‘Crossing Lines’ – William Fichtner Interview

Crossing Lines TV Series Cast
Donald Sutherland as Dorn, Richard Flood as Tommy McConnel, William Fichtner as Carl Hickman, Gabriella Pession as Eva Vittoria, Tom Wlaschiha as Sebastian Berger and Marc Lavoine as Louis Bernard in ‘Crossing Lines’ (Photo by: Dusan Martincek/Tandem)

NBC’s launching the new dramatic action series Crossing Lines with a two-hour series premiere on Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT. The series follows a hand-picked, elite law enforcement team dedicated to bringing down criminals. What sets Crossing Lines apart from other cop dramas is the international element, as the five central characters travel the world to take down the bad guys.

In support of the show’s premiere, William Fichtner who plays New York cop Carl Hickman in the series joined with producers Rola Bauer and Ed Bernero to discuss Crossing Lines.

The series is international in scope. Where is it based and how far did you have to travel to work on the show?

William Fichtner: “Well we went on tour last fall into the winter. Our home base is Prague where we began shooting. Rola, I would say that’s a home base. Correct?”

Rola Bauer: “Yes. Prague was definitely our home base. We spent the majority of the 22 weeks in Prague. I’d love to hear Bill’s perspective on this adventure that we put him on.”

William Fichtner: “I’d love to talk about it because it surely was an adventure. You know, different than anything I’ve ever worked on before. Obviously Prague…I’m speaking from the perspective of the character of Carl Hickman, an ex-New York City cop living in Europe, living in Amsterdam. You know, it was great for an actor to not be searching being a little bit of a fish out of water because it’s exactly what it was, not that I felt that way, certainly not in the beautiful country of the Czech Republic and the wonderful City of Prague. But that’s where we began.

And also part of our episodes – the opening episodes – took us into a park in Paris and different places in Paris, France. So we shot there for a couple of weeks. And some of the episodes took us into the South of France and we shot there.

I think you can get the idea that as we went on this tour, it was remarkable because the places changed and the people changed and the locations changed. And it was fascinating and unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. Sure, I’ve shot films where we’ve gone on location but nothing quite like this and the scope of this.”

Rola Bauer: “And checking out all those wonderful restaurants in those places.”

William Fichtner: “That was very hard. I still an’t get over the wine list. But no, it was a fantastic time.”

What is filming in Prague actually like?

William Fichtner: “Well I think Prague just has everything. Sure, you can find the sleek office building but you can find anything in Prague. And I really mean that. I lived in old town Prague with my family when I was there and there were days where we were shooting at locations that were literally a half a block away that I could walk to work. And other times we were at our home base at the sound stages. But it’s a beautiful city, very modern, and at the same time very old. I mean so much was available not only for visually but for the experience not only as actors but as people because this was our home. This is where we’re together.

Many of the actors and the producers, we had our favorite Irish pub in old town and on Fridays and Saturday nights and it was just it was a beautiful thing to be there and experience it. I said it earlier on this call and I’ll say it again that I’ll never forget it. It was really, truly that remarkable. There was nothing about it that felt like, ‘Oh boy, I can’t believe it. Man, I got to get out of here.’ No. Quite the opposite.”

Rola Bauer: “And if I may add to what Bill is saying, we also wanted to protect the look and the credibility of the story. We didn’t want to put any of our talent in front of a green screen, which is why we made sure that we had the ability to go to these places. We shot Prague for Prague. We doubled it also for other European cities but we also made sure that Paris and Nice and the South of France were very much a part of what the story location was and not pretending to be something else.”

Why do you think this series will really speak to people, will really draw in viewers?

Rola Bauer: “I think one of the things that is the DNA in the project is that as the title says it crosses lines. We’re living in a global world; we’re connected by the Internet. We are trying to have certain things that are common to each other through television. Hollywood has been an example of it in that films transcend the boundaries and are released everywhere. But what we sometimes forget is how we protect our families. And that is what the challenge was about for us.

When we started developing the idea and we pitched it to Ed, he loved it because he said for him it reminded him of how America had been when there was not an FBI, when criminals could cross from one state to the other, and where essentially there was no sovereign structured entity that could look after people. And from that Edgar Hoover had set up the FBI. And over here in Europe it doesn’t exist. So criminals can travel the borders, can cross over without being really monitored or checked anymore. Europe didn’t have anything that was proactive. There’s Europol and there’s Interpol, but they didn’t really have a structure like that.

