On 'Southland,' when a helicopter joins our scene, we don't skip a beat. The actors talk louder because that's what cops do in real life.
We don't typically use music. We don't manipulate our audience into what we think it should feel. We tell the truth. That's 'Southland' Style'... and I love it!
Maybe I'm a little biased, but shows like 'Dexter' and 'Southland,' I'm just enthralled by that sort of storytelling, kind of clever and patient.
John Wells and Christopher Chulack were pretty honest from the get-go in our first meeting about 'Southland.' They were looking to create characters that were believable in the environment of the LAPD - multi-dimensional, layered characters with real flaws; good-hearted cops mixed with the perfect amount of heroism and irony.
It's kind of up to the actor to deconstruct the scene and deconstruct the character and figure out how to make it real. That's what I love about this job: It's sort of a puzzle each time, and figuring that out is sort the key, whether I'm playing a cop or a killer.
I get stopped all the time on the street. I can't believe how many people watch 'Dexter.'
