Leighton Meester, whose assorted initiatives have included the long-lasting teen drama Gossip Woman and the candy sitcom Single Dad and mom, is now fortunately selling her new cop clan dramedy Good Cop/Unhealthy Cop, premiering on The CW on February 19 at 9/8c).
Meester performs expert veteran Det. Louise “Lou” Hickman, who works for her father, small city police chief Massive Hank (Clancy Brown, The Shawshank Redemption, Dexter: New Blood), alongside along with her polar reverse brother Henry (Australian actor Luke Cook dinner, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), newly returned dwelling from seven years within the Seattle P.D. and promoted to detective by their dad.
TV Insider talked to the actress a short while earlier than she and her husband Adam Brody misplaced their dwelling within the disastrous Pacific Palisades fireplace.
So you haven’t one, however two new roles within the close to future, the opposite being becoming a member of the second season of the Apple TV+ Gilded Age costume drama, The Buccaneers, about rich younger American ladies attempting to snag British aristocrats for husbands. Are you able to say a number of phrases about that position?
Leighton Meester: The reality is, being a fan of the primary season, I used to be so completely happy to come back on to play any position! That being mentioned, that is the absolute best position that I might have ever requested for, and it’s going to be a secret till it comes out. Belief me, it’s well worth the wait.
With two promising reveals upcoming, and naturally, your husband’s big Netflix romcom hit No one Needs This, the place he performs a sizzling rabbi who falls for Kristen Bell‘s non-Jewish sex-centric podcaster, you might be each actually busy. Congratulations.
Yeah. [Laughs] Thanks.
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Let’s get to Good Cop/Unhealthy Cop. How would you describe it?
I’d say it’s Gilmore Ladies meets Twin Peaks, a quippy, talky, heartwarming mashup of two genres. Centered on the household, it’s acquired that small city, Northwest homicide thriller really feel, set in a sheriff’s division. It’s a world that I wish to stay in with quirky, offbeat characters and story.
Is it true that that concept for this present has been within the head of showrunner John Quaintance (Will & Grace) since 2009, when it initially was deliberate as one of many USA Community’s cozy — “blue sky” — dramedies? That germination has taken a really very long time.
From what I do know, this was one thing that he had behind his thoughts the entire time, and he had completely different iterations of it by the years. I couldn’t be extra excited or grateful to be a part of this.
The Hickman household is a considerably dysfunctional clan of cops within the Pacific Northwest city of Eden Vale. So who’s the great cop and who’s the unhealthy cop of the title?
With out digging too deep, on its face, Lou might be the great cop and Henry might be the unhealthy cop — however that may shift, and what good and unhealthy means is open for interpretation. What’s so gratifying about Lou is that sure, she’s powerful and really invested in her job, however she is woven into her small city and leads with humor and kindness. She’s a bit bit too good for her personal good generally, so I actually relate to that.
As compared, speak about Lou’s brother Henry, whom Massive Hank likes to name Junior, which Henry hates.
Henry is quirky, even peculiar. He’s good at his job, however generally too by-the-book for Lou’s style. She leans towards the higher good and for higher or worse could be very interwoven along with her father and that dynamic. Lou is, in some ways, the son that Massive Hank by no means had in Henry. Our relationship is unquestionably a really shut, tight knit one. Henry yearns for that approval from his father, however he pushes Hank away greater than Lou does.
Again in Seattle, his boss mentioned mainly, “You might have the worst individuals expertise I’ve ever seen in anybody, aside from a serial killer.” Is he greater than quirky, maybe on the autism spectrum?
Luke and John Quaintance might converse higher to that. But it surely’s coded and I feel that’s a good interpretation.
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Watching the primary a number of episodes appear to point that Massive Hank is an efficient man, except it involves fudging crime stats in his county. He desires ‘em low. Why is that vital?
He desires to permit the fantasy that his individuals stay in an ideal little city and he’s like the daddy there who takes care of everybody and folks don’t should be scared. On the one hand, Lou agrees that that’s a very nice solution to stay, however when there may be crime then you definitely’re confronted with, do you inform the reality or do you retain it hidden? For essentially the most half, Hank has been completely up for retaining it hidden, however generally issues simply can’t keep underneath wraps.
Particularly I assume when there are murders, which there most undoubtedly are.
It’s a crime drama, after all, together with the romantic and relationship drama. Every week, there’s a brand new crime together with one season-long crime thriller involving outdated newly found bones on the town.
You talked about romantic drama. Any loving for Lou this season?
Properly, she will be able to’t fairly get romance proper. [Laughs] Dwelling in a small city and being “married” to your job is unquestionably a giant a part of that. Additionally, she doesn’t let herself go there as a result of she’s been harm previously, and she or he hasn’t healed from her mother leaving the household when she was a child. However I do really feel that together with the comedy, thriller, enjoyable household dynamics, and enjoying a detective, it was difficult and thrilling to tackle her discovering her coronary heart.
Lou is attempting to keep away from love. Can Henry deal with a romantic relationship? That definitely means interacting with somebody.
Yeah, I feel with the proper individual. He’s direct and doesn’t play video games, however I feel he can discover somebody despite the fact that he clearly suffers from roadblocks to romance.
Although Eden Vale, as we’ve talked about, is supposedly in Washington State, you’re filming in Australia! How does that cross nature-wise?
We’re staying on the [sunny] Gold Coast [close to the Pacific], however once you drive into the mountains the place the set is, it turns into surprisingly foggy, moist, and just like the U.S.’s Northwest. It’s so stunning there. It’s loopy to be on an Australian seashore and it’s sizzling and then you definitely go mainly 45 minutes to an hour up into the mountains, and you might be in a totally completely different ecosystem.
You and Clancy Brown are the one People on the present, although Luke has accomplished American TV earlier than. Are you ever tempted to appropriate the accents of your Aussie castmates?
They’re all so good! Everybody grew up watching American TV, so that they’ve all acquired an incredible American accent. Luke is flawless! I discovered it tempting to do an Australian accent however shied away as a result of I do know it wasn’t spot on.
What’s the vibe on the Aussie set?
Simply enjoyable and relaxed, which is, really, among the best facets of taking pictures a comedy. And being right here doing this present was among the best, if not the greatest, set I’ve ever labored on.
Good Cop/Unhealthy Cop, Collection Premiere, Wednesday, February 19, 9/8c, The CW