Many people are loving ABC‘s new crime procedural, Will Trent, based on the Karin Slaughter book series of the same name. Part of the show’s success has to do with its star, Ramón Rodriguez, who perfectly captures all of Will Trent’s quirks. In a recent interview, Rodriguez shared which scene in the pilot’s script made him “hooked” on the titular character.
Ramón Rodriguez plays the titular character in ‘Will Trent’
In the show, Ramón Rodriguez stars as Will Trent, a Special Agent at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Will grew up in Atlanta’s foster care system, where he endured emotional and physical trauma. He also has dyslexia, which poses challenges for him at times. However, none of that has stopped Will from becoming the agent with the highest clearance rate at the GBI. His harsh upbringing motivates him to make sure no one in his line of work is abandoned like he was.
Will Trent follows the titular character as he uses his detective skills to solve various crimes in Georgia. He gets paired up with a new partner, Faith Mitchell (Iantha Richardson), who at first has negative feelings toward Will because he once got her mother fired from her role as a police officer. However, over time, Faith and Will warm up to each other.
Fans also get to see Will’s personal life as he manages an on-again, off-again relationship with Angie (Erika Christensen), a homicide detective. Like Will, Angie grew up in the foster care system and has her own trauma as a result.
Ramón Rodriguez says he was ‘hooked’ on Will Trent when the character adopted a Chihuahua
In the premiere episode, Will takes a Chihuahua named Betty to a local animal shelter, which he thinks is a no-kill shelter. Betty was left alone when her owner died, so Will wants her to find a new home. Unfortunately, Will learns that the shelter isn’t a no-kill facility. He reluctantly adopts Betty himself but quickly grows attached to the four-legged friend.
In an interview with People, Rodriguez praised the team behind Will Trent for introducing the character this way.
“I thought [the showrunners] did a great job in the pilot starting off and meeting Will, who is a bit of a loner and a bit quirky and a bit different, but has a huge heart. And we see that because he adopted a Chihuahua in the first scene that we meet him,” he said.
Rodriguez added that this scene solidified his admiration for Will because it shows the character’s true colors.
“When I read that scene, I was like, ‘Okay, this has got me hooked. This character has a lot of heart,’” he continued. “I’d already known the troubled past, but when I read that scene, he got me. As I kept getting to know him and doing research and learning about dyslexia — I love this character. I adore him. I think he’s just a very complicated human being that is doing his best to navigate the world.”
Rodriguez also admires Will’s ‘resilience’ and attention to detail
Will’s big heart isn’t the only thing Rodriguez loves. The actor also complimented his character’s “resilience” and his talent for assessing a crime scene.
“Another thing that I loved was his resilience, despite everything he’d been through,” he said. “He found a way to use what he’s been through, and even the scar that he has on his body, his proof of what he has been through. But he found a way to use his experience. I love how he interprets the crime scene visually and how he can put his story together. He found a way to try to do the right thing and help others by his very unique perspective on the world. He can walk on a crime scene and read it like nobody else.”
Fans can watch new episodes of Will Trent on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
