Photo credit: Justin Stephens. Courtesy TNT, used with permission
Since TNT’s hit drama Major Crimes debuted, audiences have been delighted to see a whole other side of resident tough-guy Lt. Andy Flynn revealed as Flynn has confronted both family and personal health conflicts, adjusted to new additions to the Major Crimes squad, and, most excitingly, has begun to step toward a potential new romance. Recently, we caught up with Tony Denison on the set of Hollywood Today Live, where he took the time out of his hiatus schedule to update us on Flynn’s journey so far, as well as speculate with us as to what might be next for the smart-alec Lieutenant.
MCTV: Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us again. You are halfway through your third season right now, what’s your experience been like so far and what can we look forward to in the second half?
Tony Denison: This season has been so great that somebody said to me one day, ‘How much longer do you think you can play this character?’ And I am telling you, without exaggeration, that I could go ten more years; I am having so much fun. And it’s ten years into it [playing Lt. Flynn] and I am not even remotely bored. I love every episode and whatever I get to do and I love to work with G.W. Bailey; he’s a friend and he’s a wonderful actor. I also love all of the stuff that I get to do with Mary McDonnell, as well as the other guys in the cast too, like Kearran Giovanni and Raymond Cruz and Michael Paul Chan; they’re all just great.
MCTV: Congratulations on rising to TNT’s “BOOM” rebranding challenge! Major Crimes has been delivering consistent, record-breaking ratings this season. You and the rest of the cast and crew must be incredibly proud of that accomplishment.
TD: We are poised again to be TNT’s number one show. I joked with James Duff one day and I said, ‘if you write it, they will watch.’ And I was right!
MCTV: Last season audiences got to see glimpses of how Flynn’s family life has affected him, but we didn’t actually get the chance to meet any of his family members. If we do get the pleasure of meeting his children this season, what do you think Flynn’s relationship with them will be like?
TD: Well, I know through dealing with a lot of cops that I’ve spoken with over the year that it’s probably a very tough relationship. When you work a profession where when you go out the door in the morning and your family doesn’t know if you’re going to return alive that night, where you’re carrying a gun, it’s got to be a strain on everybody in the family. Whether people openly admit it or not, there’s got to be some kind of like stress and I am sure that it affects everybody in the family to some degree; maybe a lot, maybe a little, but it’s got to be there. So I would guess that Flynn’s character has experienced what a lot of detectives go through when it comes to their families.
Photo credit: Ben Kaller. Courtesy TNT, used with permission
MCTV: Is there anything that you’ve wanted Flynn to get to do that you haven’t had the opportunity to do yet on Major Crimes?
TD: Yes, chasing bad guys on horseback.
MCTV: You’d have to commandeer a horse first!
TD: Yes. And I’d like it to be with Flynn and Provenza, both on horses. Somehow they get stuck and they’re on horses and they have to chase somebody on a horse. It would be brilliant.
MCTV: Flynn and Provenza on horseback, somebody call the writers! Speaking of your better half, Provenza has really stepped up as a role model for Rusty in the last two seasons. Additionally, we got to see Flynn shedding some light on Rusty’s mother and her addictions a few episodes ago. Will Flynn further step up as a positive role model for Rusty as Provenza has?
Photo credit: Justin Stephens. Courtesy TNT, used with permission
TD: I would guess. I mean, they’ve sort of done it peripherally. And the possibility exists that they’ll do it more but it doesn’t matter if it’s done because my character is a recovering alcoholic. I mean, he can maybe speak with more specificity, but there’s a lot to be said about why they chose G.W’s character. Provenza has wisdom and it’s based on this longevity of the experiences that he’s gone through so that he can talk with somebody who’s experiencing any given issue because he may actually have gone through it himself. But if they want me to interplay with Rusty specifically about that, yeah I’d love to. We’re all supposed to be his godfathers or uncles, Kearran is like the aunt and we’re all the uncles; especially Buzz, who has a lot of interplay with him, just as much as G.W. I would say.
MCTV: We certainly couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask you about the much-loved Sharon and Andy dynamic. There has been a definite shift in the relationship between the two of them, from where it began in season one to where it is now. Can you comment on that?
TD: Well I’m not trying to be coy, but I really don’t know where it’s going. In the mid-season finale, there’s sort of more of the way that it’s been going. I was told that when the character playing my daughter shows up that there might be more of Flynn going to Sharon as an ally to help with that and dealing with whatever it is, but I don’t know what it is. But whatever it is will probably just serve to draw us closer together. It’s great the way that it’s developed and it’s wonderful. Because I really love working with Mary McDonnell and I am not just saying that because we’re on the show together, I really do love working with her. She’s a wonderful person, and she’s also such a well-known, talented actress. If this were a brand new project and we were just starting out, I’d be like ‘oh great I’m going to be doing stuff with Mary McDonnell, I loved her in this, I loved her in that,’ so for me I’m not only in the business but I am a fan of the business.
Photo credit: Ben Kaller. Courtesy TNT, used with permission
MCTV: Looking ahead, you guys are just about to start filming the second half of the season. What are you most looking forward to?
TD: You have to understand, I don’t consider it work. When people ask me, ‘where are you going today?’ I usually say that I am going to the set or I will say to people that I can’t wait to play today. I hate to call it work. I mean it’s what I do, it is my work, it is what I do for a living, but I don’t really see it as work.
Major Crimes summer finale airs tonight at 9pm/8c on TNT. Major Crimes returns for its winter run on Monday, December 1st. You can learn more about Tony from our previous interview here, and follow him on twitter @RealTonyDenison.