i play a guy named malachi. it is an institute of behavioral science. i look at this guy as someone who is a healer. he was a scientist and a medical doctor and probably a psychologist and may be found some, and, in people that he could not answer to. -- some phenomenon in people that he cannot answer to. he came upon this reincarnation thing to answer some problems that people were having. i think that is to be is -- that is to be is. -- that is who he is. >> appatavis: apparently, a lite bit different from "west wing." what attracted you to a series like this one? >> and one is a factor. -- employment is a factor. i drew upon times in my life when i got curious about it. there was a uncle of mine who was the best friend of my father. he ran a construction company. he was a tough guy. we used to go to his house every sunday to watch the giants. one time, he took me to his dinner and this is just a regular guy with a cigar and in his dinner was a complete layout of every battle of the middle ages with hand-painted soldiers and all these artifacts and as