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Chris Noth & Alicia Witt Talk Law, Sex & The City & More
Reported by Jay Cochran - 07:53 PM 2007.12.10
Last week NBC Universal held a press conference with "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" Star's Chris Noth (Det. Mike Logan) and Alicia Witt (Det. Nola Falacci) who talk about the upcoming mid-season finale titled "Senseless." The two become emotionally involved in the pain of a disenfranchised community which must confront pointless murders. Co-starring Ben Vereen as "Rev. Jeremiah Morris," Daphne Rubin-Vega as "Carmen Mendoza" and Jesse Garcia as "Felix Aguilar" it's a ripped from the headlines story about a four African-American college freshman, who pulling themselves out of the ghetto and into college, are senselessly shot on a playground, in a racially charged case. This very special episode airs on December 13 on USA Network. Chris also talks a little about his role on the upcoming Sex & The City movie. Here is a transcript of the interview.
Carol Janson: Hi everybody. Glad that you could be with us today to talk to Chris and Alicia. Why don’t both of you say hello so they’ll know you’re on the line? Alicia Witt: (Hey) - Hi everybody. Christopher Noth: Hello. Coordinator: Our first question comes from Vanessa Coates of www.seat42f.com. Vanessa Coates: Hello. My first question is for Alicia. How has it been coming into the show as the new kid on the block this year? Alicia Witt: It’s been really great, you know. I’ve felt like I kind of have the most amazing gig doing this because it had all the benefits of coming into a show that was already running very smoothly after being on for seven years. So the glitches that you might have with a new show weren’t going to happen. But I also felt like it was just so fun to come into it and be feeling everybody out and coming into a situation where there were established relationships with the characters that existed, and just be somebody new. And I kind of made an effort myself to not overly familiarize myself with the idiosyncrasies of Logan in particular so that I would be coming in as Falacci was with completely fresh eyes. Vanessa Coates: Great. Alicia Witt: So it’s been great. I’ve had a complete blast doing it. Vanessa Coates: And Chris, my question has - is how has it been balancing filming the show with the Sex and the City movie? Christopher Noth: Oh, crazy. Alicia Witt: Are they… Christopher Noth: Crazy. Vanessa Coates: Are they both being filmed in New York? Christopher Noth: Yeah, it’s pretty schizo. Totally antithetical subject matter, feeling. It’s completely two different sets although for a movie I think they cover an enormous amount of ground as, you know, they may not be doing eight or nine pages like we do. But they cover what they do very - I mean, they cover a lot, you know. They’re going at a rapid pace. So both sets were positively exhausting in completely different ways. Vanessa Coates: Uh-huh. Christopher Noth: You know, it was a big challenge for me because it’s - filming is - has its own sort of wearing and exhausting nature to it, you know. Not just the hours but, you know, the repetition and I don’t know. It - you’re so tired you’re like I am right now. You can’t articulate. You got to get eight hours of sleep, especially for Law & Order. But it was, you know, it’s a romantic comedy so that it’s different in terms of timing and the use - you’re using a whole different set of instruments for it. So I was always happy to get - it’s kind of like two different families. You know what I mean? And it was fun to get back to each one of them after going through - it’s like, you know, coming back to the Law & Order world after being in that world was at first a little bracing. And then it was back to normal. And then going back to them after Law & Order, it was like - it was a little weird, you know. Vanessa Coates: Yeah. Christopher Noth: Being for this sort of fashion sense and the rhythms of that. But I finally finished both of them. Coordinator: The next question comes from Bill Harris with the Toronto Sun. Bill Harris: Hey guys. Thanks for doing the call. Chris, this is for you. I know that we are sort of obsessed through the years with the - the TV cop genre is very rich and there seems to be an endless supply of storylines. I’m just curious, as someone who has, you know, been in law enforcement for a large portion of his professional life as some sort of, you know, mental, psychological balancing act - do you pretty much commit non-stop felonies in your personal life? Christopher Noth: Do I commit them - felonies? Bill Harris: Yeah. Christopher Noth: I try to get away with my felonies as much as possible. I don’t know how to answer that, you know, without incriminating myself. Bill Harris: The - have you - how has playing a cop then - has it influenced your personal life at all? Has it influenced how you view the world? Do you take any of those cop - you know, because you’ve been doing this for a long time and all sorts of, you know, you get to see all sorts of different crimes and different police situations. How - has that changed you as a person at all or your personal views on things? Christopher Noth: Well it’s given me a pretty healthy respect for New York City Police, detectives especially. And I’m friendly with a lot of them, and we have a great former detective on our show that is our source of information, how to do things right. His name is Mike Struk and he’s been with us for years. And just the stories and the - and, you know, his take on different crimes. But, you know, pretty much when I take off the plaid tie and suit - I leave that job, you know. Coordinator: Your next question comes from Sally Cohen-Cutler of Columbia University Spectator. Sally Cohen-Cutler: Hi guys. Thanks so