Dylan McDermott and David Hudgins – FBI: Most Wanted

By starrymag | April 12, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Dylan, you play a character who comes into a group of agents who are well-established. You’re the new actor in the group that’s coming in. I’m just wondering. Can you use that, being a new guy in the group, to play the new guy in the group?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Yes. Absolutely. And good question because funny enough, my first day at work was my introduction to the actors. So, that was great because Remy was introduced to them and Dylan was introduced to them at the same time, and they had asked me, “Oh, do you want to meet the actors, and would you like to sit down with them and talk to them?” I said, “No. I want it to be as if it’s Remy’s first day and Dylan’s first day coincides.” So, that was great because it was — They were checking me out. I was checking them out. It was a little bit awkward. Not sure. New guy stuff. So, it actually worked out beautifully.

Q) So, Remy is so that guy, but he also seems to be grounded and humble. While the team seems a little bit unsure of him at first, I feel like the case really sets him up to shine, and everyone looked really impressed. For both of you, Dylan, if we can start with you. Will it be smooth sailing moving forward between Remy and the team or can we expect some drama?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: It feels like — and David can answer this question better than me — but I feel like we’ve hit the ground running with the first episode, and we were into a case right away. So, I think that because these are professional people and these are agents, they know they have a job to do. Yes, maybe they have feelings, certainly, about who I am or where I came from, but I think that awkwardness really sort of diminishes after the first episode, don’t you think, David?

DAVID HUDGINS: I agree. I agree. I mean the idea of a new leader coming into a team is such an interesting dynamic to play as writers. You know, everybody has a different style. And what’s fun about this episode and even the next couple of episodes going forward is as we start to unpack more about who Remy is, you start to see the way the rest of the team is responding to him. One of my favorite things about the new energy and vibe of the team is there’s a lightness to it in a good way, you know? I feel like we can lean into the moment of the humor on the show now with Dylan. I think the way he’s playing him is very surprising both to the team, sometimes to us in a good way too. It’s like, “Wow. That’s great. We should lean into that.” So yeah. I mean there’s always the opportunity for drama amongst the team but I do think Remy coming into the team, he’s good at what he does, and he’s driven to do what he does, and I think that comes through with the team, especially at the end of “Seventeen” [Episode #317, airing April 12] if you’ve seen the speech he gives, you know, at the end. They understand what he’s doing. So, going forward, I think he’s gonna be a great leader for these guys. And he’s also willing to invest them, you know, with their own authority to do things. I think he trusts the team, and that’s gonna be building over the next couple of episodes as well.

Q) Just looking to that final scene and the backstory that we get of Remy, what can you both share, both Dylan and with how you’re portraying it, and, also, David, how you’re writing it, how that backstory is playing into how he’s handling cases and what you might tease about how he might get too close to cases at times when it hits a little bit too close to home.

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah. I thought it was important that when we were talking about the character, that there was a personal reason that he was doing what he was doing. It fuels me as an actor when I have that. And it’s proven to be true so far in doing these three episodes that I just completed. So, I always think that it’s always good to keep yourself rooted over time. Because I think on any show, you end up tiring, and I think that’s always probably the pitfall of a show. So, for me, I always like to find the few things that I can keep going back to, keep going back to and refreshing it for myself. And I think we found that with Remy when we talked about the backstory. So, I know that I’ve used it several times already and, hopefully, going forward, that I continue to use it. So, it’s a great thing to have. And what’s different about Remy, I think, than other procedurals is a lot of these shows, they’re just, you know, people doing things because that’s their job, and they do a good job. But with Remy, it’s very personal what he’s doing. He’s on a mission. He’s on a quest, and there’s a dynamic inside of him that he’s trying to figure out; his own psychology. So, he’s on a journey and I love playing that, to have that in my toolbox every time I go out and do a case.

DAVID HUDGINS: What’s interesting about it to me is it was a melding of the minds, wasn’t it, Dylan? We had already been in the writers’ room talking about, you know, what drives this guy. What’s the backstory going on here? And on the very first meeting that Dylan and I had, that’s one of the first things we talked about, and I said, “Fantastic. We feel the same way. This is what we want to do with this character.” And the other thing we wanted to do is, you know, we didn’t want to come in and play it as this big, heavy, dark secret, dun-dun-dun-dun that’s gonna always be underneath, you know, what happened to this guy? Who is he? And I love the way at the end of this episode he says, “Look. I’ll tell you about it. I don’t mind talking about it. Here’s what happened. Here’s what happened to my brother” and, you know, or tease at the end of that scene because that’s why you do what you do. He says, “Hell yeah.” So the fact that he’s an open book about it I thought was also fresh.

Q) That final scene. Dylan, that’s a huge scene for you, obviously, because what’s in that scene is going to stay with this character and with viewers of the show forever as long as you’re with this show. Can you talk about the playing of that because you’ve really got to invest yourself fully as if you’ve known this guy for a long time. Can you talk about your prep for that a bit?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah. I mean I love that scene. I loved working on it, and it’s great that I had time to let it marinate over a couple weeks I had worked on it. I do some of my best acting in my bathtub, and so I had done some incredible performances that nobody ever gets to see but I really was working on it. But I think that Remy is such a great character to play because he’s complex. He’s not just one thing, you know? And that’s what’s cool about him. You know, David and I were talking about this the other day. You think he’s one thing, and all of a sudden, he’ll do something completely different or say something, and he has a great sense of humor. In that particular scene, I think what’s wonderful about it is that at the end of it, he says, “Okay. That’s enough of the sad stories.” So, he knows that he goes right back — even though he is an open book in many ways, he likes to keep it light and fresh. He will go deep but at the same time, you know, he can only take so much. I had a scene the other day with my [Remy’s] mother as well, and I noticed, at the very end of it, again, he bounced back. And I love that quality about him, that, you know, he bounces back very quickly from any situation. So, the loss of his brother looms large for Remy in every single way. But at the same time, because he’s on this journey, he can only go so far. And I think that’s gonna be a wonderful thing to play as he deepens over time. You never want to start a character when he knows everything. I want this guy to evolve over time and to find out, you know, the secrets inside of himself and maybe that he doesn’t even know. So that’s a wonderful thing to play because if I’m playing this character for years, I want to unveil who he is. I want you to, in real-time, find out who Remy is and discover things.

Q) So, David, you previously said you’re building out an arc for Remy and an arc for the team that will hopefully all intersect by the finale. Is there anything either of you can tease about that?

DAVID HUDGINS: Well, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that the story with Remy and his brother, and he mentioned an upcoming episode with his mother, that there’s more to that story that informs Remy. There’s also some interaction with other team members that deepens the relationship as they all get to know each other. And then, it will all come to a head. I shouldn’t say it will all come to a head. It will make sense or at least it will reach a crescendo by 22 [episode #322] which is our season finale. How is that for an answer non-answer?

Q) Dylan, obviously, you just came off playing a real something-something over on “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” Since the “Law & Orders” do share a world with the “FBIs,” did that give you, beyond the page, did that give you any impetus to do something different physically with the character? Does he carry himself differently? Does he speak to people differently? And, David, similarly, once Dylan was cast in the role, having just come off a villainous role, did that make you more inclined to lean into the character’s lighter side?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: I think it’s — yeah. I think it’s really an interesting process because people, and I’ve been reading comments online and stuff like that, and people are saying, you know, it’s too soon. He’s Richard Wheatley. He’s a bad guy. All these comments about that. And I relish in it because I think it’s amazing that people actually believe that’s the character that I play, I’m him. And so they haven’t even seen the episodes, by the way. So I just love that because now they’re gonna see me in a completely different light from Richard Wheatley to Remy Scott. These are wildly different people and wildly different agendas in life. And I knew instinctively that I had been playing some questionable people along the way, and now it was time to play someone good again. And Remy Scott is that character. I mean this is a character that’s fully realized when we meet him, you know? You see this guy drive up, and he’s in action right away. We’re in a case right away, and you’re gonna see so many different facets of this guy that I think you’re gonna quickly forget about Richard Wheatley by the end of episode 17 [#317]. I think you’re gonna be like, “This is Remy Scott.”

DAVID HUDGINS: It’s a fair question. I will say, from the writer’s standpoint, from, you know, creating the show standpoint, it was not a concern because we had an idea of this character conceptually early on that was — you know, when Dylan came in, it just expanded even further but the idea was this guy is gonna have some energy and some lightness and some ability to connect with people which I do think is one of his biggest assets. So I wasn’t concerned about the Richard Wheatley of it all, especially when we started breaking the episode where Dylan comes in, and then when I started seeing his performances, I don’t — they are so different. And, look, when we were conceiving the character and speaking with Dick Wolf about it, and we got word that Dylan was potentially available, and then we got word that he was potentially interested, and then we cast him — we were thrilled in the writers’ room. We felt like we had a whole new — what’s the phrase — a whole new world to build in and a whole new character to go with. So I think — I agree with Dylan. I think by the time you see him in this episode and then the others going forward, you’re not gonna be thinking about Richard Wheatley which, by the way, was a fucking great character. So kudos to that.

Q) What kind of conversations, Dylan, did you have with Dick Wolf about this character and staying in the Dick Wolf universe?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Well, I think that we really developed a shorthand on organized crime. I went into that fully committed and knowing exactly who my character was, and I think that Dick and everybody at Wolf Films really recognized that, and then we did another eight episodes. I was initially contracted for only eight episodes, and then I did another eight. And then, when “Most Wanted” came around, I thought, “Wow. What a great opportunity to go from one Wolf show to the next” and sort of create an entirely different character and have people watch that kind of back-to-back, if you will. I just thought that was — I had never seen it done before, frankly, and I thought that’s cool. Let’s play with that. That’s exciting to me as an actor to be able to go from a wildly bad guy into a character who is so noble, and I just thought that was a great exercise for me as an actor.

Q) Dylan, you talk about how different it is playing this character but do you approach it different based on, you know, whether it’s a “good guy” or “bad guy?” Is there anything you kind of do differently as you’re thinking about it?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah. I think that you always try to find what’s real, number one, what’s real inside me that could play someone so horrendous as Richard Wheatley and someone who is as complicated as Remy. You look for the similarities inside yourself. That’s what I do, at least. I don’t know if every actor does that but I do that, and I try to make it as real as I possibly can and use facets of my own personality. Like, I’m using my own sense of humor in Remy, in playing Remy Scott, and I love that. So I try to steal from a little bit of me as much as I can because I think that grounds it and makes it real but every part is like a mathematical problem, you know? You try to solve that problem as you’re going, make sure it all adds up, and so far, that’s proven to be true.

Q) David, you mentioned earlier a little bit more lightness and humor with Dylan. So how does Remy’s leadership style compare to what the rest of the team is used to. And, Dylan, how does his leadership style mesh with the rest of the team?

