Jason O'Mara talks about landing on 'Mars'

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- "Life on Mars" star Jason O'Mara's time has come.After either playing short-term roles in prime-time shows or being the lead in series with no future, O'Mara has landed one of the plum parts of the fall: playing time-displaced cop Sam Tyler in ABC's version of the British hit series.The show (airing 10 p.m. EST Thursdays) comes with its own set of expectations. The British series was a hit globally and made actor John Simm, who played Sam originally, a critical darling.Anticipation has been high for the American version. So far, positive reviews and a sizable audience have put "Mars" on solid footing.Still, O'Mara admits he knows he's stepping into unsteady territory."At some point," he says, "I have to substitute the anxiety of doing this role for anticipation and enjoyment.""Mars" hasn't had an easy time making it into ABC's rotation. Rounds of backstage changes, including reshooting and recasting the first pilot, spurred speculation that "Mars" was in trouble early on."I had to roll with the punches," he says. "Whatever challenges we had, everybody seems to be on the same page now."The Dublin, Ireland-born O'Mara has been in the "Mars" orbit for almost two years. He says ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson talked to him about the project during its infancy.McPherson was familiar with O'Mara's work after seeing him on ABC's "In Justice" crime drama, which lasted less than a season.O'Mara also had recurring roles on "Grey's Anatomy," "Men in Trees" and "The Closer."His first major television role stateside was as 1st Lt. Thomas Meehan in HBO's "Band of Brothers."Other actors were considered for the role of Sam. "When they couldn't find anyone they liked, they came back to me," he says.Once ABC settled on O'Mara, the show shot a pilot, with prolific writer/producer David E. Kelley at the helm.Kelley left the show and a new pilot was made as well as casting changes. Eventually, "Mars" landed more high-profile American actors, such as Lisa Bonet ("The Cosby Show"), Michael Imperioli ("The Sopranos") and Harvey Keitel ("The Piano"), silencing talk that "Mars" was in trouble.O'Mara says he's changed his approach toward Sam as the series has evolved from page to screen.In the first version of the American pilot, Sam was "a bit robotic and relied too much on technology. Over the course of time, he would find his humanity," says O'Mara, whose career started out in British theater and television.Now, "we open with a guy who is much more fun and enjoys life. He likes to get the job done."Sam's plight stays ever the same. The British "Mars" answered in a little more than a dozen episodes how Sam ended up in the past. The American version could have years to dwell on the issue.Is he in a coma after being hit by a car? Is he in an afterlife? Is this all a science-fiction conspiracy?"I don't know how our version ends," O'Mara says. "I am told (by the producers) that they know how it ends. I don't want to know. I'd be just as happy going through this the entire time without knowing where it's headed."(E-mail Terry Morrow of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at morrow2(at)knews.com.)