ETonline recently caught up with NCIS: LA stars Barrett Foa and Renee Felice Smith to give us a sneak peek on tonight's episode which features some out of character moments for the both.
ETonline recently caught up with NCIS: LA stars Barrett Foa and Renee Felice Smith to give us a sneak peek on tonight's episode which features some out of character moments for the both. Read on to find out what fans can expect the rest of this season as well as what city Barrett and Renee would like to see future NCIS incarnations take place. You can catch an exclusive clip from tonight's episode above.
ETonline: What can you tease us about tonight's episode?
Renee: Barrett, your character is kind of a leading witness in our next episode.
Barrett: I'm basically playing an online video game with one of my old buddies from my past which [is] cool. He gets into a little bit of trouble and I hear that over the headphones. So I go over there to investigate and get in trouble and maybe land in jail...
[He] goes on to see some action which is actually really cool because its pretty rare for my character. There's bullets flying over his head and I was on a rooftop... LL Cool J, Chris O'Donnell, Eric Christian Olsen-- they're shooting all the bad guys; Eric's trying to save the world; it was pretty out of my normal work-a-day.
Did you enjoy stepping out of your comfort zone and joining the others from some action scenes?
Barrett: Oh my god, it was so much fun! It was action packed. Renee, you kind of see this stuff a little bit more than I do.
Renee: Yeah my character has been getting out more this season for sure, using her skills in the field more often. But this episode was especially fun for me because I was able to play with Ira our guest star and to the character playing [Barrett's character] Eric's old college friend... I was able to play with his heart strings a little bit and go undercover which is a first for me... oh and I kind of got to reprimand LL Cool J which takes the cake for me!
Barrett: This college friend actually tries to lure my character away from NCIS. He's like, "You know there's some big money if you don't work for the government." (laughs) You know there is a moment where Eric has to weigh that... It's the conflict of "Am I happy where I am? Do I want to change? Do I feel appreciated? Am I here for a reason?" We see Eric learn that he is. He's worth it and that he has friends that help him and protect him. It's a trade-off but its a sacrifice that all government workers and people who sacrifice their lives for the country make.
What can fans expect as the season heads into it's last batch of episodes?
Renee: Well there's always Afghanistan. Kinsey, Daniela Ruah's character, comes across someone from her past, which has become such a good story line for the show. It enriches the drama and to me makes the show feel more film-like in a way. It's so beautiful, the landscape shots that we have and some of the aerial shots in Afghanistan. It just kind of rounds the show out. To me it plays out more like a film.
Barrett: And it kind of widens the scope... we've explored LA so much in the past four seasons and in this season, Season 5 it's almost like, "Oh yeah, we're in different countries and there's conflicts. We can save the world or the world is in turmoil all over and we can reach those areas and can we save them? Can we help them? Is there conflict in that? Do they appreciate us? It just opens the scope of the whole [series].
Renee: [It makes it] a global concern rather than what's happening in our own backyard. It's nice to have a different perspective shown.
WATCH- 'NCIS: LA' Clip: Deeks Rescues Beale From Lock Up
And it's been announced that show is being renewed for Season 6-- Congratulations! How excited are you guys to be back?
Renee: Oh gosh it's incredible! Just to wrap your mind around the idea that so many people watch our show and tune in every week and we have so many loyal fans. It's such a gift. It's amazing.
Barrett: And the scope now that we can connect with fans especially over Twitter and Instagram, you just realize how many fans are oversees... It's mind blowing, it feels great.
What do you think it is about NCIS: LA that keep people watching?
Renee: I have to think that the "workplace comedy-esque" of the show really hooks people. Barrett, we've said it before right? That the show is kind of a workplace comedy...
Barrett: While also being a procedural crime drama where you get the crime, you get it solved, you get some blown up cars, and you get the action...
Renee: And you get some laughs!
Barrett: But you also get some laughs. It doesn't take itself too seriously. It's not too dramatic, it's not too scary. I think it just strikes the perfect balance between comedy, drama, action and psychological thriller at times.
NCIS has been such a successful franchise and there are talks of a spin-off set in New Orleans-- if you could pick the next NCIS spin-off what city would it be and why?
Renee: New York!
Barrett: New York, baby!
Renee: We're both from New York. I just feel like the energy of New York there's nothing that compares to it. So for a show like NCIS to base itself there I feel like it would kind of be addictive for people to watch. I don't know why it hasn't been done yet.
NCIS: Los Angeles airs Tuesdays 9/8c on CBS.