Kyra Sedgwick Interview On 'The Closer,' Working With Her Daughter

Kyra Sedgwick is the Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief, also known as a “closer” in TNT’s hit series, The Closer. Now, she speaks about acting alongside her daughter in the hit series. “It was great to work with her,” she told Uinterview exclusively. “I think she’s really talented.”

Born in New York City, Sedgwick made her way into the television industry when she was sixteen years old. She first appeared on NBC’s soap opera, Another World, and in 1995, co-starred alongside John Travolta as his character’s love interest in The Phenomenon. However, she is probably most popular for her role as Deputy Chief, Brenda in The Closer. Sedgwick received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series in 2007.

Sedgwick got cast alongside her daughter with husband Kevin Bacon, Sosie, on the fifth season of the show. Sosie played the niece of Sedwick’s character. “I feel kind of hypocritical because on the hand, I’ve always said to my kids, ‘I really don’t want you to go into this business,’” she said. “I think it’s really hard, and emotionally can be really devastating.”

Q: You have such great chemistry with Jon Tenney on the show, and I was wondering if you have any experiences that really stand out for you as being the most memorable of working with him on the show?

A: Gosh. I love that scene after we got married, where she says to him, ‘I love you with all my heart, but sometimes I feel like my heart is only this big, and she spreads her finger apart like just a little bit. Because I think that she feels like so much of her life has been consumed in darkness, that she doesn’t have a very big heart, even though, of course, we know better.

And then he actually says to her, ‘I see all of you. I know who you are. Do you think I don’t know who I married?’; And I think that that was a beautiful moment for Fritz as well as for Brenda. And that was sort of a moment of connection for them that they don’t always have.

We have a really great one coming up this season in episode three or something where they have an argument that goes into every room in the house. And it’s a one-shot thing that’s really going to be cool.

But there’s that moment where he says to her, there was just this pinnacle moment, I think it was season four, maybe it was five, where she does something really underhanded in her work that actually undermines his work. And it’s so clear that she’ll do anything to close a case, even sacrifice relationships with the people that she loves.

And I love that side of her personality, even though it’s not always you know the most likable side of her personality. But he just says to her, ‘You have really just gone to the bottom of your character, and I’m really disappointed in you.’And he talks about you know getting to a meeting, ‘I have to get to a meeting.’

And it’s just this moment of the height of their difficulties. I think it was season four, because it was before they got married, but that is who she is. And there must be something he loves about her. But I love working with Jon. I think he’s an extraordinary actor.

Q: What sort of research do you do to prepare for the different kinds of crimes you encounter on the show?

A: We have a 25-year vet of the LAPD who’s on set with us all the time and who’s always available to talk about episodes. Because usually, the episodes are taken from a crime or a story that he’s told in the writers’ room or something that he’s dealt with or a friend has dealt with on the job.

So it’s always really helpful to go to them for background information. Whenever we deal with gang stuff, we always talk to him about that. We had a couple of Mexican coyote episodes about people entering the country illegally and people who house them and then take them across state lines. I always can get really wonderful very specific details about background stuff, research stuff from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. And that’s really helpful in you know making something rich in detail and making smart choices as an actor. It’s just really helpful to be able to do research on the fly like that.

Q: What was it like working with your daughter?

A: She’s not coming back this season. She just graduated from high school, and I think that she wants to enjoy the summer and not work.

I feel kind of hypocritical because on the one hand, I’ve always said to my kids, ‘I really don’t want you to go into this business, and I think it’s really hard, and emotionally can be really devastating, and it’s sort of a self-centered business. I think you should do something else.’

And then on the other hand, when it suits me, I’ve you know said, ‘Oh, you know, Sosie, it’d be really great for you to do this part.’

But as far as The Closer is concerned, that was a different situation. Because [director] James Duff had seen her in a film that I produced, that Kevin directed, that I starred in, called ‘Loverboy’ when she was about 12, or maybe even 11. And she was really great in the film. And he said to me you know, ‘I really want her to be on the show.’ And I said, ‘Well, you know that’s something you have to talk to her about. I’m not her manager.’

So 6 years later, he said, ‘I really would like to write her a part on the show.’ And again, I said you know, ‘You need to talk to her about it.’ And so he did. And actually, he talked to her about it very, very early on. And it took her several months to you know sort of decide that, yes, she would in fact do it.

It was great to work with her. I think she’s really talented. I don’t know that it’s something that she wants to do, and, on many levels, I want my kids to be happy, and I don’t know if happy means being an actor. I think it’s just a really hard life. I don’t ever want them to get their feelings hurt. So really not great things to expect if you’re going into this business. So we’ll see. But it was really very satisfying working with her.

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