Interview with Alejandro Monteverde, Cristiana DellâAnna and David Morse of the film “Cabrini” by Suzanne 2/27/24
This is such a great movie. I hope you can see it! It premieres March 8 in theaters. The writing is good, the actors are amazing, and the cinematography, costumes, sets, etc. are just outstanding. They did a wonderful job with this historical piece about Mother Cabrini, the first American saint. It is not only educational and powerful, but it evokes feelings about some of the prejudice going on today against immigrants. You don’t want to miss this movie! It was really a thrill to speak with the stars and director.
Cristiana DellâAnna was born in Naples, Italy, to Lidia Albero, a school teacher and Ettore DellâAnna, a surgeon. Second of three children, she was expected to follow her fatherâs footstep and become a doctor, but her call for acting pushed her to follow her dreams and move to London at the age of 20 to study drama at the highly acclaimed Drama Studio London (DSL).
Bilingual since the age of 10, she began her acting career in London, debuting on stage in an English adaptation of the famous Italian play âA Woman Aloneâ â a fringe production that earned her the attention of Londonâs Time Out Magazine. When they were both graduating students, DellâAnna was given the lead role in Moths â the award winning first short film by acclaimed director Rose Glass (Saint Maud). Before moving back to Italy to start shooting the HBO Max hit series, âGomorrah,â DellâAnna also appeared in âThird Contactâ a critically acclaimed psychological thriller that had its world premiere at the BFI IMAX in 2013. Her role as âPatriziaâ in Gomorrah â streaming on Amazon Prime in the US and Canada â has brought her international success, the series being sold to 190 countries around the world.
Her latest Netflix movie âToscana,â in which she plays the female lead, was the most watched film in the world for two consecutive weeks at the end of March 2022. In 2021, she played âLuisa De Filippoâ opposite Tony Servillo, as âEduardo Scarpetta,â in âThe King of Laughter,â directed by Mario Martone. For her portrayal of a fragile woman in love with a man who would not legally recognize their children, she was nominated for a David di Donatello Award as Best Supporting Actress. DellâAnna won the Ciak dâOro award in 2022.
She also appeared in Paolo Sorrentinoâs Oscar nominated film âThe Hand of God.â Initially her role, although just a cameo, was written for an older woman, but when Paolo Sorrentino saw her, he insisted on having her in the cast and changed the schedule to meticulously accommodate her aging through the schedule of film.
Just recently, her talent did not go unnoticed by famous casting director Denise Chamian, who thought her perfect for the lead role in the up-coming US independent feature âCabrini.â In âCabrini,â DellâAnna stars on the big screen across the world as an Italian nun who fought for equal rights in the New York of the late 1800s. The film, which boasts a stellar international cast, also stars John Lithgow and David Morse. It focuses in on female empowerment and on the very contemporary issues of immigration and assimilation.
Upcoming, Cristiana will star in the Italian Netflix series âStoria della mia Famiglia.â Written by Filippo Gravino and Elisa Dondi, and directed by Claudio Cupellini, the drama follows a man on the last day of his life.
David Morse
Archbishop Corrigan
DAVID MORSE can currently be seen in the Apple+ series THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, starring Jennifer Garner and executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. Other recent credits include Netflixâs THE CHAIR, Showtimeâs THE GOOD LORD BIRD, Appleâs MORNING SHOW and HBOâs THE DEUCE. Morse has received EmmyÂź nominations for his roles on HOUSE and HBOâs JOHN ADAMS and has appeared in numerous television series, including Emmy-nominated ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA, HACK, TREME, TRUE DETECTIVE, OUTSIDERS, and ST. ELSEWHERE. Morseâs film credits include THE GREEN MILE, 16 BLOCKS, THE HURT LOCKER, WORLD WAR Z and CONCUSSION.. David can next be seen starring in the feature film LA GLORIA as well as the feature film CABRINI alongside John Lithgow and Christiana DellâAnna.
A stage veteran, David received a 2022 Tony Award nomination for his second run of the Award-Winning play HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE on Broadway. Morseâs previous stint on Broadway was in the 2018 revival of THE ICEMAN COMETH, for which he also received a Tony Award nomination. His other notable stage performances include the 1984 Los Angeles production of OF MICE AND MEN; Lanford Wilsonâs REDWOOD CURTAIN, in which he originated the role of Lyman; Heather MacDonaldâs AN ALMOST HOLY PICTURE; the Broadway production of THE SEAFARER; the Off-Broadway production of THE UNAVOIDABLE DISAPPEARANCE OF TOM DURNIN.
Alejandro Monteverde
Director
Alejandro Monteverde is a Mexican filmmaker, best known for his work as a director, writer, and producer on the 2023 film Sound of Freedom and the 2006 film Bella, which won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Heartland Film Festival.
Alejandro began his career as a film director with the short film The Last Goodbye in 2004, which won the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival. He went on to direct and write several other films, including Little Boy in 2015, which was also well-received by audiences.
Alejandroâs work is known for its focus on family and faith, and he has been vocal about his Catholic beliefs. In addition to his film work, Monteverde has also been involved in philanthropic efforts, including the founding of the nonprofit organization Esperanza para los Niños (Hope for Children) in 2010, which provides education and support to underprivileged children in Mexico.
About the Movie
From Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of đđ°đ¶đŻđ„ đ°đ§ đđłđŠđŠđ„đ°đź, comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing and healthcare for society’s most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Logline
Based on the true story of one womanâs fight for the equality, health, and happiness of immigrant orphans.
Tagline
The world is too small for what I intend to do.
Fast Facts
From the director, producers and writers of Sound of Freedom, the 16th highest grossing independent film of all time. Sound of Freedom came in #10 in the US box office and made over $240 million worldwide
Starring Academy Award nominated and Tony award winning John Lithgow. Lithgow is best known for “The World According to Garp” (1982), “Terms of Endearment” (1983), “3rd Rock from the Sun” (NBC, 1996-2001), and “Dexter” (Showtime, 2006-2013).
Cabrini also stars Academy Emmy nominated actor David Morse
Cabrini is the first biopic about the Patron Saint of Immigrants
Francesca Cabrini was born in northern Italy in 1850. She and six of her Missionary Sisters set off for New York City in 1889.
Cabrini had aquaphobia. Cabrini nearly drowned as a child, which spurred her fear of water. However, she overcame it as an adult when she made 23 transatlantic trips to do missionary work around the world
Mother Cabrini became a naturalized citizen in Seattle Washington on October 9, 1909
She was canonized in 1946 by Pope Pius XII and became the first American citizen to be named a saint.
Four years later Cabrini was given the title of Patroness of Immigrants.
Shedied in Chicago on December 22, 1917 at the age of 67 of chronic endocarditis.
Over the course of 34 years she established an astonishing 67 hospitals, orphanages, and schools. Her energy was fueled by an intense focus on serving Jesus in whatever he asked of her and her legacy still stands today.
We have trouble believing that Everett didnât remember who he was in the past. When he saw Jada at the pub, he walked away as if he recognized her. Once she realized who he was, he suddenly didnât remember his past. We think thereâs more to Everett than meets the eye. Itâs easy for him to pretend that he has amnesia because no one can prove that he doesnât. We wonât be surprised if it turns out that heâs faking his amnesia.
Speaking of Everettâs amnesia, Stephanie acts as if it affects her more than Everett. She had an attitude while Marlena was talking to him like she was the victim. Jada was the victim in the story not Stephanie. Stephanie didnât have a reason to act as if Everett betrayed her. Now weâre supposed to believe she and Jada were such good friends that she will break up with Everett if it turns out he lied about not knowing who he was.
The writers shouldnât have had EJ understand that Johnny got married without inviting him to his wedding. Johnny could have invited EJ to it. He claimed they didnât want to stress out Paulina, but his father should have been invited to the wedding. Johnny didnât have any family at the wedding so Paulina would have understood if EJ was at the wedding.
Why was Tate suddenly upset with Brady and Theresa? They did everything they could to help Tate yet now he suddenly doesnât want anything to do with them. He had some nerve talking to them the way he did. Brady and Theresa could have let him stay in prison if they didnât care about him. He treated them like it was their fault he was in trouble. Tate got himself in trouble.
Eli and Lani came back to Salem to visit Paulina. While they were talking about the twins, they mentioned that they were with Doug and Julie. What were the odds that they didnât mention the fire? We know Paulinaâs in the hospital, but Eli is a Horton. You would think he would have been concerned about the Horton house burning down. It was his grandmotherâs house yet he didnât say a word about the fire at the hospital.
The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.
Interview with Carrie Preston, Wendell Pierce, Carra Patterson, Robert King, Michelle King and Jonathan Tolins of “Elsbeth” on CBS by Suzanne 1/31/24
I enjoyed the first episode of this show, which they let us watch ahead of this press panel. It was great to see everyone here. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to ask a question. Maybe next time! I hope you can check out the show because it’s very good.
This below is the transcript CBS sent me, edited heavily. I’m sorry for any mistakes or things that don’t make sense. I did the best I could!
Victoria Saavedra: Hi, everyone! I’m Victoria Savedra, and on behalf of myself and my partner at CBS studios, Liz Rollnick, we are pleased to welcome you to our panel for “Elsbeth.” “Elsbeth” premieres on Thursday, February 29 on CBS, and will be available to stream live, and On Demand on Paramount+. Elsbeth, a fan-favorite character on “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight,” is an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her unique tactics, logic, and compelling humor to corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD after leaving her successful legal career in Chicago to tackle a new investigative role in New York. Each week, viewers will get to see the crime up-front and follow along how Elspeth cleverly solves the case.
On today’s panel, we have the stars of “Elsbeth”: Emmy Award winner, Carrie Preston, who stars as Elsbeth Tascioni; Wendell Pierce, who stars as Captain C.W. Wagner; and Carra Patterson, who is celebrating a birthday today – Happy birthday, Carra! – and stars as Officer Kaya Blanke; as well as co-creators and executive producers, Robert King and Michelle King; and showrunner and executive producer, Jonathan Tolins. Before I hand the virtual mic over to co-creator and executive producer, Robert King, for some opening remarks… just a reminder that if you would like to ask a question, please raise your hand in the chat feature, and I will call on you by your screen name when it is your turn. Over to you, Robert.
Robert King and Michelle King: Thank you. Thanks so much for joining us for our favorite subject, which is us! So, one of the reasons we’re excited about doing, “Elsbeth” is we love the character of Elsbeth. We also love Carrie Preston, and we’re thrilled to work with her in person. [We have] John Tolins in the writers’ room. So it made it seem like a match made in heaven. And then, as if we didn’t want more, Wendell Pierce agreed to join that marriage. The metaphor is getting bad here. Carra Patterson also joined us, who we worked with in a episode of “Evil.” So it was really fun to all get back together, and then joining that marriage. The bed is getting very crowded, but we have guest stars like Stephen Moyer and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jane Krakowski, Linda Lavin and Blair Underwood. And that’s, you know, because we’re only on episode 5 or 6 now. So I also want to say that Wendell’s going to get a wife on the show. Wagner’s wife, who will be played by Gloria Rueben. That has been mentioned nowhere else. So anyway, that’s just to start. We wouldn’t mind doing the rest by listening to your questions and spouting off. So, let’s go, Victoria.
Victoria Saavedra: Thank you, Robert. All right. First question, Whitney Friedlander. Please unmute yourself and ask your question.
Whitney Friedlander: Hi, guys, did not know I was going to be the first question. So lucky me! I wanted to talk to how everyone wants to answer about the decision to set it up as like a “Columbo-style thing, where we know what happened first and then going on, and then Carrie. I wanna know about working with Steven Moyter again, after all these years.
Robert King and Michelle King: Sure. The first half of the question, Michelle and I, o the pandemic…. I think we all discovered something about ourselves over the pandemic. We realized that every night, we want to watch an episode of “Columbo” instead of the movies that were thrown our way. And that just got us thinking, because we always wanted to work with Carrie again, that Elsbeth would make it very good. And you know about that “Columbo” build. It’s a very witty build that it’s not about “whodunnit” in that Agatha Christie way. It’s a HOWdunnit, which seems just as fascinating, if not even more fascinating, because it takes a wittier approach to, you know, puzzle-solving, or problem-solving, because the audience knows where this is headed, and then you could see the bad guy or bad woman reverse and try to get back at Carrie Preston’s character before she can solve it. So it just seemed like it wasn’t explored enough.
Robert King and Michelle King: And, Carrie, what was it like?
Carrie Preston: Yeah. And then, it was interesting, right after they had sort of come up with this idea for “Columbo”, then there was this article in the New York Times, where there was this reporter, Elizabeth Vincentelli, and what she was watching during COVID was reruns of “Columbo.” And then the last line of the article was, “We don’t need a reboot of ‘Columbo. Just give Elsbeth Tascioni her her own show.” So everybody it was in the zeitgeist, and so I am the lucky recipient ofmsaid Zeitgeist. And you know, Robert and Michelle, throughout the years had said, “Oh, we would love to do something with you. We would love to do something,” and then, with the timing, they would just bring me back, you know, periodically on “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight,”. And then just all of that lined up to this to this moment happening. And so I’m extremely grateful. And to answer your question about Stephen Moyer…You know, “”True Blood”,” I mean, it holds a special, special place in my heart. I mean, my career sort of took off in a way that it hadn’t before that show, and so we all bonded. You know, we made “True Blood” kind of in a vacuum, and then it started airing. We weren’t even together, so we all bonded over that show, and he in particular, was like a real cast leader – he and Anna together – real cast leaders. And he’s such a personable person, you know… he’s so outgoing and everything. And so, when they were casting this role on “Elsbeth,” I kept thinking, gosh! He would be so perfect because he’s so charming, but he can also be, you know, really dark, obviously, but having him on set during the pilot was such a comfort to me, because the stakes are really high and we wanted the show to be amazing. And you know you’re nervous. And they wrote this gorgeous — Robert and Michelle wrote this gorgeous script with these epic scenes. This is a very dialogue-heavy show. And so I really wanted somebody who, could, you know, really do that kind of scene work, somebody who understood that, and that’s Steven times of the billion. And so that just gave me such, you know, real security, you know, in in A, in a, sometimes like nerve wracking situation. It was never that on this this pilot, because of Robert and Michelle and Stephen. And you know, Wendell and Cara. It was just a really beautiful experience, that pilot time of my life. Really.
Jonathan Tolins: I would just like to say one thing about the the form, the howdunnit form. Tou know, one of the things that was a little bit scary when Robert and Michelle called me and asked me to take this job was, “Oh, my God! Putting together all those mysteries!” But it actually is a really fun form to work in, and in our writers room, we call it, “the one act play that we open an episode with.” And we see, “How interesting can we make these characters, and this crime, before Elsbeth comes into it?” And it we play with, you know…. “What do we tell the audience? What do we not tell the audience? What clues do we establish that they can try to find themselves? And which ones are we gonna hide for Elsbeth to find?” So, It’s a wonderful puzzle, and I think that’s one of the reasons why shows like this are so fun to watch. It’s like what they say, “play along at home.”
Wendell Pierce: Picking back on what Jonathan was saying. It was like going over my head. I was so into the thriller and the the whodunnit and howdunnit of the story… It was months later, when we actually started filming. I was like, “Do you realize this is kind of like Columbo?” Because I was so into the crime stories, and the one acts that they put together. And then I said, “Well, this is funny, too, man. I hope people really see and hear the humor.” Columbo was 3 times as long as our show, so we have to really move to put the cases together.
Victoria Saavedra: Great. Vlada Gilman, please unmute yourself and ask your question.
Vlada Gelman – TVLine: Hi, everybody! Thanks for doing this. For the EP’s. There’s a couple of mentions of Carey’s name in the first episode. Can you talk about the decision to reference him, and whether we’ll see him or anybody else from “The Good Fight/Good Wife” universe, and your approach to balancing how much this is a standalone show versus a spin off?
Robert King and Michelle King: You’re talking about Carey Agos now, I assume?
Vlada Gelman – TVLine: Yes.
Robert King and Michelle King: Yes, he is referenced. We think about our friends in Chicago, but it’s not our expectation that they’re traveling to New York anytime soon. Elsbeth is is on her own in New York, which is kind of part of the fun that she’s really – she’s enjoying it, and enjoying it on her own.
Carrie Preston: I always say I have friends in Chicago. I rarely see them. Alicia is in New York, though.
Robert King and Michelle King: Yes, yes, she’s not, however, working with the NYPD solving crimes…That’s gonna be such a bad quote, that one, in so many ways.
Victoria Saavedra: A question just came in for you, Carra. How does Officer Blanke’s relationship with Elsbeth evolve beyond the premiere episode?
