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Canwest News Service
HawthoRNe is different from other medical dramas, David Julian Hirsh says. That's because the television series, which has its Canadian debut today on Showcase, is about nurses. The 36-year-old Montreal actor spoke to Melissa Leong while gearing up to begin filming the show's second season in Los Angeles.
Q I heard there are a number of Canadians on the show.
A There are three of us: Vanessa Lengies, Suleka Mathew and myself; it's odd to have three Canadian leads on the show. We were all hoping that our parents, our friends and family in Canada would be able to see it. Finally they can.
Q What sets HawthoRNe apart from other medical shows?
A With Grey's Anatomy and ER, they've touched on it, but they've never focused on the true heart of the hospital, which is nurses. They're the ones who spend most of the time with the patients and have some of the most interesting stories and interactions.
Q How did you prepare for the show?
A The actors asked for someone to come in and give us a boot camp — a one-week medical school. We did a lot of research. We all went to the different hospitals in the Los Angeles area. My sister is a doctor and I talked to her about her experiences with nurses.
Q That's good, because last year, an Alberta hospital published a study that said medical students and residents are learning bad techniques from watching medical dramas, such as incorrectly performed intubations.
A You'd be so shocked to see that when you make the simplest mistake — you cap a needle or something — the message boards will [light] up. People will write in.
Q Tell us something about your character.
A My character has his own issues with his masculinity being a nurse, because everyone automatically assumes that he's a doctor. It's funny because when people say, "What is your son doing now?" my mom says, "He's playing a doctor on television."
Q What is it like working with Jada Pinkett Smith?
A She is intense and wonderful to work with. She has often lived in the shadow of her husband because he happens to be one of the, if not the biggest movie star in the world. Here is her chance to shine. Her mother was a nurse, so you can really see the passion. Will Smith is on set with us all of the time. He's changing lines, or asking us what we want to improve and working on story structure. To be surrounded with that family on this set has been an incredible learning experience.
Q How does doing this show compare with some of the other work that you've done, such as playing a sexual anthropology professor in Naked Josh?
A No. 1, I'm wearing clothes for this show unlike Naked Josh. This is completely different. It's a medical show. It's a serious drama with comedic moments. It feels more like real life. It is very, very intense. It will definitely touch a lot of people for sure. – HawthoRNe premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on Showcase.
