Category Archives: MCtv Exclusive Interview

Graham Patrick Martin: Navigating His Path with Trust and Intuition

Posted on by

By M. Sharpe

gpmtnt

Photo credit: Jason LaVeris/Getty Image

Before joining the cast of Major Crimes, Graham Patrick Martin admits to being a little nervous. “It was really scary at first, because all these actors had been on the show for so long, and they’ve been together and have this already established family. But fortunately everyone was really cool and really inviting, and it made me feel at home. It was great.”

Quite literally the new kid to Major Crimes both on screen and off, Martin also had concerns about how his character, Rusty Beck, would be accepted by audiences, especially in light of how he was introduced. “There was a brief moment where yes, I was concerned, because I knew right off the bat that Rusty butts heads with all of our heroes, all of the Major Crimes division. They’re nice to him, but Rusty is not kind to them, and I knew that people weren’t going to like to see that. But at the end of the day, all I can do is focus on my work, and trust that if I do the best job I can do, I trust that the writers are leading my character in a great direction, that ultimately will be successful.”

Continue reading →

Making Her Case- Nadine Velazquez Talks Emma Rios and Major Crimes

Posted on by

By M. Sharpe

Photo Credit: Eddy Chen/TNT

Photo Credit: Eddy Chen/TNT

As a new cast member in season two of Major Crimes, Nadine Velazquez says she was nervous about stepping into the role of Emma Rios. “I was surprised at the reaction,” Velazquez told MajorCrimesTV.net, of the initial backlash to the no-nonsense deputy district attorney. Now as the show approaches its summer finale, Velazquez says she is feeling a change in the character herself, and in the reaction from fans, but cautions, “I don’t want to soften Emma too much.”

Following the evolution of a character from outsider to beloved core member of the ensemble cast is a journey that viewers of Major Crimes are already familiar with, having observed Sharon Raydor, and to a lesser extent, Rusty Beck, already complete the transition.  Though much of the initial reaction to Rios (and Sharon before her) had to do with issues of gender and perceived antagonism towards the lead characters, Velazquez is eager to explore Emma’s hidden vulnerabilities, and how those traits may help the character learn to better interact with the rest of the squad. Continue reading →

Power Play: Greg LaVoi’s Storied Career in Fashion Design

Posted on by

By M. Sharpe

lavoibwFrom Reba McEntire and Bob Mackie to The Closer‘s Brenda Leigh Johnson and his own clothing line, Greg LaVoi has spent his career telling women’s stories through the clothes they wear. Whether with sequins, spandex, floral prints, or Armani suits, in LaVoi’s hands, clothing isn’t merely a mode of expression; instead, it lets us see how women in power actually look. Now, as Major Crimes enters its second season, LaVoi continues to chart the evolving female leadership of the LAPD, as we watch Captain Sharon Raydor’s life develop both within and outside the squadroom.

Although it might not seem a likely place to develop a passion for costume design, LaVoi was surrounded by fashion while growing up in Colorado; his father owned a clothing store and his mother was a fashionista. This flair for the dramatic first led LaVoi into the theater. But, after being told he wasn’t leading man material, LaVoi gave up on his dreams of acting. As disappointing as that was, it proved to be an auspicious event, because, as LaVoi explains,” I got upset and went to the other side of the stage, and that was costumes, because I had always loved fashion, and I would sketch outfits all the time.” In the mid-seventies, with Sonny and Cher and The Carol Burnett Show at the height of their popularity, LaVoi fell in love with the strong, flamboyant designs of Bob Mackie. Rather than attending fashion school in New York, he headed west, enrolling in Los Angeles’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Continue reading →

Doing Time in Major Crimes: Q & A with Tony Denison

Posted on by

By M. Sharpe

tonypanam

Photo credit: MajorCrimesTV.net

From his role as Ray Luca on Crime Story to Lt. Andy Flynn on Major Crimes, Tony Denison’s career has come full circle.  In fact, as David Burke, executive producer of the 1986 drama points out. “He was being pursued years ago by the Major Crimes unit in Crime Story… and now you are in the Major Crimes unit in Major Crimes, right?”

