by Nicole Granston October 15, 2019, 10:57 pm
For anyone who watches television on Wednesday nights, it’s impossible to miss that fact that it’s #OneChicago night on NBC. #OneChicago was created by famed producer, Dick Wolf, who also happens to be the creator and executive producer of the Law & Order franchise. Dick’s most recent franchise success consists of Chicago Fire (2012), Chicago PD (’14) and Chicago Med (’15). I got to experience what it’s like to walk in the shoes of the characters on these shows a few weeks ago at #OneChicagoDay.
From the onset, it was easy to see the camaraderie between the actors of all three shows. It was like a reunion that day for them. Although they do crossover shows, they rarely see each on set, despite the fact that they all film on the same lot. Sometimes they even film scenes not realizing they are filming a crossover show. IN anticipation of the next big crossover, Infection, I sat down with members of all three shows to get a behind the scenes look into the franchise.
Chicago Fire was the first of the franchise and has seen it’s fair share of trials and tribulations. There’s a core group of firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics that make the complete unit of Firehouse 51. Each week the family forges into danger, where their choices mean the difference between life and death for themselves and the community they serve. At the beginning of Season 8, we experienced the death of “Otis” (Yuri Sardarov). When talking to Joe Minoso (Joe Cruz) about the loss, this is what he had to say.
Yuri is like my best friend in real life. It’s always sad to not be able to work with someone you love so much. I think it was the right move for the show. I think they knew we needed to lose someone. We needed to bring the danger back to what the show really is. Who doesn’t like Otis; he’s a beloved character and frankly the youngest of us all. To lose the youngest member of the house, it makes the loss that much harder and you get to see that reflected on all of these firefighters, who feel like they should’ve been there in someway more than they were. I think it was unfortunate, but I think it was a really good move for the story of it all and I think it was the best exit we’ve had for a character. They really gave great respect to who he was and what he meant to the firehouse.
The intense commitment of the characters and phenomenal storytelling is exactly what show runner, Derek Haas, is trying to convey. If you watched the premiere, the tribute given is heartfelt and never before seen on television in that fashion. You wouldn’t know you were watching a show by the way the scene was written. “It was beautifully written and everything you see at that memorial service where I collapse, that was written like that. Derek (Hass) did a phenomenal job of hitting that tone so well. So much of what you saw was really in the writing, that made it easy to get to because he wrote it so well, that it just all made sense.”
Now that “Otis” is gone, if you’re wondering what happens to “Joe”, you’ll have to wait and see. The writers and producers of the show are known for keeping the details of the characters at bay from the actors. The success of the show is due to the fact that they are consistently editing and changing and filming pick-ups where necessary. According to Joe, “As an actor I let the writers do the work in terms of what they feel the characters progression should be and then I come in and I do my best to make that as believable as possible. At this point, he’s lost the most important person in his life and in a lot of ways he’s kind of lost his access to his youthful energy, because Otis represented that so much. I think you’re going to see a more adult, laser focused Cruz. I feel like the only logical step is moving forward with Chloe and growing into that relationship more; and holding onto the one last person he’s got left.”
After talking to Joe (Minoso), we transitioned to demos with the crew. I had no idea what I was in for but before I knew it, I was fully dressed in a fireman’s uniform, tank and helmet included, to begin my training. Joe led me in what they call, a ‘blind search and rescue’. In case you didn’t catch that, I said blind. My helmet was blacked out, which meant I couldn’t see a thing and I had to rescue someone from a burning building. I kneeled down on the floor so I could feel the wall with my left hand and then with my right hand. I wielded an axe with my right hand that I used to make sure the area I was searching was clear of debris. Throughout the demo, I could hear Joe’s voice calling out to me for help. Joe and the rest of the cast make it look easy on television. I can attest that it isn’t. I tip my hat to those guys. There’s a different level of acting that goes into these physically demanding shows with fire effects.
As if that wasn’t enough, I had my heartstrings pulled while sitting down and talking to Marlyne Barrett, who plays Maggie Lockwood on Chicago Med. The series takes place at a fictional hospital called Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, inspired by the interior of Rush University Medical Center. There, the emergency department doctors and nurses solve medical cases that sometimes become personal for them.
Not all actors are created equal and from the moment Marlyne walked over, her presence was warm. I didn’t know beforehand, but Marlyne is of Haitian descent and doesn’t take her life’s work as a minority in the entertainment industry for granted. Her characters’ recent storyline of metastatic breast cancer has hit close to home. She watched both of her parents be diagnosed with cancer months apart from each other, but thankful they both fought and beat the disease. Here are her thoughts on Maggie’s character storyline:
“Shocked is a good word. The act of donating a kidney was so vulnerable. I’ve always had the desire to portray things that were true and real. I wanted to start in places where I could touch people’s lives and maybe portray them in a way where I can changes people’s opinion about how to approach it; a bit more victorious. So when I found out Maggie was supporting someone from the neighborhood, it was deathly humbling to think that I tried to help someone and it backfired. Then when it backfires on you, the person that not only were you not able to help, (they were able to heal her in the end), but now you’re exposed to a problem that may take your own life. I approached Maggie with such bravado; she could eat metal, like superwoman. She definitely had those moments of humility, but she never had the moment of frailty. I think for all women, when you hit breast, you hit a chord. That moment when I heard she had cancer, it took me right back to my mom. I wanted to tell a truthful story to honor my mother. I wanted to fight the fight in front of the camera. That was my biggest prayer: God just don’t let me punk out of these scenes. Don’t let me revert to a stick, because as an actor if you have enough game, you know how to hide behind bravado. I keep on studying and meeting people, because even if you tell one person’s story, you haven’t told a universal story.
