Michael Trucco may be best known for playing the Cylon Samuel Anders on Battlestar Galactica, but he’s now spending his time in human form on USA Network’s new series FAIRLY LEGAL, where he plays San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Justin Patrick, the estranged husband and current love interest of the show’s central character Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi).
Daemon’s TV was there when Michael answered questions about his character, the relationship between Justin and Kate, and whether or not he would return to Castle.
On why he wanted to play Justin
Michael explained that “I was looking for a departure from the character of Anders. I didn’t want to get pigeon-holed into one character type. I will always hold that character dear to my heart, but I just wanted to play something different-a human being in something contemporary.”
Because the show centers on Sarah, Michael was asked how he deals with not being the lead. He said, “There is a certain aspect of taking a second seat in playing Justin and you have to reconcile that as an actor,” but he also noted the unique nature of Fairly Legal. “We’re flipping the stereotypes of male and female characters on its head in the show and that presents a certain challenge to play a character who is the male prosecutor who would normally be the driving force behind the show and take a step down in the presence of Kate Reed.”
On Justin
“For Justin, the law is black and white. There is right and wrong; yes and no. There are winners and losers–just as long as I’m always the winner because I’m a prosecuting attorney and if I put you on trial, then you’re guilty or you wouldn’t be there. There is no ambiguity; there is no grey area.”
One thing Justin has that Michael tries to bring to all his characters is “a clear sense of purpose. Justin has such a sense of direction…and of loyalty.”
Michael hopes we will get to see Justin in court at some point. “I would love to see a high profile case with Justin in the lead. I hope we get to see Justin do his thing.” He thinks Justin would be tenacious in the courtroom, bringing “absolute clarity and absolute purpose. Losing is not an option.”
On Kate and Justin
Michael enjoys playing the Justin-Kate relationship because the characters are so opposite. “I like the dichotomy of the Justin character to Kate. Kate is a little bit more fly off the handle, by the seat of her pants and Justin has an approach that is more pragmatic and he has a sense of duty.”
When asked how Kate and Justin resolve their relationship, Michael said, “I think there is no clarity and that’s the irony. Justin in his work is all about clarity but when it comes to his personal life, they can’t make that judgment. They can’t decide yes or no. That’s what makes the relationship so complicated and makes love in general so difficult. These people are just not right for each other. They’re butting heads all the time, but there’s still a strong–physical attraction, obviously, but there’s also an emotional attraction. I think Justin is trying to find some resolution and he’s swaying toward a permanent separation just for some clarity, but that ain’t so easy. It’s just not so black and white when it comes to love.”
The success of Kate and Justin’s ambiguous relationship hinges on the chemistry between Sarah and Michael, and Michael said that chemistry developed on set. “It definitely developed in the pilot. When you’re thrown into a scene with someone and you’re half-naked, there’s not a lot of room for discussion,” he laughed. “You just jump right in and sometimes the dynamic works and sometimes it doesn’t. Sarah and I have a lot of fun working off each other, so we were very lucky because chemistry is something that you just can’t fabricate.” Michael also said we will see that chemistry develop throughout the season.
Michael said that he and Sarah have created a back-story for Justin and Kate throughout the process of shooting to add a sense of intimacy. “We tried to put little subtleties into certain scenes that weren’t necessarily on the page that I think translated well. There are scenes between Justin and Kate with a certain familiarity that only two people who’ve been together for a certain amount of time-married or living together-have. She might reach over and take a sip out of my coffee cup.”
Michael’s favorite scene so far is one that delves into the Justin-Kate relationship. He said, “Usually between these two characters, there’s usually a lightness, banter, sexual tension, but there’s a scene in an upcoming episode where all that pretense is dropped and the gloves are off. Justin lets her have it and it was a new aspect of the character to explore. There was no cute one-liner, no banter. He just dresses her down and it was pretty powerful.”
While the history of Kate and Justin’s relationship will be referenced, Michael said we won’t see any flashbacks in the first season.
On why people should watch Fairly Legal
Michael said there are exactly two words why people will enjoy Fairly Legal: “Sarah Shahi.” He gushed, “She’s fantastic. She’s full of energy, unpredictable, beautiful to look at. She anchors our show and this is going to put Sarah on the map. She’s a star in the making.”
He also said that he enjoys working opposite strong actresses and playing against strong characters because “it brings my work up.”
On his dream role
Michael said that his idea of a dream role has changed. “A few years ago it would have been a no-brainer-Superman. Now, I think something that has always been part of my DNA is that my father was a police officer. Before I went into acting full time, I had every intention of going into some form of law enforcement. I would love to don a police uniform; play a beat cop.”
One role you shouldn’t look for him to play is a dancer. “I hate to dance. I can say with 100% certainty you will never see me on Dancing with the Stars,” Michael joked.
On a possible return to Castle
Michael enjoyed his time on Castle, saying it was “a very comfortable atmosphere. It was a real treat, a real pleasure to get to play on that show.”
When asked if he would return, he said “I would do it again in a heartbeat,” and that he would welcome the chance to give his Detective Tom Demming character a better send-off because he thought “there were a few loose ends there.”
Fairly Legal airs on USA Thursdays at 10pm eastern/9pm central.
You can read all our Fairly Legal coverage here.
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