LA’s Finest
Season 1 e.tv (*194) 22:00 Action
Action series LA’s Finest isn’t just about Los Angeles detectives doing what they do best – there’s a family theme to the action show. Detective Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba) is married to LA Assistant District Attorney Patrick (Ryan McPartlin) and they’re struggling a little on the show. “It’s great for me to have this role because most of my previous work has been shirtless, showing off my abs and ripped body,” says Ryan, who played Captain Awesome in action comedy show Chuck. “I’m getting to do actual acting and it’s fun because I’m being used for my talents, not just my abs.”
The 46-year-old has a lot of input with his scripts and lines – he’s got a degree in speech communication from the University Of Illinois in the US. “I may not look very wordy, but I love communication and writing,” he says. He took a six-month holiday after graduating to meditate in Australia’s Outback and figure out what he wanted to do with life. “It’s a wonderful place to find yourself… if you can ignore the spiders,” adds Ryan, who is a self-confessed arachnophobe.
Ryan is a fitness fanatic – he’s a qualified personal trainer and he helps his co-stars with exercise plans. He also scuba dives, plays basketball and baseball, and does yoga to stay fit. Although he played varsity football, he refuses to do stunts. “I’d been doing a few fake football tackles for a scene of Chuck, nothing wild. The next day I needed to go to my chiropractor because I hurt,” he admits. He’s married to actress Danielle Kirlin (she’s had minor roles in two horror movies). They met at varsity and have two sons – Wyatt (14) and Dylan (11).