On the Borderline: Behind the Scenes of ‘The Bridge’
An adaptation of the 2011 Scandinavian series of the same name, FX's The Bridge transposed the original series' murder-mystery plot — a corpse has been found on the bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden — to the U.S./Mexico border, forcing an El Paso police detective (Inglourious Basterds' Diane Kruger) and a Mexican homicide investigator (Demian Bichir) to work together and solve the crime. As the show returns for its second season (premiering tonight at 10pm EST), the duo must once again team up in order to discover who's behind a series of cartel killings.
'The Bridge': TV's Best New Cop Show
Rolling Stone paid a visit to the set of The Bridge while the series was in production on Season Two, and enlisted Matthew Lillard — who plays the show's resident sleazy, moral-less journalist — to provide a running commentary for each of the photos.
"This shot is of me sitting outside the Los Angeles County Morgue. We've shot there a couple of times, not fun place to work. It's a smell you never forget."
-
DEA or Alive
"Abe Benrubi [who plays DEA agent Joe McKenzie] is one of the greatest guys you'll ever meet. He wasn't working the day this was taken. Sometime he just shows up at work to carry around his gun."
-
Flip the Script
Abraham Benrubi bones up on his lines. "So… many… big words."
-
Have Gun Will Travel
Abraham Benrubi practices his DEA poses. "The birth of an action hero."
-
In Memoriam
"There isn't a crew member in this business that wasn't affected by the tragic death of Sarah Jones. What's so haunting is that we’ve all been on a day of rogue shooting, picking off epic shots in the name of art. Celebrating in a bar after wrap, thrilled by the beauty we captured. We've all said 'yes' to those moments in the pursuit of greatness. Sarah's death hangs on all of us."
-
Right to Remain Silent
Demian Bichir, who plays Detective Marco Ruiz. "'A veces sueño de unicornios.' Translation: 'Sometimes I dream of unicorns.'"
-
Crew Cuts
"We have an amazing crew. I know every actor says that, but we really do. If we had a Bridge softball team, or a bowling team or something? We'd probably be totally undefeated."
-
Dress for Success
"All hail Cesar! Our wardrobe department can remove any stain in four minutes or less… I test the theory once a week."
-
A Prayer for the Diane
"Diane Kruger embodies not only beauty and grace but leads with passion, intelligence and ferocity. It's God's cruel trick to pack so many gifts into one mortal package. She is the definition of movie star."
-
Lend a Handheld
"We shoot a lot of our show using handheld camera techniques. Dave Frederick, our 'A-camera' operator, is tireless and takes great pride in what he does. Some might even call him an artist."
-
Van, Wilder
"We use East Los Angeles to double for exteriors of Juarez, Mexico. That translates to shuttle rides all over the City of Angels to pick up shots. Demian has called shotgun… he gets to control the radio."
-
Head Shot
"He's FIIIIIIIINNNNNE. (There are very few days on set where the make-up department doesn't get to murder someone horrifically.)"
-
Cultural Exchange
"The Bridge scripts are written partially in English/partially in Spanish. It provides the fantastic Latino acting community — so talented, so underserved — outstanding opportunities to work in this industry."
-
And You Will Know Him By the Trailer of Dead…
"Our show, comparatively, has a small budget — so we shoot very fast. I don't remember being in my trailer for more that 10 mins this whole season. In this photo, I’m obviously showing off for the photographer… that’s probably a page of poetry or something."
-
Passenger Side
"No, Matt. Demian called shotgun. He gets to control the radio."
-
Rear View
"A walk and talk scene. I have no butt… it's pretty much, just one loooong, pasty back."
-
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
"Sometimes I like to sit around video village and talk about how amazing I am."
-
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
"Emily Rios [who plays El Paso Times reporter Adriana Mendez] and I run lines before the scene. I am nothing without her. She is my celestial spirit animal."
-
Pull Up or Shut Up
"Notice how I've tucked my shirt in so it doesn't pop up and flash the crew my soft underbelly? Ryan Gosling doesn't need to take these types of precautions…"
-
Double Trouble
"We shoot two cameras on our show to save time. Which means Emily Rios is twice as awesome."
-
The Sitting Dead
"ZOMBIE EXHIBIT: LA ZOO. It's an extra playing a 'dead girl of Juarez.' Seriously… how incredible is this makeup?"
-
Write of Way
"Emily and one or our writers, Anna [Fishko], going over a scene. Our writing staff is comprised of novelists, journalists, playwrights and feature film writers. They are an incredible collection of human beings, and the reason The Bridge won a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcast storytelling this year."
-
Sign of the Times
"If you see a yellow sign like this in Los Angeles, follow it — and you'll find a somebody shooting something. You can sit off to the side and watch all the glamor and magic unfold before your eyes!"
-
Brush to Judgment
"Make-up is applied to a perfect face."
-
Through a Lens Darkly
"A picture of our camera crew doing absolutely nothing. Sal, the guy in the far left of the photo, is a 4000-year-old ancient Aztec priest. Gaze into his eyes and he will reveal all your past lives to you."
-
Pit Stop
"My pits are squirted with wetness to make me look like a real man. In return, I make sex faces in this young woman's general direction."
-
Let There Be Light
"This is me, begging our cinematographer Attila [Szalay], to shine more light on my face so I don't look like I'm 73 -years-old."
-
Auto Focus
"This scene had been cut from the show, but it was fun to shoot because I got to yell about things my character cares deeply about. Pretending to care deeply about things is what acting is all about."