I'm Yvette in State College PA
For Tony Shalhoub:
One thing I've noticed about the character of Monk is that it doesn't seem like a character that will typecast you--this due to the fact that it isn't formulaic or gimmicky or one-dimensional. For me, that's also largely due to the actor playing the role--no one unseats Jimmy Cagney for me as the best actor of all time but I have you right after him. Another actor may be stagnating in the role by now. I see you in other movies and shows, and the character of Adrian doesn't bleed over for me, as a viewer. Some actors will go six or seven years in the same character, and then worry over typecasting and try to knee-jerk out of the show. If the dynamics and storylines of the show appear able to sustain it through nine or ten seasons, would you stay with it for that long, and then even into movies after the show ends?
For Ted Levine:
Have you ever lost a fight with a demon-possessed laundry folding machine? Just kidding. When the show began, it appeared the character of Leland Stottlemeyer was going to be the formulaic police captain--hard nosed, barking out orders, and riding the main character's butt. He quickly developed into something entirely different, and has aspect and dimension nearly equal to the character of Adrian Monk--something they don't often do in Television, in my opinion. All that, just to get to this: Do you think the writers are ever going to give the character of Leland a "normal" woman?
For Traylor Howard:
May be a touchy subject, but the Sharona/Natalie war rages on, as troops continue to advance, and another volley of lawn darts comes flying over the castle walls. I love both characters. Can you explain how your character differs in aspect to the character of Sharona, and how these changes may affect the dynamics between Natalie and Monk, personally and professionally?
For Jason Grey-Stanford:
What's up with that haircut? Just kidding--love ya to death. My real question: If you had to draw parallels between your character (as partner, sidekick, or comic relief) to another character in a classic TV detective/crime show, who would that other character be, and why?
For Hector Elizondo:
Can you explain some of the ways in which Dr. Bell's approach to Monk as a patient will differ from the ways Dr. Kroger dealt with him, specifically with regard to Monk's phobias, obsessions, the whole subject of Trudy, and his aversion to meds as a treatment option?
For any of the writers:
This show has all the ear marks of a TV classic with respect to the complexity of the characters, all the intricate backstories lending dimension to each episode (particularly with regard to the character of Monk), and the seemingly endless plot possibilities. I put this show in league with MASH, Barney Miller, and Columbo, with every possibility of going ten years before ideas would be exhausted and sharks would need to be jumped...or at least poked with a stick. I've seen a lot of shows that had velocity and no direction, and even more with direction and no velocity. How do you continue to keep the Monk show fresh, and to what would you attribute your ability to keep coming up with new ideas where neither the characters nor the storylines sit idling?
