Back for blood
Sasha Alexander had a difficult time letting go of Maura Isles.
It’s been a year since seven-season fun detective series Rizzoli & Isles (2010-2016) hung up its badge and disappeared into the sunset. But it’s something that will live with Sasha Alexander for life – especially with repeats still airing everywhere. We phoned the 44-year-old (medical expert Maura Isles on the series) at her home in Los Angeles to reminisce about the show and find out what she’s working on currently…
Was it difficult to say goodbye Maura and
the show? More difficult than I’d ever imagined. It was emotional to leave a place that you’ve worked at for so long. There’s a tea set that I took from the kitchen that I always loved, that was there from season 1 [Laughs]. From the office, I took a giant print of five women doing an autopsy in the early 1900s. I felt like that was a real female empowerment picture that I now have hanging in my office. Was it the right time to end the show?
It’s hard to say, because I do feel that the show had so many stories that could have been told. But seven years is a long period of time and it was an amazing run. It’s something that we are very proud of. You also started directing on the show… I went to film school at The University Of Southern California and I studied directing. I was always interested in it and I’d spoken to the showrunners from the beginning of the series. It just never happened until the last season – it was challenging but a rewarding experience and I plan on doing it again. Do you miss working with Angie Harmon
(Rizzoli)? You know, I haven’t spoken to Angie in a while. I think we both sort of re- entered our family life and she lives on the other coast. I miss working with her. It was a really long time!
And what are you doing now? I filmed a comedy series called Bernard & Huey in 2016 and I’m working on a drama series called Ride (2017- current) with rapper Ludacris. We play an interracial couple who adopt a boy who was raised as a white supremacist. It’s about us dealing with this young man and teaching him how to look at the world.