We reported yesterday that Nick D'Agosto had landed the plum role of Claire's boyfriend on the next season of Heroes.

Well, TV Guide just sat down with D'Agosto and discussed the part...

TVGuide.com: Were you nervous when you auditioned, knowing that Heroes is one of the more popular shows on TV?
Nick D'Agosto: I guess there's a little bit of that. I don't want to portray it like I'm different from every other actor and I don't feel nerves when I walk in the room, but at the same time, I felt confident that I knew who this guy was and I knew what I needed to do. So I didn't let the fact that I was auditioning for a high-profile show consume me.

TVGuide.com: Were you already a fan of the show?
D'Agosto: I'd watched it before, but I hadn't watched it a lot. I just moved and I haven't gotten cable television yet. But I watched it a couple of times, and I love the concept. It's also extremely exciting that I get to have a superpower.

TVGuide.com: Reports say your character will have a "very cool" superpower.
D'Agosto: [Laughs] Well, I honestly don't know what that is yet. I only have the few [audition] scenes I was given, about four pages. From what I can tell, you know this kid is confident and mysterious. He's seems to be very comfortable in his own skin. The scenes seem to revolve around a blossoming of [Hayden Panettiere's] character in certain ways. I think West will be a facilitator of that. But that's mostly speculation from the little information that I've been given.

TVGuide.com: There are a lot of guys out there who wouldn't mind playing Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend. Maybe West's superpower is that he's great with the ladies. Would you be comfortable as a Super Don Juan?
D'Agosto: I would feel [cheated], because I already possess that superpower in real life. [Laughs] No, I'm just kidding. I think I could handle that power. It would be a burden to bear. I mean, I have a lot to live up to. I'm sure there's going to be a bunch of people who see me with her on the show and they're going to be like, "Who's that skinny punk? Who does he think he is?" So I feel humbled and I will do my best to prove to the male population that I'm worthy of the task.

TVGuide.com: Well, if that's not your superpower, what ability would you like to have?
D'Agosto: I know there's a character that can read thoughts. Playing with time would be an awesome power, but I guess that's already taken. I guess a part of me hopes that the power is darker and a bit more mysterious, one that can be used for good or ill. Rather than having claws come out of my hands or rays shoot out of my eyes, I'd like if it were something psychological.

TVGuide.com: You costarred opposite Marisa Tomei in the CBS pilot The Rich Inner Life of Penelope Cloud. Unfortunately the network didn't pick up the show. A year earlier CBS decided not to pick up a pilot you starred in called Orpheus. Now that you're on an NBC show, is there anything you'd like to say about CBS' judgment?
D'Agosto: [Laughs] Honestly, I'd like to say thank you. I know that may sound odd, but the truth is all the networks are just as tough. I'm thankful about Orpheus, because I got the opportunity to play the lead character in a drama. Then I was thankful that they took me on the following year in a big role on a 30-minute comedy. It made it seem like it wasn't about me. I will say that things work out in favorable ways sometimes. If Penelope Cloud had been picked up, I wouldn't have been able to do Heroes. So for me, things couldn't have worked out any better.

TVGuide.com: You've had roles on TV's ER, Cold Case, Six Feet Under and House, and in the movie Election. When people who recognize you come up to you, what role are they most likely to bring up?
D'Agosto: It's funny, people still recognize me most from Election. When you do a lot of guest spots, you look familiar, but people tend to remember the regulars. For me, it's mostly Election, because it's the type of movie certain people loved and watched numerous times. I've got this movie Rocket Science [coming out later this year] and then Heroes, so I hope that will change.

Nick D'Agosto has landed a recurring role on our favorite show for next season.

The young actor he will play Claire Bennet's (Hayden Panettiere) boyfriend, West, who is said to have "a very cool superpower."

D'Agosto is the second new addition to the cast of Heroes for next season, joining recently appointed new regular Dania Ramirez.

This past development season, D'Agosto co-starred opposite Marisa Tomei in CBS' comedy pilot The Rich Inner Life of Penelope Cloud. Last year, he played the male lead opposite Mena Suvari in another CBS pilot, the drama Orpheus.

D'Agosto will next be seen in the indie Rocket Science, which premiered to strong reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

He's probably the most beloved of all the Heroes.

