Titus Welliver – Bosch

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

A) I am right now in the process of promoting a pilot I did for Amazon Prime that is called “Bosch.” I play the title character, Harry Bosch, which is based on the novels by Michael Connelly. Bosch is an LAPD Robbery Homicide Detective and in the pilot we’ve combined two books City of Bones and Concrete Blonde and for the first season.

Q) Please tell us the premise for the show and about your character.

A) The story begins with Harry in court for a civil lawsuit. He’s being sued by the family of a man whom he shot and killed, but was a serial killer and a rapist. They are trying to sue him for wrongful arrest. In the interim, Bosch takes a different rotation for the weekend and is called because a dog has found a human bone in the Hollywood Hills. It turns out, that as they track it back they find a shallow grave with the skeletal remains of a thirteen year old. It’s a Cold Case because the body has been in the ground for many, many years. Then, those stories are intertwined as Bosch catches this case.

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

A) First of all, the writing is top drawer. I loved the Bosch books and I loved Michael Connelly’s writing. I read the screenplay that he and Eric Overmyer wrote and I just felt that I desperately wanted to play this character. I really, really gravitated to the material. Fortunately, they cast me in the role. So, I’ve got my work cut out for me. He’s a very deeply nuanced character. There is nothing cookie cutter about him at all. He’s a very deep character and a very human character. He’s very sort of attainable and very introverted to a certain degree, emotionally, but is also quick to express himself. He’s very bright and very driven. He also has a great moral compass and he has a great mind. He says, “Everybody counts or nobody counts.” He takes each one of his cases very, very personally. So, he kind of has an Ahab like drive. He really is the advocate and speaks for the victims. It’s a wonderful character.

Q) How did you prepare for the role?

A) Michael Connelly sent me all of the books, but I did not have time to read them all. He said to specifically focus on City of Bones and Concrete Blonde. So, I read those two books, which gave me tremendous insight into the character, his history and (to a certain degree) how to play him. That was part of the preparation, as well as having conversations with Michael Connelly. I also spent time with the detectives who are our technical advisors that are long time close friends of Michael Connelly to just sort of get a feel for that world. I did a thing called “Shoot – Don’t Shoot,” which is a computer simulator with different scenarios projected on the screen. You have an interactive weapon with you and you have to make split second choices as to whether or not to use deadly force. Since that plays a big part of what Bosch has to deal with, having shot someone, it was very helpful. Also, it was to realize how incredibly difficult that job is. One of the detectives said in his entire career he had never had to shoot anyone and had only drawn his weapon as a precaution for his safety. It’s really interesting someone doing police work that long and dealing with the worst of the worst in society that he’s been able to capture these people without having to kill them.

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

A) Originally, Harry was written as a Vietnam veteran, but because of my age, that didn’t work. They wanted to keep it up to date because his military background is a very integral part of the character. So, we moved him up to having served in Special Forces 5th Group in the first Gulf War and and then after the tragedy of 9/11 he reenlists and, again with the Special Forces 5th Group, fought against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the mountains and the caves of Afghanistan. So, he’s updated in that way. Other than that, we didn’t change anything. That’s the great part of having Michael Connelly as an Executive Producer and creator of the show. We’re staying true to the book, where as I think if somebody else took it away, sometimes I think there is a temptation to change things to sex them up  or whatever for a lack of a better term. And that wasn’t how we were at all. We are totally faithful to the books in that regard.

Q) Was the cast chemistry instant or did you take some time to bond?

A) We didn’t have time to bond because I was in Hong Kong finishing up the last bit of filming Transformers 4. The only kind of bonding we got to do was Jamie Hector and I sort of sat for an hour and got to discuss our characters together relationship with director Jim McKay. We met at the table reading, everybody got to say, “Hi,” and then we left. That bonding process took place on set and I have to say it was a wonderful group of people everyone gets along really well and works so well together. It’s a dream come true!

Q) What was your most memorable moment from filming “Bosch?”

A) In the sequence, where I am pursuing and tracking Roberto Flores, which ends up with Bosch shooting him in the alley. It was a night shoot and we had to have a rain machine. This was in December, so it was quite cold. We were freezing cold and soaked to the skin and we started to get hypothermic. So, that wasn’t fun. But the end result is that it looks really good on film and everybody survived it completely unharmed. I would say the whole experience was a fond memory for me. I got to go to work with fantastic actors, people whose work I have enjoyed and respected for quite some time. To look across the table and work with these people was a tremendous reward. It was really lovely.

Q) What do you think it is about the Amazon Network that makes it a great home for “Bosch?”

A) If you think of it from a sales point of view, Amazon has sold a lot of Michael Connelly’s books and his fan base is global and enormous. The idea that is if you’ve ever bought a Bosch book you get a tap on the shoulder online letting you know that “Bosch” is going to be a series. As far as marketing, it’s a way to create a kind of connective tissue. I would think if you went on to buy a Michael Connelly book you would be alerted about the show. If you went on to buy a film or television show that I’ve appeared on, or the other actors on the show or creators have worked on that there is kind of a connective tissue that leads you into the “Bosch” rabbit hole. I think it’s very smart.

Q) You are a part of the social networking site Twitter. Are you enjoying the instant feedback you’ve been receiving when fans see the show?

A) I don’t read (and never have) reviews of my work. You either get a swelled head or a broken heart. Neither state is desirable. I have not been going on Amazon and reading a lot of the comments. Someone of them get tweeted to me, specifically things that are positive. I have been doing social networking via Facebook and Twitter and interacting with the fans. I get feedback that way, which is more personal. I have to say, the support from the fans has just been staggering. It’s effusively warm and supportive of the show. I’ll check in with Twitter and they’ll say, “We’re down half a point of something, come on people let’s get it together and rally!” A few tweets later it will say, “Now we’re three points above where we were.” It’s nice to interact with the fans because aside from when I’m walking down the street and interact with someone, it allows me to connect with the fans. It’s not from the size of my ego, it’s to feel connect and that way they also feel connected. They count! They really count! Because without the fans, you have nothing because they are the ones that watch the shows and the movies and come to the theater and it’s nice to be able to thank them directly and personally for contributing to the successes of things that we do. It’s really nice.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would just like to say thank you for sticking by me through all these years and being so supportive and seeing the films an coming to the theater and watching. It’s also fun to have some banter. Thank you for the many years of support at the beginning of my career and up until now. Thank you for going to the theater and going to see the films and things that I have done. Thank you also for reaching out in public and people are always very, very sweet, kind and unobtrusive. I thank them for their support. Without them, I would not be enjoying the career that I have and that I am so grateful for.