much for doing the call. I know that filming in New York definitely makes the show more authentic for the viewer. But does it have that similar affect on your acting? And what’s the aura when you’re filming in New York all around the city? Christopher Noth: What’s the what? Sally Cohen-Cutler: What’s the different feeling that you get just from filming in New York versus other parts of the city - or other parts of the country that you could be filming? Christopher Noth: I’ll let Alicia take this. Alicia Witt: It’s - I don’t think this show could possibly film anywhere but New York. It’s - you can always tell, in my opinion, when something is supposed to be set here and it isn’t actually filmed here because there is - it’s just a - as you said, the energy is completely different. And even if you’re not seeing all of what we’re seeing when we’re doing outside stuff, I definitely feel like it affects me and makes me feel more authentic as a New York City detective. There’s people all around who - just the activity and the commotion of it, and every now and then a - like the other night when we were shooting, a real team of detectives drove by and they were in an unmarked car with the cop lights in the dashboard. And they looked at us and they sort of gave us like a little, I don’t know, like a sign of respect or something. It was sweet. Christopher Noth: Oh, when we were in the park in Bed-Sty? Alicia Witt: Yeah, remember? Christopher Noth: Yeah. (Unintelligible) it was funny cause I was… Alicia Witt: They were like the real-life Logan and Falacci. Christopher Noth: I was saying how peaceful the neighborhood looked that day. And that night, you know, one of our parking guys got a shotgun pulled on him. Alicia Witt: I know. Christopher Noth: And there was a policeman that got assaulted. There was a lot of action going on there around us. Alicia Witt: Yeah. Christopher Noth: So yeah, we’re filming this crime scene and we’ve got all our lights on, you know, and all our, you know, prop police cars. And we’re all out there with our (unintelligible) and all around us is like (siren sound). Alicia Witt: I know. It’s the real thing. Christopher Noth: And the… Alicia Witt: And it’s not (unintelligible)… Christopher Noth: That’s true. We kind of like tip our hats to them, you know, and they’re like oh, you know, step aside punks. Alicia Witt: Yeah. Christopher Noth: Not quite, but it is funny to see the reality and the sort of fantasy of things. Coordinator: Your next question comes from Jenny Cooney of TV Guide New Zealand. Jenny Cooney: I wonder if you can talk more specifically about the episode that’s going to air, what your roles are in this particular episode? And if it sort of hit any emotional - touched any emotional chords for either of you? Alicia Witt: It’s hugely emotional because - at least in my limited experience, it’s the most emotional episode that we’ve done. It’s - I think this episode is one where the detectives really end up getting invested in it in a way that doesn’t usually happen because they deal with this all the time. And obviously you feel something and you wish the people that you need to interrogate who just lost a family member weren’t having to go through this but you deal with it because it’s part of the job. And not to say that you get jaded, but it’s your work so you need to kind of put that aside. And in this episode, it just hits a little too close. It’s about the murders of these three college kids who weren’t in gangs, weren’t doing drugs… Christopher Noth: They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alicia Witt: They were good kids. Yeah. Christopher Noth: And the title of the show kind of says it all -- “Senseless” -- and, you know, we do what we do. We’re, you know, you’re trying to solve a crime and be objective, and not get sucked into the tragedy because it can get in your way if you do get sucked into it. But then every once in awhile, it hits you. There’s a scene where the father of the young lady who’s on life support and maybe is going to make it, maybe not, and it turns out she doesn’t make it. And as we’re coming out, he’s like - asks us who would do such a thing and, you know, why would somebody do this? And it’s like you know, people feel like cops can, you know, protect them or solve it for them. But, you know, really it’s hard to answer that. It’s hard to give them the answer that they want because we don’t really have them. We don’t have an answer for it. All we can do is try to find the guys that did it, put them away and let that be a form of healing for them. But once, you know, for the family it’s, you know, the rest of their lives are going to be ruined by this one senseless act. Alicia Witt: Yeah. Christopher Noth: There’s not much you can do. I mean, you know, what you - sorry for - like there’s a motif in here - we’re sorry for your loss, but those are just words, you know. All we can do is to face each day with a new set of clues and try to inch forward, and get the - and then when you finally do get the guy or guys -- whatever it may be -- often it’s so - the reason they did it is like the title, senseless, and you’re left with really a pretty empty feeling. Jenny Cooney: Oh yeah. Well like the toll that it takes on your characters in this episode, I wonder for both of you - I mean, you’re dealing with these kind of subject matters every week and you, in particularly, Chris for many years. Does it take a toll on you as actors? Christopher Noth: No, only in the hours you’re doing it and that can kind of - sort of just seep into the character. In other words, the weariness that cops feel, you can actually get that sense because to make these episodes takes a lot of energy and a lot of time. And it really kicks your ass. Jenny Cooney: Yeah. Christopher Noth: And I would say it would