Deschanel of 'Bones' talks about insight into her character's personal life
BY RITA SHERROW World Television Writer
Sunday, February 10, 2013
2/10/13 at 5:59 AM
See a video clip: Watch a sneak peek.
It's a moment anyone would want to take back.
There's a misunderstanding. A couple argues. Angry words are exchanged. One leaves, seeking refuge in work. But, once there, she is critically injured.
That's the case for new mother and forensics expert Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) in Monday's new episode of "Bones," airing on Fox. It's a life-altering situation for her work partner, love interest and baby daddy FBI Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and herself.
It's also an episode that lets viewers in on what makes Brennan tick, Deschanel said in a recent teleconference.
"I think viewers will have a better idea why Brennan behaves the way she does," said the actress, who is one of the show's producers and has starred as Brennan for eight years. "I think that it shines a light on her behavior and maybe encourages her to change a bit."
After Brennan is shot by an unknown assailant, her heart stops and she has a near-death experience, Deschanel said.
"She has an encounter with a hallucination she believes at first could be real. She is transported back to her family home and interacts with her mother, who is dead. Many will interpret that she has gone to heaven. Her interaction with her mother reveals things from her past, and it affects Brennan now."
For Brennan, being in a situation that seems to defy logic is tough.
The character is a hyper-rational, no-nonsense author, anthropologist, kinesiologist and leading authority on forensic anthropology at the fictional Jeffersonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Although her demeanor has improved over the years, she still lacks adequate social skills. Presumably, that's a result of the disappearance of her parents when she was 15 and time spent in the foster care system where she suffered trauma and abuse. She found out her mother had been murdered two years after her parents disappeared when her father, Max Keenan (played by Ryan O'Neal), later resurfaced. O'Neal is a guest star in Monday's episode.
"It's an emotional episode for his character, and there is a communication between my mother and father through my character," Deschanel said.
She said she found acting in the scenes opposite her "mother" (played by Brooke Langton) emotional.
"I've played this character for a long time and felt in my mind who my mother was and is to me, and it's quite emotional to shed light on Brennan as a teenager and her relationship with her mother.
"Anyone who is human and has lost somebody they love or can even imagine it, there is a universal theme that you want to see that person again. At first, she doesn't believe it and then she wishes it would last. It's something you always wish for. Hopefully, if we have done it right, people will be affected by it."
Deschanel's film credits include "Glory Road," "Cold Mountain" and "Spider-Man 2." She was in the 2002 Stephen King miniseries "Rose Red" and made guest appearances on "Crossing Jordan," "Providence" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" before being cast in "Bones" in 2005.
Brennan's fight with Booth in the episode centers on her whole issue of if she is a "bad mother," the actress said.
"The minute you become a parent, you wonder if you are doing something wrong. It's a big challenge. I personally think it's a bad thing for a parent because you don't want your child picking up on that, but you can't help but wonder.
"You have to trust your instincts and do what is right for you."
‘BONES’
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Where: Fox, channel 23, cable 5
Original Print Headline: Bones faces family issues
Rita Sherrow 918-581-8360
rita.sherrow@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz star in the
eighth season of “Bones,” continuing at 7 p.m. Monday
on Fox, channel 23, cable 5. BRIAN BOWEN/Fox
Booth (David Boreanaz) is worried about Brennan’s (Emily
Deschanel) condition after she is shot while working late
at the Jeffersonian lab on “Bones,” airing at 7 p.m. Monday on
Fox. JORDIN ALTHAUS/Fox
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