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By Suzanne

Interview with Callie Thorne of "Necessary Roughness" on  USA 8/23/12

I was on this call, but I didn't have a chance to ask a question.... we are only supposed to ask one or two questions, but some journalists ignore the instructions and just go on and on....then it ruins it for the rest of us, who are patiently waiting!

CALLIE THORNE CONFERENCE CALL
Moderator: Amanda Altschuler
August 23, 2012
1:30 pm CT

Amanda Altschuler: Hi, everyone. Thank you for joining today’s call with Callie Thorne, the summer finale of “Necessary Roughness” will air next Wednesday, August 29, on USA Network. We welcome your coverage to coincide with that date. As a reminder, please ask one question at a time, and we’ll make sure to come back to you if time permits.

Due to Callie’s instruction schedule, we’ll need the call - we’ll need to wrap this call in about 30 minutes. At this time, please welcome Callie to the line.

Callie Thorne: Hello, everybody. Thank you for joining us today. Operator...

((Crosstalk))

Amanda Altschuler: We’re very happy...

Amanda Altschuler: Please open the floor for questioning.

Operator: At this time, if you would like to ask a question, please press Star 1 on your telephone keypad. Your first question comes from (Alexandra Pachetta) at (unintelligible).com.

Callie Thorne: Hello, (Alexandra).

Alexandra Pachetta: Hi, Callie. It’s a pleasure to speak with you. I’ve spoken with many others who have be on “Necessary Roughness”, but I’ve never had the chance to speak with you, so it’s a pleasure.

Callie Thorne: Oh, (unintelligible) I wanted to do.

Alexandra Pachetta: I wanted to ask you about future (unintelligible), as I know a few things then, I wanted to know something about the path to personal wealth that awaits (unintelligible) herself. What I mean is that she asks everyone to figure out their life, including the romantic ones, sometimes.

But it seems that while she knows what she wants, because I think it’s pretty clear at this point that what she wants and needed next, she won’t admit it to herself, and she has a hard time figuring out how to get there. And I know there are many complications in upcoming episodes, including Dani going to see a therapist for herself...

Callie Thorne: Yes...

Alexandra Pachetta: That we would see that in the winter. But, and I also know that at the end season, there will be one case in particular that will be a wakeup call for her in terms of, stop waiting and putting happiness on hold. The life doesn’t last forever, and you need to grab it while you can. Can you tell us a bit more about the past (unintelligible) upcoming until the end of the season?

Callie Thorne: Well, that, in think that, in regards to the past, it’s such a good question, you know, because she is the fixer, and, you know, the idea of this fixer needing help to be fixed herself. And in regards to Matt, it’s, you know, that - how we’ve seen that relationship come to such a big wall in regards to the fact that Matt definitely wants kids, and Dani sort of makes this big sacrifice because she doesn’t want kids, and she doesn’t want to feel like she’s stopping Matt from his own dreams.

So, there - it’s obvious that they love each other, but now they’re in this weird limbo. And it kind of sets up her feeling vulnerable and - in regards to her relationship with Nico as well, and how they are polar opposites and always have been as men, and in her life and as we’re coming to this summer finale, because she - we see her in her private life, in the most vulnerable in regards to her kids as well, and points that they’re reaching in her life, it’s sort of, every which way she turns, everything feels like a question.

And she can’t answer them. And yet, where we go to in a little bit is that we finally see her reach out for help and (Peter McNichol), who plays the therapist is genius. And those therapy scenes -- I don’t want to give anything away -- but, they’re really eye-opening for her, and very surprising.

But this point now, this strange limbo that can be a little bit paralyzing, leaves her to wonder whether or not she’s making the wrong decision with Matt and possibly finding herself losing the love of her life and then because of the work circumstances, suddenly it - there’s this open possibility with Nico, which then throws her into, you know, mass confusion.

And the one thing that it does do, it keeps her grounded in the work, because that’s the one place that she can go to that she knows answers and she can, you know, use her own questions to help her guide her patients and help them.

But then at the end of the day, she’s still struggling and it - thankfully, you know, that’s what we do on our show, and we don’t tie everything up in a bow. And I think it’s very interesting for the audience to sort of be with her in the present and see that she is a woman, you know, with the relatable problems that everybody can find themselves in.

Alexandra Pachetta: Definitely. And I know that involves (unintelligible) as well, right, because a lot her (unintelligible) coming up...


Callie Thorne: That’s...

