(January 2009) (Kyra Sedgewick Interview)

Q: So, I kind of have a two-part question for both of you, to G.W. Are there any bigger surprising changes coming up for your character this season on the show and James are there any you know surprising turns for the series as a whole that we should be expecting?

G.W. Bailey: Well in terms of me at my age and my attention span, and I'm not being facetious here; everything is a surprise.

James Duff: G.W. shoots the episode but when it comes out, he's surprised.

G.W. Bailey: I'm surprised when I turn on Monday nights and I say, "Holy smokes I did that?" Believe me, it's always a surprise. And yes there's always - I mean these are wonderfully evolving characters. They're like human beings.

They have things that impact their lives and so they react differently to different things. And you learn more about them as we go along. We learn more about them. So I don't think there's any major changes - I mean these people are who they are.

They've been extraordinarily well written and presented by the actors and the core is there. But yes I think there are some things coming up. But again, I'm so far down the food chain. I just hear - when I go to have lunch, I overhear somebody at another table. That's how I find out about stuff.

James Duff: I can tell you something about G.W.'s character next season. And that is he does go through a huge change. And it's a season long up and down, rise and fall change. And it affects everyone on the squad. But I don't want to say too much more than that. Except it has to do with his heart. And then in terms of this - our little five runlet you know here in the…

G.W. Bailey: Starting on the 26th.

James Duff: …starting on the 26th at 9 o'clock, Monday nights on TNT. Yes I think that you can see there - One of them had a huge surprise in it that we've never seen before. But there are going to be some surprises both in form and in function as the show goes on. And the characters change. I mean that's the great thing about being on cable television. They change the way human beings evolve.

I guess we should say evolve because characters, people tend to reveal themselves you know and so I think the stories are going to get more suspenseful. And you're going to see some more. And then and also we're going to have a little bit more humor.

We'll have a couple of more humor episodes, humor-based episodes like we have with (Vince and Flynn). I thought the power of attorney was a good episode because you know she doesn't always win. And this sort of illustrated that in a major way. Were you shocked by the ending?

G.W. Bailey: But she does always win in the respect that she always finds out the truth. It's not going to change things, but she does find out the truth.

Q: You know and speaking of the aspect of comedy. Do you think that that sometimes eases the tension around some of the subject matter of an episode?

James Duff: Absolutely. And I think it takes advantage of some - I mean you know most procedurals don't allow for comedy. But if you've ever been to a murder scene and seen cops working a murder scene, it's a little shocking at first but once you get used to it you start laughing yourself.

It's so dark that if you don't laugh a little or you don't joke a little, it can get too serious. I mean it can just be more serious than the human heart can bear. And G.W. you can - I mean what do you think? I mean you do most of a - I mean you're responsible for most of the laughs on this show I think.

G.W. Bailey: Well off camera, certainly. I don't know how funny I am on camera. But no, they write great stuff for Provenza to do. And of course that's his function, that's the note that he plays and if - and then on crime scenes as James said, you'll see that usually it's the older guys, the more experience guys that they have this escape valve.

They've - it's just sort of evolved and it's become part of their personality, so that they don't suffer burnout. And it's the young you know the young go getter that is so serious and doesn't always understand that gallows humor.

But you know I've been on a lot of crime scenes with friends and departments. And it's - you have to have an escape valve or you just you know you wouldn't last 2 years on it.

James Duff: If you're going to tunnel to the darkest parts of the human soul, bring a flashlight.

G.W. Bailey: Exactly.