In Syfy’s hot miniseries Alice, the Jack of Hearts gets an upgrade to major hunk status thanks to Philip Winchester. He’s the guy who makes Alice trip down that rabbit hole in the first place (the things we do for our boyfriends!).

TV DivaGal chatted it up with the cute half-English actor to find out about his childhood fascination with the children’s classic, working with Kates Bates and staying in character when there’s only green screen as your partner!

Does Jack have real feelings for Alice? She does go down a rabbit hole to find him after he disappears.

He genuinely cares for Alice in the beginning of the story when we first meet them. He would do anything for her, and he absolutely adores her. But the way he is in the real world and in Wonderland is very different just because of what he needs to do.

There’s a lot of green screen action in the movie. How do you get motivated for those performances?

I wish I could say I that I put myself in a Zen state, but there’s no magic behind it. Nick Willing, our director, stood behind the camera in the green scene room and just yelled directions at me, and I took the cue. It was very helpful. He was very brilliant in directing everyone in saying what was going on and helping you paint a picture in your head. I got to throw a chair too, and that was really fun.

Were you a fan of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland growing up?

I was. My father used to read to me Through the Looking-Glass and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I can remember as a kid of seven or eight, we lived in a trailer near a truck stop in Montana and we had a bay window in the trailer and little yellow chair, and he’d read me these great stories.

Have you ever seen any other versions of the classic played out on screen?

My parents were really strict about me watching television. There was one on and I was too young to watch it, but I remember sneaking out of my bedroom one night to see it. It was about the jabberwockies and the looking glass, and it totally freaked me out.

What was it like having the great Kathy Bates play your mom, the Queen of Hearts?

It was terrifying to be honest with you. There were so many circumstances where she’d be rehearsing, and IΓÇÖd slink back into the camera department and we’d all be whispering, “Can you believe we’re on set with Kathy Bates?” We were so fortunate to be with such a fine actress, who’s brilliant to work with. She shows up, knows her stuff, comes with ideas and she’s not a tyrant. She’s just fantastic.

Did she give you any maternal advice?

Just chastisements. She’d put me in my place. She didn’t do it with a sledgehammer, though.

At the beginning of Alice, Jack seems to make a move on her way too fast. Ever had that happen in real life?

No fortunately in the situation when I’ve asked someone to marry me. My wife actually said yes the first time, which I was really happy about.

Catch Alice, the two-night event, beginning Sunday, Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. on Syfy.