Denison hadn’t made that connection before – “Holy Toledo, you’re right!” – but Burke just laughs: “Course I’m right, I had to write that show! Lt. Torello (Dennis Farina) was in charge of Major Crimes (on Crime Story), and all he wanted to do was to catch Ray Luca. So you were being chased by Major Crimes, and now you are Major Crimes.” Continue reading →

From Pan Am to Major Crimes, Phillip P. Keene Soars

Posted on by
By M. Sharpe and S. Youngblood



panam1-phillipsm

Photo credit: MajorCrimesTV.net 

Comparing his career as a flight attendant with Pan-American Airways (Pan Am) to his current role as Buzz Watson on TNT’s Major Crimes and The Closer, actor Phillip P. Keene points out that these jobs aren’t as different as they might first appear. “That is really an aspect of it,” he says.  Both “have crazy hours, we go to different places all the time- not as exotic as when I was flying, but we’re all there for each other, and we have each other’s back, so if someone’s tired a little bit, or cranky maybe if that happens at the end of a sixteen hour day, you’re telling them ‘it’s fine, don’t worry about it’ and elbow each other, and it’s a great sense of family again, so it’s like I never left in a sense.”

Keene revisited his airline roots last month in Palm Springs, CA, where his collection of Pam Am memorabilia was showcased in “Welcome Aboard: The Pan Am Experience” as part of the city’s popular Modernism Week. The exhibit, featuring an impressive archive of materials from the iconic airline, has been a labor of love for Keene, who flew with the company from 1987 until its closure in 1991. “When we shut down, I had my uniform and my forms and my luggage and I was still in love with the company, and wanted to continue thinking about it.” He started by collecting advertisements, and over time branched out: “When more pieces came up, and I had a little bit more ready cash I bought lighters and ashtrays and dishes and it just kept growing. I got my degree in history in my thirties, and this is my history project.”

Continue reading →

Q & A with Kearran Giovanni- Part Two

Posted on by
1.04-sykessmaller

Photo courtesy TNT

Despite the daunting task of being the newcomer in an otherwise well-established cast, Kearran Giovanni and her character, Amy Sykes, quickly became a vital part of the first season of Major Crimes. In part two of our exclusive interview, she talks about her hopes for Amy next season, the changing dynamics between the characters, and navigating the world of twitter.

by M. Sharpe and C. Bullen
————————
Read Part One

MCtv: You mentioned that hopefully we’ll get some backstory for all the characters next season, but do you already have more of an idea about Amy’s story? Anything specific you’d like to see from next season about her?

KG: Hmm. Well, I don’t know what’s in James’ head. I do know that he has, in his mind, written all of next season, I think, because he’s a genius. But Amy, I don’t know, I don’t know what he has in store for her. I would like to see her parents. I think it would be really nice to see where she comes from. I kind of feel like she maybe came from a military family, which is why she’s a little straight-laced when it comes to following procedure. I’d love to see where she’s from. I kinda feel like she’s got a little New York in her. So, I’m not sure. Maybe she’ll have a relationship. I know James loves to have one relationship going on in the show, so, I don’t know. I don’t know! Continue reading →

Q & A with Major Crimes’ Kearran Giovanni- Part One

Posted on by
Photo courtesy TNT

Photo courtesy TNT

With a successful Broadway career under her belt, actress Kearran Giovanni next set her sights on TV, and won the role of newcomer Amy Sykes on Major Crimes. In this exclusive interview, Kearran graciously took time to talk to MajorCrimesTV.net about the transition from the New York stage to Los Angeles, being the “new kid” in Major Crimes and her favorite parts of season one. 

by M. Sharpe and C. Bullen

————————

MajorCrimesTV.net: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.

Kearran Giovanni: Oh, you’re so welcome. Thanks for talking with me.

MCtv: How did you get started with the theater and stage, and how did that lead you to Broadway, and then from Broadway to Los Angeles and television?

KG: Well, it all started … no, I’m kidding. I danced growing up. I was a gymnast for many years, and I did it for fun. I never really thought I was going to have this as a career. I actually was planning to be an OB-GYN for a very long time. I wanted to be a doctor and deliver babies. And in my senior year, my dad actually went out of the country for six months and he said the only way I’ll allow you to stay there is if you get into a performing arts high school, and I’ll let you and your mom get an apartment and I’ll come back and forth. So I said fine, and I auditioned and I got into the performing arts high school in Houston, and that’s where I figured that you could actually have a career doing this, it wasn’t just for fun. Continue reading →

Q & A With Ransford Doherty of Major Crimes

Posted on by

Photo courtesy TNT

By M.L. Sharpe

Since Season Five of The Closer, Ransford Doherty has been showcasing his talents in the role of Kendall the coroner, in which he is often first on-scene to examine bodies and deal with the grisly after-effects of murder.  In this exclusive interview with MajorCrimesTV.net, the charming actor took some time to talk to us about the evolution of his character from The Closer to Major Crimes, share some stories from production, and tell us a little about his other projects, including his role on the award-winning webseries Caribe Road.

Continue reading →