be equal to the amount of energy a real cop would be spending. Do you know what I mean? And there are tedious things you have to do as a cop. It’s not like they - in movies and TV where everyone’s, you know, running and shooting. And it’s all action. A lot of it is just really minutia and really hard work tracking down, asking questions, relentlessly pursuing small leads, you know, making telephone calls all day long, going into people’s records, going back to neighborhoods, (unintelligible). It’s tedious work and it - sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s back-breaking and we have to give that sense and, you know, you don’t want to bore the audience so you have to give that sense of it but at the same time move forward. You know what I mean? Jenny Cooney: Yeah. Christopher Noth: And is - does it - you know, so just doing the episode and it takes like eight days of, you know, 14-hour or 15-hour days, is that experience in itself - that journey in itself becomes the character’s journey, you know, in a sense. Jenny Cooney: And for you, Alicia? Alicia Witt: That’s a nice way of putting it. Christopher Noth: Excuse me? Jenny Cooney: And for you, Alicia? Alicia Witt: I would agree. I think Chris put it perfectly. That’s very true. I’m - it’s exhausting shooting these episodes and the only thing that I think is like even more tricky than the fact that we’re shooting these long hours and having to keep focused on the facts, and all of that, is that a lot of times when we’re on location what makes it especially challenging mentally is that we’ll have a specific location for the day. So, for example, if we start out the episode interrogating a certain suspect at their home and then later on in the episode we return to that same suspect’s home. And then later in the same episode we return again, and this time we arrest the suspect, we have to shoot all of those that same day right after each other. And in between the scenes, we have to remember exactly what has happened, exactly what we think the person might be guilty of and sort out the sequence of events even though they haven’t been shot yet or they’re not in sequence. Christopher Noth: Oh, okay. Coordinator: The next question comes from Troy Rogers of TheDeadbolt.com. Troy Rogers: My first question is for you, Chris. With - you were with Law & Order for about seven years now and… Christopher Noth: You mean, well I was (unintelligible)… Troy Rogers: Combined, right? Christopher Noth: …for four and for five. Troy Rogers: Okay. Christopher Noth: Yeah. And then separated for ten and then came back for, this is my third year. Yeah, go ahead. Troy Rogers: Right. No, I was just wondering - now have there been any episodes where you thought you wish you could’ve played the villain or one of the victims instead of Logan? Christopher Noth: No. Troy Rogers: Never? Christopher Noth: I just - when I’m doing the show I’m not in that - my mind doesn’t go there. Troy Rogers: Okay. Christopher Noth: No. Honestly, I never went oh, I’d like to be playing this guy or - instead of me. I like my character and it’s just that, you know, I can’t - I’ve never jumped over into like going oh, this would have been a, you know - I thought oh, I would like to play, you know, a different cop in a movie, say or something like that. But I never, on our show, I’ve never felt like, you know, not while we’re on and I’m pretty much into what I’m doing. Troy Rogers: Excellent. Actually to add to that, now in the Press Kit it said you would also talk about the rest of this season. I was just wondering where does the show stand now with regards to the strike? Like how much do you guys have done? Christopher Noth: We’re - we’ve got a couple things going into the new year, I think. But we’re like everyone else. We’re going to have to wait. But we’ve got these shows going over to NBC, so I think we’ve got some time. I don’t know. You have to ask, actually, someone more informed than I am about how that works. But I would assume that we’re going to go whenever the strike is resolved and I’m hearing all kinds of different things. We’re going to go right back into making more new episodes and we’ll (unintelligible) some time that they show some repeats or something before they show the new ones. I’m not really clear to tell you the truth. Troy Rogers: All right. Fair enough. Carol Janson: I was wrong when I said when the new episodes would be starting. It’s April 8th on USA. April 8th. Christopher Noth: Right. So that date is possibly - may have - may change. I don’t know. Troy Rogers: Okay. Christopher Noth: So far we’re still, you know - next week we’ve got this one we shot and then all of these episodes that appears will go as new episodes on NBC. So… Troy Rogers: Oh, okay. I understand. Christopher Noth: Yeah. Troy Rogers: And I just have one more quick thing for Alicia. Now you’re relatively new to this show. Alicia Witt:Yeah. Troy Rogers: I was just wondering, what was it like to work with Ben Vereen on this episode. Alicia Witt: Oh, Ben was great. I wish we could have worked with him a lot more than we did. But we had such - I mean, he’s playing the father of one of the victims, so it’s a rough role, you know. He was amazing and we did our scenes with him. But then in between scenes, he and I started to sing together. So that was really fun. We did some Sammy Davis, Jr. covers. Troy Rogers: Awesome. Alicia Witt: So that was really awesome. It was like much needed levity to this extremely depressing day of being - so we started to sing. Troy Rogers: Nice. Alicia Witt: He’s a great singer, obviously. Coordinator: Your next question comes from Jenny Eden of Channel 5 UK. Jenny Eden: Hi guys. Chris, I was wondering who do you feel closer to, Logan or Mr. Big? Christopher Noth: Oh, I can’t - it’s like choosing between your