“Another cable series takes a grittier approach to a similar subject. In the Los Angeles police procedural “Major Crimes” on TNT, the main character, Capt. Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) becomes an unofficial foster mother to Rusty (Graham Patrick Martin), a gay, homeless teenager and former sex worker who is a key witness in a case. “Major Crimes” treats Rusty with sympathy without glossing over his past. That’s because the character comes from a deeply personal place for the show’s creator, James Duff, who is gay.

“I ran away from home when I was 17,” said Mr. Duff, who said he is hoping to raise awareness of runaways or, as he called them, “thrown-aways,” by providing a window into a little-seen world.

“When I see what goes on now with thrown-away children in our own culture, I think Dickens would have blushed,” he said. “ ‘Oliver Twist’ is actually an uplifting story compared with the horrors that the unattended children of Los Angeles are suffering now.”

Millions dream of becoming the star of a major network drama, but for one actress, the dream come true led to some bittersweet moments.

With the first season of “Major Crimes” under her belt, two-time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell is now the star of one TNT’s most-watched dramas. But she’s working hard behind the scenes to transform her role from being a part-time pain in the neck into full-time fan favorite by next summer.

“There are moments when I’ve gone, ‘What have I gotten myself into?” McDonnell says. “It was a bit frightening at times.”

Hey, Kyra Sedgwick, there’s a new boss in town—or rather, a familiar face that is taking over TNT in a big way. Mary McDonnell is proud and honored to move up the ranks and star in the network’s new series “Major Crimes,” which might look a lot like “The Closer.” We’ll clue you in to why.

More: I get the impression Mary and Sharon can really relate to one another?
MMD: I can totally relate to her. The more I got to know her the more she revealed to me. In the beginning I just came to know her as an antagonist. Now I have had the opportunity to see so many aspects of her that I never knew existed. There is the mother in her, and I myself am a mother. We didn’t know she was into the ballet, and is a natural leader.

Read the entire interview here.

“There are a handful of actors whose presence alone transforms a television show into a Can’t Miss TV Event! Such was the case when Mary McDonnell joined The Closer in 2009 for a three-episode arc. The response to her character, Captain Sharon Raydor, was so strong (both behind the scenes and in the real world), that producers wisely extended her time on the show — and then crafted a spin-off explicitly for Mary to carry.”

Read the whole article from theInsider.com here.

“Among the biggest surprises? Her home life. During preparations for the new series, Duff consulted McDonnell and let her help choose some of the set pieces in Raydor’s apartment. Among the obvious? Watercolors everywhere. “I’m not good at painting but I decided she did them herself,” McDonnell says. “It shows another side of her personality.”‘

Full Article Here