If you ask any Charmed fan what they know about what went on during the filming of the show, many of them will refer to the fact that it was reported that Shannen Doherty could be something of a diva. However, in a recent interview with Pedestrian, Brian Krause who played Leo, has downplayed how much of a drama this did actually cause on set. Krause has said that Doherty was always very driven about her work, and that sometimes she could come across as quite abrupt. However, he also said that there was no one else on the set that worked as hard as she did. She would also stick up for anyone of her co-stars if she felt it was needed. He described her as one of the family and said that all the cast and crew were devastated when she left. They all wondered whether the show would be able to go on without her. Ultimately, Rose McGowan was cast as a half sister that the family were unaware of, and the show ran for another five seasons.
When Doherty departed the show at the end of season three, it was rumored that she was fired. There were reports of a feud between her and co-star Alyssa Milano. The popular theory at the time was that Milano had given the producers an ultimatum that if Doherty wasn’t fired, then she would leave. However, this does not seem to be the way that Krause remembers it. There has never been any official confirmation as to why Doherty decided to leave the show, and according to Krause it was a surprise to everyone that worked on the show.
Doherty had a reputation for being difficult to work with from her time on Beverley Hills 90210. Krause believes that a lot of the things that were said about her were just gossip but this did mean that people sometimes got the wrong impression about her. He has also stated that a lot of the problems that some people had with her probably came from the fact that she wasn’t afraid to stand up to men. This is not something that happened all that regularly back then, and he does believe that sexism had a lot to do with the bad reputation that she gained.
Krause lost touch with Doherty over the years but he has contacted her on social media to offer his support in light of her recent cancer diagnosis. He no longer has a phone number for her so he has not been able to reach out to her personally. He also stated that he feels it might have been too long since they last spoke for him to try to get back in contact again. He obviously wishes her well in her fight against the disease and he is confident that she has the strength to keep fighting.
In the interview, Krause also talked about his hopes that there would be a Charmed reunion one day with members of the original cast taking part. This is something that has been spoken about before by other members of the cast but there are no official plans in the pipeline at the moment. Pop Culture reported that two members of the original show did reunite to appear in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. This is the closest to a reunion that members of the cast have come so far, and it was a big hit with fans.
If there are any plans for a reunion, then Krause is not aware of them yet. He has his own ideas about how a new show could come about, and he has even been able to work a feature length movie into his plans. He would like to see the film happen first and then a show to carry on from this. It is something that he believes all of the original cast would have to be involved in, including guest stars such as Julian McMahon.
Milano and the actress that played Piper, Holly Marie Combs, have both spoken out against the reboot of the series that has recently aired. They have both said that they do not fully understand why a reboot was necessary. However, Krause has said that he would happily accept a role in the series if he was asked. There is currently no crossover between this show and the original, as it is basically the retelling of the same story. If he were to appear, it would likely be as a cameo role, rather than as the character of Leo. He did admit that he has not seen any of the show and that he has only watched the trailer.
Krause also spoke in the interview about the close relationship that he still has with Combs. Their two characters were in a romantic relationship in the show and so they worked very closely together over the years. The Wrap asked him whether he ever worried that Piper and Leo would not end up together when the show came to its conclusion. He answered that he always had a worry that he would be killed off because he was the only male lead in the show, and the focus was really on the power of the sisters. He always enjoyed all the scenes where he got to work with Combs and he was glad that they got their happy ending.
Since Charmed ended Krause has guest starred in a number of shows such as The Closer, Castle and Dynasty. He has also starred in several movies. While he has kept himself busy, he has never fully been able to shake off the character of Leo. This is not necessarily a bad thing as he enjoys taking part in conventions such as Comic Con and Supernova in Australia. Leo was a big part of his life for almost ten years.He learned a lot of lessons during his time on the show from his female co-stars and this is something that he will always be grateful for.
Follow Us
