Becki Newton is ready for a new challenge. She is best known for her comedy work in Ugly Betty and How I Met Your MotherNewton will switch genres for his first Netflix drama role Attorney Lincoln. Based on the series of novels by Michael Connelly, Attorney Lincoln stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, a magnetic defense attorney thrust back into the spotlight after the death of his former law partner. The title comes from the fact that Haller likes to work in the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car.
Newton plays Lorna, Haller’s witty second ex-wife who helps him run his day-to-day activities. Lorna helps Mickey in his biggest case ever, defending a tech guru accused of murdering his ex-wife and her lover. Digital Trends spoke with Newton about her attraction to playing bold characters, preferring to work in television over movies, and whether she’s tired of being asked about Ugly Betty rebooting the system.
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Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Digital Trends: Now correct me if I’m wrong because this could just be a freak coincidence. You had a comedy pilot with CBS Fun which ended up being passed on in 2020. Days before, CBS was also passed on Attorney Lincoln by David E. Kelley. Is there any correlation between the two of you watching that show on Netflix or is this a random coincidence?
Becki Newton: Maybe you’re an evil genius because I never put it together until you said it. It’s all a wonderful coincidence, as most things in this business are. I just attribute that to the world falling apart in general at the time and less specifically to me. But yes, it’s a complete coincidence.
What drew you to the role of Lorna?
I liked that she was an irreverent, bold, intelligent woman. I really liked the fact that I would be able to play with the character in a more dramatic setting. I thought it was a really cool combination that I hadn’t explored before. This is actually my first drama. I’ve only done comedies and maybe dramas, but I liked the idea of playing this part in a more grounded world of this legal environment.
From your experience, what stands out for you in comedy roles? Are you only offered comedic roles? Have you made it your goal to stick to those types of roles?
I don’t know I think I’m generally attracted to brave characters. I’ve been lucky enough to find a lot of those in comedy. So this was a different tone for me. But I felt that the character was strong, interesting and fearless. I haven’t seen a lot of characters like that in drama worlds, so I just jumped at the chance to do it.
Is there an action thriller in your future?
As long as I can wear very bright, colorful pantsuits, I’ll definitely do an action thriller.
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I had a chance to talk to Manuel, and he described Mickey and Lorna’s relationship as Batman and Robin. I was interested in how you view this complicated, professional relationship that the two characters share in the show.
I look at it as a very modern take on a relationship that has gone through many forms. I think the fact that they were married and now they’re not, but they’re still working together and incredibly supportive of each other is a really interesting dynamic that we don’t see a lot. They are not bitter towards each other. Obviously, we don’t really know what happened, but there is still so much love and so much support between them. I love the Batman and Robin angle. I will talk to Manuel about it when I see him on Monday.
Have you had any experience with the source material from the books or the 2011 movie with Matthew McConaughey?
I did with both of them. I like that. That’s so funny. I always looked at this kind of material as just a reader, but I never imagined that I would be in that world as an actress. Well I think that was part of the appeal. It was something I never expected to do. I thought it would be such an interesting challenge to see where I could fit into this kind of world.
Furthermore, did you feel the added pressure of knowing that you had to please both a television audience and a devoted fan base of the books?
I think the idea was to try not to copy anything when we got to the shoot. We’re trying to give him a new perspective on it. So I think people who like books will respond well to this because it’s a fresh take on something they already love. I tried not to push it. I tried to make my own version and respect what was on the page, while at the same time bringing as much of myself into it as possible.
David E. Kelley created this project. If anyone knows legal drama, it’s him. Just look at his record. Did it almost calm you down, knowing you’d be working with one of the most successful showrunners of the last 30 years?
Being a bit of a draw fish, I felt really comfortable diving into this world because you could feel on set that all the directors were familiar with the world of legal drama. I had no idea. I can’t even tell if I’ve ever been in a courtroom before, other than the one built on the set. So I definitely believed that the team behind this knew exactly what they were doing, and I was able to bring my new take on the character of Lorna.
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Throughout your career, you’ve gravitated towards imperfect characters. These characters have endearing qualities, but they also have insecurities. What do you like about these roles?
Well, I think we are all very imperfect. There’s nothing interesting about playing the perfect person on TV because no one is. Every time I look at a character, the first thing I look for are the cracks because that’s what makes someone interesting. I was lucky enough to play these very strong women who would look very polished on the outside. But to me, what makes them interesting is underneath that. Why do they have to work so hard to look so perfect? What are they trying to cover up? What are they struggling with? I have always been attracted to such women.
Looking at your IMDB, television is your bread and butter. Do you prefer to work on television rather than film?
To know. I love TV. I like the layout. I love that routine. I was lucky. I was able to work there and pretty consistently over all these years. I just love it. I absolutely love everything about recording.
You were ahead of your time because there are a lot of good roles on television now. You could say that 10 years ago this play would have been a movie, which it is.
That’s interesting. I’d like to say I was ahead of my time. I think, looking back, I was very grateful for what I was doing.
You were in two hit shows, Ugly Betty and How I Met Your Mother, who have a large fan base. Are you tired of rebooting questions?
Not! The very fact that I was part of the plays that are still talked about. I never imagined it. Like when I got it Ugly Betty, I did commercials for Olive Garden. I really kind of fell from the sky. The fact that I was able to be a part of something so early on that people still come up to me and talk about… it’s amazing. What a gift that is. And to have been on a few shows that have incredible fan bases and impacted people, I’m just the luckiest person alive.
Attorney Lincoln | Official Clip: Defend Them | Netflix
Your character on Ugly Betty, Amanda Tanen, had a spinoff web series. Have you ever said to yourself, “Wow, we were ahead of our time” having an online show?
Yesterday, Michael [Urie, Newton’s Ugly Betty co-star] and I were together, referring to lines from Mode of operation after working hours, so we are still living it. It was so much fun. When I think about some of the shenanigans our characters played, I think it was such a gift and such a precedent. Michael and I talked about it yesterday. We were able to be so creative and be part of something so exciting that it set a huge standard for what we can look at when we work in television. These great people and these great attitudes and these incredible professionals to work with like Judith Light and America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams. So early on, it was like a master class in how to behave on set and how to tackle these characters, and how much fun you can have when you work really hard together. I was very, very lucky to experience it so quickly.
You watch what people watch today, which is shorter episodes. Everything is on their phones. They watch TikTok or YouTube.
That’s interesting. I never thought about that, for sure. You’re right. That content would be really great these days.
What can people expect from Attorney Lincoln? Why should you get involved?
I think there’s a tone that’s really cool about this. It has all the intrigue of a typical legal drama. But there are also different flavors like the taste of LA. The show portrays LA in this really cool way. It is visually beautiful. There is also fun with a lot of characters, especially the side characters. There’s a lot of humor even in the context of these very serious cases they’re dealing with. So I think it’s just new and different and a twist on something we’ve already seen and enjoyed.
Is there anything you’d like to explore with Lorna in a potential second season?
This is how I know I love that character. I feel like there are a million things I wish I knew about Lorna. For me, that’s how I know it’s such a fulfilling character because there’s so much I’d like to know and I think there’s so much to explore. I know there is so much to learn about Lorna.
Attorney Lincoln season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn