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Post by CopperHead on May 5, 2005 15:02:20 GMT -5
BTW, she is NYPD Deputy Inspector Theresa Shortell. NYPD's only female precinct Commander (6th Precinct) Greenwich Village.
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Post by Peach on May 8, 2005 16:23:28 GMT -5
Wow, Copperhead, what great info! I love background stuff like that. I always wondered how the actors formulated the characters 'back-stories' and the like. Thanks!! ;D ;D ;D
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Post by qb on May 8, 2005 16:31:50 GMT -5
Hey Copperhead, good work on the background info! I think most actors do some study of real life people before taking on a character... can you imagine having Glenn Close studying you, though? In the final analysis, we're all just people doing our thing.
As for her moving into the hood, I thought that was an absurd idea. She is putting a Farmington official at risk, namely herself, by living there...and every officer who is trying to guard her. It's a noble idea, sure, but also a very bad one!
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Post by CopperHead on May 10, 2005 11:56:00 GMT -5
Regarding the Captain moving into "Da Hood", remember that many departments require their officers to live within a certain mile radius of their jurisdiction. So, in keeping with that, she is doing the right thing and she never asked them to keep an eye on her. But we watch each others backs. However, I believe that her house will be pegged if they work that into the script.........
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Post by leadinvestigator on May 11, 2005 10:47:29 GMT -5
This could probably go in the news section but seems of more interest here!
___________________________
Actress portrays the perfect boss in 'The Shield' Ellen Gray <Philly.com> 5/10/2005
With all due respect to Angie Dickinson, women haven't yet left quite the mark on TV cop shows that guys have.
We lack our own Jo Fridays and Andi Sipowiczes, making do for the most part with the tough-but-tertiary roles played by actresses like S. Epatha Merkerson ("Law & Order") and Marianne Jean-Baptiste ("Without a Trace"), or, more often, with vulnerable beauties of the sort portrayed by "NYPD Blue's" Kim Delaney or "Trace's" Poppy Montgomery, characters whose romantic lives often interest writers more than their professional ones.
A year ago, I might not have looked for change to come from FX's "The Shield," a testosterone-fueled police drama starring Emmy winner Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey, a cop who cuts more corners in a day than "Blue's" Andy Sipowicz managed in a season.
I certainly wouldn't have looked for it to come through Glenn Close, an actress who'd never done a prime-time TV series - or played a cop - in her life.
But change has come, and in the person of "The Shield's" Capt. Monica Rawling (Close), one of the most intriguing cops - male or female - to come along in years. Smart, imaginative and possessing an idealism tempered by common sense, she could be the perfect boss.
Certainly she's the perfect boss for Vic Mackey, who's finding it a little harder to justify his paranoia now that he has a superior who's not actually out to get him.
"I love her. I really love her," Close said recently of her character.
"I think she's smart and I think she cares about things that are worth caring about and I think she's trying to make a difference in the midst of an extremely difficult arena. I think she has moral authority, which I think is good," she said.
"Shield" creator Shawn Ryan appears to feel the same about Close, the actress he once only dreamed of being able to hire to play Rawling, the captain brought in to replace Capt. David Aceveda (Benito Martinez) after Aceveda's elected to City Council.
"She's a very intimidating person when you first meet her," he said recalling his "fool's errand" trip to New York to woo her.
"She's quite intelligent, she asked really pointed questions," he said. "I learned pretty quickly not to fake it if I didn't know the answer."
Interested in exploring the ins and outs of forfeiture programs, where the assets of criminals are seized by police, "it appealed to me to have a character who could put a very appealing face on that policy, someone you want to like, you want to believe, you want to follow," he said.
Close helped there, too, he said, by suggesting a way Rawling might try to lessen the controversy.
"She was talking about it and said, 'You know, I think this woman would try to use some of these proceeds to funnel back into the community,' " Ryan said.
"I think it's been very collaborative, actually," Close said of the development of Rawling's character. "I think it started to jell when they knew I was going to do it."
Not that she knows more than any other actor about what the show's writers might think of next.
"We're lucky if we get [the script] two days before we begin the next episode," Close said, a schedule she's only encountered "occasionally on a movie, if they're doing rewrites - but not to the exciting degree that this is," she added, likening it to waiting for the next installment of a Charles Dickens serialization.
"We're kind of waiting at the gate of the writers to know what's going to happen next week," she said.
She does, however, know what's going to happen next year - she's headed back for New York, where her daughter will be a senior in high school in the fall. "To be away from January to May" to shoot "The Shield" in Los Angeles just won't work, Close said.
With ratings for "The Shield's" fourth season up 26 percent from last season, the show is averaging 3.2 million viewers for its Tuesday night airings, about on a par with seasons 1 and 2, so it's not surprising that Ryan would love to see more of Close, and of Rawling.
"I'm not sure, you know, that this'll be the end," Ryan said. "She does have family obligations back East... but I think she may be talked into coming back for an episode or two."
In the meantime, Ryan's learned a thing or two about writing for Close.
"This shouldn't have been surprising, but... I was surprised by how much she conveyed without speaking," he said, adding that he thinks the first couple of scripts "were kind of overwritten for her" because she conveys so much "when you get close in on those eyes."
"One thing I've learned over the course of the season is to write less for her, and she gives you more. It's sort of counterintuitive, but it's true," he said.