children or something. (Unintelligible)… Jenny Eden: Were they easy to slip (unintelligible)… Christopher Noth:…pretty far back with both of them, you know. I mean, I can’t remember when I started Logan, but it was like 1990. But they’re both - both of them, by the way New Yorkers, you know, just different neighborhoods maybe. But I don’t - like I said on the question a few times ago, what was it like to go between the sets. And that’s part of the fun is they’re absolutely diametrically different sets and different feelings as the characters are. And, you know, I always joke - with Big I’m going from Gucci clothes to Logan’s, you know, Moe Ginsburg suits. But they’re both really great fun, great complete, you know, individuals with different points of view in different worlds. And our sets articulate that also. I mean, the set - our set on Law & Order, it’s a lot of hard work. We try to have fun, you know, together and have a lot of laughs. And, you know, it’s - really it’s - I think there’s a little more testosterone. That’s why it’s a relief to have, you know, Alicia and Julianne, when she was here. But the Sex and the City set, you know, I would say is a lot more, obviously female oriented - a lot more emphasis on hair and makeup, which is always fun. Jenny Eden: So do you slip into kind of new man mode when you go over to the Sex and the City set? Christopher Noth: Do I what? Jenny Eden: Do you slip into your new man mode when you go over there to the more feminine atmosphere? Christopher Noth: (Unintelligible) goes on and, you know, I - it’s a lot of - there’s a lot of nice playing on that set, too. It’s different locations, a more upscale Manhattan, you know - but both a lot of great. It’s great fun and both great characters. I’m lucky to have played two that have lasted as long as they have. Jenny Eden: How do you keep it fresh because I know when you were - when you did your first stint with Law & Order, you said that it was difficult to be in a series that ran for that length of time? You’re now up to three years again. So how are you keeping it fresh this time around for yourself? Christopher Noth: On Criminal Intent? Jenny Eden: Oh, well with both of them. Christopher Noth: Well I would say 95% of the job is the writing and with Sex and the City, I always felt like, you know, Michael Patrick King is our sort of contemporary Noel Coward and so when you’ve got that kind of writing you just float on that. And also, the - my chemistry between both my partners, Sarah Jessica on Sex and the City and Alicia and Julianne, really helps me to, you know, to travel through the geography of, you know, both shows in whatever style that those shows demand. And so that helps to keep it fresh. And we’ve got new writers on Criminal Intent. I think we’ve got a - pretty much a different show than it - what it was, at least on our side. I think the other side is perhaps more what it originally set out to be, you know, with Goren being sort of Sherlock Holmes and all that stuff. But we’re a real partnership and a much more ensemble show on our side. We have a lot of fun doing it and I think Logan and Falacci, you know, we have a great chemistry because there’s an energy and a discovery process going on. And that all helps to keep it fresh. And the writing that they’re doing for us, you know, keeps it fresh. So all of that helps. Jenny Eden: Do you - can you tell what sort of fans people are - whether they’re Criminal Intent or Sex and the City by the way they approach you? Christopher Noth: Can I tell what? Jenny Eden: Can you tell what sort of fans they are - whether they’re Criminal Intent or Sex and the City by the way they approach you? Christopher Noth: Well all I know is in the neighborhoods of Criminal Intent, you know, some of the fans wanted me to sign their gin bottles. Jenny Eden: So what do the Sex and the City fans what you to sign? Christopher Noth: We were mobbed in Sex and the City on the first week. I mean, every set we were on there were 500 people with their camera phones, you know. I mean, I’ve never seen anything like it and they stayed there all day long. So that was pretty interesting. We’re pretty much - I mean, Law & Order is, I think, an accepted - you know, we’re like an old friend in New York. We’ve been around awhile and it’s a real New York - it’s almost like a part of New York. And I think that people see us, recognize us and say hi. But they don’t bother us and they leave us alone to do our thing. Do you get that sense, Alicia? Alicia Witt: I have to tell that one very funny story though, because any - what I noticed being around you when we were out on the street shooting the show is that yeah, some people were really interested because of Criminal Intent. But you could definitely tell, especially with the female fans -- the ones that were into Chris because of Mr. Big. And so that was sort expected, you know. There were always girls like with googly-eyed and just completely mad about him which is adorable. But then this one day we were shooting a scene in a car and we were following another car which had the equipment in it and stuff. So there we were in the car with, you know, we’re sort of blocking traffic a little bit. And the camera is in our car and the - you know, we had to do a U-turn to go back to where we started from and shoot the scene again. And there was this huge truck that was being blocked by our little caravan. And he started honking the horns furiously and he’s this big, burly guy, you know, mid-40s truck driver. And we figured, okay he’s just pissed off that he’s - the road ahead of him is blocked and he can’t where he needs to go. And he kept on honking and finally we were turning in front of him and he caught Chris’s eye with the honking. And he yelled out of the window of his car, “Marry Carrie. Marry