Carra Patterson: Oh, It evolves pretty quickly. I think she finds this unique bond that develops right away in Elsbeth. The way I look at it is, like, Elsbeth is this fun breath of fresh air that Kaya didn’t know that she needed. She’s a very dedicated, by-the-book. you know, NYPD officer, hoping to get the approval of her superiors, and you know, she’s not thinking anything else. But this woman is gonna stick around, but as she does, she realizes that Elsbeth sees something in her, and and she respects that because she’s been, you know, trying to work her way up for a while, and I think a lot of people can relate to that. I know I’ve been in those positions where I think, like, if I just do the right thing, people will notice, and it takes a while ’cause most times, people are in their own world and sometimes don’t care, and Elsbeth, like, really, you know, sees something in Kaya. And so yeah, it’s really special. And they have this fun, interesting bond! That evolves pretty quickly right away. So I’m also looking forward it, but I’ve only read up to Episode 4. I haven’t even got the fifth script yet, so I’m curious to see how it continues to grow from there. But it’s already something really special.
Carrie Preston: Yeah, and I’ll I’ll jump in as well, and say, You know, both both Kaya and Elsbeth are underestimated by people around them, and I think that they bond in that way as well, and they see a mutual kind of support system and relationship to– she’s not a police officer, to kind of justify her being there, and I because Elsbeth has such a brilliant mind, I think, Kaya, you know, kind of being younger, sort of learns from that, you know unorthodox way of doing things.
Wendell Pierce: and I’m seeing the impact that it has on her, you know, as a commander. I see this thorn in my side, this woman who gives me anxiety. There’s these moments of epiphany where I ultimately see how she is having an impact on this young officer that I have, and it kind of spurs something in me to ask this young officer, “Well, what do you think about it? What is your investigative instinct on this? She’s obviously having an impact on you.” And I see their relationship evolve, and that kind of softens my edges and eases my concerns about who this woman is, investigating my department. I see the brilliance in her, and I love that epiphany and that observation of their relationship, and how it’s growing. It’s fun.
Victoria Saavedra: Amazing. Rob Owen, please unmute yourself and ask your question.
Rob Owen: Hi, for the producers, just a quick question. Elsbeth had a child in “The Good Wife”. Will that ever be addressed, or should longtime fans just assume that Elsbeth’s ex-husband has custody.
Jonathan Tolins: Well, one of the first things I did was, I went back and watched every episode Elsbeth ever appeared in, and took notes on every bit of information that’s ever been mentioned. Her son was really only mentioned in the first episode, and we did the math. So, Teddy, which is, we have now named him, is in his twenties. It’s not a custody question at this point. We hope not. And he yes, we will hear more about him, and Elsbeth’s relationship with him as his mom.
Rob Owen: Thank you.
Victoria Saavedra: Abby Bernstein, please unmute yourself and ask your question.
Abbie Bernstein, Assignment X: Hi, there! This actually sort of follows on the previous question for both the writing producers and Ms. Preston. Had you known that Elsbeth was going to get her own series, is there anything you would have done differently with Elsbeth in the previous series to set this up?
Robert King and Michelle King: I’ll speak only for myself. No, and that sounds a touch arrogant again, like, “Oh, we did it all perfect,” but maybe better just say Carrie did it all perfect. No, I wouldn’t change a single thing. She is ready to walk into her new show exactly as she is. I would have given her an eye patch. Carrie.
Carrie Preston: I will say. You know, one of my favorite sayings is, “if it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage,” and so it’s always about the writing for me, and to have been trusted with this incredible role for years, never knowing when I was going to play it again, has been really a truly a gift every time it comes up. And so, when they came to me with this opportunity to play her, you know, all the time, you know, to be the the main course and not the side dish, you know, I found that to be a very delicious and exciting opportunity that I was ready to dive into, and also for myself, just as an actor, finding out more about this woman, you know. When you only have a certain number of scenes, there’s only so much information that you can get. But when you’re there all the time, you’re learning, I’m learning just as much about her new things, or I’m discovering new things. Especially the fact that she’s in this different situation, you know. So she’s a bit of a fish out of water. She’s very confident in the in the legal world, but you know she’s finding her way in this new world, and that’s that’s fun and exciting, too. And with Jonathan and the writers, I think it’s going to be a nice new thing. You know, this is decidedly not “The Good Wife”, and not “The Good Fight”. It’s its own world. It’s lighter, and it’s comedic in nature, I feel. And you know, you’ve got this case of the week, and it’s dealing with that and not politics. So we have a bunch of different new things. So it’s the same woman. But you don’t have to have watched those shows to dive into this show, I think.
Abbie Bernstein, Assignment X: Thank you.
Victoria Saavedra: Jim Halterman, please unmute yourself and ask your question.
Jim Halterman: Hey, everybody… Given what Carrie just said about the show being very comedic, What is the balance? As you’re writing the new scripts moving forward with comedy and drama… Do you want to instill dramatic moments in every episode, or is that more or an organic thing in the writers’ room.
Jonathan Tolins: I write everything funny. I can’t help it. I feel like we spent most of our lives trying to make each other laugh, so that kind of happens. But when you’re dealing with murder, obviously, and getting characters to the point where they will commit murder, there, absolutely, there is drama there… where we also have some investigation stuff going on in our precinct, with these characters that will lead to really dramatic stuff, you know, it’s all instinct. It’s all– I have a wonderful group of writers, and that room is very good at knowing when something feels right, when something feels too much or too little, and I trust that, you know? You writing is not a conscious exercise. You have to at a certain point feel like you get into the vibe of these characters and let the show, you know, lead you.
Jim Halterman: Can I ask a question of Wendell while we’re on the subject? What do you enjoy doing more, drama or comedy?
Wendell Pierce: Wow! That’s a really good question. To nail something comedically is so difficult. I watch Carrie every day, and I’m just learning so much, you know? And it’s so difficult, and that is so satisfying when you go, man, that’s great work, you know? So there’s that satisfaction of nailing something because I think that’s it’s more difficult. To have the balance that I think we have in this show is really wonderful because it’s those dramatic moments where you find out when people lean on humor to feel comfortable or to break through, to deal with their fear, you know, to have the courage to do something. You know, we call it gallows humor. Sometime when they coexist is the Janus, you know, that face mask of comedy and tragedy that happens. That’s the great thing I really am enjoying about the show. I have become the Chatty Kathy on the cast. But no, and it’s because of the nature of the show, you know, is all these great guest stars, and Carrie and Carra doing such great work. And and you know, I’m this guy, you know, who has to deal, be the commander, and the captain, and doing his political thing and trying to hide some of his history. And I’m like a kid in a candy store, with all the opportunities that are given in this in the show. Elsbeth., to do drama to do comedy, to do really cinematic stuff, quiet, and at the same time deal with a lot of dialogue. So I’m enjoying the plethora of opportunities that you have given us, Robert.
Carrie Preston: They say – I think it was Robert, Michelle and Jonathan – they all say it’s as if Elsbeth is plopped down in the the middle of a very serious police procedural. So you have this dichotomy, you know, between their plan… They’re sort of in the the black, white, and grey tones of New York City. And then this very bright –I’m at work today. By the way — (wearing a bright outfit) this very bright character plops down into the middle of all that. And I think that creates a really fun tension between the drama and the comedy.
Jonathan Tolins: Yeah, as luck would have it, I worked, you know, I had the good fortune of working on “The Good Fight,” for Robert and Michelle, and became good friends with another producer on that show, Billy Finkelstein, and he asked me to work on his last show, which was “East New York,” which was a CBS New York procedural – go figure. But I worked on that show, not realizing it was putting me in very good stead to understand how to do a CBS procedural police show, and then, you know, be able to bring, you know, what I worked on in the last year. I worked on both “East New York” and “Schmigadoon!,” which, I think put me in the perfect spot.
Victoria Saavedra: Carrie, what do you love about this character? And why do you enjoy playing her?
Carrie Preston: Oh, my gosh! I love her mind! This is a brilliant woman who is so mercurial, so fast, so she’s like quicksilver. She can be saying one thing, thinking another, and her body is doing a third thing. And so that is really fun to navigate, to map out, to play. I spend more time in prep for this character than almost anything else I’ve ever played because of that, and that, you know, I really enjoy finding how, you know, how fast she is with everything, and figuring out what exactly it is that she is thinking, and why she’s saying a certain thing, and what’s making her turn this way and that, and the writing helps with that, of course. But that’s probably my favorite thing about her is her brain, you know?
Victoria Saavedra: Thank you. We have time for one last question. Megan Behnke, please unmute yourself and ask your question.
Megan Behnke: Hi, this question is really for anyone, but… with the show centering on a new case each week, is there anyone at the top of your list that you’d love to have guest star, on top of your current guest stars that are going to be appearing already?
Robert King and Michelle King: John.
Jonathan Tolins: I didn’t. My fear is that the minute you name someone, it’s never gonna happen. So I mean, there are people that I–
Carrie Preston: Â Say, “Donald Trump.” Say, “Donald Trump!
Robert King and Michelle King: “The Good Fight,” is over.
Jonathan Tolins: We’ve stopped fighting that fight. Yeah, I don’t want to name anybody. Although, there were- there are people that I’ve worked with in the past, whom, I’m excited that if the show, you know, launches well, and looks like a thing that people want to do, I am going to woo them like crazy. Because who wouldn’t want to work with this cast in New York? And I know the last thing I just want to say. I think we can keep attracting these great actors, because, you know, and I know this from working in the theater…. What actors want is they want parts with great subtext, aand these are parts where someone killed someone, and they don’t want to show it, and there’s nothing more fun to play than that.
Carrie Preston: Also, you know, we have these really juicy, meaty, meaty scenes. I mean, we’re not doing, like, little, short, one-eighth-of-a-page scenes, you know. We’re doing 7-page dialogue scenes sometimes, and that’s very attractive to actors, to be able to do that on television. You don’t usually get that opportunity.
Victoria Saavedra: Thank you to our panelists, and to all of you for joining. We are going to say goodbye with Carrie Preston, who has some final thoughts.
Carrie Preston: Hopefully, you all can just sense the enthusiasm that we all have for this project. It’s called “Elsbeth,” but there are hundreds of people lifting her up and getting her out into the world. And, you, as journalists, you know, are a gigantic part of that team. So I just wanna thank y’all, you know, from the bottom of my big, enthusiastic Elsbeth heart, you know, for spreading the word about the show. We’re nothing without an audience, and you know, y’all are our connection to that audience. So thank you for your time today, and for being so supportive of this incredible group of artists that I have the privilege of working with every day. So thank you so very much for your time today.
ELSBETH stars Emmy Award winner Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. After leaving her successful legal career in Chicago to tackle a new investigative role in New York City, Elsbeth finds herself jockeying with the toast of the NYPD, Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce), a charismatic and revered leader. Working alongside Elsbeth is Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), a stoic and ethical officer who quickly develops an appreciation for Elsbethâs insightful and offbeat ways. ELSBETH is based on the character featured in THE GOOD WIFE and THE GOOD FIGHT.
Series premiere Thursday, Feb. 29 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs).
ON AIR:
ORIGINATION:
Thursday (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)
New York
FORMAT:
Drama (Filmed in HD)
STARRING:
Carrie Preston
(Elsbeth Tascioni)
Wendell Pierce
(Captain C.W. Wagner)
Carra Patterson
(Officer Kaya Blanke)
PRODUCED BY:
CBS Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:
Robert King, Michelle King, Liz Glotzer and Jonathan Tolins
Carrie Preston is reprising her Emmy Award-winning role as the astute but unconventional attorney Elsbeth Tascioni in the new CBS drama ELSBETH. The beloved character was first introduced in the acclaimed series THE GOOD WIFE on the Network and appeared in THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount+.
Preston recently spent four seasons starring as Polly in the TNT series âClaws.â Prior to that, she played Arlene Fowler for seven seasons on HBOâs âTrue Blood,â while also recurring for five seasons on the Networkâs PERSON OF INTEREST â playing the love interest to her real-life husband, Michael Emerson.
Other major TV series include the co-leading role in the NBC sitcom âCrowded,â ABCâs LGBTQ rights-driven miniseries âWhen We Riseâ and arcs opposite Hank Azaria in âBrockmireâ and Joshua Jackson in âDr. Death.â Her extensive list of guest star appearances includes ABCâs âLostâ and âDesperate Housewives.â
Preston made her feature film debut in Julia Roberts blockbuster âMy Best Friendâs Wedding.â Other notable film roles include scene-stealing performances in âDuplicity,â âVicky Cristina Barcelona,â the Oscar nominated âTransamericaâ (as Felicity Huffmanâs sister), âThat Evening Sunâ with Hal Holbrook, âOne of These Daysâ with Joe Cole and âTo the Boneâ with Keanu Reeves and Lily Collins. She recently played Kevin Baconâs wife in two films: the Kyra Sedgwick-helmed âSpace Oddityâ and âTHEY/THEM.â She will soon be seen opposite Paul Giamatti in Alexander Payneâs âThe Holdovers.â
Trained at Juilliard, Preston made her Broadway debut playing Miranda to Patrick Stewartâs Prospero in âThe Tempestâ and later played Honey with Stewart and Mercedes Ruehl in âWhoâs Afraid of Virginia Woolf?â at The Guthrie Theater. Other stage work includes âFestenâ with Jeremy Sisto and Julianna Margulies, âThe Rivals,â âAntony and Cleopatraâ with Vanessa Redgrave, and playing Mia Farrowâs daughter in James Lapineâs âFranâs Bed.â
Preston is also a sought-after director. Television credits include two episodes of THE GOOD FIGHT, two episodes of Showtimeâs YOUR HONOR and two episodes of âClaws,â in which she also starred. She also directed the Sundance Film Festival feature âThatâs What She Saidâ starring the late Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis and Alia Shawkat.
Preston lives in New York City with her husband, Michael, and their adopted dog, Chumley. In her free time, Carrie supports LGBTQIA+ rights and GLAAD, is an honorary board member for the new play development organization The New Harmony Project and is a supporter of Parkinsonâs disease research. Her birthday is June 21. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @carriepreston.
Wendell Pierce has established himself as a prolific award-winning actor with a body of work on stage, television and film that spans more than three decades. Pierce will star as Captain C.W. Wagner, a charismatic and revered NYPD leader in the new CBS drama ELSBETH, based on the character featured in THE GOOD WIFE and THE GOOD FIGHT.
Pierce returned to Broadway in 2022 for a limited engagement to reprise his portrayal of Willy Loman in âDeath of a Salesman,â for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Lead Actor in a Play. Pierce made his Broadway debut as Boy Willie in August Wilsonâs âPiano Lesson.â His other Broadway credits include Carol Churchillâs âSerious Moneyâ and John Pielmeierâs âBoys of Winter.â Other theater credits include âCost of Living,â âBrokeology,â ââTis Pity Sheâs a Whore,â âCymbeline,â âTwo Gentleman of Verona,â âTartuffe,â âWaiting for Godot,â âThe Cherry Orchardâ and âThe Oedipus Cycle.â
In film, Pierceâs wide-ranging work includes Ava Duvernayâs âSelma,â Taylor Hackfordâs âRay,â Spike Leeâs âMalcom Xâ and âGet on the Bus,â Forest Whittakerâs âWaiting to Exhale,â Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner âClemency,â and the Bounce Original Film âDonât Hang Up,â for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Male Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Limited Series.
On television, Pierce starred as Robert Zane on USA Networkâs âSuits,â and had recurring roles on Showtimeâs RAY DONOVAN and NBCâs âChicago PD.â He appeared in HBOâs award-winning âConfirmationâ as Clarence Thomas and âBetween the World and Me,â based on the #1 New York Times bestseller by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
A Juilliard alum and a 1981 White House Presidential Scholar in the Arts, Pierce is the recipient of several awards, including the Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in the Theater; the Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Rev. Tillman in the drama âBurning Cane,â for which he also received Independent Spirit and Gotham Award nominations; a Tony Award as a producer of âClybourne Parkâ; and Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Image Award for his role of Slick in the HBO drama âLife Support,â opposite Queen Latifah.
Pierce is co-owner of Equity Media, the new ownership group of WBOK 1230AM, a 70-year-old legacy Black talk radio station in New Orleans and the oldest Black-owned radio station in Louisiana. Pierce is the author of his memoir, The Wind in the Reeds.
Currently, Pierce splits his residence between New York City and his native New Orleans. His birthday is Dec. 8. Follow him on Twitter @WendellPierce and Instagram @wendellpcg.
Carra Patterson will star as Officer Kaya Blanke, a stoic and ethical officer in the new CBS drama based on the character featured in THE GOOD WIFE and THE GOOD FIGHT, ELSBETH.
Most recently, Patterson starred in âTurner & Hoochâ and âServant.â Television guest appearances include EVIL, âStraight Outta Compton,â âLovecraft Country,â âThe Arrangement,â along with BLUE BLOODS and THE GOOD WIFE on the Network.
Additionally, Patterson will star as Coretta Scott King in the upcoming Higher Ground feature film âRustin,â directed by George C. Wolfe, opposite Colman Domingo, Chris Rock and Audra McDonald.
Currently, Patterson resides in New York City. Her birthday is Jan. 31. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @CarraPatterson.
