Dylan McDermott is ready for his new job as the hero.
This week, the veteran actor begins his new role as Special Agent Remy Scott on FBI: Most Wanted. It’s a far cry from his turn as the villainous Richard Wheatley on Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Now, McDermott is sharing more on what he’ll bring to the role of Remy Scott, and showrunner David Hudgins discussed how the character changes things on the drama.
Say hello to Remy Scott on FBI: Most Wanted
Since his breakout in the hit drama The Practice, Dylan McDermott has been a popular face on television for years with numerous series like Big Shots and LA To Vegas.
His most recent role was mobster Richard Wheatley on Law & Order: Organized Crime. McDermott was just wrapping the role up when he was offered the lead in FBI: Most Wanted following the departure of Julian McMahon.
Speaking to The New York Times, McDermott shared his reason for taking on a lead role in an established network drama and the major opportunity it offered.
“They’re frankly not giving many shows to a 60-year-old guy. So I was like, “This is a good exercise for me to see if I can do it.” I think a lot of times actors, myself included, walk on a set, and you’ve got new actors and a new director, and you’re trying to prove yourself and you’re a bit scared. What happened was I started doing character work, which I’m much happier doing than leading man. Even when I am doing the leading-man role, I’ve tried to make it quirky so I don’t have that onus to be that guy. And once I started doing that, that’s when [the fear] started going away.”
McDermott shares that Scott will be a “quirky” person much different than McMahon’s serious Jess LaCroix. However, he enjoyed putting his own traits into the character than were on the page.
“This never really happens, when you can create a character on the ground floor. I did it with Dick Wolf and [the showrunner] David Hudgins. But there was a certain thing I wanted about him — that he, like myself, had loss in his life. That was very important for me, because a lot of times on these shows, they’re just cops or F.B.I. agents chasing people because that’s what they do. But I thought it would be more intriguing to have some kind of fuel, that he was doing this for a reason. He’s passionate about solving something inside of himself.”
This dynamic will play a major part in the Fugitive Task Force taking on new cases.
How Remy Scott will change FBI: Most Wanted
Many of FBI: Most Wanted’s cases are dark, involving hunting murderous fugitives with a lot of people killed in the process. But speaking to Give Me My Remote, showrunner David Hudgins indicated the writers are using McDermott’s entrance to lighten things up a bit.
“The idea of a new leader coming into a team is such an interesting dynamic to play as writers. One of my favorite things about the new energy and vibe of the team is there’s a lightness to it, in a good way. I feel like we can lean into the moment of the humor on the show now with Dylan. I think the way he’s playing him is very surprising both to the team, [and] sometimes to us [as writers], in a good way, too…
There’s always the opportunity for drama amongst the team but I do think Remy coming into the team, he’s good at what he does, and he’s driven…They understand what he’s doing. So, going forward, I think he’s gonna be a great leader for these guys. And he’s also willing to invest them with their own authority to do things. I think he trusts the team, and that’s gonna be building over the next couple of episodes, as well.”
Scott’s first case is a hunt for a pair of young lovers turned killers. The team is still getting used to Jess’ loss and the departure of Barnes (to accommodate Roxy Sternberg’s pregnancy). Thus, getting used to a new leader much different from Jess will be an adjustment.
Meanwhile, while happy about this new job, McDermott pointed out that Richard Wheatley’s body was never found, so a Law & Order: Organized Crime return may not be impossible.
“Never say never. It hasn’t been discussed, but all I do know is that his body wasn’t found. So where is he? Like D.B. Cooper, right?”
Whether he returns to Law & Order or not, McDermott is ready to transform FBI: Most Wanted with new energy for fans.
FBI: Most Wanted Season 3 airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on CBS.