files story? about you, about Mulder and Scully.. about something...

<Bruce> I always wished that I could be a little less dressed up.

<Bruce> I think he could have been a little less uptight a person

<tbraidwood> NO, NOT REALLY. I THINK THE WRITERS WERE SO CONSISTENT WITH THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHARACTERS THAT WE FELT QUIT SECURE WITH WHAT THEY DID WITH US

<Bruce> I think Byers would have become a stranger person during the TLG series

<Bruce> We had terrific writers. Tom is absolutely right

<tbraidwood> I agree with that.

<Bruce> I think with our series they were still finding their footing

<Moderator> <Miaka> to <Moderator>: Did you have any favorite Lone Gunmen eps? Or X-Files eps?

<Bruce> I think my favorite LG X-Files ep is probably Unusual Suspects -- of course

<Bruce> And our best Lone Gunmen ep was All About Yves, the cliffhanger ep

<tbraidwood> I really enjoyed the Las Vegas episode. I really really liked the Tango Episode and the German episode was a lot of fun.

<tbraidwood> Actually, the whole series was fun.

<Bruce> I found it hard working on the Vegas episode, but the final result was worth it

<Moderator> <Erynn> to <Moderator>: if the LGM series had continued, what do you think you would have liked to see the gunmen do?

<Bruce> I have an easy answer for that. I wanted Byers to meet his evil twin

<tbraidwood> I would like to have seen us get a better office, and completely trash the VW van. A new van please!

<Bruce> Yes! An SUV!

<Moderator> <ILoveXfiles> to <Moderator>: How did you like working with Gillian? Any moments you remember best?

<Bruce> I remember meeting Piper (Ed Note: Gillian (Scully) Anderson's daughter) the first time when she was just a toddler

<Bruce> I remember coming on set and watching Gillian play with her on the backlot in Vancouver

<tbraidwood> I loved working with Gillian and there are too many moments largely because I worked with her as an assistant director for 5 years and actor for 9 years.

<tbraidwood> she has a wonderful sense of humor.

<tbraidwood> She's a very caring person too.

<Bruce> Everybody always remembers her laugh. She has a great laugh

<tbraidwood> Wonderful Laugh.

<Moderator> <LonegunChick> to <Moderator>: Do you guys really believe in any of the Gunmen's theories?

<Bruce> I don't remember any of the theories

<tbraidwood> Yes, I'd say so. I think kind of "What's right is right."

<Bruce> I remember Langly saying he had breakfast with the guy who shot JFK...But I didn't buy it

<tbraidwood> Me neither

<Bruce> Well, in the general sense we were for "Truth" and the "American Way"

<Moderator> <Loops> to <Moderator>: Did you ever thought while you're making EBE that you'll became such an important part in THE X FILES?

<Bruce> I thought when we were making EBE that I was on a show that would disappear after its first year.

<tbraidwood> Absolutely Not. It never crossed our minds. One day players. A little bit of work and a free lunch.

<Bruce> Exactly. But you were AD that day Tom

<tbraidwood> hahaha. I was.

<Moderator>  <Linda> to <Moderator>: Tom: Tell us about "Tilt"

<tbraidwood> It's an Independant Low budget short that's been in production and post production for about 2 1/2 years

<tbraidwood> it's based on the Don Quixote story, but modernized -- present day

<tbraidwood> And I played Sam, the side-kick to Don Quixote.

<tbraidwood> And in the last couple of days I got a message that it's almost complete.

<Moderator> <InCuBus-FaN32> to <Moderator>: how did the X-Files change you????

<Bruce> I can say that X-Files gave me a lot of regular experience working on a set

<tbraidwood> It bought me back to an acting career, it taught me how creative TV can be, after many jaded years working in it.

<tbraidwood> and it gave me great pleasure working with great people, writers, actors and crew..

<Bruce> Career wise I earn more money now than I did before. And that makes a difference with actors

<tbraidwood> haha. Yeah.

<Moderator> EvilVic> to <Moderator>: in Europe (IT'S 3AM HERE) the TV networks bought the series "The Lone Gunmen" but they don't have the pilot and they don't want to tell why (or maybe they don't know?). What do you think about that?

<Bruce> I'm surprised they won't say why

<Bruce> There's no grand secret

<Bruce> That is pretty odd

<Bruce> I'm surprised to hear that

<Bruce> Maybe it's Rupert Murdock keeping a secret

<tbraidwood> Exactly. It's fairly obvious, seen as the WTC was attacked.

<Moderator> Lots of people are asking if you would consider attending Gunmen conventions?

<Bruce> I'm not sure

<tbraidwood> Oh sure, I would, why not. We've got a lot of good fans out there and I'm grateful for the support.