Interview with Maahra Hill of “THe Irrational” on NBC by Suzanne 2/13/24
This was a fun audio interview with the actress who plays FBI agent Marisa Clark on “The Irrational” (and ex-wife to star Jesse L. Martin’s Alec Mercer). I love this show, so it was fun to pick her brain about it (even though they haven’t started on season 2 yet). I hope you enjoy the season finale tonight! I know I will.
âThe Irrationalâ follows world-renowned professor of behavioral science Alec Mercer (Jesse L. Martin) as he lends his unique expertise on an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations. His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him and the team on a series of intense, unexpected journeys to solve illogical puzzles and perplexing mysteries.
The cast also includes Maahra Hill as âMarisa,â Travina Springer as âKylie,â Molly Kunz as âPhoebe,â and Arash DeMaxi as âRizwan.â
Arika Lisanne Mittman, Mark Goffman, Sam Baum and David Frankel executive produce. The show is based on best-selling author Dan Arielyâs book, âPredictably Irrational.â
The show is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Maahra Hill
Marisa, “The Irrational”
Maahra Hill stars as Marisa on the new NBC drama âThe Irrational.â
Hill starred as the title role in the OWN series âDelilahâ from creator Craig Wright. She garnered rave reviews for her work and was included in Varietyâs 2021 lead actress Emmy Awards contenders list.
Prior credits include guest starring on âBlack-ish,â âThe L Word: Generation,â âHow to Get Away with Murder,â âLife in Piecesâ and âSpeechless.â
Why would Chad take the risk of trying to put out the fire in the Horton house? He has two kids who lost their mother. It didnât make sense for him to try and put out the fire. He didnât need to try and be a hero and save the house. Instead of watching the fire, he could have called for help. The fire department might have gotten there in enough time to put out the fire. We understand what he was trying to do, but he took a risk playing hero when he could have lost his life.
We have a theory about Everett. It feels like heâs behind the drug case. When the people set the Horton house on fire, shot at Lucas, and shot Harris, nothing happened to Everett. Everett was the one who wrote the story about the drug cartel, yet nothing happened to him. If anyone should be suffering, it should have been him. Everett could be the one working with Clyde.
Why would Johnny get married without EJ being there? Chanel wanted to make sure her mother was at the wedding, but he didnât want his father there. Why wouldnât Johnny want his father to see him getting married? Also, why didnât he invite the rest of his family? They may have been getting married at the hospital, he could have invited his family.
What made Kristen think Brady wanted to reunite with her? She blackmailed him when he was with Chloe last year. Did she really think he would get over what she did to him? We know Brady bounces back and forth between her and whoever is available, but she shouldnât have thought that he would have gotten back together with her that fast.
The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.
Interview with Maria Russell of “Jury Duty” on Freevee by Suzanne 1/25/24
It was lovely to speak with Maria. I binge-watched the show, which I hadn’t really heard of, for some reason, even though it was a big hit last spring. I’m so glad I did because it’s hilarious and unique. I hope you can watch it if you haven’t already. I really hope that they find a way to have a second season, too. Please watch and enjoy the video, too. This is an audio-only video, but I’ve made it into a video slideshow of photos of Maria.
This transcript still needs more editing!
Maria: Hi, Suzanne.
Suzanne: Hi, uh, I watched the show last night. I somehow missed it last spring when everyone else was, I don’t know. So many shows to watch,
Maria: I know,
Suzanne: but it was great. I loved it. I enjoyed it. So unique and it’s funny.
Maria: So funny. Thank you so much. It was a wild ride.
Suzanne: I’ll bet. uh, when the, the press release I got said, uh, docu series, similar to the office. I’m like, uh, not at all like that. It’s way back. Yeah, exactly. It’s very unique indeed. And who would have known it would become part of pop culture. It’s. Really bizarre and amazing. It’s really, the only thing I could think of that was similar is there was a reality show years ago. I don’t think it lasted more. And it wasn’t that successful called Joe Schmo where it was like a reality show. But the joke, I was the only one who didn’t know that everyone else was actors. But it wasn’t.
Maria: Yes. I, I heard of it. I never got to see it though.
Suzanne: Yes. I never saw it. I never saw it either. I just saw like the ads for it and I thought,
Maria: Oh, got it.
Suzanne: This is again, way better. So, so, uh, tell us about your character, uh, Inez.
Maria: Yes. Inez de Leon is fabulous. She’s this self-proclaimed boss babe with a real passion for fashion. And when she finds out that, that there’s a position for, foreperson, that’s her goal. She wants to be foreperson. and then she sadly loses that role to Ronald, no hard feelings, but then she ends up finding her new purpose in this courtroom, this jury and being the lunch-ordering queen, and also, the point-person to coordinate all of the outings like going to Margaritaville.
Suzanne: Right. And, uh, but you’re not, I mean, you’re playing the character, but….
Maria: Yes, that’s what’s weird about this show. It’s like you’re playing the character, but then you’re really you. So it’s strange.
It is strange. And, and honestly, we have, I have this conversation many times that I always say that we’re all kind of like our characters in a way. And the beautiful thing about this show and even starting out with it is that the producers and directors and everybody involved really gave us carte blanche to really, create this, these, give us creative freedom to create these, these characters from the ground up.
Suzanne: Well, that’s good.
Maria: Yeah, no, it was wonderful because, one thing that they did say was that be careful of going way too far off because then we’re going to have to remember everything because, this went on for three and a half weeks. So what I, I had to, what I did was every night I would go home and write down everything that Ronald and Inez spoke about because I had to keep track of the lies. Or the not truth or what I told him, so I had to just be very wary of that because he caught on, he was really smart, he was really sharp, so he would remember a lot of things. And I was, Inez and Ronald were very close, so I had to remember everything, like, on the show at the time I was married and in real life, Maria. And on the show, I was divorced, but I still had my wedding ring on because I, Maria couldn’t get it off because Maria gained weight during COVID. So I kind of use that as also as part of my, uh, part of my backstory.
Suzanne: Well, that’s cool. I noticed that in the last episode when they did a lot of flashbacks and talking about stuff that there were scenes we didn’t get to see in the show, and I hope that maybe they’ll do a DVD if they haven’t already, so that we can see a lot of the stuff that they cut out, because I’m sure there’s lots they cut out, because it’s a lot.
Maria: Oh my gosh. I think we were, yeah, I think we were saying it’s probably like more than 50 hours.
Suzanne: Yeah, when he wants to see the boring courtroom scenes that you had just to throw off the scent,
Suzanne: I read a good article yesterday. An interview with James Marsden. So there was a lot of information there that I enjoyed reading. so was it, was it nerve wracking at all? Uh, I know you got to create your character and there was a lot of improv involved, right?
Maria: Oh, oh yeah. 90 percent of it was. Improvised because and then the rest of it, there were suggested lines or scenarios. But again, we were, we were at the mercy of Ronald because we didn’t know what he was going to say or do. So, Ronald goes to the left, we have to go to the left, so a lot of it was the unknown.
Suzanne: Wow.
Maria: So. Yeah. It was, it was quite scary at moments because you didn’t want to be the one to, to blow them up. Yes. To blow up the whole thing.
Suzanne: Oh my gosh. I can’t imagine what they would have done if you, if somebody had done that, it’s like, or what if Ronald had turned out not to be the, such a nice guy, that would have been all different.
Maria: Yes. Yes. I mean, literally at any given moment, the gig could have been up, the jig would be up.
Suzanne: Yeah. Well, you lucked out that it wasn’t. So had you done some improv before?
Maria: Yeah. So my, I’ve done a lot of, hidden camera shows. I did a lot of sketch. I had a Broadway show that it was, Thought of bright autobiographical called little Tina Christmas special. So I had improv in my background, but is as far as long form improv. I didn’t, more of a comedic actress. That’s my, that’s my background really. But, sketch and creating characters.
Suzanne: Yes.
Maria: That’s my, that’s my, my, my space.
Suzanne: So, Are you all still keeping in touch? Good friends? You get together? What?
Maria: We do. I’m actually going to see Ronald over the weekend. Yeah. And, and Tricia, we’re going to go play pickleball. So yes, we all very much love each other. We’re on different group text, uh, texting chains, and we all very much love and support one another. It’s, it’s like this little family. It’s like this little club too, because, doing the show. We had to have such a level of trust for one another and that we’re going to have each other’s back because it was scary. Like, I think more than anything initially, it was scary because it was, everything was just the unknown and you really, the pressure of, of messing it up, of blowing it up, that was, scary, but at the same time there had to be. This, this part of yourself to surrender to the moment and just be in the moment. And then that’s when the nerves would go away.
Suzanne: Oh, that’s, you sort of got lost in your character a little bit.
Maria: Yes, exactly. Exactly.
Suzanne: Yeah. You hear about all the time. Actors say, Oh, we were like a family. I don’t think it’s true most of the time, but you had such a unique experience that I think it probably is true.
Maria: Oh, it’s really true. Yeah, it’s like this club because this, we had to really have each other’s backs like completely and implicitly because like I said at any moment. Ronald would find out or, or, or be curious about something or question something. And so we were always, there for each other. And yeah, that’s why, it’s a little bit different than any other show, because this one was like, we had to have this complete surrender to one another as well.
Suzanne: Yeah. Yeah, that’s it’d be kind of like making a movie, except you were on more and together more.
Maria: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Suzanne: So, besides the sort of working without a net aspect, what was the hardest part of working, uh, making the show?
Maria: Wow. I think there’s a few things I think. as much as I, it was. really one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I think the most difficult part was, is that what you guys don’t get to see is that, is that after the show, after I’m sorry, not after the show, after each day, after we wrapped each day, it’s exhausting because our call time, we would have to show up at the Huntington Park court at around five or six Hair and makeup ready.  Okay camera ready So you couldn’t get ready there. We had to be ready, ready to rock and roll. And we would end around five or six, but it was, there was never a cut. There was never a break. So, not like in a regular show film where, there’s a break. Okay. Now you guys have, two hours for a break or whatever it is. There’s no cuts. So it’s like you had to be completely present at all times. So I think that was the difficult time. Cause I remember I would be like. I don’t want to talk to anybody. I don’t want to see anybody and the weekends. I just want to go to sleep. I just want to like veg out because we would have to take notes. What did Ronald say? Is there something important that we should know for the next day or we’re not, we’re no longer doing the scene because Ronald, Ronald. So we’re cutting this out and adding this. So it was literally, I mean, day to day, it would change.
Suzanne: That sounds very stressful and exhausting, but at least work paid off and you got a big successful show. Very funny. And I don’t say that lightly because, although I do like to laugh, a lot of today’s comedies, I don’t find very funny. I’m older, so I like the old ones. I agree with you though. Very funny.
Maria: Thank you. I appreciate that.
Suzanne: So besides the fact that it was successful and you made these friends, what was the best part of making the show?
Maria: Oh gosh. I think the best part of it was, I mean, it’s going to sound so like Pollyanna. The friendships made. With all these wonderful actors and I think it, it shows because there was such chemistry with all of us and we didn’t test together either, by the way.
Suzanne: Wow.
Maria: We didn’t, we didn’t test. We met for the first time during rehearsal day one.  So it was, we, we all connected on so many levels and I think it’s, it’s such a rarity to have that, I mean, at least for me and I get along with everybody, but it’s just such, it’s such a deeper connection with, with your, with your cast mates just because of the nature of the show and, and it’s special. So I would, and, and also I have to say with, with our producers and directors, they had our backs at all times. I mean, we were so lucky to have them so lucky to have them because we never felt like we were going to fall. whenever, I mean, we may not have known what we were doing at times. They’re like, do you know what you’re doing? And they’re like, no, I’m like me too. I don’t know what, what are we doing? So, but we never felt like we weren’t taken care of. So that was really important. We didn’t feel alone.
Suzanne: Yeah. When they showed the people on behind the scenes, behind the cameras and everything, it looked like they were really had a tough job, but they were on the ball looked like,
Maria: Oh, 100%. They were with us. 100%. So that was nice to know that there was. there. that you weren’t, you weren’t alone.
Suzanne: Yeah. Have you ever been in jury duty in real life?
Maria: No.
Suzanne: Wow.
Maria: I almost did. But then, so I got picked, but then they settled. Oh, so I never got to experience it.
Suzanne: Uh, yeah, you’re not missing much.
Maria: Yeah.
Suzanne: Well, I was unfortunately in a really bad experience. But the good thing about it is that now if they call me for jury duty, I just talk about how horrible it was. And they’re like, okay, you don’t have to. There you go. See, now you use my trauma.
Maria: Yes, I love it. I love it.
Suzanne: Do you think you might get a second season? You think they’ll be able to come up with something to do it?
Maria: Listen, the optimistic Maria says absolutely a hundred percent, but who knows, I know, part of me is like, yes, let’s do a second season. That would be amazing. And then the other side, the other part of me is like, We have something so special. I don’t know if we’d be able to recreate that again. And I don’t know if I would want to, because it was so special. It was one of a kind and I don’t know.
Suzanne: Yeah. Yeah. It’s almost like I think in order to do a second season, they’d have to wait a while and then have a completely new group of people, because otherwise people would know.
Maria: And see, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t want that. I wouldn’t want that. I would want it to be me. No second season if it’s not all the same cast. Forget about it.
Suzanne: Well, it’s like an anthology show. Let’s call it that.
Maria: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Suzanne: So, are you, are you still in, Tacoma FD and are you working on season five yet?
Maria: So we did the fourth season. It’s now available on Netflix, which is really cool cause it was just on true TV. Um, so fourth season we did. And is now airing and I didn’t, I haven’t heard anything about a season five yet. So I’m hoping, I’m hoping, but, I don’t know, right. Fingers crossed.
Suzanne: Yes. Now that’s a funny show, too. I haven’t had time to watch it very much, but the little bit I’ve seen of it, it’s been very good.
Maria: Oh, my God. It’s so fun. And it’s, oh, my God. Those guys are hilarious. My Lord.
Suzanne: So do you have anything else coming out that you’d like to tell us about?
Maria: Well, I can’t talk about it per se, but I am going to be working on a film in March, which is very exciting, but I’m not able to talk about it.
Suzanne: Yeah. But yeah, that’s good. I’m glad you have more, more to do.
Maria: Yes, it’s exciting. And, with the strike over, it’s kind of, it pushed everything. It kind of, with the award season too, it’s been, it’s been very busy on that front. So things are starting to pick up a little bit more now too, which is great because, the whole year basically was like,
Suzanne: Yeah, I know. I didn’t have a lot of interviews. Yeah, you guys were all on strike.
Maria: We couldn’t talk about anything.
Suzanne: Yeah, no, I was, I had like directors and, and, uh, producers, writers. I mean, it was interesting. Don’t get me wrong, but I have very many. So, yeah. Okay. I’ve had enough of you. No, it’s just, I like, actually, I wish I got to speak with more writers because they’re the ones that like create the show and they know more about the stuff going on. But, but I like to talk to actors. So it’s hard.
Maria: I know. I know. I know.
Suzanne: Well, I really appreciate you talking to me today
Maria: and of course it was so nice talking to you, Suzanne.
Maria Russell (Mexican/Lithuanian descent) stands out in the comedic realm, gaining prominence through her role as the self-proclaimed boss babe ‘Inez De Leon’ in the acclaimed series “Jury Duty” on Amazon Freevee/Amazon Prime. Vying for the role of foreperson, she sadly loses to Ronald, but finds her purpose as the lunch ordering queen and coordinating all the fun outings for the jury.
This documentary-style show, a runaway hit starring James Marsden, offers a behind-the-scenes look into the American jury trial system. The series has garnered significant acclaim, earning numerous award nominations, including recognition at the Golden Globes (Best Musical/Comedy Series), Emmys (4 nominations), Independent Spirit Awards (Best New Scripted Series), and the prestigious honor of Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series. Additionally, the AFI Awards have recognized “Jury Duty” by including it in their top 10 television series of 2023 and winner of a 2023 TV Critics Award.
Maria has built an illustrious career in both television and film, earning her international acclaim, while establishing a solid foundation in Hollywood. On the television front, her versatile talent has graced hit series such as MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” ABC’s “Greyâs Anatomy,” CBSâ “Criminal Minds,” “Itâs Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and recurring roles in the award-winning soap operas âGeneral Hospitalâ and âThe Bold and the Beautiful,â among others. Recently, Maria showcased her comedic prowess in HBO Maxâs âTacoma FD,â portraying the loveable, yet assertive ‘Lt. Salazar’
In the film realm, Maria is best known for her role in the Warner Bros. award-winning horror film âLights Out,â produced by James Wan. In this chilling production, she shared the screen with acclaimed actors Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, and Maria Bello. Up next, Maria stars in the film âIn Flight,â alongside Cristo FernĂĄndez (Ted Lasso) and Tiffany Smith (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3). Additionally, she has left her mark in the independent film circuit.
Annually, Maria graces the stage in the Off Broadway sensation, “The Latina Christmas Special,” a production she co-wrote and stars in at The Soho Playhouse in New York. Her captivating performance and the show itself have garnered widespread acclaim, earning Critics Choice recognition from the Los Angeles Times for five consecutive years.
