January 13, 2005 |
The O.C.'s Sandy Sings!
by Daniel R. Coleridge
Most people know that before Peter Gallagher played The O.C.'s Sandy Cohen, he acted in films (While You Were Sleeping was this reporter's personal fave). They also know he's workin' the bushiest eyebrows on the Fox network. But folks seem to have forgotten the dude can sing, too! (Prior to starring in Broadway's Guys and Dolls, the Tufts University alum sang in a student a capella group called the Beelzebubs.) Tonight at 8 pm/ET, the 50-year-old crooner lends his singing voice to Sandy for a big milestone occasion. TV Guide Online: After much anticipation, we'll finally get to hear Sandy sing.
Peter Gallagher: The O.C. has brought me many wonderful things, but the last thing I expected was the chance to sing a great song with great musicians in front of a lot of people. So it's been an embarrassment of riches so far. TVGO: At least it's not an embarrassment, period. You can sing, but not all TV actors can croon well in Very Special Episodes.
Gallagher: [Laughs)] Whether it's an embarrassment remains to be seen, but either way, I'm very happy. The song I sing is Solomon Burke's "Don't Give Up on Me," which we had in a reconciliation scene between Kirsten and Sandy last year. Kirsten was in the hot tub, as I recall! In this episode, Sandy has completely forgotten about their 20th anniversary, so he's in the doghouse. He can't even remember the correct year, so she's p---ed. My situation is one that every married man will identify with. TVGO: So Sandy sings to smooth things over. But how'd O.C. creator Josh Schwartz convince you to do it?
Gallagher: Josh had seen me sing on Broadway a bunch of times. Last year, I sang at a benefit he attended. The audience responded very favorably, so he made a note to himself that night to get Gallagher to sing on the show. I said, "I'd love to, but boy, we have to find the right circumstance because it could be unbelievably tacky and awful to hear the song stylings of Sandy Cohen." He absolutely agreed. TVGO: This idea works. Plenty of people do karaoke serenades at family parties, right?
Gallagher: I tried to do it a little bit like karaoke, not too slick or confident. I sang it the best I could — we prerecorded that in the studio — but... TVGO: But you didn't want to play it too suave like Dean Martin.
Gallagher: Totally. Meanwhile, Dean Martin is one of the reasons I got into show business. As soon as he slid down that pole on The Dean Martin Show and sang "Everybody Loves Somebody," I knew I'd found a new hero. TVGO: Why doesn't Sandy get a pole?
Gallagher: We've gotta save something for next season! TVGO: But seriously, folks. Kim Delaney's doing five February sweeps episodes as Sandy's ex-flame. What's the scoop there?
Gallagher: Five or six, yeah. This is the season where everyone's relationships will be tested. You can see how strong something is when it doesn't break. Kim plays Sandy's first great love. She was part of his radical past at Berkeley. Such a big part, in fact, that she got herself into a lot of trouble. Her father, who's Sandy's former law professor and mentor, needs him to help her. TVGO: Please don't tell me they had a love child. Seth doesn't need any more surprise Cohen relatives!
Gallagher: At this point, I know of no children. TVGO: How well did Ms. Delaney do on the set?
Gallagher: Kim was absolutely extraordinary to work with. I've been a fan of her work as an actress and I was impressed with her as a person. On her first day, she had to shoot 10 pages and she was word-perfect. She was very generous, and it was really a treat. I'm lovin' this job. A downloadable version of Gallagher's special song is currently available at theocinsider.com.
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