CORVALLIS, Ore. (KMTR) -- Two talented animal actors from the hit NBC show 'Grimm' stopped by the KMTR studios Friday to strut their stuff. The show has boosted local businesses across Oregon, including PlyVeneer in Springfield and Talented Animals in Corvallis.
Lauren Henry, co-owner of Talented Animals, said she and her business partner travel all over the world for movies and television shows to use her animals on set. Two of them, Justice and Mac, were in the last season of Grimm.
Mac, also known as Most Amazing Cat, was the feline that scratched Juliette, star Nick Burkhardt's girlfriend, in the season finale. The scratch on her hand ended up putting her in the hospital, but viewers never saw why - one of the big cliffhangers leading into Season Two.
Henry explained Mac training is based on audible clicks made to coincide with the desired behavior. The trainers had the task of getting the cat to intentionally scratch, so training started with Mac swatting a toy. Each time he did what he was asked to do, the cat got an edible reward.
Henry and her partner said they were made for the business, both having grown up in the animal and directors' worlds and knowing a bit about what they were getting into. In order to have such a business, they are required to be USDA-certified. Henry said it's taken a combination of science and art to be successful with their animals, plus a lot of patience since one scene can take two or three hours to shoot.
Mac is scheduled to appear in the next episode of Grimm. Henry couldn't give away any clues about the next season, although she has the script for it as she continues to train Mac for scenes.
Henry's dog Justice is also good at what he does, trained to sit, lay down and speak on command. He chased Monroe in the 'Bigfoot' episode and has also appeared in the Twilight movies and in the hit TV series 'Portlandia'.
"Justice, on your mark," directed Henry and the dog found the mark she set out for him. On set items used with the animals blend in well with the surroundings. The animal actors have to be able to stop within an inch of their designated mark. They also have to be capable of working in high-stress environments.
"The animal you bring to set needs to be okay with not just the fact you're going to ask them to do something twenty times in front of the camera because they have to get the lights just right and the actor just right and the sound just right, but something could crash behind them, someone can walk by and just spray some hairspray on an actress . . . just that sound of the hairspray might be something they're not accustomed to," explained Henry. "Everyone is in their own world on set doing their own job."
The show Grimm was rated the Number One show on Friday nights for ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. NBC announced Season Two is set to return in late summer this year.