So, how does Masi Oka bring out the charm in Hiro Nakamura? Here are excerpts from a recent interview with the actor:

How did you become involved with the Heroes project? Can you tell me about the casting process?
Basically, there's your typical pressure-filled four rounds of auditions. Luckily it wasn't for public viewing like American Idol, but it was pretty intense. First we read for the casting director, then the producer. Then it gets boiled down to three people at the studio test, and then that boils down to two at the network test, and that was that.

An agent submits you for the part. And you know, I got the script, and I was reading through it, and I just fell in love with the character and the brilliant writing. And I just knew. I loved this part. It's very me, in many senses, and it's such a specific character. Just going through the process, it felt really good. I felt pretty comfortable. I kinda knew it was pretty much mine to lose. I feel like I was at the perfect time, at the perfect place, with the perfect place. It felt like destiny.

 We're told that each actor who was cast added a special something to the characters they will be playing. What do you feel you have added to Hiro?
I don't know. Hopefully my face, my charm, and my ripped body. I feel I gave it more of a naivete, an excitement and energy.

Also, being a Japanese native and having grown up with Japanese media, I can give it some authenticity. I think my comedic and improv experience helped. I don't know. All of the characters are written really well, so I feel I'm just there to try to make it alive, in terms of how I envisioned it, and if I've added something extra that was mine, that's great from an actor's perspective.

Hiro seems to be a big science fiction fan. Are you a science fiction fan as well?
Yeah, definitely. I definitely love science fiction. It's a great genre. I'd never consider myself as a Trekkie, or go on the convention circuit, but I grew up on Japanese comic books, and the manga, and I love the old school stuff, from the Orange Road to modern thrillers like the Monster and Death Note. So, I think sci-fi makes your brain turn and think, and I love the kind of sci-fi that has a message as well, which Heroes does. So I think, yeah, I definitely love science fiction.

Is there a lesson to be learned from Hiro as far as believing in one's self?
Of course. Everything begins with believing. It's like that song from Prince of Egypt, "There can be miracles when you believe" [sings]. If you don't believe, nothing will happen. If you don't believe in something, you'll never take action. Whether if it's in yourself or a higher entity, it's that belief that propels us to move forward and live our lives. There's so much negativity in our world, and nay-sayers, that I just think it's really important to believe. It takes so much courage to say yes, so I think that's hopefully a lesson that everyone will take with them.

What was your reaction when you learned that Heroes was going to be picked up as a series?
I was absolutely elated. It's just a phenomenal script, phenomenal characters. Our biggest thing was, I wanted to know what was coming next! I just wanted to follow the script! I was like, "I want to read Episode 2, Episode 3. What's going to happen to these characters?" That was more my thing. It was like "Yes! I get to see where these characters are gonna go."So that was the biggest thing for me. And also, for me, doing the pilot, I didn't get a chance to work with such a brilliant cast, because most of our storylines are so separate, and I just wanted to have the opportunity to work with my co-workers.

Was there anyone in the cast that you were a big fan of before signing on to the show?
No one in particular; I just think they're all great actors. And I want to be selfish, and I want to work with all of them, to be honest with you.

Will the Japanese/subtitle thing continue into the series or will Hiro somehow gain the secondary power of instant translation?
Oh, well I'm gonna quote Mr. Tim Kring on this one. "Hiro speaks limited English, that seems to get better and better as we go along. He can get by with his limited vocabulary, but also with the sheer force of his charm and personality. The audience will have fun watching him get more and more comfortable with it." So, it looks like Hiro will definitely slowly learn at whatever pace he picks up English. I personally think that, because he reads a lot of American comics, I'd love for him to speak English, but only in comic book phrases. That would be a funny thing to do.

At one point of the pilot, Hiro manages to transport himself clear across the world. How does he know where he can safely land?
When Hiro concentrates, I believe he sees his destination place, when he's bending time and space. He visualizes, and sees that open area. He's able to control when he's going to occupy that space. Of course there will be other atoms there, no matter what, but he finds a way to find out when the coast is clear, and transport himself at that precise moment.

To read the rest of this interview, click here.

Now that Nathan Petrelli is a true hero (a willingness to sacrifice yourself to save millions of lives pretty much guarantees you that status for life), fans are wondering if we'll see this redeemed character in season two.

All signs points point to yes.

