Tuesday,
October 30,
Joe Mantegna Replaces Mandy Patinkin in "Criminal Minds" 8 p.m. Wed. CBS
The
ANNOTICO Report
Mantegna joins
former
Mantegna's
character's name David Rossi was no accident and was insisted on by
Mantegna, and is fashioned after a Los Angeles Policeman, and meant to
introduce another "positive" portrayal of an Italian American, as he
has in previous roles.
Joe Mantegna Explains the Unusual Origins of his
'Criminal Minds' Character
Maureen
Ryan
October
30, 2007
"Criminal
Minds" (8 p.m. Wednesday, WBBM-Ch. 2) isn't a show that one associates
with off-screen controversy, but there was quite a kerfuffle
over the summer when Mandy Patinkin unexpectedly quit
the drama and Chicago actor Joe Mantegna was hired to take his place.
Patinkins sudden decision to
stop playing lead profiler Jason Gideon riled up one of the most affable
executive producers in the business, former Chicago cop Edward Allen Bernero, the head writer/producer on the CBS procedural.
He left us
completely in the proverbial lurch, Bernero told
the Criminal Minds Fanatic site
in July.
But in a recent
interview, Bernero sounded very pleased about the
arrival of Mantegna, who makes his first appearance in Wednesdays episode.
Bernero said hed actually been frequenting Mantegnas
Los Angeles-area food emporium, Taste
For Christmas Eve
dinners, wed go to Taste Chicago and get the Italian beef and
He gave me a
pizza and a beef-sausage combo for my birthday, Bernero
said.
In
Wednesdays episode, Mantegnas character, David Rossi, joins the
Behavioral Analysis Unit, a team of FBI agents who profile and apprehend serial
killers and other criminals. Actually it would be more accurate to say he
rejoins the BAU, because Rossi actually helped found the original unit.
But the
old-school approach of Rossi, whos become wealthy thanks to the books and
consulting hes done after retiring from the FBI, causes some friction at
first, especially with Aaron Hotch Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), whos now the leader of the
BAU. And Rossi is a bit at sea when confronted with all the cutting-edge
technology the unit now uses.
He really doesnt know how to fit into a team. He
didnt really have the team concept when he
helped found the BAU, Bernero said. Theres
a little conflict with him and Hotch they just dont know how to deal with
each other.
In
Wednesday's episode, the team tracks a killer who makes Have you seen
me? fliers for his victims, and Rossi takes some
bold steps without checking first with his new boss. And while the rest of the
team is in awe of Rossis accomplishments, the veteran agent isnt used to sharing his hunches and insights with the
group.
Rossi is a
guy who has had a history with [the BAU], has been out of it for a good long
time and now has come back, Mantegna said. So that in itself creates
a whole interesting dynamic. Hes financially
well-established, and he has his own way of doing things, which is based on
what that initial work was, but that has changed a lot. Hes one of the
originators, but he has to play a little catch-up.
Still, the team
respects Rossis groundbreaking work in establishing the BAU.
A lot of
what they do is theoretical, Bernero said.
He actually talked to these [notorious criminals]. At one point he said,
Thats not what the guy said. I know because
he said it to
Rossi also has
personal reasons for rejoining the BAU. A case from 20 years ago is still
preying on his mind, and as Mantegna said, Rossi doesnt
rejoin the BAU out of the blue.
But Rossis
reason for delving into the old case is a mystery he keeps to himself,
the actor said.
Mantegna, a
fervent Cubs fans, said that his own transition into the Criminal
Minds team had been smooth so far.
To put it in
terms of sports, Ive had a long career playing
on a lot of teams, and Ive been traded to
another team. I know the game; I just have to adapt to this team, he said.
He was pleased to
find that that at least half the Minds crew was from the late,
lamented CBS show Joan of Arcadia, where he played Will Gerardi for two seasons.
It was like
old-home week in that respect, and then to meet Ed Bernero,
an Italian-American former cop from Chicago I couldnt
have cloned a better human being to be my go-to guy, Mantegna said.
The
two former Chicagoans are so simpatico that Bernero
let Mantegna choose his characters name. Mantegna said he chose the name
David Rossi in part as a tribute to a
Mantegna said he
was struck by how relentlessly the defense lawyers grilled the cop.
He was just
the guy who happened to take the call the night of the murders of Nicole
Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, Mantegna said.
Mantegna recalls
thinking of Rossi, From the outside looking in,
job well done.
Mantegna said the
real Rossi reminded him of characters in the work of David Mamet. Mantegna, who
was a mainstay of the fertile
David very
often instilled in his characters the idea of what he described as the
excellent man, Mantegna said. Everyone falls short of it, but
the excellent man is really just trying do to the best
he can under the circumstances, thats all. Thats all any of us can
hope to do. When we were talking about the character, somehow
that came to my mind.
And Rossis
Italian name is no accident..... on TV and
in the movies, if you have a last name that ends in a vowel, youre a
gangster. And every other noble characters name is Smith or Johnson.
Whatever the
characters name, Bernero said hes not
worried about the transition from Gideon to Rossi. Criminal Minds is
still doing well in the Nielsen ratings, despite Patinkins
absence from the third season (his character briefly appeared in scenes that
explained why he left the BAU).
I don't
think its ever been the Mandy show, Bernero
said. It really wasn't that. Its very much an
ensemble.
Mantegna does, in
my opinion, bring a welcome warmth to the show, in
contrast to the more dour Patinkin. And for his part,
Bernero said hes not
worried about fans rejecting the BAUs latest addition.
I don't
think there's going to be a Joe Mantegna backlash, he said with a laugh.
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/10/joe-mantegna-ex.html
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