The TV Chick

Necessary Roughness returns next week to USA Network, kicking off their summer full of amazing shows. Necessary Roughness, for those who need to catch up (you still have time!) centers around Dr. Dani (played by the lovely Callie Thorne) who becomes the team psychologist for the New York Hawks football team. Her main client is TK (played by the super talented Mehcad Brooks) who at the end of last season suffered a life threatening injury. Add into the mix Nico, a former Navy Seal, who “takes care of things” for just about everyone involved in the team. Nico is played by Scott Cohen, who many will recognize from Gilmore Girls (he played Max Medina). At the end of last season, Nico finds himself in a bit of a conundrum with his personal life. I recently had the chance to visit the amazing set of Necessary Roughness, and Scott Cohen chatted with the media on set about what’s to come for Nico this season, how his relationship with TK is going to change a bit, and a possible love interest.

So Nico gets a nice surprise in the premiere [that involves the big boss]. What can you tease about that avenue for Nico?
What can I tease about it, I think basically just that it gets more complicated, I mean, Nico finds himself between a rock and a hard place, because what is questioned is his loyalty and, and whether working for Marshall Pittman really kind of controls his life. And who he kind of wants to be loyal to. Whether he wants to be loyal to the team or to Pittman but you discover a history with them that is a lot more complicated than you kind of thought in the beginning, so it’s not just about the wife, there’s other things that are involved and there’s competition and weird things with the daughter.

So we’ll maybe get to know more about Nico?
A little bit. A little bit yes. No, he remains a mystery.

Is everything over between Gabrielle and Nico and if so, will there be an appearance of a love interest for you?
It’s not over over, and I hear that there is love to come.

Would you like to see Nico together with Dr. Dani?
With Dr. Dani? Uh, yes and no. I mean I think it’d be a really interesting dynamic. I want it to happen if it’s ever going to happen, much later, ‘cause I want it to be teased for years to come.

It’ll get really awkward at work?
Yeah, well it already has. It’s like kind of weird. I mean it’s like the tension between him and Matt, he knows what’s going on, so it’s like he’s very protective of Dr. Dani, so I think it just kind of stays interesting. And keeps us going for a while.

Is there anything that Nico doesn’t know?
There’s nothing Nico doesn’t know.

Would you want to direct an episode? [Scott was on set that day, shadowing the director]
I would love to. Yeah, love to.

Does it give you a different window into the acting side of things?
It does. It completely gives you a different point of view and it’s a much more relaxed point of view. First of all, and it takes away the pressure. When you’re an actor you’re always under pressure just about you and your character, and you don’t see the big picture. So, you know, you’re just kind of focused in, you’re very myopic and reading the script, this script for this episode, knowing that I was going to do this, it kind of allowed me to see everybody and just be aware of everybody’s situation and have a very kind of equal balanced view of it. As opposed to wait, I should have that line, wait I should be in that scene. Which is usually what an actor does. It’s like, you know, how come I’m not in that scene. How come I’m not doing that.

What kind of preparation did you go for, for the role? Did you actually talk to any Navy Seals?
Yeah, I talked to two Navy Seals that I’m connected to actually. Via Facebook interestingly enough. I got some information from them, but I talked more to NFL security people who exist and, and who are very present in player’s lives. So I talk to them, and, and I kind of got a sense of what their backgrounds might be, and who they are and where they come from and things like that. And, you know, that’s basically what I did. And I mean for Nico, from the very beginning what was interesting to me, ‘cause I think I’ve always played characters, I mean not always, but I think I have always played characters that are a lot more talkative, a lot more energetic, and Nico is, I mean what attracted me to him in the beginning was how quietly energetic he was. I mean he was so quiet but so intense and that to me was always interesting and to be able to play that which I actually think I mean at least for me, is so difficult to actually just shut up and trust that your power is in your silence or in your eyes or whatever it may be. So anyway, what interested me in terms of trying to to play Nico was was trusting that, and really kind of understanding that his presence was more than enough. And I hope they continue that because it’s really fun to do, it’s really fun to kind of put the fear of God in people. Like I mean, people on set, I mean it’s really funny, it’s like, you’re so scary.

So after the premiere, how closely do you have to keep an eye on TK?
Very, very, very, very close.

Is that for the duration of the season?
Yes. Even, even now. I think it’s actually going to get more, this last episode that we do is very interesting because it’s about, I think I can give you themes, that it’s about becoming a irrelevant and it’s about people and loyalty switches in that episode, and you see more of TK needing another body to kind of be near. And Nico becomes that person.

What kind of stories would you want to see for Nico?
Traveling to foreign countries. Tropical islands. I mean I would love to see a little bit more of his background as time goes on. I really would enjoy that. I like the whole idea of him having a daughter last season was very interesting to me. That would be really interesting ‘cause I love the idea of a man his age, does he have a family? Does he not have a family? Did he have a family? Did he not have a family? That’s interesting to me.

Are we going to see anymore of Nico’s vulnerable side?
Vulnerable, yeah you see a bunch in the first four episodes. Him dealing with Pittman. It gets nasty. It really gets nasty and Evan Handler, who is superb plays a really, what you believe is an evil human being. I mean, he doesn’t end up being an evil human being, but Nico has to kind of keep it at bay. And he’s having trouble doing it.

Is there any limit that he will not cross?
No I don’t think so, I mean, I think that if he’s confronted with it, he has to make a decision but I think that if somebody that he needs to protect is in trouble then he’s willing to go the distance. He’s willing to take a bullet for somebody. That’s his, that’s his mentality.

But he’ll never lie.
Ever, never, ever. As opposed to Scott Cohen, who is one big fat liar.

Isn’t lying the act of omission? He controls information, he doesn’t revel it.
Yeah, I think that’s pretty accurate.

So in the sense that he’s not lying.
He doesn’t lie about things about himself. So I mean, if you ask him a question about him, he’ll be honest with you, like I mean, he doesn’t need to, there’s nothing he needs to hide. Nothing. But in terms of a negotiation or in terms of a manipulation, or in terms of just trying to get somebody to do what he needs them to do, he will manipulate information in order to get what he wants but I don’t think that’s in the context of lying. Lying is more about him. He has nothing to hide. He has no regrets, he’s very satisfied and content with who he is, which might be his flaw is that he’s just content like he’s happy where he is. Like nothing will affect him that much. But things do affect him that much. That’s, that’s what we see in this season I think.

So you mentioned that Nico is going to have some kind of closeness with TK. Could you expand on that? How is Nico involved with TK and the shooter?
TK needs to be protected, and Nico’s the only one that can do it. That’s basically what it is. So Nico becomes his go to guy, I mean, he really, not through TK’s mind, but Nico kind of puts himself in that position. And he just needs kind of like a father figure in certain ways. Which Nico doesn’t really, he’s not his father, but he needs an older presence in his life. And Nico kind of presents that to him. Or allows him to use Nico in that way.

Be sure to tune in next Wednesday, June 6th at 10 PM to USA Network for the big season two premiere of Necessary Roughness! And check out the Season 1 Recap Video/Season 2 Preview below.