Friday I got a chance to chat with Shawn Hatosy, SouthLAnd‘s Detective Sammy Bryant, about SouthLAnd and this week’s episode What Makes Sammy Run? that focuses on his character. It was an enjoyable time me talking with him, which hopefully carries over in text here for you the fans, as his passion for the show and the character was clearly evident in every word that he spoke.

Shawn Hatosy as Det. Sammy Bryant

SouthlandTvFans.com [STF]
Thanks for doing this, I really appreciate it. I know the fans are really going to love it.

Shawn Hatosy [SH]
Well thanks for the support.

[STF]
You did get to see your birthday greetings?

[SH]
I did, yeah, I saw them. I did. On your site, there?

[STF]
Yes.

[SH]
Yeah, that was awesome, and unexpected. I think my father pointed me to it and I it was unexpected and it made me feel great, so thanks.

[STF]
The fans had a great time doing it and you and Michael started a tradition there.

[SH]
Well good. Well, we have the same birthday, which is unique.

[STF]
It’s kind of unique to have two actors in the same show with the same birthday like that.

Your father is great. You have an amazing champion there, especially on Facebook.

[SH]
Yeah. I think that my father’s enthusiasm for the show, as well as the fans’, it speaks to what a wonderful show it is. For me, it’s really the first time I’ve had the experience of working on something, while also at the same time I’m a fan of the show. I really enjoy everything about it, even the episodes I’m not in. I watch it like you guys and I’m so curious to see what’s going to happen next. It’s quality television and and I’m excited to be a party of it.

[STF]
I think that’s pretty evident to everybody watching the show.

[SH]
Yeah and it really is a unique experience because I think all of us feel that way. We’re sort of in it together and we really care for it. We’re protective of this thing. No matter what happens, even if it’s just these 13 episodes, I’ll always to these last 18 months as a very special time in my life. You know, fingers crossed, I hope we do more.

[STF]
We’ve got a pretty strong feeling about it. We feel pretty positively about it.

[SH]
That’s good. You know, I don’t think we’d be where we are if it wasn’t for the fans. I really don’t. I know that people say that you guys are responsible, but I really think what people are saying on Facebook and Twitter and the Cudlitz Army, all that stuff it really has had an effect on TNT’s decision. I hope it continues, I really do.

[STF]

Well, we all have our fingers, crossed.

So, What Makes Sammy Run? That’s quite a title.

[SH]
(laughing) You know, one of things that drew me to the pilot episode of SouthLAnd, or to the character of Sammy Bryant, was his relationship with Janilla in the first episode and sort of how he was able to, you know, get a phone call from Tammy that was just crazy and then in the next breathe sit down with these three witnesses and did “the dance” and was able to do his job. Did his job with compassion and did his job well. So anyways, for “What Makes Sammy Run” there’s another character that was created, this young boy Casper, that is sort of on the fence on whether or not he’s going to be involved in this gang lifestyle. Sammy sort of makes it a priority to try to help this kid. As Sammy is very emotional, I guess he takes it personally and makes it sort of his mission. This episode sort of explores all the different things that can happen in a situation like that. Cheo [Hodari Coker], who wrote the script, it’s just a great script. It’s one of the reasons that I was so excited to be a part of the show. It’s a very dynamic episodes.

[STF]
We saw Casper on this weeks episode.

[SH]
Yes.

[STF]
I loved the fake arrest scene.

[SH]
He was actually in episode 2, as well, but they did some shifting so one of the scenes got cut. He [Jonathan Castellanos] was a great actor and a cool young kid.

[STF]
Overall, as things have really changed for Sammy in S2 over S1 with the appearance of Gil Puente, Laz Alonso, and your involvement in the new Task Force, would you say that’s put a strain on your relationship with Nate as your partner?

[SH]
I would say so. I think what the writers are doing is giving us some cool stuff. I mean, from my understanding of things, this sort of partner juggling goes on all the time. They’re spending so much time together as partners, it’s like you’re being cheated on. Laz Alonso is coming in and creating this love triangle if you will. And he’s a terrific actor, man. We’re just lucky to pull the talent that we’re getting. That’s evident in the scenes, especially in this evident this episode coming up it sort of comes to a climax.

