Marcia Gay Harden InterviewA&E: How does it feel, returning for another Spenser film?
MARCIA GAY HARDEN: It's the first time I've ever been involved with a recurring piece, and this will be the third year, and the third story. In one sense, it is like returning home to family, without all the dysfunction of returning home to family, because, in this case, it's also a new crew. But the core people, are the same, the core person, which is Joe Mantegna. He's so fantastic. He helms this ship, and everybody who you talk to around here just admires his ease and professionalism so much.
And then there's, of course, Bob Parker, the writer, and Michael Brandman, our producer. Each time, we get to have a new director, so that there's a new style and a new vision that we're trying to fulfill--within the style of this genre, which is kind of a celebration of modern film noir. And, it's a lot of humor, and yet it's action. You take it seriously, but it's also a little tongue-in-cheek.
A&E: A key difference with this story is that it is Susan who brings Spenser into the mystery.
MGH: My character, Susan Silverman, is a psychotherapist, or a psychoanalyst. She's this very professional Boston woman, somewhat cultured. And her counterpoint is Spenser, Joe's character, who's a little rough around the edges, and is a PI, private investigator, and who sometimes has to kill people, and is involved in the darker side of life. I think that she's attracted to that, and is also possibly repelled by it a little bit. So, Bob Parker has written someone who's comfortable, or at least analyzes herself into "comfortability", with what Spenser does.
In Walking Shadow, she's culpable, because she has asked him to investigate something, as a favor to her, so that she would look good. She says at one point that she's ashamed and fearful. One of the things that I'm finding in this story, is how it is when you are responsible for something, that the guilt background just rises so much. I think that's something that Bob Parker is exploring. There's also some fear you haven't seen before in her, although, I think, it's a more internal journey that she's on in this particular story.
A&E: They have an interesting relationship. It is very clearly deep and emotional, in spite of the very obvious differences in lifestyle and personality.
MGH: Their relationship is always, in some way, reflective of the difference in their personalities. They have a really good-natured banter, even in the most trying situations. But, there is the difference in their worlds. I definitely think she's attracted to his world. She's attracted to his strength, that he uses the power that he exudes, in being able to very fairly and very logically deal with the evil elements in his world. She deals with those elements in an analytical way, and a therapeutic way, and her talking-in-the-office-kind of way. He deals with them in a much more visceral, and tangible way. And so, there is a communion of sorts in what they do, and yet, the way they going about it is completely different.
And then, like any good detective story, there is this strong physical attraction between the two of them. That's something that Bob Parker, the writer, always puts in there, this fun that they have with each other, the way that they flirt with each other. There is constant sexual innuendo in their language, and those are the things that he's always bringing forth. There's one story, that maybe we'll do at some point, that also goes into the difficulties that she has accepting his world. That's one of the stories where I believe she chooses to leave him. We've talked about doing that. It sort of goes a little bit deeper into them.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020610000158/http://www.aande.com/tv/shows/walkingshadow/harden.html#
Ernie Hudson InterviewA&E: You're stepping into the role of Hawk. What is Hawk's relationship with Spenser, and what part does he play in this story?
ERNIE HUDSON: I don't like to think of Hawk as Spenser's sidekick, but he's a friend. He's a good friend. Hawk sort of has his own world in his own right. I think he's something of a hit man, he takes these special assignments. Sort of a modern-day urban mercenary, who does things on the "down-low," so to speak. But, Spenser's a friend, and when Spenser's in trouble, he's there.
This is a case where there's been a murder. It's a very dangerous situation for Spenser, so Hawk comes in as backup, which he's done before. I also like to think that Spenser's done the same thing for him. And, he doesn't interfere with Spenser's method of operation. Comments from time to time. Sort of watches. The relationship between the two is very much what I like to think of as my relationship with Joe Mantegna, who plays Spenser. I think he really respects Spenser. They have a very similar sense of humor, so they kind of "get" each other. They mend from their own error. As I get older, I realize that we are products of our times, much more than we realize. And, so, these are two men who are from the same time. There's a certain kind of commitment, a certain kind of loyalty.
A&E: So, it's important for the strong bond between the two characters to be felt.
