Kyra Sedgwick's The Closer chronicles

(page 3 of 2)

The balancing act

SheKnows: Balancing home and a hit show: Is it a challenge -- or do you and Kevin have it down?

Kyra Sedgwick: Oh, you know, I think that it's always probably a struggle for people who work and have a family life. It's always a struggle to fit everything in -- to balance, to give something to both. To give as much attention as each thing needs, I definitely think it's probably hard for everybody. It's not easy, especially when you're 3,000 miles away.

SheKnows: Each The Closer season has a theme. What is this year's?

Kyra Sedgwick: This year's theme is change, and I think the most obvious change is Brenda being married. There've been some shifts in the squad. And then, in the first few episodes, the cat is unwell. I think that that's a change that she doesn't want to have to deal with -- the idea of life without her cat, who in some ways is sort of her independent self. You know, I think the cat is the thing that she had before she got married. I remember, when I first met him, Kevin had a dog; Jane was with us for years and years. I think that when she finally passed, it was a very big deal because she was sort of the thing he had before I came along. It was the thing that defined him before marriage and children, and I think that's a very big deal. And yes, Brenda's got to deal with some issues that come up this year that she hasn't had to deal with before. I don't think she likes it too much. I think change is hard for everybody.

SheKnows: What's next for Brenda, romance-wise? She and Fritz just got married.

Kyra Sedgwick: Well, the inevitable next step to marriage is having children and I think that that's a struggle for the two of them. I think it's hard for Brenda, who doesn't see the world as a benevolent, loving place. I think she sees a lot of the darkness of the human soul and a lot of people who behave badly. It's hard for someone like that to believe that the world is a loving, safe place to bring a child into -- so I think that is a struggle for her and for him.

Closer as dramatic anchor

SheKnows: Lastly, is any pressure on The Closer to maintain an audience -- so to speak? In some ways, it seems like the quality drama at Turner has been built off of your success. TNT's drama is anchored around you -- do you guys feel any of that pressure on the set?

Kyra Sedgwick: Oh, God, I could never take that on. I take on so much crap, I don't need to take that on! That would be way too much. I mean, I take on personal stuff. That sounds very corporate and difficult -- I can't go there. I am thrilled that we can usher in a show and give it a good lead-in and some legs. That feels really good to me as a performer as well as a businessperson. It's show business, and the fact that the show continues to do well and can be a good lead-in for a new show to get some traction, is good for me as a performer as well as a person in this business.