((Crosstalk))

Alexandra Pachetta: That her relationship with Matt as well, right, as well. There’s a lot of trouble (Rayga) gets in...
((Crosstalk))

Callie Thorne: Oh, (Raygay)...

Alexandra Pachetta: (Raygay) trouble...

Callie Thorne: Yes...

Alexandra Pachetta: That’s what links back her relationship with Matt as well, right?

Callie Thorne: Yes. That comes up in a little bit, and you know, because (Rayjay) is sort of - he’s becoming man. And he’s - he finds himself in a situation where he - he’s wanting and needing to make these choices that, as mother, Dani can’t come to grips with.

And, again, that’s a place where every mother finds herself at some point, whether it’s for the son or daughter. And I - the way the writers handle that hurdle - it is a parallel in regards to her own life and to some of the patients that come her way.

And I think that whether or not she makes mistakes, whether they’re with her love life or with her children or her own placement in her life, there all seems that - I think and hope will make others contemplate their own choices in life and that there’s- I don’t think that things can ever be right or wrong, it’s just the paths that you take, the forks in your life.

And that’s really where we find the - in the season finale, is it’s about the forks in life, and that there’s no right or wrong, it’s just the way that you handle yourself and following the truth that you find yourself in. And that’s just struggle. That’s hard to do, but it makes everything that much more worth it.

Alexandra Pachetta: Definitely. Thank you so much.

Callie Thorne: Of course, thank you.

Operator: And a question comes from Lisa Steinberg, (Starry Constellation Magazine).

Callie Thorne: Hi Lisa.

Lisa Steinberg: Hi, Callie. Good afternoon. It’s such a dream come true to get to talk to you. I’ve loved you ever since “Rescue Me” and I’m sure (unintelligible), but it’s a real pleasure to get to speak with you.

Callie Thorne: You too.

Lisa Steinberg: Thank you. I know - you just talked a little bit about Dani’s evolution, but I want to speak a little bit about your own evolution through the character. You - I also write for the Huffington Post and I wrote an article about “Necessary Roughness” when you were nominated for your Golden Globe. And I Callied your portrayal “achingly beautiful.”

Callie Thorne: Yes, I remember, which I thank you for tremendously. That is ingrained in my mind.

Lisa Steinberg: Well, I - I mean, the words say it all and I want to find out how you evolved as an actress through playing these really powerful, strong female roles that kind of seem to be a little bit rare nowadays, you know, with shows like The Closer going off the air.

Callie Thorne: Yes. I feel very, very lucky to be in this place, you know, especially jumping from “Rescue Me” with a role like (Sheila) into the role of Dani, and you know, they are polar opposites. And - but one is not easier than the other.

And I remember that we spoke about stuff like that before. But, especially through the second season, and especially now, with the mid-season finale, as an actress and as a woman, because Dani - though I have a lot similarities with Dani, how she is at work and how she - the drive that she has to, you know, follow a path for her patients and follow a path for herself, and that she, you know, has guts, or at last will fake it until she makes it.

You know, and I try to live myself that way. The fact that she’s a mother and, you know, also the place where she is in the triangle in her life and, you know, the idea of possibly losing the love of your life, those are things, at least right now, I know nothing about in my real life.

And it makes playing this character one of the richest times of my life because I have to do my homework. I have to sit and think. You know, sometimes with a role or with a scene, it’s something that you can just, you know, say, what would I do in this moment, and you just stay honest and you follow through on, you know, your connection with the other actor.

But there are a lot of moments in “Necessary Roughness” where, you know, I have to take a timeout. I can’t joke in between takes, which, you know, we are all wont to do. I have to sort of separate myself, and whether or not that means listening to particular song or remembering conversations that I’ve had with other women that are in places like that.

It’s why you (unintelligible), it’s why you become an actor. You want to find those places and tell those stories as honestly as you can, but it’s putting yourself through that thought process that will then, hopefully, elevate my real life and how I handle myself in my real life.

I can’t think of another job that would ever let me do that or ever lead me down those paths and I feel very grateful.

Lisa Steinberg: I’d also like to hear a little bit about the fan feedback that you receive. I know that you don’t have, you know, Twitter and the social media aspect of getting that instant feedback, but are people still coming up to you in Atlanta where you film, or...

Callie Thorne: Yes...

Lisa Steinberg: From home...

