Currie Graham – Murder In The First

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I shot a horror film that Mark Burg produced. He did all the Saw movies. I did another project after that, which I am not aloud to talk about until it is out.

Q) How was your character Mario Siletti on “Murder In The First” originally described to you?

A) I got a call from Steven [Bochco] and he sort of told me that I was going to be the chief prosecutor for the District Attorney’s Office. It was going to be a guy who has been going along in his life and then is sort of handed the case of a lifetime. He’s going to need to step up to the plate and really be on top of his game because it is a huge case. I think he is tough as nails and I think he believes in the truth. I think he is sharp and quick. He’s pretty relentless. He’s a bit of a pit bull.

Q) What was it about the show or the role that made you want to be a part of the show?

A) I think first and foremost it is Steven Bochco. I’ve worked with him before and I’ve always had great experiences working with him. He knows my work very well so he knows exactly how to craft characters that best suit me and really play to my strengths as an actor. I was also attracted to the show because I knew the cast was fantastic. I got a chance to see the pilot and Tommy Schlamme had done a fantastic job shooting the pilot. And the cast was phenomenal! I knew I was getting the chance to work with people like James Cromwell, Taye Diggs, Richard Schiff and Kathleen Robertson. I think the whole cast from top to bottom is really great. Certainly doing the show, I became really good friends with Tom Felton. It was a really nice set and everyone was really prepared. It was an exciting few months!

Q) Was there anything you added to the character that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I think that there is a transformation that happens with this guy that Steven, Eric Lodal and I had talked about that I thought was interesting. As this case becomes bigger, he sort of transforms himself from being just a regular guy to someone who is going to be in the public eye. I think there is a physical transformation that happens to him that I don’t want to give away. When you watch the show, it’s clear that he really steps up his game. I thought that was an interesting choice to make. It’s the same thing that happened in the O.J. Simpson case, how the lawyers transformed themselves because they were stepping up into the spotlight. They knew they had to step up their game, not just with their work, but also with the way they look. I think it was an interesting choice and I think it plays really well.

Q) You have played a number of attorneys. What is it about this role that continues to draw your attention?

A) It seems to be the other way around, that people seem to come to me for lawyers. I get a lot of phone calls to play lawyers and I think it is that I do enjoy the material and I enjoy the smartness of the words. To be a lawyer, your words are your weapons and your words are your power. So, it is a little bit theatrical almost. I really enjoy that part of playing lawyers. I like the idea of being able to sway people with your words and being able to tell your story and prove your case just through the power of your words. I think there is an element of power that comes with being a top lawyer and I think there is a level of confidence that comes with that. People seem to call me quite often to play lawyers and I am flattered and I certainly enjoy it.

Q) That sort of is a testament to your acting then because to be a lawyer you almost have to be an actor because of the showmanship and you have to find a way to convince people into finding you believable.

A) That’s exactly right. I talked to James Cromwell a lot about that. We sort of talked about the theatrical element of playing to a courtroom, to the media and the jurors. There is a level of likeability and a level of confidence that comes with believing in your case and selling that to the jury and the court. I think it makes it a lot of fun. It’s almost like a theater piece.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming the show?

A) I would say the shear amount of material that James Cromwell and I had was incredibly exciting. There were certain episodes where we would shoot all day, every day mountains and pages of dialogue. The sort of bond that I had with James Cromwell is something I will never forget because he is such a lovely, prepared, experienced just generous actor. He’s just a really interesting, fantastic guy. I just loved working with him and I can’t say enough about him. When we were at the wrap party when we started to say goodbye, I think he and I got a little misty because I think we really enjoyed each other. It was a real battle in the courtroom on screen because we really got after it, but certainly sitting in our chairs between setups we enjoyed each other’s company.

Q) What do you think it is about the show that will really draw viewers in?

A) I would say it’s the mystery. I would say a lot of people like to try to solve crimes. I think stories like “48 Hours” or “The First 48,” there are a lot of shows where they sort of lay cases out where people try to figure out who did it, how they did it and why they did it. I think this show will draw people in for that reason because there are so many red herrings and so many places the show could go. I wasn’t given the last script until the last day of shooting. So, even I didn’t know what happened. The fun we had on set about who was the killer, who did this and what happened. We would look each other sideways like, “Maybe it was you!” We really didn’t have any idea who it was going to be. I thought that was pretty interesting. I think the audience will come back each week thinking they have an idea who it is and then find out that maybe they don’t.

Q) You are a part of social networking. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll be receiving?

A) I do look forward to that because I think that in today’s world that social media sites allow the show to live on past the initial airing. So, I try to encourage fans of the show to continue a dialogue about the show even after it is over. And certainly leading up to the show week to week, the questions and the feedback I really enjoy. I’ve spent some time on Twitter now and certainly enjoy peoples’ ideas and tweeting back and forth with them. It is fun to get to know some of the fans. Before social media, your show would air and you wouldn’t really hear anything from anybody. Now, instantly people will tell you what they think and I think it gives the show life after it airs.

Q) Is there anything else you would like to tease to fans about the show or your character?

A) I can’t really share too much because it is all top secret. I think as the episodes go on the show really grows. I think it becomes more intriguing and it becomes more intense. I think the evolution of the characters for all of them (even the peripheral characters) have a great arc and a great evolution to them. I would say if you’re going to watch the show you better keep an eye on everybody!