An Interview with Huff Creator/Executive Producer Bob Lowry

Have you ever wondered what an 'Executive Producer' really does for a television series? I had the unique opportunity to chat with Bob Lowry, the creator and executive producer of the Emmy-winning Showtime series, Huff and learned quite a bit about the creative process, where the show is headed and what it's like working with the fabulous Angelica Houston.

Q: When did you decide to get into show business?
Bob: "I was an actor in college. I wanted to be a big star. I went to the University of Illinois and majored in acting and minored in theater and I left one semester short of actually graduating because I got an offer from the American Conservatory in San Francisco back in the days when Bill Ball was there. It was one of the best regional theaters in the country. From there I went to the Oregon Festival and from there I went to Manhattan. I had tow very small roles on two soap operas and did some regional theater, but basically did not have any success that could pay my rent. I was offered a job writing industrials and trade shows. I said I would do that for a year and I did it for ten. I came to L.A. at the age of 43 with no job in sight, to write for television, I just wanted to do it."

Q: What does an Executive Producer do exactly?
Bob: "As creator and executive producer, I have the final say -- I can always be trumped by the network, but basically it all falls into my lap. It involves hiring writers, cast and crew, rewriting, casting, scouting locations, post with edits and mix, and delivery to the network. So, it's the whole ball of wax."

Q: Do you ever find time to sleep?
Bob: "After we wrapped at Thanksgiving, I was sick for three weeks. You go into this altered state of consciousness and you just go. You have 150-200 people waiting for you everyday, so you don't have the luxury of time off. Scripts have to be delivered on time because you're in production. You have one episode that is always prepping, you have another episode that is shooting and you have another episode that is in post. Production devours scripts. You have 150-200 people waiting to shoot, so you just do it."

Q: Take us through a typical day.
Bob: "A typical day for myself once we're up and running would be spending time in the writers room with the writers, outlining what their work for the week should be, what they need to focus on, where we need to be at the end of that week and what I would like to see when I come back to the room. Casting sessions -- we have casting maybe two days a week. I might be with wardrobe and look at photographs. I might be on the phone with the studio, taking notes on a script. I will spend some time on the set everyday. I will meet with the director of the next episode, having a tone meeting to discuss every single scene with him or her."

Q: How did you come up with the idea for Huff?
Bob: "I've been in therapy a bunch. One therapist of mine once said, 'Most people don't wake up until they learn they're going to die.' That fascinated me because I believe that's true. I look at time and days as currency and we choose how to spend it. I always wanted to write a television show about a character who was struggling to wake up. I believe we fall asleep many, many times during the day, we miss things that are in front of us, we don't hear what people are really saying to us. We miss opportunities to love, we coast often and it's human nature, it's not because we're bad people. I just wanted to try and write a show about a character who was aware of his life on daily basis."

Q: Are any of the characters based on people you know?
Bob: "Not directly. Huff is not fashioned after any therapist I've had. I'm not emulating any specific human being."

Q: Would you go to therapy with a guy like Huff?
Bob: "Yes, I think he's a good physician. I think he's very smart, interactive, I think he talks with his patients, I think he listens very well and I don't think he's one of those doctors that sit and don't talk and don't share anything about themselves."

Q: You've had some incredible guest stars on the show (Sharon Stone, Angelica Houston, Lara Flynn Boyle), were any of the roles specifically created for them?
Bob: "I did. Sharon Stone called us and said she loved the show and would like to do it and I threw out the first three characters I created for her because I wasn't happy with them and came up with the one we used. Angelica had told Oliver Platt, I believe at the Golden Globes, that she was a huge fan of the show, so we contacted her and I believe her husband told her she had to do it. We were fortunate enough to work it out and I created the role this character specifically for her."