Blast recently got the chance to speak with the always charming Alan Tudyk, also known as the beloved Wash from the critically-acclaimed series “Firefly” and as (spoiler!) Alpha from Joss Whedon’s latest series “Dollhouse.”

Tudyk also has a new series due out this fall from ABC called “V.”

Our conversation touched on such various subjects as a possible future for “Firefly” (“I’ve been telling Joss to do a whole TV series on Wash”), his thoughts on a Twitter war with former co-star Nathan Fillion (“I do not want to play that game with Nathan Fillion”), and his love for the new Star Trek film, capped off with a bit of exciting news for “Dollhouse’s” next season.
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Joss Whedon has become somewhat of a talking point thanks to an array of popular shows including Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. The writer-producer has made a return to the small screen in the US with the much-talked about sci fi drama Dollhouse, which lands on UK screens next week. It has a cast including Eliza Dushku and ex-Neighbours star Dichen Lachman and a story which promises to be “a head-f**k”, and it’s gathered a lot of buzz online. Eager for more info, we caught up with Dollhouse’s top dog Olivia Williams – a.k.a. Adelle – to get the lowdown.

How would you describe the show?
“The concept is this sinister organisation which runs what are known as Dollhouses. These are places where young people who have committed some sort of crime – or have something in their lives they want to get away from – go, whether willingly or unwillingly. We have yet to find out… They have their personality wiped clean and then we’ve developed a brilliant process whereby we can imprint them with any other personality or combination of personalities we want.”

The Dolls are made to order?
“Yes – well, the sort of practical application of this is that we can create your perfect date for you. If you want to go out with someone who can play a piano concerto or who can climb a mountain and likes rough sex, then we can punch that in and send you off on your jolly date! But there are some more both humanitarian and sinister applications, like if you need a face-breaker or a brilliant surgeon or the perfect mother for a day or two, that can be arranged. And I run the Los Angeles branch of this organisation.”

What’s your character Adelle like?
“At first glance she is extremely efficient, pretty cold and somewhat out of touch with her emotions. Interesting that they asked a British person to play that! I was told very forcibly by Joss Whedon that she had hidden depths of vulnerability and moral dilemma. That will emerge throughout the series.”

Is it fair to say that the Dollhouse is like her baby?
“I think maybe in some sense, the Dolls are her babies. She’s extremely protective of the Dolls and she is extremely protective of the technology. She does genuinely believe that the technology can be used for the good of mankind. It’s like the people who actually carry on doing stem cell research and recently aborted foetuses. On one hand you go ‘That’s disgusting – how can those people live with themselves?’ and then when they apply it to curing your father of Parkinson’s, you go, ‘Oh, maybe you’re the bravest kind of person in the history of the world to take the risks that might cure one of the world’s nastiest illnesses.’ That’s the moral world that Joss wants to explore.”

What attracted you to the part?
“I was dipping my toe into the world of telly – I’ve done television films, but I’ve never done a series. And I was dipping my toe into living in America for a while, and dipping my whole body into the world of sci-fi! For somebody who was a complete sci-fi virgin, it was completely terrifying and overwhelming how much interest and knowledge people had in the world in which were we creating and how much people care about it. The fact that people care so very much about Joss’s work is one of the reasons I got involved. When I went for the job, I recognised his name from the opening credits of Buffy and then when I Googled it, there were thousands of pages with incredibly strong feelings about him and his work.”

Which other characters should we look out for?
“The concept began between Joss and Eliza Dushku who plays Echo, the Doll whose story we are following. There are wonderful characters all around. Each Doll has a handler who remotely takes care of them when they go out on an assignment and Harry Lennix plays Boyd, who is the conscience of the show; Topher is the crazy immoral genius who will push the bounds of science – regardless of ethical committees – just because he can and he finds it thrilling. Like some people are addicted to playing video games, he is addicted to messing around with people’s brains. There are some other fabulous actors: there is a girl called Dichen Lachman who plays a Doll called Sierra and she is one of those people who, when you first meet her, you have to just contemplate her beauty for a while. It’s distracting how astonishingly beautiful she is.”

What’s the latest on the chances of a renewal?
“I wish you could tell me! All I can say is that my husband and I have a set of bags that are permanently packed and a set of pants and toothbrushes that are permanently set in London. Both are on the ready for whatever decision they make. I really hit it off with Joss – he is a pleasure to work for and a really clever man. One who really bounces off his actors and looks to find storylines which are going to use the potential of the people working for him. I’d love to go back, but if it doesn’t work out then I’ve got some other stuff bubbling away here.”

