Scott Speedman On His New ABC Present, ‘RJ Decker’

Speedman on the RJ Decker screening on March 3.
Photo: Dorothy Hong

If the idea of Florida had been a present, it will be RJ Decker. Based on Carl Hiaasen’s 1987 crime novel, Double Whammy, the brand new ABC procedural stars Scott Speedman because the title character, a photojournalist turned non-public investigator fixing bizarre and twisty circumstances in Fort Lauderdale. Like any good detective present, the lead is a person with a previous; on this case, he spent 18 months in lockup, lives in a trailer subsequent to a sinkhole, and has to contend along with his ex-wife’s spouse, a police detective. Speedman has been at house on ABC these previous few years as Meredith’s latter-season love curiosity on Grey’s Anatomy, however on RJ Decker Speedman’s the star, and he performs the character with a relaxed appeal and straightforward humor that’s completely suited to its sunshine-y setting. Vulture hosted a special screening of the pilot with ABC on March 3, and Speedman answered all of our questions on smashing props and doing his personal stunts.

Packed on this one episode we have now scary clowns, sinkholes, and corrupt plastic surgeons. In different phrases, it’s a traditional day in Florida however a whole lot of wacky stuff for one episode of TV.
Absolutely. When I first learn the pilot, I used to be like, If we are able to pull this off, we’ve received a present on our arms. And the manufacturing designer, and all the characters we discovered to be within the background, did an unbelievable job. Like, after we went to the trailer park, that was all one thing we constructed. That’s only a product of a extremely good crew down there in Wilmington, North Carolina. And then attending to go all the way down to Florida, too: You get off the aircraft, you get out of your automotive, you stroll round, and you are feeling our present instantly. So hopefully because the present goes on, we’ll get to maintain going again to Florida to movie.

How did you become involved with this mission?
Gosh, I believe it will need to have been a few 12 months in the past. I learn the script over a weekend. As quickly as I learn it, I knew the workload that it will be however I simply couldn’t cease fascinated about it. I used to be like, Maybe they’re going to go extra comedic with it and rent someone extra in that world. But I put my title within the hat, and finally it got here again round to me, and I simply knew I might do a reasonably good job with it. I used to be so enthusiastic about it. It was a extremely good pilot. Pilots are arduous to do; they’re arduous to put in writing very well, they usually’re arduous to make come to life on this means that we did right here. So the truth that it’s come collectively so properly? I’m very fortunate.

As an actor, it’s a must to arrange a lot in a pilot. How do you steadiness the character’s humor in a means the place the viewers will get to know what their deal is, nevertheless it additionally units up the plot?
That’s actually a show-creator factor. I imply, I typically take into consideration that, however fortunately I don’t have to fret about that a lot. Back within the day after we used to do a whole lot of pilots, that’s why a whole lot of them didn’t get on the air — since you couldn’t determine that steadiness. The chemistry wasn’t there with the opposite actors; one thing about it was off; one thing about it didn’t switch from script to display. But with this one, I’ve been doing this a very long time, I had a extremely good feeling it will, after which once I met all the opposite actors and we did a read-through, I assumed, Wow, we’ve received a shot right here.

What drew you to the detective-procedural style?
I went by way of a interval in my 20s the place I learn all of Jim Thompson and all of these writers. I simply went by way of and thru and thru all of that stuff, so I used to be fairly well-versed within the medium and the style. I’ve by no means actually performed a day-to-day procedural earlier than, however we steadiness it out with the connection stuff that retains it grounded and retains it attention-grabbing for me to do. And then, with going and doing precise crime stuff each week, I’m consistently amazed with how they’re in a position to pull off these crimes-of-the-week sort issues, so it’s past me. You ought to ask the writers that, as a result of I’m type of blown away with what they’ve been doing to date.

I really feel like some folks, after they’re watching a thriller present or studying a detective novel, try to get forward of the author and guess what’s going to occur. When you’re given a script, are you type of attempting to crack the case?
Yes and no. I’m like, How a lot dialogue do I’ve to memorize for the week? That’s what I’m fascinated about. But I’m additionally attempting to benefit from the studying of it and get into the place they’re attempting to take an viewers, to see if it really works on that degree, and seeing if I’ve questions — if I’m going to name the author and ask what they had been considering right here or there. But actually, I’m attempting to go alongside for the experience. Sometimes I’ve been in a position to determine it out earlier. I’m getting higher on the private-investigator a part of issues. So yeah, we’ll see. By season 4, I’ll be actually good at this.