Marlyne is a woman of integrity and compassion and has chosen to live her life authentically through her character’s story. As Maggie’s storyline continues this season, the big question is whether or not she will reveal her diagnosis to the rest of the team. It’s a personal decision that many have struggled with themselves and some have chosen not to be a burden to their family and friends by divulging their diagnosis. I already know what Maggie intends to do, but you’ll have to watch and find out what path she decides to follow.
My time with Marlyne was cut short, but I can tell you that she enjoys working with Heather Headley. As she got pulled away, she gave me a good laugh when she said; “No disrespect to the Beyhive, but Heather is like Cicely Tyson to me.” I understand her perspective because that’s whom she grew up with.
In case you were wondering, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Heather Headley (Gwen Garrett) on the show. When I asked S. Epatha Merkerson (Sharon Goodwin) how she feels about two head strong black females, being pitted against each other on the show, Epatha thought it was a good thing. “We are absolutely working against each other and I think its cool. I think it has a place. We can’t all agree with one another. They are two strong women. One is wrong and one is right. Choose whose right…me Goodwin. (laughs) She comes to set prepared. It’s loads of fun.”
Fans have nothing to worry about when it comes to Epatha being removed from the show. As we’ve seen on a weekly basis, she an integral part of the decisions that are made on behalf of the hospital. “I think for Goodwin it’s always a question of legality versus morality. How do you make those choices for the betterment of the patient? Our heroes are always caught in between doing something legally and dealing with patients morally. So Goodwin is sort of the person who has to deal with those issues and take them to the doctors”.
Epatha also has a history with the show’s executive producer, Dick Wolf. She appeared in Dick’s Law & Order SVU for a total of 395 episodes, longer than anyone else. “This is my 4 th show with Dick. I love Dick Wolf. I have worked with him for many, many years. You’ll never find me saying anything negative about him. What I love about Dick the most is that he’s loyal. I can attest to that. He shoots straight from the shoulder. He doesn’t suffer fools and that’s why his shows, production wise, are done so well. He knows what he wants and if you come in and do your work, you have a place with him. He’s kept me working almost 30 years. Which is pretty amazing.”
After hearing the praises of working with Dick, I got swept away to my Chicago Med training with Nick Gehlfuss (Dr. Will Halstead). I learned how to keep a patient breathing through intubation. The first thing I did was take a curved laryngoscope in my left hand and place it slightly to the left of the patients mouth, making sure not to lean on their teeth, for fear of breaking them. The scope is used to keep the patients mouth open and it helps you guide an endotracheal tube down their throat. Once the tube is properly inserted, I attached a self-inflating air bag to the end of the tube and began pumping air. The coordination and strength of said procedure was more than I bargained for and confirmed that I made a wise career choice. I’ll stick to telling stories about people’s lives.
The day wrapped up with the crew from Chicago PD. It’s safe to say that keeping the streets safe is a big responsibility, and telling that story is even more important; one that executive producer, Eriq La Salle doesn’t take for granted.
“Our show is very different than Fire or Med. The gratifying thing for us is everyone telling their truth; this is our storytelling in this universe, this is their storytelling and when you put them all together, you still have those unique elements. It’s really cool to co-exist in this universe (#OneChicago) but also feel like you have your own individuality.”
Different it is, but the one thing that the shows producers try to accomplish is dealing with reality. In episode 6 this season, we’ll see a case that Eriq is proud of. “We’ve got one that just sticks out in my mind. It’s an episode where we explore the use of a new facial recognition software program that turns out to be not so accurate with the African-American community. The ones I tend to remember the most are the ones that have real issues underneath them. It’s not just, catch a bad guy, it’s about something other than just crime, it’s about society, life. This one has that component to it.”
As a veteran TV actor with 8 seasons on the medical drama “ER” and his role as “Darryl Jenks” in Coming to America, Eriq is versed in being in front of the camera and understands the nuances. His first project behind the camera was on Law & Order: Trial By Jury. Eriq is very conscience of his role as a director and executive producer. He realizes that he a responsibility to be entertaining but also honest. “I get nervous about having responsibility. I think our responsibility is to write entertaining TV that people watch. How we try to do that is by writing honest TV and I think in trying to be honest to what is going on in Chicago in 2019 you find yourself in these really interesting and sensitive topical areas. If you do that truthfully you’ve got something that is exciting and entertaining even if people disagree or get upset. You’re really not doing your job if a certain part of the fan base isn’t shocked or outraged. You and I can look at that truth very differently based on male, female, black, white, whatever.”
#OneChicagoDay was definitely a great experience. Stay tuned for the crossover episode on Wednesday, October 16 th at 8pm EST.
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