Carrie.” Alicia Witt: That was all he wanted. Christopher Noth: We thought he was going to jump out and go you fuckers have been holding me up all day. Get your asses out of here, you know. I mean, it was like he was going to be really pissed off. And it was like, when are you going to marry Carrie? That’s all he wanted. Alicia Witt: That was the whole reason he was honking his horn because he just wanted to get Chris’s attention for a second because he cares so much about that. He’s like the most unlikely Sex and the City watcher you’d ever imagine. It cracked us up. It was so perfect. Jenny Eden: And so finally in the word of a truck driver, when are you going to marry Carrie? Christopher Noth: Oh wow. You’ll have to tune into the movie to find out if it’s (unintelligible). Coordinator: Your next question comes from Matt Liebowitz of Flash News. Matt Liebowitz: Good. This question is for both of you. When you get, you know, you’re filming these exhausting 15-hour days. And when you get home, how do you sort of decompress to avoid keeping - you know, taking this work home with you? Do you, you know, do you get home and you watch more cop shows… Christopher Noth: Pop goes the bottle. Matt Liebowitz: What’s that? Christopher Noth: Pop the cork out of the bottle, fill up my glass. Alicia Witt: Drink yourself into oblivion, no not really. Christopher Noth: It’s not total oblivion, but… Matt Liebowitz: Do you find yourself, you know, just sort of staring at a blank wall or is there something you can do to just take your mind off it? Christopher Noth: Well usually you’re glad to be home and you realize you’ve got a call not too far away so you want to get enough - your main concern is get eight hours sleep at least because without it you’re dead. So you’re not going out to party - at least I’m not. But Alicia’s got a lot of energy and she’s told me sometimes she’s gone off and done a gig as in - she plays piano and stuff. So - but that’s because… Alicia Witt: Yeah. Christopher Noth: …she’s younger than me. So - me, I’m like a glass of wine, you know, and glug, glug, glug and see you later. Matt Liebowitz: And… Alicia Witt: I’ve found that it was funny. Like sometimes I would, I would do that. I would come home, have a glass of wine or literally sometimes I didn’t even have time for that. Sometimes I’d come home, take the dogs out for a walk and fall into bed - take off the makeup, go to bed, wake up the next morning. But the way I kind of work sometimes is I can go a couple of days with very little sleep and then I pull these crazy Saturdays where I sleep for literally 14.5 hours. So I’ve done that a couple of times. I’ve never done that in my life before, I should say. So I fully attribute that to this schedule. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also the most grueling schedule I’ve ever worked on, on anything in my career just because of the sheer volume of different scenes that we have to shoot every day. So it’s a true physical exhaustion at the end of the day. Matt Liebowitz: Okay. And for Chris, you know, the rumors were that the Sex and the City script and the plot was so, you know, kind of heavily guarded - sort of top secret. I was wondering, as Logan with your Logan experience, did you have sort of a - maybe a heightened ability to get to the bottom of the details where no one else could? Christopher Noth: Well I didn’t need to. I have the script. I know what’s going on. Matt Liebowitz: Do you that, you know, if they were keeping it from you, is that something that would have been no problem for you to crack, though? Christopher Noth: It’s a silly question. Yeah, he would’ve gotten, you know, some DNA on that - gotten the real scoop of what that ending was, you know. But, you know, the reality is we had to film a lot of fake endings because there were so many people, you know, on the set and so everything we were doing was photographed and put online and perused, and sort of like dissected. Matt Liebowitz: Right. Christopher Noth: It was a little bit weird. I never, ever been on a set where it was - there was that much interest in trying to figure out what was going on. Matt Liebowitz: Right. Christopher Noth: But most - everyone got it in the papers completely wrong because everything is so out of context they don’t understand just because they see someone in a - you know, a wedding dress… Matt Liebowitz: Right. Christopher Noth: …it doesn’t necessarily mean what they think it’s going to mean. Matt Liebowitz: Right. Christopher Noth: But that’s the beauty of the movie, you know. Matt Liebowitz: Okay. Christopher Noth: I don’t think Logan would have been much interested in any of it. He would have been like - you know what I mean? Coordinator: Our next question comes from Fred Topel of Hollywood.com. Fred Topel: We’ve spoken a lot about the Senseless episode. Specifically, how much do we find out about your characters in the other episodes, the other cases you’re investigating because this show is mainly about the cases? Christopher Noth: Yeah. You don’t really. Well you do in little inferences and exchanges, and in little bites. But it’s not - you’re not served a meal of, you know, character information and that’s never been the way Law & Order has ever been. So we sort of live and die by that. Alicia Witt: Yeah. You have to find those little moments where the characters are getting to know each other or the character does something specific to their personal life or their history. And the most important (unintelligible)… Christopher Noth: I mean, that said I don’t know. I have never really watched that much of those other shows - CSI: Miami’s or all that. But I feel that you get more of a sense who we are in our jobs than you do in like those characters just by the way we relate to each other and talk about a case