Ramón Rodríguez is greatest identified for his roles in premium TV sequence like HBO’s The Wire and Showtime’s The Affair, however it’s his work as government producer and star of the hit ABC community procedural Will Trent that catapulted the Puerto Rican native to a different stage.
Whereas Rodríguez admits he was hesitant up to now to take roles on community tv, he realized {that a} mission like Will Trent, achieved with ardour and with a robust artistic workforce to collaborate with, might make high-quality TV that’s accessible to all. And it’s a bonus for his Latino neighborhood to see themselves represented via his contributions, and in supporting roles performed by most of the neighborhood’s most revered names in Hollywood: John Ortiz, Yul Vazquez, and Gina Rodriguez.
This season, the procedural put Will via the wringer, tearing down lots of his desires with the hope that one thing contemporary and thrilling will blossom when the present returns with its fourth season.
Rodríguez mentioned his love for the present, from the writing, appearing, and directing, to sharing a mission he’s so happy with with the present’s present fanbase, and all the brand new people who find themselves discovering the sequence on ABC and Hulu, under.
Ramón Rodríguez as Will Trent in Season 3
DEADLINE: Trying again to the start of your journey with Will Trent, did you ever think about you’d be right here proper now with one of many greatest exhibits on TV?
RAMÓN RODRÍGUEZ: This enterprise is so wild. You may’t inform when one thing’s gonna work and why. You may’t predict it, however it’s confirmed as a result of we proceed to develop our fanbase yr after yr, each on ABC and Hulu. That’s unparalleled in the present day with the state of the business; it’s a unicorn. I don’t know the way this occurs, however we work laborious to create one thing particular and elevated, particularly for a present on linear TV. I used to have a stigma about that. I used to be at all times just a little reluctant about community and broadcast tv. After I nonetheless had time to look at TV, I turned to HBO or different premium channels. So I believed, if I used to be going to work on a broadcast present, we’d push the envelope with prime quality in each side, which is what we’ve achieved. My companions and I are dedicated to placing within the work creatively, and I’m happy with what we’ve achieved thus far with Will Trent.
DEADLINE: Is it ever a problem for you when taking part in Will, navigating his heartbreaks and unhappy origin story?
RODRÍGUEZ: It may be heavy and emotional. The character takes me via some robust, emotional stuff, but the present will also be actually mild with a comedic factor to it, which isn’t a straightforward balancing act to execute. I give lots of respect and props to our writers, who I do know are within the trenches as a result of I get deep in it with them. I take the title of government producer very severely. It’s not an arrogance title. It turns into difficult, after all, particularly after I’m appearing in lots of scenes, however I’ve been capable of work it out. The connection between me and the showrunners, Liz Heldens and Daniel Thomsen, is particular. It’s a partnership constructed on belief and always discovering new and thrilling methods to maintain the present contemporary. That’s an thrilling a part of the method for me.
DEADLINE: We did a not-so-scientific research on the recognition of the present, and all roads result in Betty. What say you?
RODRÍGUEZ: Hey, it might’t harm when you’ve got an attractive, lovely canine that’s the best-behaved chihuahua I’ve ever met. Chihuahuas may be little terrors. My sister had one like that. However we discovered probably the most skilled, well-behaved one to be my co-star. You already know, after I learn the pilot, the scene the place Will adopts Betty from the shelter, that’s what hooked me in. It instructed me a lot about this character, who may be type of off-putting, and so compartmentalized and sq.. Beneath all of these layers, he confirmed he has an immense quantity of coronary heart. He wasn’t going to let this canine be deserted like he was. It helped me hook onto that and perceive him. That to me is a big a part of this character.
DEADLINE: Even with all his challenges, Will retains going, even when typically he wants a break to course of. This season, Will by accident shoots and kills an harmless baby, and it comes near breaking him. How did that have change his life?
RODRÍGUEZ: That was devastating for him. I’ve heard from legislation enforcement about that episode, and so they share how a lot it affected them, as a result of this form of factor occurs in actual life. Every thing from his expertise: the heaviness, the doubt, not wanting to the touch the gun once more, and what that does to you psychologically. I give credit score and appreciation to our Puerto Rican author, Rebecca Murga, and director Crystal Robertson; they crushed it.
That second was in regards to the rug being pulled from below Will’s ft, which he hasn’t been capable of recuperate from this season. I think about it’s going to take us into the subsequent season, as properly. It was robust for Will as somebody who’s at all times attempting to be on the precise aspect of the legislation. He’s anyone who morally and ethically does the precise factor, however it occurred, and it was a mistake. This was further laborious on Will due to his historical past and the bags he carries from his childhood rising up in foster care. He simply needs to assist individuals and children, so taking a younger life was devastating for him.
To steadiness the heaviness of an episode like that, we see him two episodes later in a hallucination the place he’s in a cult and he’s drugged, and is now dancing. Everybody loves him, and Betty has a British accent, which was ridiculous.
Erika Christensen as Angie, Ramón Rodriguez as Will, and Bluebell the Chihuahua as Betty
DEADLINE: This season, Will and Angie transfer on to different relationships. Whereas issues didn’t work out for Will and Marion (Gina Rodriguez), Angie and her new love curiosity, Dr. Seth McDale (Scott Foley), are having a child. How does Will match into this new actuality?
RODRÍGUEZ: It seems like actual finality [for Will and Angie]. That might be a enjoyable dialog we’ll get into in Season 4, about the place they’re at now. I really like that we ended it displaying that Will exhibits up for Angie, even when it crushes and completely devastates him. He needs to be there for her though it was a extremely robust second. Everybody on set was emotional. It was a really tense and difficult factor as a result of he sees the factor that Will has at all times wished be so shut, however out of his attain.
DEADLINE: It was notably unhappy as a result of May also met his father. There was a little bit of a concentrate on fatherhood this season. What are you able to share about working with Yul Vazquez?
RODRÍGUEZ: Sure. I’ve at all times been interested in who his father could be. We had alluded that it could possibly be James Ulster, however we by no means closed that loop. So I introduced up the dialog for Season 3. We all know who Will’s mother is, Lucy Morales, who’s from Puerto Rico, however who’s his father? So we determined to herald the character of Sheriff Caleb Roussard, and we had been lucky sufficient to forged the unimaginable Yul Vazquez. Standing subsequent to one another in full hair and make-up, we might move for household. I believed it. It was actually robust for Will to just accept, obtain, and perceive that actuality. I really like that scene after they’re within the hallway and so they’re arguing whereas concurrently attempting to maintain the door closed to maintain out the dangerous guys. They type of make amends, however the stage of power by no means adjustments; they stored yelling at one another. We nonetheless don’t know quite a bit about that character, which might be thrilling and attention-grabbing to discover in Season 4.
So sure, discovering that info out, coupled with discovering out that Angie’s pregnant and that he’s not the daddy, it’s all very, very, very loaded. And to tip it over the sting additional, the season ended with Amanda (Sonja Sohn), Will’s solely maternal determine, in a hospital mattress, not understanding how that may finish. We wished the finale to have everybody Will considers his household and shut mates, be pulled away from him. He was left principally alone within the finale, however he did have Betty by his aspect.
The interview was edited and condensed for size and readability.
