After recurring roles on “Parenthood” and “Extant,” Lyndon Smith is on the verge of what she calls a “defining moment.” As the ambitious and brassy Deirdre on “Public Morals,” Smith lands her first series regular spot on TNT’s ’60s-set crime drama.
On playing a “dude’s chick.”
“It’s a very male-heavy cast, but we have three women in it and they all pack a punch. I love Deirdre because she’s kind of the dude’s chick. She grew up with all these guys on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. She’s a bit different in that she’s educated and wants to become a journalist. She has ambitions to get out. It was fun to play with that.”
On navigating an ensemble period piece.
“When you go into a show recognizing that there is a period, there’s always the actor’s question of, ‘Well, do I play to the style of the period, or do I kind of play it modern?’ You have to take the style into consideration, and then figure out if everybody else is doing the same thing.”
On finding a home base.
“To be a series regular feels like you have a home base. Being a guest star is how I’ve made my career thus far, and I’ve been so grateful for those opportunities, but you’re always a little bit aware that you are a guest. To be able to show up to work every day on the ‘Public Morals’ set and know everybody so well, you feel so comfortable and you feel free to really not squash any first instincts.”
On fitting Edward Burns’ vision.
“That’s special with a TV show, to have one director the entire time. That never happens. Originally, [Burns] was going to give three episodes to director friends of his. I remember he had told us that and we were like, ‘Are you going to be able to let it go? This is your baby.’ And the next week we get a call: ‘Nope, Eddie is directing every episode.’ The show has this steady continuity of one person’s vision throughout. We had the captain of our ship the entire time.”
On learning from Halle Berry.
“Halle has a very maternal sense about her. My first day on [the ‘Extant’] set, within 10 minutes she was holding my hand and making me feel so at ease. She really encouraged me to know my work and to stick up for myself. It’s OK to say ‘No,’ even though it’s kind of scary. [She taught me] to trust in that sense of self—you have to do that in this industry. Being around her has been really inspiring for me, I think more so than anybody I’ve worked with.”
Like this story? Read more of our Spotlight On interviews!