Interview with ‘Rookie Blue’s Adam MacDonald
Currently appearing on Canadian cop drama, Rookie Blue, Adam MacDonald sat down with Talk Nerdy With Us to talk about his role as Detective Steve Peck, as well as the other exciting projects he’s involved in. Read our interview below and don’t miss a new episode of Rookie Blue Thursday 10/9c on ABC.
Before we jump in with Rookie Blue, and I do want to ask you a bunch about the show, I know this was a big year for you with writing and directing a feature film [Backcountry]. What can you tell me about that experience?
I’m a huge fan of genre films like horror and thrillers. I wrote the script in 2010 and here in Canada we have a system where there’s grant money and anyway, it took four years to get the movie off the ground. I offered it to Missy [Peregrym, Andy McNally on Rookie Blue] and she said yes…she played the lead character in it and it was just amazing. It was just an incredible experience. I didn’t put myself in front of the camera at all, I just focused solely on directing and on getting it right. Did you get a chance to see it?
No, I haven’t yet! That was one of my questions for you. Is there a way to stream it or watch it OnDemand?
It came out in March, they call it a theatrical run, where it was on iTunes and VOD and other platforms, and then they take it down and release it on video, for rent. That will be September 1st.
Ok, great! Did you have Missy in mind for the role while you were writing it?
When I was writing it, I had a friend in mind, I was thinking of her, and then as the years went on things changed. Then I started working with Missy and I thought ‘oh she’d be perfect for the part.’ But I didn’t think she was going to say yes. I wasn’t sure. I knew her enough to call her and say hi and talk to her. We saw each other a lot, and got along but I didn’t have any scenes with her, but I just knew she’d be perfect, and she’s from BC so I know she appreciates the outdoors, so maybe the idea of being outdoors for 30 days excited her. So I offered it to her and she was like ‘Adam, if I don’t like it, I’m going to say no.’ So I said ‘Of course, don’t just yes.’ So I was on pins and needles because I knew the movie rested on a strong female character. I needed someone with that inner strength, that warrior spirit, that emotional connection with herself. She’s so powerful in so many ways, I just knew she would just be spectacular. And from what I’ve heard and from directing her, she was.
Now that you have this experience with writing and directing, I know that some of your castmates on Rookie Blue have taken on some of those roles on the show. Have you had a chance to write or direct for RB?
No, I haven’t but I’ve been bugging them to let me direct an episode. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I’m working on my next film right now. One of the next projects I’m working on, it’s called The Wolf at the Door and Enuka [Okuma, Traci Nash on Rookie Blue] wrote it.
Really?
Yeah she’s a really great writer. I told her I had this idea but writing is so laborious for me and she was like ‘Oh, I’ll do it.’ And I read a spec script that she did for Mad Men, and I was blown away, it was so good. So she wrote it, and she did a great job so we’re in the midst of that right now.
I look forward to it! And actually, this is a good segue because the two of you together are one of my favorite parts of Rookie Blue. At the start of this season, Traci and Steve were back together, but their reconciliation happened off screen. Do you and Enuka have a story you’ve decided on in terms of how you got passed whatever was in your way last year?
Not really. We try to bring our own…we try to keep our thoughts to ourselves, we think that can help the scene a lot too. If we sit down and discuss ‘this is what happened yesterday’ or ‘this is what I’m thinking, this is what you’re thinking’ and we work all that stuff out, there’s less room for spontaneity, less room to try and read what they’re thinking. So you can have fun with that a little bit. Cause if you’re in a scene and you’re thinking, I know why she’s saying this cause I know what she’s thinking, there’s not much to do there, at least for me. I mean we talked about it briefly, I mean I guess maybe the make up sex is great. [laughs] They’re so different and it just works for some reason. If you watch the show, if you really really look, Steve makes all these little jokes and no one laughs at them except Traci. I think that’s the perfect..you know, that’s the reason why they get along, why they’re together. I think the humor is what brings them together.
