William Sadler On Acting and Alex O’Loughlin & Five-0 – July 2013

Hawaii Five-0 Examiner

Amy Bakari

24 July 2013

Please read the full article here: Examiner.com

 

About Alex and Five-0

When Alex O’Loughlin and William Sadler shot the now famous handshake scene on the episode Season 3.15 “Hookman” he describes the moment, “It was an interesting idea.” But it received mixed reaction and at the time of this interview, which was the day after he had shot the scene, Bill asked us (TeamH50) not to talk about until it had aired.

He says that some people on the set were unsure of how that scene would look like but for him and Alex, “It was if something happened. There was that certain kind of feeling on the set as if something important had just occurred. And as we all know now, it was something very mystical about that father and son experience.”

Sadler who had worked with Alex O’Loughlin previously (in the movie August Rush and Three Rivers) described O’Loughlin as a great human being, an actor with skills, “I just like him enormously…he has the chops…and he has the passion for it.”

“We have always hit it off right from the get-go. It’s funny because we don’t see each other often. I come in once a year, and when I am there (on set), it’s like I had never left…like ‘Hey, how are you doing son.’ And he (Alex) would reply, ‘Hey Dad’(with his Aussie accent)” as he fondly shared with TeamH50 about his TV son.

On how he got the coveted John McGarrett role, “I met Peter Lenkov in his office in Los Angeles.” The writer/producer described the scene and character in detail saying, “John McGarret is someone who is going to be important even after he is gone.” Sadler recalls, “He (Peter) wanted the scene to be moving, humanized and grounding. The scene must capture the true essence of a McGarrett father-son relationship. It has to be a moment that resonates for the rest of the season and beyond for Steve.”

In describing the Five-0 chemistry, “You know when you are on a TV show. Sometimes you tend to stay in the trailer and have a “call me when you need me” kind of attitude. But this cast looks after each other, they hang out together, they talk about what they do during weekends or if they tried this or that. This is a group who seems to be enjoying the ride and they know that they all are in the same boat together.”

Over the years, Hollywood actors have come and gone. And those who have stayed on are the likes of a William Sadler. He is an actor who has longevity in the business, not just because he still looks good (where would you think McGarrett would get his charms that Doris McGarrett fell for) and plays the banjo, but because he is an actor who always brings his “A” game, who is the kind of guy that Peter Lenkov can go to and rely on to perform one of the most memorable five minute scenes to be seen on a pilot of a TV series, that has been “resonating” over the past three seasons of the show.

My Thoughts

As an Alex O’Loughlin fangirl, it is always great to hear what his fellow actors have to say about him. Especially those of them who have been around a long time. Those who have proven their own skills in many performances and also worked with some of the biggest names in the industry.

It is normally just a small sentence in an interview, but those few words say a lot. It warms my fangirl heart…… ❤