CHICAGO P.D. finally shines a spotlight on Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) in the Wednesday, January 14 episode, “Heroes.”
“The Amy Morton episode is great,” CHICAGO P.D. showrunner Gwen Sigan previously teased to Give Me My Remote. “I mean, it’s very different. It’s very emotional, it’s pretty heavy, but such a good performance from her, such a good performance from Marina [Squerciati, who plays Burgess]. I think we see them almost in these different dynamics together, which is interesting. And, yeah, there’s some beautiful scenes in it, throughout the whole thing.”
In the hour, Trudy is asked to help a former recruit with a difficult case. But things soon spiral.
Here, Morton talks with Give Me My Remote about filming “Heroes.”
Viewers have been clamoring for this for a while, but what conversations did you have with the writers about when and how Trudy would get this showcase?
I had no conversations with the writers. [Laughs.] I mean, it just showed up. So they wrote this beautiful episode, and I was warned, I don’t know, a couple weeks before, “Oh, you’re going to be really, really heavily featured in this episode. So get ready.” And when I got the script, I was just blown away. I was so, so happy. It’s such a great, great script.
What can you share about what Trudy finds herself in the middle of?
Trudy meets up with a previous recruit that she taught in the academy. So she has a relationship with this young man, and he’s been working on a case for a couple of years, trying to bag this one really bad guy. He has run up against a brick wall and asks her for help, and then things ensue. So that’s sort of the premise of the episode.
The promo teases that there is a loss in the hour. How does that loss impact Trudy, both personally and professionally?
It has a very, very large impact. This is an episode where you see a very different side to Trudy. And it’s certainly probably the most emotional episode I’ve done. So there’s that, without getting too far into the story. So, yeah, it is monumental for Trudy, what happens.
Are we going to get to see her at home, off the clock, and how this is impacting her? Or is this really just about the case?
It’s about the case, because everything is sort of happening almost in real time.
How did that element change the dynamic of filming?
It’s great because I don’t have to go. “Oh, we’re a week later.” It’s a lot easier, put it that way, and it keeps me in the right mindset all the time.
As much as we can, it’s great to be able to film in sequence, but you usually can’t for an entire episode. So that’s always difficult when you’re shooting out of sequence. But other than that, I mean, the script is so well-written that it was very easy to stay connected to it and know where I was…in time and space within the story.
There are frequently big action pieces when a character gets a showcase. Will we be seeing Trudy in that light, is it more emotional, or a mix of both?
It’s really a mix of both. [Laughs.] You don’t see me running like Ruzek or somebody else. But you do see me being all cop-like, for sure.
Since that is a different beat than what you normally get to play, what is the most enjoyable part about getting to do more action-centric scenes?
I don’t know if I would say enjoyable, because my biggest fear is looking like a clown. I am very conscious of having people watch the take and be very honest with me and say, “Yeah, don’t do that.” Or, “You need to do more of this.” Because, you know, I’m no spring chicken anymore, and I’m usually behind the desk. So to see me pull out a gun or something like that, I’m like, “Just make sure I don’t look like a complete ass.”
Look, I know we’re seeing the edited version, but I would trust Trudy Platt with my life.
I have to say, it was really fun. But at the same time, I was a nervous wreck. [Laughs.]
In addition to Gwen praising your work in this hour, she also cited how great you and Marina were together. What can you share about the dynamic between Trudy and Burgess in this episode?
It’s awesome. It was one of my favorite things about the episode, that the relationship is almost switched. And you see a side of [Burgess] that you never get to see, that Trudy doesn’t allow usually, you know? And you see a side of Trudy that is in need of help, and gets it from Burgess. And so…it’s sort of a wonderful side that is sort of brand new in the show.
What was it like establishing that dynamic with Marina after working together for so many years?
Oh my god. It was great. It was really fun…One of my favorite things is the scenes I had with Marina, because that relationship has been so established from day one, just to see what happens when things get switched–it was just really, really fun to do. And, you know, I love working with her.
Due to how the show is structured, there isn’t always an immediate follow-up to the more emotional stuff. But given that you had this to play, both with her and just for Trudy in general, how has it impacted how you’ve played this character in the episodes you’ve filmed since?
Since that episode, I’ve only done one other episode. One or two at the most. I’m a much more minimal presence in that episode, so you don’t really see the impact. Yet, anyway.
In the larger ONE CHICAGO universe, Trudy’s husband, Mouch (Christian Stolte), is going through a lot with his job being in trouble over on CHICAGO FIRE. Have you popped over there? Is there anything coming up for them on either show as they’re going through these parallel difficult times?
I can’t answer that; I have not been privy to what’s going on at FIRE. I mean, I’m watching FIRE as you all are. It’s not like I know any information before you do with those other shows. And I have not yet done an episode, so I can’t really speak to that.
Well, hopefully that changes soon. There’s a new addition to Intelligence in Imani (Arienne Mandi), and you actually had one of my favorite line reads of the year in a conversation with her. What do you think Trudy’s take is on Imani and just the evolution of the squad as a whole?
Well, I think she has an affinity for Imani, to a certain extent, because…Imani, you can tell right from the switch, like Trudy, she does not suffer fools. She is all about the job, and all about being the best cop she can be. So I think there’s a dynamic there. There’s a personality there that Trudy can admire.
And we’ll see what happens. I mean, there hasn’t been a lot written for the two of us yet, so we’ll see how that relationship develops. But I do think there’s admiration there. But, you know, she’s Trudy, too, so she really wants to be the boss. So there might be some conflict, we’ll see. [Laughs.]
Is there anything else you want to share about filming this episode that we have not discussed?
It was truly a joy, and I felt–I’m really grateful that I got to do it. It was just so much fun. And being around the crew every day–because, you know, I’m usually not–was really a treat, because I think this crew is just amazing. So I just had the most fun. I had a great time.
CHICAGO P.D., Wednesdays, 10/9c, NBC
