Role Recall: CCH Pounder on Working With 'NCIS' Co-Star Scott Bakula on 'Quantum Leap,' Leaving 'ER,' and More

Kimberly Potts
·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
CCH Pounder as Dr. Loretta Wade on 'NCIS: New Orleans'
CCH Pounder as Dr. Loretta Wade on 'NCIS: New Orleans'

CCH Pounder has played a doctor, an FBI agent, a police detective, a prisoner, a superhero cohort, a motorcycle-club-busting district attorney, and, with her new role as Loretta Wade on CBS's NCIS: New Orleans, the medical examiner for the Big Easy during her TV career.

And all it took to get the four-time Emmy nominee to agree to launch a new onscreen career investigating dead bodies? The opportunity to really get to know the city of New Orleans.

[Related: How a Real-Life NCIS Agent Inspired the 'New Orleans' Spinoff]

"It was the factor. And there must be something to it, because the actors from the other NCIS series are all trying to work their way into [our show]," Pounder told Yahoo TV. "'Surely there must be a storyline for me, so that I can come down.' So far, I think about five of them have come through. It's a big thing to be in a city that has the types of struggles and beauty New Orleans has. And it's got all the bells and whistles that attract my attention. It is a city of some age. It has a population that has no problem saying, 'Hello, ma'am. Good afternoon. Hey, how you doing?' just as part and parcel of walking by. It has houses that I like to look at. Such a variety. One day you're looking at a giant chateau, and then you're looking at a wedding cake, and then you're looking at some small cottages. That's lots of fun."

Pounder hasn't bid adieu to FX's Sons of Anarchy, as her DA character, Tyne Patterson, is likely to pop up again while SAMCRO's increasingly destructive dramas continue to unfold in the show's final season.

"My agent made sure they had a way to wrap her up, so they were offered a certain number of episodes and CBS has been very gracious," the actress said. "They should be able to work that plot out, what happens to her. I don't know how they'll do it, but they're clever, those Sons of Anarchy fellows."

In honor of her double duty in primetime this fall, Yahoo TV asked the always elegant and compelling Pounder to share the highs and lows of her most memorable TV performances.

Women in Prison (1987-88)

(A Fox sitcom in which she played Dawn, a woman who had murdered her abusive husband)

Antoinette Byron, Julia Campbell, and CCH Pounder in 'Women in Prison'
Antoinette Byron, Julia Campbell, and CCH Pounder in 'Women in Prison'

"Oh no, we were not [Orange Is the New Black]. We were definitely not. Orange Is the New Black is a prison comedy, for sure. I would say that we were an attempt, a very, very feeble attempt, at Prisoner: Cell Block H. I always used to say, 'We tried to do Cell Block H, but in fact we were really Eight Is Enough.' What we were originally sold in terms of its toughness and what it was going to be, it just didn't manufacture itself into a comedy in those years. I was incredibly frustrated, because it was a comedy with no edge. It was no comparison to Orange. I think the best way to describe it is that there is a cast and crew photo, and everybody seems to be quite unhappy. [But] I have a grin from ear to ear, and it was like, 'God, get me out of this.'"

[Related: This Year's Feel-Good Emmys Story: The Return of Miss Claudette From 'Orange Is the New Black']

Quantum Leap (1990)

(In which she guest-starred on an episode with her future NCIS: New Orleans co-star Scott Bakula)

"We have reminisced, but we greeted each other like old friends, which was really great. I'm really having a great time with him here. It's almost as if, because of [Quantum Leap], it already opened up the pathway to have a very quick relationship here in New Orleans. It's been very easy to get back to work with him. Really nice."

The X-Files (1994)

(For which she received her first Emmy nomination — Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series — for playing agent Lucy Kazdin)

"I don't know [when I sign on for guest roles] anything beyond what I've come to do. I don't know whether this is an award-worthy role. I just come in doing what I do. And Lucy Kazdin shined because "Duane Barry" was so beautifully written. I was surrounded by actors who were just completely committed to making it as real as possible, in a very unreal situation. That was truly my good fortune in getting that role to do. Just in terms of all the guest work, every time I do something like that, way back then I would always say, 'This will get me a regular role.' It was always, to me, work to get work. The nomination is terrific, but the fact that I did Lucy Kazdin got me Millennium, which was also quite terrific. I keep saying, 'The reward is work,' and I've been rewarded and rewarded. I got exactly what I asked for, and I'm very pleased."