EH: Right. I see the relationship that Spenser and Hawk have as very similar to my relationship with Joe Mantegna. I've known him for 25 years. We did a movie together with Nick Nolte years ago called Weeds, and we did Airheads together a few years back. I really like Joe, and we share somewhat the same sense of humor. I think the characters Hawk and Spenser have that in common. There's a certain mutual respect.
Spenser has a stronger support system than Hawk. He has Susan, he has his friends, he has a very good relationship with the police, oddly enough, whereas I think Hawk's is much more adversarial. And, Spenser has a life that Hawk admires, but it's not his life, it's not quite how Hawk does things. But, I think he respects him. And, Joe and I are that way. You know, he's produced and he's directed, and he's done some other things that I have no desire to do. So, I respect that, but it's not my take--it's not how I do things.
A&E: Were you familiar with the Spenser novels before you did this film?
EH: No, actually, I wasn't. Years ago, they had Spenser: For Hire, with Avery Brooks, and I really liked Avery's interpretation of the character. Robert Urich and I worked together a couple of years ago, so I was somewhat familiar, though I hadn't read the books. And then, since this came up, I've read four of the books. I like Parker, and I like his writing. My interpretation is a little bit different than Avery's, obviously. I think everybody's sort of bringing their own thing to it. I see Hawk as having a little bit more of a sense of humor. I think through the books, that's so obvious. In fact, that's probably the most dominant thing.
A&E: In a recent interview you said that to play the role of the warden in Oz, you shine your shoes because that's what your character does.
EH: Yeah. I think sometimes there are certain things that can tie you into a character, and you sort of stumble on them. I found that when I would go to the set on "Oz," walk into this prison environment, when I dressed, it changed the chemistry a bit. It was the shining of the shoes that really brought things to the forefront. I'm not quite sure with Hawk.
There was something about shaving my head, which I hadn't done in a very long time. It's kind of an urban, hip thing, it's very contemporary. It's certainly not the way I normally see myself. That has made it more accessible. I don't know if there's any specific things that I do that, that say Hawk. I'm still kind of working on the character. I'm still looking, and trying to find where I end and he begins. I mean, with Oz, it took me, literally, three years to find the character. Some are easy to find, and some are a little bit difficult to nail down.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020609204546/http://www.aande.com/tv/shows/walkingshadow/hudson.html
Eric Roberts InterviewA&E: What attracted you to this particular project?
Eric Roberts: What attracted me was the fact that I was going to be working with fantastic actors like Joe Mantegna, Ernie Hudson, and Marcia Gay Harden. They're great actors. I wanted to know what they were like.
A&E: Describe your character, DeSpain? Who is he, how does he figure into the story?
ER: In this story, DeSpain is a chief of police. He is corrupt, like I think most chiefs are corrupt. He's kind of a stud. This DeSpain's a man who you never see coming. He looks like one thing, which is possibly dangerous. But then he acts very polite, so he comes across like he's a cool cat--only he's not. He's got huge vulnerabilities, like all of us. The biggest one being that he's still chasing the love of his life, and he never quite gets hold of her. He doesn't ever make it, completely. He and Spenser have a past that is not perfect, but they respect each other. And they like each other, in an odd way. You know? But, they of course have to go their separate ways.
A&E: You mentioned that Spenser and DeSpain have a past. How does that fact manifest itself here in Port Town, many years later?
ER: Every time there is a murder, when the chief is about to show up, Spenser's always there. So we have to always cross paths, even though we don't want to. Well, even though I don't want to. We respect each other, and we even like each other. But we're both a pain in each other's ass, simply.
A&E: What sort of a man is DeSpain?
ER: Well, what motivates DeSpain in this story is love. And the loss, thereof, of love. That's what motivates him. He's trying to get back to where he almost started. But he doesn't. He basically fools everyone.
A&E: Were you familiar with the Spenser novels?
ER: Not at all. In fact, I was offered this project, and then I bought the book. It's a hard story, hard characters, hard book, and it's got to really kick you. I just love reading it.
A&E: Describe working with Joe Mantegna.
ER: Well I've known Joe for almost 20 years, and Joe has always been a friend. I always admired his work, and always will, I imagine. You know, he's a great actor.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020609205127/http://www.aande.com/tv/shows/walkingshadow/roberts.html