Latest news with #WillTrent
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How 'Will Trent' star Ramón Rodriguez became an industry game-changer
ABC's "Will Trent" is no ordinary police procedural. "There's a thousand cop shows," said Ramón Rodriguez, who portrays the show's main character, Will Trent. "How do you make this one stand out?" The broadcast drama series, which also airs on Hulu, centers special agent Trent: a dapper investigator whose instinctual crime-solving skills render him essential to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. But beneath the three-piece suit, there's a more complex side to Trent, who navigates the residual trauma from being abandoned at birth and growing up in the Atlanta foster care system. He is also dyslexic. "One of the exciting things when I came onto the show was not knowing where this character was from," said Rodriguez, 45. "Trent was very much [written as] a colorless character." Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rodriguez greeted me on a Zoom call from his present home in Southern California, while wearing a New York Knicks cap. Before "Will Trent," he previously played the first main Hispanic character on the HBO series "The Wire," and appeared in films such as 2009's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "G20," a thriller featuring Viola Davis, which premiered April 10 on Amazon Prime Video. Since the 2023 premiere of "Will Trent," Rodriguez has molded his beloved character in many ways; he's a hard-nosed detective with a mushy side, which is most evident in scenes with his pocket-sized chihuahua named Betty. Based on Karin Slaughter's New York Times-bestselling novel series "Will Trent," showrunners Liz Heldens and Daniel Thomsen organically tailored the titular role to reflect Rodriguez's real-life Puerto Rican identity. It's a major win for Latinos in an industry that otherwise lacks Latino-led programming. "Once we run out of feeling fresh, creative, excited and inspired, then I think we start phoning it in," said Rodriguez. "But that's something I'm not interested in and I know my partners aren't either." Rodriguez has taken on roles behind the camera as well. He directed "I'm a Guest Here," the first episode of Season 3, which wrapped earlier this month; he was also named an executive producer. "I really wanted to be a part of the creative collaboration of creating this character in this show," said Rodriguez. When Season 3 dropped a bombshell regarding Trent's biological father, it paved the way for a nail-biting Season 4, which was confirmed earlier this year. This interview has been edited and shortened for clarity. It also reveals Season 3 spoilers. In the books, Will Trent isn't Puerto Rican, but this series is peeking into your own Puerto Rican identity. What are your thoughts on that? It was a topic that they were curious about exploring. Where does Will come from as an orphan who grew up in the foster care system? Identity becomes a focal point for someone like that. Again [him being Puerto Rican] isn't in the books, which is kind of exciting. We've been able to separate and say that the books are the books. It wasn't something that we were trying to sort of check a box and say, "Great, Will's heritage is Puerto Rican." It was a very organic explanation of this character discovering who he is. When you were cast for the lead, did you ever picture the show as what it is today? You never know what's gonna work and why it's gonna work. You don't have control of a lot of things in this business. The one thing I do have control over is my work, what I can bring to it, what I try to do. This is the first time I've been on a show that's gone on for this long from the pilot. If you would've asked me that, is this gonna be the show that goes past one season? I probably would've said, "I don't think so." And it's nothing against the show, you just don't know. It took a minute for me to be fully convinced, but I'm so grateful that they were willing to continue having conversations with me and that they were really willing to have me on as a partner because that was important to me. It doesn't feel like the show hinges on those elements of identity. Why is it important to keep that balance in this procedural show? [Solving cases is] another aspect of the show that I know audiences love. I just think the things that tend to pull our hearts to the things that are emotional and personal things, what someone's struggling with or how are they overcoming it. In Season 3, we have a really pivotal moment where Will accidentally shoots a bad guy, but ends up killing a young boy by accident. That case ended up changing the rest of the season — he was not able to recover from that event of having the boy die in his arms. That was Episode 11 and that will likely go into Season 4. Your dog Betty also shines in Season 3. We get to hear her voice for the first time which happens during a fun hallucination scene. What was it like to film that episode? That was two episodes after this tragic episode I just described, which is crazy, right? We wanted to mix levity and humor with our heavy drama and emotional stuff. So as Will was entering this case that involved a cult, he gets caught undercover and in that process he gets drugged. Liz Heldens, one of our showrunners, had been dying to find a way to get me to dance on this show, and I was like "Listen: Will Trent is an awkward individual, he's not someone that's out