And I think what attracts people is that ultimately these crimes…we can see them anywhere in the world. And this is a team that is proactive. You’ve seen it in different features where there have been teams from different parts of the world who come together and crack the case. And I think that’s an international subject that allows an audience to really connect from a fear factor of how do I protect my family in a normal situation.”

William Fichtner: “I also think that what also is going to be appealing is living in the States we occasionally get incredible actors from around the world doing being on the series and I love the aspect. I know the first time that I read the first couple of episodes of the show, I loved the fact of having the American guy be the fish out of water, having the American guy join in with his sensibilities.

And because we have a multinational cast, it’s not just a gimmick or something that’s like, ‘Oh, we’re the A team.’ It’s not that at all. It’s just that our experts come from different places. And you truly get the Italian girl with her own culture behind her, and Marc Lavoine – the leader of the team, the French singer and actor – abd his French sensibilities. And all of this plays in and all of it comes through. I found that that was not just something that was kind of a nifty thing about the show but part of the heartbeat of the show.”

What was the biggest challenge for you in tackling this series?

William Fichtner: [Laughing] “The 12-hour flight to London from LA. That’s just really challenging, I’m telling you right now. I can’t sleep on planes. I wish I could tell you that whenever I work on something that it hits me in a challenging sort of way. It’s all challenging, but it’s all part of the joy of doing things. I guess it never hits me like it’s a real job or it’s a real challenge. It’s just all part of what I love to explore and to try to find who is this guy. You know, what makes him tick? And what does he care about? And what’s his world about? What does he want and what does he dream about? All that stuff, all the actor speak that I have the most fun thinking about. Hopefully, at the end of the day, [you’re] fully realizing somebody that you made to be a real person.

I have to tell you this that I had a tremendous amount of support and help from the material. Because I guess I’m a little old school but if it is not on the page, it is not on the stage. And Ed Bernaro knows how to put it on the page. I mean, it’s true. The first two episodes alone, I as an actor, I’d love to keep reading it and reading them over and over and over because I think good scripts gives you more and more details and you get more and more layers as you work on them. I was not disappointed working on this material – ever.”

William, was it hard for you to remember to not use your one arm or is that something you get used to right away?

William Fichtner: “I love that question. It was halfway through the season where we were on one take and I walked in and [there was someone] taking off and I went to point at them and I’m like, ‘Get them!’ and I reached out. I’m [pointing] with my glove (down) and I’m like, ‘Okay. Cut. That didn’t work.’

But it didn’t happen that often because there’s just a few moments throughout the season – one is in the very first episode – that you actually see his hand and the damage that happened to it. But the rest of the time he has a glove on that covers the damage to his right hand. Once that glove was on, once I slid that glove on every day, as an actor it was great. It was a great reminder. I just all of a sudden after a very short time I felt the right hand is something that I just don’t have. So it was rare moments and when they happened they were usually pretty funny, at least inside of myself thinking, ‘Come on, Bill!’ But I had a glove so I got a constant reminder.”

How did the series come about and how did you become connected to it?

Rola Bauer: “Well, it started actually that we have been working predominantly in the limited eight-hour miniseries. You might know one of our productions Pillars of the Earth, and we wanted to get into the one-hour series. We looked around at all the different show runners who were available or interested in working in a different, independent way and were introduced to Ed Bernero. I’m sure you’re aware of Ed’s pedigree and his many, many years of experience, so we considered ourselves very luck to be able to have a chance to brainstorm with him and we talked about this idea. He just immediately broke the story. I mean he said, ‘Oh my god,I have been wanting to do something in this direction.’

At first I thought, ‘Oh, this is Hollywood speak.’ But he truly did have it in his head because he broke the story in literally a matter of weeks. We met and we’re starting to work together in February, and we went straight to an order of 10 episodes on the middle of July. We started shooting in the beginning of October. We shot 10 episodes and had them all wrapped in the can in the third week of February. So it happened in literally one year from meeting and getting to know [each other], to developing, producing it and delivering it. I don’t know if you want to know the auspices of the idea but that was kind of the technical.