Callie Thorne: In Atlanta, we are incredibly well-received as a cast, and, you know, I don’t have a lot of free time, but that free time I do spend, you know, with the boys, whether we’re going to movies or going to dinner, or sometimes, you know, with our crew because we’re such a tight-knit family that even though we’re together for 12, 13, 14 hours a day, they’re also the people that you want to go laugh with after work and dish, and you know, sort of giggle about the good and bad times.

And here, wherever we go, people - it’s really funny, because they may not know our real names, but they - everywhere I go in Atlanta, somebody is yelling out, “Hey, Doc,” which always makes me giggle.

And I love it, you know, for “Rescue Me”, people always yelled out “Crazy Sheila,” right? And here, it’s “Hey, Doc.” And you know, I even went on vacation over the Fourth and I was in Savannah, and, you know, it’s something that really warms my heart, because it just - whether or not people are connecting with the story lines or connecting with a certain character, I love that people are comfortable enough to come up and, you know, talk to me, and ask me questions about who I’m going to end up with.

And all of our fans, no matter how old or young, men or women, everyone just is always really very elated. Either - they - I love that people want to ask questions. It isn’t always, like, will you sign this, or you know, can we take a picture, people want to talk.

And, they’re, and you know, they’re always like, I’m sorry, you know, I don’t’ mean to bother you, and we’re all like, Oh my God, you’re not bothering us. This is a joy, you know, because then you - it’s easy to forget sometimes that the show is airing because we’re in Atlanta.

We’re not in New York or L.A. where you’re doing more press because that’s where the press, you know, a lot of the press is. And so it actually sort of feeds our egos, obviously, but it also feeds the, you know, us running back to work and wanting to continue telling good stories.

Lisa Steinberg: Well thank you so much again, Callie, for speaking with us this afternoon. Again, it’s like a dream come true. I really appreciate it. I love your work.

Callie Thorne: Lisa, you’re so kind. I love talking with you.

Operator: Your next question comes from (Danielle Fortinado), “LA Examiner.”

Danielle Fortinado: Hi, Callie...

((Crosstalk))

Callie Thorne: How are you?

Danielle Fortinado: Good, thank you. So, I want to talk a little bit about the summer finale specifically, if you can. Obviously, there’s so many different things that are pulling at Dani’s focus right now, from family to (unintelligible) addiction, now this new trouble with her job. Can you talk a little bit about the mindset - her mindset in the beginning of the episode and kind of where her focus really is throughout the episode?

Callie Thorne: Well, I - certainly in regards to the episode that aired last night, I think that, you know, it’s a perfect lead in to this heightened state of her life and everybody’s life because of T.K. being, you know, the main connection between our main characters.

And when he struggles, we all struggle. And I think because Dani is in vulnerable state in her own personal life, with, you know, what’s going on with her kids, and (Ray Jay) specifically and the trouble that he is most probably leading himself into.

And as a mother, Dani can’t, as much as she wants to control it, she can’t. And she can’t control her feelings. I mean she (unintelligible) she made the sacrifice to let Matt go, but that doesn’t mean that she feels, you know, solid with herself. She feels like she did a solid, but it leaves her in this very sort of wondrous question mark.

But I think, as is true in many other people’s lives, it then becomes easier for her to zone in on the work, to zone in on T.K. and not, you know, turn away, not let things go, and, like, even though Matt and Nico at first were not so sure about whether or not there was a real problem with Terrence and a possible addiction, she was not going to let that go, you know, she was continue, whether it was doing it on her own or being able to convince them.

And that path that we see them all go on next week is - it’s very all of a sudden life goes into fast forward, and everyone’s in place where you’ve got to make a choice. And whether or not she is trying to help T.K. make the right choice in regards to himself and being honest with himself, it’s hard for her to do that on her own, but it makes it easier to help someone else see the light.

And it also helps to drive others around her and it was fun, you know, even though we were shooting some really heavy stuff, those scenes were really - we were also shooting at a very fast pace because there were a lot of locations and, you know, you’ve got to make your days, and so it was a really crazy, you know, couple of weeks, but an enormous amount of fun because everybody’s separate story lines are so rich that we all were kind of like chomping at the bit, you know. And that was pretty damn cool.

Danielle Fortinado: Okay. And how close will she get with Nico before the end of the little finale, the little break?

Callie Thorne: I don’t know how to answer it without getting in trouble. I think that it’s sort of a blindside. She gets a little blindsided because it’s like all of a sudden, how she has been trying to not deny her personal, but, like I said, it’s sort of much easier for her to head in the work mode.

