Surprise!

This morning I was privileged to spend a few moments speaking on the phone with Kevin Alejandro, who plays Detective Nate Moretta on SouthLAnd. Kevin was doing a series of interviews on a “Press Junket” to promote next week’s episode of the show, What Makes Sammy Run?, and TNT graciously scheduled me in to an available slot. So here, on behalf of all you fans of the show, is the interview.

Kevin Alejandro as Detective Nate Moretta

SouthlandTvFans.com [STF]
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me this morning. I know your schedule is crazy busy.

Kevin Alejandro [KA]
No, thank you you. I appreciate what you and the fans are doing for the show.

[STF]
So Nate and Sammy have always had a great chemistry, but with Season 2 we are seeing a bit of a change up with their roles now.

[KA]
Yeah, Shawn and I have always worked well together. I love working with him. This season is definitely different for the characters, but without giving away anything, things are coming around, coming full circle. This next episode things really come together.

[STF]
You mean What makes Sammy Run? – we got to see a sneak preview on the TNT site and it definitely looks powerful.

[KA]
Yeah, man. I got to see it last week and it’s definitely one of the best episodes so far.

[STF]
And with Laz Alonso’s character Gil Puentes, he brings a whole different dynamic to the situation, too.

[KA]
Yes, he’s just great. He brings something totally new to the show, something we haven’t had before. He really shakes things up and keeps it real.

[STF]
Well, the fans really love you two as partners, I know that. I mean, I know that Cooper and Sherman get a lot of attention as the patrol officers, and of course Lydia, who doesn’t love Regina King. But when it comes to chemistry, you two really seem to have such a great chemistry together all the time, it’s been so much fun to see more of you two interacting this season.

[KA]
We haven’t had much chance to explore them in the past, so it’s great that we are seeing more of that now. It’s opened up a lot more of their characters in the story lines.

[STF]
We’re starting see a lot more into Nate’s personal life this season, now, too. I mean, we started to see some of it at the end of season 1, but we’re really getting to see a lot more this season.

[KA]
A lot more, yeah. Again, I can’t say too much without giving away stuff I shouldn’t, but we’ll see a lot more coming up. It gets very personal for me.

[STF]
Well, we’ve already seen that his daughter is involved with the gang that he’s investigating, and we know from the preview of next week that she is involved in some sort of dramatic event.

[KA]
Like I said, it gets very personal and involved. It’s a very complicated situation for him.

[STF]
It seems that way. We saw that a couple of weeks ago when he took his baby from the older daughter and said “Give me MY daughter”.

[KA]
Yeah, it’s a trust issue. He feels betrayed by her. Things have been troubled for so long, he wants things to be simple again and not so complicated.

[STF]
That’s what we love about the show and Ann Biderman’s writing. It really makes you think, not just watch. You really get involved.

[KA]
Yes, she does such an amazing job with the show. It’s so involved and complex, really amazing.

[STF]
So are you ready to get back to work on new episodes if TNT renews the show?

[KA]
I am so ready. I can’t wait. We are all on pins and needles here waiting for some good news, hoping we can get back to work on it.

[STF]
I hear you have a new movie coming out this year?

[KA]
Yes, it’s called The Legend of Hell’s Gate. It’s about the Possum Kingdom Lake area of Texas and how it got the name of Hell’s Gate. I play an ex-confederate soldier who creates his own group of bounty hunters. I got to shoot guns, ride horses all over the place, it was a lot of fun.

[STF]
And you got to work with Summer Glau, too?

[KA]
Yeah, Summer Glau and a whole bunch of other amazing actors. The movie was also written and directed by a friend of mine, Tanner Beard, so the whole project was a blast.

[STF]
It sounds like a great movie, I can’t wait to see it.

So is there anything you’d like to say to the fans before we wrap things up?

[KA]
Just thank you for all the amazing things that you’ve done. You give an hour of your life to us every week, do so much to support the show, and we really appreciate it.

[STF]
Thank you so much for your time, Kevin, I really appreciate it and I know the fans will, too.

[KA]
Thank you, Bob.