By Diana Cowan
The blonde, blue-eyed Canadian starlet discusses her favourite episode, a surprising rumour and the upcoming third season
TV Guide: What brings you back to Toronto?
A.J. Cook: I wanted to get back here to see my family. My parents live out here in Whitby, and my sister and her kids. It had just been awhile since I’d been back to see everyone so I thought I’d run back here before we go back to start shooting Season 3.
TVG: When does Criminal Minds go back into production?
AC: Very soon. We’re back July 9th, we have a very short hiatus this year.
TVG: Have you had a chance to do anything during the hiatus?
AC: I purposely haven’t because it was such a long year. We shot some extra episodes – the Super Bowl episodes – and the hiatus is so short this year. I just kind of wanted to lay low and just relax and see my family and spend some quality time.
TVG: What do you love the most about working on the show?
AC: It’s just the people, everyone is so great. We all get along really well. It’s like a big family. We like to joke around a lot, which people tend to very surprised by that when they come to visit us on set because the show’s so serious and it’s such serious subject matter and so dark. So they’re always a little shocked when they come by and see us singing and dancing and making jokes. It’s like we’re a bunch of 14-year-old boys, it’s like the door creaks and everyone’s like, 'Ohhh, who farted?' [giggles] It’s pretty funny, we have a good time.
TVG: It was rumoured that Thomas Gibson and Mandy Patinkin didn’t get along on set, so I was wondering if you had any thoughts on that matter.
AC: Wow, that rumour huh? We all get along fine. I mean, I haven’t witnessed anything. It seems fine to me, I don’t know what’s going on with that.
TVG: My favourite episode was probably the Super Bowl one.
AC: Ahh, it was so much fun.
TVG: Do you have a favourite episode?
AC: That would probably be it. I had such a good time shooting those episodes and they wrote some really good stuff for me. I think it was called 'Revelations,' the second part of the Super Bowl episodes. That was my favourite part. I just loved the struggle that she had [her character, JJ], you know the guilt of letting him [Reid] split from her and her determination to make this better and find him. It was just a really good episode for everyone, and it was a fun one to do.
TVG: In the season finale, it kind of looked like Hotch might lose his position on the team to Emily. Do you think that might happen?
AC: I have no idea! We’re all dying for the scripts. I can’t wait to get the next script so we can figure out what is going on and what’s happening. We were all a little like, 'What, what’s going on? Is anyone leaving, what’s going on?' I feel bad for Hotch if that’s the case because the fans are going to go cr-a-zy! But it’s a very interesting twist if they do, so I don’t know, we’ll see.
TVG: Do you have any idea why they might have chosen Emily to be the possible boss?
AC: I think that’s why they wrote in another character, another female, because they wanted someone to come in and through learning about this new character we would also learn more about the team that’s there already. So I don’t know if this is something they’ve had planned from the get go. I’m hoping that she doesn’t accept the position and she goes to Hotch and says, 'You know, these people are trying to get you fired,' and all is good and there’s a happy ending. ‘Cause I love Paget, she has been such a great addition to the cast. She is so much fun to work with, oh my gosh, she’s hilarious.
TVG: Do you think if Hotch was taken off the team it would affect the way the whole unit functions?
AC: I do, I can’t really picture that. He is the one that runs the show. He’s Mr. Stern Face and keeps us all together. So wow, I really can’t even imagine him not in that position or anyone else in that position. That would be a very difficult position to fill and I think he does it so well. He plays that part so perfectly, cause that’s a tough position to be in and I think he does it with the perfect amount of sternness, and seriousness, and subtlety, so I cannot wait to get the scripts and see what’s going on here and what’s happening.
TVG: Do you have any idea what might happen to your character next season?
AC: I have no idea. We’re all kind of just waiting to find out. What I have heard is that Season 3 they do plan on delving into character development a little bit more and focusing on why they are the way they are and their private lives and all that. So we, being the actors, are very excited about that. We’re quite excited about learning more about the characters and where they come from, that’s exciting stuff for us. Anything we can kinda sink our teeth into, it’s pretty fun.
Published: Tuesday, July 3, 2007