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Post by Peach on May 11, 2005 11:15:21 GMT -5
Did I read that right? Does it say that Glenn won't come back next season? Dang, just when I was really starting to like Rawling (aw, who I am I kidding, I liked her from Day 1)... Bummer
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Post by CopperHead on May 11, 2005 12:00:15 GMT -5
You can't always believe what you read. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. I don't think Glenn will drop out altogether right away.....hang in there.
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Post by leadinvestigator on May 11, 2005 12:31:37 GMT -5
I think Glenn's shoes will be very hard to fill! The writing team is going to have to come up with something really intriguing if the momentum is to hold new fans into Season 5 and create a season on par with 1 and 4 (imho) I doubt Claudette has any option for the office now that she's on the DA's shitlist, which is too bad. The tension of her running the Barn might be fascinating! Who would you like to see as the next Captain? One of the cast members or some other actor or actress? Hell, if Glenn Close will play the part for a season (and then some), there might be other "big names" interested in giving it a try! How about Dutch? "Yes, sir, Captain Dutchboy!" ;D I doubt he'd be given any serious consideration because of the Claudette/DA situation -and- he doesn't really have leadership qualities. But wouldn't that be a kicker? (might be more like "jumping the shark" though) Other actors or actresses Shawn might woo this time?? I am going to think about that one!
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Post by chemikalman on May 11, 2005 17:45:07 GMT -5
This kind of thing is always fun: who should replace a major character in a series? Who would you like to see if Captain if Rawling does, in fact, leave? (I will be bummed if she leaves, I love the job she is doing). You can answer by "type" (i.e., another female? a person of color? someone from a canceled series? etc etc) or by name of a specific actor.
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Post by leadinvestigator on May 12, 2005 12:45:59 GMT -5
Dennis Miller! I hear he's looking for a job.
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Post by CopperHead on May 12, 2005 13:16:54 GMT -5
One of my long-time favorite shows is "The Third Watch" and unfortunately, the show has ended. If I could pick someone to replace the Captain, I'd like to see actress Tia Texada. Tia played Sgt. Maritza Cruz on The Third Watch and was the leader of the elite anticrime unit. She was also extremely knowlegable of NY's gangs. In the final episode, Cruz went to arrest a drug/gang kingpin and he refused. Cruz pulls the pins from the two grenades she 'supposedly' has in her jacket pockets and blows all of them up. She was going to take them out no matter what and dies as a result. They show her grave stone at the end.
Now here's a possibility.....if anyone knows the character of Cruz, you might say she's sort of a female Vic. The story line could say that she survived the bomb blast and they put her in deep cover and actually transfered her to Farmington. Like I said, if anyone knows how her character acts, she and Vic can get into some wild times!! That would bring fans of the Third Watch over to The Shield and keep the edge going.
Of course, I would be heartbroken if/when Glenn leaves.......
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Post by qb on May 17, 2005 21:49:30 GMT -5
I've heard some fans sniping about reports Glenn won't be back next season (or maybe as an infrequent guest at most). Someone even compared it to farting in an elevator and then getting off.
That's rude and ungrateful if you ask me! It was nice of Glenn to give it a go for one season, not to mention boosting the ratings and bringing in brand new fans like Copperhead. I am sure Shawn Ryan knew ahead of time that another season for Rawling might not happen.
I have complete faith in The Shield team and no doubt that they will rise to the challenge. It's going to be a hard act to follow, but I am betting they'll do something equally incredible with that position for Season 5.
And here's another suggestion for fillling the part: Anne Coulter! She's hot right now, sassy, blond... she could wear her trademark miniskirts (can you imagine a Capt's uniform mini skirt??) and put Vic in his place *without* a script!
I wonder with whom she'd have the most conflict?
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Post by chemikalman on May 18, 2005 9:32:35 GMT -5
And here's another suggestion for fillling the part: Anne Coulter! She's hot right now, sassy, blond... she could wear her trademark miniskirts (can you imagine a Capt's uniform mini skirt??) and put Vic in his place *without* a script! I wonder with whom she'd have the most conflict? Ann Coulter as Captain? No offense, CC, but surely you jest. Coulter's the Dr. Phil of pop conservatives--cashing in on her marketability and bumpersticker-appealing mentality. I would love to see her become Councilman Dave's new Ho, though, and take it where you don't need a condom, heh, heh. Let the nominations begin!
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Post by qb on Jun 11, 2005 16:51:51 GMT -5
I think Glen's performance in ep 12 was her best--and breathtaking. She's said so much quietly, with simple statements, gestures and her eyes. In 12 Glen got to unleash the passion of her character. Even though we'd seen glimpses of it all season, I was blown away by the performance.
So while we may never get to know Rawling in terms of her personal story, she has left a lasting impression. Somehow I don't see her just "showing up" next year. If we see Rawling again, I think something significant will be happening with her character!
An aside: the first *TWO* times Rawling tells Assinvader that Farmington is his "legacy" I gagged. During the final scene, however, I realized this statement is entirely more true than the Councilman would ever wish!!
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Post by qb on Jul 7, 2005 21:37:13 GMT -5
Hey, Copper, how is *this* for persona? if you want it for an avatar, let me know!
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Post by CopperHead on Jul 8, 2005 9:17:21 GMT -5
Chick, oh yeah baby, you know it!! Please do!!
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Post by chemikalman on Jul 8, 2005 17:53:23 GMT -5
That IS an awesome pic. I bet Close took that getup home to NY with her!
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Post by qb on Jul 9, 2005 1:13:02 GMT -5
Another for Copperhead!
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Post by CopperHead on Jul 9, 2005 10:59:19 GMT -5
I think we need to make some posters!!
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