| The Closer's Raymond Cruz |
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| Interviews - Actor | ||||||||
| Written by Jenna Bensoussan | ||||||||
| Saturday, 09 August 2008 | ||||||||
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Just like any fan of the show, Raymond is a Closer junkie too! He reveals this season has a particular theme -- power. "It explores power, and the lack of power, and the way it affects people with what they think they have and what they don't, which is terrific. Some people appear to be in control, but they really have no idea what is going on, and no control over the situation." Raymond continues, “I think it is going to ring a bell with a lot of people. A lot of people are going to watch the show and see the drama turned up a notch. People are going to be able to relate to it.”With all this talk about power, I was curious how much "control" they had when it came to the scripts, etc. "We have a great working relationship with the creator James Duff and the writers. When they first did the pilot episode they went after a bunch of brilliant, talented actors because they wanted you [the actor] to bring a lot to these characters. They allow you so much freedom to work and come up with stuff. We are pretty true to the script but there is so much in the script that is unsaid and we play in the subtext and the underlying humor. They just let you run with it, and it is terrific that they encourage that. So they wanted really good actors, and you have to be a really good actor in order to do that. You can’t just read a line and then stand there with a blank look on your face,” laughs Cruz. “There is never a moment when something isn’t going on. So much of the scene sometimes is what is unsaid,” he adds. Detective Sanchez has all the right stuff for Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson's (Kyra Sedgwick) team. "I look at my character as a good combination of action and intelligence. He is a good professional police officer / detective, and then whenever we have action sequences on the show he’s usually the one who handles it. Probably because I’m one of the younger actors on the show, and I am the one who has to run through a door or shoot someone. It is a nice mix.” And Raymond doesn't just sit on the sidelines while others do his stunts either. “I insist on it most of the time because I have done tons of stunts in movies and I just enjoy doing it. I’ll tackle someone on the street; I’ll climb a fence; I’ll run someone down; I’ll kick in a door and stuff like that. It is fun." Speaking of fun, episode seven (his season favorite) was just that. "It’s the one Kevin Bacon is directing. It is just a great script. It is just amazing. There is a lot going on. It is really dynamic from the beginning of the very first scene, and it just takes off like a horse out of a gate at a race track. It is such an amazing episode with emotions and trauma and passion that I can’t wait.” One of Cruz's most challenging scenes in the series thus far occurred happened a little while ago. "The most challenging thing up to now was at the end of the second season where I killed the Italian guy in the office when I save Brenda’s life. It was a simple scene where I walk up and I shoot him, and then I shoot him again, but it was just bringing the emotional support to it, and doing the action and the whole technical thing, knowing where the camera was and getting it to play really quick to make it all work. It wasn’t easy at all, but it looked great. I remember that one. When I shoot him in the office and you look at it, it looks so seamless and beautiful the way it was done and emotional, but it was not easy. “The emotional part was the hardest. You just shot someone and saved your friends life. How are you going to allow yourself to show how much it affects you [your character]. Trying to find that balance, and being a professional, and knowing you had no choice, so there is a lot going on there. Then you have to decide how much you want to expose the character emotionally and how much does it really affect them. The balance turned out perfect on it. When I saw it I just thought ‘Wow’ cause it worked so great. When you are doing it, it is hard because you don’t know if you should go a little further here...did it bother him at all. There was just so many layers involved in that little scene right there. But there was also the whole scene in the background with things getting blown up, people jumping around, the guy shooting off his gun, it was really difficult.” Raymond watches every episode of the show when it comes out on TV. He talks a bit about his personal preferences. "I liked the second season so far the best. I love what we are shooting this season, but I love the way the second season ended. The writing just gets better every year. It is weird because the only character you get any deep involvement with is Kyra’s character, and the rest is like a puzzle with little, little pieces of the other characters. But if you watch through all the seasons you see how all of these pieces add up, and you start to see and get to know the other characters almost subconsciously. "You start to think you really know these other guys even though there has not been a lot said or done about them other than watching them at work and I think that is genius. The whole focus has been on Kyra’s character and you getting to know her by watching her at home, at work and dealing with everything, but at the same time you watch how the people around her relate to her and how she relates to them and you start to get a sense of the other characters. But now this season we are getting a little more personal with the other characters so you get a bigger picture.” Everyone gets along off-set just as well as they are portrayed on-screen. "We have really good chemistry on camera because we have really good chemistry off camera. I have so much admiration and respect for the other actors I work with, like G.W. Bailey, J.K. Simmons, Tony Denison, Gina Ravera and Michael Paul Chan. I love going to work and working with these people because I can’t wait to see what they are going to do. I’ve seen their work prior to ever being on The Closer, and that was one of the reasons I agreed to do the show...was when they told me all the wonderful actors they were going to have on there. I was like Wow, I really like these guys' work, I can’t wait to do some scenes with them. "Everybody is so nice to work with in front of the camera, and behind the camera. We have a great crew, and the producers are terrific. I did the pilot episode with Robin and Shephard and I was really happy to come back to work with them. I had worked on a ton of other TV shows as a guest star and I would leave thinking ‘wow I am so glad I am not on this show’. It was a terrible atmosphere. Our show is just a wonderful place to go to work. We have a lot of people who will testify to that. "Guest actors who come on comment that this is just a great place to work, and it really is. It comes right from upstairs, down. The producers have a really good time on the set, and then you have all these actors who are excited to show up and do some amazing work, and all happy to be there. It really does translate to the screen.” When Raymond Cruz is not whistling a happy tune at work, you might find him building motorcycles, like his beautiful ’72 Mitsuguchi racing bike; rebuilding cars, like his ’67 Mercedes two-door coupe; or working on his new baby -- a vegetable oil-fueled GMC coach with two 45-gallon tanks, one set up for diesel and the other for vegetable oil. It has full custom paint, fiber glass kit, Conway leather, Bentley carpet, two flat screens and more...if that weren't enough! This guy sure is busy! Now -- you should get busy every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET -- The Closer airs an all-new episode on TNT next week!
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Even though filming won't be over until the end of October, fans are already enjoying this latest season of The Closer. Raymond Cruz (Detective Julio Sanchez) is especially looking forward to an upcoming episode that introduces everyone to his character's family. "
I hope to see more of him and his talent in future episodes.| < Prev | Next > |
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