Boston Blue’s Mika Amonsen Talks Sean’s Arc, And What It Was Like To Take Over The Role
Boston Blue’s Mika Amonsen had one of the biggest jobs once he was cast: step into a role that someone else had played throughout their childhood.
We had the good fortune to catch up with Amonsen ahead of Boston Blue Season 1 Episode 12 to chat about his new role and his thoughts on Sean’s arc.
It didn’t feel difficult taking on the role.
I knew there were fans who wanted Andrew [Terracino] to come back, and I felt a huge obligation to pay homage to what Andrew did, create a character, and maintain what people enjoyed.
Andrew and I seemed to have a lot of similar traits.
He was somebody who was high-energy. Our vocal intonation was very similar. Our mannerisms are similar.
So it felt natural to step into it.
What I felt the pressure from was a lot of the fans to really create something that they could relate to.
So I wanted to bring myself into the role, of course, but I also wanted to make fans happy, and also have Andrew see that I wasn’t just coming in and creating something that was completely different than what he created.
Did you get the chance to meet with him before you took on the role?
No, I didn’t.
That’s about as much as we get from Danny and Sean’s perspective on that loss, but it is something I’d like to explore more.
I think it’s a huge part of Sean’s character development, but also of Danny and Sean’s relationship.
What aspects of Sean’s character do you like playing the best?
He’s a constantly evolving character, so it hasn’t been boring in the slightest.
He starts off in a completely new city around people he does not know.
There’s no nepotism. There’s no security blanket for him, and he’s kind of paving his own way.
He hasn’t had a very intimate relationship with his father, and all of a sudden, he does.
He’s a rookie cop. He starts taking on lighter cases, and you know, they’re not as intense.
And then as the show goes on, we get to these very intense cases where there are people dying, there are explosions happening.
o it’s a constant progression for him, and that’s what I enjoy.
It’s definitely interesting to see him as a cop. How else would you like Sean to grow over the course of the series?
I’ve got a few ideas. I don’t want to throw them out there because nothing’s set in stone.
Donnie invited me to come down to LA and meet with Sonia and Margolis and talk about some stuff, but it’s tough to touch on that because nothing’s ironed out, right?
I don’t want to tell you guys that I want to see this, and this, and this, and then nothing happens. That’d be deflating for a lot of people.
[laughing] I want Sean to drive a Hellcat in every scene. That’s what I want.
A car chase and Sean’s police Hellcat.
What’s it like working with Donnie Wahlberg?
It’s easy. He makes everything so easy.
He’s like a father in every way to everybody on the show.
Everything is just light.
You don’t always get an actor and a co-star that’s going to want to workshop things, or talk about things, or change things on the fly, or ask you how you feel, and say, ” Why don’t we workshop it this way? And why don’t you want that line? I can take this line.”
He’s just so giving as an actor, and that’s been amazing.
I’ve said before, he’s Superman.
He does a million things, and he still shows up to set in a good mood.
What’s been most challenging for you about the role so far?
Most of my resume, if you look back on it, has been guest star roles on TV or large principal roles on various movies.
But for Boston Blue, I had to tap into a world that existed for 14 years.
The fans are deeply grounded in it, and there are so many favorite aspects of it that need to be respected.
There’s so much story that already exists. There’s so much emotion that already exists.
So, tapping into a lot of that research and learning cop procedure has been a challenge, but it hasn’t been difficult or boring at all.
It’s been very interesting, and I’ve always wanted to do that, but haven’t had the opportunity.
Finally taking on that opportunity has been a lot of learning curves, a lot of time management, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It’s been really fulfilling.
Finally, what message would you like to give to the fans?
I hope you’re enjoying what I’m doing.
I hope you see the kind of effort that goes into creating something you guys can identify with, while bringing something new that excites you about the future of Sean. As we go forward, I hope you just enjoy the evolution of it.
And I love you guys.
Over to you, Boston Blue fanatics!
Hit the comments with your thoughts about Mika’s perspective on Sean, and don’t forget to share this article with your friends so they can join the conversation.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
