[Note: I left out the beginning, which describes what the show is about. For a more detailed explaination, see the December 1998 Starlog Interview.]

Self-discovery

   "Liam is on a voyage of self-discovery," Leeshock elaborates. "He's a bit like any adolescent who's trying to come to terms with the world, and beginning to realize that he has certain gifts and abilities, but doesn't know where to direct them. Of course, the big problem with Liam is that he's got no one to turn to for help. He'd like to ask his father some questions, but Sandoval's already tried to have him killed. His mother has a reprogrammed CVI, and if he asks her a question, she'll die. So he's on his own, and has to trust his instincts and find his own answers as he learns about these incredible alien powers he has, and at the same time try not to let them get out of control.
   "I think it's pretty clear that the character has a huge amount of potential," the actor grins. "Liam has the genetic history of millions of races, so there's a lot to draw from! I would imaging there's enough there for several years of character development."
   The complex nature of Liam's personality and genetic make-up has allowed Leeshock to establish a diverse range of relationships with the show's regular characters. "There's definately a very interesting dynamic between Liam and Sandoval," he notes, "and there's also a great student-mentor relationship with Da'an. When I was shooting the first couple of episodes, I remember thinking to myself, 'I really love this character, Da'an'.
   "Liam's relationships with the Liberation members are extremely interesting: on the one hand, you have Lili, who's basically trying to figure out if she can trust him; and at the other extreme you have Doors, who thinks Liam is a freak and just wants him dead! And then there's Augur, who takes Liam under his wing at first until he realizes just how crazy and out of control Augur is."
   To hear Leeshock discussing Earth: Final Conflict with such enthusiasm, it's hard to believe that he hadn't even heard of the show when he was originally offered an audition for the role of Liam Kincaid last April. Prior to joining the show's cast, the New Jersey-born actor had absolutely no experience of working in the SF/Fantasy genre, and had instead appeared in a diverse selection of projects, ranging from the popular TV shows Beverly Hills, 90210, Loving, and All My Children to the independent feature films Me and Veronica, Trash, Elysian Fields and Murder.

All in the mind

   As far as Leeshock is concerned, though, the invitation to read for Earth: Final Conflict just couldn't have come at a better time. Not only had he recently decided to seek out a leading role in a TV series, but he had also just attended a series of seminars about the mind and mental faculties, which seemed to provide him with a greater understanding of the show's themes.
   "It was one of those synchronicitious moments," he explains. "If I hadn't been to those classes, I would have looked at the script and thought, 'I don't know what the hell this stuff is all about!' I was never really into Sci-Fi; I didn't watch Star Trek when I was growing up, apart from a couple of episodes here and there, and I hadn't seen Earth: Final Conflict at all. But when I looked at the script, I just thought, 'Wow, I get it. This is what Science Fiction is all about. I can actually build upon the stuff I've learned in the show.'
   "I also felt a very strong connection to the role. Liam looked like a hero character with a bit of a dark twist to it, and it just seemed tailor-made for me. I remember leaving my first audition thinking, 'Well, you know what? I can't do any better than that. That's the best I've got, so if I'm the guy for the job, I'm the guy for the job.'
   "And to be honest, I liked the idea of joining a successful show. I didn't want to do a show that only lasted six episodes, and then got cancelled. That would be heartbreaking."
   The actor secured the role of Liam after a series of interviews and readings in New York, which culminated in an audition opposite the show's leading lady, Lisa Howard. Upon accepting the role, Leeshock promptly took a crash course in Earth: Final Conflict, and watched all 22 episodes of the first season back-to-back.

I believe...

   "That was an interesting experience," he recalls. "When I watched the show for the first time, the thing I really liked about it was that it wasn't too far-fetched. I thought the Taelons looked pretty believable as aliens go, and the stories were pretty easy to follow. And, of course, it was very exciting to watch the series trying to work out where I was going to fit in."
   Within a matter of days of signing a four-year contract, Leeshock found himself whisked to Earth: Final Conflict's set in Toronto, Canada. Naturally, it was an extremely challenging time for the actor, who not only found himself thrust into the centre of an established cast and crew, but also had to master the art of portraying a partly-alien character.
   "I kind of had to create Liam from scratch," he reveals. "There's no model for the character. I've learned to trust my own instincts about the role and, like Liam, I've been on a bit of a voyage of discovery of my own.
   "But one of the great things about working on the show is that everybody connected with it are just the nicest bunch of people I've met in a long time. And that just makes life a heck of a lot easier. On my first day of shooting, a couple of the castmembers sort of brought me into the fold and made me feel welcome. And that's made the day-to-day working situation really simple and smooth."
   Since joining the show's cast, Leeshock has notched up three episodes which he feels particularly proud of. "The first one I really liked was A Stitch in Time, where I learn that I might not be able to control my alien heritage and contemplate suicide. That was very exciting.
   "Then there's another one called Sleepers, where Liam visits his virtual heaven and meets his alien father. We have this wonderful, wild looking scene between father and son in Liam's heaven. It's beautiful to watch; such a heartfelt, soulful episode.
   "And there's then one called Redemption, which was supposed to be just a real simple show, but then somehow through re-writes, it became quite epic. There's a great scene between Liam and Beckett which is incredibly touching. When I watched it, it broke me up - and I'm in it! So those three episodes really stand out for me right now."

Meet Kincaid

   By taking the new lead role in Earth: Final Conflict's revamped second season, Leeshock does of course run the rist of alienating some of the show's most loyal viewers. Although initial response to the character has been extremely favourable, the actor still doesn't care to dwell on such thoughts.
   "I feel that's one of the things that's not in my control," he explains. "I just worry about things that are in my control."
   Assuming that Liam Kincaid proceeds to win the hearts and minds of the show's audience, Robert Leeshock intends to be a part of Earth: Final Conflict for the rest of its proposed five year run. He is also considering writing and directing episodes of the show, although that won't take place until next season at the earliest.
   "My biggest fear of doing television was of getting bored," he states. "I really want to stay as challenged as I can. But the writers are pretty smart and they weave a lot of cerebral elements into the scripts. These guys are constantly pushing the envelope of what Science Fiction is, and that keeps me turned on from an intellectual point of view. So it's just been a really exciting and rewarding experience thus far."

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