or, you know, how we handle it, and how it - that affects us. But it’s never a literal scene of going into our homes. There - each of us has episodes sometimes, though, that - I had one last year. I know Vince has probably had a few this year, or in the past where you go in - it gets much more personal and affects the - affects our character in a way that you wouldn’t see in a normal episode. And that’s the way you sometimes get a glimpse. Fred Topel: Okay. And with the holidays coming up, what traditions are each of you looking forward to celebrating this Christmas? Alicia Witt: I tend to do this thing where -- which I love doing -- I usually travel every other Christmas. I - you know, I’ll take one of the two holidays -- Thanksgiving or Christmas -- depending on which one I feel like celebrating the most, and have a very traditional holiday with my family. And this year we had a great Thanksgiving together. And I’ve always wanted to travel or go somewhere for holiday at this time of year because for me it’s a great time to travel since I know very predictably that I’m not going to be working, and it’s really the only time of the year ever that I can plan a trip and know that I’m not going to have to cancel it. But because New York is so beautiful and I’ve honestly been so busy working on the show, and working on my music and doing these gigs, that I feel like I - the best holiday I could possibly have would be here in the city. So I’ve decided to just spend Christmas here and act as much like a tourist as possible, even though I know this city really well. I just want to go to museums and walk around, and gape at all the pretty lights. And have that sort of a Christmas this year. Fred Topel: Chris? Christopher Noth: Yeah, I’m always - New York is always, for me, a place to spend as much of Christmas as I can. There’s a couple things - they’re renovating outside my building and they’re driving me crazy. Sorry, I’m going to move into a different room. That’s part of being in New York, too. What - a couple… Alicia Witt: They’re doing that outside my building, too. Christopher Noth: A couple - let’s see, you got to go to the Medieval Room in the - at the museums - at the Met. That’s always a great tradition for me. It’s a great place to just sit. And go to the Russian Tea Room. Yeah, just New York - walking around when it’s - hopefully, I pray that there’ll be some snow because there’s nothing more beautiful than New York City in the snow. Christopher Noth: And just walking around the city is so fantastic during Christmas. It’s a great energy. Also, I like to try to maybe go up north and cross-country ski. Then the whole tradition of putting up the tree is always important - a lot (unintelligible)… Fred Topel: Are there any gifts you’re each hoping to get? Christopher Noth: Alicia? Alicia Witt: No. I don’t really think about gifts, to be honest. I just - I don’t think about it. Christopher Noth: We're having our traditional Law & Order Christmas Party at the Cutting Room. That’s our - that’ll be a gift. Fred Topel: Wow. All right. Well my Sex and the City question for Chris is are you happy with the way Big is going in the script for the movie? Christopher Noth: Yeah, I am very. I think it - I can honestly say from the writing and the way we - what we’ve shot that I’m pretty happy. I mean, it was - with the schedule and the sort of doing double duty, I was a little unsure of - if I could, you know, keep up with it. But I was happy with what we got. I (unintelligible)… Fred Topel: Was it what you expected or a big surprise to you? Christopher Noth: What do you mean? Fred Topel: Is it a good resolution for your character after all the years on the show? Christopher Noth: It’s a continuation. I mean, I’m not sure anything needs to be resolved, it’s - he’s a, you know, they’re a part of each other’s lives, you know, through all the twists and turns. And there’s a lot of different twists and turns, but it’s life I guess. But he’s, you know, a big part of her life. Coordinator: Our next question comes from Magda Liszewska of OC Post. Magda Liszewska: Hi to both of you. What’s the feedback you’ve been getting on Law & Order from New York Police? Christopher Noth: Oh, really good. I think they love the show. Magda Liszewska: They don’t complain that that’s not how things would happen in real life? Christopher Noth: Well I think they get it’s a TV show, you know. They’re not expecting, you know, complete reality. How can you have complete reality when you only have like 42 minutes to tell a story, you know, really? You know, you give the illusion of that reality and I think they understand the difference, you know. I think they’re pretty good natured about it and I like - I think we do a good job of presenting who the New York Police are and I think they like that, you know. I think we try to respect the image of what it is to be a New York cop and all that entails. And I think they’re different from many other kinds of cops - detectives in the United States, and there’s a tone and a character to them that I think we capture. And I think they appreciate it. Magda Liszewska: Okay. And the second question, what kind of shows do you guys like to watch for fun? Alicia Witt: I was really into Tell Me You Love Me on HBO. I thought that was very well acted and it got a bit of a rap because of the explicit sex scenes. But I have to say it was the most frank and honest, and emotional depiction of sex that I’ve ever seen. If ever a sex scene was necessary, it was on this show. And I - it’s not about sex. It’s about the connection between these couples, all in varying stages of their lives and relationships. And what it is about those relationships that’s holding them back, and freezing them, and stopping them from communicating with each other the way they want to. I