(L to R) Jensen Ackles and Eric Dane star in ‘Countdown’.
Premiering on Prime Video beginning June 25th is the new crime drama ‘Countdown’, which was created by Derek Haas (‘Chicago P.D.’), and stars Jensen Ackles (‘The Boys’) and Eric Dane (‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jensen Ackles and Eric Dane about their work on ‘Countdown’, Ackles first reaction to the screenplay and why he was excited to be part of this series, Dane’s character and working with the cast, and Ackles experience collaborating with Derek Haas on set.
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Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) in ‘Countdown’. Photo: Elizabeth Morris © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Moviefone: To begin with, Jensen, when you first read the screenplay, what excited you most about being part of this project?
Jensen Ackles: Unlike some other shows that I’m a part of, I read ‘Countdown’ with a true eagerness to know what was happening and an excitement. A youthful zeal, as my friend Eric Dane would say. It’s a thrill ride. It’s a ride that I would want to be on as an audience. I got the fortunate call to be on it personally, and there’s nothing in there that I was like, “I don’t want to that.” There were very little discussions with Derek about like, “Hey, can we change the this?” If anything, it was on the day. There was no ick factor. There was no like, “I don’t think I would do this.” Everything that he wrote was a template, and it was either done with precision or we played with it until we got what we wanted and what we needed, and it was a delight.
(L to R) Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho), Luke Finau (Uli Latukefu), Evan Shepherd (Violett Beane), Nathan Blythe (Eric Dane), Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight), Damon Drew (Jonathan Togo), and Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) in ‘Countdown’. Photo: Elizabeth Morris © Amazon Content Services LLC.
MF: Eric, your character is the boss of this unit, did that extend off set as well?
Eric Dane: So, everybody’s somewhat of a self-contained unit, but we’ve all coalesced nicely. There is no leader. There is just a group of people that have come together to endeavor to make the best show they can, and we had a great time.
(L to R) Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) and Nathan Blythe (Eric Dane) in ‘Countdown’. Photo: Elizabeth Morris © Amazon Content Services LLC.
MF: Finally, Jensen, what was it like collaborating with series creator Derek Haas on this project?
Jensen Ackles: I hate to call him a boss because I view him as a friend, but he is a wonderful tone setter. He literally just gave a group of crazy actors a playground to absolutely play, and he wrote such great in-depth characters, and a twisty storyline. It lent itself to the camaraderie that we all found ourselves in, and I can’t thank him enough. I can’t speak highly enough of that guy. He’s a wonderful person to work with. I hope I get to work with him for many years.
Editorial Note: James White conducted this interview and contributed to this article.
“Every second counts.”
When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum is recruited to a secret task force, alongside… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Countdown’?
After a Department of Homeland Security officer is killed in plain sight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) is brought onto a covert task force with undercover agents from various law enforcement agencies to track down the murderer. However, the search reveals a much darker conspiracy than anyone expected, sparking a frantic race to protect a city of millions.
Who is in the cast of ‘Countdown’?
(L to R) Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) and Nathan Blythe (Eric Dane) in ‘Countdown’. Photo: Elizabeth Morris © Amazon Content Services LLC.
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