Pig Farming Helped Carnes Prepare for Role as Laszlo

The Daily Record is currently featuring an interview with American actorRyan Carnes, best known for his role as Justin in Desperate Housewives, about his experience under heavy pig makeup as Laszlo inDaleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks.

Ryan had many years of research for the role under his belt even before being approached for it - he grew up on a pig farm: "It's ironic as my father and grandfather raised pigs until around the time I was 10. I used to help feed and call the pigs daily. And to make this part even more spooky, I grew up in Pike County, Illinois, which at one time was the 'pork capital of the world'. So playing a pig after working on a pig farm in the world capital of pigs is all very strange."

Ryan was not a fan of Doctor Who or of science fiction, but he says he "didn't have to really think too hard about taking the role" as he was familiar with the show's global appeal: "I wasn't a fan, but I'd known about it because a friend of mine had a Doctor Who pinball machine in his basement when I was a teenager, so that was my first introduction as an American."

Ryan also talks about the isolation of being under that much makeup, his desire to become an action figure, and his newfound respect for the Daleks.