I think that certainly with Nico, because they are so focused on T.K., that the fact that anything personal pops us is very, I mean, it’s sort of mysterious and - in itself as a surprise. And also because we know so little about Nico as a man and as Dani gets a little bit closer to the inner Nico, I think that it’s perfect for the audiences to also get into the inner Nico.

Danielle Fortinado: Okay. Great. All right, well thank you so much. I’m looking forward to seeing it next week.

Callie Thorne: Thank you.

Amanda Altschuler: Just a reminder, please ask one question at a time. That way we have time to get to everybody. Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from (Crystal Bell) (unintelligible).

Callie Thorne: Hi, (Crystal).

Crystal Bell: Hi, Callie, how are you?

Callie Thorne: I’m very well, thank you.

Crystal Bell: So I have to just make a quick comment. I feel like Dani is ultimately going to be like Mary Louise Parker’s character from “Weeds” in the rest of the season, I had that feeling watching last week’s episode, and I was like, oh, that’s what (Rayjay)’s going to do.

Callie Thorne: I haven’t, because, you know, of our schedule here, I haven’t been able to keep up in the season of “Weeds,” but anything that could be compared to anything Mary Louise Parker does, even if it’s just the story line, is a jackpot. That’s very kind.

Crystal Bell: So I want to know, because, and you talked about it a little bit before in that last question, but for you personally, you know, sizing up Matt and Nico, because the fans are very divided. They’re either, you know...

Callie Thorne: I know...

Crystal Bell: Team Matt, like he’s her true love, or now you’re getting a lot of fans who are like, no, I’m Team Nico because that’s what works right now, you know, they’re really sort of working together.

Callie Thorne: I know. I love it, I love it, I love it, because you know, that is - that idea of Matt being this very, you know, he is the solid good man do right, and you know, he’s like a hug, do you know what I mean? He’s like a delicious, romantic hug, and then Nico is the bad boy that you can’t figure out and all you want to do is figure him out, which of course, you know, is just as sexy as, you know the good guy.

And I was very excited that the writers leaned a little bit more towards the triangle because I want to know, as Callie, I want to know where, or you know, what she’s going to do and how she’s going to do it. And so if it’s that much more exciting it’s making me as an actress be like, come on guys, give me a little hint, because sometimes you don’t want to know the end result as an actress, and there are times when you’re just a fan yourself.

And you want to know, but I’ve been waiting a little bit for it to reach this point in the show...

Crystal Bell: Yes...

Callie Thorne: And so I love that there’s any kind of Team Matt, Team Nico, I think that it’s crazy and exciting.

Crystal Bell: Definitely. Do you swing one way or the other, or are you just as sort of split as the fans?

Callie Thorne: I’m split as a fan because it literally happens scene to scene. Like if I’m a scene with Marc Blucas, I’m like, oh, she’s got to end up with Matt, she has to. And then if I’m doing a scene with Scott Cohen, I’m like, always thinking, oh, no, no, no, she’s got to be with the guy that, you know, she’s got to try and put together like a puzzle.

Crystal Bell: Yes, I’m sure Scott and Marc have like a pool going.

Callie Thorne: I think that they do, and I think that they really dig the idea that fans are divided. And we joke a lot about it on set, you know, there’s a lot of teasing. There’s a lot of joking. Even with the crew, and, you know, it helps to make the day more fun for sure.

Crystal Bell: Definitely, well, I’m going to get my Team Matt shirt ready for next week.

Callie Thorne: I love it.

Crystal Bell: But thank you so much, Callie.

Callie Thorne: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from (Christine Ilene) (unintelligible).

Callie Thorne: Hello, (Christine).

Christine Ilene: Hi, Callie, nice to speak with you today.

Callie Thorne: Nice to speak with you.

Christine Ilene: This midseason finale is really unbelievable dramatic, and I was just wondering, did you have any parts in it that you - you’re favorite, without giving too much away, and how is it working with the fish?

Callie Thorne: Little Dude, as I call him. I think that, you know, any of the stuff that we ever shot with Little Dude was always, I think - I sort of treated him as the third man in my life, which made those scenes that much more fun to play.

And, yes, the midseason finale, in regards to how “Necessary Roughness,” you know, we think of it as a drama with a, you know, really good dose of comedy, but, this place that T.K. and Dani and Matt and Nico all are sort of forced into, this big fork in the road that is about choice.