Yeah, it’s tough man. Tough from Sammy’s point of view because he’s sort of the odd man out and that’s never a good feeling. As an actor I don’t really know where they’re going either, so it can also be a bit of a thorn in your side, too. Obviously I’m pretty comfortable in my position on SouthLAnd, but it’s just kind of like “Whoa! Where are we going here?” But it creates drama and tension, and you know, also from Lydia’s perspective I know that the fans seem a bit confused about what happened to her partner. But you know that shit happens all the time. All of the sudden her partner is injured, she gets another guy, and then there’s another guy. It’s kind of like this tumultuous thing.

[STF]
I think what confused the fans and viewers about that, was not so much the partner change and that Rene Cordero was gone and Ray Suarez was there, but that the writers didn’t mention it at all or give an explanation. As in, “oh, you’re my new guy”, it as just all the sudden he was there.

[SH]
Well, shit happens. Also, we didn’t know that we were going to get canceled. Not that has anything to do with it, but we only have a couple of episodes left, but there isn’t a lot of explanations for many things. Why we’re only half way through a season and it’s effectively the last episode, and possibly for the series. There was no opportunity to go back in and say, you know, this is how this stuff ends. It’s just kind of life.

[STF]
I don’t know if you know, I talked to Kevin Alejandro yesterday, too.

[SH]
No, I didn’t know.

[STF]
Yeah, he had some very complimentary things to say about you.

[SH]
He better! (laughing)

[STF]
He said you guys have a very good working relationship.

[SH]
We do, we do. You know, it’s just fun working with him. You guys get to see it a little more with Ben & John, because that’s been kind of the focus, but we have that stuff going on with us too. It’s just only whatever a 40 minute show and you can only get to so much. Yeah man, he’s a great actor.

[STF]
We get the feeling that things were headed in the direction of focusing more on you two when the show got canceled.

[SH]
Yeah, I know. It’s like the first season, we only got 7. Every time we get full steam ahead, there’s a hiccup, but that’s television.

[STF]
You will get more chances!

[SH]
Alright, well, I hope so. (laughing) I hope so. I like this show, and I like LA. The people are great.

[STF]
Now Sammy’s also have a lot of tension at home with Tammy.

[SH]
Yes, that can be frustrating.

[STF]
Of course, they’ve always had a bit of tension, but it seems to be getting worse, now.

[SH]
It’s hard for me not to just say “What the fuck is wrong with her?” I can say fuck, right? We’re on the internet? (laughing)

[STF]
Yes, that’s just fine. (laughing)

[SH]
I can also, looking at that relationship from an outsider’s point of view, I’ve definitely seen dysfunctional relationships. While it’s easy from an outsider’s point of view to say “God, why doesn’t he just end that,” when you’re in one of those relationships its dysfunction is what makes you live, you know. It’s almost the same as an addictive relationship with a drug or something to that effect. It’s poisonous, but addiction by it’s very nature is hard to break the habit. I wish I could say I haven’t been in those relationships, because I have and I have experienced them. It’s so hard (laugh). You look at it from the poor guy’s perspective, it’s like “She’s crazy, she’s crazy, she’s crazy.” Well there’s something there that keeps in him in it. While it’s very easy to point the finger and say Tammy needs help, what really needs to happen is that Sammy needs to look inside himself and see why he continues in those patterns.

[STF]
When you look at them though, from the fan perspective, look at them, yes it looks like she’s crazy and everything but you can also see they’re in love.

[SH]
They are. They are. It’s almost like what is it that makes it. Where is it coming from? What do they give to each other, what do they bring to each other?

[STF]
It’s a great dynamic to see and it’s obvious that Emily Bergl, she’s an amazing actress. Playing that kind of crazy character cannot be an easy task for her.

[SH]
No. No, no, no. I think she takes a lot of heat, too, because of the things that she does to this kind of likable guy, but yes she is terrific. She’s one of those that can take a scene and paint it many different colors. Often times not what I initially envisioned when reading the scripts. She’ll bring this different dynamic to it. Yeah, she’s terrific.

[STF]
Now with the tension at work with Gil and the tension at home with Tammy, do you think the two are related at all? Or do you think it’s just that they’re both there and kind of bouncing off each other?

[SH]
Yeah, I think that one thing has, that’s the one quality of Sammy that I was always drawn to was his ability to separate the things.

[STF]
Compartmentalizing?