If NBC hadn’t been such a bone headed network last year in wanting to put Jay Leno in the 10pm slot (we know how that worked out) virtually eliminating all the cutting edge dramas. One show that got caught up in the disaster was Southland created by Ann Biderman.
The show made its debut last night on TNT. It’s starting with the couple of shows that ran on NBC last spring and will soon air new episodes.
I’m a big fan of Southland. I love that a woman created a cop show that is more than just the shooting, it’s about the people. I was able to have a conversation yesterday with the amazing Regina King who co-stars on the show as Detective Lydia Adams. Regina started her career on 227 and is probably best known for her great work in Jerry Maguire. She has a long resume of great work which you can see here.
(Major thanks goes to W&H reader Stephanie Webster for volunteering her transcription services. I guarantee you there is no way I would have had this done as fast as she did.)
Women &Hollywood: Tell me why you wanted to do this show?
Regina King: A number of reasons. First, I wanted to do TV because I wanted to do something where I wouldn’t have to travel. Two, it was a John Wells production. And three because Ann Biderman created an incredible show and even more specifically a great role for an actress to sink her teeth into. As actresses we are always wanting to play roles that are complex and have many dimensions. They’re hard to come by and Lydia Adams represents so many women that I know in the thirty-five, forty, age range. Women who are successful but have probably gone through bad relationships. She’s gun shy and hasn’t really allowed herself to be available to be in a relationship let alone foster a relationship. And she’s kind of in a position where something’s missing in her life and so many women today are like that.
W&H: You spoke of Ann creating the show. Do you know if the character was written as an African American?
RK: No, she was not. She was just written as a woman.
W&H: There aren’t many shows that women create, especially ones that seem out of type like this. Is there a notable difference to you in terms of scripts you read and the things that you’ve experienced and that made this standout maybe because there was a female creator and also from John Wells who is so good on the girl stuff too.
RK: Ann is a smart woman and she is a brilliant screenwriter who’s done awesome characters for both men and women. The first that comes to mind is the one she did for Sigourney Weaver in Copycat. When you watch that movie, it was a woman that could have easily been a one dimensional character and she put layers on that. She made her have to overcome something and force her to have to come out of this box. I don’t know. I just think that when you have a woman that is a champion of women… There are some women who don’t really call themselves lovers of other women. They’ll say, ‘All I have is male friends I don’t have any female friends.’ So when you have a women as a friend and likes being a woman, your lucky as an actress because get someone who’s not going to write on the surface. Every episode is not about Lydia. You see other sides and personality characteristics in Lydia in every episode. The one similar thing in every episode is that Lydia is a smart cop. You can believe that when you watch this show that Lydia has not decided to be a cop because there was nothing left for her to do. Sometimes those are the reasons why a lot of people delve into law enforcement because it was either this or down another alley.
W&H: Lydia feels like the heart of the show. She just seems to be a life force in that show. Do you feel that?
RK: Now that you’re saying it maybe you could regard that character as the heart of the show because she has the most emotional weight. But I think just as the show unfolds you’ll start to see more of the emotion in all of the characters, the men included. I know Arija has a really great episode that comes up. I think it’s like episode ten or eleven where she’s really challenged with whether or not she’s still a good cop. And she has a really awesome moment where she makes a discovery. I don’t want to give it away. I think every single one of the characters have emotional weight but it just so happens that so far we’ve gotten an opportunity to see Lydia’s more. I think you have a character like Cooper, Michael Cudlitz’s character. You know I think we’re going to see him crack. He’s trying to hide behind this tough guy character because he’s a training officer. But he’s emotionally deep and emotionally damaged as well and you’re going to see that as well. And that’s what’s so great about being an ensemble piece. We’re not going to run out of stories. It’s not going to all be out there on the table in the first week. We get to peel these layers away. We get to see people in and out of their elements. You get a wonderful opportunity to see C. Thomas Howell. He is totally a broken man. It’s refreshing to see him in a character we don’t normally see.
W&H: How have you avoided getting into some of the things that happen with actresses today getting pigeonholed or playing roles that are not as necessarily as fulfilling as some of the parts that you’ve played? How have you avoided that pitfall?
RK: You know, I think luck. And they say luck is where preparation meets opportunity. I’ve always regarded what I do as an art form. I’ve never gravitated to the roles that were based on how you look. For example in Ray, I think all the women were great characters and I was asked to audition for any of the roles. My agent thought I would immediately go for the wife because obviously she has more screen time. But for me I just felt like there was more to Margie. I just think that I have been lucky enough to be able to pass on some things and still pay the bills. It’s not always people are making choices that are really shallow. I think it’s sometimes they’ve got to pay the bills.
W&H: I was devastated when the show was canceled. I think you would still be on NBC had they not gone into the whole Jay Leno thing. Is the TNT the right place for this show?
RK: I think that TNT is the perfect place for it. Sometimes when things are happening you’re like why is this happening? What’s going on? And then you get on the other side you realize wow I’m so glad that it happened. Not every situation is like that but we’ve all been in situations that have played out that way. And I just feel like that. It’s so unfortunate what is going on over there (at NBC). They were such an iconic network. And I have a special connection because I started out there. And I started out there in a time when they were doing things. When people were planning there nights around TV. Must See TV. Saturday night was not like a huge TV night. But it was for NBC with 227, Golden Girls, Amen. People stayed home to watch that. Now people don’t do that anymore unless it’s a cable network. NBC coined the phrase “Must See TV,” TNT coined the phrase, “We know drama.” Southland is a dramatic show. It is gritty. It’s not forgiving and I think people want to see that. People want to see stories that aren’t candy coated or scared to push the envelope. And that’s the show that we are. And that is what NBC signed on for. But we ended up someplace that is marketing us well. It’s just unfortunate.
W&H: Any advice you could give to women, specifically African American women, who are thinking about getting into the business?
RK: I would say that if it’s something that you truly want to do – then go for it. Especially since you’re saying be specific to black women. We so often in our community are taught to have a dream but you’ve got to be able to fall back on something. What happens with us is we’re so busy working on the fall back plan that we don’t nurse the dream. And if this is your dream and it really is what you want to do – make a real solid plan to execute your dream. And if you’re focusing a hundred percent on that – it’s going to happen. The universe will allow it to happen if all the energy your putting towards it is to that goal – it will happen. But have a plan. You need a plan. The plan can change but start out with a plan.
Southland airs on TNT, Tuesday nights at 10.
Transcription by Stephanie Webster
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