944.com has published a new interview with Ben Mckenzie. He talks about TV series ‘Southland’ and more. You can read it below. Enjoy!
The Reconstruction
What Happens to a Former Teen Heartthrob with a Claim to Fame as a Boy from the Bad Side of the Tracks on The O.C.? For Ben McKenzie, it’s Building a Reputation for Being Quite a Serious Actor
Although many people might know him from his stint as Ryan Atwood in The O.C., Ben McKenzie is ready to make waves again on TV with Southland, a gritty, realistic LAPD cop drama. After a false start as the next great thing on NBC, the fan favorite and critically-acclaimed show will return on TNT in March and the 31-year-old Austin, Texas native will get a chance to shine once again as Officer Ben Sherman.
While McKenzie has been seen in films like the indie hit Junebug and 88 Minutes with Al Pacino, the young actor has made most of his appearances on the small screen and with any luck, will stay there for a while.
McKenzie has maintained a pretty low-key private life, which suits his laid-back demeanor and celeb-free upbringing. In fact, it’s given the actor a little chance to sit back and enjoy the ride a little.
944: So what exactly happened with Southland getting cancelled? This was what NBC was claiming to be the show to take the place of ER.
BEN MCKENZIE: Well, we got cancelled two weeks before we were going to premiere again on NBC after we had already been renewed for a second season, so it was pretty unexpected. Nobody saw it coming, so that was a shock. So we sat around and assumed — well, it’s not likely that network shows get cancelled and are picked up again by another network, so when TNT came along, it was a pleasant surprise.
944: Where does TNT want to go with the show and how did they know it would click with their audience?
BM: TNT wants to get into a grittier, more realistic program and they understand better than NBC did, the feel of the show. Now we can be a little more edgy and unapologetic, which we couldn’t do before. With NBC, we were trying to fit a square peg in a round hole as far as what the show is, which is to explore the lives of copes in 21st-century century LA in an intimate character-driven way and not a procedural show. But what sparks with an audience? That’s the million-dollar question. If we knew that, every show would be a fit but, in fact, 99 percent of them fail.
944: The shoots are kind of hectic, though, not only because you have real cops and real gang members in them, but because of the constraints you have, right?
BM: It’s very frenetic. We’re trying to do a lot in a short amount of time in several locations every day, so we’re constantly moving all the time in a 12-hour day. If a helicopter flies by, the response of the crew is, “Quick, grab that shot and pan back down and don’t break character”. We’ve had some helicopters come by because we have a relationship with the LAPD now. It is a high-stakes environment because you only get one or two takes sometimes.
944: Does working with the cops make you appreciate your job a little more?
BM: Yeah, it does. It gives you an appreciation for how easy you have it. They’re on set all the time because they’re our background and extras, so half of them at least are real cops and there’s an on-set advisor that’s ex-LAPD, so we’re surrounded by cops and can’t get away from the cops. They love to tell stories and love to point out if you’re doing anything incorrectly. Cops are not shrinking violets by any stretch of the imagination, so they’ll tell you what’s going on. It’s probably the most gratifying aspect, finding law enforcement fans of the show because they enjoy it and have the best BS detector so if they come up and tell you they like it, that means a lot.
944: Your research includes ride-alongs with the LAPD. What’s that like?
BM: From the ride-alongs I’ve done, it’s one of those jobs that’s unpredictable. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you’re in a non-life-threatening situation but all the time you’re in a potentially life-threatening situation because any time during your 8 or 12 hour shift, you get the call on the radio and it’s a shooting, stabbing, robbery — everything. Even domestic disturbances, which are a large part of the calls, aren’t threatening to the cops, but they can be. It just takes a gun, knife or someone that’s on a mind-altering substance. It’s funny, cops are relaxed and aware, but they’ll see things on the street out of the corner of their eye and they’ll turn around, flip on the lights and you won’t even know what the hell they’re talking about but they saw a guy across the street who has reached into his pockets and is trying to hide contraband or a gun.
944: A little bit different than The O.C.
BM: Yeah, a lot! [Laughs]
944: What was that whole experience like for you looking back on it now?
BM: Very gratifying. I’m very grateful for the fact that I was able to get my break on The O.C. It did an enormous amount of things for me, not the least of which is giving me a lot of experience on camera. Money, fame and all that stuff are nice as well.
944: What has fame been like for you? It affects everyone a little differently it seems.
BM: It’s cool. It’s still a bit surreal, maybe amusing. At the end of the day, you sort of either buy into your own hype, your ego gets swollen and you cease to become a normal person or you have to take it all with a grain of salt, do the work and let the rest amuse you, because it is kind of funny.
944: But you seem even happier these days. You must be very proud of the show.
BM: Absolutely. Promoting something you don’t love is a pain in the ass and depressing, but to promote something I love is cool. I’m proud of it. I go, “Fuck yeah, and let’s do it. Whatever we need to do to get people to watch.” That’s a nice feeling.
