Exclusive: Ruben Santiago-Hudson Talks TNT’s Public MoralsPosted by Wilson Morales
August 25, 2015
Premiering tonight on TNT at 10/9c is its latest series, “Public Morals,” starring starring Ed Burns and Michael Rapaport.
Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Public Morals centers on New York City’s Public Morals Division, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality as temptations that come from dealing with all kinds of vice can get the better of them.
Officer Terry Muldoon knows the line between the good guys and bad guys is thin, and he is determined to raise his sons to be honest and hardworking as he deals with the dark underbelly of the vice world.
Among the cast is veteran actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson who plays Lonnie King, a smart and stylish lieutenant, who moonlights as the leader of a group of vigilante cops.
A Tony and Obie Award-winning actor, Santiago-Hudson recently starred in AMC’s gritty crime drama Low Winter Sun and spent several seasons on ABC’s Castle, playing Captain Roy Montgomery. Also a playwright and director, he wrote the HBO film Lackawanna Blues, an autobiographical play in which he portrayed himself. Santiago-Hudson has also performed on several August Wilson’s plays and won awards for his direction of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke with Santiago-Hudson on his new series Public Morals and his continued work in theater world.
How would you best describe Lieutenant King?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: Lieutenant King is a hard core police officer, hard core New Yorker who is part of the team. He’s a person who understands how to straddle the fence between doing everything by the books and surviving.
From the first time that we see him is there going to be more to his character?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: Oh no. Episode 106 is phenomenal. They kind of go with me through the whole episode and see me run my territory other than the territory that they give me. The other territory that I inhabit. Different places and borrows that I like to go to with crowds and people in the underworld that I deal with as well as my family.
Over the years obviously you’ve always worked stage, film, TV. ABC’s Castle was a good run for you. What was the attraction to doing this?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: The number one attraction would be to have an opportunity to work with Ed Burns. He has impeccable integrity in the work that the does. The second attraction would be that it’s home. It’s New York. It’s me being in my bed and with my family nightly. That is always attractive to me, to have an opportunity to work at home and I not have to get on a plane and fly. Have a real New York show shot in New York and not fake some New York is important to me as well.
What is the time period regarding the show?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: Around 1968, ’66.
As you were doing this show how much can you recall during that time period? Is what we’re seeing a slice of life or is it all fiction?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: No, it’s a lot of slice of life. Although it’s not autobiographical by any means, Ed does take a lot from his uncle and his father who did work in NYPD in the 60’s and the 50’s. He listens to a lot of his stories and a lot of his experience with his father growing up as a son of a New York City Police Officer, Detective.
A lot of that does come from his experience. Other than that it’s a lot of written history and it’s a lot of documented history about police department and crime and public morality in New York in the 60’s. It’s a great opportunity to share and explore that time, that era in the way people did things.
What’s interesting is obviously you played law enforcement before when you did Shaft. Totally different atmosphere. Totally different film. Just talking about being in the aspect of playing a cop, all of the roles you’ve played, what’s intriguing about this character?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: What’s intriguing is that Ed Burns gives me an opportunity to breath life into a character that hasn’t lived. I create him. I let him live. It’s a process. It’s a journey. He will evolve as Ed sees more and knows more about me he gives me more opportunities to divulge who this person is. I talk to Ed a lot about who Lieutenant King is. With Ed he was in the military first and become a cop. Intricate things that’s important to him.
I’ve also played a lot more cops than Shaft. I played dozens if you go back to “Domestic Disturbance.” If you go to “Michael Hayes.” You can go to “Shaft.” If they know that you’re a winner in that particular genre they will put you in it consistently because of lack of vision, for one thing, and because you did it well.
Each cop I play I play differently. Each cop has the heart and soul of Ruben Santiago. Each one has it’s own set of rules and set of facts that I have to adhere to. Lieutenant King is obviously is another character from my heart from the experiences that I’ve had.
TV seems to be in such high demand these days. A lot of the shows are getting attention. It’s a fight to stay alive to make it to the next season. What’s the appeal of this show?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: The appeal of this show other than set actually in New York and we can actually shoot New Yorkers would be the incredible characters that are created here that Ed has given life to. He’s turned over to certain actors just to breath life into from Brian Dennehy to Wass Stevens, myself, Austin Powell and himself and on and on. Every time you turn there’s another fine actor, not good actor, fine actor defining a role saying this is a living, breathing human being that has integrity, that has gravitas, that has wit and humor. All of these things are attractive to the audience. The old men are sexy. The young men are sexy. The young women are sexy. The old women are sexy. It’s a lot to enjoy about this show. Then the great story lines and how they grow.
You mentioned before one of the attractions is it’s shot in New York and get to stay home. You’ve been home for a long period of time. Besides the TV shows you’re a veteran on the stage. What is more appealing for you to do if the time is right? Is it TV, films, or theater?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: I was blessed to have a whole lot of different areas that I can go into and do well and do justice to. Whatever I’m doing at that time I’m the most happy doing. I loved directing because I get an opportunity to hire other people that are sitting home looking for jobs that I know are extremely talented and should be working all the time. When I’m in the position of Director or Producer I can reach out to those people and say come on, let’s play. When I’m an actor I’m really just taking care of my own ass in the project that I’m in but I belong to somebody else.
As a Director, Producer I’m the person ensuring that some of the finest actors and artists that I know are working. I enjoy that a lot in directing and writing as well. I create opportunities. It gives me, in my writing, a place to celebrate my culture, my African American Culture, my Boriqua Culture. It gives me a chance to say look how whole, complete, and wonderful, beautiful, and sustainful these people are. We’re just beautiful people. We just don’t get an opportunity to show that a lot. When I’m the Writer or Director I take every opportunity to celebrate my culture.
You’re Jack of all trades. What do you make of this year’s Emmy nominations with the most amount of blacks being nominated to see as actors?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: Next year could be none. I give it very little credence. When there are opportunities we will rise and shine and be among the best if not the best in every genre. That’s not the case every year. I don’t pay a lot of attention to awards. I shouldn’t say that because I’ve been extremely blessed with awards. I have awards on shelves that I can’t even find room for. I shouldn’t say I don’t give credence to awards. It’s just that for a group of people to get in a room and pick who’s the best at anythings there’s a sound right thing without winning or not. It can be a fad. I want more people of color producing, creating. Producing and creating let us tell our stories. Let’s us put up measuring sticks so we can always measure up.
I remember Lackawanna Blues on HBO. My question is why haven’t we seen you do more films as a Director?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: I have not been given the opportunities. The door has been closed pretty good to me. My name has been brought up many times and the word seems to be no. As long as that word is no I won’t get in. I have to create my own yes and try to surround myself with people who want me to direct and will enable me to direct and support the idea of me directing. Also I like to hire a lot of people that look like me on the other side of the camera. That doesn’t bode well in the system. It’s like if I don’t play the game I’m going to be on the outside. Sometime I’ll get tired of the game and I’ll just make reality more parody, more even.
Are you going to continue keeping the August Wilson legacy alive?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: I’ll do the best I can. I need cooperation from the estate as well. As long as they’re interested in me keeping it alive it’s the thing I love most. I’m hoping they can meet me halfway and support me in my quest to honor the conversations and the relationship that August Wilson and I had.
Beside this show is there anything else we should be looking forward to seeing you in?
Ruben Santiago-Hudson: It looks like I’ll be directing Encores! musical in the winter. I’ll be directing Dominique Morales Duplay at the Atlantic in December. I’m going to be writing another movie and hopefully I’ll find more opportunity to direct in film as well.
