Eric Olsen: “My biggest fear was that Marty and Kensi would get together”
After months of absence, “NCIS: Los Angeles” resumes on M6 from Saturday. For the occasion, Paris Match met Eric Christian Olsen who has played agent Marty Deeks for six years.
Paris Match. Are you satisfied with the evolution of your character over the seasons?
Eric Christian Olsen. Marty is the character who has evolved the most. He started out as the guy who used his humor and charm to get out of every situation and now we realize he’s a complex character with a dark past. He’s just looking for love, to start a home and a real family.
He found all this with his partner Kensi Blye…
My biggest fear was that Marty and Kensi would become a couple because I didn’t want their relationship to be like anything we’ve ever seen on TV. But they have an authentic relationship that works very well. I haven’t seen anything like this between two people working together on any other show.
Our characters can be killed at any time
Their relationship evolves a lot this season since they will move in together. Will he decide to ask her to marry him?
There’s a scene that looks like a marriage proposal without actually being one at the end of season 7. It’s an episode where it’s about having children in the violent world we live in today. . So it’s not a marriage proposal strictly speaking, but it’s close.
Daniela Ruah who plays the role of Kensi Blye is your brother’s wife in real life, doesn’t that create awkward situations on set?
No because they are together because of me. My brother was in a relationship with a girl who was sad all the time and Danny was with a terrible actor. I told myself they would look good together so I did everything to make it work. It’s true that it’s a strange situation… And it remains “NCIS”, we only kiss in front of the camera, it doesn’t go any further.
‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ Isn’t the Type of Show Critics Like
In other long-running cop shows, a lot of actors jump ship partway through, not in “NCIS: Los Angeles.” For what?
We stay, but our characters can be killed at any time. I’ve been working in Hollywood long enough to know how hard it is to star in a hit series. Understanding is very important between the actors too. I love working with the “NCIS” team. Look at “Castle”, Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Stana Katic (Beckett) hated each other and the show ended because of that.
“NCIS: Los Angeles” is the second most watched series in the United States, why has it never won an Emmy or Golden Globe?
I’d say it’s the type of show that critics hate but families love. It affects all generations, which is why it works so well. I’ve made around twenty films, but everywhere I go, everyone talks to me about the series. But that suits me. There are series that are good but that no one watches. They have a price and disappear after three years. If I’m asked to choose, I take viewers over prices.
