Interview: Sterling K. Brown

Q: What was it that appealed to you most about your character, Roland? —Debbie, AZ
A: Most of the roles that I'm offered are usually either cops or criminals, etc. So the opportunity to play an African-American male of intelligence and warmth, that was the first and foremost thing that appealed to me.

Q: How do you feel being the only male spouse on the show? Is it challenging? —Barb, NY

A: It's an easy job to have to be surrounded by beautiful, talented women. But at the same time, how exactly do I fit into this world? The character feels that sort of thing, and as an actor I feel that way as well sometimes.

Q: How do you like portraying "Mr. Military Spouse"? —Joan, SC

A: I enjoy the challenges that my wife, Joan, and I have in the show, in terms of, how do you start over a marriage? How do you keep that fire going after years of separation? How do you open up the lines of communication again when people change from war and I as her spouse have changed from her absence? I think it is a very challenging and real dilemma that people in this situation have to deal with on a daily basis.

Q: What do you see are the obstacles for Roland, a military husband? —Nancy, VA

A: There's no real network and community of men that Roland has to lean on. There are not a whole lot of people that are in an exactly analogous situation as he is. So he finds himself bonding with these women, which is great because they have an understanding of what it's like to be married into the military, but there is still that degree of separation in that they are women and he is a man.

Q: I love the way you interact with the wives! Have you talked to any actual Army husbands? —Mindy, NY

A: I have. One of my best friends is an Army husband. His wife is a captain, and it's been very interesting talking to him because she will be deployed for several months at a time. He tells me about his routine that he has established in her absence and then how that routine changes when she returns.

Q: What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of playing an active duty member's spouse? —Mandy, NE

A: The challenging thing, and this is something specific to Roland, is the recognition that most of the spouses who go away are husbands who leave their families behind. In their husband's absence these wives still have their children to care for and don't have a sense of being completely alone. Whereas Roland, when his wife goes away, is indeed by himself and doesn't have that same sense of fulfillment in having a family.

I think the reward for Roland is the amount of pride that he has for his wife for accomplishing all that she has in a very male-dominated world. I think Roland brims with pride in knowing what a great deal she has achieved and that his support is one of the reasons she's able to succeed.

Q: What was it like working with mostly all women on set? —Robyn, IN

A: That's not entirely accurate, because while the wives were there, each one of those wives has a husband, too. It's about half and half in terms of men and women on the set. But working with the titular wives of "Army Wives" was a blast. There was no ego involved; everyone was just concentrating on putting forth the best product possible.

Q: What's it like starring in a drama that could very well portray some people's real life? —Samantha, PA

A: As actors we recognize we are not playing characters; we are portraying people. It's a tremendous honor and a great responsibility that we have because you want to be able to do justice to those individual's lives. People have families and have feelings, and we don't want to get that wrong. We want to pay homage to those people who are supporting our troops when they are away, and not take it lightly.

Q: Are you married in real life? —Tracey, NJ

A: Yes, I am a newlywed, as of June this year. I find that marriage parallels a lot of the challenges I face as a character on the show. It's a wonderfully fulfilling experience, but it takes a great deal of work in order to be successful. It's not anything that you can let go on cruise control and it will take care of itself.

Q: Do you think it is harder on the soldier or spouse after deployment? —Amy, MS

A: I am sure there are challenges that exist on both sides. For the soldier who is used to being in combat and has a military state of mind, being able to adapt back to a civilian state is a real challenge. And the amount of post-traumatic stress that soldiers go through, I can only imagine how being in that sort of environment stresses the brain. For the spouses, the challenge is how to react to this individual. How can they create an environment where their mate feels comfortable and safe so that they can get back to their normal lives? It's a great adjustment, and there are things that have to be done on both people's parts in order to get back to "normal."

Q: How true to life do you think this show is? Have you ever been in the military? —Katie, TN

A: I have not been in the military myself. I feel as if we get some things exactly right and I think there are some things that are done for "good television." You can't have it exactly right all the time and have it be entertaining, so we try to split the difference between having something that is fun for the audience while also being socially responsible.

Q: Is there anything you did to prep for your role as a husband whose wife has post-traumatic stress disorder? —Angela, Little Rock (AR) Air Force Base

A: That's a good question. I did read up on PTSD and just the basic psychology of the mind. And because my character is a doctor who specializes in it as well, I wanted to keep a little bit of space from it. I wanted to imagine how I would deal with it just as a spouse, as if I was accustomed to treating other people but not necessarily accustomed to dealing with it at home.

Q: I love watching the show. I was wondering where you are from? —Bernadine, AL

A: I'm from St. Louis, Missouri. Born and raised for the first 18 years of my life. And I have a military family; my father and uncles were in the service.

Q: What other projects do you have in the works besides "Army Wives"? — Dayna, NY

A: I have a recurring role on the TV show "Supernatural" in Vancouver. It's a very different character. I am a vampire hunter or a hunter of all things supernatural. As an actor it's invigorating to have an opportunity to do something completely different. Variety is the spice of life.

Q: What is it like working so closely with Wendy Davis? — Steph,FL

A: Wendy is a fantastic actor. She is one of the more intense actors you will come across, and so it's very interesting in terms of finding balance; having some levity within the relationship but also allowing her to affect you as profoundly as she does. She takes her work very seriously and is a joy to play with.

Q: What are your hobbies? What do you do when you aren't on set? —Beth, RI

A: I like to work out, play pool, read. I also go to the movies as much as possible and find inspiration from watching good work.

Q: What would you like to see for Roland in "Army Wives" Season 2? —Rachel, CO

A: I would definitely like to be more fully integrated or have some real substantial relationships with some of the other wives. And knowing that Joan is pregnant, possibly looking to learn about parenthood from them. Also I am very curious to see how we can repair our marriage, what kind of work it will take on both our parts.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to be an actor? If you were not acting, what could you see yourself doing? —Rhonda, CT

A: No, I didn't always know. I was an economics major at Stanford University, I had internships at the Federal Reserve Bank and I thought that was going to be the course that I would take in life. Until I realized that I didn't really derive any joy from it, I just thought it was what I was supposed to do be doing. Honestly, if I weren't an actor, I am not quite sure what I would do. It is so completely a part of who I am that I don't even like to think about being anything else.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie? —Mary, LA

A: I just recently finished reading book seven of "Harry Potter." It was great. My favorite movie of all time is "Braveheart."

Q: Do you have a favorite musical artist of the moment? —Addie, NY

A: I am a big John Legend fan.

Q: What was the oddest job (or first job) you had before you made it as an actor?—Rachel, WV

A: When I was 14 or 15 years old I was a dishwasher at a country club, and I don't think we were even supposed to be working there. We got paid in cash, and I think you had to be 16 in order to work legally. It was kind of under the table. A friend and I would work 12-hour days on Friday, Saturday and Sundays so we could get 40 hours in. I also worked in a lumberyard, as a maintenance guy, when I was about 16 years old.


Source: Lifetime