Robin's Interview for French TV Mag
The Mentalist: Robin Tunney talks with Tv Mag
October 8th, 2010
Julia Baudin
Fifty episodes of The Mentalist and she's not tired. Robin Tunney, Teresa Lisbon on the series that airs on TF1, talks with us. With a typical Irish humor, she talks about her charcater, Simon Baker, the contingencies of living in Los Angeles, her desires, projects and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Q: Robin Tunney, who is Teresa Lisbon in The Mentalist?
Teresa is a very interesting character, because she's at the same time a woman and a cop- a good cop. She's the boss, and it's rare in the tv series where the boss most of the times is a man. In this detail, she's a strong counterpoint to Patrick Jane's character, and it must have been a woman without any doubt.
Q: Are detective series sexist?
I wouldn't say that, but they still answer to certains social codes that are still very rooted in our society and culture. An exception is The Closer, where the main character is a woman [Kyra Sedwick, Brenda lee Johnson], a sort of queen surrounded by men, I know few examples.
Q: What do you think of the relationship between Teresa and Patrick Jane?
She's a sort of mom, sister and she's also his coscience. She worries about him, for empathy, because he is incredibly clever, charming. She admonish him because he is childish, thoughtless. She doesen't always understand him, even if she's the only one who can reach him a little bit. And vice-versa...
Q: Is their relationship going to develop?
Without any doubt. But I'm not really sure that a romantic relationship would work... There are already a lot of couples on tv that end up sleeping together. And, even if a lot of people expect this, I think it would harm their originality. But, I can see a deep friendship between the two.
Q: And what about Robin Tunney and Simon Baker?
Oh! I adore Simon! He's cute, adorable, talented, funny, generous, he can drink tea properly, not an obvious thing for an Australian! I'm used to say that he's the ideal type. Unfortunately for his fans- and me!-, he's married to a wonderful woman and he has three kids. The fact that we knew eachother before The Mentalist helped a lot our relationship.
Q: Do you watch other series?
I don't have a lot of time to watch tv. We work more than twelve hours every day, often in the week-ends and for several weeks. When I have some free time, I read. I take a walk, or I go to the theatre. When have some free days I go back home, in New York, meet my family and friends. Los Angeles is a wonderful place, but not a place for every day life, especially for an Irish girl who grew up in Chicago with her parents, brothers, sisters and cousins!
Q: In 2004 you played as guest in the Pilot of Dr. House. Is it a good memory?
A wonderful one! Apart from an appareance in Law and Order in 1994, I wasn't on tv since 10 years and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to. My appareance in House has been a revelation... The series was about to begin, but we could see that Hugh Laurie was already deeply in his character, and that the series was written with particular care. Without that episode, I'm sure I wouldn't have done Prison Break and The Mentalist.
Q: About Prison Break, they say you left quickly?
I did show all I could about my character, veronica Donovan. Staying more, it would have meant bore the public, me and the series.
Q: Why?
Playing a character for a film can work. It lasts three months and then you do other things. Playing a character in a tv series it really absorbing, and you have few time for other projects. Keep playing a character against my willing, my sensibility and my affinities can become very annoying...
Q: Do you miss shooting films?
Are you joking, I just shot four films!
Q: You played in "End of Days" in 1999 with Arnold Schwartzenegger. Would you work again with him?
I just recently met California's governor, and we actually talked about the past and how would be nice to work together again in an action film. Why not!
Q: What is your greatest wish?
To write a script myself and realize it. The dream...
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