Maria showcases a diverse array of talents, highlighting an acting range that spans from lighthearted and unconventional comedy to fearless, unapologetic humor, as well as compelling and intense dramatic performances. Throughout her career, Maria has consistently aimed to forge connections with people. Looking ahead, she aspires to extend her impact by venturing into producing and directing, driven by a passion for crafting characters intricately woven into meaningful stories, with a particular emphasis on narratives centered around redemption.
With a foundation in classical ballet, Maria brings a wealth of professional dancing experience that spans various genres, including ballet, jazz, Latin/salsa, and hip hop. Beyond the dance floor, she passionately engages in diverse forms of fitness, such as kickboxing, Bar Method, and pickleball. An avid globetrotter, Maria is on a mission to explore the world, having already visited 16 countries. As a bilingual (Spanish/English) actress, she not only expresses her love for the performing arts but also extends her affection to animals.
Maria currently calls Los Angeles home, sharing her space with her beloved Maltipoo and Schnoodle, affectionately named Boris and Natasha.
Interview with Eliza Bennett of “An American in Austen” on Hallmark by Suzanne 2/15/24
This was a fun little chat with Eliza about her new Hallmark movie. It’s a thrill ride, it has time travel, and it has romance. What more could you want? I hope you watch and enjoy it Feb. 17 on Hallmark!
MORE INFO:
Eliza will co-star in the Paramount + series, Sexy Beast alongside Sarah Greene, Tamsin Greig, Steven Moyer, and James McArdle. The show is a prequel to the 2000 film which delves into the origin tales of Gal, Teddy, and Don; it is now streaming worldwide.
Audiences may recognize her work from Netflixâs current hit feature, Do Revenge, with Sophie Turner and Camila Mendes. The film re-teamed Eliza with her Sweet/Vicious, writer/director, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. She also starred as Amanda Carrington in two seasons of the CWâs reboot, Dynasty with Liz Gillies.
Other recent television work includes recurring on ABCâs The Conners opposite Sara Gilbert and John Goodman, Amazonâs comedy pilot, People Just Do Nothing from executive producer, Ash Atalia, and guest-starring with Sterling K. Brown on This Is Us.
Bennettâs breakout came when she played Jules, a college student living a double life, one as a typical sorority girl and the other as a campus vigilante committed to eliminating abusers in MTVâs dark comedy series, Sweet/Vicious.
Variety said: “Eliza Bennett plays Jules, a sorority girl who likes sunset pictures on Instagram and has a bedroom straight out of a pastel Pinterest page. Bennett is asked to sketch all the layers of an earnest character who is pretty square and conformist, but who is also full of confusion and rage and dryly funny from time to time. She pulls off all those rapid transitions without missing a beat”.
Bennett began her career in the United Kingdom on both stage and screen. Her feature credits include the lead role in the New Lineâs Inkheart, alongside Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, and Andy Serkis, critically acclaimed, Nanny McPhee, opposite Emma Thompson, and the Julian Fellowes feature From Time to Time, with Maggie Smith and Dominic West.
Bennett is a seasoned theater performer having starred in numerous West End productions including the lead in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the musical Loserville.
She is a singer/songwriter, having released singles Late Twenties, Visit Me In Georgia, and Hate to Love You in 2022 and a Christmas single, All I Want for Christmas is You with Liz Gillies in 2021.
Bennett splits her time between Los Angeles and the U.K.
An American in Austen
Cast: Eliza Bennett, Nicholas Bishop
Synopsis: Harriet, who thinks that no real man compares to Mr. Darcy, is transported into Pride & Prejudice and gets an unexpected chance to find out.
Interview with Jon Lindstrom of “General Hospital” on ABC by Suzanne 2/15/24
It was great to interview veteran actor Jon Lindstrom, who has his first novel, “Hollywood Hustle” out for only 10 days, and it’s already a best seller on USA Today’s Booklist! He’s most known for playing Kevin Collins, and his evil twin Ryan Chamberlain, on “General Hospital” since 1992 (off and on). He was on the soap “Santa Barbara” before that, and of course he also played Craig on “As The World Turns” (where he met his wife, Cady, who played Rosanna) and reprised his roles of Kevin and Ryan on “Port Charles,” the GH spinoff. He’s also been in quite a few films, and many primetime series, most notably “Bosch” on Prime Video and “True Detective” on HBO.
There are many more questions I could have asked him, but we were already on Zoom for a half an hour – I didn’t want to keep him longer. I felt that he was generous enough to speak to me as long as he did. I would have liked to have heard more about his working with Genie Francis (Laura); about playing Ryan; about working with Alley Mills (Heather); about those pitches he mentioned; about Cady; and more. Buy his book here! If you love detective novels, you should enjoy this one. Of course, you can also watch him on “General Hospital” on ABC and HULU.
THIS TRANSCRIPT STILL NEEDS EDITING!
Suzanne: So, thanks for being here today.
Jon: It’s my pleasure to be here. Thanks for asking.
Suzanne: Are you feeling okay? I saw you had a cold….
Jon: Well, you can kind of hear it in my voice. I’m a little froggy, but I’m feeling better today than I did yesterday.
Suzanne: So, when did you, start writing your book and how long did it take you to finish it?
Jon: Oh boy, that’s kind of a loaded question. all in all, it took about four years, but I, I have to qualify that because I had written for about a year and was making good progress. And then all of a sudden the show I’m on being general hospital decided to bring back a dead twin. And suddenly I was working so hard I didn’t have time to write.
I was up every day at 530 to go to the studio and pull off double duty as Kevin and Ryan on GH. So I had to put it down for about a year. And then COVID hit and I was able to pick it up again for about six months. And then of course, the first shows to go back into production during COVID were soap operas.
Suzanne: Right.
Jon: I guess means we’re just a little bit expendable.
Suzanne: You did have strict COVID protocols and vaccine requirements, so..
Jon: We had very strict COVID protocols. Yeah, we, we were a lot of masks. Daily testing, a lot of swabs in the nose. but. We picked up right where we left off. So I had to put the book down again, and that was probably another six months.
And then it took me another year or so through several drafts, working with editors and getting it into shape to actually submit. So all in all, the writing process took about two years, but the entire span was about four.
Suzanne: Okay. And did you have any difficulties getting it published?
Jon: Amazingly, no. I mean, I look at my experience, and my experience really was much easier than I think most people.
Now, of course, I do have a little bit of a platform, in terms of followers and, at Insta and Twitter, and I, I just can’t seem to call it but, excuse me, I, I, I did go to at the behest of an author who I had narrated because I have this little side hustle narrating audio books, which is great for me because I just, I love books.
But one of those authors was the great Alex Finlay he’s one of the best thriller writers, I’ve ever read. I wrote to him to thank him for. The inspiration to get me over that hump and start actually writing a book. And he wrote me right back within five minutes and we’ve since become good friends. but he told me flat out, John, if you’re serious about this, you have to go to the book conferences.
And being that you’re a crime writer, which falls under Thriller Mysteries, you need to go to Thriller Fest. Which is in New York every June. And it’s, it’s huge. Takes over the entire hotel, the Sheraton Hotel in New York City. And, so I went. And that’s where I actually pitched agents. About 12 of them.
Cause there’s a thing they’re called pitch fest. And I recommend anybody do this because there’s just something about sitting down in front of someone. And not only do they get a sense of you, you get a sense of who they are. And I met my agent there. I sat down with a woman named Liza Fleissig from the Liza Royce Agency.
And as soon as I sat down, I liked her. And I think she liked me because we sat and we talked for a few minutes before we even got to my pitch. And that’s who I eventually went with. And she was able to get a deal within a few months. And we had a few offers. Settled with Crooked Lane Books because they just Kind of totally got the book.
Suzanne: So it sounds more like what you do to pitch a series or a movie nowadays than the old time where you just sent in your manuscript.
Jon: Yeah, I, that’s where I had a bit of an advantage because I have pitched movies and TV show ideas and things. So I knew, I knew the basics of how to pitch. When they say five minutes, that means get it down to three because you need a couple of minutes for them to ask questions if they’re interested.
Suzanne: Sure.
Jon: I got my pitch down to one minute, 45 , . I, pardon me, I really wanted to be succinct and straightforward and really nail it. And, and fortunately that worked for me. I had, I pitched 12 agents. I had 12 or requests for the manuscript. So what made you wanna write a detective novel? Is that your favorite genre?
Yeah. Yeah. It’s just, one of my favorite writers was, was Elmore Leonard. I used to read his stuff all the time. and I, and I love the, the OGs of the genre, the Raymond Chandler’s, Dashiell Hammett’s, James Cain, those guys just invented something that’s very specific to Los Angeles.
About that darkness that that lurks underneath the sun and the palm trees and it’s a it’s a really to me. It’s just a really layered fascinating kind of. Setting for stories. So I’ve always loved it. So I just kind of, and right. But, I’ve been living most of my adult life here, except for a few years in New York.
I’ve been here in Los Angeles since I was 20.
Suzanne: Yeah.
Jon: And so I, I know it pretty well.
Suzanne: Oh, by the way, congratulations on getting on the USA Today bestseller list.
Jon: Thank you.
Suzanne: And also congratulations for being on General Hospital over 30 years. That’s amazing.
Jon: Going on 32…
Suzanne: Off and on, but still.
Jon: Yeah, Yeah. I, I go and I come back, but you know what, as long as they keep asking Right. , why not?
Suzanne: That’s right. Well, I, I been watching off and on since 84, mostly on, and so I remember when you started on the show, .
Jon: Wow. 84.
Suzanne: Yeah. I was in college.
Jon: So that’s when people get home.
Yeah. Yeah. If you don’t have grandma or mom watching, it’s college that doesn’t, it’s either college or I watched you with my grandma.
Suzanne: So, what are some other, favorite authors or influences on your writing that you haven’t mentioned yet?
Jon: Well, film noir, definitely. my, my favorite Saturday night now is to stay home and watch TCM. because it, You know, Eddie Muller and Noir Alley comes on every Saturday night. and he digs into a very deep library of, of film noir in that canon that, that was really unlike anything else that was ever made before or since.
You know, it was post war malaise. They were lower budget, so they often had to shoot at night when the rest of the studio was asleep. Wow. There was a lot of night shooting and a lot of use of light and shadow and, beautiful, uh Cinematography. So I, I just, I don’t know. There’s something about that genre where your main character is, is faced with a choice of Do it or don’t do it.
If I do it, whether it’s for love or lust or greed or whatever, even altruism. If I do this as a very good chance, it will end me.
Suzanne: Yeah.
Jon: And he does it anyway. So I, there’s something about having to make a choice like that, that I find very interesting.
Suzanne: And, you were in Bosch, one of my favorite shows. what about Michael Connolly? Did you read a lot of him?
Jon: Oh yeah, I was a big fan. I got turned on to Harry Bosch back in the 1980s, when he started writing them. And, so yeah, to get a season of Bosch as one of his bad guys, was, was, was a bit of a dream come true. And he’s a lovely man. He, he was on set all the time.
So sorry for this cold, but, he, he’s a, he’s a big guy, now I’m 6’1 and he’s, I gotta look up at him, he, but he was the crime writer for the L. A. Times for many years, and he, he’s another one who really gets this city, and really understands how to accurately portray crime here.
And how it gets just kind of somebody asked me the other night. We have our launch event at Book Soup up on Sunset Boulevard, and there was a woman there who I didn’t know, but she asked a really good question. She said, what’s the difference between L. A crime and New York crime? And I thought, wow, that’s, I never thought of that.
But when I, once I did, I remember being down in Soho and I lived in New York and I came out of a restaurant or something right across the street was an armored car that was waiting for the guys to come out and deliver the money. And I see him come out and this crowded street and the guy, has his hand on the handle of his sidearm.
And he looks both ways and looks all around and then signals the guy to come out and they quickly got into that car, that armored car and took off. and I thought that’s the difference. It’s like New York, it’s going to be in your face. If you’re going to hit that place, you’re going to hit it right in the middle of Soho on a Tuesday afternoon.
And it’s, it’s like crime in your face. Whereas here. It’s all it’s easier to kind of hide it under so it’s all spread out. It’s so spread out here that it can happen. And it’s like, if, if a crime falls in the forest, it’s anyone here,
Suzanne: I imagine it’s harder for them to find the culprit too, because if they’re staying in the area, because they have so much more land to cover. Whereas in New York, if they’re going to be in that area, it’s a lot easier.
Jon: And everybody knows you in New York.
Suzanne: Yeah, that’s true.
Jon: Here, again, there’s another layer of this kind of hidden world. You know, I mean, fortunately, I know my neighbors. We all look after each other. But, that’s not always been the case in most places I’ve lived in LA.
Suzanne: No, in California, the whole thing is like that. I grew up there. I’m from San Diego. So we almost never knew my neighbors. Yeah, now that we’ve lived strange phenomenon and it’s, it’s, it was funny because to me that’s normal because that’s how I grew up. But we’ve lived in the South. I’m in Arkansas right now.
We, I know, and my husband just thinks it’s weird because California, but it is nice to know, especially during the pandemic when we were out walking the dog and. Everyone was like, oh, hi, because they were so happy to see, to see anybody, anybody, anybody, but their kids and their family. But, yeah, so that’s awesome.
I understand that completely. and we’re actually moving to New York in June. we, we lived there a long time ago, when I got into GH actually, when I was in college.
Jon: So, are you moving to the city?
Suzanne: No, but we’re going to be about half an hour from there.
Jon: I understand.
Suzanne: We don’t actually know what town we’re moving to yet. We have to find a place, but he’s going to work at SUNY Old Westbury. Oh, great. Congratulations. Thank you. Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. I want to be in a city again, in a small town here. I won’t know my neighbors.
I read some of the book. I haven’t had time to finish it, but, to me, the description of when sounds a lot like Steve Burton, at least physically.
Jon: Steve was– no, no, no. Steve was not an inspiration at all. There was a Steve, but it was Steve McQueen.
Suzanne: Oh, okay. Well, then they have a lot in common [physically].
Jon: It’s not Steve Burton. Steve, Steve’s way too muscled for Win, Winston green. Now, my inspirations for Wynn were, were Steve McQueen, Kevin Costner, in terms of physicality. and I, I do describe him in there that a director that Winston had worked with described Winston Green as a landmine that’s been stepped on and you’re just waiting for you to step off before he blows, he’s wired tight.
There’s a, there’s an edge to him. but sadly, the other inspiration was, was really Tom Sizemore and some of the other people in my business who have, who came to town with just brilliant talent. I mean, just, you would take Tom Sizemore, just look at his work and Saving Private Ryan and Heat and, he was working with the very best of the best because they wanted him and, and his demons got him.
And, and it really sidelined his career and, yeah, it was very sad, but it’s, that’s, I’ve known a lot of guys like that, just their lives and careers have taken a hard left due to. Due to substance abuse and some made it and some didn’t. Yeah, well, I’d like to see Winston as somebody who made it and got himself together.
but he’s just hanging on. All he’s doing, he’s just hanging on to just trying to keep some stability. So now I hit, I’ll, I’ll let Steve. No, sorry, Steve.
Suzanne: Well, I think if I recall, it was the blue eyes and the buzz cut and I don’t remember what else, but it just sounded like him.
Jon: So I thought more of Steve McQueen in “Bullit.”
Suzanne: No, I can see that. Now that you say that. Just to touch on, you’re talking about sad things, the GH family set, whatever you want to call it, has had a lot of loss in the last year. has that really changed, how things run there or?
Jon: Well, no, it hasn’t changed how we run anything. It’s just, I think we’re all just really aware of how fragile and, and, How quickly something can end.
it’s too bad that people have to pass away before you’re reminded of these things. But yeah, we’ve taken some real hits this year behind the camera and in front of the camera and. You know, we miss them all. So, we just try to appreciate each other when we’re there, I noticed nobody, nobody raises their voice, nobody’s, popping off out of anger.
I noticed a lot, right?
Suzanne: Yeah. There’s a, the fans are very sad too.
Jon: Yeah. Yeah. There was a, there was a huge outpouring from, from people and, and we really, we all heard it and saw it and felt it, very of that. Yeah, I, I know .
Suzanne: All right. so that wasn’t on my list, but I just had to mention that.
So as a first time author, would you say that you’re still learning?
Jon: Oh, definitely, definitely. Yeah. I’m, I’m struggling with book two.
Suzanne: I just, yeah, if you’re gonna, that was my next question. Are you planning to write more?
Jon: Yeah, I, I, book two and book three, I mean, I pitched this really as. a series, maybe all of which would have the word Hollywood in the title.
They’re all crime novels. But, and I tried to keep everything grounded the way Elmore Leonard did, that’s like, this is a real world, that you find these people walking through. but yeah, I, I’m, I’m hoping to, I, suddenly being a bestseller and seeing four stars from everywhere from Amazon to Barnes and Noble, gives you a nice kick of confidence.
