Behind the Badge with ‘Southland’s’ Michael Cudlitz (CinemaSpy.com / 14 Feb 2011)

http://www.cinemaspy.com/Interviews/Interview-Behind-the-Badge-with-Southlands-Michael-Cudlitz/5024?q=Interviews/Interview-Behind-the-Badge-with-Southlands-Michael-Cudlitz/5024&p=2

If you had to describe John Cooper to someone, or on a profile form, how would you characterize him?

He’s a dick, but you love him [laughs]. John is someone who takes his job very, very seriously. He does not suffer a fool and he doesn’t judge people unless they have put themselves in a position where they’re asking to be judged. And I would say they are hand delivering their stupidity to him. At which point he absolutely refuses not to comment on it.

One of the things that makes this show so enjoyable is the fact that it’s largely unpredictable, which is how life is…

The show, in a lot of ways is not serialized. You can sit down and watch one episode of our show and pretty much know what’s going on with everybody. There are some subtitles that are built up over the course of the show…but you can still watch an episode of the show and get it, and be satisfied by it. What that tends to do is enhance the real life situations and emotional states that we go through. People die. But when people die the entire world doesn’t stop. A guy died today. Well you know what, tomorrow we still have to go out and police the street.
So we don’t necessarily deal with things in a linear fashion that people have become accustomed to on television…and we don’t tie everything up in a neat little bow.

photo : TNT

Our regular Thursday night chat turned into a treat for fans when cast member Shawn Hatosy (Sammy) joined us for a Q&A chat. We went into moderator mode so as not to overwhelm Shawn with the nearly 175 questions that were submitted. Shortly after Shawn left, C Thomas Howell (Dewey) stopped by also. We will be posting that transcript in the next couple of days.

Make sure to join us every Thursday at 9:00 pm Eastern time for our weekly chat. We never know who will stop by to join us.

Below is a transcript and there are a couple of things you should know.

You will see the name of the person/chatter. The chatter’s name will have a letter in parenthesis after it, indicating that it is a Comment ( C ), Question ( Q ), or just a Post (P) to the chat room. If it’s a comment or question, then Shawn (“shawnyhats”) will have an Answer (A) following.

jbeaton(Q) Where was the scene filmed where the gang member had to dig the hole?

shawnyhats(A) Lancaster — way out in the middle of nowhere –the actor who played the banger was incredible

maryellen(Q) Shawn, is there going to be repercussions for Sammy for what he did to the banger?

shawnyhats(A) there might be more to this story — that’s all I’ll say

Kathryn(Q) What has been your favorite scene to shoot this season?

shawnyhats(A) All the scenes with Nate are memorable. I miss that guy — saw him last night at the wrap party (continue reading…)

Very positive review / 8 Jan 2011 http://dreamingbetweenthelines.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/the-return-of-southland/

Wells and Biderman negotiated the complex demands of this season opener skilfully; sketching with the lightest of touches enough details of the key players’ back stories to allow new viewers to know them, while accelerating them into new challenges. There were delicate echoes of the pilot “Unknown Trouble,” and also of the last episode aired, “Maximum Deployment,” but these echoes were artfully reframed, with quiet evolutions shaded in.

Michael Cudlitz was the MVP of this episode as John Cooper, fighting his excruciating, debilitating back injuries, and desperately begging for the help of his ex-wife to sustain his painkiller addiction. His tragic, haunting expression as she rushed away from him in tears was the key moment of the episode, locating the show’s heart amidst the chaos and tension. Ben McKenzie also did great work executing the path the writers seem to be laying out for his role, as Ben Sherman drifts from the hotshot, by-the-numbers rookie, to a more experienced, weary, rule-breaking patrol cop. Regina King hit her emotional beats compellingly as Lydia Adams, perpetually dealing with the horror that her detective faces, and never quite getting numb to it.

(continue reading…)

Preview: Will Season Three of “Southland” Deal More With John Cooper’s Sexuality? (AfterElton / 28 Dec 2010)

Are you excited about the return of Southland next Tuesday night on TNT? That might depend on how well you feel the show has handled the fact that John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) is gay. Some gay viewers are frustrated that the first two (abbreviated) seasons haven’t shown more of his personal life or made his sexuality more explicit. Indeed, despite revealing that particular plot point at the end of last season, some straight viewers still aren’t convinced Cooper is gay. (continue reading…)

VIDEO Michael Cudlitz & Ben McKenzie Talk ‘Southland’ Season 3 (TV Squad / 28 Dec 2010)

I hit the set of ‘Southland’ — a.k.a. a random residential neighborhood in L.A. — to catch up with Cudlitz and McKenzie. They talked about their onscreen partnership, who’s the biggest goofball and the show’s tighter focus on their characters, Regina King’s Det. Lydia Adams, and Shawn Hatosy’s Det. Sammy Bryant. They also dished a little about upcoming storylines, pill addictions, nudity and more.

Read more…

(continue reading…)