Masi Oka and Adrian Pasdar (pictured) were in Canada at an event to promote Heroes' Canadian network Global's fall schedule earlier in the month. Naturally, the sheer presence of Pasdar should be enough to convince anyone that he will be present and accounted for in the next season of Heroes.

But cementing his place on the show even more, Pasdar later commented on what he thought of the story for season two.

"I feel good about the direction it's heading in, I think it's across the boards surprising for each character and for each audience member, whoever their favorite character is. It takes a wildly different arc then you might think. Season two is going to be a big surprise."

And what about the future of Ando. The last time we saw him, Hiro had transported his pal back to Japan. Fortunately, Oka told the crowd that Ando would definitely be returning.

"Hiro made a promise that he'll be back. Hiro is beginning his journey in the second season and he'll be by himself for a while, but I'm sure we'll see Ando in some context, so I wouldn't count it out."

Greg Beeman is a producer on Heroes. Somehow, with all his job entails, the man finds time to blog about the show.

We thank him for it - and present this take on the show's final episode and first season.

There you have it 23 episodes of Heroes. Wow. What a long strange trip it's been. Everyone else who works with me on the show will agree that it has been one of the hardest and most creatively satisfying experiences of our professional careers.

The fans frequently sight that the show looks like a mini-feature every week. That is a great compliment to all of us. But, as you can imagine, it's not easy to do that. The sheer logistics of doing this series have been quite challenging mentally and physically.

So, while you guys may have to wait three months or so for the next installment, let me encourage you with the following news: First we here at Heroes are already all back at work. Episode 1 is being written as we speak and we begin shooting episode 1 in about 1 short month. I have heard the writers pitch out the story lines for the next season and lemme tell you they are freakin' awesome. There are new characters. New powers. Some of the characters you have come to know and love, in fact, DID die last night.

And ALL those who survive will be moving on in new and unexpected directions. We are all ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED to not repeating ourselves next season – but in bringing you a freshly conceived show. Also, the reason we are beginning so early is that we are all committed to long runs of the show next year with very few, and very short hiatuses. We don't want to be off the air with new episodes for 5 or 6 weeks anymore.

Also, the DVD will be out on August 28th and it will be loaded with lots of extras. We have been working on many of those extras for several months already.

OK – that's it. As for me, my blog will go dark for a couple of months. But this season, my plan is to come back online a few times before we air, to fill you in on what's developing, and maybe to answer some questions you have. I'm sure the official NBC site and Herosite.net will alert you when new blogs are up.

Hang in there. And we'll see you next year!!!

Peter Petrelli has the ability to replicate the superpowers of others just by coming in contact with them.

Now, the actor that portrays him, Milo Ventimiglia, is hoping that he has absorbed some of the skills of the many directors he's worked with in his young career.

The actor will be directing a series of shorts for American Eagle Outfitters, the fashion retailer announced in May. A dozen of the five-minute episodes are planned to run on the company's website on Thursday nights this August. Short versions of each episode, which will be three minutes long, will air on MTV during The Real World: Sydney this summer and in American Eagle stores.

The series, titled It's a Mall World, focuses on five employees of various outlets in a shopping mall: a pair of record store employees, a "bad-boy poseur from the requisite mall juice bar," a lingerie store worker who is "slightly psychotic," and an American Eagle "greeter."

Acting in the series will be Dianna Agron (Shark), Eddie Hargitay (Neutral Ground), Sam Huntington (Veronica Mars, Superman Returns), Amanda Loncar (Law & Order), and Deon Richmond (Not Another Teen Movie).

Adam Green (Hatchet) will write and Russ Cundiff will produce under Divide Pictures.

On a live blog hosted by NBC.com, Heroes creator Tim Kring recently answered fans' questions, one of them being about the upcoming spin-off Heroes: Origins.

"The idea was to try to do about half a dozen episodes that are stand-alone episodes dealing with the origin stories of characters all around the world who are waking up with the discovery of these unique abilities," said Kring. "They are not connected necessarily to the show Heroes, but if you do watch or are a fan of Heroes, you'll see tiny little clues that tie into the show."

Moreover, there's good news for fans who grew up watching old sci-fi shows. Kring wants the storytelling to be similar to that of The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling.

"[Origins will feature] cautionary tales and morality tales," said Kring. "Dealing with these people with unique abilities. So they're completely stand-alone episodes that don't follow a serialized formula."

When the spin-off was first announced, NBC said that one of the new characters featured would become a member of the Heroes cast, but that doesn't seem etched in stone yet.

