‘Blue Bloods’ alum Jennifer Esposito expands her horizons
Q: It was nice to see Jennifer Esposito back on “Blue Bloods” recently. What else has she been doing lately? – Richard Ellison, via e-mail A: She has dedicated much of her time to becoming a filmmaker, which she achieved last year by writing, directing, producing and starring in the drama movie “Fresh Kills.” She played a woman who married into an underworld family, bringing danger to her and her daughters … and she attained funding to make the movie through investments from fans. Shown at some film festivals (including Tribeca) last year, the film is slated to get a general release in May. Esposito was a cast regular in CBS’ “Blue Bloods” during its first three seasons, but her condition of celiac disease meant limitations on her availability for work. She then was written out of the series, but she returned as a guest star in a Season 13 episode as well as the one that aired in February. It’s possible that she could return to the show yet again, since her character Jackie Curatola’s former partner Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) let her know her presence was always welcome. She replied, “You know where to find me.” Q: Was Paul Rudd in the last episode of “Friends”? – Tracy Kean, Woonsocket, R.I. A: He was. He had the recurring role of Mike Hannigan, who ultimately married Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow). Rudd has said that he felt “strange” about being part of the beloved NBC sitcom’s 2004 finale, since it was such an emotional occasion for the six main stars, and he was determined not to get in their way during production. Rudd — whose most recent home-screen turn was in Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” — actually had a pretty sizable presence on “Friends,” having been in 16 episodes during its last two seasons. While he did appear in the final episode, appropriately titled “The Last One,” he wasn’t in the closing scene. That was reserved for the six stars (along with the infant twins that Courteney Cox’s Monica and Matthew Perry’s Chandler had adopted) as they exited the New York apartment they had spent so much time in together. Q: I was moved by the recent “NCIS” episode that paid tribute to David McCallum. When did the last episode in which he was an active character air? – Mel Collins, via e-mail A: That would have been last season’s finale, titled “Black Sky.” McCallum always was present in the opening credits, even though he was acting in the CBS show on a recurring basis; in Season 20, he performed in only four of the 22 episodes. The plentiful archival clips culled from earlier stories made sure that he was present in the February episode — co-written by co-star Brian Dietzen, who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer, Ducky’s protege — that bade farewell to his character, Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, who had gone from being the unit’s chief medical examiner to its historian.