It seems like an eternity ago when fresh-faced teenager hit the big screen in such seminal teen classics as Sixteen Candles and of course The Breakfast Club. But the now 34-year old has appeared in over 30 films and has grown up gracefully in the process. The adult actor, who prefers to be called Michael, delivered unforgettable performances in the likes of Six Degrees of Separation, The Pirates of Silicon Valley, Caveman's Valentine and '61. This Sunday night, on the USA Network, Hall will make his TV series bow in a series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone in which he plays successful teacher Johnny Smith who gets into a terrible car crash late one night that leaves him in a deep coma. Several years later, he wakes up only to find that he now has the power to read people's minds and see their futures. Will people believe his warnings? Will he be able to survive the stresses of his newfound talents? Will he resist the temptation to use them for his own benefit? Such questions are raised in this inventive new series. PAUL FISCHER caught up with Michael from the show's Vancouver set.

Paul Fischer: Michael, why have you resisted thus far to do a TV series?

Anthony Michael Hall: Actually, I didn't resist it; It was one of these kind of agency stories, I'm with one of the big agencies in LA, ICM, when it first came to my agency, I think it kind of got lost in the shuffle. You know, I see it as one of these agencies in Hollywood and it would look like Gattica, where there was just so much shit going on that everybody has an assistant and everybody is on a wireless headset and , real, kind of bigwig agency. So for whatever reason, I missed the script. It did not really get to me at first, and so Michael Piller and his camp thought it was technically a pass and by the time it came to me the second time, it was really the first time I had received it. Then, it became a no brainer that I had come across a great script.

P.F: So what was it about King's premise that was so appealing to you?

AMH: Well, it's interesting. I was a fan of the original film which I'd seen a long time ago. I really like Cronenberg's work, though I don't think it is necessarily his best film, but I do think it's a good film and I'm also a huge Chris Walken fan. It was never my intention to imitate him or duplicate him at any level. He's kind of one of those guys that you can't really do that. But , with this role, it's interesting because it's really been a process of discovery to my abilities. And what I'm finding is that it is a threefold paragon, , from the physical standpoint, the mental standpoint, as well as the spiritual standpoint. Because without becoming touched by a psychic, , we want the character to have a positive impact and to put his ability to good use. Now, , there is a lot of struggle and there is an enormous amount of conflict in terms of this being a blessing and a curse to him. So, there's a lot to explore, therein, but it's an incredible challenge, and I'm taking it on threefold like I said.

P.F: Can you talk about the ability to do a series that sustains tension and interest throughout an entire season?

AMH: Well, I was certainly concerned about that but, we're now almost three months into the show; today is the last day in what will become the tenth episode, so I've done eight in a row. What happened was we did the pilot and then episode 2 last year. The show was nearly sold to UPN and ultimately, was sold to USA. So having done eight since, I can tell you that the scripts are going to continue to improve successfully: They are really, really solid and are very much inspired by film in some cases. We did two recently, one called "Unreasonable Doubt" which was a lot like "Twelve Angry Men" and we did one right after that which was reminiscent of "Dog Day Afternoon." So, it's almost like we're taking the character from the book more than from drawing from the till and traveling in very different circumstances each week. I will say on behalf of the production and the host of collaborators that I'm working with, that this is more like a studio production insofar as we have Michael Piller overseeing the scripts and the level of quality. The production is enormous which is really like a studio system feature insofar as there are so many collaborator members of the team. It's more like doing a movie every week and that's my mindset.

P.F: How do you find working in Vancouver?

AMH: Vancouver is lovely. You know, first of all, I have the highest regard for Canada and the Canadians, just in general; they are very gracious people and very humble. They are hardworking and have great senses of humor. It's a very relaxed environment working with them up here and this is a beautiful city, a very clean, small city, , compared to New York City where I'm from. And it's an amazing place to work, surrounded by mountains and oceans, so it's very idyllic, it's very beautiful. I enjoy that. I don't miss LA at all when I'm up here.

P.F: Do you get any shit from your actor friends about working outside of the US?

AMH: Oh yeah, here's my take on the whole notion of runaway productions Paul. It's a multi-billion dollar venture and I think that the portion of production that leads Hollywood close to Canada is probably well under 10 percent , relative to all other right-to-work states in the U.S., Eastern Europe or, in other places. So I don't really play in to that whole thing, I think it's a lot of hype going on, to be honest with you. I think everyone benefits when they come up here, certainly their economy benefits and we benefit by being able to put more money on the screen for the dollar. So, it's a win-win situation in my estimation.

P.F: Michael, do you ever look back at your teen days, the so-called Brat Pack period when you were working with John Hughes, etc?

AMH: I never look back. I welcome the opportunity and those moments where I'm recognized for that work. I certainly appreciate it. I mean, John definitely put me on the map. You know, I've spent the last fifteen years, Paul, just kind of trying to be a forward thinking actor and try to just stay busy and active. But I'm learning very valuable lessons along the way by being in many instances, a small fish in a big pond on pictures like "Sixth Degrees of Separation" with Kay Valentine or , "Edward Scissorhands" , things that I've done that were wonderful and enormous opportunities and I just have to play the small parts. I've learned an incredible amount from that.

P.F: Does the media still bother you about that time in your life, harp on it?

AMH: You know what, I think the way that they'll leave me alone is when I re-establish myself with new work as an adult. That has been an ongoing process all through my 20s and 30s. You know, I think at a certain point, they just really don't know where to put me. Well, okay, he's not a cute kid anymore and will he be a character actor, we don't know if you're the leading man yet; it's like that for many an actor who starts out that young I guess. But these are all challenges. I think that obstacles lead to growth and ultimately, the most learning I've done in my life is between jobs. I think it's incredible what it takes to be an artist of any importance, be it a writer, an actor, producer, whatever. You want to do work that is remembered, you want to be a part of something that's remembered. So, I'm 34 years old and I have a half dozen movies or even a few more that people really remember and know. That's a blessing, that's really a wonderful feeling that motivates me to go on and continue.

P.F: I take it, having committed to doing series television, that you are unconcerned about being pigeon-holed as a TV actor and it may restrict you from returning to film?

AMH: That's an excellent question. You know, I think it's real interesting, Paul, the perception of television in the 80s when I started out as a teenager was very different. People scoffed at television and they made fun of it and, it's like, TV is almost beneath me. And the reality is that fifteen years later, from Bruce Willis on all the way up to the casts of Friends and ER, so to speak, the television people have a hell of a deal. So, after the line has been blurred as we see the convergence of technology in the last fifteen years. You have film actors doing TV, rap stars doing TV, with everyone kind of crossing the line. What's happened in consequence is with all the satellite networks opening up, basically there has become a greater demand for product and programming overall, which has created more opportunities for people and so I think that if you have a hit show, it certainly gives you an interesting foray right back in to the features. And that's my goal to work in features as well at the studio level again and work with the best directors and stars that I can.

P.F: What are your plans after shooting this first season?

AMH: I'm going to take a little bit of break, following an intense period of work for the last three months, it will be three-and-a-half months. But five days a week, fourteen to fifteen hours a day, I'm going to take a little bit of a break and we'll see what happens. I might do a film or I might just take a break until we start up again.

The Dead Zone premieres Sunday night on USA Network.