Heroes Alum Jack Coleman, Greg Grunberg and Jimmy Jean-Louis on the Heroes Reborn Red Carpet

When I first heard that one of my favorite shows, Heroes was getting a bit of a reboot, I was apprehensive. The show really didn’t end well and it left a sour taste in the mouths of loyal fans. There was talk of a movie in order to finalize all of the loose ends that the series left, but it never got off the ground. Then, Heroes Reborn was announced.

Set four years after the events of the last season of Heroes, the show revisits some old characters, including fan-favorite Noah Bennett, played by Jack Coleman, as well as appearances by Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) and the Haitian (Jimmy Jean-Louis). Joining the Heroes veterans are a team of newcomers, all excited to jump into the huge world that Tim Kring has created.

We had the chance to catch up with Jack Coleman, Greg Grunberg and Jimmy Jean-Louis on the red carpet of the world premiere of Heroes Reborn at the Toronto International Film Festival.

In the original Heroes series, Parkman and the Haitian both have powers of the mind. Is that something that is more difficult to act out than someone who has a physical power?

Jimmy: It is a bit more subtle.

Greg: And more interesting, too. You are dealing with emotions and ultimate control so with the threat of that – and they’ve written to that extremely well the second time around.

You must have been elated to find that both Matt Parkman and the Haitian are returning.

Jimmy: I mean it’s great to be back because we ended the show the first time around with well… it wasn’t great. So now we have a chance to close everything properly. Some of us have been lucky enough to be asked back to Heroes Reborn – Heroes was the number one show back in the day and maybe we will hit number one again. It is always good to be a hit show!

Greg: And the paycheck doesn’t hurt. [laughs]

Jimmy: Speak for yourself! [laughs]

Greg: He’s not getting paid. But really though, Jimmy has donated all of his money from the show to haitianheroes.org. That’s the truth, actually! [laughs]

That is absolutely amazing!

Jimmy: They are a non-profit organization that helps underprivileged Haitian children helping them get to school and getting the proper nutrition they need. It is an organization that is very close to me and my heart because I grew up in Haiti. If we can do something about it, we do. Now that Heroes is back I am getting the help of all of the cast members to get the word out there to continue doing some of the projects. Anyone can visit haitianheroes.org or Hollywood Unites for Haiti – hufh.org if they would like to help out.

Noah Bennett is an incredibly complex character. How do we see his evolution from the original series to Heroes Reborn? How would you describe it?

Jack: I would say that through Claire he has galvanized into action and into a particular mission. He is no longer playing both sides of the fence. He is trying to make the world better and safer for people with evolved powers, so I would say that is where he is now, which is a far cry from where Noah used to be, hunting humans with powers.

Is it hard having played Noah for so long with Claire as his cornerstone only to have her not be there any longer for him?

Jack: Ironically, she is still very much his cornerstone and the thing he relies on and falls back on and she’s the voice in his head and she’s the reason he moves forward.