here dancing." She was like, "Well, what if that's a hallucination?" I was like, "That's brilliant!" Anything can happen while he's tripping. I remember I was walking on set and one of our production assistants, Tim, had read the script and said, "What if Betty talks?" So I pitched that to Liz and she topped it and went, "Well, what if Betty's British?" You made your directorial debut in Season 3. How was that experience for you? I felt like a kid in a candy store. By Season 3, I really understood the character and what works with our show, where our strengths are. I just got to be me in certain scenes, because at the start of the [third] season Will has left the [Georgia Bureau of Investigation], he's got a beard and he's in a T-shirt, jeans and curly hair. It was also fun to direct new cast members. We introduced Gina Rodriguez, who played Marion Alba, and Antwayn Hopper, who played Rafel Wexford. Which was really fun. I'd be like: "No notes." [Laughs.] Will you be directing in Season 4? I will definitely be directing at least one episode next season. It makes the most sense for me to direct the premiere as I did this past season. I love that pressure of having to set the bar for a season. What can audiences expect for the upcoming season? We're about to begin these serious conversations. There were some pretty serious cliffhangers at the end of Season 3, where we find out Angie Polaski (Erika Christensen) is pregnant, and Will is definitely not the father, so that's gonna be something to explore. Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn), who is a maternal figure for Will, is in the hospital bed. We just discovered his dad, [Sheriff Caleb Roussard], which we don't know too much about, so I'd want to know more about the character and what happened with the mom. There's just so many questions that we will get to explore — I mean, is there new love in Will's life? Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
How ‘Will Trent' star Ramón Rodriguez became an industry game-changer
ABC's 'Will Trent' is no ordinary police procedural. 'There's a thousand cop shows,' said Ramón Rodriguez, who portrays the show's main character, Will Trent. 'How do you make this one stand out?' The broadcast drama series, which also airs on Hulu, centers special agent Trent: a dapper investigator whose instinctual crime-solving skills render him essential to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. But beneath the three-piece suit, there's a more complex side to Trent, who navigates the residual trauma from being abandoned at birth and growing up in the Atlanta foster care system. He is also dyslexic. 'One of the exciting things when I came onto the show was not knowing where this character was from,' said Rodriguez, 45. 'Trent was very much [written as] a colorless character.' Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rodriguez greeted me on a Zoom call from his present home in Southern California, while wearing a New York Knicks cap. Before 'Will Trent,' he previously played the first main Hispanic character on the HBO series 'The Wire,' and appeared in films such as 2009's 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' and 'G20,' a thriller featuring Viola Davis, which premiered April 10 on Amazon Prime Video. Since the 2023 premiere of 'Will Trent,' Rodriguez has molded his beloved character in many ways; he's a hard-nosed detective with a mushy side, which is most evident in scenes with his pocket-sized chihuahua named Betty. Based on Karin Slaughter's New York Times-bestselling novel series 'Will Trent,' showrunners Liz Heldens and Daniel Thomsen organically tailored the titular role to reflect Rodriguez's real-life Puerto Rican identity. It's a major win for Latinos in an industry that otherwise lacks Latino-led programming. 'Once we run out of feeling fresh, creative, excited and inspired, then I think we start phoning it in,' said Rodriguez. 'But that's something I'm not interested in and I know my partners aren't either.' Rodriguez has taken on roles behind the camera as well. He directed 'I'm a Guest Here,' the first episode of Season 3, which wrapped earlier this month; he was also named an executive producer. 'I really wanted to be a part of the creative collaboration of creating this character in this show,' said Rodriguez. When Season 3 dropped a bombshell regarding Trent's biological father, it paved the way for a nail-biting Season 4, which was confirmed earlier this year. This interview has been edited and shortened for clarity. It also reveals Season 3 spoilers. In the books, Will Trent isn't Puerto Rican, but this series is peeking into your own Puerto Rican identity. What are your thoughts on that? It was a topic that they were curious about exploring. Where does Will come from as an orphan who grew up in the foster care system? Identity becomes a focal point for someone like that. Again [him being Puerto Rican] isn't in the books, which is kind of exciting. We've been able to separate and say that the books are the books. It wasn't something that we were trying to sort of check a box and say, 'Great, Will's heritage is Puerto Rican.' It was a very organic explanation of this character discovering who he is. When you were cast for the lead, did you ever picture the show as what it is today? You never know what's gonna work and why it's gonna work. You don't have control of a lot of things in this business. The one thing I do have control over is my work, what I can bring to it, what I try to do. This is the first time I've been on a show that's gone on for this long from the pilot. If you would've asked me that, is this gonna be the show that goes past one season? I probably would've said, 'I don't think so.' And it's nothing against the show, you just don't know. It took a minute for me to be fully convinced, but I'm so grateful that they were willing to continue having conversations with me and that they were really willing to have me on as a partner because that was important to me. It doesn't feel like the show hinges on those elements of identity. Why is it important to keep that balance in this procedural show? [Solving cases is] another aspect of the show that I know audiences love. I just think the things that tend to pull our hearts to the things that are emotional and personal things, what someone's struggling with or how are they overcoming it. In Season 3, we have a really pivotal moment where Will accidentally shoots a bad guy, but ends up killing a young boy by accident. That case ended up changing the rest of the season — he was not able to recover from that event of having the boy die in his arms. That was Episode 11 and that will likely go into Season 4. Your dog Betty also shines in Season 3. We get to hear her voice for the first time which happens during a fun hallucination scene. What was it like to film that episode? That was two episodes after this tragic episode I just described, which is crazy, right? We wanted to mix levity and humor with our heavy drama and emotional stuff. So as Will was entering this case that involved a cult, he gets caught undercover and in that process he gets drugged. Liz Heldens, one of our showrunners, had been dying to find a way to get me to dance on this show, and I was like 'Listen: Will Trent is an awkward individual, he's not someone that's out here dancing.' She was like, 'Well, what if that's a hallucination?' I was like, 'That's brilliant!' Anything can happen while he's tripping. I remember I was walking on set and one of our production assistants, Tim, had read the script and said, 'What if Betty talks?' So I pitched that to Liz and she topped it and went, 'Well, what if Betty's British?' You made your directorial debut in Season 3. How was that experience for you? I felt like a kid in a candy store. By Season 3, I really understood the character and what works with our show, where our strengths are. I just got to be me in certain scenes, because at the start of the [third] season Will has left the [Georgia Bureau of Investigation], he's got a beard and he's in a T-shirt, jeans and curly hair. It was also fun to direct new cast members. We introduced Gina Rodriguez, who played Marion Alba, and Antwayn Hopper, who played Rafel Wexford. Which was really fun. I'd be like: 'No notes.' [Laughs.] Will you be directing in Season 4? I will definitely be directing at least one episode next season. It makes the most sense for me to direct the premiere as I did this past season. I love that pressure of having to set the bar for a season. What can audiences expect for the upcoming season? We're about to begin these serious conversations. There were some pretty serious cliffhangers at the end of Season 3, where we find out Angie Polaski (Erika Christensen) is pregnant, and Will is definitely not the father, so that's gonna be something to explore. Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn), who is a maternal figure for Will, is in the hospital bed. We just discovered his dad, [Sheriff Caleb Roussard], which we don't know too much about, so I'd want to know more about the character and what happened with the mom. There's just so many questions that we will get to explore — I mean, is there new love in Will's life?
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Rookie' Fans Demand ABC "Fix This" After Shocking Season 8 Change Is Revealed
The Rookie season 8 is officially in the works — but fans are not happy about a surprise update on when it's supposed to air. The ABC drama wrapped up airing season 7 in May, and fans have been wondering when they'll get to see more of the folks working at LAPD Mid-Wilshire. Well, ABC shared an upsetting update during the network's 2025 upfronts, revealing that The Rookie season 8 will premiere in midseason 2026. And if that wasn't enough, the network confirmed the news about The Rookie by posting a look at its official fall 2025 lineup on Instagram on May 13. "The fall you want with the shows you need," read the caption. While shows like Abbott Elementary, 9-1-1 and its spinoff 9-1-1: Nashville were all listed as shows airing this fall, The Rookie fans were not thrilled that the show wasn't on the lineup. As a result, they made sure to voice their frustration about the season 8 release date in the comments. "ABC why do you hate the rookie so much?" one person lamented. "You still have time to fix this and add the rookie back to the fall schedule," another agreed. "No it's not because you're holding the rookie until mid season again," a different follower added. Despite The Rookie season 8 not premiering until next year, TV Line did explain the reason behind the move. The outlet noted both The Rookie and Will Trent season 4 will air on ABC sometime in the winter of 2026, and each show will have "uninterrupted" 18-episode seasons instead of taking breaks if they aired in the fall. This also repeats a similar pattern both shows had in the winter of 2025, when The Rookie season 7 and Will Trent season 3 had a consistent episode schedule throughout. Even though it's going to be a bit of a wait, at least we know we'll get to see our favorite police officers back at work! You Might Also Like 67 Best Gifts for Women That'll Make Her Smile The Best Pillows for Every Type of Sleeper
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Will Trent Stars Unpack Finale Cliffhangers: Losing [Spoiler] Would ‘Break' Faith in Season 4 — WATCH
When Will Trent Season 3 cut to black, not one, but two beloved characters' lives were in grave danger. While defending her precinct against members of a local terrorist group, GBI Deputy Director Amanda Wagner (played by original cast member Sonja Sohn) took a bullet to the sternum. She survived surgery, but doctors warned that the next 48 hours would be 'critical.' More from TVLine Will Trent's Erika Christensen Mulls Whether Finale Was Meant to Bring Will and Angie 'Closure' — WATCH Is Will Trent Saying Goodbye to Two Original Cast Members? EPs Tease What to Expect in Season 4 SNL Finale: Scarlett Johansson Gets Cut Off During Goodnights - Watch Them in Full Here Meanwhile, Detective Michael Ormewood, who recently discovered that he has a brain tumor, ended the May 13 finale on the floor of his kitchen, mid-seizure, as Special Agent Faith Mitchell (Iantha Richardson) called for help. When TVLine caught up with Richardson at the Disney Upfront in New York City Tuesday, the actress inferred that she fully expects Ormewood to recover in Season 4, and that Faith would play a pivotal role in his recovery. But when pressed on the possibility of losing Amanda — who's not only her boss, but practically her aunt due to Amanda's lifelong friendship with Evelyn — Richardson was less certain that her character would be able to soldier on. 'That would break her,' she said. 'If anything were to happen to her — which, I highly doubt anything would — but when she realizes what has happened to Amanda, that is going to be something that is going to be a pivotal moment in Faith's life, for sure.' Richardson's co-star, Jake McLaughlin, didn't seem particularly worried about Ormewood's fate, either. (If he was worried, he's got the best poker face in the game.) He did, however, reveal what was most difficult about preparing for final scene of the year. And because we didn't want to end on a downer, we asked about some of Ormewood's more lighthearted moments in Season 3, at which point McLaughlin lit up and reminisced about shooting a very memorable disco sequence for Episode 13. For even more insight into Will Trent's Season 3 finale — and what's to come in Season 4, premiering in January 2026 — be sure to check out our post mortem with co-showrunners Liz Heldens and Daniel Thomsen, then hit the comments with your hopes for the next run of episodes. (With reporting by Matt Webb Mitovich) Is Will Trent Saying Goodbye to Two Original Cast Members? Early Season 4 Intel! View List Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fall TV Schedule Grid 2025: What's on When? And Versus What?
It's never too early to start planning your viewing habits for the fall TV season. That is why TVLine, as is tradition, has compiled a day-by-day, hour-by-hour grid of the primetime schedules for each broadcast network — though The CW will not be detailing its plan for fall anytime soon. Review the nightly line-ups below, then share with us in comments what you're most excited for this fall. More from TVLine The Rookie Trio Ponders Tim's Next Move ('He's Whipped!'), Fights Over Season 7 Highlights - WATCH Will Trent's Erika Christensen Mulls Whether Finale Was Meant to Bring Will and Angie 'Closure' - WATCH Yep, Doctor Odyssey's Fate Is Still TBD - ABC Boss Explains Hold-Up • NEW/'NEW' programming for the 2025-26 TV season is listed in RED. • MIDSEASON LAUNCHES and previously announced CANCELLATIONS are listed beneath the grid. • GET DETAILS on the , , and schedules, and on all new programming. • Want scoop on any of these television shows? It's never too early to ask! (Except when it is.) Email InsideLine@ and your question just might be answered via Matt's Inside Line. NEW/'NEW' SERIES IN ALL-CAPS (CLICK TITLE FOR DETAILS) ABCAmerican Idol, Celebrity Jeopardy!, The Rookie, Will Trent CBSAMERICA'S CULINARY CUP, HARLAN COBEN'S FINAL TWIST, Hollywood Squares, Y: MARSHALS, The Price Is Right at Night, Watson FOXAmerican Dad! (new/old network), Animal Control, Beat Shazam, BEST MEDICINE, Don't Forget the Lyrics!, Extracted, THE FAITHFUL, Family Guy, FEAR FACTOR: THE NEXT CHAPTER, Going Dutch, Grimsburg, Kitchen Nightmares, The Masked Singer, MEMORY OF A KILLER, NEXT LEVEL BAKER (four-episode holiday spinoff), Next Level Chef NBCTHE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS, SURVIVING EARTH (eight-episode event series) THE CWTo be announced ABCThe Conners CBSThe Equalizer, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, Poppa's House, The Summit, S.W.A.T. FOX9-1-1: Lone Star, Rescue: HI-Surf NBCThe Irrational, Lopez vs. Lopez, Night Court, Suits LA ABCDoctor Odyssey FOXAccused, Alert: Missing Persons Unit, The Cleaning Lady, Farmer Wants a Wife and The Great North NBCGrosse Pointe Garden Society THE CWLots Best of TVLine Young Sheldon Easter Eggs: Every Nod to The Big Bang Theory (and Every Future Reveal) Across 7 Seasons Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More ER Turns 30: See the Original County General Crew, Then and Now
