(Photo courtesy of Alan Zenuk/USA Network)
JAMES RODAY MOVIE
The duo returned to their roles for a TV movie in 2017.
For eight seasons on Psych, James Roday played a fake psychic detective who solved crimes with the help of his best friend, played by Dule Hill. It’s a wake-up call for the group, which vows to start living their best lives.įor Roday, that overarching theme was a poignant one. The suicide of Jon Dixon (played by Ron Livingston) inspires the friends to not only lean on each other but form a closer bond. That’s the sort of portrait you want to paint: this is what it is, this is real and for anyone who’s been affected or going through it, you’re not alone.”Īs he deals with his cancer, Roday’s character must also cope with the sudden loss of his friend. We’re going to be able to follow that trajectory and the highs and lows. “We’re starting at the beginning of journey. “Breast cancer has affected every woman I know, but the truth is that men get it too,” Roday noted, adding that viewers will get a look into the emotional baggage and stigmas the diagnosis carries for his character. The story of a man suffering from breast cancer-reality for about 2,000 men each year in the U.S.-is one not often told and for Roday, taking on the role was eye-opening. On the show, Roday plays Gary, a breast cancer survivor who is waiting to see if his cancer has returned. “If that’s making them laugh their butts off, that counts and if it’s something cathartic or healing, that also counts.” “That’s why you do what we do, in the hopes of helping people feel like they’re not alone,” he said. The cast of A Million Little Things-David Giuntoli as Eddie, Grace Park as as Katherine, Stephanie Szostak as Delilah, Lizzy Greene as Sophie, Ron Livingston as Jon, James Roday as Gary, Allison Miller as Maggie, Christina Ochoa as Ashley, Christina Moses as Regina, and Romany Malco as Rome. The show isn’t just about luring viewers in with hot button issues, Roday said, rather, it aims to bring to life important and relevant stories, be it suicide, depression, cancer, sobriety or myriad other topics. “When you’re dealing with these kinds of things, since it hit so close to home, I had enough confidence we would be dealing with it very responsibly and thoughtfully,” Roday said. The personal nature of the story made Nash, as well as the rest of the cast and crew, treat the story and topic of suicide with intense care, notes Roday. Nash, a comedy writer, was inspired to pen the show after losing his own friend to suicide, an event that inspired him to live a more meaningful life. “I spent the better part of the last decade acting a fool and doing a lot of silly stuff, so this was an opportunity to flip the script and do something I thought had real potential to move the needle.”įor the show’s executive producer DJ Nash, the story of A Million Little Things-about a group of friends reconnecting and dealing with their friend’s suicide-is personal.
My part in particular was addressing something I had never heard of before,” said Roday. “The script was so good and the characters were so real. Roday, who has spent the last several years sitting happily in the director’s chair, said getting back in front of the camera was a worthy call due to the authenticity of the script.
JAMES RODAY FULL
With excellent delivery, a penchant for physical humor and a steady flow of ’80s references, Roday put his comedic chops on full display.īut this fall, Roday returns to the small screen to take on a more dramatic role, as a breast cancer survivor dealing with the loss of a friend on ABC’s A Million Little Things. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Jack Rowand)įor eight seasons, James Roday made audiences laugh as he pulled over-the-top antics and got away with everything but murder as a keenly observant police consultant posing as a psychic on Psych. James Roday and Allison Miller in a scene from A Million Little Things.