So I’m looking back to, I’m getting ready to get back into it.
Suzanne: I bought two of them. I bought the–
Jon: Oh thank you
Suzanne: Kindle version and the, audio version.
Jon: Oh, alright. Which I recorded in my basement.
Suzanne: I know… Oh, in your basement?
Jon: In my basement. Yeah. I have a little collapsible frame with these acoustic blankets.
Suzanne: Wow.
Jon: It’s not a whisper room, which is like silent, but it is fine. But I still have to, I have to suffer helicopters and dogs and leaf blowers. Yeah. , things like that.
Suzanne: I’m torn between… I’m not a big books on tape, what they call, I don’t know what they call them now, audios, fan, because I read really fast, but I wanted to hear your voice and, and hear it that way while, while I was, doing other things.
Jon: So I, I keep going back and forth, but I really liked the accents that you do and the voices.
Oh, great. Thank you. Thanks.
Suzanne: You have a lot of practice from all the voiceovers.
Jon: Yeah, I had a little bit of a, an easy runway to get on that airfield.
Suzanne: I have a tough question. So you can feel free not to answer it. If you don’t like it. I’ve read many good reviews and a few bad ones. Some criticize you for being overly descriptive. Is that writing style or do you plan to cut back on some of the description in your future novels?
Jon: You know, I would say what’s the matter? You never read Stephen King because, if there’s anybody who knows how to, how to, describe a place and place is very important, listen, you got to take, you got to take the bad with the good and you’re not going to make everybody happy.
 There was one guy who, who took issue with my, my description of. Of firearms.
Suzanne: Oh, I saw that one.
Jon: Yeah. Yeah. and you know what? He’s fair enough. He can have his opinion, but I grew up around guns and his point was technically correct. Right? There are automatic weapons. But those are divided into semi automatic and fully automatic.
But when you discern between an automatic weapon or a revolver as in a single or double action revolver, you don’t need those descriptions. Everybody knows what you’re talking about. So, it’s funny. He knocked me off half a star for that, but you know what, Hey, listen, the guy’s got his opinion and that’s what he’d like to read.<br />
and that’s fine. That’s totally fine. the point is he, he still liked the book and the story, so, I say thank you , are you, you can’t, you can’t get bogged down in this, you know?
Suzanne: Yeah.
Jon: This thing of, I mean, that’s one guy, and, and he’s entitled to that opinion as is anybody who says, he overwrites the description.
Well, it is about la it’s also about Hollywood, so you don’t, you can gloss over.
Suzanne: You’re right.
Jon: Don’t have. You don’t have to get mired in it, it says you have to do that too. Yeah, that’s, it, they’re different writing styles and you can’t say one different styles and different tastes and that’s, that’s fine.
I mean, somebody who really knows LA, I can see why they would go, Oh man, this is really overwritten. You know, but somebody who doesn’t, and I hear this more than I hear the opposite there, they really appreciate the, the description of characters and backstory and setting and, and all that stuff. <br />
So, like I said, you can’t, you can’t please everybody.
Suzanne: And as an actor, as an actor, you’re used to people criticizing you and rejecting you and. Giving you bad reviews, all that stuff. So yeah, it’s over the average writer.
It just, yeah, it just comes with the, it just comes with the territory.
Suzanne: Now, talking about GH for a minute, do you, still enjoy playing Kevin even without Ryan?
Suzanne: NNow, talking about GH for a minute, do you, still enjoy playing Kevin even without Ryan? Jon: Yeah, well, I like Kevin very much. I think Kevin’s a really good guy. I think that there’s, there’s been kind of a, we, we’ve kind of lost a little bit of Kevin along the way, remember when Kevin was, was first around and we had first gotten rid of. Of Ryan. Kevin was an artist. He was a psychiatrist, but he was an artist who lived in a, in a lighthouse and painted all the time to paint out a demon and, and we’ve kind of, we’ve kind of veered away from that. And, we have some new writers coming in now. So I think that I, I think we’re going to have some, um. I think there’s going to be some changes, in how Kevin, but I mean, that’s a long answer, but to answer your question, I love playing Kevin. I love, I love playing Kevin. I love playing Ryan. I love, I love working with Genie. I love working with Lynn Herring and, and Ken Shriner and everybody that, that goes along in Kevin’s world. You know, he’s, to me, it’s just fun.
Suzanne: There’s so many great, stories that Kevin has had over the years. Although my favorite, I have to say, is on Port Charles. I believe it was the Miracles Happen, book, they called it, when he and Lucy got remarried and the little girl came, showed up. Yeah, but even though later, I think they took the little girl away and he got divorced and all that stuff, but that was my favorite because it was so Christmassy and so happy and, and like, we rarely get enough of those moments.
Jon: Yeah, that’s true. You know, I, I love doing, I love doing Port Charles. It was like, it was like the little half hour that could, and I’m, I know that there was somebody at the network paying attention, but it never felt like that. It always felt like we could. It was like our secret corner of daytime TV where we could do whatever we wanted.
I saw the, the executive producer the other day, Julie Hayden Carruthers, and she, she said the same thing. It goes, I, I know there was somebody at the network, but every time we said we’d like to do this, they just said, okay. You know, that’s great, and we got the vampires and we got the six week books that tell a novella style and really fun things. <br /> Suzanne: Oh, yeah. I’m such a huge fan of that show. but I just, I just occurred to me, didn’t Kevin write a novel, “General Homicide?” And it foretold your future.
Jon: There you go.
Suzanne: Let’s hope nobody gets killed in a way.
Jon: I, I, I wanted to, and it’s, they would never go for it. But, but I had this idea that Kevin could walk into the room and, and Laura is, is reading Hollywood hustle.
I said, Oh, what’s your reading? Oh, it’s Hollywood hustle. I said, Oh, how is it? Oh, it’s good. Oh yeah. Is it better than general homicide? And have her say, better.
Suzanne: That’s funny.
Jon: Kevin will take a double take.
Suzanne: Yeah, I guess the thing that most annoys me about it is that Kevin has a daughter out there that they never mention, Livvie. I mean, she might be dead. Vampire or something.
Jon: She looks just like Kelly Monaco.
Suzanne: II know. She could do a twin role, you know. You’re good.
Jon: Yeah. But it’s just. Yeah, there’s a lot of things that we left on the, on the floor. You know, with the. Yeah. With, General, General Homicide slash Port Charles.
Suzanne: So, how different is it now on GH as opposed to when you started over 30 years ago?
Jon: Well, the main thing that’s changed is the structure of production because, the, budgets everywhere have just been constricted to the point of not being choked. But, and this is true, I mean, virtually on every show that I work on because I do a lot of work outside of General Hospital.
Suzanne: Mm hmm.
Jon: You know, everything is just so damn expensive now that sometimes it can feel like if you cut 10 off the budget, you wouldn’t be able to make the week, but somehow they managed to do it. I think Frank Valentini is a terrific producer. You know, the, the shows themselves, the airtime has been cut down from, I think, 49 minutes and change the rest of being advertising during the hour down to about 36 minutes and change.
So, And yet, ABC keeps pumping money into it. You know, it was right before the pandemic. I think I went up to the editing bay and they were putting in a brand new Abbott system. So the, the network is still investing money into that show. They feel it’s, it’s viable for the future. So. You know, the main thing is, you have to show up with your track shoes on. You don’t get to kind of feel your way through scenes and rehearsals anymore. You need to, you need to show up and do your job quickly and efficiently.
Suzanne: And, so now that you’re a writer, is it, is it harder for you to say other writers lines?
Jon: No.
Suzanne: Oh, you don’t say, Oh, I wish they would have written it this way, or…?
Jon: No, but I mean, we have a lot of permission to just transpose or paraphrase things as long as you get the thought across because the writers in daytime are very good and they know the rule. If it doesn’t move the story forward or expose character, get rid of it.
And they’re pretty good at trimming things down to those two rules. So. There’s really not much you have to change. And if you were to change it, you might be messing up something that’s gonna happen tomorrow, so.
Suzanne: Right, right. And so you posted that you’re playing the president in a new movie. Can you tell us about the new movie?
Jon: Oh, it was a, what is, it’s called a Proof of concept Short.
Suzanne: Oh, okay. So it’s not yet a movie.
Jon: Yeah, I was asked to come down to, to Dallas and play the president for a day while they put together, um. A, essentially a proof of concept real that would show that this movie could work. On a as a film. So I spent the day. It was something. That’s why I have a cold right now because I pushed myself a little too hard over the last week or two. yeah, so I spent the day working with Jesse Metcalf. Who’s a lovely guy. I had worked with him on something before, 8 or 9 years ago. And, and, and then I had to deliver a page and a half monologue as the president and I did it in one take.
Suzanne: Wow, that’s great.
Jon: Well, that’s that. So daytime comes in handy.
Suzanne: Oh, yeah. I was going to mention when we were talking about Bosch…. They have a lot of former daytime stars on there.
Jon: Oh, sure. Yeah, they, that’s what was beautiful about Bosch. They, they didn’t there’s other places that will say, oh, they were on daytime. We don’t want to Bosch doesn’t care. Yeah, you’re either right for the part or you weren’t. And if you were right for it, they didn’t mind what your background was. As long as, as long as you could walk and talk and not trip over the furniture, they were happy. They wanted people who knew what they were doing.
Suzanne: II mean, it’s such a silly, prejudice to have because you guys usually are better actors and better prepared and know everything and can do so much than.
Jon: Yeah. I, listen, I liken it to, to people who knock country music usually don’t even listen to country music. And the same people would go, Oh, well they’re on soap opera.
They don’t, what do they know? They don’t know anything.
Suzanne: Or the people who say, Oh, rap.
Jon: Yeah, I think. Yeah, exactly. You know, the fact is you can dance to rap, may not be able to dance to a death metal, but you can dance to rap.
Suzanne: There’s a lot of people my age who are prejudiced against it because we didn’t grow up with it. And this new thing came along and took over the radio.
Jon: That’s it. Our parents hated the Beatles too.
Suzanne: Exactly. I think my mom loved the Beatles, but that was, I think she’s an outlier. So, is there anything else that you’d like to tell us about your book or GH or any other upcoming work that you have?
Jon: You know, I’m a, I’m a busy guy. I, I try to put everything up online. If you’re curious about what I’m doing, what book signings I’ll be doing, I’ll be doing one, actually. I don’t know when this goes up, but I’ve got one on the 17th of February in Glendale with Michael Easton. who is a terrific, in his own right. Yeah, and Michael’s just such a talented guy, but we’re going to sit down and talk at the Barnes and Noble over there.
Suzanne: Right.
Jon: Two o’clock, Saturday, February 17th. The Americana at Brand. Then I’m going to be flying to New York for the 27th, at the Mysterious Bookshop. I’ll be in Portland. Actually, technically, Beaverton at Powell’s bookstore, because it’s the Beaverton place they do their mystery and thriller events. And, and then we’re looking at, Petaluma, St. Louis, Raleigh, North Carolina, Phoenix.
Suzanne: Wow. You’re not home much.
Jon: I’m not home much. I, I’m a busy guy.
Suzanne: But I know your wife is not home much, either. She’s always flying somewhere.
Jon: she’s always flying somewhere. And I, I have to show the new cover. And the publisher sent that to me there where it says USA Today bestseller.
Suzanne: Oh, great. That’s great.
Jon: Was that backwards to you? Does it look?
Suzanne: No, it looks fine to me.
Jon: Oh, okay. It looks backward on my side, but that’s.
Suzanne: Technical stuff.
Jon: Oh, I’m very excited. I meant to mention that. yeah, I just happened.
Suzanne: I’m behind on about a little less than a month, but I happen to see that Kevin and Laura are going to, adopt ace.
Jon: Yes, yes.
Suzanne: Kevin got put in the hospital by aces by aces mother.
Jon: Yeah. You know, I do wish we had a little more Kevin as may time work out their stuff. But, cause I, and I love working with Avery Pohl. I think she’s just a. but yeah, I, I like that they decided to do that and based on what I’ve seen online, boy, there’s a lot of grandparents out there who are taking on their grandchildren to raise.
Suzanne: Yeah.
Jon: So if we’re going to do it, I hope we do it in a, in a real way. Where it’s, it’s a, it’s a huge undertaking for anybody to be a parent and, I’d like to see it. So, but, like I say, we’ve got new writers coming in. They’ve already started. So we’ll see what, yeah, see what they decide to do. You know, we’re all pretty excited.
Suzanne: II just don’t want the, Laura and Kevin to be stuck in the grandparent mode and not doing anything else.
Jon: No, we’ll try and avoid that.
Suzanne: Yeah, I hope so. All right. Well, thank you so much for talking to me. I really enjoyed it.
Jon: My pleasure. Thanks. Thanks so much for having me today.
Suzanne: I’ll send you a
Jon: again, sorry about this froggy voice.
Suzanne: Oh, it doesn’t sound that bad, honestly.
Jon: okay.
Suzanne: II have to send you a picture. I have, that I took, years ago, like 99. I went to GH convention that they have the, fan club events and I have a picture with you, so…
Jon: Oh, great. Send that to me.
Suzanne: I’ll love to. Alright. I’m gonna try to get this out as soon as possible. I’ll let you know.
Jon: Okay. All thanks. Thank you so much.
MORE INFO:
Hollywood Hustle: A Thriller Hardcover â February 6, 2024
From 4-time Emmy-nominated actor Jon Lindstrom of General Hospital, Bosch, and True Detective fame, comes a gripping debut thriller.
Set in the dark underbelly of the LA film industry, Hollywood Hustle is the perfect read for fans of Alex Finlay and Jeffery Deaver.
Winston Greene, a has-been film star, wakes one morning to find his six-year-old granddaughter at his bedsideâtraumatized, unattended, and gripping onto a thumb drive. She comes bearing video proof that her mother, Winâs troubled adult daughter, has been kidnapped by a murderous gang demanding all his âmovie moneyâ for her safe return. But what they donât know isâŠhis movie money is long gone.
Unable to go to the police for fear the kidnappers will make good on their promise to kill his daughter, Winston turns to two close friendsâa legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective.
Thereâs no easy way out for Winston or his daughterâthe gang is violent and willing to do anything to get the money theyâre after, and Winston begins to realize that to get his daughter back, heâll have to beat the kidnappers at their own game.
This propulsive and tense thriller will transport readers to the seedier side of LA, depicted in bold prose by a Hollywood insider.
Jon Robert Lindstrom is an American actor, writer, director, producer, and musician. He is well known for his roles of Kevin Collins and Ryan Chamberlain on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital and its spin-off Port Charles.
Please visit Jon’s site or social to see his next book signing or other events!
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, âGeneral Hospitalâ continues its tradition of passion, intrigue and adventure that has depicted the ongoing lives of the diverse and evolving citizens of the fictional town of Port Charles set in upstate New York. The glamour and excitement of those who have come to find their destinies in this familiar seaport town intertwine with the lives, loves and fortunes of beloved, well-known faces. As always, love, danger and mind-blowing plot twists abound on âGHâ with contemporary storylines and unforgettable characters.
Interview with Reza Diako of “The Chosen” on The CW by Suzanne 2/2/24
It was great to speak with Reza. He’s got a lovely voice, and he’s very handsome, but he’s also an amazing actor, and I think we’ll see even bigger things from him in the future. I hope you enjoy this interview, and his new role as Philip in “The Chosen.” You can watch it in theaters, and later it will be streaming on the Angel Studios site, on this website, or other sites, and probably on The CW.
Meet a fisherman struggling with debt, a woman wrestling with demons, and a gifted accountant ostracized from his family and people. See how Jesus changes lives, works His first miracles, and embarks on His ministry to change the world. See Jesus through the eyes of those who knew Him. The Chosen is the first-ever multi-season series about the life of Jesus and the highest crowd-funded TV series project of all time. Watch the show that millions of people won’t stop talking about.
Mission
The Chosen, the first multi-season show about Jesusâs life, hopes to take you deeper into gospel stories by retelling and expounding on the character and intentions of Jesus and those who knew Him.
Reza Diako is an English/Persian actor of Austrian nationality and Iranian origin. He has taken over the role of ‘Apostle Philip’ in the worldwide influential TV series “The Chosen.” A historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him, the popular series returns in February via its fourth season with a singular viewing experience releasing bi-weekly in theaters. On the big screen, Reza has two upcoming projects: the indie film “The Astronaut” (Kate Mara and Laurence Fishburne) as ‘Ethan Marshall’ the director of NASA and “Reading Lolita in Tehran” alongside award-winning actress Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Mir Ebrahimi. The film is based on the best-selling memoir, and Reza portrays ‘Bahri’, an intellectual literature student caught in the middle of his role as a leading member of the student Islamic society at the University of Allameh Tabatabei in Tehran, and his deep love and respect for both literature for his professor, Azar Nafisi (Golshifteh Farahani), under the backdrop of the early days of Iranian Revolution and the Iran/Iraq War in the early 1980s.
