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by Scott Juba Published: July 15, 2004
In recent years, with prominent roles on Friends, The O.C., and the short lived but highly underrated In Laws, Bonnie Somerville has amassed an impressive acting resume. This fall she will be starring in the popular ABC drama, NYPD Blue. She’s excited about joining the cast of the critically acclaimed show, where she will play a new detective on the force. “It’s my first one hour (television show) as a regular,” the former Stuff Magazine cover model tells me. “I love the show and have watched the show for years and year and years. And I’m from New York, so it’s a great opportunity for me to play something closer to home.”Somerville’s participation in NYPD Blue, however, means that she will probably not return to The O.C. to portray the seductive lawyer that attempts to steal Peter Gallagher’s character away from his wife. “It’s doubtful that I’ll be on The O.C. again,” she confirms. Somerville’s departure is likely to disappoint many loyal O.C. enthusiasts who have come to recognize her from her work on the show. In fact, she has even had run ins with obsessed O.C. fans. “I had a lot of people recognize me when I went to Las Vegas for the weekend,” Somerville explains, “and that was really bizarre. There’s a huge O.C. fan base that goes to Vegas. I don’t know what’s that’s about. I had a lot of people asking me questions like, ‘You’re not really going to break up their marriage, are you?’ And I was like, ‘I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know.’ ” Although appreciative of the attention she’s received on The O.C., Somerville says that she would most like to be remembered for her role as Mona (Ross’s girlfriend) on Friends. “It was a huge show,” she says. “People know me as Mona, and it feels good to be a part of something that my kids will watch. That’s something I’m really proud of.” She also credits Friends for opening doors that allowed her to land other major television roles. “Friends is the most attention that I’d ever gotten on a show, because it’s so huge, especially season eight,” she comments. The genuine camaraderie between the cast members on Friends is another reason why Somerville’s stint on the show was a memorable experience for her. “I didn’t believe it myself until I showed up to work,” she says. “They all really love each other and spend everyday together and ate lunch together. And the girls are truly best friends. It’s amazing.” Shortly after her time on Friends, Somerville landed a starring role on the NBC comedy, In Laws, where she was given the opportunity to work with actress, Jean Smart. She fondly recalls her time acting alongside Smart, referring to her as “an amazing actress”. “She just blew me away,” Somerville remarks. “She could take anything on the page, no matter what it was, and make it something.” Despite a talented cast and humorous source material, In Laws wasn’t able to draw enough viewers to stay afloat on NBC. The cast was given the news of their cancellation just as they were set to film an episode in front of a live audience. “It was pretty bad,” Somerville remembers. “They told us during the shoot with the audience there that would be our last episode. We were crying, and we were all backstage really sad. We had to go out and shoot the episode, so it was awful. It was very sad.” Since that time, though, Somerville’s career has rebounded nicely. In addition to her role on NYPD Blue, Somerville will be appearing in the upcoming Donald DeLine production, “Without a Paddle”, which will hit theatres on August 18th. “I play Matthew Lillard’s girlfriend,” she says, “and we basically have been together for three years, and he forgets our anniversary. She has enough, because he’s a big commitment phoebe and won’t make a commitment to anything. (She) tells him that if he doesn’t shape up, she’s going to leave him. And then he finds out that one of his best friends has just passed away, so he has to deal with that first.” Somerville also appears briefly in the summer blockbuster, “Spider-Man 2”. She portrays an office worker who is caught in the midst of Doc Ock’s wrath. Although the scene is less than one minute in length, Somerville tells me that it actually took almost a week to film the sequence. “There was more (than what made the theatrical version), and it was cut down, but I’d never done anything like that before. It was just all that green screen stuff. It takes a long time.” Besides her impressive acting ability, many people may not realize that Somerville is also a talented singer. She started a rock band and almost passed up acting to purse a music career. “I had a record deal at one point,” she says, “and I kind of put acting on hold for that. And then the deal fell through, as record deals often do, and the record never was made.” Now concentrating on music only as a hobby, Somerville enjoys the music of newcomer Gavin DeGraw, as well as a lot of classic rock. “I think (DeGraw’s) such an amazing songwriter. I saw him live, actually, a week ago.” She adds, “I’m mostly into more classic music. I’m a big Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zepplin, rock music (fan).” She is also a fan of Democratic Presidential Candidate, John Kerry. When asked whom she’ll be voting for this November, she emphatically responds, “Definitely Kerry.” Much like Senator Kerry, who once seemed like a long shot to capture the White House but now appears to be the frontrunner, Bonnie Somerville has taken what her mom once called her “one-in-a-million” dream of acting and has turned it into a reality. Her talent and commitment to her profession allow her to continue to succeed in one of the world’s most competitive industries. Moreover, she doesn’t take her accomplishments for granted. “I’m always studying (acting),” Somerville says. “You’re always growing, and you never know everything.” In an era where many Hollywood stars seem to be out of touch with reality, it is great to see a grounded person like Somerville excel. Her knack for making wise careers moves and her unwavering determination are likely to soon make Bonnie Somerville a household name. On the Web IMDb Page Cinema Spider |
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