Smallscreen Features

Jeff Goldblum not retiring anytime soon, the Law & Order: Criminal Intent interview

By April MacIntyre Mar 29, 2010, 20:21 GMT

02/25/2010 - Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows - 2nd Annual USA Network Character Approved Awards Cocktail Reception - Arrivals - IAC Building, 555 West 18th Street - New York City, NY, USA © Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos

A shift in the story line is coming to USA’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

The series leads Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and Eric Bogosian will end their run in a dramatic two-part season opener that begins Tuesday March 30 at 10 p.m. EST and concludes April 6.

Perfect for the "Characters Welcome" USA network, actor Jeff Goldblum, cast as analytical savant Det. Zach Nichols last season, will be joined by new cast additions Saffron Burrows (Det. Serena Stevens, his new partner) and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Capt. Zoe Callas, who assumes control of the Major Case Squad).

Goldblum spoke to Monsters and Critics on a phone call about the popular Dick Wolf series on the network, and dished a bit about this and more.

You’re a very analytical observer in the way that you approach and play a lot of your roles, if not most of them.

J. Goldblum: Thank you.

When you’re keyed into another actor, I’ve noticed, you become more alive. Your energy just explodes. And it happened with Geena Davis, obviously, in The Fly. You guys had a tremendous chemistry. As Zach Nichols, have any moments just exploded or popped for you in this role?

J. Goldblum You are so nice. Yes. I like what you’re saying because it’s kind of the cornerstone of the training that I got early on by Sandy Meisner. A lot of people know, Sanford Meisner now. But I studied with him and part of his, that some people know that’s sometimes misunderstood or miscommunicated. But he teaches a training system whereby the early material is an improvisation of a particular kind that focuses in a big way on interaction. And all good actors are doing it anyway. But his is a very good method.

And I teach a little bit myself. And enjoy teaching actors to do that with each other, not only that but other things too. It goes beyond that. But that’s part of his early thing. So I do like—I love the part of acting that has me with other actors and allows you to play with other actors. I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of wonderful actors, but I’ll tell you the ones I’m talking about today, these two are particularly spectacular.

And of course, that’s the great thing about Law and Order because it’s kind of like an anthology series. Like I said before to somebody, where the cream of New York and the theatrical crop of actors you get every week. So where we’ve worked with great actors and it’s always fun. But Saffron-- and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Saffron Burrows are both spectacular. And working with both of them, I feel like I have to be worthy of them, come up to my best that I can do and feel like they bring something good out of me.

Are there crimes that bother your character, Zack Nichols, more than others?

J. Goldblum Yes, I do. There were crimes—I mean, the first couple of episodes that depict this killing of my friend that I’m personally involved with. That’s a horrible thing. I think I’m very bothered and personally—it’s not just a matter of—I’m always bothered in the sense that I’m passionate and outraged and full of a fierce kind of sense of justice and wanting to solve this thing. But more so, I’m a very kind of a susceptible, vulnerable human kind of guy that they’ve written. And when my friend, and old partner, gets killed. Yes, I think it bothers me in a whole different and deeper way.

You’re from the east coast... You work out west, but you also go back and work in the east, too. Do you think, eventually, when that day comes that you do retire or settle down or stop working, will you return to the east coast?

J. Goldblum That’s so funny. I wouldn’t take sides with one over another. And I don’t—now that you brought it up, I really don’t see myself retiring really. It feels like—

Many decades from now.

J. Goldblum Yes. Well, who knows? You never know what even tomorrow will bring. I feel lucky to be around today and if I get to work tomorrow, I’ll feel lucky and will enjoy every moment of it. And likewise, when I find myself here, I kind of enjoy it terrifically.

And I do like feeling the seasons again, although it’s tough. Brutal. Winter is brutal and summer gets hot. But I kind of like it. It reminds me of when I was this kid, speaking of this episode, the season change that happens here. But I like it out there a lot.

And so, I like kind of coming back and forth and doing things both places. I don’t know. Even if I wasn’t acting, I imagine I would enjoy being in both places in a way. And other places, too.

With the established cast of Vincent, Kathryn and Eric leaving, how will it affect the season?

J. Goldblum:      I think they’re the best actors around. I love the show with them and I love their characters and I’ll miss them. It won’t ever be the same. All three of them were spectacular and irreplaceable.

So there’ll be a different kind of show, although the flavor is something of the Law and Order franchise. It will follow something of the same flavors. But I’ll miss them. I think they’re just great.

Is there a real-life detective or someone you can confer with for authenticity for Zach?

J. Goldblum: We have a great guy named Mike Struck, who’s on the set all the time, who’s a real and a masterful detective and police person. And I realize all the time that to really do that job would be very difficult. You have to have a very particular skill set for it, talent for it, and appetite for it. And I’m just trying to pretend in a way that is at least believable. Boy, that would be a tough job, I tell you.

The rigors of TV acting versus film and stage, is it better, the same or vastly different?

J. Goldblum: I have a work ethic that I think I inherited from my father in a way. He used to get up early every morning and routinely and put in an honest day’s work and I kind of like that.

I like having a place to go and feeling like this is not just something I got to get through and make the best out of and hopefully, do my best with. But it’s my way of life. I still want to do my best with it, but it’s what I do every day. It’s part of the daily, my daily routine. I really like that. I really like it.

And this particular show, the actors are so good and the writers are so good and the producers caring. It’s a very nice, nice thing for me. I like it a lot.