That was the genesis of it. We were concerned about what was happening in Europe, how similar it was to what has happened in the U.S. and how could one create a new team, a team European FBI that could transcend the boundaries and help people. And that’s how it started in that. We sat with the broadcasters and we told them our wish list as filmmakers, as producers, and the people we would like to have for each of the roles, and Bill was number one for us in the role of Hickman. I mean we had to give them three names and he was number one. I have been hounding, tracking – what’s the word I’m looking? – stalking Bill for many years…”

William Fichtner: “Stalking is good. Stalking is good.”

Rola Bauer: “And when I gave his name to Ed, he was like, ‘Oh I love him. That’d be great. That would be fabulous.’ And so once we had a script we sent it to his agent and then I’ll pass on the baton to Bill.”

William Fichtner: “And then I had a conversation with Ed Bernero. I have to tell you though first I’m very bummed out that on the list of three, I thought I was going to be number one, two and three but I was only number one. That’s okay. I got over it. I got over it. I read it and I liked it but it’s a challenge. It was a big thing. This is not like I’m going to commute to California and see the family. This was a big commitment to go because I wasn’t going to do this without traveling with my wife and my entire family, which I did.

But I did speak to Ed and like I said earlier, you can talk about anything and imagine anything but if it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage. And I thought the first two episodes were exceptionally well written. If I didn’t have that right off the bat, I don’t think I would have entertained it any further. And then I spoke to Ed, had a few questions and I wondered about, you know, characters and where it was going. Every time I had a conversation with him, it was better than the one before. So, it didn’t take long. Just a matter of a couple few shorts weeks and a lot of deep conversations with my wife – and onboard we were and away we went. Glad it all went that way.”

Was there anything about this role that wasn’t originally scripted and that you added to the character?

William Fichtner: “Good question. Well, it’s not there are not things… I mean every character with every show, this is like everything – you know, you take a first step and by the time you take 10 steps, you’re better on your feet on the tenth step than the first step. So we started from the beginning [and] we had a super strong base right off the bat. It’s so clear in the first two episodes who the character is.

It’s the backstory that, for me as an actor, I like to fill in because even though that’s not something that may be said in the production, it’s the understanding of the base of where somebody comes from and who someone is that really, really feeds who they are today. Those are the conversations over the phone and in Prague over many a Pilsner with Ed Bernero. I just loved talking to him about and sharing my ideas of who I think the guy is.

And so, yes, the backstory elements get deeper and deeper. But so much of what was there from the beginning, who he was and what his difficulties were and some of the crutches that he was leaning on in his life, Ed Bernero put that in the story I’m happy to say. It was just a matter of, most of it was just to go deeper with all of the thoughts that he’d already put out there for me.”

Why does William’s character decide to join the team? What convinces him?

Ed Bernero: “It’s an interesting question and actually something that Bill and I talked quite a bit about during the whole season about how committed the character is to the team and when he sort of commits completely to them. I think for both of us the complete commitment is going to happen more next year even. I think that he was pretty betrayed by the police world and I think he’s very reluctant to sort of join another group and be part of another team.

And I think that what happens in the pilot in the first two hours is certainly something that sets him on the course. But I think the most important moment is when Louie asked him if he wants to feel like a cop again, because Bill and I had many conversations about his state of mind and what he feels like and how he feels betrayed and sort of lost his identity not only with his wounding but also with the betrayal of the police department and his sort of leaving the NYPD.

So, it’s an ongoing process for him. You know, I think it’s something that the Hickman character may never fully embrace being part of the team. Wouldn’t you say that that’s probably true, Bill?”

William Fichtner: “Yeah, absolutely. What I love is there’s many things that I love about Hickman and that’s just the point. There are many things. I think he is a character that has more than one plate spinning. And one of those elements of his life is the bigger picture of why he’s in Europe in the first place, which by the end of Season one you will know exactly what that is.

There’s also, for as much as Hickman gives to the group, there are things that the group can give to him. And all of that begins to reveal itself throughout the first season. And that single thing alone is one of the big through-lines for the character and one of things that I really love about that journey because it’s always more than just one thing.”

Ed Bernero: “And there’s also quite a large element of the characters all in some way, shape or form using each other too. You know, that it’s not all just all for the same goal. I think you find out through the whole season that almost everyone has a little bit of an ulterior motive for being where they are and joining this team in the first place.”

