The cancellation of “Southland” by NBC mere weeks before the 2009 fall season in favor of the now defunct Jay Leno show was a true shocker. Was the series too gritty or too profane for mainstream audiences? Luckily, TNT resurrected the series and will broadcast six previously unaired episodes starting Tuesday night.
NBC’s decision understandably upset the cast and crew. Michael Cudlitz, who plays brusque veteran LA cop John Cooper, said he was “kinda pissed” in a string of Tweets, adding that “people need to know when they f—k up this big.”
Cudlitz, 45, has moved on. The Flushing native and former Lakewood, NJ, resident, has aroused a lot of interest in his portrayal of Cooper, who has many personal issues, including his developing gay identity, a prescription drug dependency and a job-threatening back injury, and an ex-wife who figures into his pill-popping problem.
Cudlitz phoned the Post from LA, where he and his wife, Rachael, are raising two 13-year-old twin boys in a home the couple renovated themselves (she was the designer, while he did the heavier lifting as general contractor). He talked about his Twitter vents, his feelings toward the peacock network, and the gay cop he plays on TV.
Q: Ben McKenzie recently told a reporter that you’re actually a cop and not an actor.
A: Yes, Regina (King, who plays Det. Lydia Adams) started that, I think. Interviewers would ask, ‘Who here is the best at this or that,’ and Regina would be, like, ‘Well, it’s not really a competition because Michael is a cop.’ (He laughs)
Q: Have you ever considered it?
A: No. I have too much respect for what they do and too much fear of what they actually do. (laughs) I don’t know if I would be a good cop. As gruff as I come off, I take things very emotionally.
Q: Why did you turn to Twitter when NBC dropped “Southland”?
A: I thought, it can’t hurt the show, so I’m gonna Tweet to generate interest, see what happens. A few weeks later we got cancelled, and I commented on what I was feeling. It was on the blogosphere by midnight — and in cold, dark print first thing in the morning. (laughs)
Q: Did it do some good?
A: I think it helped get excitement and let people know that fans were pissed off. I was basically saying, “Don’t go quietly.” I’d seen the fan reaction on shows like “Chuck.” You could actually make a difference.
Q: Are you feeling a little smug about NBC’s decision to cancel Jay Leno’s 10 p.m. show?
A: No. That’s like poking the monkey in the cage. They’re a major network; they’ve got issues and are gonna deal with whatever they’re gonna deal with. I hope they put five more hours of scripted drama back on television. Right now it’s about our show succeeding and getting our people back to work.
Q: You play Cooper — the gay guy — and he seems to have a lot more issues than any other character.
A: Well, that’s because he’s older. (He laughs.) It helps to deflect the audience. It’s funny that people actually make that, like, “Oh, John has so many problems — and God, he’s gay!” A lot of people are, and they got their lives going on — like their mom’s dying of cancer, or they’re abused, or had a great time growing up. It’s just one more thing; he’s really sorting out more. I don’t think John has any sort of “gay agenda” — he has a lot of personal experiences that he’s working through.
Q: Where do you think you would be if TNT hadn’t nabbed “Southland”?
A: Probably looking for more work like every other actor does when their shows go down. We are, you know, migrant workers. (He laughs.) I think you do it, you finish it, and, you know, all the tomatoes are picked here. Great, where are we going next? I don’t know — orange season! You go where the work is.