thought it was great. I really loved it. I don’t watch much TV in general, though. I watch Curb Your Enthusiasm as well and aside from that, I haven’t seen anything at all this year. Every time I tune into something, it seems as though I just - I don’t know, it just bores me. I’m not really a big TV watcher. I prefer films. Magda Liszewska: How about you, Chris? Christopher Noth: Yeah, it’s pretty hard to watch TV. I was a big fan of Rome. I couldn’t miss an episode of that. That’s like two years ago, which was (unintelligible). Let me see, what do I watch? I watch Rome. I watch Bill Maher. I think he’s brilliant and funny, and honest about what’s really going on in this country. I do - some occasionally get addicted to those cold case things, you know, on - I don’t know what - is that on A&E or something, you know? Magda Liszewska: Yeah, I think so. Christopher Noth: Those are some really good cases there. They’re really - you know, with the forensics and the - you know, it’s like a, you know, there’s a couple of little tips in there to learn from, too, listening to some of the detectives on those. Those are always fun. Otherwise, you know, those - you know, I don’t know (unintelligible). I’m not going to watch like, you know, Desperate Housewives. I can’t relate. I can’t either relate to a lot of TV (marriage), so. Maybe when you’re out there making it, you - you know what I mean? Magda Liszewska: Yeah. This is your second round on Law & Order. How was being on Law & Order: Criminal Intent different then, when you were on the regular Law & Order? Christopher Noth: It’s a bigger responsibility. We’re carrying the show and the story, and in a sense that we’re leading you through all the different points to the resolution of the crime. And have on our shoulders, to sort of present the case and how it unfolds. And it’s the full hour. It’s not just, you know, half and then it goes to the (boards). The cases, I think, are sometimes more complex and sometimes being major case - they’re often something that has a reverberation in the community or the political world, or something like that. Not always, but… Magda Liszewska: Ripped from the headlines. Christopher Noth: Yeah, sort of sometimes. I mean, there’s sort of a combination of a lot of things, these stories. I wouldn’t say they’re necessarily ripped from the headlines, but they appear that way. That’s a - in the original Law & Orders that was a premise, I suppose, of the original Law & Order. It was like if it’s going to be on The Post, Law & Order is going to be doing it, kind of thing. Magda Liszewska: What do you think is the key to the series’ success for so many years? Christopher Noth: I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I actually don’t know how to answer that. I think part of it may be that cable came along and I noticed that when it started playing on cable all the time, it developed a whole new audience. So it was sort of a double whammy. There were some people watching on network and then they were seeing the reruns on cable. And then they became more invested in the show that way. And then Law & Order launched two - you know, another show and then another. So it became, you know, people who really liked it sort of got addicted to it and could see it at many different times on different stations. Magda Liszewska: Because it’s always on, which is one of the great things about it. What about you, Alicia? Why do you think it’s so successful? Alicia Witt: I don’t have a clue. I mean, I think it’s - my guess is that it’s just - it’s one of those shows, I think, because of the format of it - I mean, I have to admit I’ve watched it a couple of times completely not planning on watching TV, but just flipping channels. And, you know, what I was just saying about how I find it difficult to - I’ll tune into something and it loses my interest in about three minutes, and then I tune out. And it could be a good show, but if I happen to tune in on a three minutes that are not interesting or that I can’t follow because I’m not familiar with the series or the characters, then I’m lost. But on this show, every case is completely different and each episode is - has a beginning, middle and end. So you can jump into it and it - you don’t really need to know what happened in the episode before. And you’ll probably enjoy it better if you do because then you’ll be more familiar with these characters - of the detectives. But it’s always fun to watch because it’s an hour-long who-done-it, basically. So I’m guessing that’s why it’s done so well and stayed so popular. Magda Liszewska: Okay, that’s all I had. Thank you very much and happy holidays. Coordinator: Your next question comes from Jay Cochran of Entertainment News International. Jay Cochran: Hey guys. Thanks for doing this. Alicia Witt: Hi. Jay Cochran: My question is for Chris. Basically I just wanted - seeing as how the Logan character has been around for so many years, in your own words how do you think the character has evolved or what is one of the most significant ways in which the character has evolved over the years? Christopher Noth: Survival. He survived his own, you know - being able to survive and learn from it, you know. Jay Cochran: Do you think the character has become less of a hothead over the years? Christopher Noth: Not totally, but maybe he pauses for four more seconds instead of one before he does something impulsive and he thinks about it - sees another way around it. I think that there’s that - just having survived what he’s survived, I think, has changed him and made him less impulsive in terms of judging immediately something and then there were these - maybe look at all sides of it a little more before he makes his decision. And he’s a survivor, you know. And he’s also now, you know, been for a lot of years