What would you like to see happen in a second season?
“I was keen to suggest that there’s a Dollhouse that might need opening in London and perhaps have it like CSI with one in three major cities. Once London is open I could do Paris – I think Adelle would be a great international ambassador! But that’s my selfish speculation. When the DVD comes out, the thing to do is watch episode 13. When we had the scripts in, we were all sat around holding our heads, but that’s what makes people addicted to sci-fi – it hurts your head trying to figure out all the implications. It’s very, very clever – and crazy. Only a truly sick mind like Joss’s could come up with this! It could either be the beginning of something fabulous, or the episode to end all episodes…”

OMFG, Alpha is Wash! On tonight’s penultimate Dollhouse, the knife-wielding evildoer known as Alpha finally showed his face — and it belonged to none other than Firefly sidekick Alan Tudyk! Okay, so the reveal didn’t come as a complete surprise. Rumors have been swirling for months that Joss Whedon had tapped a member of his elite repertory company to play the rogue doll. Nonetheless, it was a pretty fraktastic twist to have Alpha masquerading as an agoraphobic environmentalist — not to mention the architect of the Dollhouse itself. Even more surprising: He and Echo are lovers! In his first interview since being unmasked, Tudyk reveals what it was like keeping the worst kept secret in tubeland, how he got pumped for the role, and why next week’s finale is going to blow fans’ minds.

Is it nice to finally be able to talk about this role?
ALAN TUDYK: [Laughs] Yeah, it’s been a long time coming, right?

Even though word already leaked out…
TUDYK: Unbelievable. I don’t know how they found out. I even spoke to a group of people in Baltimore after the rumor hit the web and I said, “Listen, there’s a rumor on the Web that I’m in Dollhouse and I’m not. Whoever said that is lying.” I totally lied and it didn’t help at all. My lies were all for nothing.

Let’s go back to the beginning: Did Joss personally offer you the role?
TUDYK: Joss told me about the role at a social function. I was asking about his new show and he started describing the role of Alpha. It sounded like the most amazing role ever, and I asked him, “Who’s playing him?” He really hyped it up. And then he said, “I want you to play it.” It really caught me off guard. I think it’s the best role ever written. As an actor there’s so much there to work with. I guess Joss always saw me as somebody who could be 43 different people at once.

It’s a different role for you — at least the Alpha part of it is. Were you surprised Joss saw that darkness in you?
TUDYK: I’ve always been a raving lunatic in front of Joss. He saw that side of me the time I trashed his house because I was crazy that day. [Laughs] I was really happy he saw me as that. It’s quite a compliment to offer me a role like this, because it’s not easy.

Speaking of which, you look like you put on some muscle for the part.
TUDYK: Yes, because they cast a damn body double that looks like the Hulk! Joss showed me the first episode where you see Alpha from behind and I was like, “Oh my God. I’ve got a lot of work to do.” But I have a Ned Flanders kind of body. When I’m wearing baggy clothes you wouldn’t expect that I have any muscle. Just like in tonight’s episode. I don’t look too wildly in shape at first. It’s when I put on the tight shirt that you see it.

You and Tahmoh Penikett made a pretty good comedy team.
TUDYK: That was a blast. Tahmoh was the perfect straight man. He was so fed up [with me]. He was like, “I just want to wring your neck. My character has not had to deal with anything like you at all.” [Laughs]

What can you tell me about next week’s finale?
TUDYK: Everything that Alpha has done has been about Echo. He’s obsessed with this woman. And next week you find out what his plans are for her, and why he’s obsessed with her.

Will Alpha’s other personalities emerge?
TUDYK: Yes. I think he has 43 of them. Tim Minear wrote and directed the next episode, and he outdid himself. It’s classic Tim Minear.

If Dollhouse gets renewed, will Alpha be back? I’m assuming your role in ABC’s V reboot — assuming that it gets picked up — could pose a complication…
TUDYK: Joss hasn’t said anything about the future of Alpha, but I could free myself up for it. That isn’t contractually impossible. I could get out as much as he needs me to.

Fran Kranz’s Topher is the mad genius behind the Dollhouse (well along with Joss Whedon, obviously), so in honor of tonight’s new Dollhouse ep (April 24,2009), we chatted with him to find out where he’s been and where he’s going, and what that means for the denizens of the Los Angeles Dollhouse.

Read on to find out what Topher has in store for us and what kind of intimate relationship he’s got going on with Olivia Williams’ Adele and Amy Acker’s Dr. Saunders…

Is the Dollhouse good or bad?
We see different shades of that. Ultimately we agree it’s bad, right? It’s human trafficking. It’s a place where people go to escape pain that seemed insurmountable; it provides a service, whatever the case may be. In terms of Topher, is he good or bad? That’s sort of irrelevant. He’s as much a computer as the computers he works with.

What would you like to learn about Topher in season two?
I’d like to see the backstory of Topher, before the Dollhouse. I see him as a lonely person who couldn’t relate to anyone, and I think the Dollhouse gave his life some sense. His own intellect was so out of control he couldn’t get along with parents or friends, but then he found something he could challenge and control on his level. He’s like an adolescent, like an infant. I’d like to see what happens next.