DAVID HUDGINS: I think for the lightness, what I’m talking about is, you know, with real FBI agents, I’m not gonna pretend I know a million of them, but I’ve certainly met a lot, and we have consultants on the show. When you’re doing this job, it’s always very serious, and you’re always trying to catch your bad guy, pursue justice but, inevitably, there’s moments of humor that come up. It’s just the human condition. You know, sometimes even gallows humor. I think Remy’s ability to sort of do his job and be really good at it while at the same time not take himself too seriously. And to look for those moments of real connection not only with the people he’s dealing with in the case but with his own team. It just elevates the material. I always, when I started on this show, I was always like, “Yes, they’re always on a manhunt. That’s what’s exciting about this case.” But life happens while you’re on a manhunt. They don’t always have to be in the MCC [Mobile Command Center] talking about the case. They can be having the same conversation at a McDonald’s because people eat when they’re on the road and on the run. So, probably a terrible example but the idea is to bring a little bit more naturalness if that’s a word to the team and the show and let him guide people. And like I said, enfranchise them. You know, I think especially in “Seventeen” [episode #317] if you notice, he sort of has a moment with every member of the team, and he’s kind of feeling them out. And I think they kind of know that’s going on. But I think he’s gonna bring to it this ability for everybody — he’s not just barking orders and telling people what to do. He’s listening to people, and if somebody has an idea or a theory, he’s gonna entertain it. He ultimately makes the call, but I think he’s welcoming of everybody’s input on the team. And they can give him shit, and he can give them shit right back, and that’s gonna start to develop, you know, all within reason.

Q) Dylan, I have to say I’m so impressed with your knowledge of this character after just three episodes. And you spoke of the success that you had on “Law & Order” and how fans sort of really bought into the evilness of your character, if you will. To have that kind of success obviously requires an investment of time and energy and talent. I’m guessing you didn’t have a lot of lead time between “Law & Order” wrapping and “FBI” beginning. So, for you, what is the process or what is the challenge in this timeframe of shedding one character and then jumping right into another one?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Well, I have to say, most importantly, it’s the script, you know? I found myself daydreaming about what I would do on the show but I didn’t have a script. So, I was sort of limited in my daydream, if you will. But I would nonetheless — I always daydream about a character and I spend time with them. But then I got the script, and I was just so floored because it was so good and it was so detailed, and you really found out who Remy was and his backstory and his relationships and what happened to him, and then I was really able to dive, do a deep dive on him. And then, I talked to FBI agents and, you know, I do a whole host of things. And then, as I said before, I try to make it as real as possible for myself.

So, all those things kind of lined up, and I was eager to shed the bad guy. That was very successful for me but at the same time, I knew it was time to change. It was time to go into a lighter side of myself. So I was eager for Remy to show up, if you will, and he showed his face. And it’s just been wonderful to work on every day because there’s a level of it that I really enjoy because a lot of times, when you’re playing a character and it’s so wellworn, they start to take over, you know? It’s no longer Dylan so much. It becomes Remy, and that’s why I’m an actor, frankly. That fantasy, when you’re playing a character and then they start to feed you ideas, that’s when it’s fun. And that doesn’t always happen but it happened to me really since I turned 50 for whatever reason. I became free. I don’t know what it is about, you know, age but there’s a wonderful side to aging – and aging’s so bad but there’s also another side to the story. When you age, you become more confident. You become more yourself because you care less about what people think of you.

Q) At the end of the episodes, we watch Remy go into the motel and shut the door and have this very aggressive talk with the cult mastermind while the team kind of looks on as if, “Oh, what’s he doing? This isn’t really protocol.” So why does Remy need to have that talk and break down her whole plan? What does that say about him personally and professionally? And is that something that we can expect from him each episode?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: I’ll let David answer that a little bit.

DAVID HUDGINS: I’ll start by saying in terms of expecting it every episode, no. I mean we always try to vary what we call the takedowns in act four on the show. In this particular case, it felt totally organic to the story. There’s a moment in this episode that really was significant for me, and it’s a tiny moment. I don’t know if you caught it. It’s when Remy is at the church, and he’s watching the video of the preacher, and there’s a shot of him that Ken Girotti did, our producing director, and he sort of just cocks his head, and you can see the thought process going through Remy’s brain, and you’re wondering what this guy is thinking. And by the time you get to the end of the episode, I think he’s figured out, you know, at least the intention of the writing was, he’s figured out who this woman is, what she was all about. She’s gotten away with essentially reinventing and conning herself her whole life, and what he’s saying to her is “I see you. I know exactly who you are, and you’re full of shit. And not only that, you screwed up, you know? You screwed up. You think you’re so great. You made this one mistake. That’s why we’re here.” So, I thought it was a moment for Remy to really shine. And in terms of how the scene was shot and how it was played, Dylan, you should speak to that, if you wouldn’t mind.