Interview with Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund, Corey Reynolds, Levi Fiehler and Meredith Garretson of “Resident Alien” on Syfy by Suzanne 2/6/24
It’s always wonderful to speak this cast. I love everything about this show, especially the actors and the writers. It’s been great to speak with them the last few years. Unfortunately, I didn’t get an opportunity to speak with Alan Tudyk this time, but it’s fine. I’ve spoken to him several times before. All of the actors are very kind and enjoy talking about their characters and the show. I know you’ll enjoy this upcoming season 3 as much as I have, and these videos. I can’t wait for you to see them!
Meredith Garretson (âKate Hawthorneâ) and Levi Fiehler (âBen Hawthorneâ)
I was originally paired with another reporter, Allison Hazzlett-Rose, but she had technical problems. I haven’t edited these videos, so you will hear me just chatting with the actors at the beginning, before we get to the actual questions. It was a lot of fun to have these 10 minutes.
Corey Reynolds (âSheriff Mike Thompsonâ)
Originally, I was supposed to speak to Elizabeth Bowen (âDeputy Liv Bakerâ) and Reynolds, but Elizabeth couldn’t make it. Allison was still having technical problems. This meant I had the full 10 minutes with him. It was pure joy, I admit.
Sara Tomko (âAsta Twelvetreesâ) and Alice Wetterlund (âDâArcy Bloomâ)
Finally, Allison was able to be included in our chat with Sara and Alice. It was an awesome conversation. Both women are so entertaining and love to talk. We had 11 minutes, and the moderator had to cut off the actors because they were running out of time.
Based on the Dark Horse comics, SYFYâs âResident Alienâ follows a crash-landed alien named Harry (Alan Tudyk) whose secret mission is to kill all humans. In season three, Harry is vowing to work with General McCallister (Linda Hamilton) to rid the Earth of the Grey aliens â a task made more difficult when he discovers that the Grey Hybrid Joseph (Enver Gjokaj) has taken a job in town as the new Deputy. Joseph isnât Harryâs only obstacle â Harry struggles to balance business and his personal life when he falls in love for the first time. Meanwhile, Asta (Sara Tomko) and Dâarcy (Alice Wetterlund) move in together and struggle to discover their purpose in the world, Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) continue their quest to find out who killed the Alien Tracker, and Ben (Levi Fiehler) and Kate (Meredith Garretson) are forced to deal with the subconscious repercussions of their alien abductions.
From UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Amblin TV and Dark Horse Entertainment, âResident Alienâ was adapted to television by executive producer Chris Sheridan. Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg of Dark Horse Entertainment, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank of Amblin TV, Robert Duncan McNeill, and Nastaran Dibai also executive produce.
Sara Tomko
Asta Twelvetrees, “Resident Alien”
Sara Tomko stars in SYFYâs âResident Alienâ as Asta Twelvetrees. Strong and sarcastic, she works with Harry at the townâs health clinic.
Tomko is known for her recurring roles on âSneaky Peteâ and âOnce Upon a Time,â as well as her appearances on âThe Leftoversâ and âThe Son.â
She started her career in experimental theatre and musicals in Virginia, later moving to Los Angeles in 2007 to pursue film. Her first independent film roles aired on SYFY, and she is thrilled that her TV career has brought her full circle. She is an actor, singer, producer, poet an artist.
Tomko is represented by Bohemia Group and KMR Talent.
Alice Wetterlund
DâArcy Bloom, “Resident Alien”
Alice Wetterlund stars in SYFYâs âResident Alienâ as âDâArcy Bloom,â the charismatic bartender at the local pub who, as a former Olympic snowboarder, is also a part of the avalanche control team.
Wetterlund has performed her non-yelling brand of comedy nationally at colleges, clubs, and festivals such as Just for Laughs, Bridgetown, Moon Tower, Women in Comedy, SF Sketchfest, RIOT LA, Bonnaroo and more.
She is known for her character âCarlaâ on HBOâs âSilicon Valleyâ and played âKelly Gradyâ on TBSâ âPeople of Earth.â She can also be seen in the movie âMike and Dave Need Wedding Datesâ as âCousin Terry.â She has performed her stand up on âConanâ and currently co-hosts the popular podcast âTreks and the Cityâ with Veronica Osorio. She recently wrapped âSearch & Destroyâ for Hulu, produced by Carrie Brownstein. Wetterlund can currently be seen on the latest season of Netflixâs âGlow.â Her hourlong stand-up special premiered on Amazon in August.
Corey Reynolds
Sheriff Mike Thompson, “Resident Alien”
Corey Reynolds stars in the SYFY drama âResident Alienâ as Mike Thompson, the local sheriff who runs the town with a chip on his shoulder, a cowboy hat on his head and an iron fist.
Reynolds is best known for his role on âThe Closer,â which he starred on for six seasons. He will next be seen as a guest star in Appleâs âThe Afterparty.â Heâs recurred on âAll American,â âRed Line,â âCriminal Minds,â âNCIS: Los Angeles,â âMasters of Sexâ and âMurder in the First.â He has guest starred on âSeal Teamâ and âChicago P.D.â
On the film side, he was last seen on screen in âStraight Outta Comptonâ and also appeared in âSelma,â opposite David Oyelowo and Common.
Reynolds was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Broadwayâs production of âHairspray.â
Levi Fiehler
Mayor Ben Hawthorne, “Resident Alien”
Levi Fiehler stars in the SYFY drama âResident Alienâ as Ben Hawthorne, the naive town mayor whose 8-year-old son is suspicious that the new local doctor is an alien.
Fiehler was born in Juneau, Alaska where he trained as an actor at Perseverance Theatre. His career took off when he booked a lead role on âFetching,â which was an original series for Michael Eisnerâs company, Vuguru. Prior to âFetching,â Fiehler was a series regular on Ron Howardâs series âMarsâ for National Geographic. Other work includes âThe Fosters,â âRay Donovan,â âMurder in the Firstâ and âCSI.â
Meredith Garretson is a theater, television and film actress based in New York and Los Angeles. She received her MFA from NYU’s prestigious Graduate Acting Program. She also trained for two years in Meisner Technique at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In 2021, she starred as Ali MacGraw in the acclaimed limited series THE OFFER on Paramount Plus. She plays Kate Hawthorne in the hit series RESIDENT ALIEN on Syfy and Peacock. She is a founding member of SOCIETY Theatre Company in New York City.
Interview with the cast and executive producer of “Tracker” on CBS by Suzanne 1/31/24
This was a CBS Winter press panel for two new shows, “Tracker” and “Elsbeth.” (The latter part is here.) Unfortunately, I didn’t get to ask a question, but it was fun to see all of them on camera and hear them talk about the new show. I hope it’s a big success! Don’t miss the premiere, right after the Super Bowl, 2/11. It’s an entertaining action/adventure show.
This is the second time I’ve been on a virtual panel with Justin Hartley, who stars as Colter Shaw. Colter tracks down missing people for the reward. He travels around in an Airstream and, of course, has a team of people helping him. It’s not that straight-forward, though, as we learn he’s had a troubled childhood. The last panel I was on with Hartley was for This Is Us a few years ago. I didn’t get to ask him a question then, either. I hope someday that I can speak with him! I’ve been a fan of his since he played Fox on “Passions,” and I also loved him in “Smallville” and “The Young and The Restless.”
Tracey Raab: Hi, everyone. I’m Tracy Raab with the CBS Network Communications team. Thank you for joining us today as we welcome the cast and producers from our new drama series Tracker, which premieres after the Super Bowl, and Elsbeth, which premieres. Thursday, February . Thank you again for your support, and I will turn it over to Sienna Sanders to begin our Tracker session. Thank you.
Sienna Sanders: I’m Sienna Sanders from CBS publicity, and along with my colleagues, Erin Frailick, Chris Caspers and Susie Adurien, I would like to welcome you all to our winter press conference for a new series, Tracker to premiere on Sunday, February Eleventh, after the Super Bowl. Based on the best-selling Jeffrey Deaver novel, “The Never Game, Tracker follows Colter Shaw, a lone wolf survivalist, who roams the country as a reward seeker. joining us from the set of Tracker in Vancouver, we have star and executive producer, Justin Hartley; and cast members Fiona Renee; Robin Weigart, Abby McEnany, Eric Graise; and executive producer and director, Ken Olin.
Before we begin our Q&A, we would like to invite Justin to share a few opening remarks with all of you. Justin?
Justin Hartley: Hey, y’all. Well, thank you for joining us, and for those of you who watched the show, or several of the shows that were provided. Thank you very much for that. I know everyone’s so busy. You know, Ken and I worked together, as you know, on This Is Us, and we had this really great culture and great experience together, and developed such a tight friendship, sort of like a family, that we sort of looked at each other, and we said, “We gotta do– we gotta keep doing this. We wanna do another show. And so we were on the lookout for something really great to do together, and we found this book, and we were able to luckily get our hands on it and develop it, and from there find this extraordinary cast to fill out our show. We’re so lucky. And we have, I think, continued that culture that we found on This Is Us in this really wonderful environment. So again, thank you and open up to whatever questions you might have. Keep them appropriate if you can, you don’t have to. And simple.
Jim Halterman: Hey, guys, I’ll keep this appropriate. Ken, can you tell first just what you saw in the book? Because Justin told me you’re the one that gave him the book. What was it in the book that you saw as a series, and for Justin to kind of take on?
Ken Olin: I had been, I think, both Justin and I, after 6 years of babies and dogs, we wanted to do something that would be fun for us to do. Probably we were looking for something that was a little more story-driven… plot-driven. Justin, you know, wanted to carry a gun and get in fights. So I always– was in the mood to try to find something that maybe harkens back to the old PI shows that I grew up with, which was before most of these people were born, I think. But you know, shows like The Rockford files and Mannix and things like that. But I didn’t want to reboot a show. I wanted to find something that was based on a character who had a more contemporary psychological background. And then I read “The Never Game”. By Jeffrey Deaver, whose work I always have loved, and, I mean, the character is described…it’s like Justin. It’s a character who, I mean, this is a stretch, but looks like a movie star and is tall, and is underestimated– is always underestimated. And I’ve always felt Justin is– I love working with him. I think he’s incredibly talented, and I think he’s… often he surprises people with all of his skills. I took it to Justin. I said, “Hey, man, I think this would be fun to do. I think we can do a real contemporary version of a PI show, and let’s do it together.” And Justin read it, said, “Good, I’m in. Let’s do it.” And then, yeah, Twentieth [Century Fox] I mean, I think they like the idea of us working together and doing this kind of show. So that was how it came about.
Jim Halterman: Alright, alright, thanks, guys.
Sienna Sanders: We’ll take our next question from Mark Berman.
Marc Berman: I thank you for doing this. My question is, for Justin or Ken, or anybody that wants to answer, actually… you know you. Of course, you mentioned you come off of 6 amazing years on This Is Us. Can you go back to the days of Thirty Something, so a lot of the work that you’ve done has evolved a story, a family element story. Can you talk to me about that? What’s the back story on this show with us? Supposedly this fractured family? What is this family? And why is it fractured?
Ken Olin: So let’s see….I’m exhausted.
Justin Hartley: So, Ken’s done. Yeah, I think I have one more in me. That’s a really good question, actually, and it’s sort of a driver for all of the stuff that you see this character do in his adult life. There’s an element, I think, to most, if not all, of the jobs that he takes… that, and his ability to solve– to find these people, and to get these positive outcomes that comes from the way that he was raised, and the way that he was raised is not necessarily always easy on the palate, I mean. His father was very, very difficult. He had a rough childhood, really unique– strange kind of childhood. But all of those things that he went through when he was younger are things that he was taught, and that he uses in his current life. And you know, I think a lot of the stories that we tell open up and (correct me if I’m wrong), but I feel like they open up Colter a little bit, in the sense that he then kind of can reflect on his childhood. And oftentimes I think the way that you remember things might not be actually the way they actually happened, right? And I think Colter’s kind of figuring that out as well. So, but that’s a major part of our show is the backstory in the family, and he’s got a lot of questions about his, about his childhood and what he ends up, I guess, realizing our assumptions. That might not be true.
Ken Olin: With all of these shows there is some kind of a family created, in most of the procedurals. It’s called a team, and one of the things I found really appealing about this story was: he’s created a family. It’s just that. It’s a family that is, in some ways, I think, representative of a contemporary way of life. Now, where we communicate with our family on Zoom, on phone text, he has a family. It’s just that they’re not all in the same room, I mean, and they can’t all fit in the Airstream. So… but it’s still, I mean, he grew up, you know, he grew up with a very fractured family. There are secrets, mistrust… So you have a character at the center of the show. Who is he? He mistrusts intimacy. He mistrusts those bonds. And yet, at the same time, he’s created those bonds with all of these people that you see here, but they’re kept – in some ways – at a distance, and yet they all interact, and they interact the way a family does… but not in the way that we’re used to seeing, I think.
Sienna Sanders: Great. We’ll take our next question from Bruce Miller.
Bruce Miller: This is for Justin. How difficult is this workload? I’m assuming that on This Is Us you, like…
Ken Olin: Nothing, are you kidding? And This Is Us. It was like, “Justin, Wake up. Come on, please come to work. Please come to work”, you know. Now, it’s like every day in the rain, the kid is…he’s 26 years old. Look at him.
Justin Hartley: I just remind you that the question was for me. Sorry I’m not warming up. The workload is great. Look, here’s the thing. I love it. I’ve always wanted this, and it’s not work. It’s a labor of love. I mean, you have a call time, and you show up. And gosh! People have written stuff for you, and people are lighting you. And I’ve got this amazing support group around me. These guys, I mean… it’s a team effort, for sure. And whether you’re on stage, or out in the middle of the forest in the middle of the night on a Saturday morning. Yeah, in 4 degrees by yourself, or whether it’s you, or whether it’s you guys on stage, or wherever you are. It’s the story that that matters. And when you watch the finished product, it all becomes worth it? So I don’t. I don’t really feel the workload. That’s …I mean, that’s bullshit. I do. It’s hard, it’s really hard. No, it’s not… Look, I mean, I’m not in the renegotiation. I’m not complaining. It’s been great when you get an opportunity to do something that you love and spend a lot of time doing it with people that you love. It’s a joy.
Sienna Sanders: Great. We’ll take our next question from Luaine Lee.
Luaine Lee: Justin, I like that fact that Ken said your character is underestimated, and I think actors are always underestimated at some point. Can you think of a point in your life when you are underestimated?
Justin Hartley: Yeah, I– sort of… gosh! Can I think of a point when I wasn’t? I like being underestimated. I think I think it’s a good place to be. In a place where people expect perfection, and then you don’t deliver, is a worse place to be than if you’re underestimated. I don’t mind being underestimated. It’s fine. I mean, I don’t know. Do you mind being underestimated? I never mind that. I like low expectations, I guess, is what I know. Yeah, I think that it’s OK. I thrive on that. I don’t mind that at all. I get it, too. It’s all good. It’s all good.
Luaine Lee: Thank you.
Sienna Sanders: Okay, we’ll take our next question from Jamie Steinberg. Jamie?
Jamie Steinberg: Yes, and Justin, how much did the author influence the character you created? Were you close to what he created? Did he talk to you a little bit about fleshing out your version of this individual?
Justin Hartley: Yeah, I would say quite a bit… good question. I would say quite a bit. Ken and I talk about it all the time. It’s actually– you could probably answer that better than me. We worked on this character together, you know? Obviously Jeffrey wrote it, and then you have to figure out a way… What is it that’s so interesting about this character? First of all, what drew you to it? And then from there. How do you adapt it to the screen? Because it doesn’t– There are certain things in the book where this character, he does a lot of calculations and sort of talking to himself in his head. You just can’t do that on screen. It would be very hard to watch. You’d be reading a lot, and it would be very hard to watch. So you have to figure out a way to show this guy and what’s going on in his head without just having him talking to himself all the time, which, sort of, is not the character. He’s not a weirdo. He’s not constantly talking to himself like Ken, and he’s not haunted. But yeah, we talked a lot about that. Actually, how do you get all of that stuff that we love about the character in the book translated to the screen without losing it, but also without kind of making it look like something it’s not? I think his skill set is very much his skill set: his physicality, his relationship to women. Those things are very similar to the book.
Ken Olin: I think probably the biggest adjustment that we made was to try to use Justin’s sense of humor and his ability. Justin’s. He’s so good with humor. The character in the book isn’t. He just isn’t the same that way. He’s a much more silent kind of character. So we wanted to use Justin’s facility. And also, I think it translates well, in television. It’s something that’s really appealing, and it’s very appealing about Justin. So that would be, I think, the biggest difference between the character in the book and the character on the show.
Sienna Sanders: It’s great. We’ll take our next question from Mike Hughes.
Mike Hughes: Uh, Justin, when they talk about this character being not as silent as the book? He’s still really silent. He doesn’t talk very much. A strong and silent kind of guy. What’s it like to play that kind of thing after you played [the opposite] for 6 years? Where there was a lot of talk about everything.
