"Warehouse 13"'s Aaron Ashmore is Perfectly Happy Not Knowing if You Are Lying or Not

Aaron Ashmore as Steve Jinks

There is one trait that 31-year-old Aaron Ashmore is really happy that he and Steve Jinks, his new character on Syfy's hit show Warehouse 13, don't have in common. No, it's not the fact that Jinks is gay and Ashmore is straight. It's that Jinks can always tell whether someone is lying or not, a trick Ashmore is neither capable of pulling off, nor interested in learning to do.

And, honestly, who wants to know whether or not someone is lying when they say, "OMG, that was amazing!"

Something that is amazing, however, is how much things have changed on Syfy since AfterElton.com first started reporting on that network's lack of GLBT visibility. Back in 2008, we asked Syfy president Dave Howe about why his network's only gay character was the barely there Vincent on Eureka. Said Howe at the time, I don’t think it’s a problem at all. I mean I think there are, when you look at the total television landscape, you know, sci-fi/fantasy is a part of it so it’s not that anyone has had any agenda in terms of not doing that. I think it’s just a question of if it fits with the storyline, the theme of the show. There was a gay character on Lost. That’s a sci-fi show."

Despite Howe's assertion, Syfy has since featured a number of complex gay characters including Sam Adama on Caprica and Camile Wray on Stargate Universe. To that list you can now add Ashmore's Steve Jinks who is joining the show in the first episode of the third season.

AfterElton.com recently caught up with Ashmore to discuss how Jinks is different from Ashmore's last role as Jimmy Olsen on Smallville, what  it's like working with Eddie McClintock, whether Jinks would be more likely to date Torchwood's Captain Jack or Sam Adama, and much more.

AfterElton: You previously had a great role on Smallville and did an episode of Fringe as well, so what’s with you and the sci-fi shows?
AA: I don’t know. I think it’s my age range because it obviously fits well in these shows. They are obviously looking for my type in their characters. I think once you start into the sci-fi world, because the fans can be so loyal and everyone kind of watching all the shows, they think ‘Well, oh, he’s done a sci-fi show, he’s got a bit of a following in this world’ so I think that makes it easier for them to cast you.

And there is just so much sci-fi going on right now. Particularly in Canada a couple years ago everything that was shooting in Vancouver seemed to be sci-fi like Supernatural, Smallville, V. Like half the shows that were shooting in the town were sci-fi and that kind of says a lot.

AE: Jinks seems like a pretty big change from Jimmy on Smallville. Do you see any similarities between them?
AA: No, there are not a lot of similarities. Jimmy was very emotional but he was wearing it and he was out there, if he felt something he would say it and he would wear his heart on his sleeve. Whereas Steve is totally different because he’s very reserved but in the same sense I try to make all my characters emotional and sensitive people. I think both those characters have that but they are presented in such different ways that on the surface they are just so very different.

Ashmore as Jimmy Olsen

AE: Is there something about playing Steve that is a refreshing change from playing Jimmy? Or is it just a different experience all together? AA: Oh, yeah. I would say that to me Steve feels more grown up and more mature. Jimmy was a lot of fun because he wore his heart on his sleeve and could be very likable in a lot of ways. Jinks is a professional and he’s just doing a job and he’s all grown up. For me, I’m almost 32 but I look younger and I tend to play younger characters, but it’s nice to play a professional character. And it’s nice to have a taste of that because I’m getting to that place where I want to play more mature characters.

AE: Just like Jinks has joined an established crew at the warehouse you have joined an established cast. I’m curious, Eddie seems like a prankster. Has he been hazing you mercilessly?
AA: No, he hasn’t really hazed me but he’s constantly joking around. He’s one of those guys that you can’t help but be laughing with all the time because he’s always cracking jokes and generally always in a good mood. So he’s just one of those people you just always want to work around.

Ashmore with Eddie McClintock