"Some of the stories in Origins can be similar to characters currently on Heroes and one of the people on Origins may be involved on Heroes, eventually..."

Guess we'll have to tune in and find out.

At least one of the mysterious new Heroes has been revealed.

Dania Ramirez, who enjoyed a recurring role on HBO's The Sopranos as AJ's ex-fiancee, will join Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura, and the rest of the super friends next season as a regular, reports Reuters.

Ramirez should have no problem conjuring up a few powers for the part: she played Callisto in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Heroes still has yet to announce which actors will take over the remaining new characters that season two will introduce fans to: an Irish mobster; a surrogate for Niki/Jessica's son; a late-20s African-American mother; and a boyfriend for Claire.

Our good friends at Buddy TV recently sat down with James Kyson Lee, the actor that portrays loyal friend to Hiro, Ando, on Heroes.

How did you end up with the part of Ando on Heroes?
The whole audition process was a little over a year ago, February last year, and it was a long process and I had to audition five times. You know, the first audition and the initial callback with the producers and then they do what's called a work session in which they basically prepare you for going before the executives. Mine felt just like another audition. And then we had to go before Universal Studios to do a screen test, and finally it was at the network, at NBC.

What were your first thoughts when you got the pilot script? Could you tell that this might have the potential to be a pretty big deal?
Yeah I did, I felt it right away. It was a page turner, I couldn't put it down, it was…it felt like reading a movie, you know…a feature script and I was really curious to see how they were gonna film this because there were people flying, walking through walls. You know, it just didn't read a like a regular TV show so I really felt that there was something special at hand and it was a show that I wanted to check out whether or not I was involved in it, so yeah…so far it's been amazing.

You work pretty closely with Masi Oka as Hiro. How has it been working with him? You guys seem to have a pretty easy, natural chemistry going on.
You know, we do have really good rapport on camera, which is surprising because, one, this is our first time working together, and two, we really don't have any kind of rehearsal time because the show films at such a fast pace. We don't have any table reads and, you know, all of us have really busy personal lives off the set.

So, you know, it's very common that when we show up to work, after a half an hour we are dressed in make up and we're filming, so a lot of the stuff that happens on camera is really spontaneous and in the moment. Masi and I both come from an improv background, so that helps.  One cool thing is that even though this is a one hour drama we get to bring some comedic elements onto the show, which really opens things up and adds a different layer to our storyline and the show overall.  So, I think that's what really separates us from all the other TV shows out there.

To read the rest of this interview, click here.

Nissan and NBC announced today a multi-faceted, robust 360 marketing program for season two of Heroes, encompassing product integration, off-channel platforms, wireless applications, traditional television advertising and significant on-air and online sponsorships.

"Nissan is constantly searching for opportunities to build extensive advertising partnerships that allow us to engage consumers by building brand awareness on many platforms," said Steve Kerho, director of interactive media, Nissan North America. "This ongoing partnership with NBC also gives us the opportunity to introduce the all-new Nissan Rogue, a new CUV that epitomizes the exciting and adventurous spirit that defines Heroes."

"We're committed to doing business with our clients in ways that extend beyond the 30-second spot and are thrilled to join forces again with Nissan to build on our successful season-one partnership," said Mike Pilot, president, NBC Universal Ad Sales. "This deal exemplifies the concept of having an 'upstream relationship' with our clients and shows just what can be achieved when the clients and creative teams come together early in the process."

In this one-of-a-kind deal, Nissan will use Heroes as the central hub of a multi-pronged marketing campaign for the launch of its new crossover vehicle, the Nissan Rogue.

The campaign will kick off on the night of the Heroes season premiere, which will be exclusively sponsored by Nissan and broadcast with limited commercial interruption. To further enhance the viewer connection to the Rogue, the vehicle will be integrated into the premiere episode and driven by a main character.

Nissan will also roadblock the full episode of Heroes on NBC Rewind for 24 hours after the show's on-air premiere, marking the first time an advertiser has executed this type of program on NBC Rewind.

In addition to more traditional advertising opportunities both on-air and online, the Nissan Rogue campaign also includes sponsorship of numerous unique off channel platforms including a Heroes music video and the season one DVD release. Nissan Rogue will also be involved in NBC's wireless platforms and will sponsor the Heroes 360 WAP sites.