'It's A Well Oiled Machine': 'FBI: Most Wanted' Stars Kellan Lutz And Roxy Sternberg On Dick Wolf's Latest Creation
There's a new crime drama on the block this season airing on America's Most Watched Network as FBI: Most Wanted hunts down the bad guys Tuesday nights at 10:00PM ET/PT. This new spin off from the hit show FBI was created by Dick Wolf and stars Kellan Lutz as Kenny Crosby and Roxy Sternberg as Sheryll Barnes.
CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith caught up with Lutz and Sternberg ahead of this week's episode to discuss the process of being an FBI agent, working on a Dick Wolf production and the perils of finding the best place to eat.
DS: Hey guys DJ Sixsmith here from CBS Local, how's everything going?
KL: Good, really good.
RS: Good, how are you?
DS: Everything is good. Congratulations to you both. Why don't we start at the beginning what excited you guys the most when you first heard about the project?
RS: That it was Dick Wolf show. That was really exciting. As we all know Dick Wolf projects, it's a well oiled machine. You know going into one of his projects it's like... it's just super, super, super, exciting.
KL: Yeah, he makes great television and for me, in this part of life that I'm in, I want to start a family and I love doing movies and I wanted to get on a good TV show that had consistency. Now that my wife's pregnant we got that and then we're part of this really great show, great writers, Dick Wolf is known for his great TV format, how well they do. We just have a great team, it's been an answer to prayers.
DS: That's awesome. So this task force is obviously focused on chasing down the bad guys. What was the biggest surprise for you guys in playing FBI agents?
RS: How much they have to travel. These fugitives do not stay in one place. So there's been a lot of traveling which is great, we enjoy the chase, we enjoy the hunt. But yeah, that was surprising, these guys do not nestle and find somewhere to hide, they get about.
KL: They really do. It's really fun, we have an FBI tech on set, named Dani, and she'll help train us and show us techniques with breaching doorways and formations, but also hearing about how much they really do enjoy the camaraderie of their family that they have created. After they bring the bad guy to justice, the next line out of their mouth is, 'where do you want to eat?' It's very circumstantial to where they are and what city they're at to get that good food, just stuff that you don't think about.
DS: So anybody who's watched FBI knows this show is filled with really great moments, when you guys think about FBI: Most Wanted, what were your favorite parts of the season, was a scene on the show, interacting with people on set, what sticks out most to you guys?
KL: I think for me it's all our awesome guest stars that we get to work with. We just had some rock stars on this show. We don't find out until the table read and they're sitting right across from us and I'm huge fans of almost every guest star we've had, I'm like I would love to work with you, I get to work with you and that's paying homage to how good these shows are that Dick Wolf creates.
RS: I'm going back to the writing; I just think the writing is so alive. When we do the table reads, it feels like it's on a scene even though it's sat down. I think it's, the writing that I enjoy most about the show.
DS: That's awesome.
KL: And we get to shoot in New York, which is a character within itself. It's why every movie out there, they destroy New York because it's so iconic, so being able to film here and all the outskirts, all the beautiful areas, you really get to see and fall in love with New York for all of New York.
DS: Yeah no doubt about it. So when people check out the show tonight, what are some big things you want them to be thinking about, big things to take away?
KL: This show is really cool. When I saw the premiere, the crossover episode 18 season one of FBI, I didn't realize how gritty and gory we're allowed to be on television. Now we're on the 10 o'clock slot, so I think our script and what we shoot is just that much more intense. It's an intense, really smart show. We have this great rapport with all the actors just having shorthand together where we really work at as this organic unit.
DS: Awesome, Roxy, how about you, anything you want people to be thinking about?
RS: I think it's interesting, the fugitives that we're catching. I think it shines a light on the humanness of these bad guys. No one is born bad and I think that's something we shine a light on. What pushed these bad guys, these human guys to go bad. So I think the psychology is really interesting and I think the audience will enjoy that.
DS: Good deal, thanks guys, enjoy the moment and we'll talk to you down the road, alright?
KL: Thank you!
RS: Thank you so much.
Don't miss new episodes of FBI: Most Wanted Tuesday nights on CBS 10:00PM ET/PT, only on CBS. Check your local listings for more information.