Who could possibly follow Kurt Sutter? None other than his good friend Shawn Ryan of course. Shawn was very generous with his time and answered a few questions for DVR Assassin and our readers. I say "our" because it sounds way more pretentious than admitting it's just me here. Don't pester me about that, I need things like that. So without further ado:
It is so refreshing finding someone in Show Biz who is NOT a Lakers fan. As a Bulls fan, how relieved were you to see Kobe fail to get ring number six inevitably prompting more idiots to compare him to Jordan?
SR: I try not to root for other people to fail, but sometimes I need to break that rule to include Kobe, the Miami heat and the Packers. Had to settle for 2 out of 3 successful jinxes this past year.
One constant in every Shawn Ryan show seems to be a fantastic cast. How do you manage to consistently put together such outstanding groups of actors?
SR: First, thanks for that. We always spend a lot of time and see as many people as we possibly can before casting. I try not to make too many direct offers to actors without seeing them read or at the very least having time to sit down and talk to them extensively about the role. You do have to be willing to risk your pilot to adopt such an attitude though. On The Chicago Code we were one of the first pilots picked up and we were probably the last one to be cast. I was being threatened that the pilot would be pushed (or even cancelled altogether) if we didn’t cast quickly, but I think it’s better to not make a pilot with the wrong cast. So we held out and ultimately got Jason Clarke (who hadn’t been available a month earlier) and the rest of the cast fell into place after that. The ultimate lesson is to not compromise and to have patience, patience, patience with casting.
Delroy Lindo was so amazing on The Chicago Code that I really found it difficult to root against him. I have the same problem when I watch Justified, I can’t help but pull for Walton Goggins. When you are making a show do you ever worry that your villains might just be too charismatic?
SR: Never. If that starts to feel like the case you just need to write your lead characters better. It’s an old saying that a movie (or in this case a TV show) is only as good as your villain, so I want the “bad guy” to be fun to watch and to have some aspects that make you sympathize with him/her. It helps then to have an actor as good as Delroy to play the part.
Did the spectre of cancellation force you to alter the timeline in regards to Alderman Gibbons' apprehension?
SR: No. We wrote and shot all the episodes before the first episode of the show even aired, so we were prepared for cancellation or Season 2. We always planned on the Gibbons storyline being a one season story. We would have launched a Season 2 with a new storyline, though we probably would have also tried to bring Delroy back for a few episodes.
Having written so many shows with such great characters, is there the one character above all that sticks out to you as a personal favorite?
SR: Probably Vic Mackey since that was the first show I created and the character (as played brilliantly by Michael Chiklis) really seemed to strike a chord with the public. Also have a soft spot in my heart for Hank and Britt on Terriers. But honestly, there hasn’t been one show I’ve worked on that I haven’t loved writing for those characters. No point doing it if you don’t love it.
I loved The Unit, but I always felt the episodes dealing with supernatural forces felt a little out of place. What were you guys going for with those episodes (I'm thinking of the Spear Of Destiny episode specifically)?
SR: I don’t think we did too many of those, but I understand the resistance on your part. I will say that when you talk to Delta guys who have spent a lot of time in different parts of the world they will talk about strange things happening on occasion which are hard to explain. So those episodes were our attempt to tap into those kinds of things. But I understand completely if they weren’t your favorites.
The action on The Unit looked like an actual movie each and every week. How were you able to stay on a TV budget and still pull this off?
SR: Our production team did an amazing job (led by producer Vahan Moosekian, after whom I named Vonda and Isaac’s boss on The Chicago Code). We also tried to put them in a position to succeed by letting them know weeks ahead of time if we had something big or difficult coming up (like our Sub episode in Season 2). This allowed the production team and directors to maximize their time and money.
Is there any truth to the persistent rumors that you were a highly paid ghost writer for all three of the Big Momma movies? If so, what was it like to work with Martin Lawrence?
SR: Ha! Not true. Wouldn’t mind the residuals on some of those films though.
The first time I watched The Shield finale I was absolutely sick to my stomach. By the next day I realized that it was probably the best finale in TV history. The end of that series reminded me of The Sixth Sense the way it forced me to look back at the whole series and go "Wait a minute, Vic is an asshole!" Was it always your intention to have us rooting for Vic the entire length of the series and then pull the rug out from under us?
SR: Thanks for the compliment. I never intended to decide for the audience who to root for or against in the series. I was initially very surprised at how many viewers were rooting for Vic and forgiving of all his misdeeds, but Chikie was so compelling and charismatic as Vic that I came to expect that reaction. However, that never led me to forget who the character was, so I wasn’t afraid to show it in the last couple episodes.
What shows does Shawn Ryan enjoy on TV these days?
SR: A lot of comedies. Always Sunny, Archer, Big Bang Theory, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Parks and Rec, Community, Party Down (before it got cancelled). In the drama area I was really impressed with what Game of Thrones did. In the reality arena, I really love Shark Tank.
With the increased freedom your Sony deal provides have you given any thought to making a show for someone like HBO?
SR: Yes. Don’t tell anyone.
Anything you'd like to say to your fans before we wrap this up?
SR: I wouldn’t be able to make these shows if people didn’t watch, so thanks so much to all those who have. I’ve always tried very hard to make the shows as good as they can be, and I’ll continue to do so. I consider it a privilege to be handed an hour of television time and I try to respect the viewers’ time as well.
