‘Will Trent’ Star Ramón Rodríguez Loves His ‘Left of Center and Weird’ Character

For the past three seasons, Ramón Rodríguez has played the highly intelligent and observant yet socially awkward and often misunderstood detective in ABC’s cop drama “Will Trent,” which is adapted from Karin Slaughter’s bestselling books. His character’s off-book approach to crime-solving, positive life outlook and compelling backstory — namely his severe dyslexia and traumatic foster-care upbringing — have made him one of television’s most fascinating detectives. It’s why Rodriguez, who is an executive producer, has deep affection for the character. Oh, and Will’s beloved sidekick, a Chihuahua named Betty, is quite the scene-stealer, too. 

“I have a soft spot for Will,” Rodríguez said. “My love for him has only grown, and that’s due to the writing — the things we’re willing to explore.” Family, and his character’s constant search for what that means, is a motivating factor behind Will’s persistent drive. “On every level, we’re all trying to find new territories where we feel excited about the material and we feel inspired.” 

It is rare nowadays for any television show, let alone a network procedural, to steadily build on its audience season by season. Yet “Will Trent” has proved to be a unicorn in a declining ratings market.

“He’s a very resilient spirit and he’s someone who’s been through a lot, and maybe there’s some connectivity there of someone who continues moving forward in life despite a lot of the things he’s had to overcome,” Rodríguez said. “And seeing someone willing to try and fail and be awkward. He’s a little left of center and weird. Maybe that’s refreshing, because he says what’s on his mind.” 

His underdog mentality also makes him “easy to root for,” the actor believes. “He’s so set in his own ways — the suit, the appearance — but then you see him with Betty and you just go, ‘Aw, he’s a mush.’ He’s such a loyal character. He’s got a very clear code about him. As complex as he is, he’s also easy to understand. We’ve established some great groundwork as to who he is. Even when he has to make a tough decision” — as when he is forced to arrest Angie (Erika Christensen), Will’s childhood friend and sometime love interest, in Season 2 — “you might not agree with it, but he’s sticking to the person he presents himself to be.” 

Unexpected plot moves have also kept the cast (and audiences) on their toes. One of them came in Season 3’s 16th episode, “Push, Jump, Fall,” in which Will drinks “sacred water” while undercover at a cult compound and hallucinates an outlandish three-and-a-half-minute dance sequence to Donna Summers’ disco hit “Last Dance.” It was so out of left field that the episode became a favorite among viewers.

“Everyone was buzzing when they read [the script],” recalled Rodríguez, whose past dance experience helped him nail down the moves in one “stressful” 90-minute Zoom rehearsal. “To me, it really speaks to the ability of the writers to be courageous enough to try something bold and the commitment of the actors to leap and go, ‘OK, we trust that maybe this will work. Or this is the moment the show jumps the shark,’” Rodriguez said. “Luckily, I think it all worked.” 

Rodríguez hopes “Will Trent’s” steady rise is evidence that network dramas are capable of producing absorbing stories. “On broadcast television, when you get put under this [label] of procedurals, there seems to always be a stigma with that,” he said. “I hope that we continue pushing the envelope, to creatively elevate and try to do the best we can to make something compelling and interesting.” 

This story first ran in the Drama issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine, coming soon.

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