And sort of not being able to figure out if there’s a right or a wrong. And I really - I think we all were in this place was - we were all very excited to be and to have the show take this particular tone for a finale, and that, you know, because we - the idea that we want to audience to try and figure out along with us was part of our - part of the M.O.

And, because whether or not something ends with a gunshot or, you know, with this gigantic, heightened level of fear, excitement, love, whatever it is, we wanted to keep everything really grounded in reality and not have it necessarily be something soap operaish, but much more developed in the big choices in life, the game changers.

Christine Ilene: Thank you so much.

Callie Thorne: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from (Tina Charles) (unintelligible).

Callie Thorne: Hello, (Tina).

Tina Charles: Hi, how are you?

Callie Thorne: I’m very well thank you, how are you?

Tina Charles: I’m great, thanks. Can you just talk about one of my favorite aspects of the show is the Dani relationship with T.K. Can you talk about how - why that pairing is so successful as, you know, therapist and client, and how hard has it been for Dani to see what’s been going on with T.K. lately?

Callie Thorne: I think that, well the relationship between T.K. and Dani is - because it is the central thing, that from the beginning of the show, from the pilot, T.K. is the character that really connects to everybody.

You know, sometimes people say that my character is who connects everybody within our world, but more often, I feel like it’s T.K. and, because he holds so much an amazing spot in her heart, I think that, especially when we get to shoot those scenes, Mehcad and I, we also have a very different and separate and special friendship I think that was developed in the pilot.

He and I really got on from the get-go and we have the same drive to tell a good story within the show, but we laugh and laugh and laugh. We have such the same sense of humor and he can break me in a scene faster than most people I know.

I try to pride myself on no matter what’s going on, I’m not breaking, but, man, Mehcad will come up with the craziest improvs, and because - and it doesn’t matter, like sometimes I’ll just have to walk off camera, I’ll have to walk off set and go compose myself, but because of that chemistry that we have as friends, I think that it comes across on camera.

And whether it’s you know, a parental connection that Dani has with him, or whether it is just, it can’t be categorized because it’s - he’s never met a woman like Dani and she’s never met a man like him, and so I think that there is this real sense of trust and there is a real sense of being -- well, previous to where we find ourselves now, there has always been a place where they can let, and especially T.K., let his defense down.

And, but where we find ourselves now is this moment in time where parents might be going backwards, and so Dani trying to zone back into that place that they had gotten to, is, I think, very complex and interesting, without giving anything away.

Tina Charles: Great, thank you.

Callie Thorne: Thank you.

Amanda Altschuler: Operator, we have time for just one more question.

Operator: Your last question comes from (Monique Jones) (unintelligible) dot com.

Callie Thorne: Hello, (Monique).

Monique Jones: Hi, how are you?

Callie Thorne: I’m very well, thank you. How are you?

Monique Jones: I’m good. My question is, seeing how your character is a therapist, I was just wondering how much research does it take to, I guess, get into the mind of a therapist?

Callie Thorne: I’m very lucky in that because the role is based on a real woman, that, you know, her life story, and how she got this particular point in her life. I have always had her, since we made the pilot, I’ve always had her to turn to in regards to things that, you know, could get confusing to me, whether it was about a particular issue or disorder, or how you handle yourself within sessions.

And, but also, you know I have had a lot therapy experience in my life myself. I love therapy. I’ve been going to therapy forever, and so I think that because I am so fascinated myself with the idea of always trying to figure yourself out and always trying to be honest with yourself, that you can make, you know, strong choices in your life, then it makes me that much more interested in the other side of it.

And, so, there is - I am always learning. I am always - even if it’s just me doing my own research. And I’ve not been able to play a role like that before, and so, you know, but the main point being that I have Dr. Donna to turn to in times of great confusion or question. And for that I am blessed.

Monique Jones: Thank you.

Callie Thorne: Hello?

Operator: She said “Thank you.”

Callie Thorne: Hello? Hello?

Woman: Hello?

Callie Thorne: Oh, I thought I lost you guys.

Operator: She said “Thank you.”

Callie Thorne: Oh, okay.

Amanda Altschuler: Great, we want to thank Callie for her time today. As a reminder the summer finale of “Necessary Roughness” will air Wednesday, August 29, 10:00, 9:00 Central on USA. A transcript will be made available to you within 48 hours after this call. Thank you for participating.

Callie Thorne: Thank you.

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