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Greg Kinnear is a 'Rake' of a lawyer in new Fox drama dicative of what the backbone of the show is. I saw the Australian version and thought that Peter Duncan Television largely gave Greg Kinnear his start, and — who I'd actually met years ago, funnily enough as he returns to it, he's when I was down there doing something differdoing press for a movie ent — yet something he's — created this little gem of been doing a long time. a show that had kind of a Staking his claim to cool vibe to it. fame as a talk show host "It was kind of a great on NBC's "Later," then on mix of comedy and drama, E! Entertainment Televiand he'd developed an acsion's satirical "Talk Soup" tual community of people set Kinnear up for an in a city the size of Sydney, acting career that began which I thought was quite in earnest with the 1995 movie remake of "Sabrina." impressive. The hope was to try to do the same thing He's kept at that ever since, from his Oscar-nom- in L.A. It's been fun ... also a lot of work, but it's been inated turn in "As Good an interesting journey." as It Gets" and his Emmy Duncan also is an execbid for playing JFK in the miniseries "The Kennedys" utive producer of the new "Rake," as is co-creator to his current role as Ron Richard Roxburgh, who Burgundy's rival in love in the comedy "Anchorman 2: plays Kinnear's part in the ongoing original version. The Legend Continues." Flawed characters Kinnear remains an largely have been Kinactor in tackling TV on a near's calling cards, and steady basis again. Prehe agrees Deane fits that miering Thursday, Jan. pattern. 23, the Fox drama "Rake" "I played a pastor right adapts an Australian show before this (in the forthby casting him as Los coming film 'Heaven Is for Angeles defense attorney Real')," he says, "so it was Keegan Deane. When the devil and the angel in he's not standing up for one year. I guess with this clients, he's usually trying particular guy, it was the to defend himself, given notion of playing a charhis practices that include acter without a governor, gambling and obsessing without any social inhibiover a prostitute (Bojana Novakovic) he fancies as a tions in a world where more and more of us are potential girlfriend. working for fewer and Also an executive proGreg Kinnear stars in "Rake," premiering Thursday on Fox. ducer of the Americanized fewer people. "With this notion of hav- card for 'the man,' there's "Rake," the genial Kinnear free therapy, and their really talented actors I get ing to go in and punch a says "the title is very inson (Ian Colletti); a close to work with on a regular a sense of individuality friend (Ben Leon) who also basis. Unlike a movie, I with this guy that I kind of don't have to say goodbye happens to be Deane's spark to. I don't want to frequent courtroom rival as to them at wrap." try to make it more than Los Angeles' assistant disOthers in Deane's life it is; I just thought it could trict attorney; and an assisinclude his psychologist be fun with him not taking tant (Tara Summers) who's ex-wife (Miranda Otto), himself too seriously, and generally able to look past who reluctantly gives him also in dealing with some Deane's shortcomings to keep him on course in terms of work. "I've never played a lawyer before," says Kinnear, who reasons that exposing Deane's personal warts while also positioning him as a skilled professional underscores "a great hypocrisy that exists in the legal world. Attorneys often are in lovely three-piece suits, a very showy repor resentation of control and Advertisements must be paid in advance. Contact us for deadlines and prices. trustworthiness and believability ... and it's a sham, By Jay Bobbin © Zap2it Say It On Page 2 Of The • Announcements • Memorials • Special Events • Birthdays • Congratulations 574-533-2151 800-487-2151 ext. 398 2 The Goshen News • TV Spotlight • January 20-26, 2014 I believe. Like in anything else, I'm sure there are decent attorneys in the world, but they're not all like that. "Just because they have all the trinkets of being responsible doesn't mean that they are," Kinnear adds. "You can't always trust what you see, and I just felt there was a great place to explore a guy who needs to wear the necessary armor of responsibility out in the real world, but doesn't really have a great moral compass." As much as he's accomplished over a 25-year career, Kinnear is finding "Rake" a big education, dating back to the initial pitch he and fellow executive producer Peter Tolan ("Rescue Me") made. He's also had help from an earlier colleague: Sam Raimi — who also guided Kinnear in the 2000 movie "The Gift" — directed the first "Rake" episode to air, as well as the show's pilot, expected to be shown several weeks into the run. "It's been a slow boil," Kinnear maintains. "It's been like, 'That's an interesting idea. What if we write a script?' We did, then Peter became involved and really helped find a way to make an adaptation feel good. It's not easy, just because you have pre-existing material, to re-create something. "Then at dinner one night, I brought the pilot up to my friend Sam. My wife had said, 'Oh, just ask him. He'll just say no.' And he said, 'Yes! I'd love it!' And the casting was obviously a big thing. We did the pilot, then after that, you're off to the races. I was ready for the wrap party after we finished Episode 1, but everybody was looking at me like, 'No, no, no. We're going to see you tomorrow morning.' " As production of "Rake" continues, Kinnear deems the process "an ongoing fight to try to keep the stories interesting, and to keep the connective tissue between the characters evolving and moving forward in a good way. I've been able to stay involved in a lot of the aspects, and that's given me some comfort some of the time."

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