Listless
2007-11-03 17:14:02 UTC
Selleck Plays the Odds on 'Las Vegas'
Jay Bobbin, Zap2it
Zap2It.com
November 2 2007
Tom Selleck knows the crapshoot that series work can be, so this
season he's
betting on a sure thing.
The television veteran and "Magnum, P.I." Emmy winner has joined the
cast of
"Las Vegas" in the fifth year of NBC's Friday drama. A month into his
run,
his character remains something of a mystery. A.J. Cooper is the new
owner
of the Montecito Resort & Casino, and just as private eye Thomas
Magnum's
background unfolded over time, so it is with Selleck's latest alter
ego.
"I only know about him what I've done so far," the actor says, "but he
doesn't replace James Caan. He's a cattle rancher from Wyoming who
supposedly has a lot of money, and he doesn't know anything about
running a
casino, which makes the character fun. That presents an opportunity to
do
not only drama, but humor."
Lighter "Las Vegas" moments also have continued with Danny and Mike
(Josh
Duhamel, James Lesure) vying to succeed Ed Deline (Caan) as the
Montecito's
new security chief. The returning female regulars faced peril at the
end of
last season -- Vanessa Marcil's Sam was bound and gagged inside a
trunk on
an airborne plane, and Molly Sims' Delinda was on an upper floor of
the
Montecito blown up by a disturbed patron -- but they still get funny
moments, too.
Selleck is grateful to have such material so soon in his "Las Vegas"
stay.
He explains, "The fact that NBC took a long time to make the deal kept
me
from meeting creatively with (series creator) Gary Scott Thompson and
the
other producers. I signed the contract the day I started working;
that's a
weird way to start something, but I still think the character is
pretty
interesting.
"He is the boss, and he's the kind of person who will be the boss.
Beyond
that, there are missing gaps in his history, even though hotel
security has
ways to check into someone's background. They just can't figure out
very
much about him. He's a risk-taker and a real entrepreneur, and he's
developing relationships with the other characters. There's plenty to
play
with that."
Even so, the makers of "Las Vegas" also are counting on Selleck to
carry the
role by using his own persona "for better or worse," the star says. "I
can't
just show up and expect people to watch me. It takes writing and
preparation, but that being said, I'm used to how television works. I
remember on 'Magnum,' we'd sometimes get a script, decide to throw it
out
the night before and write as we went along. Anything is possible, so
I
don't find developing a character on the fly completely threatening."
Another definite aspect is that Cooper is an ex-Marine, which Selleck
says
"gives him a bond, and in some sense a rivalry, with Danny. Once
you're a
Marine, you're a Marine for life." In picking up with other continuing
characters, Selleck has had a less sure path. "They gave me DVDs of
last
season to watch, and the last one -- which was the season finale --
was a
bad DVD."
"Las Vegas" isn't the first example of Selleck joining an ongoing
series. He
played Monica's older boyfriend on "Friends," and more recently, he
had a
recurring role as Shirley's ex-husband on "Boston Legal."
Accepting such a part, Selleck says, entails "a leap of faith. On
'Friends,'
they were nice enough to call me and pitch the story. I liked the show
and I
trusted them. With 'Boston Legal,' I had an advantage because
[creator-producer] David Kelley had written the role with me in mind.
When I
read it, I said, 'Shoot, I've got to play this.'
"With this, there wasn't a blueprint. Jimmy is kind of irreplaceable,
and I
wasn't about to just take over his character. The other things I cared
most
about were that they'd make this a collaborative work in progress, and
that
Jimmy left on good terms. He's a friend, and that turned out to be the
case."
Selleck began work on "Las Vegas" early for two reasons. The producers
wanted to get ahead in the event of a Writers' Guild of America
strike, and
Selleck had a late-summer commitment to be in Nova Scotia for "Jesse
Stone:
Thin Ice," his fifth CBS TV movie about the small-town lawman created
by
novelist Robert B. Parker.
The new film didn't have an air date at this writing, but Selleck
still is
basking in his Emmy nomination for the preceding one, "Jesse Stone:
Sea
Change." Also a producer of the movies (the first three of which are
available on DVD), he's proud of how they've held their own, even in
repeats.
"CBS took a risk on these at a time when TV movies weren't performing
well
(in the ratings)," Selleck reflects, "so I'm grateful. These look more
like
feature films, and I think networks get a little worried about that."
Jay Bobbin, Zap2it
Zap2It.com
November 2 2007
Tom Selleck knows the crapshoot that series work can be, so this
season he's
betting on a sure thing.
The television veteran and "Magnum, P.I." Emmy winner has joined the
cast of
"Las Vegas" in the fifth year of NBC's Friday drama. A month into his
run,
his character remains something of a mystery. A.J. Cooper is the new
owner
of the Montecito Resort & Casino, and just as private eye Thomas
Magnum's
background unfolded over time, so it is with Selleck's latest alter
ego.
"I only know about him what I've done so far," the actor says, "but he
doesn't replace James Caan. He's a cattle rancher from Wyoming who
supposedly has a lot of money, and he doesn't know anything about
running a
casino, which makes the character fun. That presents an opportunity to
do
not only drama, but humor."
Lighter "Las Vegas" moments also have continued with Danny and Mike
(Josh
Duhamel, James Lesure) vying to succeed Ed Deline (Caan) as the
Montecito's
new security chief. The returning female regulars faced peril at the
end of
last season -- Vanessa Marcil's Sam was bound and gagged inside a
trunk on
an airborne plane, and Molly Sims' Delinda was on an upper floor of
the
Montecito blown up by a disturbed patron -- but they still get funny
moments, too.
Selleck is grateful to have such material so soon in his "Las Vegas"
stay.
He explains, "The fact that NBC took a long time to make the deal kept
me
from meeting creatively with (series creator) Gary Scott Thompson and
the
other producers. I signed the contract the day I started working;
that's a
weird way to start something, but I still think the character is
pretty
interesting.
"He is the boss, and he's the kind of person who will be the boss.
Beyond
that, there are missing gaps in his history, even though hotel
security has
ways to check into someone's background. They just can't figure out
very
much about him. He's a risk-taker and a real entrepreneur, and he's
developing relationships with the other characters. There's plenty to
play
with that."
Even so, the makers of "Las Vegas" also are counting on Selleck to
carry the
role by using his own persona "for better or worse," the star says. "I
can't
just show up and expect people to watch me. It takes writing and
preparation, but that being said, I'm used to how television works. I
remember on 'Magnum,' we'd sometimes get a script, decide to throw it
out
the night before and write as we went along. Anything is possible, so
I
don't find developing a character on the fly completely threatening."
Another definite aspect is that Cooper is an ex-Marine, which Selleck
says
"gives him a bond, and in some sense a rivalry, with Danny. Once
you're a
Marine, you're a Marine for life." In picking up with other continuing
characters, Selleck has had a less sure path. "They gave me DVDs of
last
season to watch, and the last one -- which was the season finale --
was a
bad DVD."
"Las Vegas" isn't the first example of Selleck joining an ongoing
series. He
played Monica's older boyfriend on "Friends," and more recently, he
had a
recurring role as Shirley's ex-husband on "Boston Legal."
Accepting such a part, Selleck says, entails "a leap of faith. On
'Friends,'
they were nice enough to call me and pitch the story. I liked the show
and I
trusted them. With 'Boston Legal,' I had an advantage because
[creator-producer] David Kelley had written the role with me in mind.
When I
read it, I said, 'Shoot, I've got to play this.'
"With this, there wasn't a blueprint. Jimmy is kind of irreplaceable,
and I
wasn't about to just take over his character. The other things I cared
most
about were that they'd make this a collaborative work in progress, and
that
Jimmy left on good terms. He's a friend, and that turned out to be the
case."
Selleck began work on "Las Vegas" early for two reasons. The producers
wanted to get ahead in the event of a Writers' Guild of America
strike, and
Selleck had a late-summer commitment to be in Nova Scotia for "Jesse
Stone:
Thin Ice," his fifth CBS TV movie about the small-town lawman created
by
novelist Robert B. Parker.
The new film didn't have an air date at this writing, but Selleck
still is
basking in his Emmy nomination for the preceding one, "Jesse Stone:
Sea
Change." Also a producer of the movies (the first three of which are
available on DVD), he's proud of how they've held their own, even in
repeats.
"CBS took a risk on these at a time when TV movies weren't performing
well
(in the ratings)," Selleck reflects, "so I'm grateful. These look more
like
feature films, and I think networks get a little worried about that."