Hi, this is actor Titus Welliver, talking to you today about my new series on Amazon Prime - BOSCH - or my past projects. AMA!

How was acting on The Good Wife? Are you ever going to be back?

I never say never! But I don't see how that would be possible. It was a great experience. Julianna and Josh and Chris are all friends of mine, and so it was a great pleasure.

Hi there! Hope you're doing well today. Lost is my favourite show ever, so it's always exciting to see a cast member ama.

Did you watch the entire show? Who were your favourite characters? Are you still friends with any of the other cast members?

And most importantly, if you could pick a name for the Man in Black, what would it be? (Or do you think Barry is acceptable?)

When I took the role, I'd only watched the first 2 seasons. After completing the final episode, I then went back and watched the show in its entirety.

Too many to list. But I loved Locke.

I just worked with the director / producer Jack Bender on THE LAST SHIP. But have not really seen any of the other cast members recently.

"Barry" was, in fact, a joke. I rather like that he never was given a name.

Thanks for the response! I agree. It's hard to choose a favourite character. (And I loved those internet episodes Jacob and "Barry" did :P)

One more thing if you don't mind.... Were you as upset about Deadwood ending as I was? That show was over way too early.

I was deeply disappointed. That was a show that was way ahead of its time, and really raised the bar for excellence in programming.

What was your favourite moment/scene in Sons of Anarchy?

My favorite scene was the handing over, the exchange of Baby Abel for Father Kellen.

Can you reveal if your character is dead or alive in the Marvel universe?

I assume he's alive. I've not been told otherwise.

Were there any roles in TV or film that people would be surprised to know you were up for?

Not to my recollection. I mean, I've been up for things, but I can't think of anything I was up for and didn't get - I mean, I can't really speak to - I wasn't up for IRON MAN or something like that!

Hey Titus, I just shaved off my beard and feel completely naked without it..did you feel the same about Sila's incredible beard when you had to let it go?

Yeah, yes. Letting facial hair go is always problematic and a sad day around my house (excluding the thoughts of my wife and children).

what weird skill do you wish you had that you think would have made an edge in casting for a role you didn't get (for example if you were trying for kermit in the muppet movie, it would help to be a muppet)?

Ha ha!

Well, I do have something in my skill set, I have very hairy feet, so casting me as a hobbit is a no-brainer. My wife calls me "hobbit feet."

Hello Mr Welliver!

First, I am a huge fan. I've seen pretty much everything you've been in, including two of my all-time favorite television shows in history. LOST, and Deadwood. I know this is a super common question, but, do you have any good stories from the set? Especially anything funny from the Deadwood days, since it seems like that would've been a pretty serious set.

Keep up all the great work, and I can't wait to see Bosch!

Well, a little tidbit which sort've demonstrates the seriousness of actors on DEADWOOD: in between scenes, myself and a few other cast members would hide in my trailer and play Xbox.

(Everybody operates on the assumption that actors are sitting around reading Shakespeare in their trailers - that is not the case! We were playing Xbox, for hours!)

Don't sell yourself short, sir. Xbox is serious business. Do you have a favorite game? Did Ian McShane play xbox? I really fucking love the idea of Silas and Sweringen playing Halo together.

Hahahaha!

No, Ian did not play. But Earl Brown and Sean and I played endlessly. Our favorite game was called BLACK. Like a first person shooter where you can destroy everything.

What's your fav Xbox game?

FAR CRY and I love the Call of Duty series.

Somebody said I should be the voice for the character Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series but I think Kiefer Sutherland does it.

What kind of games did you play?

We also played a lot of a game called SoCom, and HALO, and Rainbow 6.

I'm binge watching sons of anarchy season 3 right now and I think your acting is amazing. What was it like working on such a popular show like sons of anarchy?

It was great fun. Super cast. Great writers. All in all, a wonderful experience. And how was the catering? Really quite good.

if someone had never seen your acting work, what would you want them to watch first?

Oooh boy.

BOSCH.

Because it's what I'm doing presently, and I think that it's what the journey of my career has led me to.

Of all the work you've been in, which production had the best food? and what was the food?

Ha ha!

The catering on Ben Affleck's movies is consistently the best food that I've had. And lobster. Just lobster. Plain, straight up, New England style boiled Maine lobster.

Hey Titus, welcome back. How excited were you to hear that BOSCH was picked from the Amazon pilots to be made into a full series?

Beyond thrilled. I'd only read one book prior to my meeting with the producers for BOSCH. I since then have read 8 of the books, and continue to do so. I love 'em.

That's quite a bit of reading! Michael Connelly did an AMA of his own a few days ago and he spoke very highly of you. Did you interact with him much during filming?

Constantly. Michael is the barometer for all things BOSCH, being the creator. And I'm eternally grateful for his guidance.

Hey Titus, I've been watching you since LOST and I'm a fan! I'm rooting for you. You clearly choose your roles wisely and always bring value to the character in a way that deepens the story. Have you ever thought about taking more leading roles?

I take the roles as they come! I'm very very honored and extremely content playing BOSCH. That's my focus right now.

Hey there, Titus, been a fan since Star Trek. I was curious if there's been any talk of you returning to "Agents of SHIELD". We haven't really seen your character since he was hospitalized and basically sat out the HYDRA debacle that saw SHIELD disbanded and Coulson having to rebuild it from the ground up, so we don't really know where he would've stood in all that.

Might we see Agent Blake again?

I would LOVE to play Blake again. I love working with Clark Gregg and the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. guys. I've just been shooting BOSCH and it took up all my time, so it's difficult to go and do a guest spot.

Hope so. SHIELD needs another bureaucrat-type since Maximillian Hernandez turned out be A) evil, and B) roadkill in the last "Captain America" movie.