Justin Hartley: That’s a great question. Well, in some sense it’s a relief, nd in some sense it’s a daunting task. You know, when you’re still, and you’re on camera, and you’re still,and you’re not talking, you’re telling the story through your– well, your look, and what’s going on with your body? You’re not. It’s an interesting thing. It’s a bit scary, in a way, because you’re sitting there going. Ok? I’ve been still in silent for a good solid 40 seconds. Is that boring? Is that going to be interesting, I mean, is that going to, you know, make people think that I’m asleep, or something, or..? But it’s really not. I mean, the writing is good, and the storytelling is great, and if Colter’s listening to something… and I firmly believe that, as far as acting goes…if you actually do what you say you’re doing, sounds like, you know, actually firing a gun or actually stabbing someone or actually punching someone. If you’re emotionally doing what you say that you’re doing, I think that’s very hard to deny or to say that that’s not true or honest. So I love it. I think it’s really cool, too. I love those characters, too. I love watching a character not necessarily talk all the time, but think. As an audience member just sitting here, watching what Bruce Willis might be thinking, and then you sit at the edge of your seat wondering what he’s going to say next. So I’ve always been a fan of those kind of characters. So for me it’s sort of a dream come true. And now we’ll stop talking.
Fiona Rene: And we’ll watch you.
Whitney Friedlander: Hi, there! Thanks everyone for doing this. Not to bring it up. This Is Us: comparisons are too much. But there was a pivotal episode of This Is Us that aired after a super bowl. And you guys are premiering after a super bowl. Is there any extra pressure – both because of those things to see how it goes? And also, I wanted to talk to Ken also about the decision to change the name. You said you didn’t want to do a reboot or anything like that. But also, you’re working with an IP that has a known property. And why you went from calling it “The Never Game” to calling it Tracker.
Ken Olin: Because I can’t remember. Yeah, the Super Bowl part. Yeah. Well, listen. One of the great things for us was when Amy Rice, in fact. from CBS, gave us this time slot early on, with an impending strike and everything else. It was an incredible vote of confidence. Because, you know, there was a much better chance that we were going to have an incredible launch than there was that there was going to be a false schedule to begin with. So that was a huge thing. And yeah, there was pressure. A lot of the pressure became simply practical in that we had to create scripts, generate scripts, and be able to produce a certain number of shows, so we could stay on the air after the Super Bowl, you know, in the weeks coming up, because there was no point in launching a show after the Super Bowl, and then having nothing. So there’s that pressure. It’s better to have this pressure than not have this pressure. You know, it’s an incredible opportunity, and there’s a tremendous amount of support. So that’s been great.
As far as changing the name goes…the biggest issue was that there’s IP.. with no game involved. Where there are no games, and I think what we didn’t want was to have people watch the show and see this guy rescuing somebody in the desert and wonder when the game would start. What’s the game — fix the bone or whatever it was. I think that was a big– that was the basis of the decision It was, look, there is no game involved it. It has to do with, also one of the books and one of the stories. It’s not actually pertinent to what he does or anything else. It was just the title of one of the books about Colter Shaw. And so the title… we did some research on the titles, and this title really stuck with people. So it was a practical decision, and I think a really smart one. Also. I don’t know how many games you wanted to play: Monopoly, not thrilling. That was why we changed the title.
Sienna Sanders: Question to Abby and Robin: How would you describe Teddy and Velma’s relationship to Colter, and with each other?
Abby McEnany: Oh, sure! I think our relationship– my relationship with Velma and Teddy is based on comfort and love and respect, and they’re very different. But they work off each other their differences. They work off each other, and I think it’s quite lovely. It’s very lived-in to me. It’s very intimate in how small it can be, if that makes sense. And then our relationship with Colter, I think, originally, was like that. Velma was very motherly, and I think it’s come off that more. I’m always excited for Colter to find out like who you’re sleeping with, and like, are you always? Did you not get that? Okay? Maybe that’s something to talk about later. And I just think– I’m always very worried– Abby herself is very worried for him. Long answer. Sorry, everybody. Anyways, I think he’s really lovely. I think that we consider– in my brain, it’s like, Colter is chosen family. And like, yeah, close, and we look out for him. And I think that he is [family], yeah. And we depend on each other. That’s my takeaway.
Robin Weigert: Yeah, the only thing I would add to that is, I may have, sort of, more the practical head in this duo, and I’m always looking for the job that will give us the most money for the least risk for our boy, you know, and it’s always– it’s never going to be as simple as I think it is, either because if it’s too simple of a job, so he’s not going to remain as excited by it. He’s just not going to be as excited by it. If I’m sending him to look for a car, it’s a safe, easy job, great reward. He may very well find a want ad and be uninterested in that car, and so I have to keep slicing it that way. And I’m also I have an eye to her, because if he gets into a lot of danger, then it wreaks havoc on our relationship because she gets concerned and is tempted to want to go and help him. And you know, I’m trying to keep our home intact, as well. So I kind of have a bit of that relationship to the whole thing. We both love him a lot, and I’m just trying to keep this train on the tracks.
Abby McEnany: I’m not allowed to leave the house… we’re not playing. He’s gonna try to leap into, I don’t know… a burning building to keep our home intact. So, yeah. We have a little bit of a different approach. But we have the same goal, and we both don’t tell him. But we both love this guy a lot.
Sienna Sanders: Okay, we’ll pick our next question from Rob Owen.
Rob Owen: For the producers: Will we ever get to see Colter in the same room as Velma and Teddy? And will we learn how they know each other, how they came to know each other? And last, what happened to Mary McDonnell, and what’s the name of the actress who now plays Colter’s mom?
Ken Olin: Yes. yes, to those questions. Listen. The actress who now plays Colter’s mother is Wendy Crewson. She’s fantastic. There were, basically– there were certain practical aspects to the character, and what we wanted to do going forward, and how much we would integrate that character into the storylines versus what we had originally thought when we did the pilot. And so the decision, which was mutual, was just…. This is a better situation, economically. It’s a better situation for all of us. Look, the character, and the way we’re going to use her, is changing. And so, therefore, it just made sense to change actors.
Rob Owen: Thank you.
Sienna Sanders: Alright. Now, Eric, are you as tech savvy as Bobby is?
Eric Graise: Oh, yeah. So, I spend most of my life working on hacking, and taking apart computers and stuff. No, Bobby, he’s… yeah. He’s way smarter than I am, different skill set. Yeah, but I identify with him more, on, you know, it’s kind of street level. I like his humor. He’s definitely into a sense of fashion. That’s kind of my favorite thing about Bobby. But yeah, no, I’m not the guy you call for computer stuff. I’m more of a Dungeons and Dragons kinda nerd.
Ken Olin: I just have to tell you… The character that we originally created was about 55 years old… military guy. This kid came in and did an audition that was so brilliant. We changed everything. And, by the way, we didn’t have anywhere near as clear an idea of who this character was until, you know, Eric came along. I just love working with him. He’s awesome. I don’t like working with anybody else on the show. [Laughter]
Sienna Sanders: Our next question will be from Rick Bentley.
Rick Bentley: Thank you. Hey, Justin? I know you guys have talked about that you’ve changed things from the book. But at the end of the day, you still have that book as a source material. Do you like that idea, or do you prefer, when you’re creating a character, to create your own bible to create your own backstory?
Justin Hartley: Good question. I like both. I think there are fun aspects of both. It’s great to have that source material, though, because week-to-week, as we get these new episodes, new story, new guest stars, new set of circumstances, new job… whatever it might be. You do have that source material. So if you have an acting technique, in a way, I find that you barely ever use it. But the fact that it’s there gives you comfort, right? So, as the stories change week to week, and like, I said, new characters come on in new… I don’t want to call them cases, but new jobs, new set of circumstances. You have that source material. You always have that, sort of, in the back of your head, “What would Colter do?” And you use that source material. At least I do… to decide for yourself, “What would Colter do?” Well, how would he react in this situation, given the source material. So I use it. And I find it’s good to have.
Sienna Sanders: Hey, Fiona, you have now played a lawyer on CBS shows back to back. How does Reenie Green compare to Rebecca Lee?
Ken Olin: Reenie’s alive?
Fiona Rene: What he said? You know, I think they’re completely different. They’re both lawyers, and they both are a little hard-headed and smart. But Reenie has a lot more fire. She’s got a lot more fire in her, for sure… she’s sassy. She doesn’t take any of his bull. I think she likes to fight, and she doesn’t like to run away. And Rebecca was very much, run away from her problems. Girl, until the end. That answer your question?
Sienna Sanders: Yes, thank you, and we’ll take our last question from Megan Behnke.
Megan Behnke: Hi! My question is for Justin. How would you describe Colter’s personality, and his persistence to be a rewardist, since it’s such an odd career choice?
Justin Hartley: Yeah. I mean. I think he’s, you know…. what I love about him, I think he’s a good man. He’s a good man, and he wants to do good things for people in need. And I think we talk a lot about how he’s a restless guy. He can go in, you know, sort of help a situation. There’s an outcome, and then he leaves. He has a hard time, like you were saying, running away. He has a hard time not running away. I don’t think he intentionally runs away. I just think it’s how he is. He’s afraid of a lot of stuff, oddly enough. And I think that’s why he finds he’s trying to fill this void that is probably unfillable. But he’s trying to fill it with. You know, these rewards and helping strangers. And, like Ken mentioned, he’s sort of created this family around him to try to fill all these voids that, like I said, I don’t think he can fill, and I also think, at a surface level, I think he enjoys the action and the fun and the excitement, and not being tied down, and the freedom. But yeah, I think it’s definitely, when you look at his past, his childhood, the way he was brought up, what happened to his father, the questions that he has about his family, and the paranoia that he was surrounded by when he was younger. And then you look at what he does as an adult, it all makes sense, and you go, well, that he’s a product of his environment. What? What? You know, what happened to him as a youth. I hope I got that right, ’cause.e’ve already shot like episodes. [Laughter]
Justin’s Closing Remarks
Justin Hartley: Yeah, well, look, I mean, I’m really, really proud of the show that we put together. It’s a team effort. The culture that I found on This Is Us with that group – with Dan Fogelman, and with Ken, and the whole cast – that we had these lifelong friendships that’ve developed with Chrissy, and Sterling, and Mandy and Milo and everybody. I’m really proud of what we’ve done here, because that was a special time in my life, and I thought, “Man, I’m going to savor every flavor because you never get that back.” And I feel like, somehow, I was able to get a second shot at it, and I’m so happy to be with all of you, and thank you for watching our show. I think we have something really special. We pour our hearts out or into it, and blood, sweat and tears. And I know everyone’s so busy. So thank you for watching, you will be entertained. And yeah, we do have guns and fighting, so it’s a fun one.
TRACKERÂ stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist who roams the country as a reward seeker, using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family. The series is based on the bestselling novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver.
Series premiere Sunday, Feb. 11 following SUPER BOWL LVIII on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs).
ON AIR:
ORIGINATION:
Sundays (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT)
Vancouver
FORMAT:
Drama (Filmed in HD)
STARRING:
Justin Hartley
(Colter Shaw)
Fiona Rene
(Reenie)
Robin Weigert
(Teddi)
Abby McEnany
(Velma)
Eric Graise
(Bobby)
PRODUCED BY:
20th Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:
Justin Hartley, Ken Olin, Elwood Reid and Ben Winters
Stephanie didnât waste any time jumping into bed with Everett. We guess she got over Chad quickly. Stephanie acted as if she was head over heels in love with Chad, yet she had sex with Everett. If she loved Chad the way she claimed, she could have made Everett wait. Speaking of Everett, did he think having sex with Stephanie was going to keep him from having to tell her the truth about Jada? Having sex with Stephanie doesnât change the fact that he was married to Jada.
Why did Johnny suddenly have doubts about marrying Chanel? He claimed he was concerned about his family after he talked to Chad about it. Johnny knew about his family long before he talked to Chad, yet he proposed to her anyway. It didnât make sense for him to suddenly have doubts about marrying her. Also, why was he suddenly concerned about her feelings or Allie? When he proposed to her, he knew she used to date Allie. He should have thought about his family and Allie before he proposed to her.
Once again, the writers are changing Johnâs story. Heâs the only one whose story has changed numerous times throughout the years. Are they getting hard up for a storyline for him that they must go down the road of him being a pawn? Speaking of John being a pawn, did the writers forget the chip is no longer in Johnâs head? The chip was taken out of his head while Hope was on the show. We will give the story a chance, but we anticipate the story changing even if it gets resolved.
Alex was so obvious that he wanted Kristen to pursue Brady to keep him away from Theresa. He must have forgotten what Kristen did to Brady. We know Alex didnât want Brady to be around Theresa, but did he really think Kristen was a better option? For someone so arrogant, Alex has insecurity issues when it comes to Theresa.
Did Stefan think EJ would help him after what they went through in the past? Stefan didnât care that the drugs he sold led to Holly overdosing. He was looking out for himself and Gabi. EJ had no reason to protect him after everything that was going on with Holly. Stefan needs to figure things out for himself instead of relying on other people to do things for him.
Why was Sloan surprised that she and Eric kept getting interrupted by the baby? Did she think the baby wasnât going to cry? Maybe she should have thought about that before she decided to keep Nicoleâs baby. She and Eric would have all the time in the world if she didnât take Nicoleâs baby.
When did Tate start resenting Brady? Before he left to go to rehab, Tate didnât say anything about hating Brady. Now suddenly, he hates him. The writers had to come up with some reason to justify Brady being at the AA meeting with Theresa. They could have come up with a better reason than that to get him at the meeting.
Who were Johnny and Chanel inviting to the wedding? Johnny has family other than the DiMeras, yet none of them mentioned the wedding. You would never know Johnny was related to Marlena and the Bradys. Heâs not just related to the DiMeras. Did they plan on only inviting Paulina and the DiMeras?
The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.
Interview with Rekha Sharma of “Transplant” on NBC by Suzanne 2/2/24
It was wonderful to speak with Rekha. She’s been in so many shows that I love, so it was great to see her join the cast of “Transplant” this year (season 3 for those of us in the U.S.). She’s very nice and down-to-earth. I hope you enjoy tonight’s finale of the show, and I look forward to season 4! It already aired in Canada, but not here yet.
Rekha Sharma plays Dr. Neeta Devi on the NBC drama âTransplant.â Dr. Devi takes over as the Chief of Emergency Medicine and comes to York Memorial with big ideas but finds herself perched atop a glass cliff.
The Canadian actress is most widely known for her powerful and dynamic roles on the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series âBattlestar Galacticaâ as well as CBSâs iconic âStar Trek: Discovery.â She most recently co-starred on the Emmy Award-nominated Showtime series âYellowjackets.â
Her numerous past projects include âRoswell: New Mexico,â âThe Imperfects,â âBingemas,â âUnited States of Al,â âAnother life,â âThe 100,â âSupernatural,â âV,â âSmallvilleâ and the feature film âThe Core.â
Transplant
New Season Premiering Thursday, October 12 on NBC (9 p.m. ET)
The new season of âTransplantâ finds Bashir âBashâ Hamed (Hamza Haq, âMy Salinger Yearâ) continuing his journey to start over, but with each new milestone comes a new challenge. While pursuing Canadian citizenship for himself and his younger sister, Amira (Sirena Gulamgaus, âOrphan Black), Bash closely examines who heâs becoming in his adopted country.
Bash, still being asked repeatedly to prove himself, works closely with his colleagues as they move forward following the dramatic conclusion of season two. Everyone continues to find themselves looking to adapt to change and understand how they fit in, both within and beyond the walls of York Memorial Hospital.
After Dr. Bishopâs shocking departure, the team gains a new boss with the forward-thinking Dr. Neeta Devi (Rekha Sharma, âYellowjacketsâ). Dr. Devi has big ideas when it comes to overhauling the emergency department at York Memorial.
âTransplantâ also stars Laurence Leboeuf as Dr. Magalie âMagsâ LeBlanc, Ayisha Issa as Dr. June Curtis, Jim Watson as Dr. Theo Hunter, Torri Higginson as head nurse Claire Malone, Gord Rand as Dr. Mark Novak and Sirena Gulamgaus as Amira.
This weekâs episodes had us scratching our heads. We had some questions about the things that happened this week.
When did Eric get a photo studio? We remember him talking about getting the studio, but he never mentioned anything else about it again. Out of the blue, he suddenly had a photo studio. Clearly the writers did this so the audience wouldnât wonder what he was doing for money when Sloan said she didnât have any money.
Speaking of Ericâs photo studio, what were the odds Leo was his first client? Of all the people in Salem, Leo happened to want to get his pictures taken. Eric never said he advertised the studio so how did Leo know to schedule an appointment with him? Also, what were the odds the studio happened to be at Eric and Sloanâs apartment? It was an excuse to have Leo and Sloan run into each other.
Where did Sloan get her confidence to threaten Leo not to tell Eric the truth? If she was so tough, she never had to let him blackmail her. He could have told Eric the truth about the baby. She took a risk threatening him because he could have let the truth slip out easily. Sloan would have been sick if Leo had told Eric the truth.
