Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin on Their Mother-Son Dynamic in CBS’ ‘So Help Me Todd’ (Exclusive)

CBS’s upcoming drama So Help Me Todd stars Marcia Gay Harden and Skyler Astin as a ruthless lawyer and mother who recruits her smart but aimless son, Todd, as an in-house investigator for her firm. In August, ET visited the Vancouver set to see Harden and Astin provide a sneak peek of their Thursday debut. Astin told ET’s Lauren Zima in August, while filming the third episode of So Help Me Todd, “Dynamic duo, that’s us.”

“Marcia is a joy to work with, and we get along great. In scenes, I enjoy a good tussle with Marcia. The background she was raised in was so enlightened. She shares my love of acting, so our interactions often feel like something out of a play. We’ve done this thing, or “cross-shoot,” where they film you and me at the same moment, so that everything fits together perfectly and we feel like we’re really there and experiencing what happened. The atmosphere is spot-on.”

Harden admitted that some of her real-life experiences as a mother had crept into her on-screen persona, particularly in terms of lines of conversation. The mother of three, however, admitted that she does not parent like her on-screen persona. “That’s because I’m an unconventional mother. Margaret seems just a tad more… how do I put this… imperious? She’s more traditional than most people, “added the 63-year-old Oscar victor.

Astin says that “the snappy writing” was the first thing that drew him to the show, and that he really enjoyed working with Harden. “Fantastic script by [Creator] Scott Prendergast. As early as page one, I was hooked “designation of the performer who is being attributed. “I enjoy portraying Todd because he is such a flawed, outcast, and rebellious wild card. I adore his whole crew.

Setting the programme in Portland has been such a treat because of the city’s natural beauty and the sense of discovery it inspires. Although technically a drama, I find myself treating this piece more like a dramedy. It’s more comedic than dramatic, if that helps.” Although Astin was in the musical drama Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, viewers shouldn’t anticipate him breaking into song anytime soon.

“I am thrilled to show people that I can do it, and it is a superpower and I love it and and when in Rome I do — and I mean singing — but I truly do love playing this dark twisted comedy,” he remarked, adding that he still sings between “action” and “cut” on set. “The team was hearing exactly what I was saying. What I mean is, “Are we going to get to see you sing a lot, Todd?” You won’t see me in the breaks between tapes, but I’ll be signing nonstop.

For me, that’s the way to go about things.” arden has enjoyed his time in this world, and the voyage on So Help Me Todd has only just begun. “If you’re an actor, you know that your career is like a roller coaster: when you’re at the bottom, you never expect to see the light again. But at my age, when it goes up, it’s just a lovely moment. I know you value it so much “She thought about things.

Since I’m familiar with the flow of waves, I’m keeping this experience in mind, and I plan to savour the surf for the time being. Harden has accumulated half the points necessary to enter the EGOT club. (She won an Academy Award for Pollock and a Tony for God of Carnage.) When asked how it would make her feel to take one small step toward that extraordinary achievement, she said, “It would make me feel fantastic. That’s an amazing possibility.”

Harden was nominated for an Emmy this year as a Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on The Morning Show, but she ultimately didn’t win. To which I respond, “I do have a bookshelf with the Oscar and the Tony and I guess I would put it right next to it,” she predicted. Astin had the “perfect pitch,” if you will, for convincing people to see So Help Me Todd.

Ready to check out my investigation skills? ❤️ this tweet to receive episode reminders from @SoHelpMeCBS throughout the season! #SoHelpMeTodd premieres Thursday, September 29th at 9/8c on CBS and Paramount Plus! pic.twitter.com/lUmk9FXbew

— Skylar Astin (@SkylarAstin) September 23, 2022

“So Help Me Todd is worth watching because it features hilarious situations, exciting plot twists, and fascinating investigations. The abundance of relatives, and the inevitable family conflict, is another certainty “A joke was made by him. However, “there’s also a lot of humour and even a touch of heart because, ultimately, even when individuals are at odds, they cannot help but care about each other.”