A Martinez – The Bay

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) Was there anything you have added over the years to your character that was not initially for them on the page?

A) Nothing of particular weight. Mostly my contribution has been in the “connective tissue” of the scenes I’ve played: the articulation of the fragments of thought we cycle through while we’re trying to find the right words to say what we really mean. This habit lifts the sense of moment-to-moment truth in the work, but some productions consider such an approach to be distracting. “The Bay” has always welcomed it.

Q) What continues to challenge you about the character you portray?

A) The pace of the shooting is the hardest thing to cover – as an extra heavy workload has always been a hallmark of serialized drama. The grace in it, of course, is that those of us who work in the genre are literally forced to find more efficient ways of managing time and energy. And that greater efficiency spills over into the other aspects of life.

Q) What episodes were the most memorable for you to film or maybe challenged you the most?

A) I’ve had many scenes with Kristos [Andrews] that left me thinking about them for a long time after. There’s a father and son subtext in play between us at times that strongly fuels the work. Jade Harlow and I –– as Liana and Nardo –– rode in the back of a car one afternoon and had a pointed conversation about our shared struggles with depression. That scene blew up into some unexpectedly emotional improvisation that drew hard on real life, and later I found myself thinking: “This is why we become actors –– to work on healing something inside that’s broken and not easy to get to.”

Q) What do you think it is about “The Bay” that continues to make it such a fan favorite show?

A) The depth of emotion that runs through so many of the characters is basically off the charts. There’s a sense that things matter profoundly to the people we follow in this community; and they have a great sense of freedom in expressing their desires –– it’s an intoxicating combination if you decide to let it in. (And it doesn’t hurt that some of the most ardent characters are also astonishingly compelling as physical creatures.)

Q) What are the other upcoming projects that you have been busy working on?

A) I’ve got a western coming out this year called Far Haven; a role in the Netflix live reboot of Avatar: The Last Airbender; a regular role in the first season of “Blue Ridge” and a regular role in the second season of “Dark Winds.” It’s as busy as I’ve been in a long time, which is kind of strange after all these years in the game. But also deeply satisfying.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of the work you’ve done on this special series?

A) That I deeply appreciate the attention and enthusiasm of those of us who love “The Bay.” As much as any project I’ve ever joined –– this show is a bona-fide labor of love. “Build it and they will come” is one of my all-time favorite expressions of hope. Gregori Martin took that expression to heart –– and made it come true.