They complement each other perfectly. I’ve been a big fan since they got together. We’ve only seen two episodes so far this season on this side of the border. You were briefly in the first episode, but are we going to get more of Steve Peck?
Yes I wish I could tell you what happens, but I can guaratnee you there’s a lot more coming. I believe that Tassie and the crew and Enuka did an amazing job with a certain storyline that’s coming. I wish we could talk about it, because it has aired in Canada.
We’ll have to chat again. I’m very excited to see it.
It’s going to be very interesting.
Since your relationship with Traci has evolved, we haven’t seen as much interaction between you and [onscreen sister], Gail. But now that Gail is navigating the process of adoption, are you involved with that at all?
Well, we do have a little bit. There’s a little bit of that coming. There’s also some good stuff with Gail and I, so you can look forward to that. It was a bit of a running joke that she and I don’t even say hi to each other in the hallway. We’re brother and sister and we never ever interact. I think the writers are smart because they waited for the right opportunity to give us something to do, and I think the fans are asking for it, too. They did a great episode. I wish I could get into it, but It’s coming up soon.
Ok, we’ll just have to wait patiently for it.
I always see the Pecks as the Lannisters.
Really?! Tell me how.
Oh my god. Game of Thrones? Absolutely. The blond hair, the light hair or whatever. The elite status, the family dynasty, the dynamic hierarchy.
There’s a very specific aspect of the brother/sister relationship that’s absent from the Pecks.
Well not that! Everything but the incest! I guess it’s the coloring but also the status of the family, it just kinda makes sense to me. I kind of carry that into scenes with me. Not that I think I’m better than anybody like the Lannisters probably do. Just a little bit, like I’m not gonna lose my cool too much cause I’m in control, I’m lucky to be me. Even though I may be under someone in the precinct I feel like I’m above them because I have my family. So, I find that interesting.
Yeah. I like that comparison! Erin [Karpluk] who just joined the cast as Juliet, you worked together for a while on Being Erica. Have you had a chance to work together on Rookie Blue?
No, but we’re friends, whenever she’s in town we try to see each other. She lives in LA, I live in Toronto. That was a great surprise. I did the majority of my scenes on Being Erica with her, she’s such a good scene partner. I loved working with her. When she showed up and she texted me that she was here, we went for lunch, we laughed, it was like ‘this is hilarious.’ When I saw her at the read through it was like worlds colliding. I look at Missy and I know her so well, behind the camera, I almost consider her family after the expereince of Backcountry and then I see Erin who I worked with for a couple years, intense scenes with…and I see them and it’s like WHOA. It’s like a video game putting these two people together. What?! What? [Laughs]
Without giving too much away about what happens this season, what hasn’t happened yet with Steve Peck that you’d like to see?
To be honest what they’ve done is so satisfying. And now I’m more into writing and directing anyway. So it’s a good way to go out for now, and we don’t know if the show’s coming back or not. If it does come back that would be great, but…you know what I always wanted? I think I asked for it as a joke. For some reason, I really really thought it would be funny to demote Steve in some way. Put him on a bike or something. Going from a detective to something just so ridiculous like I take down a clown in the park, but I’m one of the beat cops. I actually told them about that. I gave them this story line, it never came to fruition, I thought it would be interesting if for some reason my family didn’t approve of Traci at all, and then I just said ‘no way, screw you I’m staying with this woman and I love her’ and they cut me off financially. Even though I’m a detective and make some money, they take my condo, my car, like everything I have. I would go from eating sushi and taking limos to street meat. And to see what that would do to our dynamic. But what they actually did was so satisfying. I wish I was there to see your face when you see it.
As soon as the episode airs, I will send you a tweet, I’ll even take a selfie so you can see my face.
That would make my day. That would be hilarious. I’ll say I’ve been acting 18 years, it’s so rare to be on a show with so many good people. I’m so grateful for that.