On a personal note, Shawn Ryan was an absolutely nice guy to talk to throughout this. For someone with so much on his plate, to go out of his way like this was beyond charitable. So the next time he is making an awesome show like Terriers how about you knuckleheads tune in?
You can follow Shawn Ryan on twitter @ShawnRyanTV.
SR: First, thanks for that. We always spend a lot of time and see as many people as we possibly can before casting. I try not to make too many direct offers to actors without seeing them read or at the very least having time to sit down and talk to them extensively about the role. You do have to be willing to risk your pilot to adopt such an attitude though. On The Chicago Code we were one of the first pilots picked up and we were probably the last one to be cast. I was being threatened that the pilot would be pushed (or even cancelled altogether) if we didn’t cast quickly, but I think it’s better to not make a pilot with the wrong cast. So we held out and ultimately got Jason Clarke (who hadn’t been available a month earlier) and the rest of the cast fell into place after that. The ultimate lesson is to not compromise and to have patience, patience, patience with casting.
Delroy Lindo was so amazing on The Chicago Code that I really found it difficult to root against him. I have the same problem when I watch Justified, I can’t help but pull for Walton Goggins. When you are making a show do you ever worry that your villains might just be too charismatic?
SR: Never. If that starts to feel like the case you just need to write your lead characters better. It’s an old saying that a movie (or in this case a TV show) is only as good as your villain, so I want the “bad guy” to be fun to watch and to have some aspects that make you sympathize with him/her. It helps then to have an actor as good as Delroy to play the part.
Did the spectre of cancellation force you to alter the timeline in regards to Alderman Gibbons' apprehension?
SR: No. We wrote and shot all the episodes before the first episode of the show even aired, so we were prepared for cancellation or Season 2. We always planned on the Gibbons storyline being a one season story. We would have launched a Season 2 with a new storyline, though we probably would have also tried to bring Delroy back for a few episodes.
Having written so many shows with such great characters, is there the one character above all that sticks out to you as a personal favorite?
SR: Probably Vic Mackey since that was the first show I created and the character (as played brilliantly by Michael Chiklis) really seemed to strike a chord with the public. Also have a soft spot in my heart for Hank and Britt on Terriers. But honestly, there hasn’t been one show I’ve worked on that I haven’t loved writing for those characters. No point doing it if you don’t love it.
I loved The Unit, but I always felt the episodes dealing with supernatural forces felt a little out of place. What were you guys going for with those episodes (I'm thinking of the Spear Of Destiny episode specifically)?
SR: I don’t think we did too many of those, but I understand the resistance on your part. I will say that when you talk to Delta guys who have spent a lot of time in different parts of the world they will talk about strange things happening on occasion which are hard to explain. So those episodes were our attempt to tap into those kinds of things. But I understand completely if they weren’t your favorites.
The action on The Unit looked like an actual movie each and every week. How were you able to stay on a TV budget and still pull this off?
SR: Our production team did an amazing job (led by producer Vahan Moosekian, after whom I named Vonda and Isaac’s boss on The Chicago Code). We also tried to put them in a position to succeed by letting them know weeks ahead of time if we had something big or difficult coming up (like our Sub episode in Season 2). This allowed the production team and directors to maximize their time and money.
Is there any truth to the persistent rumors that you were a highly paid ghost writer for all three of the Big Momma movies? If so, what was it like to work with Martin Lawrence?
SR: Ha! Not true. Wouldn’t mind the residuals on some of those films though.
The first time I watched The Shield finale I was absolutely sick to my stomach. By the next day I realized that it was probably the best finale in TV history. The end of that series reminded me of The Sixth Sense the way it forced me to look back at the whole series and go "Wait a minute, Vic is an asshole!" Was it always your intention to have us rooting for Vic the entire length of the series and then pull the rug out from under us?
SR: Thanks for the compliment. I never intended to decide for the audience who to root for or against in the series. I was initially very surprised at how many viewers were rooting for Vic and forgiving of all his misdeeds, but Chikie was so compelling and charismatic as Vic that I came to expect that reaction. However, that never led me to forget who the character was, so I wasn’t afraid to show it in the last couple episodes.
What shows does Shawn Ryan enjoy on TV these days?
SR: A lot of comedies. Always Sunny, Archer, Big Bang Theory, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Parks and Rec, Community, Party Down (before it got cancelled). In the drama area I was really impressed with what Game of Thrones did. In the reality arena, I really love Shark Tank.
With the increased freedom your Sony deal provides have you given any thought to making a show for someone like HBO?
SR: Yes. Don’t tell anyone.
Anything you'd like to say to your fans before we wrap this up?
SR: I wouldn’t be able to make these shows if people didn’t watch, so thanks so much to all those who have. I’ve always tried very hard to make the shows as good as they can be, and I’ll continue to do so. I consider it a privilege to be handed an hour of television time and I try to respect the viewers’ time as well.
On a personal note, Shawn Ryan was an absolutely nice guy to talk to throughout this. For someone with so much on his plate, to go out of his way like this was beyond charitable. So the next time he is making an awesome show like Terriers how about you knuckleheads tune in?
You can follow Shawn Ryan on twitter @ShawnRyanTV.
i wish you had asked him about Dutch killing that cat. that shit threw me for a loop.
ReplyDeleteHe already explained that Dutch plot point numerous of time. Basically the serial killer was messing with Dutch. Truly hope he does something even more awesome than terriers.
ReplyDeleteHey CG, Shawn addresses it on page 2 of this interview if you are interested:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ugo.com/channels/dvd/features/theshield_season3/shawnryan.asp