The Irrational Director Discusses Working Jesse L. Martin

Summary

• Jesse Warn discusses working with Jesse L. Martin on NBC’s new drama series The Irrational and praises Martin’s talent and professionalism.
• Warn reveals behind-the-scenes details about filming challenging scenes, including a shootout on slippery docks, and highlights Martin’s ability to adapt to different situations.
• Warn emphasizes Martin’s impact on the show, stating that he brings a lot to every scene and showcases a duality in his performance that adds depth to his character.

During a recent interview with Screen Rant, The Irrational director, Jesse Warn, discussed working with Jesse L. Martin on NBC’s new drama series.

The Irrational was created by Arika Lisanne Mittman with Warn serving as a director and co-executive producer.

A synopsis for the crime show states, “The Irrational follows world-renowned professor of behavioral science Alec Mercer (played by Jesse L. Martin) as he lends his unique expertise on an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations. His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him and the team on a series of intense, unexpected journey to solve illogical puzzles and perplexing mysteries. The show is based on best-selling author Dan Ariely’s book, Predictably Irrational.”

When asked about working with Law & Order actor on the crime drama after the pair collaborated on The Flash, Warn said, “It was such a great coming together of the worlds there with Jesse Martin having been involved in The Flash, and me being involved in The Flash and coming together on this.”

He added, “I did get a chance to chat with Jesse prior to the show kicking off. We’ve obviously worked together before and got along great. I just respect him, not only as an actor but as a person. It was just a real treat for me to be able to work with him again.”

The director went on to discuss the Rent actor’s ability to adapt to various situations, and offered some behind-the-scenes detail about the shootout scene that occurs in the series second episode.

RELATED: Exclusive The Irrational Clip Teases NBC Crime Drama Starring Jesse L. Martin

Jesse Warner Praised Jesse L. Martin for Being “A Total Pro”

NBC

Warn said, “It was very cold and it was raining. Obviously, it was quite logistically challenging. We were down on those docks, and they were slippery and very narrow. There was a lot of logistics to contend with. Jesse Martin is a total pro in those types of situations, but, obviously, we want to protect him and create the best environment possible for him to work in. Some of the things we considered were shot that we would normally maybe do from a crane, we instead did from a drone, because the docks have weight issues and they’re also very narrow. We used a lot of steadicam and handheld, and then, of course, when Jesse jumps into the water, we used a double.”

Later, while chatting about actress Molly Kunz “fantastic” performance in the second episode of the series, Warn similarly praised Martin, who, he noted “always brings so much into every scene.”

Warn continued, “When he’s [Martin’s] in front of the camera, or when he’s behind the camera working with the actor that is in front of the camera, he always brings a lot. Molly couldn’t have had a better scene partner. Jesse is so giving and just helps to bring a lot out of the scene and bring a lot out of his scene partners. Truthfully, that particular instance is a great example of having a couple of great actors. You’re firing on all cylinders.”

The director wrapped things up by discussing the “duality” that Martin brings to his character. Warn said, “The truth is, I think that’s one of the things that Jesse enjoys about the part so much. He can have this, for example, his brother-sister dynamic between him and Kylie, which is fun and a lot more causal and real. Then he gets to put on this different persona. He’s walking into a situation where he’s pretending to be someone he’s not and has an entirely different persona.”

He added, “That’s something that we didn’t need to discuss specifically. It’s something that we clearly identify in the script as we go along and talk about. But, I have to say, I think that that’s one of the things Jesse Martin really honed right from the outset in the pilot—understanding that there will be that duality in his performance. My job is just to make sure those moments really pop. We get to talk together about them, but Jesse’s a pro. He’s very good at this.”

The Irrational airs Monday nights at 10pm ET on NBC and is also available to stream the following day on Peacock.

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