“They literally made me fall in love with this character. In the first five minutes of the conversation, they pitched such a complicated, interesting, vulnerable, hard-ass woman that you just don’t see out there.”
Some changes had to be made to accommodate her family, which she wouldn’t compromise on. Instead of shooting in Vancouver like the mothership, Sheriff Country moved to the other side of the continent to Toronto, shortening the distance between the set and Baccarin’s New York home. The actress could make it home on weekends to see her kids and work simultaneously.
How ‘Sheriff Country’ Star Morena Baccarin Prepared for Her Role
The role of a sheriff does not typically appear in an actor’s career, let alone that of a female sheriff. Baccarin was prepared to do Mickey justice, and that involved some homework on her part. To inhabit the character, she went on ride-alongs with cops from her hometown, which is also a small town. “There’s not a lot going on sometimes, but then it changes on a dime. But I was more fascinated by the little things when there’s not much going on. Do you take your belt off when you sit in your office? Things you wouldn’t think about, like when you are writing endless reports, do you take a coffee break? Do you go break it up with, oh, an eviction notice? If you want to make something happen, do you search for people to pull over?” Baccarin shared. She also took some pointers from her husband and Gotham co-star, Ben McKenzie.