[Related: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson Would Love to Do a Third 'X-Files' Movie]

CCH Pounder as Doctor Angela Hicks on 'ER'
CCH Pounder as Doctor Angela Hicks on 'ER'

ER (1994-97)

(For which she received an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emmy nomination for playing Dr. Angela Hicks, who disappeared in Season 4)

"I wasn't happy. I wanted to stretch my wings a little bit more than that. I think you kind of have to know what the deal is. If you don't know what the deal is, then you sort of feel it out and then you decide, should I stay or should I go? I think that was what it was for me with ER. It was very pleasing in the beginning. I really wanted to do it. By the way, I enjoyed every moment of it as CC the person, but I really wanted a career that went to a certain place. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice and say, 'I'm willing to fly solo and try something else and go somewhere else and do something that appears to be smaller but gives me more spirit and a kind of desire to work.'"

[Related: 'ER's' 20th Anniversary: A Look Back at 15 Dramatic Moments]

The Shield (2002-08)

(For which she received her second Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emmy nomination, for playing Detective Claudette Wyms)

"It was one of the greatest noncheating endings ever. Ever, ever, ever. No, my character would not have been happy, and that's important that she wasn't, because in a sense she had to be unhappy. If you were to see beyond the ending, though, then she would come to realize that in fact this was a really good ending for [Vic Mackey]. This type of man had to be free, had to be on the street, to make him what he [was]. To be imprisoned behind a desk, shuffling papers, was a punishment that was simply unbearable. Jail isn't always the answer for people like that. It was the ultimate justice."

Justice League (2004-06)

(In which she was the first person to portray Amanda Waller — the Project Cadmus head — in an animated series)

"What's really funny is, I have a whole group of people under 20 or 30, and I can say something like, 'Excuse me, waiter, could I have…,' and somebody will turn around and go, 'Oh my God, that's Amanda Waller!' I am absolutely shocked that the voice has become so recognizable because of her. It just tickles me no end."

Sons of Anarchy (2013-14)

"Patterson is incredibly ambitious, but she's also insightful … she knew how to hold up the mirror so that [SAMCRO] could see their own humanity. I don't want to give her that much credit that she's the one that made them see themselves for humane purposes, but she made them see themselves, and maybe for the first time doubt crept in. How it really is crept in. What will happen in the future crept in. I think that's what Patterson did for them, and it made her suddenly a really interesting character."

[Related: 9 Questions That Should Be Answered in the Final Season of 'Sons of Anarchy']

NCIS: New Orleans (2014)

"As a mature woman, I'm much freer, and I wanted [Wade] to be a free, knows-what-she's-doing-at-her-job woman. And knows how to have fun in life and enjoy a good Bloody Mary, cut a rug on the dance floor, really knows some good jokes. I wanted that kind of feeling, because that feels like New Orleans to me. It feels like a place where hard work and hard play go hand-in-hand. I've seen people sweating and then just kind of going 'OK, we're done. Let's go get some good food, listen to some great music.' I'm seeing it all the time, and I incorporate it into my character. I didn't want her to be only the bearer of bad news, to be dour. I wanted her to be more like a Poirot in terms of discovering the mystery. I know in the beginning that they were looking for the voice of authority, the mother wit, the earthy person with common sense. I went, 'OK, OK, OK, but I think I can infuse her with a whole bunch of other things.'"

 

NCIS: New Orleans airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Recommended Stories

  • AP PHOTOS: Migrants evade Libyan coast guard to reach Europe

    The February storm is unforgiving, violently shaking the humanitarian rescuers’ vessel as they try to revive a faulty engine and save African migrants drifting in the Mediterranean Sea after fleeing Libya on unseaworthy boats. Not only must they brave 70 kph (43 mph) winds and 4-meter (13-foot) waves, but also win the race against the Libyan coast guard, which has been trained and equipped by Europe to keep migrants away from its shores. In recent days, the Libyans had already thwarted eight rescue attempts by the Open Arms, a Spanish NGO vessel, harassing and threatening its crew in the international waters of the central Mediterranean where 160 people have died so far this year.

