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1/26: New TNT show tonight “Trust Me.” Interviews with Tom Cavanagh, Eric McCormack
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I interviewed both Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”) and Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”), the leads of a new TNT show debuting tonight called “Trust Me” (after “The Closer”). I had originally intended for some print story but I ended up doing a comparison between “Trust Me’ and the new Fox show “Lie To Me.” instead.
“Trust Me” stars Cavanagh as the mildly irresponsible, creatively brilliant ad man Conner and his more responsible bud Mason (McCormack). Their boss keels over so Mason becomes the boss, causing tensions between the two.
Here’s Q&A from the two of them. First, Cavanagh:
Q: Is it a pure coincidence both you and Eric are from Canada?
Cavanagh: I only want to work with Canadians. No. It was completely coincidental. The show is so heavy on story, so heavy on the both of us. We wanted to make sure who we are playing off each other. I was really excited to here I’d be working with Eric.
Q: So you signed on together?
A: We were both sent scripts and asked which roles we’d be interested in. We both went for roles we liked for us. We ended up being a good match.
Q: It’s fair to say your character isn’t all that mature?
A: He’s not the most mature cat in the world. He’s a womanizer and a drinker. Yet he’s really good at his job.
Q: What happened to [short-lived CBS drama] “Love Monkey”?
A: That was a project we really liked but it was on the wrong network. We go seduced. It was our fault. This is a network that leans on police procedurals. This was a drama that is not life or death. Nobody is swabbing blood and semen. We should have been wary going there.
Q: I hear “Eli Stone” [in which Cavanagh played the lead character’s drunk dad] isn’t going to be renewed. Surprised?
A: I don’t know. Surprised? Saddened, certainly. I think the people who run that show and the show itself are first rate. There’s room for a show that is a little more esoteric and harder to grasp than any police drama.
Now McCormack:
Q: How come you took time off after “Will & Grace”?
A; I think if I had jumped right into something else, that would have been a big mistake. I needed to decompress. The fact is ‘Will & Grace” has not gone away. It’s in reruns. You need to give people time a chance to allow you to be somebody else.
Q: Are you tired of being though of as Will after all those years?
A: I always laugh. Will was a seminal role. Look—I’m a student of television. The greatest performances are always hard to follow up. I don’t look back and think that Carroll O’Connor’s role in “In the Heat of the Night” was as important as Archie Bunker. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. After two years break, doing some movies and theater, I missed the day to day interaction of having a character I could have fun with week in and week out. I do like television for that. I like the ongoing mystery of building that character’s life.
Q: “Trust Me” is not quite a comedy, not quite a drama. It’s that dramedy thing that’s quite popular now.
A: I was really happy to find something in between. Sitcoms are an endangered species anyway. All the networks are talking hours anyway. I’m glad to have found this project. I like the writing. It’s smart and funny. I’m not a doctor or lawyer or cop. I’m in advertising. It’s a new area to play in. The one thing Will has in common with Mason is he’s the dad. He’s the one who naturally wants to control and organize.
Q: What’s Tom like on set?
A: He’s constantly making the crew laugh. He’s fantastically wired. I’m probably more of the Jack Benny droll comment in the corner guy. I’m also an organizer so the character’s qualities are based on me.
Q: Debra Messing got back into TV just like you but she also went basic cable. Is there a difference between cable and broadcast?
A: There certainly is. The tables have turned. When “Will & Grace” strated, networks wer eon top and battling for No. 1. The place to go for drama and comedy was broadcast. Now the balance has shifted. NBC is now airing Leno in spots where dramas used to be… TNT has been amazingly supportive. I have billboards all over town. I never had a billboard of “Will & Grace” in Los Angeles. There’s a level of support and comfort. And we know no matter what, we have 13 episodes.
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