Do you feel that Topher is likable?
He’s an annoying, cocky, nerdy kid. Those aren’t appealing qualities. I wouldn’t be playing the character right if I was trying to make him all cool and suave and humble at the appropriate times. He’s not. He’s not that kid; he’s a total jerk. He has an ownership over the place the same way it does over him.

Where does Topher fit into the hierarchy?
The Dollhouse in L.A. is the nicest, but there are lots of Dollhouses, so you can infer that the L.A. Dollhouse is the original. Topher is as much a part of creating these things as Adele and the Rossum Corp. Once you write this technology down, the next guy can go do it, but Topher’s the innovative guy behind all this—or at least the technician who can crank the wheels.

What’s Topher’s relationship with Ivy?
Ivy (Liza Lapira) and I are buddies. I think one other question is Dr. Saunders and Topher. I wouldn’t count on anything romantic coming near Topher for a long time. But there’s an interesting relationship with Dr. Saunders.

What’s your feeling about the Topher-Adele relationship?
Adele (Olivia Williams) has a natural sort of maternal instinct toward Topher. And Topher is essentially an adolescent. He never got a chance to grow up in the real world because he’s just too damn smart, just too in his own head. But now he’s getting a chance to sort of grow up and socialize and actually have to be a person and polite to people, and I think he’s usually an annoying little jerk. And Adele’s the one person he can feel the obedience with. I think there’s a natural sort of mother-son thing going on.

Do you think Topher is evil or awesome? Post in the comments!

This week on Fox’s Dollhouse (Fridays, 9 pm/ET), Echo, Sierra and three other actives “wake up” – for realz – in their sleeping pods, fully aware that they have had their lives commandeered for some sort of “experiment.” What happens when dolls don’t play nice and instead start busting up their house? Dichen Lachman, the Australian-Tibetan actress who plays Sierra, gave us a preview. Plus: Just how much of each other are the “Dolls” seeing in the community shower?

TVGuide.com: I called you a “scene-stealer” when we first met, because of your guns a-blazing arrival in the pilot. But you’ve since gone on to give this steely show some humanity.
Dichen Lachman: Yes, seeing myself with the guns and stuff was really strange, yet it was fun because it’s so far removed from who we are. But yeah, Sierra goes through a lot of emotional stuff. She’s had a bit of a rough ride.

TVGuide.com: This week, once on the outside, she makes a beeline for the man who, shall we say, “introduced” her to the Dollhouse. How does that reunion go?
Lachman: Well, she’s still putting all the pieces together in her mind, because what happened in “Man on the Street,” where she’s raped by Hearn, is influencing what she remembers. But when she sees this guy, it starts to all make sense to her. She realizes that he put her in the Dollhouse against her will.

TVGuide.com: And for a very petty reason.
Lachman: Yeah, yeah. So it’s quite sad for her. To realize that she didn’t even volunteer for this is quite shocking.

TVGuide.com: The premise of this week’s episode, as I watched it, had me thinking, “Wait, isn’t this ostensibly what the series finale would one day be about?” But then there’s that whole twist at the end.
Lachman: Exactly. It’s like Prison Break, where their ultimate goal is to get out of the prison. The Dollhouse is a gilded cage, so you might assume that [escaping] would be the perfect ending. But there are so many wonderful questions you can ask while in the Dollhouse. Plus it’s such a beautiful set! [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: During Sierra’s adventure this week, she and Victor experience a bit of romantic tension. Is it cool to bring that element to this show?
Lachman: I love Victor and Sierra’s relationship; it’s really special the way they’re sort of drawn to each other. He’s attracted to her, he cares for her, he wants her to sit with him at lunch or whatever…. He’s got this big childlike affection for her that he can’t really explain. And then when they go outside, it’s still there but it becomes much more adult.

TVGuide.com: Including ones we haven’t even seen yet, which has been your favorite “imprint” to play?
Lachman: I have to say Audra [aka pop star Rayna's "No. 1 fan"]. Every one of us has that goofy, dorky side that we try to hide and instead act cool and collected. But I enjoyed exploring that part of myself openly. Sometimes people look at you and figure, “You’re this kind of girl and fit this sort of type,” so it was fun to play dorky.

TVGuide.com: “Taffy” had some fun dialogue, though.
Lachman: That was also a lot of fun – and one of the harder things, because I had to shoot all the Taffy stuff before Eliza [Dushku] did. We had to work hard to make sure we were on the same page. I worked with her and acting coach, because I had to imagine what she was going to do with [the same character]. That was challenging, but it helps you grow as an actor.

TVGuide.com: Is it safe to say that with all these community shower scenes at the Dollhouse, all of you have seen each other’s bits?
Lachman: [Laughs] Yes. Yes. The episode where Victor has a “man reaction,” we had to shoot the shower scenes like continuously. I had pasties on and a thong, but the pasties kept peeling off…. We have seen a lot of each other. A lot.