Why was Brady offended that Rachel didnât want him and Kristen to get back together? Brady made it painfully obvious he had no interest in reuniting with her so why did it matter that Rachel didnât want them together? What would he have done if Rachel wanted them together? He wouldnât have gotten back together with Kristen so what difference did it make if Rachel wanted them together?
Why did Alex have to convince Theresa not to leave town? Theresa was the one who kissed another man in front of him, but he had to talk her into staying in town. She was clearly manipulating him to make up for the fact that she kissed Brady. Leaving town doesnât change the fact that she kissed another man. Alex must not have any pride left that he would beg her not to leave town. Itâs funny that he would beg her not to leave him, but he wouldnât beg Justin to forgive him for the way he was treating him.
Speaking of Theresa, why would she stay in town when her son is in rehab? We know she canât see him right away, but she could have stayed in the same city. If she did, it would make it easier for her to see him. All she thought about was having sex with Alex. You would think sex would be the last thing on her mind when her son was âsufferingâ in a rehab center.
Why would Maggie take Konstaninâs side when Steve tried to warn her about him? She had known Steve for years but wasnât willing to side with him over Konstantin. Maggie took a strangerâs word over her good friend. Personally, we canât wait to see Maggieâs face when she finds out Konstantin was after her money. It would serve her right if he took her money. What is she going to say when she finds out Steve was right about him?
Why would Everett threaten to quit the paper over one story? He basically had a temper tantrum because he couldnât put a story in the paper. If he was going to quit, he could have stayed gone when Chad fired him. Is Everett the only good reporter in town? We find it hard to believe Everett is the only one who could run the paper.
The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.
Interview with Megan Best of “Confessions of a Cam Girl” on Lifetime by Suzanne 1/23/24
It was lovely to speak to Megan. You may know her from “The Watchful Eye” last year on Freeform, where she played the meeker of the two sisters, Darcy. She’s playing a very different character here. She does very well as a young woman who thinks she knows what she wants and goes after it, even though she may be risking her life or reputation. It’s an exciting Lifetime drama, so you don’t want to miss it, Saturday, 1/27/24, 8/7c.
Inspired by real stories, Confessions of a Cam Girl follows the eighteen-year-old fashion savant Kristen (Megan Best, Dawn) who is set to become the first in her family to graduate college. Her working-class parents are furious when she reveals a plan to attend fashion school instead of college. Her parents refuse to use her college fund for her farfetched dream. Determined to pay for it herself, Kristen secretly creates an online explicit content page to raise $10,000 for dream program. Confident that she can keep her side hustle under wraps, Kristenâs secret unravels and threatens not just her future, but the safety of her family as well.
Confessions of a Cam Girl is produced by Sepia Films for Lifetime. Sheri Singer serves as executive producer. Siobhan Devine directs from a script written by Miriam van Emst.
Interview with creator Rebecca Cutter, and actors Atkins Estimond & Dohn Norwood in “Hightown” on Starz by Suzanne 1/18/24
This is an action-packed drama with exciting characters. The new season starts January 26th. It was great to speak with the creator, Rebecca Cutter, and two of the actors who play such interesting people. I didn’t have a lot of time with them, but it was fun.
âHightownâ â Season 3 â Debuting Friday, January 26
Fishery Service Agent Jackie Quiñones is off the wagon and off the force in the final season of âHightown,â but that doesnât stop her from careening into the dark underbelly of picture-perfect Cape Cod to save a missing woman and a murdered sex worker. Meanwhile, her former colleagues Ray Abruzzo and Alan Saintille are focused on taking down drug syndicates, but despite their best efforts, the drugs keep flowing. This attracts Shane Frawley, a gangster from Boston looking to cut himself in on the Cape’s drug trade – and making an enemy of Osito while he’s at it. Alliances are made and old loyalties are questioned in this beautiful but corrupt place where nothing is as it seems.
Monica Raymund (âChicago Fire,â âThe Good Wifeâ), James Badge Dale (â24,â The Departed), Riley Voelkel (âRoswell, New Mexico,â âThe Originalsâ), Amaury Nolasco (âPrison Break,â âDeceptionâ), Atkins Estimond (âThe Resident,â âLodge 49â) and Dohn Norwood (âMindhunter,â âThe Sinnerâ) return in their previous roles. Imani Lewis (Eighth Grade, âFirst Killâ) Mark Boone Junior (âSons of Anarchy,â âParadise Cityâ) and Mike Pnniewski (âMadam Secretaryâ) return in recurring roles while Ana Nogueira (âThe Vampire Diariesâ), Taja V. Simpson (âThe Ovalâ), Michael Drayer (âMr. Robot,â âSneaky Peteâ), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave, âDeadwoodâ), and Jeanine Serralles (Inside Llewyn Davis, The Woman in the Window) all guest star.
Interview with Diego Tinoco of the film “Bad Hombres” by Suzanne 1/17/24
I enjoyed watching this movie, and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t exceedingly violent nor gory, and it wasn’t depressing or sad. There was a lot of humor in it, as well. Diego is a remarkable young man, who plays Felix, the main protagonist of the film, even though he’s surrounded by much bigger stars (such as Luke Hemsworth) and other interesting characters. I think we’ll see even bigger things from Diego in the future. I hope you can enjoy this movie, which premieres today in theaters and On Demand, and is on VOD tomorrow.
BADÂ HOMBRESÂ | Crime Thriller Starring Tyrese Gibson, Luke Hemsworth, & Diego Tinoco | In Theaters and On Demand 1/26
BADÂ HOMBRES
Crime Thriller Starring Thomas Jane, Tyrese Gibson, Luke Hemsworth, & Diego Tinoco
In Theaters & On Demand January 26, 2024 Available on DVD March 12, 2024
*Grand Jury Award – Mammoth Film Festival 2023*
*Achievement in Screenwriting – Mammoth Film Festival 2023*
Directed by John Stahlberg Jr. (Crypto, Muzzle)
Written by Rex New, Nick Turner, Story by John Stahlberg Jr.
Produced by John Stahlberg Jr., David Frigerio, Scott Macfarland, Oliver Hudson and Wyatt Russell
Starring: Luke Hemsworth (âWestworldâ) Thomas Jane (The Punisher) Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off) Tyrese Gibson (The Fast and The Furious) Diego Tinoco (âOn My Blockâ) Hemky Madera (âQueen of the Southâ)
and Paul Johansson (âOne Tree Hillâ)
Two undocumented immigrants who take a job digging a hole then learn their employers are criminals. They become embroiled in a blood bath with one revealing a secret past that might save them.
Interview with Lacretta of “Night Court” on NBC by Suzanne 1/16/24
I was very pleased to speak with this actress. I never miss an episode of the show and love all of the characters. It’s gotten even funnier in the second season, IMHO.
MORE INFO:
Lacretta
Donna âGurgsâ Gurganous, âNight Courtâ
Lacretta stars as Donna âGurgsâ Gurganous on the NBC comedy âNight Court.â
Born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., Lacretta made her stage debut at 14 at the Coterie Theater â an institution in which she holds great affection. It was there where she starred in numerous performances throughout the â90s, such as âA Wrinkle in Timeâ and â101 Dalmatians.â
In 2011, she appeared in âHairsprayâ at Broadway Rose in Portland. She then originated the role of Levora Verona in the Off-Broadway run of âDisaster!â in 2012 at the Triad in New York, and made her Broadway debut with the same role in 2016.
Following her on-stage success, Lacretta guest starred on âLaw & Order,â â30 Rock,â âBroad Cityâ and âGotham.â
In film, Lacretta appeared in the romantic comedy âSecond Actâ before making her return to the stage in âAvenue Qâ in the closing cast of their Off-Broadway run at New World Stages. She was also featured in the first national tour of âThe Book of Mormon.â
In her off time, Lacretta loves gaming and is very active on Twitch TV. In 2022, she helped announce the first Streamers for Education Scholarship for Black Women going into the fields of STEM, Digital Media and film. She is also an avid cook and often shares recipes from âCrettaâs Kitchenâ on her Instagram.
She currently resides in Los Angeles.
Night Court
New Season Coming Soon to NBC
The eternally optimistic Abby Stone follows in the footsteps of her revered late father, Judge Harry Stone, as she takes on the challenge of overseeing the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court.
Abby always sees the best in people and her passion for justice is undeniable. In her quest to bring order and dignity to the court and reign in its colorful crew of oddballs, she enlists former night court district attorney Dan Fielding to serve as the courtâs public defender. Still exceedingly self-confident, Fielding must adjust to a new boss and a new job â defending the downtrodden. And, beneath his arrogant demeanor, there is an empathetic side to Fielding that Abby is determined to unearth.
They both must contend with Olivia, the courtâs officious assistant district attorney. Driven and ambitious, she views the night court as a steppingstone on her way to bigger things. Neil is the courtâs neurotic clerk who loved that his job came with low expectations. That is until a new idealistic judge showed up looking to push him out of his comfort zone.
Rounding out the staff is Donna âGurgsâ Gurganous, the night courtâs sharp-witted bailiff. Gurgs takes her job very seriously and is fiercely protective of her night court colleagues.
From executive producer and writer Dan Rubin (âUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidtâ), âNight Courtâ is based on the original hit series that ran for nine seasons on NBC. Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch executive produce through their After January Productions. Mona Garcea oversees for After January Productions and John Larroquette serves as a producer.
âNight Courtâ is produced by Rauchâs After January Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
-If Chanel was freezing, why did she have her coat open?
-Salem is a small town so itâs hard to believe Jada got racially profiled. The storeowners should have known she was a police officer.
-Nicole suddenly wanted to give Sloan advice about making it through dinner with Marlena. Theyâre not friends so why would Nicole give Sloan advice?
-Why did Chad have to be convinced to publish Leoâs article about gay rights when two of his best friends are gay?
Tuesday
-Sloan could be heard talking to Eric while Harris was shown.
-Why did John take the time to have dinner with Eric and Sloan? He should have been with Brady helping him get through what was going on with Tate.
-Ava got a text message from an unknown person who told her to meet them at the dock. It could have been anyone sending her that message. You would think she would have been skeptical about the message since she didnât know who the text was from.
Wednesday
-Stephanie told Tripp that she and Chad broke up, but he acted as if it was a surprise that it happened.
-Stefan clearly wasnât talking to anyone on the phone. He didnât give Gabi a chance to respond before he reacted to what she said.
-Ava could be heard talking while Stefan was still onscreen.
-While Ava and Harris were outside of The Bistro, she said she was cold. If that were true, why wasnât she wearing a coat?
Thursday
-Wendy could be heard moaning while Chanel was shown.
-Bradyâs phone could be heard ringing while Harris was shown.
-Why did Brady have Jadaâs phone number? Brady and Jada arenât friends so it wasnât likely he would have her phone number.
Friday
-Nicole was shown packing while Eric was talking.
-Alex could be heard opening the door while Nicole was shown.
-Harris could be heard coming into the infirmary while Steve was shown.
-Maggie cried without any tears.
The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.
-Everett found out too much information about the drugs. He managed to find out EJ was involved in drugs.
-Why would Chad put it past Stefan to be involved with drugs after what he did to Abby?
Tuesday
-Marlena could be heard closing a door while Theresa and Alex were shown.
-Theresaâs flashback could be heard before it was shown.
-Why would Alex try to flirt with Theresa when she was worried about her son? What made him think she would be in the mood after what her son was going through?
Wednesday
-How many days have gone by since Paulina got checked out at the hospital? She just went to see Kayla, yet she suddenly has an endocrinologist.
-Does Chanel still work at Sweet Bits? She never seems to be there.
Thursday
-Chad questioned Everett about kissing Stephanie as if he didnât break up with her.
-Everett managed to see Paulinaâs phone. He shouldnât have been close enough to see her phone to know the hospital called her.
Friday
-Why would EJ talk to Nicole about hugging Eric after what she is going through with Holly?
-Why was Nicole okay with Holly smoking weed? Weed may be legal but itâs still a drug.
The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.
From Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of đđ°đ¶đŻđ„ đ°đ§ đđłđŠđŠđ„đ°đź, comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing and healthcare for society’s most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Robert King and Michelle King: You’re talking about Carey Agos now, I assume?
Carrie Preston: I will say. You know, one of my favorite sayings is, “if it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage,” and so it’s always about the writing for me, and to have been trusted with this incredible role for years, never knowing when I was going to play it again, has been really a truly a gift every time it comes up. And so, when they came to me with this opportunity to play her, you know, all the time, you know, to be the the main course and not the side dish, you know, I found that to be a very delicious and exciting opportunity that I was ready to dive into, and also for myself, just as an actor, finding out more about this woman, you know. When you only have a certain number of scenes, there’s only so much information that you can get. But when you’re there all the time, you’re learning, I’m learning just as much about her new things, or I’m discovering new things. Especially the fact that she’s in this different situation, you know. So she’s a bit of a fish out of water. She’s very confident in the in the legal world, but you know she’s finding her way in this new world, and that’s that’s fun and exciting, too. And with Jonathan and the writers, I think it’s going to be a nice new thing. You know, this is decidedly not “The Good Wife”, and not “The Good Fight”. It’s its own world. It’s lighter, and it’s comedic in nature, I feel. And you know, you’ve got this case of the week, and it’s dealing with that and not politics. So we have a bunch of different new things. So it’s the same woman. But you don’t have to have watched those shows to dive into this show, I think.
ELSBETH stars Emmy Award winner Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. After leaving her successful legal career in Chicago to tackle a new investigative role in New York City, Elsbeth finds herself jockeying with the toast of the NYPD, Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce), a charismatic and revered leader. Working alongside Elsbeth is Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), a stoic and ethical officer who quickly develops an appreciation for Elsbethâs insightful and offbeat ways. ELSBETH is based on the character featured in THE GOOD WIFE and THE GOOD FIGHT.
Carrie Preston is reprising her Emmy Award-winning role as the astute but unconventional attorney Elsbeth Tascioni in the new CBS drama ELSBETH. The beloved character was first introduced in the acclaimed series THE GOOD WIFE on the Network and appeared in THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount+.
Wendell Pierce has established himself as a prolific award-winning actor with a body of work on stage, television and film that spans more than three decades. Pierce will star as Captain C.W. Wagner, a charismatic and revered NYPD leader in the new CBS drama ELSBETH, based on the character featured in THE GOOD WIFE and THE GOOD FIGHT.
Maria Russell (Mexican/Lithuanian descent) stands out in the comedic realm, gaining prominence through her role as the self-proclaimed boss babe ‘Inez De Leon’ in the acclaimed series “Jury Duty” on Amazon Freevee/Amazon Prime. Vying for the role of foreperson, she sadly loses to Ronald, but finds her purpose as the lunch ordering queen and coordinating all the fun outings for the jury.
Eliza will co-star in the Paramount + series, Sexy Beast alongside Sarah Greene, Tamsin Greig, Steven Moyer, and James McArdle. The show is a prequel to the 2000 film which delves into the origin tales of Gal, Teddy, and Don; it is now streaming worldwide.
Suzanne: NNow, talking about GH for a minute, do you, still enjoy playing Kevin even without Ryan? Jon: Yeah, well, I like Kevin very much. I think Kevin’s a really good guy. I think that there’s, there’s been kind of a, we, we’ve kind of lost a little bit of Kevin along the way, remember when Kevin was, was first around and we had first gotten rid of. Of Ryan. Kevin was an artist. He was a psychiatrist, but he was an artist who lived in a, in a lighthouse and painted all the time to paint out a demon and, and we’ve kind of, we’ve kind of veered away from that. And, we have some new writers coming in now. So I think that I, I think we’re going to have some, um. I think there’s going to be some changes, in how Kevin, but I mean, that’s a long answer, but to answer your question, I love playing Kevin. I love, I love playing Kevin. I love playing Ryan. I love, I love working with Genie. I love working with Lynn Herring and, and Ken Shriner and everybody that, that goes along in Kevin’s world. You know, he’s, to me, it’s just fun.
Meet a fisherman struggling with debt, a woman wrestling with demons, and a gifted accountant ostracized from his family and people. See how Jesus changes lives, works His first miracles, and embarks on His ministry to change the world. See Jesus through the eyes of those who knew Him. The Chosen is the first-ever multi-season series about the life of Jesus and the highest crowd-funded TV series project of all time. Watch the show that millions of people won’t stop talking about.
Inspired by real stories, Confessions of a Cam Girl follows the eighteen-year-old fashion savant Kristen (Megan Best, Dawn) who is set to become the first in her family to graduate college. Her working-class parents are furious when she reveals a plan to attend fashion school instead of college. Her parents refuse to use her college fund for her farfetched dream. Determined to pay for it herself, Kristen secretly creates an online explicit content page to raise $10,000 for dream program. Confident that she can keep her side hustle under wraps, Kristenâs secret unravels and threatens not just her future, but the safety of her family as well.
âHightownâ â Season 3 â Debuting Friday, January 26
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