Tim Rozon Gets Candid About Schitt's Creek, Wrapping Up Wynonna Earp - Interview
Actor Tim Rozon has had something of a run of late when it comes to shows with fervent followings. First, he portrayed the hunky, pansexual Mutt Schitt on the Dan Levy-created Schitt's Creek, which rose from obscurity to cult favorite status to award-winning glory over the course of its six seasons. Then, he took up the hat and guns of a supernaturally preserved Doc Holliday on Syfy's Western-tinged dark fantasy Wynonna Earp, the fanbase of which is so passionate they bought space on billboards in Times Square in an effort to save it when its future was in doubt.
That crusade paid off, guaranteeing a fourth season of Wynonna Earp in which creator Emily Andras and the winning cast would have the chance to tie up their narrative loose ends. After a rip-roaring first half of a season put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series is now getting ready to bring things home as it moves toward an April 9 series finale.
With new episodes of Wynonna Earp looming, Rozon took time out to reflect on Doc Holliday's journey, why Wynonna is the one who has to save the day, and what it's been like being part of two shows with passionately engaged fandoms.
Tim Rozon teases what's to come on the back half of Wynonna Earp season 4
Can you tease some of the scenes that we're going to get this season between Wynonna and Doc?
Well, I think where we're at in the season is, Doc is finally understanding that, to have a future, he needs to let go of the past. And I think for Wynonna, she's holding on to that in so many ways. It's easier for Doc to let go in the sense that, well, he never had the burden of being the one that had to fight the curse. Throughout this entire show, don't forget Wynonna's the one who had to save the day. Other characters, we came in and we fought, and Waverly did amazing things and Officer Haught was doing great stuff, but Wynonna was the only one at the end of the day who could really save the day. So I think it's not as easy for her to let go, but I think Doc, he understands that until they both let go, there's just no future. I think we're going to see a lot of that.
This season is so funny. A lot of the episodes, but some in particular more than others.
Yeah, the premiere is hilarious, I know that. It's funny, we took this massive crazy break in between airing the two episodes, and we were coming back with one of the funniest, craziest ones of the year. So I just hope people don't think we're getting any loose ends tied up in this one. This one's just... it's mad.
We're talking about the premiere, and there are some nice dancing moments that maybe aren't the pairings we would expect. Can you maybe talk about that scene?
Yeah. You know, it was funny, but for me it was also, because of what we were talking about in that scene, it's unreal scenarios. But there was one scenario that you couldn't fake. And that was beautiful, that's what I love about Wynonna Earp. You get these scripts and if you really break it down, it's like, oh my God, you have this scene, it's madness, and this person is dancing with that person, they shouldn't be, and it's crazy.
The heartbreaking part about it is, they're the only ones that can't see. When it's so obvious to everybody else and everyone else can see it and the audience will get to see it so evidently. The two characters themselves can't see it. That's what I love the most about it. It's beautiful.
And the rest of it, it's funny and it's great. But yeah, that for me ... I just remember thinking, wow, that's magical writing. That's so smart, to be able to put that in there in such a time when it's just... you just think, oh, it's this funny moment of craziness, but no, there's something sad happening here too, you know?
Why being a vampire is a challenge and working with Melanie Scrofano isn't on Wynonna Earp
The mid-season finale kind of left matters between Doc and Wynonna on pretty shaky ground. Could you talk a little bit about how your relationship with Melanie has changed over time and how you manage the ups and downs of Doc and Wynonna's relationship together?
Well, I don't think our relationship is anything like the characters, which is pretty unhealthy. Yeah, you try and keep them pretty separate; at least I do. I'm very fortunate in the sense that when we wrapped, I started five days later on a new show called The Surrealtor, and lo and behold, my director for episodes five and six was none other than Melanie Scrofano. So yeah, I'm very fortunate that our friendship continues whether or not the show will continue. We will continue to work together and talk and be friends.
We're very lucky that we're a pretty tight little unit of a cast, and we all kind of communicate and stay together, and when we found out that this might be the last season, we all had a Zoom meeting together to talk about it and just get together and everybody get their feelings out. So we're very lucky. Yeah, I'm pretty fortunate that our relationship is not like the characters. That'd be not good.
I guess it happened a season or two ago, but could you talk about some of the challenges for you as an actor with Doc becoming a vampire? And then maybe a tease as to how that will come into play for this last batch of episodes?
Yeah. You know, it's been difficult sometimes playing this character, because he does some things that just go against what I would do, but you know, I'm playing a character. But I do remember when I finally read the final episode of season four, I remember the first person I talked to was Emily, and I said, "Thank you." Thank you for the gift of just such an incredible character, because to finally see the arc all the way through, it means so much that he lets go and he lets go of all that stuff because he understands that to have a future, you've got to let go of the past.
And you know, sometimes you've got to let the old ways die. That's how it's going to move ahead. It's kind of where we're at in society now: The old way's got to go, things need to change if we're going to move forward. And I think that's where Doc Holliday was. So yeah, I think you're seeing someone who's finally made peace with letting go, and what he wants is for Wynonna to do the same, but it's not as easy for Wynonna to do that. At the end of the day, she's the one with the burden of having to be the hero. She's the hero at the end of the day, always has been. It's always going to come down on Wynonna's shoulders.
Tim Rozon's fantastic journey with Wynonna Earp and Schitt's Creek Fandom
You've been on two series in the last year that can probably qualify as little shows that could: Schitt's Creek and, of course, Wynonna. Do you get a sense, as an actor, about there being the right time and the right place? There's something about Wynonna just hitting a fandom that has just never been really serviced in the right ways.
Yeah, I mean it's incredible that I got to be a part of both of them, and the fandoms, because they're equally incredible. Creekers, everyone talks about the Creekers — they're no joke, that fandom, how incredible they are. But as for Wynonna, I felt something special right away. I knew we had something special, but at the same time, you're very well aware that it's not... when you see the first VFX shot of what's happening, it's like you understand what it is. But it was only when we started doing the conventions and I literally watched this fandom grow into what it's become that I realized how amazing it is and how fortunate I am that I got to be a part of that.
Forget the show; the fandom is more important than the show, you know. It really is. And what they've created, and just this community of acceptance and kindness and warmth and compassion... I've met amazing, beautiful people that continue to be amazing and beautiful and will continue without the show. It's absolutely incredible.
And then to be on Schitt's Creek, it's kind of lucky. It's different in the sense that it's like, Schitt's Creek is also really important as this television show. Not that the message that Wynonna's telling isn't incredible, but I mean there are demons and it's... you're not going to get everybody. Whereas with Schitt's Creek, everybody needs to watch it, especially where we're at in the world right now, just the messages, and the truths that hit and resonate with so many people, not just certain members, but everybody, which is great because that's it, man, when we can all finally come together, we'll find some happiness, you know? So just watch more Schitt's Creek, everybody.
So yeah. That show is very important. It's very important now, you know. There's not an episode of Schitt's Creek you can't watch. They're all just relevant, very important. I'm very lucky to be a part of two incredible shows, to be honest.
Schitt's Creek, and then Wynonna coming back, is going to be a lot of people's salve as we go from last year into this year.
Yeah. And oddly enough, the very next show that I started was a show called The Surrealtor with Sarah Levy from Schitt's Creek. So we just reunited again, filming. That was awesome. Hopefully it will continue, and that's going to be the third show that's got the great message and fandom? Sign me up.