We had no idea.
And thats just the truth.
And then, we start having those conversations.
What could be interesting?
That kept being the question.
Where do we find Will?
Image via ABC
Where has he been?
What happened to everyone else?
Where are they at?
Where have they been?
How do they feel about what he did?
How does he feel about what he did?
Image via ABC
And so, it was a lot of chatting.
I feel like we ended up in a really nice place.
Will needed a reset.He had to go away and step away and have some time alone and really reflect.
He lost the suit.
He just wanted to restart.
One of the ways that we thought would be interesting to show that was with his dyslexia.
Hes always been so ashamed of being dyslexic, and a lot of things in his life.
We thought that was a real powerful thing for him.
It was a fun way to show him in a very new environment, looking very different.
Special Agent Will Trent was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. Determined to make sure no one feels as he did, he now has the highest clearance rate.
And then, the question became, how do we reel him back in?
Im glad he wasnt so distraught that he left Betty behind.
RODRIGUEZ: No way.
The ABC police procedural draws inspiration from the bestselling Karin Slaughter books.
That, alone, says a lot about him when his wardrobe typically defines him.
I remember when I walked on set the first day, it took everyone a minute.
I had a beard.
My hair was curly and messy.
I was in a t-shirt.
Everyone was like, Wheres our guy?
Do you think it had to be Amanda to go get him?
RODRIGUEZ: She represents a lot for him.
Shes almost this maternal figure.
Its someone from his childhood.
Its a big deal that we allude to throughout the first two episodes.
Rafael says, You own me, so theres a debt of some sort that Will owes this character.
It was a very specific time when they first met.
They have a pretty rich history.
It involves this gang leader.
I think that is essentially the thing that truly brought him back.
If it was just another case, I think he would have said no.
The actors name is Antwayn Hopper.
Hes a New York theater actor.
And when I saw his take, I was like, Thats our guy.
He came in and truly embodied the character and brought so much to him.
We had rehearsed before we started shooting.
We had the cell scene when hes arrested and he says, You owe me.
We spoke about specifics and what happened.
We just did little things like that, where we got to play.
I found a great piece of music to go along with it.
Theyre just brothers who were separated, but who are also on opposite sides of the law now.
Rafael is someone who continuously ends up being involved in criminal things that are always on Wills radar.
And yet, what keeps him brought up, as well, is that debt.
We will eventually get to that thing that happened in their childhood that Rafael holds over him.
Season 3 of ‘Will Trent’ will premiere in January.
What was it like to add Gina Rodriguez to the mix?
What does she bring to the show and the dynamic with Will?
There was a short list of actors, and Gina was someone that Ive known for a while.
Weve never worked together.
She actually had mentioned to me, when I wrapped Season 2, My family loves your show.
When are you bringing me on?
When do I get to come?
And I was like, I will, if we find a great role.
Its a really fun role where we were excited to introduce a character thats a breath of fresh air.
Shes someone thats nimble, can be funny, and can be dramatic.
Shes just intrigued by him.
It starts professional, but it does go from there.
What would you say to tease whats next?
Was there anything that you really wanted to get to in Season 3 that you couldnt do before?
What are you particularly excited about with this season?
RODRIGUEZ: Directing was a big deal.
And to do the first episode, which is a big episode, was huge.
Because its the premiere, they give you more time.
It just was a large episode.
We had this big action sequence with this big fight.
There were a lot of moving parts.
So, that was an amazing thing to be able to do.
How do you find new cases or new discoveries for these characters, emotionally, to keep audiences intrigued?
Were in the middle of filming right now.
Were past the halfway point.
We wanna just keep finding new plot twists and interesting things.
It also means we get to have a great guest cast.
I feel like our guest cast this season has been incredible.
Ramon Rodriguez returns as ‘Will Trent’ in Season 3 tonight.
Determined to see to it no one feels as he did, he now has the highest clearance rate.
Will Trentairs on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu.
Check out the Season 3 trailer:
Watch on Hulu
