Ramón Rodríguez is finest recognized for his roles in premium TV collection like HBO’s The Wire and Showtime’s The Affair, nevertheless it’s his work as govt producer and star of the hit ABC community procedural Will Trent that catapulted the Puerto Rican native to a different degree.
Whereas Rodríguez admits he was hesitant prior to now to take roles on community tv, he realized {that a} venture like Will Trent, carried out with ardour and with a robust artistic staff to collaborate with, might make high-quality TV that’s accessible to all. And it’s a bonus for his Latino neighborhood to see themselves represented by means of his contributions, and in supporting roles performed by lots of the neighborhood’s most revered names in Hollywood: John Ortiz, Yul Vazquez, and Gina Rodriguez.
This season, the procedural put Will by means of the wringer, tearing down a lot of his goals with the hope that one thing recent and thrilling will blossom when the present returns with its fourth season.
Rodríguez mentioned his love for the present, from the writing, appearing, and directing, to sharing a venture he’s so happy with with the present’s current fanbase, and all the brand new people who find themselves discovering the collection on ABC and Hulu, beneath.
Ramón Rodríguez as Will Trent in Season 3
DEADLINE: Trying again to the start of your journey with Will Trent, did you ever think about you’d be right here proper now with one of many greatest exhibits on TV?
RAMÓN RODRÍGUEZ: This enterprise is so wild. You possibly can’t inform when one thing’s gonna work and why. You possibly can’t predict it, nevertheless it’s confirmed as a result of we proceed to develop our fanbase yr after yr, each on ABC and Hulu. That’s remarkable at present with the state of the business; it’s a unicorn. I don’t know the way this occurs, however we work exhausting to create one thing particular and elevated, particularly for a present on linear TV. I used to have a stigma about that. I used to be at all times slightly reluctant about community and broadcast tv. After I nonetheless had time to look at TV, I turned to HBO or different premium channels. So I assumed, if I used to be going to work on a broadcast present, we’d push the envelope with prime quality in each side, which is what we’ve carried out. My companions and I are dedicated to placing within the work creatively, and I’m happy with what we’ve carried out thus far with Will Trent.
DEADLINE: Is it ever a problem for you when taking part in Will, navigating his heartbreaks and unhappy origin story?
RODRÍGUEZ: It may be heavy and emotional. The character takes me by means of some powerful, emotional stuff, but the present can be actually gentle with a comedic component to it, which isn’t a straightforward balancing act to execute. I give a number of respect and props to our writers, who I do know are within the trenches as a result of I get deep in it with them. I take the title of govt producer very critically. It’s not a conceit title. It turns into difficult, in fact, particularly once I’m appearing in a number of scenes, however I’ve been capable of work it out. The connection between me and the showrunners, Liz Heldens and Daniel Thomsen, is particular. It’s a partnership constructed on belief and continuously discovering new and thrilling methods to maintain the present recent. That’s an thrilling a part of the method for me.
DEADLINE: We did a not-so-scientific examine on the recognition of the present, and all roads result in Betty. What say you?
RODRÍGUEZ: Hey, it will probably’t damage when you may have a lovely, lovely canine that’s the best-behaved chihuahua I’ve ever met. Chihuahuas could be little terrors. My sister had one like that. However we discovered essentially the most skilled, well-behaved one to be my co-star. You understand, once I learn the pilot, the scene the place Will adopts Betty from the shelter, that’s what hooked me in. It instructed me a lot about this character, who could be sort of off-putting, and so compartmentalized and sq.. Beneath all of these layers, he confirmed he has an immense quantity of coronary heart. He wasn’t going to let this canine be deserted like he was. It helped me hook onto that and perceive him. That to me is a large a part of this character.
DEADLINE: Even with all his challenges, Will retains going, even when generally he wants a break to course of. This season, Will by accident shoots and kills an harmless little one, and it comes near breaking him. How did that have change his life?
RODRÍGUEZ: That was devastating for him. I’ve heard from regulation enforcement about that episode, they usually share how a lot it affected them, as a result of this kind of factor occurs in actual life. Every thing from his expertise: the heaviness, the doubt, not wanting to the touch the gun once more, and what that does to you psychologically. I give credit score and appreciation to our Puerto Rican author, Rebecca Murga, and director Crystal Robertson; they crushed it.
That second was in regards to the rug being pulled from below Will’s toes, which he hasn’t been capable of get better from this season. I think about it’s going to take us into the subsequent season, as effectively. It was powerful for Will as somebody who’s at all times making an attempt to be on the appropriate aspect of the regulation. He’s anyone who morally and ethically does the appropriate factor, nevertheless it occurred, and it was a mistake. This was additional exhausting on Will due to his historical past and the luggage he carries from his childhood rising up in foster care. He simply desires to assist individuals and youngsters, so taking a younger life was devastating for him.
To steadiness the heaviness of an episode like that, we see him two episodes later in a hallucination the place he’s in a cult and he’s drugged, and is now dancing. Everybody loves him, and Betty has a British accent, which was ridiculous.
Erika Christensen as Angie, Ramón Rodriguez as Will, and Bluebell the Chihuahua as Betty
DEADLINE: This season, Will and Angie transfer on to different relationships. Whereas issues didn’t work out for Will and Marion (Gina Rodriguez), Angie and her new love curiosity, Dr. Seth McDale (Scott Foley), are having a child. How does Will match into this new actuality?
RODRÍGUEZ: It looks like actual finality [for Will and Angie]. That will likely be a enjoyable dialog we’ll get into in Season 4, about the place they’re at now. I really like that we ended it exhibiting that Will exhibits up for Angie, even when it crushes and completely devastates him. He desires to be there for her although it was a extremely powerful second. Everybody on set was emotional. It was a really tense and hard factor as a result of he sees the factor that Will has at all times needed be so shut, however out of his attain.
DEADLINE: It was significantly unhappy as a result of May even met his father. There was a little bit of a deal with fatherhood this season. What are you able to share about working with Yul Vazquez?
RODRÍGUEZ: Sure. I’ve at all times been inquisitive about who his father can be. We had alluded that it may very well be James Ulster, however we by no means closed that loop. So I introduced up the dialog for Season 3. We all know who Will’s mother is, Lucy Morales, who’s from Puerto Rico, however who’s his father? So we determined to usher in the character of Sheriff Caleb Roussard, and we have been lucky sufficient to forged the unbelievable Yul Vazquez. Standing subsequent to one another in full hair and make-up, we might go for household. I believed it. It was actually powerful for Will to just accept, obtain, and perceive that actuality. I really like that scene after they’re within the hallway they usually’re arguing whereas concurrently making an attempt to maintain the door closed to maintain out the dangerous guys. They sort of make amends, however the degree of power by no means adjustments; they stored yelling at one another. We nonetheless don’t know so much about that character, which will likely be thrilling and fascinating to discover in Season 4.
So sure, discovering that data out, coupled with discovering out that Angie’s pregnant and that he’s not the daddy, it’s all very, very, very loaded. And to tip it over the sting additional, the season ended with Amanda (Sonja Sohn), Will’s solely maternal determine, in a hospital mattress, not realizing how that can finish. We needed the finale to have everybody Will considers his household and shut mates, be pulled away from him. He was left principally alone within the finale, however he did have Betty by his aspect.
The interview was edited and condensed for size and readability.