in the police department and I think he understands that world even better. And we talked about one episode being 30 years in now. So that brings with it its own wisdom. Jay Cochran: And just one last question, when you first started working on the original Law & Order, did you ever dream that all these years later you would still be working on the Law & Order series? Christopher Noth: I probably would have shot myself - but no. No, I didn’t - we didn’t even know if the show would go, you know. We were just hoping it was going to run, you know - that we’d have, you know - it was just amazing at that time that there was a TV show shooting in New York City, actually. I mean, when I see how much the city’s changed too, and that’s also reflected in the show, I mean, of course I had no idea. I was just really glad to have a job then. Jay Cochran: Okay. Well thanks a lot guys. Christopher Noth: Thank you. Coordinator: Your question comes from Jenny Eden of Channel 5 UK. Jenny Eden: Hi, just a quick follow up on a couple of things you’ve been saying, Chris. You said - you talked about how Logan’s changed and how New York’s changed. But how do you think you’ve changed in - well I think it’s about 20 years isn’t it since you filmed the pilot? Christopher Noth: In ten words or less? Jenny Eden: You can have 20 words. It’s fine. Christopher Noth: I almost sound like that old Broadway show tune, I’m still here, good times and bad. And I’m here I was around when they had no shows. Now they got 50 in a row. Well I’m here - I feel like I’m a survivor and I feel like I’m a New Yorker. And I feel like I’m older and it’s - I have more perspective on what it all means, and what’s important and what’s not important. And maybe I have to sometimes work a little harder to realize - bring a fresh sense of inspiration. But I think that would be the same as Logan, too - the job. And I sort of know how to pace myself. I don’t know. It’s hard to answer that. It’s hard to answer how have you changed in 20 years because you always feel like you’re the same person, but you have more to look back on in your life. And, you know, more ways to look at the roads you took, the roads you didn’t take, the roads you still want to take. Jenny Eden: And what is it that keeps your feet on the ground these days because you’ve got two enormous hits under your belt? So in fairness you could be big-headed with good reason. Christopher Noth: Big-headed? (Unintelligible)… Jenny Eden: Yeah, you could be with good reason, with two huge hits. Christopher Noth: I have too many people in my life who make sure that doesn’t happen. I find the only - I don’t find any (unintelligible) in that kind of thinking. Hello? Jenny Eden: Hello. Christopher Noth: Oh, I thought I lost you. My - see I still have - I still get impatient when my phone $%$#* up like this and I’m going to throw it out the window. Hold on. Christopher Noth: Excuse me while I get a hammer. I’m going to destroy my phone. Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, well, you know, I find just solace in trying to do a good day’s work because all that other stuff - that’s one thing I’ve learned (unintelligible). It means absolutely nothing, you know. There’s really nothing like, you know, knowing that you’ve - you and your - you know, you’ve accomplished something in the scene or the movie, or whatever, and then, you know, you’re on to the next. I really don’t focus too much on what it all means after that because life’s too short. Jenny Eden: You also - final thing, you also mentioned that Carrie and Mr. Big will be in each other’s lives forever. Do you think that means that… Christopher Noth: Well I mean metaphorically. Jenny Eden: Do you think that means at the end of the movie… Christopher Noth: Well so is Falacci and Logan. They’re always - well I mean, their imprint on each other’s lives, you know, emotionally is going to always be there. Jenny Eden: But do you see yourself doing Sex and the City 10 when you’re in your wheelchair? Christopher Noth: I’m trying to think of a - maybe come up with after that one. I don’t think you could call it, if I’m in a wheelchair, Sex and the City. (Unintelligible). Jenny Eden: Okay, thank you very much. Christopher Noth: (Unintelligible) in the bedroom. No there’ll be no Sex and the City with wheelchairs. It’ll be the Golden Girls and the, you know, something old guys. Carol Janson: Thanks very much, Chris. Christopher Noth: Well that’s a good way to end it, right? Alicia Witt: And listen, since I’ve been talking about the show I just want to let everybody know that I’m doing a gig at the Bitter End on December 18th. And I’m very excited about it… Christopher Noth: And I want to say Alicia, when I did my benefit for Rainforest Action Network (unintelligible) Alicia, is a very accomplished singer and songwriter. And she came and played. And she’s having -- at the Bitter End, which is one of the great, great jazz clubs in New York. Go ahead, Alicia. Tell them when you’re doing it. Alicia Witt: Yeah. I’m playing - I’m going to be doing a bunch of my original songs and playing the piano, singing. It’s at 9:30 on December 18th, and I am just so thrilled about it. I’ll be playing with a guitarist, a cellist and a drummer as well. So it should be a good show. Carol Janson: Oh, that sounds fantastic. I wish I was in New York. Michele Rosenblatt: Could I just make one clarification before everyone hangs up… Carol Janson: Yes. Michele Rosenblatt: …that the returning episode - when the season continues in the springtime, it’s slated for Thursday, April 3rd. Michele Rosenblatt: Same time, 10:00 pm, but back in April on the 3rd. Carol Janson: You were terrific, both of you. Really, really good. Christopher Noth: Thanks a lot bye. Alicia Witt: Bye.
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