‘Good Sam’: Dr. Rob Griffith Actor Jason Isaacs Talks Taking ‘All the Power’ Away From His Character
CBS’ Good Sam marks Sophia Bush’s return to network television. And Bush mentioned several times how excited she is to bring the story of Sam Griffith and her father, Rob Griffith, to the small screen. The show cast Jason Isaacs as Dr. Rob Griffith, a lead cardiothoracic surgeon who fell into a coma for six months following a gunshot wound. When he wakes up, his surgeon daughter (Bush) is in charge. And Isaacs talked about what it was like for Rob to have “all the power” stripped from him.
Jason Isaacs plays Dr. Rob Griffith in the ‘Good Sam’ cast
The Good Sam cast prominently features Sophia Bush as the lead. Sam Griffith is a hardworking, compassionate surgeon who wants her father to be proud of her accomplishments. But she has a troubled relationship with her dad. In the pilot episode of the show, Sam takes over for Rob Griffith for six months. When he awakens and wants his position back, their relationship becomes more troubled than ever, as Sam wants her father to respect her as his new superior. The power struggle between them makes for a humorous and touching first episode.
Jason Isaacs plays Dr. Rob Griffith — the perfect companion for Bush to go toe-to-toe with. “I go into a coma,” Isaacs explains during a CBS preview. “Six months have gone by, and she’s about to accept the position of permanent chief of hospital. And I come out of the coma, and I’m extremely unhappy.”
Isaacs then notes his character believes Sam Griffith is “too sensitive, I think her skin is too thin,” to get the job done right.
Jason Isaacs talked about how the show took ‘all the power’ away from his character
Jason Isaacs and Sophia Bush make the perfect pair to lead the Good Sam cast. And Isaacs spoke about what it’s like for his character, Rob Griffith, to lose his authority as the lead cardiothoracic surgeon.
“To take all the power away from someone that is strutting that large and feels like they have the power of life and death, and then to completely, in some ways, emasculate them is an incredibly interesting dynamic,” he explained, according to Laughing Place. “It’s what launches us off into this void, sort of explores issues that are very specific. And we try and make them real, of course. But they also have great metaphorical value, if it’s not too pretentious.”
Bush also added that Good Sam makes Rob and Sam’s relationship feel “real” and “grounded,” which certainly adds to their characters and the show in general.
Sophia Bush adores working with the ‘Good Sam’ cast and playing Jason Isaac’s daughter
Sophia Bush didn’t want to join the Good Sam cast at first. But after meeting with the showrunners and reading the script, she knew the show was a perfect fit for her. And when it comes to the cast, she adores everyone she works with.
“What’s amazing about it is that everyone feels seen,” she said in the CBS preview.
Additionally, during an interview with TVLine, Bush shared that she feels “incredibly proud to set the kind of tone on a set that does lead with empathy” and that “leads with deep respect for every single person on it.”
“… [E]very single person on our set knows that they’re valued, loved and appreciated and knows that we do not take the effort that they make to create a show with us for granted ever,” she added. “We want to build a set that is a joy to come to and that is filled with laughter and that meets one of the highest standards of professionalism that I have ever seen anywhere.”
Good Sam airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.
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