LIFE & STYLE 9/16/2004
Anthony Ruivivar, Cara Buono, Josh Stewart, and Coby Bell stop by a talk show that I stayed up until 3 am to watch. Now, It’s not the 3am part that bothers me, I’m up then anyway, it’s the fact that the TW part was at the end and the rest of the show was painful to watch.

Jules Asner: So, on Friday nights this fall you can see them serving and protecting as the policemen and paramedics on the hit NBC show "Third Watch." Please welcome Anthony Ruivivar, Cara Buono, Josh Stewart, and Coby Bell.
{everyone says hello to Jules Asner}
Jules: Well, I know you’re starting back with the new season and why don’t we kinda just let everybody know who you guys are and who you play on the show. Anthony, you’re a vet.
Anthony: I’m a---
Coby: He doesn’t play a vet.
Anthony: Not a veterinarian.
Jules: No, no, no. But you’ve been on the show for a while.
Anthony: Right. Coby and I have been on the show for uh, since it started. So we’re in our sixth season right now. I play Carlos Nieto, um, who’s a paramedic on the show.
Jules: Now, Cara, you were on a couple times.
Cara: Yeah, I did two episodes at the end of last season and then I was the rookie until Josh just started.
Jules: Now you’re the rookie.
Cara: Now he's the rookie. I passed the torch.
Josh: I’m the rookie.
Jules: Do people give you a tough time on the set being the new guy and the "rookie?"
Josh: You know, not yet they haven’t. They’re being really nice to me now, but I’m sure it’s all a big setup.
Anthony: So far.
Coby: He’s only been working for two days.
Cara: They were nice to me the first two days, too.
Jules: You’re the rookie.
Anthony: He’s the new booty.
Jules: You got the rookie partner. You’re the vet. What’s this relationship like?
Coby: On the show we’re like polar opposites, but we’ve been getting along great last couple days. Isn’t that true?
Josh: Yeah, yeah, he’s been treating me well, so I can’t complain.
Jules: Now, I know all of you have done ride alongs with real paramedics and real policemen. Tell me about that. What was that like?
Cara: Yeah, I did, uh, about three ride alongs at the end of last season and I happened to be a part of a life and death situation actually. And the woman had actually passed away in the apartment and I realized that these men and women are the real thing and they’re amazing and I’m an actress and that was the end of the ride alongs.
Jules: It’s make believe.
Cara: It’s really make believe and that was it for me.
Jules: How special is it to play these workers in this city?
Anthony: It’s pretty amazing. I mean, after September 11th we weren’t even sure that we could go on with the show. It was such a--- we had such respect and reverence for what had happened but we decided to move on and we’d been doing the show long before September 11th and it really came down to when the actual cops and paramedics and firemen were opening up to us and saying "hey, you know, I was down at Ground Zero and it’s like, you’re show, I’d come home and watch it. It would keep us going."
Jules: They let you know it was okay.
Anthony: They let us know that it was okay and once they did that I think we felt better about it. But I tell you, the first time that we put the uniform on after September 11th, you know, it was like "I’m not worthy to do this. I’m not worthy to put this uniform on." We got through it with their support. They were always behind us and so as long as they were behind us, you know, we moved forward.
Jules: Now, I know all of your characters are single on the show. Is this the same in real life? Are you guys all single? Are you married?
{Anthony laughs}
Jules: Are you having problems?
Anthony: No. I’m married. Coby’s married.
Coby: I’m married. When I started the show I was like 23, just out of college. Now I’m married, I got two kids, got a dog, got a house, got a Volvo. Got the whole---
Jules: Oh man, it’s over.
{Audience is applauding}
Coby: Are you guys clapping for the Volvo?
Anthony: Coby’s surrounded by women. He’s got like, you know, two girls, he’s got a female dog---
Coby: Twin girls.
Anthony: Yeah, twin girls. So he comes over to my house ‘cause I’ve got a little boy. I have a two-year-old boy and he comes over for some testosterone. We’ll play video games like 'til three in the morning, get trashed on tequila. And then he’ll skateboard home.
Coby: That’s about the size of it, yeah.
Jules: Well, you guys are very funny. What’s the funniest thing to happen on the set? Is there a big practical joke? ‘Cause I know there are jokes.
Coby: See, we can’t talk about that kind of stuff on daytime television.
Jules: I told you, it’s our audience. It’s okay.
Anthony: One time we shot a whole scene, you know ‘cause it was shot from here {makes a motion of waist height} up, we were all butt naked. We just had socks on.
Coby: I wasn’t in that scene.
Jules: Is there tape of that somewhere?
Anthony: Only from here up.
Jules: Thank you guys so much. Haven’t they been great? Thank you guys so much. "Third Watch" premieres Friday, September 17th at 9:00 p.m. on NBC. Our thanks to Anthony, Cara, Josh, and Coby. Come back and see us again.

OClick for Audio of the Interview (5.4MB)