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McCormack holds discourse with the incorporal air in 'Perception' By Kate O'Hare © Zap2it let," the ghost of the Prince of Denmark's slain father appears and sends his son off on the trail of an uncle who became king through murder. Dr. Daniel Pierce (Eric In Shakespeare's "Ham- McCormack), the neuro- science professor who is the lead character in the TNT drama "Perception," premiering Monday, July 9, doesn't exactly see dead people, but he does see people who aren't really there - and sometimes they're helpful in solving the crimes brought to him by a former student, FBI agent Kate Moretti (Ra- chael Leigh Cook). Pierce has paranoid brain talking to me and saying, 'You know the an- swer to this; you've just got to work through it.' "It's a procedural, but there's also a real emo- tional core. Nobody wants a boring leading man." But working on these "Rubik's Cubes of mys- tery," as McCormack calls them, is still risky for Pierce because it interrupts his careful routine, which helps him cope without the help of drugs. "No one can do what schizophrenia, which causes hallucinations and delusions. But at the same time, he has a keen intel- lect and knowledge of how the human brain works, which allows him to discern patterns and underlying motives in human behavior. Against medical advice, Pierce decides to go off his medications and use his hallucinations to help give him an insight into crimes that his conscious mind may not be able to process. "They are the voices in Pierce does," says Mc- Cormack. "He's not on his meds, so the best way he can help himself, besides diet and scheduling and routine, is solving puzzles. The dichotomy is that when she comes to him with these cases, it can re- ally throw his routine." Pierce also doesn't like how the meds affect his thought processes. "That's actually one of my head," says McCor- mack, talking in his trailer between scenes on the show's sets in a smaller city north of Los Angeles. "It's the other part of my the things that comes up in the pilot and in several epi- sodes," says McCormack. "Maybe my disorder makes me who I am. Maybe this is part of me. So that'll be a very big part of the season, when people start to ask, 'How can someone who knows so much ... why can't a physician heal himself? How can he not be on meds when he, as much as anyone, knows the value?' "I don't want to become who I become (on meds). I don't want my senses dulled, even though I know it's happening." For Kate, even though utilizing Pierce might not be FBI procedure, it's a smart career move. "She's incredibly ambi- tious," says Cook. "And I'm not the only one assigned to the case. Other people are investigating, so they can get their own shows. "But I'm on these cases, with a hallucination of the French military leader, mystic and Roman Catho- lic saint Joan of Arc. "In this particular epi- sode," says McCormack, "it's a kid who is 16 who hears the voice of God. A cult has built around him. My character, he couldn't be more atheist if he tried. "So the scientist comes and my character is very ambitious, so she sees him as a secret weapon. She gets information to take things to him. She has enough trust in him. These things are somewhat clas- sified, and she knows she can bring it to him." Also starring are Arjay Smith as Max Lewicki, Pierce's teaching assistant, who also functions as a sort of minder and valet; Kelly Rowan as Natalie Vincent, Daniel's best friend, former lover and intellectual sparring part- ner; and LeVar Burton, in the recurring role of Paul Haley, a dean at Pierce's university. On this day on set, Pierce is watching an inter- rogation while also having a philosophical debate face-to-face with this kid who truly believes God speaks to him. He's such a sweet and messiahlike kid that it rocks my character's bedrock belief in nothing, or in science alone. They have this really interesting relationship. "And then I diagnose Catch the Craze & Save! that he basically has what Joan of Arc had, which is temporal-lobe epilepsy, which does cause you to feel that you're hearing voices. But if you fix the temporal-lobe epilepsy by removing the tumor, are you then taking God away? Not unlike, if I take my meds, am I taking my hallucinations away? That's the theme of the show, 'How much reality is too much?' " Save on Rentals • Breakfast Get Free Glass Cleaner Save on a Quilt Find these great savings plus more on Coupon Craze! In The Goshen News every Monday, Online everyday! Nobody covers your hometown better 114 S. Main St., Goshen 574-533-2151 www.goshennews.com Employment Ad Today! Place Your Over 3,500 resumes are posted on monster.com in The Goshen News readership areas. 574.522.4475 www.GurleyLeepHonda.com Rachael Leigh Cook, Eric McCormack and Kelly Rowan (from left) star in "Perception," premiering Monday on TNT. 2 The Goshen News • Viewer's Choice • Monday, July 9 - Sunday, July 15, 2012 574-533-2151 ext. 398 goshennews.com / Information on your doorstep source of information. At The Goshen News , you can find the latest local and business news , sports highlights, travel features, financial tips and more. Subscribe today! senior, newspapers are a great you're a teenager, a baby boomer or a Whether 533-2151 ext. 393

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