Sullivan’s Crossing deserves credit for giving Us the long-awaited Scott Patterson and Chad Michael Murray onscreen collaboration.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Patterson, 65, recalled working on two projects with Murray, 42, before they finally appeared together on screen.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever worked with him. I didn’t work in any scenes with him on [Gilmore Girls], which kind of catapulted both of us [to stardom]. And then there was the indie film [Other People’s Children], but we didn’t have any scenes together,” he explained. “It’s the first time we had scenes together and I truly enjoyed working with Chad.”
Patterson praised Murray for being a “real pro,” adding, “He understands the medium, he understands what to do in front of a camera and really what not to do in front of a camera. And that’s most of the battle. So it’s always a joy to work with him.”
After filming season 1 of Sullivan’s Crossing, Patterson is hoping for more onscreen moments between him and Murray.
“I hope our characters intersect more in the coming episodes — in the coming seasons as well. It looks like this might run a little bit, so that’s always a good feeling too,” he continued. “Give me more Chad. I think I can join the chorus of people out there that are his fans and agree with them. Give me more Chad.”
Sullivan’s Crossing, which is based on a book series by Robyn Carr, follows neurosurgeon Maggie (Morgan Kohan) who must return to her hometown in rural Nova Scotia. She ends up reconnecting with her estranged father Sully (Patterson) while forming a bond with his coworker Cal (Murray).
“[Cal] has been around Sullivan’s Crossing for a while. He’s on his own journey. He’s seeking his own peace and his own solace and his own healing,” Patterson noted. “He is a bit of a mystery, but Sully instinctively knows that he’s a good person and he trusts him. So Cal helps out around the campground when he can and he’s just sort of there.”
Patterson spent more time filming with Kohan, 29, — who plays his daughter on the show.
“I think we both bring real-life experience into the arena when it comes to this type of [estranged father-daughter] relationship. Not that it’s dead on, but I think that’s the thing that made this easy. [We] sort of seamlessly fit the two pieces together — Morgan and myself — to see if a scene is going to click,” he explained. “You just never know if there’s chemistry. So it clicked immediately because I think we both have some pretty life experience that informs these types of roles.”
He continued: “To us, it means everything. It means that we can actually do the roles, whereas some people could read this and think they could do these roles, but then they realize after maybe a casting process that they’re really not right for these roles. I think that we’re both really right for these roles.”
The series, which aired on Canada’s CTV earlier this year, continues to find success on The CW. For Patterson, it has been a pleasure getting to see his fans show support for a new project.
“It’s always exciting to go to a new place with a new project [and] with new expectations. Everybody’s lovely. The work is deep and the collaboration is real. You’ve got a built-in audience with [Gilmore Girls] and now we’ve got Robyn Carr’s book audience,” he told Us. “So it’s kind of exciting to come into something that’s kind of established — has already an established fan base — and I can bring mine in. They can join forces and watch the show together and compare notes.”
Patterson also praised Sullivan’s Crossing for leaving room for collaboration.
“I have a lot more freedom to create the role. I have a lot more input with what [Sully] says and what he does. I just love that about the show. I love that about the producers and the network and all the support they give. And [executive producer] Roma Roth is a very, very special showrunner,” he gushed. “She really, really trusts her actors and she really listens. She just wants the best for the episode. She wants the best for the scene [and] she wants the best for the show. To me, that is the sign of a true leader. So we follow her lead, but she’s open to suggestions, which makes this so much stronger.”
The highlight for Patterson has been how “respected” the cast got to feel on set.
“Everybody has a platform to voice their concerns or their opinions and state their ideas and they’re taken seriously,” he added. “It makes everybody feel like they’ve got skin in the game and that they’re helping to create this as we go along in a little way. Roma’s still the boss and she’s doing all of the heavy lifting. But she wants to hear our thoughts and that’s rare. That’s very, very special. I think that’s why this show feels so natural, so alive and [why] it’s been so successful so far. I hope that continues.”
Sullivan’s Crossing airs on The CW Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
