In
1993 she was cast as Sylvia Costas
in NYPD Blue. Sharon won a SAG award
and was nominated for an Emmy three
times for her portrayal.
She
supports many non profit organizations
including The
Creative Coalition, the Alzheimer’s
Association and Global
Green USA. She's an experienced
diver, rock climber and poker player.
She was also brave enough to jump
right in and answer a few questions
for me.
Did
you have to audition for Monk? Did
they have you in particular in mind
for the role?
I
did not have to audition for the
role of Linda Fusco. It came to
me as an offer, but I don't think
it was written with me in mind.
I'm just the lucky gal who got to
play the part.
Did
you know the role would be a recurring
one?
When
we finished the “Mr. Monk,
Private Eye” last season,
it was clear that because of Linda
and Leland's chemistry and proximity,
remember at that point they lived
across the street from one another,
I thought it was a possibility that
she would return to the show again.
How do you see the character of
Linda Fusco?
Like
Sylvia, the role I played in NYPD
BLUE, Linda serves to illuminate
things about the characters she
interacts with. I think there's
a nice parallel between Sipowitz
and Stottlemyer, right?
Linda
is a take charge kind of gal. She
knows what she wants and she goes
after it. That's what makes her
a successful realtor- her bold determination
and sense of style. It's also why
she gets to date such an attractive
man...
Is
Ted Levine fun to work with or is
it all serious business?
Ted's
a serious professional. I've been
a fan of his film work for along
time but I also admire the work
he's done on stage. I saw him in
Sam Shepard's BURIED CHILD on Broadway
years ago and knew he was something
special. He is a dedicated craftsman
and it was a privilege working with
him. He loves to rehearse and explore
the layers of the scenes. It's great
to work with people who really care
about what they do. The entire cast
is remarkable.
At
one point the episode was called
"Mr. Monk and the Captain's
Girlfriend." Do you know why
they made the change? Is Linda,
in fact, a bad girlfriend?
The
title of the episode "Mr. Monk
and the Captain's Girlfriend"
was changed because at a rehearsal,
Tony got a huge laugh when he read
the line to Linda "You're a
bad girlfriend". You'll see
why it's so funny on August 3rd.
What
was the most memorable part of filming
the most recent episode?
The
most memorable part of my time on
set was observing Tony Shalhoub
as he transforms in to Adrian Monk.
It's a metamorphosis right before
your eyes. He changes his entire
physical being. What a treat to
witness.
I
saw your Law & Order SVU guest
shot. That was a scary character.
How do you prepare for something
like that?
I
have had a few roles which call
forth that kind of transformation,
like the character I played on Law
and Order: SVU. I played a psychopathic
serial killer who seemed to change
personalities in an instant. My
husband trained as a psychiatrist
in a big county psych ward and was
very helpful in researching that
pathology. It was a great challenge
to understand that character's mind.
I
think my training as a dancer early
in my career gave me great lessons
in physicality and the confidence
to manipulate my body, voice and
energy to create a character. That
is why I love the arc of my career.
It's filled with so many diverse
roles- from earnest everywomen to
comedic divas, from tear-jerking
dramas to brassy Broadway musicals.
All the roles interest and challenge
me in different ways.
Do you prefer film or television
or stage work? And why?
I'm
so grateful that I've had to opportunities
to return to the stage throughout
my television career. I started
there and respect the purity of
the rehearsal process, the cooperative
thrill when the company and the
audience share that magic as the
show unfolds and the gift of repeating
the performance to bring new life
into it each time. Of course, TV
and film have their upsides too-
the work on film exists forever
and having someone to do my hair
and make up is a luxury!
What
are you working on now?
In
October I will be back to a crime
drama mini series called THE WEIGHT
for The Movie Channel. It's a bit
like THE WIRE- gritty and disturbing,
just the 180 degree turn from Tess,
my sassy Texas Pageant queen in
HIDDEN PALMS on the CW!
*Quote
from TV.com.
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