I would love to come back. I enjoyed the fact that Blake took action against Deathlok and we got to see him do something other than irritate Clark Gregg! Haha!

Hey Titus! This is Rachel from twitter, nice to see you on reddit again. I was wondering what you look for in the directors that you work with?

A collaborative attitude. That's really it. I just like them to come to swing, and not to micromanage.

Hi Titus, I met you the night they screened the alternate ending for "The Town" in Boston. Did you like the original ending or the alternate ending better?

The alternate ending. I just felt like it was a bit more realistic? I thought it had a deeper impact with Ben's character being killed.

Hi Titus, I was a fan of Brooklyn South. Although short-lived, it was fantastic ! Is there an anecdote you could tell me about your time on the show ? What are your memories from that experience ?

All great memories. SUPER cast of actors. We had a couple of disgruntled cast members who were always complaining, and one day, in between scenes, a bunch of the cast were sitting outside (including the complaining culprits). And David Milch came outside with Steve and greeted us, and then apropos of nothing, David said "You know, great thing about a cop show... you have someone in the cast who's disgruntled and miserable, the next episode, they're the first episode through the door, and they forgot their vest in the trunk."

The message was sent!

Aha ! Well, the show started with a shooting, so they could have taken the hint XD So, from New York to Los Angeles, which police forces do you like best ?

I'm not partial to either one. I have equal respect for both departments.

Did you liked the ending of Lost? And also, what's your favorite movie? Big fan, gonna be checking out Bosch.

I had no issue with the ending of LOST. I thought it ended well (but you can't please everyone).

My favorite film is YOJIMBO.

Hi Titus, Mayor Clare here! Happy Bosch Day! What's next in the work pipeline for you?

Hey Clare! Hey Mayor!

Hopefully season 2 of BOSCH!

Clare again here! (Am I allowed to ask more than one?!). Anyways, how did you enjoy your (brief) visit to London? I hope we made you feel welcome!

It was bloody tremendous! I loved every second of it, and was deeply touched by the support and the excitement.

Was that written in a London accent?!

Yes!

I loved the movie Argo. What was it like being a part of that?

Oh, a huge honor. A stunning cast, Ben's work was remarkable, I enjoyed every minute of it. It was filmed all over - Los Angeles, I think Morocco, Washington DC. I shot in LA.

Mel again!!

Seems lots of the Deadwood cast ends up in the same shows.

SOA - Dayton Callie, Paula Malcolmson, Robin Weigert, Kim Dickens, Keone Young (Mr. Wu!!!)

Lost - William Sanderson, Paula Malcolmson, Robin Weigert, Kim Dickens, Brian Cox

Also "Justified" has a ton as well.

Seems like the casting depts loved Deadwood. FX as well! They dug up the Deadwood graveyard!!

Does it seem like a reunion when you're on set with them again? Are you still in touch? Would you work with David Milch again?

Also, do you play any instruments?

I would do a puppet show for David Milch.

I think one of the reasons that you see that sort of recurring thing casting happening is that DEADWOOD was so well-cast - there was such a great talent pool on that show that people went (intelligently) - well, it was a casting pool by Junie Lowery and Libby Goldstein (they also cast Dexter and a bunch of other shows). And yes, we always reminisce when we see each other, but we're all in touch with each other. I recently got a very, very sweet email from Ian McShane congratulating me on BOSCH. We're all friends on Facebook, and they have all been super-supportive, sharing links promoting BOSCH - we all have a great fondness for each other. It's like we went to high school and college together, being on DEADWOOD.

I do! I play the drums, but I would say the instrument that I play the most and am most proficient with is blues harmonica. I've been playing since i was 8 years old.

Hi Titus!

Big LOST fan, also really liked your roll in The Good Wife.

I know initially the roll of the Man In Black (Smokey) was disguised as a corporate raider type, but when did they let you in that you were going to be playing a character that had been a major part of the show's mythos since the first episode?

I didn't realize that until I actually spoke the words "I am the Black Smoke."

Then it hit me like a hammer.

It was a bit overwhelming, but in the best way.

That's crazy. From the sounds of it you're not the only one who only realized the significance of their role from the script in their hand.

Was the full mythos ever explained to you and Mark Pellegrino? Sometimes it felt like the two of you were operating on a few more clues than we had.

Not the case with me! Ignorance is bliss.

what books are you reading now besides Bosch?

That's a good question.

Usually I'm reading and looking at several books, to save time. Right now I'm reading Michael Connelly's THE DROP, and I'm reading a book on the events of 1968. It's just called "1968." And then I have a book I reread once a year, called "Dispatches," by Michael Herr - he was a journalist who was embedded with ground troops in Vietnam.

Clare again (sorry!) Whats your favourite joke? And do you want to know mine?!

Sure!

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender say "Hey, why the long face?"

So bad!

Here's a good one:

What do you call a five foot medium who's just escaped from prison?

A small medium at large.

HAHAHAHA!

Very funny.

You were great in Deadwood & now Bosch. Really love it.
What director have you worked with that you feel enhanced your performance the most?

Ben Affleck. He gives me free reign with his direction, and when he gives it, it is really precise, and smart.

favorite snack?

Hummus and Jalapeno corn chips.

What's your favorite kind of project for work on? Film/tv? Type of role?

I enjoy all mediums. Each one has their merits. I gravitate to roles that I think are multilayered.

Hi again Titus. What are your top 3 favorite Beatles songs?

"Hide your love away," "I'm only sleeping," and "You're gonna lose that Girl."

Get a fucking haircut. You look like your mother fucked a monkey... Im supposed to ask a question, so... How was it working on Deadwood? Silas was an awesome character and I can't think of anyone else who could have rocked it as well as you did...

DEADWOOD was a unique experience, a true piece of iconic television history. Thoroughly enjoyed it.