Exclusive: Gregory Smith Talks Rookie Blue, Filming in Toronto, and Grey’s Anatomy Comparison

By: Adam Wright

The summer TV season can be a downer; however there are still some great shows for us viewers. Old favourites are coming back and the networks are brining in new shows.

ABC and Global TV are premiering the co-Canadian produced new police drama this month. Rookie Blue follows the life of five rookie cops coming out of the Academy.

Gregory Smith is one of its stars. You might remember him from Everwood. Now he’s wearing the blue uniform and patrolling the streets.

Before Rookie Blue premieres, we had the opportunity to talk to Gregory Smith about the show. Here’s what he had to say:

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Adam: First off, congratulations on scoring the starring role on Rookie Blue. How does it feel to be back on TV as a series regular?

Greg: Thank you very much! It’s both exciting and slightly nerve-racking to be launching this show.  Exciting because I am very proud of it and has a chance to be hugely successful. Nerve-racking because this is the first show I have done since Everwood, which set the bar, I don’t want to let anyone down!

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Adam: Many do remember you as “Ephram Brown” on Everwood. Tell me about your time on the series.

Greg: It was very much a coming of age experience for me, much like I imagine going away to college would be for most people.  I did the pilot when I was 18 and finished the show at 23.  Everything I have learned about telling stories and developing characters I can trace back to my time on Everwood.

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Adam: How did you get involved with Rookie Blue?

Greg: It was the last script I read during 2009′s pilot season.  The characters leaped off the page and the entire script had a tremendous energy.  But most important, I LOVED Dov. I was finishing his sentences before page 15. That doesn’t happen very often; when it does you must do something about it.  Thus began my campaign for the gig!

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Adam: The show was originally picked up by Canwest (Global TV). Then ABC also picked up the show. How does it feel to know you’re involved with one of the few Canadian-produced shows to make it to The U.S.?

Greg: We always knew the show was going to premier on both ABC and Global, it was picked up by ABC before I was involved.  That said, it was pretty rewarding when we got our test screening numbers back and found ourselves near the top of our class of all shows, Canadian and US.

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Adam: Rookie Blue is shot in Toronto, Ontario. Tell me about shooting there? And how does it feel to shoot it at home?

Greg: It’s my favorite place to shoot in the world. It’s a huge, bustling metropolis and one of the most diverse cities on the planet.  There’s a new story for us to tell around every corner.

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Adam: Did you get to spend time with the Toronto Police Department? How did you prepare to play an officer?

Greg: Before we started shooting they set up a mini police academy where we learned the basics. How to draw your weapon, use your handcuffs, run a traffic stop, clear a room etc. Also, a police captain came in and gave all of us the speech he gives to all his new recruits.  However, it’s pretty impossible to look like a cop with only 3 days of training, luckily our status as rookies really allowed us to work our natural mistakes into the show.

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Adam: Tell me, what are some of your favorite crime/cop shows?

Greg: My favorite crime/cop show is “The Wire”. I don’t consider “Rookie Blue” a crime/cop show, we are a character show we just happen to be cops,

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Adam: You play Dov Epstein, a rookie fresh out of the Academy. Tell me a bit about your character.

Greg: Dov has wanted to be a cop his entire life. The moment you meet him is the moment he has been waiting for his entire life. Literally. He has probably rehearsed the look on his face in the mirror a thousand times before his first day of work. But when you anticipate something so much, life usually has a funny way of messing with your expectations, no exception.  For instance, on his first day, instead of patrolling his beat like he imagined, Dov  finds himself in the confined to the station, strip searching a transsexual.  When life gives you lemons…you know the rest.

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Adam: Rookie Blue is being billed as “The Grey’s Anatomy in the world of Rookie cops.” How do you feel about that comparison?

Greg: It’s great comparison. Grey’s has become iconic of the character driven procedural, which is exactly what we are. If you like Grey’s chances are you’ll like “Rookie Blue”.

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Adam: What can we expect from Rookie Blue?

Greg: An emotionally driven and funny show about five rookie cops that is not cynical.

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Adam: Think fast: give me a tag-line for the show.

Greg: Rookie Blue: Arresting television. Kidding…kind of. (laughs)

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Adam: Before we end this interview, I ask this to all my interviewees. What have you been watching on TV lately?

Greg: The world cup and Modern Family

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Special thanks to Greg for taking time to talk about the show. Rookie Blue premieres on June 24^th. You can watch it on ABC and Global TV.

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Posted by Adam Wright on June 15, 2010. Filed under Features, News, Preview. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry