By Frederic Germay

 Tony Shaloub plays the role of Adrian Monk and Bitty Schram returns this week in the role of Sharona on USA Network’s original series, Monk, now in its final season on USA Network.  The two recently took time to talk to MediaBlvd about Bitty’s return to the series, and the final episodes of the popular show’s final season.

Question> To prepare for your role as Adrian Monk on the USA series, Monk, it’s reported that you did a substantial amount of research with a Los Angeles psychotherapist specializing in obsessive-compulsive disorder.  What was that experience like?  Did you have to study someone with OCD?

Tony>  Well, the psychologist that I spoke with and had sessions with just gave me a lot of information and a lot of reading material.  And that combined with some videos that I was able to find, videos of people who suffer from OCD, I was able to kind of build the character off of that information.  It was really kind of standard research that you would do for prepping for any role, really.

Question> What can you tell us about the upcoming series finale?

Tony>  Well, I can’t tell you too much other than the writers have – they’re going to solve the Trudy mystery and have … resolution there.  But I’m really not at liberty to give away too much of that information.  And after eight years on Monk, it’s had a devastating effect on my memory, so even if wanted to, I probably couldn’t tell you because I really don’t remember how it goes.

Question> Tony what was it like for you and Bitty to work together again?

Tony>  Well, that was fantastic.  It was great.  It felt like we just picked up right where we left off and we didn’t miss a beat.  And the only difficulty for me was that I look a lot older and Bitty looks exactly the same.

Bitty>  Well I’m not sure about … You’re being too kind.

Question> Was the chemistry that Adrian and Sharona always had easy to revive, Bitty?

Bitty>  Oh, yes, absolutely.  It was honestly like I never left.  I swear, it’s exactly what he said.  It’s a bizarre phenomenon, but it’s true.  I mean I heard, I don’t know why that Seinfeld thing on Curb Your Enthusiasm came out and I heard stuff like a remark that Jason Alexander said.  Like they never, like riding a bike, and it’s true.  It’s like you never leave

Tony>  Bitty and I both looked at each other while we were doing the first scene, which is the scene – the first day was the scene where she returns.  And we just looked at each other and laughed because it just felt like no time at all had passed.

Bitty>  It’s very true.  I mean honestly it felt like I never left.  Even with the crew, with everyone.  It was bizarre, but in a good way.  You know, I mean it’s good.  It never leaves you, never.

Question> There are some pictures of a wedding taking place, Tony, can you give us any information on that?

Tony>  No.  Okay, yes.  I’ll give you some information.  A wedding takes place on the show.  A man and a woman become wed.  That’s about all I can tell you.

Question> What  lessons did you come away with about people dealing with mental health issues?

Tony>  Well, I mean I think the biggest thing is that sometimes this is true I think for people who suffer from OCD but also just for everyone I think in our culture.  Sometimes our neuroses or out idiosyncrasies or what we view as our shortcomings or our problems can actually be used as our strengths.  And if you can figure out a way to turn your liabilities into assets, with Adrian Monk of course it was his obsessive attention to detail that drove him and others crazy, but also allowed him to be really good at his job.  So that’s what I came away with.

Question> Is it difficult putting away the character that you’ve played now for so long?

Tony>  Do you want me to go first?  I really just finished shooting yesterday, so I don’t really feel that it’s left me yet.  I don’t know how long that is going to take, so I think I’d have to answer that question in a few weeks.

Bitty>  As for me, I think it’s similar to the question I answered before.  It never leaves, even though I came back for a brief moment.  It was as if I never left and it’s honestly it’s not – what was the question again?  I’m so sorry, what was . . .  I knew the question but I kind of, I forgot it as I was answering it.

Question> Was it difficult to put the character away?

Bitty>  To put it away, is that what you said?  I get it.  And does it come back.  No, because it kind of like it just comes back.  I can’t explain it, but it just does.  No, it wasn’t and it wasn’t hard .

Tony>  I think it has a lot to do with the writing, the way these writers work, the language, the rhythm, the music of the dialog.  It sort of, kind of infects you and lives inside of you and it’s just, it really does become a part of you. 

Question> Would  either of you want to revisit these characters again?

Bitty>  You know, I think I capped out on it.  You know what I’m saying?  Like if I had a reason, I would be more than happy, you know, but I think I’ve explored all I could explore with that character.  You know what I’m saying?  But I would, if I had to go back to it, I love the character and I love the chemistry and I absolutely love working with Tony because he knows how much I respect his work and I would have no problem going back to it if I have to.  But I think I’ve explored what I had to explore with it.

Tony>  I don’t know. I never say never, really.  I don’t know how likely it is that we’ll have the chance to go back to these characters.  I honestly can’t say as it’s really not up to me.  But I never say never.

Question> Bitty, did you give much thought to how the character of Sharona would react to the character of Natalie as you were going in?

Bitty>  Well, no.  I didn’t really know what the script, what they had planned until I got the script.  I got it like a week before, then I thought about it once I got the script because I didn’t really know what they wrote for me to come back and stuff like that and what they had the relationship thing.  You know what I’m saying?  But once I read the script and then I can make choices on how to play that and how to play my relationship with Natalie.  But I didn’t know until I had more information.

Question> Did you watch the show much after you left?

Bitty>  No, I honestly I didn’t but you know, that had nothing to do with me leaving because when I was on it, I didn’t really watch it because it’s hard for me to watch.  Like it’s just hard for me to watch anything.  I honestly have never really even watched some other things I’ve done.  I don’t like doing that to be honest.  It’s just my neuroses. 

Question> Tony, when you look at Monk now, what feelings do you have for the character as compared to day one?

Tony>  Day one, yes.  Well day one I was, I had no idea what I was doing and I didn’t really have an understanding of where the writers and where I was going to take this character, how it was going to evolve.  But now, of course, having done 124 episodes, I was really, really gratified to see that we made this character really multifaceted and full of contradictions and I think pretty well rounded.  So, and as an actor, that’s something that you really always look for.

Question> Is it easier or more difficult going into a season knowing it’s the last?

Tony>  It’s both.  It sort of alternates back and forth.  On the one hand, it’s easier because you’re just, you understand that there’s going to be resolution and there’s going to be a finish line, an end point.  And then on the other hand, it just becomes such a family, you know, and you know you’re going to miss these people, these relationships and this sort of collective creative energy. 

Question> Are you satisfied with the way the series is ending and what’s next for both of you?

 Bitty>  I don’t know how the series is ending with the last two, but from my experience, because I don’t know the story lines.  But for me being back on the show, I was really happy to do it and I thought it ended really, really well.  I couldn’t, I just thought it ended the way it should have and I was very, very pleased with it and very pleased to be working with everyone again on that show, I really was. 

Tony>  Do you want to talk about what you’re going to do next?

Bitty>  Oh, thank you Tony.  Next, well I wrote something,  I don’t know how to say it.  I wrote a pilot myself, and we’re in the middle of getting that off the ground.  So it’s like a series type thing.

Tony>  Well, as far as the finale of the series, I’m very, very happy with how it’s come out and in fact the last, not just the last two episodes, but the last five or six where there’s a lot of things revealed.  I just think it’s some of the strongest stuff we’ve done in all this time.  So yes, the answer is I’m very, very, very happy.  It was incredibly satisfying for me and I know I’m guessing that it will be for the viewers.  And as far as my, what’s down the road for me, I guess I’ll be stalking Bitty until she gives me a part in her pilot I guess.

Question> What has been your favorite episode so far and why?

Bitty>  Oh God, that’s always a tough one.  I never know how to answer that.  I liked a lot of them, I like the one with John Turturro.  I always liked that one, with Tony and his brother. 

Tony>  Three pies.

Bitty>  I love that one.  The three pies, yes.  Because I love the dynamic with Tony and John Turturro in that.  I love the brother, so that’s my favorite because of that.

Tony>  Yes, that’s one of my favorites, too, I’d have to say.  Although I have to – all told, though, I think down the road if you were to ask me this question in a month or two, I’d have to say the last.  The finale is going to become my favorite because it’s been such an enormous – as I said, it’s a two-parter and it’s a big, big story and so much is really up there.  I think that’s going to be a good one.

Question> Aside from Bitty, who was your favorite eighth season guest star?

Tony>  Aside from Bitty, I can’t think of anybody who even comes close.  We had Daniel Stern in the UFO episode, and he was terrific to work with.  I had never worked with him before, and he was delightful and really, really helped to ground an episode that could have gone a little too goofy.  So he was really important to that show.

Bitty>  He’s a good actor.

Question> When you both saw the script and idea for the show for the first time, did you ever think that eight seasons later this is where it would be and this is how huge it would be?

Tony>  No.  The answer for me is you just never know in TV these days.  Sometimes you can do something that you feel is really good and worthwhile and it just for some reason it doesn’t translate or it’s the wrong, it’s ahead of its time or behind its time or whatever and the television landscape is very, very tricky and unstable.  So you, when you try to be a realist about it, you just, you have to remain just cautiously optimistic at best. 

Question> I would never have thought this.  I just thought it was going to be a TV – remember, Tony, a TV movie.  It was supposed to just be that.

Tony>  Exactly.  There was talk of, because it was a two-hour pilot there was some talk of it just being a one-off or there was some talk that maybe they would do one of these kinds of TV movies a year or we just, we didn’t really know if it was going to turn into a series.

Bitty>  Yes, we really had no idea.

Question> Obviously to ask you what your overall favorite experience working on the show would be a particularly difficult question.  But here’s a slightly easier and more general question.  What was one of your favorite experiences working on Monk?  And this goes to both of you.

Tony>  I would have to say last season we had Gena Rowlands on as a guest star, and that was an enormous honor for me to be able to not just work with her but get to know her over the course of that episode.  And because when I was a student studying theatre and acting and she was an idol of mine and has remained.  So that was, I felt after I did that episode that I could just basically retire.

Tony>  Yes.  And she was also nominated for an Emmy for our show.  So that was one of the highlights for me.  There were many, though there are many highlights, but that was huge for me.

Bitty>  And I guess for me if I was doing that episode that I would have the same answer as Tony with the Gena Rowlands.  I wasn’t there, but one of the highlights for me was working with Willie Nelson.

Tony>  Oh, yes, I forgot about that.

Bitty>  Willie Nelson, because he’s such a legend.  He’s just such a legend and that was a highlight for me. 

Tony>  Also very gracious, incredibly gracious.

Bitty>  Oh, yes, he’s a true artist.  Willie Nelson was just great.  Yes, he was gracious and for me, that would be it, too.

Question> And my follow-up question is for Tony.  Has any of Monk’s OCD triggered you to have slight OCD tendencies?  Do you have to actively make any effort to be filthier than normal, not to take on Monk habits subconsciously?

Tony>  I don’t think I’ve taken on many more than I already have to begin with.  I just, just that my eyes were opened to more of the things that I – I became more aware of the things that I already had.

Question> Bitty, could give us some idea of the concept for your pilot, like the underpinning idea for the series?

Bitty>  Oh, you mean the thing I wrote? Let me think.  Well, it’s very simply put, it’s a very controversial concept.  How can I explain this?  It’s like, this is, I don’t how to just explain it without giving it away.  And I don’t think I really should give it away right now.  It’s very media orientated.  It’s kind of – do you remember the film Network? It’s very like the, it’s a modern day Network, if that makes any sense to you.

Tony>  Have I mentioned that I’m available?

Bitty>  Oh, Tony, it would be up your alley I think.  I really do think so.

Tony>  Just throwing that out there.

Bitty>  It’s actually very, it’s a very manly piece.  You wouldn’t think a female wrote  it. It’s a lot of men in their 50’s but there’s women, too.  It’s a huge ensemble, but it’s very manly orientated, very much so. It’s a dark satire. Itt’s very HBO.  It could not go on major network – well, I shouldn’t say that, but it’s a very, it’s a very HBO feel.  Let’s put it that way.  But it’s a dark satire.

Question> Tony, what will you miss most about Monk?

Tony>  I miss the people.  It’s always about the people -- the crew and the production team and the directors and of course the cast.  It’s just, we’ve just all gotten very close and love spending time together.  And that’s kind of what gets you out of bed really early in the morning and putting up with these long, long days.  You just do it because of the people and for the people and it’s been a great way to keep all these people working.  But I just have one – I do have one question, if I may, before we finish. 

 Bitty, where do you think that pilot will shoot?  I mean where will the show shoot in case that would be a factor as to whether I’d be able to.  You know, would it be Canada or would it be . . .

Bitty>  In New York City.  Yes, but you know what, though, Tony.  Just so you know, I just want to make clear to everyone this is not like signed, sealed and delivered.  I’m in a process, right in the middle of a process of making that.  So I just want everyone to know like this isn’t like signed, sealed and delivered.  I would be humiliated, but we’re in a process right now if that makes sense.