INTERVIEW: Jamie Hector digs deep into his character on Amazon’s ‘Bosch’
Bosch has returned to Amazon Prime Video with a full slate of season-three episodes. Over the years, audiences have been following Henry Bosch, a homicide detective in the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, who has navigated difficult situations, suspicious deaths and a long line of corruption.
All 10 episodes of season three of the Amazon Original Series, which is based on the successful book series by Michael Connelly, are now available to stream. Titus Welliver stars as the title character, and Jamie Hector plays Jerry Edgar. Rounding out the cast are Amy Aquino, Madison Lintz and Lance Reddick. A couple of these names are familiar to fans of The Wire, and that’s no mistake. Eric Overmyer, who worked on The Wire, Treme and Homicide: Life on the Street, developed the show and serves as executive producer.
In the new episodes, Bosch’s teenage daughter, played by Lintz, comes to live with the detective, which means he needs to juggle both his professional responsibilities and his personal life.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Hector about the show, his role and the added value of digging deep. Hector has been seen on Heroes, Person of Interest, Power, Quarry and The Strain. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did you first get attached to Bosch?
As soon as I read the sides for the audition. It was the moment when Harry and Jerry clotheslined the reporter in the woods. I loved it because the material introduced the relationship between these two detectives. They speak with out speaking but fully understand each other.
How did you initially approach Jerry Edgar? What do you find interesting about the character?
Jerry was different from the characters I played in the past. I first thought we had nothing in common. We don’t even say the word water the same. So I immediately called someone I knew in the DEA, Ty Butler. I described the character of Jerry Edgar (charismatic, fashion driven, good cop, walks to the beat of his own drum) and told him I needed to shadow a detective like that. He connected me to a Detective Simmonds. Simmonds is always extremely well dressed, great at interrogations, and the way he thinks is way out-of-the-box. Jerry Edgar is a man that understands how to keep several balls in the air at the same time. I was immediately drawn to Jerry’s “moral compass” that keeps him determined [to] stand on the side of right regardless of the circumstance. I admire his sense of balance and his commitment to not compromise his family for work.
How is it working with Titus Welliver?
Working with Titus is fun. He has enough jokes and stories to fill a book! On set, I appreciate his work ethic. He means business. Responding to him in character, it’s appreciated because he is all in, meaning when it’s time to get to work, he transforms into Harry Bosch, which allows me to also transform into Jerry Edgar.
Do you still rely on the lessons you leaned as a student in the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute?
Yes, I do still rely on the method I studied at Strasberg. I still personalize, I apply music, as well as, substitution only if needed. But what I always apply is script analysis.
What is the added value of digging deep into one character over many hours of television? Do you feel like you know Jerry Edgar better because you’ve played him for so many minutes on screen?
The added value of digging deep into one character is the confidence in your choices and the knowledge of who you are, which allows you to trust your talent. You begin to subconsciously pore out what you never new existed until you see it on screen. Commit commit commit! I feel like I am constantly growing as Jerry Edgar and learning more and more about him, as a man learns more about himself.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Bosch’s third season is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Click here for more information.