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Sure. Sure. I think that every case is different and every approach is different because you’re dealing with so many different types of criminals. And I think this case maybe got under Remy’s skin a little bit, and she was duping a lot of people. And, again, this is what I love about him. Somehow, he takes it personally, and that’s the great thing about Remy. He’s doing great police work but at the same time, his justice meter is maybe a little bit different than everybody else’s, you know? And I go back to the mission. Remy is on a mission, and that brings passion when you’re on a mission. This is not just police work for him. As I said, he’s answering some questions inside of himself, and I think in that particular scene, in that particular case, he was deeply involved in it.

Q) I’m gonna ask a little bit of a different question but still related to the show and the story. Dylan, we’ve talked a lot about these amazing projects you’ve been a part of, and you’ve played “good guys,” “bad guys,” kind of all around. And then, David, if you have any input, it would be great to hear from you as well but when did you know that you wanted to become a storyteller, when you wanted to become an actor? Was there a moment out of all of these amazing roles that you’ve played where you knew this was something that you were meant to do and that you knew you would have a successful career at doing?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: You know, I don’t know if you ever really arrive at that. You never say to yourself, at least I don’t, “Hey, I did it. I arrived.” You know what I mean? I don’t know if ever works that way because there’s always another hurdle to climb, a mountain to climb, you know? There’s always something else. I decided a long time ago that I act for myself because I love it. This is what I love to do. And the same passion that maybe Remy has for solving a case, it’s the same passion Dylan has for acting. I just love being able to create a character. The most fun thing about acting for me is creating a character that’s so different. When you look at “Hollywood” to “Organized Crime” to “Most Wanted,” those are three vastly different characters. And I love that. People are gonna be able to compare those. I might be able to compare those to myself as well and say, “What can I do?” So the character acting stuff is the most exciting for me. And to answer your question, when did it start? I mean I guess I was doing “Equus” when I was 19 years old at Fordham University, here in New York, and I was on stage doing that play. A small voice came me during production when I was performing and said, “You can do this.” And that voice has stuck with me my whole life from 19 to 60. And I have believed that voice that I can do this. And I put all my stake in that voice because it’s that kind of passion and confidence that has driven me my whole career.

Q) Dylan, you’ve been in this character’s shoes for three episodes so far, you said, but I’m curious. What has surprised you the most about playing Remy that you maybe didn’t expect when you first stepped on set or read that initial script? And, David, what has Dylan brought to the character in his performance or his dissection of the character that really has been invaluable for you and the writers?

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: I’ll let you answer first, David.

DAVID HUDGINS: Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised because we expected Dylan to be good. “Thrilled” would be the word maybe to use in watching the first episode and seeing the first work because there is a freshness and a lightness that’s pleasing but also very grounded. I think Dylan didn’t take it too far because as he said, there’s something going on with this guy. I mean that’s one of the things that appeals to me about him as an actor is that you do feel like there’s something going on underneath, and that’s very interesting and exciting to explore as writers because it gives you lots of places you can go, and we’re talking about that in the room a lot, and it’s exciting.

DYLAN MCDERMOTT: Yeah. For me, it’s fun to be – – I haven’t been the lead on a show in a while, so it’s great — you have more time to explore when you’re doing more character roles. You have less time to do — and to get everything in that you want when you’re the lead on a show. There’s space. There’s landscape. And I feel like we have so much of that. I think we’re touching on a show that already works, you know? It’s proven that this show works on so many different levels. And now, I believe we have, for me, I have a character that I can play that it’s wide open. Like, so much can happen. Like, there’s so many things that can happen with Remy Scott over time, and to have that in front of me is the most exciting thing I can think of.

 

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*