After six successful seasons playing the psychically gifted Johnny Smith on USA Network's The Dead Zone, Anthony Michael Hall knows a thing or two about reinventing his image as he leaves the small-screen behind. In the '80s, Hall was one of the most popular up-and-coming actors around, even becoming the youngest ever regular cast member on Saturday Night Live. You can't star in such films as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science without leaving a powerful impact on an entire generation. Hall went on to step into the shoes of Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the awesome 1999 TV movie Pirates of Silicon Valley and then earned equal critical praise for playing legendary baseball great Whitey Ford in the HBO movie 61 in 2001. Now Anthony Michael Hall is transforming himself again as a reporter in one of the most anticipated film's of the year, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.

With The Dead Zone: The Final Season now out on DVD, The Deadbolt took a call from Anthony Michael Hall to talk about how he wrapped up the sixth season of the USA series, how he's matured as an actor, landing his role in The Dark Knight, and to find out the straight story behind earlier online rumors that he drives a Lamborghini in the film and that he's The Riddler.

THE DEADBOLT Now that The Dead Zone is done, how do you feel about how the series evolved?

ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL: I’m pleased with it, you know. It was a challenge to keep the show going and I think it’s amazing that we even had it running that long. And, as a producer of the show, to see all the changes of the show through the staff, the one consistent was that myself and the crew had to make it happen. So it was interesting to see the show develop and I have my own opinions on how we did it, but I’ll reserve those. Overall, I just feel like it was a great experience and I know that the work was good and I’m proud of everybody who was involved with it.

THE DEADBOLT: How did the series allow you to mature as an actor?

HALL: Oh, it gave me such an enormous opportunity, not just the character I played but when I became other characters. In some episodes I played five or six characters. I've got to tell you, after the lean years of my career, it was amazing to have that gift of a job, to not only be suddenly carrying a show, but also the type of show that it was. It allowed me to put my full body and mind in the performance, whether I was playing my character or another character. So I’m grateful for all of that. It was great. I can’t complain, it was a tour de force. I didn’t expect it, but I was certainly ready.

THE DEADBOLT: Was it liberating in a way to expand on your earlier career and introduce yourself to a new generation through The Dead Zone?

HALL: That’s an understatement. Absolutely. It certainly was liberating to have a job, because the work I did as a kid in all of those movies had such an impact. I think it’s true that in life, generally, we’re all competing with ourselves in some ways. So it was hard for me to get back, I had to wait a long time. I did what I could do for work, so I certainly appreciated it. You know, I certainly had enough energy to take control and do the right thing and show up and do the work.

THE DEADBOLT: What was the transition like for everyone in relocating the series? It must have been weird for you guys after so much time in Vancouver?

HALL: It was tough, because it was really me and the special effects guy, to be honest. And my producing partners and everything else, it was all a new crew. But they were wonderful people. They worked as hard as the crew I had for five years in Vancouver, and it was hard to leave the crew in Vancouver. It really was. We didn’t want to do that, but it was economics. It came down to what the show cost to make when the day is done. So that being said, I loved Montreal and I loved the people, they were wonderful. It felt like shooting in Europe because, obviously, they’re all French. So it was a really cool thing. I loved being in the city, it was beautiful.

THE DEADBOLT: How much of a challenge was it to get things into production for the final season when you found out there'd be a sixth season. Was anyone close to leaving for another production?

HALL: It was enormous, because we were moving the show across the country. So we had to deal with the unions and had to find a crew. But we found amazingly talented and gifted people. By the way, I want to kind of memorialize one of them. There was a production designer we had that we lost during the making of the final season. It’s amazing - six months and we had thirteen more shows and we’d already done sixty-seven of them in Vancouver, and yet we were starting in a new city with a French speaking crew. I think we did great.

THE DEADBOLT: Do you think Vancouver was as much a part of show like it was for The X-Files?

HALL: Oh, absolutely. We were fortunate to be able to help all of the local actors and we had an incredible crew. It was amazing. It definitely helped. I think not only the economy, but the artistry of Vancouver. I worked with many of the best actors from all across Canada and they were all great people. The work ethic was great and I really loved living there, I really did. I stayed in Kits mostly and I just loved the city. The people of Vancouver are the best, they’re so nature aware.

THE DEADBOLT: Looking back, is there anything with Johnny that you wanted to explore that you didn't get a chance to do?

HALL: No, I think I did enough exploring in eighty episodes. What was great was when I got to do the psychic detective stuff, because you’re being a detective and it allowed me to go from point A to point B as an actor. I like that kind of stuff. But playing all of these parts, multiple characters, it was incredible. I treated it like leading man school in a way. I was learning so much and, at the same time, I had to step up as a producer and make sure I was tending to those duties, too. And everything had to do with working harder because I’m on the set as an actor and a producer. I really worked hard in those five or six years and I’m grateful for all of the crews and people that worked on it.

THE DEADBOLT: So how did you land the role in The Dark Knight?

HALL: I read for Chris Nolan. It’s interesting about my career, I’ve had different situations and I’ve been very fortunate. I’m not complaining, but I had to audition for probably 95% of the stuff I’ve done, because I think that I was always in transition - "What does he look like? Is he a kid?" So, thirty years later I have a body of work and it’s still good to work at it, whatever you do.

THE DEADBOLT: What can fans expect from your character? He's a reporter, right?

HALL: Yeah, it’s a great role and I can’t wait to see the film. I don’t know, I can’t just say anything, because I haven’t seen the movie.

THE DEADBOLT: So, do you drive a Lamborghini in the film? Is that stuff true?

HALL: You know why those rumors started spreading? Because I was on location standing in the middle of the street. This is really funny: I was wearing a grey suit and Christian [Bale] in the movie drives a Lamborghini. And I guess I looked good in the suit because people that were playing extras in the movie began selling stories online saying, "Hey, he’s driving a Lamborghini!" Then people started to think I was playing The Riddler. All of this for standing in the street. That sounds great, I’ve got to stand in the street more. So it was kind of a funny thing how it all happened. My mother called me and said, "Oh yeah, they said you’re playing The Riddler and there’s a picture online of you standing next to a Lamborghini." I was really just standing around doing nothing in between takes admiring the car. But the next thing you know, people are saying I’m playing The Riddler. [laughs] The truth is, I’ll play any of those parts. I’d love to play Batman, to be honest with you. But I have a great respect for Christian and Heath [Ledger] and they were real gentlemen with me. I had the most fun with {Gary] Oldman though, he was great.

THE DEADBOLT: What type of impact did Heath have on you during the production? How was he to work with?

HALL: He was a co-worker, you know. I’m like ten years older than the guy, so I gave him his space and room. I was watching him and how he handled himself, and he was really smart. He’s a good guy. He was together and he was kicking-ass in that performance.

THE DEADBOLT: Are you signed on for another movie?

HALL: I wish. I hope so. I don’t know yet. God willing.