For Ramón Rodríguez, the star and co-executive producer of ABC‘s “Will Trent,” there are is a degree of comfort in knowing that the hit crime drama will return for a third season. “There’s definitely a sense of excitement and security– which is a rare thing as an artist or as anyone in this industry– to know you have work coming,” he says in an exclusive chat with Gold Derby (watch the video interview above). However, the actor says that that sense of security is tempered by the pressure to maintain and even improve the quality of the show. “I’m always constantly trying to search for how can we continue to elevate what we’ve done so far,” explains Rodríguez. “How do we keep audiences engaged and interested? How can we push the envelope and what else can we do with Will?”
In taking a leadership role on the show, Rodríguez says that he didn’t have any interest in being an executive producer in name only. “It’s not a vanity title for me where I get to say, ‘Oh, I’m a producer. Treat me like whatever that is,’” he argues. “I just love storytelling in general. So to be able to be involved in almost every conversation and a lot of the various aspects of the show, from the look to the sound, to the writing, to the directors we hire, it takes up bandwidth, obviously, which is is one of the things that was probably my greatest learning curve.”
The second season of “Will Trent,” finds the title character exploring his past and his heritage. A victim of abuse in the foster care system, Will’s past haunts him throughout the season. His true love fellow officer Angie (Erika Christensen), is constantly by his side, which makes the season finale even more devastating as Will is forced to arrest Angie for covering up a murder. That final moment is prefaced by a montage of Will imagining what his life with Angie would be like if he just ignored her actions. “Then we jump back to the reality and what is in this really difficult decision that Will has to make,” explains Rodríguez. “It does culminate to this moment of what Will has to do, and what that represents for Will as someone who has so far shown himself to be someone that’s very ethical and moral. It’s why he got into the line of duty that he got into.”
Rodríguez recalls how he initially didn’t see himself as Will. In the ensuing years, the actor has developed true affection for his character. “I just love his heart and how big it is despite the way he may put people off,” he says. “I have fallen deeply in love with Will and I care for the guy a lot. So I’ve come around a long ways from where I started.”
