A conversation with Lake Bell
“Boston Legal” is David E. Kelley’s new spin-off of “The Practice,” which ended its long run on ABC last season. Before the show took down its shingle, it introduced several actors who would continue on to “Boston Legal,” including James Spader (“Alien Hunter”) as the unconventional lawyer, Alan Shore; William Shatner (“Star Trek”) as Denny Crane, the brilliant but possibly on-the-edge-of-dementia head of Shore’s new law firm; Rhona Mitra (“Spartacus”) as Tara Wilson, a young lawyer who finds herself being mentored by (and maybe attracted to) Alan Shore; and Lake Bell (“Miss Match”) as Sally Heep, a bright, high-spirited lawyer who has constructed a persona that Shore refuses to accept. Mark Valley (“Keen Eddie”) has also joined the show.
Lake Bell says Sally Heep’s assumed persona made her both interesting and challenging to play.
“I had to be aware that while she’s trying hard to be outrageous, she’s also drawn a wall around herself so that while you see the sexy clothes and the seductive behavior, she doesn’t want you to see anything more than that.”
Bell says when she played Sally for four episodes on “The Practice,” she thought, “I think I understand why she dresses and acts the way she does: She doesn’t want to be ignored.”
Bell points out that when Alan Shore chides her for dressing unprofessionally, “She knows he’s right, but she won’t accept it. After all, if she’s the good lawyer he says she is, why should it matter that she wears tight, short skirts and shows a lot of cleavage?”
And, indeed, why should it matter?
“Because,” Bell says, “Alan understands that perception is important, and no matter how brilliant Sally may be as a lawyer, if a client looks at her and thinks, ‘working girl,’ she’s lost credibility.”
Lake Bell’s long and impressive credits list includes last season’s “Miss Match” with Alicia Silverstone, the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon film “Speakeasy,” and the miniseries “War Stories,” opposite Jeff Goldblum.
“I’ve played a lot of wonderful characters,” Bell says. “And Sally Heep was up there with the best of them.”
Was?
“Well, you see I was sure that after those four episodes on ‘The Practice,’ that that would be it for Sally and me. And I was getting ready to find something else when my agent called and said they would like to know if I wanted to play Sally on the new show.”
And how long did it take for her to answer the question?
“Just long enough to get over the shock of being invited back.”
Looking ahead, what changes can we expect to see in Sally Heep?
“There’s so much to her, and it will be wonderful to play her as she learns about herself and why she tries to hide who she is behind this outer shell she shows the world. And any changes, of course, will come of that discovery process.”
In Focus
Rodney Carrington stars as Rodney Hamilton on the new ABC series “Rodney,” which airs Tuesdays. Jennifer Aspen (“L.A. Twister”) plays his wife.
Carrington says the show comes out of his own life. “We’re both family men who believe family comes first. We sometimes take chances that others might find risky or foolish, but we’ll go with it if we’re sure we’re doing the right thing.”
Carrington has been a stand-up comic and musical performer for some 15 years. “It can be a tough life because it means being away from home for long periods. But it’s what I love to do, and my wife has always supported my career choice.”
On the series, Rodney Hamilton decides to give up his steady but boring job to become a stand-up comic. “It sounds crazy to a lot of people,” Carrington says. “But he knows he can do it and still be the best husband and father — and so do his wife and kids.”
Dial Tones
•Julianna Margulies (ex-“ER”) will guest star on NBC’s “Scrubs” this season as a sultry malpractice lawyer who could be a love interest for J.D. (Zach Braff).
•The highly honored series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” starts its new season of 22 episodes on “N” on Oct. 1 with a date-rape trial that will explore this controversial subject. Look for some explosive revelations.
•On Oct. 4, Lifetime will air “Plain Truth,” starring Mariska Hargitay (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) as a tough lawyer who enters the closed world of the Amish to defend a young girl accused of murdering a newborn baby.