Angie Harmon is known best for starring as Detective Jane Rizzoli on the TNT television series “Rizzoli & Isles”. The show enters its third season on June 5th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Angie about this upcoming season and what we can expect.
Mike Smith: How have the events this season two finale change Rizzoli & Isles’ friendship this season?
Angie Harmon: I think, if anything, we all know how it ended last season. If all of us have had friends with people that we love or people that we care about. I just think that it’s a really, really great thing to watch as these two character sort of work around their difference and work around the horrible situation that has happened, and come back together. What I also love is the way that the other characters in the show recognize the love that these two girls have for each other and, you know, help in their own different ways getting them back together. You know what I mean?
MS: “Law and Order” was marked as one of the great shows because of the great writing. And, the first two seasons of Rizzoli & Isles also has that kind of great writing. Do you see the show continuing, probably not as long as Law and Order, but having a long run? And is that something you would – you would see out and continue in the series?
AH: Gosh, I mean, I think as an actor, we all want to work and we all enjoy, you know, the projects that we set on to do. I think my strongest feeling in that – in answering that question is that and I don’t mean this arrogantly, I mean this, you know, as a parent of three girls, I think our show is on sort of the “right side of the line,” if you will. And I feel that way because, you know, I have young girls come up and tell me how much, they want to be a criminologist; they want to be a homicide detective; they want to get out there and help people and things like that. And I take that to heart. I think that’s an accomplishment for our show. So yes, I absolutely would love that, outside of the fact that, yes, I’d be working for a long amount of time. But I think that we’d be putting something that’s very positive out there. You know what I mean? For girls, yes I would love that. Absolutely. But not just for the selfish reason. We’ve got a great show. There’s more to it than that. We have something here that is a very positive role model and something that, personally I think we need. When they did that survey and all the girls were like, there were kindergartners, and like, “I just want to be famous.” But none of them said how. That, to me, is alarming. Young girls come out of college and high school to walk up and say the things that they say, like I just said. That means a lot to me. Yes, of course I would love to keep doing that.
MS: Did you always know from the moment you started reading with Sasha Alexander that this was the person that you were going to work with that and that would work best with? Or did you have to develop it?
AH: You know what I think? I think, both. We brought in a few people for Isles. I think Sasha just kind of hit it out of the part because she got the fact that, Maura was just kind of quirky scientist, sort of socially awkward. But she also got the fact that, Maura had friends and had girlfriends and things like that. You know what I mean? That’s why she got the job. Sasha and I have worked together over the past three seasons now, obviously our friendship is going to grow and mature and all of those things. I mean, it’s certainly wonderful to go to work and like everybody that you work with as opposed to walking on the set and dreading it because everybody’s a nightmare. Which I think we’ve all been in those situations, whether you’re an actor, or whether you work in front of a computer. So, yes, I think it’s both. I think there was sort of an instantaneous recognition. And then I think there’s a friendship and a relationship that has grown and matured over the years.
MS: I was wondering what you thought of the (Hoyt Art). Do you feel that it was explored within a good amount of timeframe? Or do you feel like he was – he still had a little bit more he could have gone?
AH: No, I was completely comfortable with where Janet took that and how much time we spent with it. If anything that was a really, really fun day that I actually also learned a lot from as an actor. I mean, in that moment after she kills Hoyt, you know, Bruce was there and him coming up and hugging me and crying and all that. That was all ad lib. It just sort of happened, because that’s what would happen. And when you’re living a character and living that life, you just keep going until somebody says “cut.” Bruce coming in and doing that and nurturing Jane in that kind of way. I had to break from him and walking to my trailer like I literally, my left knee gave out as I was about to go down. And I got into my trailer and just threw up. I mean, it was a very emotional moment. And as an actor, I’ve never had that happen before. I’ve always been able to draw the line and known the difference between reality and what we’re doing. It was just a very, very emotional closing for me. But no, I feel that we gave him his time. We gave him his due. You know the last thing you want is for people to be like, “okay, seriously, you can’t catch this guy? You can’t get in front of him?” You know, so, no, I was very fine with it. And if anything, I was very, very thankful for that experience because it just sort up upped the ante on acting challenge.