William Fichtner: “Yes, absolutely.”

Ed, you’ve been involved in TV for a while now. Over the course of your career have you seen networks allowing more or less violence to make it into episodes? And do you think that networks cancel shows too early now? It seems new shows aren’t always given much of a chance to really catch on.

Ed Bernero: I’ll take the second part first. Yes. I don’t know that they have much choice. I mean, yeah, there are quicker cancellations than there used to be. I mean shows like Seinfeld and Hill Street Blues did horribly their whole first season, and people like Brandon Tartikoff stayed with them. But I don’t blame them for it. I think it’s a different marketplace right now and eyes go other places so quickly. Yeah, I would like to see shows get a little bit more of a chance to build some, but I don’t know that the marketplace will allow it anymore. But I don’t blame them for it. It’s just sort of what they have to do.”

And violence on television?

Ed Bernero: “You know, that’s an interesting question. The other show that I’ve done, Criminal Minds, we tried very hard to imply more violence than we show. But we don’t really get a lot of notes about violence, you know? In America you get notes about sex. You don’t get notes about violence. It’s actually quite the opposite in this European theatre that we’re in now. There’s more concern about violence and there’s almost no concern about sex. So it’s just culturally kind of a different thing.

But for my personal case, I’ve always thought that it was much scarier to not show things and let the audience fill that sort of blank in. But, no, we don’t get a lot of pressure – at least if you handle it responsibly you don’t. There may be other shows that get a lot of pushback on violence but we try not to do anything graphic, so I don’t have a problem with it.

Bill, what were the little surprises of everyday life you discovered while shooting in Prague?

William Fichtner: “Well I’ll tell you, first of all, one of the most important things about being in Prague is this: in the Czech Republic the national sport is hockey. Now, you’ve got to remember the NHL was on strike last year. But in a country of ten million people, there are 14 pro hockey teams in the Czech Republic, two in Prague alone. You have Sparta and you have Slavia. So I had the chance, being a hockey fan to go, with my son and with my wife to go watch hockey. I would go see both of them, so eventually I kind of leaned towards Sparta.

But, honestly, it’s things like that that really endeared me to the country and the people. I love the sport. The transportation guys that worked and moved the trailers around and everything, these guys were all hockey fans. We’d finish work in time and I would just like hop in the car and pick up [my wife] and my son and away we went; that was our life there.

We were close and we were working in the town and we were living in the town. We had a favorite Irish pub that we’d often meet at – all of us. We found that sort of existence…you can’t ask for anything more than that. I [have] absolutely never been on location anywhere that I had such a feeling of home that I had being there.”

Is there any particular scene or storyline that you’re real excited for the audience to see during this first season?

Ed Bernero: “Well just overall, this is the longest I’ve ever gone without something being on the air. I’m more used to being in the studio system here in the States where you do something and it’s on that September. So just in general I’m just excited about people seeing the show. This is the first time I’ve ever had the benefit of having the entire thing completed before it ever went on. It’s really exciting to me to know where it’s going and that it’s all sort of put together in the way we wanted it to be put together. I’m excited to see it.

I’m always most excited to see how people accept the family of the show and that the character moments come to mean more as the show goes on than they would have in the beginning. Most of the things that I’m interested in seeing is how the people react to the fact that they’re seeing people with French accents and German accents and Italian accents. It’s just something kind of really different for American television. I’m just interested in seeing how it plays around the world.

For me, every bit of it is exciting. There’s not any sort of particular moment that I’m looking forward to. I love the surprises, too. I think there’s a couple of surprises in the first two hours that I don’t know that many people will see coming. But overall, I’m just excited about the show in general.”

Rola Bauer: “I think one of the things that we’ve seen in this is Ed’s created fabulous character (arcs) and you’re going to be in for surprises on the nemesis of what brought Hickman over. I think you’re going to be intrigued to connect the dots. So we still have the crime of the week and we still have the team resolving cases, but there is a number of layers of mystery that come in.

And when you start getting towards the eight, the ninth, and the tenth episode, there is a real second layer of a story that makes each one of those characters stronger and quite exciting. Ed finished it off by having us have a cliffhanger on the tenth episode, and he’s probably going to get a lot of hate mail because of it.”

William Fichtner: [Laughing] “Not from me.”