Blue Bloods thicker than water
After spending five years as a member of the Reagan clan, its no surprise that actress Bridget Moynahan considers the cast of the hit CBS police drama Blue Bloods —which airs on Ten — like her own flesh and blood.
Starring as by-the-book district attorney and single mother Erin Reagan, Moynahan has grown so close to her castmates, including acting great Tom Selleck as police commissioner and Reagan family patriarch Frank, that she fondly refers to them as her “second family”.
“I think it’s the type of family where, if any of us needed anything we could rely on each other,” the 43-year-old former model says by phone from New York, where the series is filmed.
“The time has passed so quickly, I can’t believe it’s been five years. I’ve never been on the show this long and yet it doesn’t feel like any time has passed.
“What’s even more encouraging is that we’re into season five and we’ve actually grown in ratings and viewership; it just feels like we’re actually gaining more family members across the world.”
Referring to her real-life friendship with on-screen sibling Donnie Wahlberg, who plays seasoned detective Danny Reagan, Moynahan says the pair regularly engage in playful brother-sister banter even when the cameras stop rolling.
Moynahan says the duo have come to enjoy their on-screen interaction so much that they have begged writers to include more scenes of their feisty exchanges on the show.
“If we could have more of those scenes on the show, we would love it,” she laughs. “We ask for more of it but the prose of having so many characters, the storylines are so spread out.
“We’re shooting an episode right now and we have a full day of Danny and Erin going at it over a case that drags into the next episode.
“We just go for it. We really rely on each other in that brother/sister kind of way regardless, so it’s a very at ease relationship, it doesn’t feel forced at all.”
Reflecting on the biggest challenges her character has faced so far, Moynahan refers to an episode in the first season where Erin is confronted by a serial rapist.
Admittedly, the actress wasn’t happy the intense scene was included so early on in the series.
“There was an episode where somebody was trying to rape Erin Reagan and just physically and emotionally that was hard,” she says. “I wish we hadn’t done that in season one but we did and I kind of just had to go for it. I think it’s a hard subject matter to try and grapple with.”
While Erin’s tumultuous love life will be revisited in later episodes, Moynahan reveals another man will shake up her world this season — Det-Insp. Alex McBride, played by Men at Work star James Lesure.
“It’s not a romantic relationship; it’s just somebody who really complements her work,” she says. “ [|It’s been really great to play and to have someone who’s really consistent on the show to help work those things out.] So hopefully (Australian fans) will respond to that.”
Season five is nearing the end of filming but Moynahan is confident the series will get the green light for a sixth season.
“It hasn’t been announced but I’ve got a preliminary schedule so I think I’m coming back,” she laughs. “I haven’t read anything that would tell me otherwise…but I have all expectations to be back here and starting to film in July. I’m going to be super disappointed if it’s cancelled.”
Blue Bloods airs on Thursday at 10.30pm on Ten.
