PH OTO BY CH UCK HO DES

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1111-New
Olin

From "thirtysomething" yuppie to
undercover cop. Actor Ken Olin
reinvents himself.

MICHAEL ELKIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

ichael Steadman never lived on EZ Street. Tor-
tured Lane, Self-Analysis Avenue, Whiney Road,
Pining Pike, perhaps. But never EZ Street.
That's where Detective Cameron Quinn lives
these days, and Ken Olin is pleased with the
change of address.
"Now I can play a man with a gun," quips Olin.
That's one of the main differences between Michael Steadman,
a steady "thirtysomething" sophisticate, and Cameron Quinn, the
hard-edged cop of "EZ Streets" with a commitment to justice.
Of course, both characters share something in common: Olin, who
stars in the new series that airs at 10 p.m. Wednesday nights on
CBS.
"I know Michael Steadman was perceived by some critics as
wishy-washy," asserts Olin of the "thirtysomething" character he
played for four years on ABC-TV. 'Well, he was a certain type of
man."
Where Steadman was steady and serious, Quinn is a quiet riot,
an intense detective who goes undercover to pose as a dirty cop.
Does this mean that Ken Olin wants to wash his hands of the

Ken Olin goes undercover as Detective
Cameron Quinn on "EZ Streets,"
Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on CBS.

as

Steadman legacy?
"No," he says with a smile. He enjoyed the i )le of the yin-yang yuppie, an ad executive whose every move in life
cried out "help wanted."
But it was time to trade the Rolex for a cop's Rolodex. After reading the "EZ Streets" script, Olin knew "this [was]
the best pilot that I've ever read. And I had to meet with PaultHaggis, executive producer/creator of "EZ Streets"
and former writer for "thirtysomething"] and convince him that I could actually carry a gun."
And what did he say?
"You know, just try to be a man."
Poor Michael Steadman: No hope for rehabilitation.
Maybe, says Olin, "thirtysomething" s time has passed. "People just aren't that much interested in that kind of
show anymore," he says.
How about a "fortysomething"? "A `fortysomething' wouldn't attract people these days, either," he predicts. "The
only difference between a thirtysomething' and a `fortysomething' is that the characters would be a little Older and
a little heavier."
Count on Ken Olin for a direct answer. But then, directing is part and parcel of what he likes best. Olin captured
a Humanitas Prize for direction of "thirtysomething," which he helmed six times. He also directed the made-for-