The cast of Low Winter Sun
New show explores murder and corruption in the world of Motor City cops and criminals.
I
Suzanne Chessler
cally. The music and the score add to the
overall visceral, emotional experience of
watching the show:'
Appearing as part of the police force
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
are Lennie James (Joe Geddes), Ruben
"Detroit was a very natural decision and
Santiago-Hudson (Charles Dawson),
happened rather organically:' explains
Athena Karkanis (Dani Khalil) and David
Gold, 46, also executive producer for the
Costabile (Simon Boyd). James Ransome
AMC series Hell on Wheels.
(Damon Callis) and Sprague
"When [executive producer]
Grayden (Maya Callis) portray
Chris Mundy and I got the idea
people in the criminal circle.
to do the adaptation in the U.S.,
"There are moments of dark
we began to look at the charac-
comedy in the series:' says
teristics of the original, which
Gold, who served as senior
had been set in Edinburgh,
vice president of comedy at the
Scotland.
FOX network, where he over-
"About two years ago, we
saw all comedy programming.
made a trip to Detroit and spent
Gold also served as vice
about three days exploring. We
president
of comedy develop-
Executive Producer
fell in love with the city and all
ment
at
20th
Century Fox
Jeremy G old: "Low
that it would afford us for pro-
Television,
where
he was
Winter Su n is an
duction.
at
the
helm
of
numerous
explorati on of
"I connected with Detroit on
series, including The Bernie
morality" with dark
a personal level because I was
Mac
Show and Arrested
comic mo ments.
born and raised in Philadelphia.
Development.
Although Philadelphia has not
A graduate of Northwestern
been through the same level of tragedy, the University, he visited the University of
resilience of the people of Detroit and their Michigan when doing his college search.
do-or-die vibe reminded me of home:'
He began his entertainment career as an
Filming for the series began in April with actor and theatrical producer.
Gold traveling back and forth, altogether
At its core, Low Winter Sun is an explo-
spending about two months in Motown. He
ration of morality and the lengths to which
believes the bankruptcy issues that brought
people will go to protect what they believe
the city into national discourse will add to
is the right thing to do:' says Gold, who
the interest in the series.
is on the board of the Westside Jewish
"I respond very much to the tone of the
Community Center in Los Angeles and a
show and the gravitas of the storytelling:'
member of Temple Israel of Hollywood.
says Gold, who collaborates with Mundy
"It also asks the question about whether
on the creative direction of the series and
it is OK to do terrible things if they are
the many facets of that, including the hir-
being done for what a person believes is a
ing of the writing and directing staff and
good reason:'
casting.
Gold relates those issues and the idea of
"There's a rich complexity to the charac-
second chances to Jewish teaching.
ters, the trouble they put themselves into
"In the Torah, we read about teshuvah,
and the ways they attempt to unwind that.
which centers on the correcting of a past
error or transforming the past, reaching
"The cinematography portrays the bro-
ken beauty of a city and the way we feel so
back to alter what happened so that the
present in that world, almost voyeuristi-
end result is better:' he says.
Contributing Writer
"That is exactly the work that Frank
is engaged in throughout our show.
Our lead characters, Frank and Joe, are
in many ways reconstructing the past.
To me, that's very much part of Jewish
thought:'
Motown On His Mind
Way beyond the series, Jewish thought
remains with Alon Aboutboul, whose
career began in Israel. On the night
the series begins, the actor also will
be contemplating the real-life wedding
of a Michigan relative, Caryn Aharoni,
daughter of Abraham (Avi) and Eleanor
Aharoni of West Bloomfield, who is mar-
rying Yaacov Finkelman, son of Rabbi
Eliezer (Louis) and Marilyn Finkelman of
Southfield.
"I don't know if I can be at the wedding,
but I would like to wish the couple a happy
life says Aboutboul, 48, who is close to
cousin Avi Aharoni, a West Bloomfield
psychologist.
Aboutboul, whose American TV experi-
ence has included roles on Castle and The
Mentalist among many series, has traveled
back and forth to Detroit, arriving locally to
work and returning west to be with his wife,
director Shir Bilya, and their four children.
The family moved from Israel in 2010.
Bilya put her career on hold then, but she
is resuming activity by developing a cook-
ing show.
"Low Winter Sun brings conflicts to
light:' says Aboutboul, whose American
movie credits include The Dark Knight Rises
and Body of Lies. "Worlds are crossing, and
the cops aren't necessarily good or obeying
the law. Villains aren't necessarily bad.
"My character (Alexander Skelos) is
probably the most powerful in the show.
In many ways, he triggers everything, and
everybody wants him down:'
Aboutboul decided on an acting career
when he was 16 and watched the movie
Fame, envisioning new possibilities for
himself. His family moved from a small city
Israeli-born actor Alon Aboutboul plays
a powerful Greektown gangster in Low
Winter Sun.
near Haifa to Tel Aviv so he could study at a
high school with an arts program.
"I started getting parts, thinking less of
school and more of work:' recalls the actor,
whose career was interrupted for army
service. "I was lucky and successful in
Israel with great opportunities and parts:'
The move to the United States has not
stopped Aboutboul's extensive work in
Israeli films. A Place in Heaven — a father-
and-son tale about a highly decorated
retired Israeli general who in his youth
sold his spot in heaven for a plate of food
— will open at the Toronto International
Film Festival in September.
Aboutboul, who relaxes daily with yoga,
has found a productive and satisfying way
to spend time away from sets. He paints
and has had three exhibitions.
"My next exhibition will be about
Detroit:' says the self-taught artist, scouting
a gallery to show some 30 works completed
in his local hotel room and trailer. "I want-
ed to capture the city and its buildings.
"Every building has a story. Every house
has or had life. Where the life is gone,
there's still hope because of the people.
New things are coming amid the culture,
the music and the cars:'
❑
Low Winter Sun debuts at 10 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 11, on AMC.
August 8 • 2013
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