Quantum Leap Interview: Raymond Lee & Eliza Taylor On Their Unexpected Season 2 Romance

Season 2, episode 6 of Quantum Leap brought the NBC series to new heights by altering its fundamentals and incorporating an unexpected twist. For the first time in the reboot’s history, Ben reunited with a woman he had met during a previous leap, prompting a show that centers around scientific phenomenons to tip its hat towards the notion of fate. Despite appearing in a different body, Hannah is able to see through the physical barrier and recognize Ben as the man who pushed her to explore her full potential. Ben is finally able to open up about the complexities of his life, and the two share a kiss before he leaps to his next adventure. However, Hannah remains certain that they will see each other again.

Raymond Lee plays the lead role of Ben Song, with Eliza Taylor joining the cast of season 2 as Hannah Carson. Lee has previously been featured in projects such as Top Gun: Maverick and Kevin Can F*** Himself. Meanwhile, Eliza Taylor is most notably known for portraying Clarke Griffin in The CW’s The 100. In addition to Lee, Eliza Caitlin Bassett, Ernie Hudson, Mason Alexander Park, and Nanrisa Lee complete Quantum Leap’s ensemble cast.

Screen Rant interviewed Raymond Lee and Eliza Taylor about creating an authentic romance for Ben outside of Addison, as well as the stunt work required to film “Secret History.”

Raymond Lee & Eliza Taylor Talk Quantum Leap

Screen Rant: How does it feel to finally be able to talk about this incredible season of Quantum Leap?

Raymond Lee: Oh my goodness. I have so many pictures loaded up from the entire season. I’m just like, “I want to share this!” Our fans love the behind-the-scenes stuff, so I love sharing that. It’s so nice that we get to do it.

Are you going back to set, or have you already finished filming the season?

Raymond Lee: Yeah, we’re going back very soon.

Eliza, coming into another network show in the sci-fi genre, I’m curious if you found any similarities between Hannah and the other characters you’ve played. I felt like I saw a little bit of Clarke in her, myself.

Eliza Taylor: That’s a good question. Every character I go into I try to individualize, obviously, and there is something very unique about Hannah. She thinks very differently to normal people. She’s so quick-witted, she’s got such an amazing mind, and the way they’ve written her is incredible. I feel very lucky to play her. There might be a slight similarity in her determination to Clarke, but I think Hannah’s her own beast.

Raymond, Ben and Addison have been such a pillar of Quantum Leap since the pilot, so what were your initial thoughts when you found out there was going to be a time jump that pulls them apart?

Raymond Lee: I thought it was a brilliant move on the writers’ part. As any story deepens, the further along you get into a book, you want for there to be complications. You want for there to be layering in relationships, even outside of Ben and Addison and everyone in headquarters. This all adds to the bigger picture. I think the whole is becoming greater than the sum of its parts through this way. I think we are strengthening the story and the show by this detour.

How did you both work to build this rapport and create a connection that feels believable, knowing where Ben’s heart has been for so long?

Raymond Lee: On an actor level, Eliza is so amazing. She’s such a pro, and she’s so open in her scenes. It’s very easy to connect on a personal level with Eliza. As far as Ben and Hannah go, Ben hasn’t been able to physically be with anybody, and he hasn’t been able to see anybody consistently. I have created for Ben that one of his love languages is touch. For him to be in physical proximity with somebody who he shares so many things in common with is very stimulating, and it’s just exciting. It’s titillating. For Ben, the reappearance of Hannah takes his breath away.

Something that I found really interesting is that Hannah doesn’t know what Ben looks like. Her interest in him isn’t based on anything physical. Do you feel that this deepens the relationship and makes it more meaningful?

Eliza Taylor: I think it does. I love that she doesn’t have to see him to know him. There’s something really special about that. There is just this instant spark and connection, even before she knows who he really is. It’s really beautiful.

Ben doesn’t know Hannah all that well, but he’s able to be more honest with her than anyone he’s ever met in a leap. What is it about her that you think brings forth that trust?

Raymond Lee: My way in was, for instance, in my life, whenever I run into another actor, wherever they are in their journey, I automatically know that there are so many given circumstances of their personality that, even with all their quirks or their shortcomings, or if even if they exceed my expectations, I feel like I have a good idea of who they are at their core because they are an actor.

I think as physicists, it might be the same thing. You might look at somebody and be like, “You’re so obsessed with this thing that only a small group of people in this entire world are obsessed with. There must be something about you that just makes sense to me.” I also believe in past lives and things like that, and that people are meant to run into each other, and people have run into each other. I feel like there’s a connection that goes beyond. It’s metaphysical, at that point.

Ben finally gets to meet Tom in Episode 6, and it’s clear that he doesn’t want to like him. What emotions is he experiencing the more they get to know one another?

Raymond Lee: I think it’s exactly what Ben says—literally anyone else but you. [Laughs] That’s what it is. Ben always seems to have a clear vision for what needs to be done. The leap needs to be finished. Even though he is the last person that he wants help from and there are a lot of complicated emotions, he has to pack that away and get through the leap. Perhaps he can unpack that at a quieter moment. Obviously, he doesn’t want to see him, but as Tom’s story unfolds, you see that Ben has an understanding for who he is beyond just their relationship with Addison.

Most episodes of Quantum Leap are action-heavy, but this one ranged from fires to sword fights. Were there any specific challenges or interesting events that happened on set?

Eliza Taylor: We had a lot of fun. I have never been all that great at stunts, but I had a lot of fun watching Ray do his thing in that swordfight. That was really cool.

Raymond Lee: You say you’re not good at stunts, yet you nailed the cane toss to me every time. The one time that we dropped it, it was my fault, and you really sold that bust being incredibly heavy when it was just made of, like, foam. The way you acted that was like, “Oh my God! That’s a thousand pounds!” and I went to go lift it up, and I was like, “This is light as a feather.” So don’t sell yourself short there. But I love action. Swordfighting is something that I have had a little bit of training in, so it was nice to be able to grab that and pick that up again. We have an incredible stunt team and incredible stunt coordinators, so their excitement really fuels my excitement. I just love doing it.

What can fans look forward to as the season continues?

Raymond Lee: There will be more Ben and Hannah. I think our show is really taking off in many ways. The leaps keep getting more interesting, and the dynamics in headquarters continue to get more interesting. We’re going to deepen the relationships within everybody at Quantum Leap.

About Quantum Leap

It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in the hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.

srcEverything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian, and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leaps and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.

Check out our previous Quantum Leap season 2 interviews as well:

• Chris Grismer
• Martin Gero & Dean Georgaris
• Raymond Lee