She who dishes out ‘Necessary Roughness’
IGOT to chat with actress Callie Thorne who plays therapist extraordinaire, Dr. Danielle Santino, on the show Necessary Roughness. As Dr. Santino, she has earned herself a 2012 Golden Globe nomination for “Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series.”
Dr. Dani is based on a real woman (Dr. Donna Dannenfelser) who is in the writer’s room with the show’s creative team. Callie, herself, actually sees a therapist in real life. And she says, “I love it!” adding, “If you’re open to it and you can find the right therapist it can be a beautiful thing. It has helped me through some really troubled times in my life.”
Fan Girl: has been renewed for a second season but it’s only begun to air in Asia. Without giving away anything, what is it viewers enjoy about the show?
Callie Thorne: Even if I play this woman who is newly divorced, she’s a new single parent and her career is kicking into high gear. There are so many different aspects because of the sports, the romance, and because of the kids and the athletes. There are so many different kinds of stories to follow. It also spans different age groups, which I think is very unique for us: That we can appeal to different ages as well as to men and women.
FG: How do you get along with the boys in the cast?
CT: I love the boys in my cast! I have to say that Scott Cohen and Marc Blucas ( Buffy) and Mehcad Brooks ( True Blood) are three of the funniest men that I have ever met, and I have met some really funny men. They keep me laughing; they keep the guys in the crew laughing. All three of them are very charming, and I feel very blessed to be able to work with them. It doesn’t hurt that they’re incredibly handsome.
FG: Dr. Dani has to get some very stubborn people to listen to her— are there women in your life that you draw on to portray that strength and ability to get people to listen?
CT: I drew from not just from Dr. Donna, but from my own therapist. I did draw a lot of things from my mother because it’s so hard to get through to people sometimes, especially when they’re set in their ways and they’re struggling.
Dr. Dani will go to the athlete or celebrity’s arena, she’ll go to the football field, or she’ll go the racetrack or she’ll go to the TV studio. That already sets the environment to be a little less tense for the person that’s searching for help, they can relax a bit.
When I’ve gone to my mother for help— she’s a very gifted astrologer—and the way that she will speak to me has never made me feel patronized. She has never made me feel silly; there is a tone to her voice that always leaves me open.
Although you always want to be objective as a therapist, you also want to be a safe haven—someone they can feel comfortable telling all their troubles to honestly so you can figure things out together.
Necessary Roughness airs Wednesdays 10:55 p.m. AXN Beyond.