Photo: Dana Hawley/Disney

You’re now on two exhibits on ABC. Would you ever do a crossover episode with Grey’s Anatomy?
A crossover episode with Grey’s Anatomy and RJ Decker? It could be difficult for lots of causes. The areas don’t add up — Seattle and Florida. I believe they might be like, “Why are you asking all these questions?” if I confirmed as much as the hospital attempting to crack a case. But it will be attention-grabbing tv!

The scene the place you rip the TV off the wall and smash it and soar on it seems very cathartic and enjoyable to do. Was it?
Oh sure, it’s. You’re like, “No acting required.”

Was {that a} one-take factor, or did they simply have a bunch of TVs?
We had a pair, however they had been very anxious about me and my ft. I wasn’t carrying boots like I’m carrying proper now, so I used to be like, “Guys, it’s gonna be all right.”

Buy an outdated TV and smash it! It’s very enjoyable. It’s good to do! I’ve performed it earlier than in my private life, only for enjoyable, so I had some follow.

So you’re doing your individual stunts?
I attempt to do as many stunts as I can, after which Carl [Beverly], our producer, knocks on my trailer door when he hears I’m attempting to do a stunt and he says, “No, you can’t do the stunt,” and I say, “Okay.” So in season 4, I’m gonna begin doing my very own stunts.

What stunt are you attempting to do?
I don’t know. Whatever! I needed to run throughout a freeway with vehicles going actually quick. I used to be like, “Come on, let me do that! I can run across! They’ll stop.” Then I watched the stuntman do it, and I used to be like, It’s in all probability good I didn’t do this.

Like an actual freeway?
It wasn’t like an actual freeway, it was stunt driving. But they had been going actually quick. It was fairly scary. I might have performed it, although.

When you had been prepping for the present and for the character, how a lot did you draw from the e book?
Well, truthfully, I began studying the e book however didn’t get far as a result of he’s far more of an ’80s-style man: hard-boiled, doesn’t converse that a lot, very internalized, far more leaning on the fad. This was a way more enjoyable, charismatic, out-front character. So on the finish of the day, you’re studying it and also you’re getting slightly … not confused, however simply type of distracted with the place the character is taking you. What we didn’t need — what I didn’t need — is to play a heavy character on this. I needed to play the character who was, frankly, on the web page. The minute I learn it, I used to be like, This is a enjoyable character. Don’t get in the best way of this character. Jump into that. I put the e book down, to be trustworthy with you. I didn’t fairly end it. Sorry!

So you’ll be able to’t go to the top of the e book for spoilers for the present?
Well, they’re doing one explicit case in that e book, so we type of purchased the world to make use of for our present for the characters and the world itself. So I believe we’ll get to that one explicit case, however we haven’t performed it but.

You’ve performed blockbusters, indie stuff, and streaming stuff. What’s your favourite factor about doing what seems like, in a extremely good way, a traditional, enjoyable throwback community procedural like this?
Well, I’ve by no means performed the lead, lead, lead of a present like this. I’ve performed many the place I’ve been the lead man and supporting the No. 1 and dealing loads, however I’ve by no means performed the factor the place I’m the title character, and I’m there 14 hours a day and in each scene and actually pushing the motion. So on that degree, I’ve actually, actually cherished that.

And with the throwback nature of it, yeah. To be trustworthy, 15 years in the past, I wouldn’t have been prepared to return and do 18 episodes a season. But with the place I’m at in my life now, I’m leaping on the alternative. That workload is one thing I actually wish to do and actually like. And when one thing like this, with these folks, comes alongside, it was a simple sure for me. And I believe audiences are prepared for the throwback nature of this world we’re creating — type of a Rockford Files, Columbo, Magnum, P.I. type of vibe. We don’t see {that a} ton on tv, so I’m very pleased about it.

Last factor I wish to ask: Which of your characters from over time could be most certainly to offer all of it up and begin a brand new life in Florida as a PI?
Probably the primary man I performed on Felicity, Ben Covington. That dude might be on the market someplace attempting to determine one thing, whether or not or not anyone’s paying him to look into issues. Who is aware of? But he’d in all probability find yourself doing one thing like that. There’s some crossover there.