<Bruce> I don't know if it would be worth their while -- the fans I mean

<Bruce> I find that I love talking with fans

<Bruce> but in a convention setting I never seem to have time to talk with fans for long

<Bruce> And how big would a Lone Gunmen convention really be?

<Moderator> <CCsProdigy> to <Moderator>: What was it like working with Chris?

<Bruce> I always admired Chris because he had so much on his plate

<Bruce> So many balls in the air

<Bruce> And I never saw him angry

<Bruce> He was always relaxed

<Bruce> A gentleman

<tbraidwood> it was terrific, he's a terrific guy. He's a wonderful writer and very open to everyone's input, even though he's the captain of the ship. But always very fair and very straight ahead.

<Moderator> What do you think about being considered as sex symbols between female X- philes?

<Bruce> Are we???

<tbraidwood> What can I say? It's great.

<Bruce> I think of myself as more of a comfort object

<tbraidwood> I found great comfort in Bruce.

<Moderator> <Ginny> to <Moderator>: moderator, please ask: Tom, the kids you used in TLG, were they actors or were they related to someone? You seem to work so well with them.

<tbraidwood> The guys who played us when we were young?

<tbraidwood> I'm not sure who you are talking about--

<tbraidwood> Or do you mean the thing I did with the kid in the yard--

<Moderator> We have to wait for clarification on that

<tbraidwood> The sequence where I have a tussle with the kid while TLG are breaking into the house?

<Bruce> That kid was good actually

<tbraidwood> The children who played us as youngsters were actors we never actually met.

<tbraidwood> Yeah, he was great.

<Moderator> Yes, the question -- about the house breaking

<tbraidwood> Yes, he and I got along fine, he and I got along very well

<tbraidwood> Even though that's not how it looked on screen.

<Bruce> I've seen the kid who played me on a commercial for Hallmark cards. Or maybe it was the kid who played Tom

<Moderator> <EvilVic> to <Moderator>: to what extent do you share the ideals of the Lone Gunmen?

<Bruce> We didn't get a lot of input

<Bruce> It was generally known before we heard that the series was going ahead

<Bruce> Once we actually started working on the show the writers seemed to work around what we were doing and using that in scripts

<Moderator> <Santoken> to <Moderator>: While I lived for the show, what do you attribute the poor rating to? Not strong enough following? A series ahead of it?

<Bruce> I would say it was the Friday night slot

<Bruce> And maybe there weren't enough people who cared about just our characters

<Bruce> We needed to build an audience that didn't care about X-Files

<Bruce> Obviously that didn't work. Or we didn't have time

<Bruce> I heard on the east coast the show was pushed aside by sports frequently

<tbraidwood> I think moving the series around, combined with a fair amount of pre-emption, particularly on the Eastern seaboard. It was hard for people to find the show.

<Bruce> Firefly is going through that now because of baseball

<Moderator> <BONNIE> to <Moderator>: Do any of you have any favorite TV shows other than TLG and X-Files?

<Bruce> Buffy, Angel, and Farscape

<tbraidwood> I like Farscape, the Orignal CSI, I'm not sure about the Miami one yet.. I'm a little embarrassed to say I like the Osbornes

<tbraidwood> and in Canada it doesn't get beeped.

<tbraidwood> I've only been watching for a few weeks and I'm already hooked.

<tbraidwood> Who would have thought of this as a TV show.

<Bruce> Tom, don't you like Celebrity Squares too?

<tbraidwood> I like Law and Order, SVU, I like Vincent D'Inofrio a lot as an actor.

<tbraidwood> I also like 6 Feet Under; It's very consistent.

<Moderator> <CCsProdigy> to <Moderator>: What projects are you guys working on now, and do any of you plan to come to Australia?

<Bruce> I don't plan to come to Australia YET

<tbraidwood> I'm working on the CBC series Edgemont, that will keep me busy for the next month and half or so. After that, who knows. Australia is not in my immediate plans, although I have been there and love the country.

<Bruce> As I said before film production is pretty quiet here now so I'm working on personal projects

<Moderator> Final Question: As actors do you think you'll always be remembered as the Gunmen?

<Bruce> I don't know. I'd hate to say the answer is yes

<Bruce> But I suppose I will be

<tbraidwood> Well, more than likely.

<Moderator> We'll open the floor in just a minute

<tbraidwood> Thanks to the fans

<tbraidwood> Thanks to everyone at TV Tome site

<tbraidwood> for keeping the spirit alive

<Earth2Kim> Thanks so much guys for chatting with us!

<CCsProdigy> Thanks guys!! :)

<tbraidwood> It's been fun