By Steve Gidlow
But star Rob Morrow wants to do more comedy, while David Krumholtz is aiming for a younger audience
Rob Morrow and David Krumholtz add up to a dynamic duo |
When FBI agent Don Epps enlisted his math genius brother Charlie to fight crime, Numb3rs was born. And TV stalwart Rob Morrow, who plays Don, created a character known for his hard-edged human approach to crime-solving. Now, after three seasons of drama, Morrow is ready to transition to funny again. So, what’s stopping him?
“Well, this part, for sure,” he laughs. “People see you for what you’re doing now I guess. Someone told me that George Clooney, who I know a bit, was thinking about me for a movie he directed last year. They said that he said, 'Oh yeah. He does that serious thing really well.'”
While Morrow is quick to add he doesn’t mind playing the “serious archetype hero who gets the job done and constantly saves the day,” the actor longs for something more.
“All I want to do is a comedy,” he says earnestly. “It’s all I want to do. Every time I run into any comedic director, I’m like, 'I want to do a comedy. Please. Please.'” I even sent Ben Stiller a letter saying, 'Let me be in your next movie! I used to do a lot of comedies!'"
For Morrow’s TV brother Charlie, a.k.a. David Krumholtz, things are a little different. “They allowed me to do something I think most other procedurals, wouldn’t allow an actor to do,” he says, “a lot more comedy. In the first season, we saw a very nervous Charlie feeling apprehensive about working for the FBI, and he was overwhelmed by blood and guts. The second season saw a very emotional Charlie. I didn’t want to do that this season. I wanted to play a character who was more together and somewhat desensitized to what he was seeing at the FBI – more comfortable in his own skin as a mathematician who helps solves crimes. We revealed the quirky side of him. So, he was a lot funnier this year.”
In revealing the lighter side of his character, Krumholtz is tackling a new equation – the sensitive heartthrob tag. “Yes, I’m big in with 12-year olds and 80-year olds,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve cornered that market. I’d like to bridge the gap a little bit, get somewhere in between them,” he adds, smiling widely in a way that would drive the kids and grannies crazy. And he’s almost there, he jokes, saying that his demographic is skewing younger. “Lately, there have been some younger older women,” he says. “Really, 65, 70-year-olds, which is a good thing.”
As Numb3rs moves into its fourth season, both actors are looking forward to what lies ahead. “Next season is going to be very interesting, says Morrow. “We now have a little bit of license to go deeper into who the characters are and explore some storylines that are more about our particular world versus just the crime world.”
“Next season, I think Charlie, now that he has confidence, and is a little looser, will have the rug pulled out from under him,” reveals Krumholtz. “Get him off balance, off axis again. But I’m looking forward to that. It needs to change every year or else I’m going to go crazy.”
Watch Numb3rs, Fridays, 10 p.m. ET, Global/CBS
Looking for another take on the quirky mathematician? Check out our Q&A with Ed Quinn, who plays a Nobel prize-winner on Space's Eureka.
Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2007