‘Code’ star talks Marine portrayal
Luke Mitchell is an actor whose versatility sparks a different impression for each type of viewer. His fellow Aussies may recognize him from playing heartthrobs on the teen series “H20: Just Add Water” and the long-running “Home and Away” soap. Others may have caught him in regular roles on sci-fi or superhero series like “The Tomorrow People” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” and as a murderous villain in NBC’s “Blindspot.” But Mitchell’s most prominent role to date is the lead in CBS’ new procedural, “The Code,” as Captain John “Abe” Abraham. The drama, which premiered April 9 and is now airing on Mondays, follows six lawyers in the Marine Corps in and out of the courtroom. Mitchell sat down with Variety to talk. The following is an edited transcript.
Q: What for you is at the core of “The Code”?
A: The human stories are the heart and soul of the show. And it’s not all sunshine and roses — there’s been a lot of sadness, either currently in these characters’ lives or going to be coming up in these characters lives. We’re really going to take a deep dive into each of these characters and see how complicated they are, and how flawed these characters are, despite being virtually superhuman, because these guys are the best of the best at what Luke Mitchell
they do. (Abe) is a thirdgeneration Marine. He is charming, he’s got this bravado and he enjoys the banter, he enjoys pushing the buttons of his coworkers, and he knows his stuff so he can bend the rules a little bit. But he’s a complex guy, and he’s been through a lot. So I hope people enjoy the journey that he goes on.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge working on the show?
A: I’m Australian playing an American, and Marine at that, so I really need to make sure that I bring my A-game in terms of my accent. It’s one thing learning the line, but it’s another thing rattling it off, like you know what you’re talking about. Just feeling the pressure to do justice to these characters, because it’s such an honor to be able to portray a character who is a Marine. And we have advisers on set for inside the courtroom and outside the courtroom.
Q: What has been the most rewarding?
A: I pinch myself at the quality of the actors that I work with and obviously the main casts are all phenomenal, but getting to work with Dana Delany is an achievement in itself. She’s such an incredible actress, but she’s a phenomenal person too, and getting to work with her day in and day out and learn things from her.