‘Tommy’ star Russell G. Jones and Edie Falco played against each other's energies to develop their chemistry
If you are a regular primetime audience, then you would have seen him in shows like ‘Bull’, ‘Orange is the New Black’, ‘The Last OG’, ‘Godless’, and ‘The Americans’, among a hundred others. Russell Jones is not just an actor and wears many hats. He is a director, a producer, a writer, a teacher, a moderator, and a facilitator. He is a member of the Labyrinth Theater Co., leads master classes for aspiring actors and writers and regional theater programs. His work on both television and stage has earned him fame and awards like the AUDELCO, OBIE, and SAG.
In ‘Tommy’, Jones plays the character of Donn Cooper, Chief of Staff to the latest Chief of Police, Abigail Thomas, aka, Tommy (Edie Falco). Donn is a veteran cop and has been an aide to Tommy’s predecessors. Known for his straight-arrow nature and honest advice, Donn is retained by the new chief.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) got into a candid conversation with Russell Jones and asked him about his overall experience, contribution, and expectations of this latest project. Excerpts:
Tell us a little bit about your character of Donn Cooper. Who is he and how significant is he in Tommy’s journey?
Donn Cooper is the Chief of Staff for the new chief of LAPD. He has been around for a while, as a part of the machine, representing the system, the status quo as a whole, and then the new chief brings in new energy. While he does guide Tommy into her endeavor of upholding justice, Donn’s character is not just that. His significance is established at the very beginning of the story, with questions, whether he and Tommy will get and be able to work together.
How did you find that connect between your and Edie’s character?
We have been basically guided by the writing. The writers’ room developed the relationship between Donn Cooper and Tommy in ways that we didn’t really need to create anything anew. She did her part and so did I and we used the words to meet somewhere in the middle. Both our energies kind of played against each other and this is how it turned out, eventually!
What was the most striking aspect of your character that drove you?
(Laughs) Well, the first thing that struck me was the two n’s in ‘Donn’. And I was immediately struck by that unique naming. However, on a deeper note, I think, what drove me towards this role was how Donn Cooper wields his power, and yet he is more humane than you might expect.
If you had to highlight one key takeaway from ‘Tommy’, what would it be?
As an artist, you know, I believe that the pool of creation just keeps getting bigger and better. I pull my ideas from all the roles that I have played and then there’s an accumulation of ideas. With ‘Tommy’, I was realizing every day that no matter how small or large a part of a system you are, you are accountable for what the system is creating.
So what can we expect of your character from the show and what’s next in line for you?
Honestly, I would not want to reveal it all yet. Even I have seen only one episode of the show so far and most of what’s coming is a mystery to me. But I suggest that you keep watching it and I can say for sure that it will be worth it and see how it develops. You can at least expect another 10 or 11 episodes.
Catch more of Donn Cooper and his experiences of setting LA straight with Chief of Police Abigail Thomas on ‘Tommy’, which airs on CBS, every Thursday night at 10 pm/9c.