‘Will Trent’ Cast Members Erika Christensen and Ramón Rodriguez Met Years Before the Show
Many fans of ABC‘s Will Trent can likely agree that Will and Angie have undeniable chemistry. Having grown up together in the same group home, they also know each other better than anyone. The actors behind Will and Angie, Ramón Rodriguez and Erika Christensen, have a history of their own: They’ve been friends for years, according to Christensen herself. In a recent interview, she told the story of their friendship and how they reconnected on Will Trent.
Erika Christensen and Ramón Rodriguez play an on-off couple in ‘Will Trent’
Rodriguez stars in Will Trent as the titular character, a Special Agent at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Will grew up in Atlanta’s foster care system, where he experienced physical and emotional abuse. He also has dyslexia, which creates some challenges for him at work. However, he’s one of the sharpest agents at the GBI and has the highest clearance rate. Will’s trauma motivates him to protect and bring justice to as many people as possible.
Will Trent also follows Angie, a newly-appointed homicide detective (formerly in vice) at the Atlanta Police Department. Angie grew up alongside Will in the foster care system and experienced trauma of her own. She is recovering from drug addiction and often turns to Will for support, and vice versa. Will and Angie have an on-again-off-again romance that isn’t always healthy for either of them.
Erika Christensen reveals she and Ramón Rodriguez have known each other for years
In an interview with The Seattle Times, Christensen revealed that Will Trent was an opportunity for her to reunite with Rodriguez. They met 15 years ago through mutual friends. However, Christensen and Rodriguez lost touch as they got busy in their acting careers.
“We have so many mutual friends and we used to hang out in New York and in LA. All of a sudden, I got this script and he was attached. So I texted him saying congratulations,” Christensen shared.
Christensen went on to gush about how “fun and fulfilling” it’s been to work alongside Rodriguez, who constantly impresses her.
“Every take he does is different to the last. It’s just nice that we can share this together after knowing each other all this time,” the actor said. “We’re getting to see each other play characters that are so unique and different to what we’ve done before. It has really been delightful.”
Erika Christensen says it ‘made perfect sense’ for her to play Angie in ‘Will Trent’
Fans of the Will Trent book series by Karin Slaughter know that on-screen Angie is pretty different from book Angie, but maybe in a good way. Christensen admitted that she wasn’t familiar with the books before taking on the role. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if she’d be playing Angie or Amanda, Will’s boss (played by Sonja Sohn). However, she said that getting cast as Angie “made perfect sense,” and not just because of her friendship with Rodriguez.
“[Angie is] tough and harsh. But she’s also very layered. She’s self-aware. She’s just a beautiful, interesting, and well-rounded person that you want to unwrap the layers of,” Christensen added. “There’s just something about playing someone who can hold their own against drug dealers, her lieutenants, or anyone really. I really relate to her being so comfortable in her own skin.”
New episodes of Will Trent air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
