Shemar Moore says his new TV alter-ego, “S.W.A.T.” protagonist Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, is “Derek Morgan on steroids” — alluding to the FBI agent he played on “Criminal Minds” for 11 seasons.
“I gained 10 to 12 pounds for this role … I changed my diet and hired a friend who cooked for me,” says Moore. “I ate five meals a day. Of course I want to look good for vanity reasons, but I need the physicality and the presence [for the role] — when I met the men of the LA and San Diego S.W.A.T. teams, strength was a big part of what they do.”
“S.W.A.T.” is the third iteration of the franchise, which aired as an ABC series starring Robert Urich (1975-76) and returned as a 2003 movie with stars Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell. “The only thing similar to [the series] is the main theme song and the only thing similar to the movie is the name,” says Moore.
On Thursday night’s series premiere on CBS, ex-Marine Hondo is put in charge of his LA-based S.W.A.T. unit when the team’s leader, chasing a suspect, accidentally shoots (and kills) an innocent, unarmed African-American man in Hondo’s old neighborhood. “We’re not going to hit you over the head with politics,” Moore says of the episode, which echoes recent in-the-headlines police shootings nationwide. “I don’t want to be part of a show that’s preachy and talks about the woes of life. I want to talk about real issues. What people need to do is come together and have fun … and then we’ll sprinkle in messages about Black Lives Matter, drug cartels, human trafficking, cyber-bullying of young kids. There will be a different message in each episode to bridge the gap of understanding between civilians and men in blue … to give them both a voice and validation. We’re all human. We all bleed red.
“‘Criminal Minds’ is a wonderful show and people love it, but it tends to feed a little off of fantasy land, weird cases that might happen, but happen infrequently,” he says of his old show. “What you’re going to see on ‘S.W.A.T.’ are things that happen every day.”
Moore’s co-stars on “S.W.A.T.” include Stephanie Sigman as LAPD Capt. Jessica Cortez; Alex Russell as Jim Street, the S.W.A.T. unit’s cocky new member; Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, who’s loyal but resents Hondo for getting the team’s top spot; and Peter Onorati as Mumford, who leads a rival S.W.A.T. team. Shawn Ryan, an executive producer, created FX’s long-running cop drama “The Shield.”
Moore says he’s proud of the show’s diverse cast, but doesn’t spare CBS vis-a-vis the diversity issue. “I don’t think I’m saying something I shouldn’t say, but CBS has not accepted diversity enough,” he says. “I take a lot of pride in [currently] being one of the only African-American male leads in a one-hour network drama. There’s diversity in that. I have this dream job, but it also sheds light on a void … that seems to be taking baby steps.
“Is [‘S.W.A.T.’] going to fix the woes of the world and the country? No. That’s a big ask,” he says. “But if we can create a debate and humanize police officers and civilians … it all sounds heavy and serious … we’ll do it in an entertaining way.”
Note: The series premiere of “S.W.A.T.” will be pre-empted on WCBS/Ch. 2 in New York by Jets football — and will air at 10 p.m. on WLNY. Check local listings.
“S.W.A.T.” Series premiere 10 p.m. Thursday on CBS