  • Clemson, Swinney face major offensive changes this spring

    Don't tell Clemson coach Dabo Swinney he has anything to worry about without offensive stars and team leaders in quarterback Trevor Lawrence and tailback Travis Etienne on the Tigers. “There's nobody that's left our program that we can't go into the locker room and replace,” Swinney said with a smile. Clemson seemlessly moved from quarterbacks Tajh Boyd to Deshaun Watson to Lawrence.

  • Thousands celebrate reinstatement of Nepal's Parliament

    Thousands of anti-government protesters threw confetti and chanted slogans in Nepal’s capital on Wednesday to celebrate Parliament's reinstatement by the Supreme Court. The court order was major blow to troubled Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who dissolved the legislature in December because of a feud within the governing Nepal Communist Party. The jubilant demonstrators applauded the court's decision and demanded Oli's immediate dismissal.

  • UK's Prince Philip 'a lot better' but to stay in hospital for treatment for infection

    Britain's Prince Philip is getting a lot better, his youngest son said on Tuesday after Buckingham Palace said the 99-year-old husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth would remain in hospital for several more days to receive treatment for an infection. Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, walked into London's private King Edward VII Hospital last Tuesday evening after he was advised by his doctor to be admitted after he felt unwell, and has spent seven nights there. "He is comfortable and responding to treatment but is not expected to leave hospital for several days," Buckingham Palace said, adding he was receiving medical attention for an unspecified infection.

  • Lloyds cuts office space as profits plunge

    Lloyds Banking Group has a plan to restore profitability. It's going to take advantage of the trend for working at home, and slash office space. The lender plans to reduce its total footprint by a fifth within three years. The move comes after a big plunge in earnings. On Wednesday (February 24) the bank reported full-year pretax profits of 1.7 billion dollars. That was less than a third of the previous year's level, though it still beat analyst forecasts. The bank blamed mounting bad loans, which forced it to set aside billions of pounds to cover possible defaults. To turn things around the firm is investing in its insurance and wealth management operations, as well as aiming to cut costs. Wednesday also saw bleak numbers from rival Metro Bank, which saw losses multiply. It too warned that loan defaults would mount in the months ahead, as government support for businesses winds down. As for office space, commercial property firms will be watching developments with alarm. Earlier in the week bigger rival HSBC said it would cut its offices by 40%.

  • Police captain offers grisly new details of Capitol riot at first official hearing on insurrection

    A captain in the US Capitol Police force who responded to the 6 January Capitol riot offered a harrowing first-hand account on Tuesday of her experience battling white supremacists and other pro-Trump elements. Rioters nearly broke her arm amid the chaos, Captain Carneysha Mendoza, a veteran of the US Army, told senators at the first official hearing on the 6 January security breach. “I received chemical burns to my face that still have not healed to this day,” Ms Mendoza said.

  • Disha Ravi: India activist, 22, granted bail by court

    Disha Ravi's arrest for sharing a document intended to help farmers sparked widespread outrage.

  • An ex-girlfriend tipped off the FBI about an alleged US Capitol rioter after he called her a 'moron'

    Richard Michetti was arraigned Tuesday in Philadelphia over his alleged participation in the January 6 insurrection.

  • Biden nominee Neera Tanden’s tweet about Joe Manchin’s daughter may come back to haunt her

    The Democratic operative criticised the Senator’s daughter for receiving a pay increase as a CEO

  • Jill Biden assures Kelly Clarkson things will get better after her divorce: 'If I hadn't gotten divorced, I never would have met Joe'

    In a new interview on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," first lady Jill Biden offered the singer advice about healing after divorce and finding love again.

  • Who is Heidi Cruz? The high-powered Goldman Sachs executive and wife to ‘disgraced’ Texas senator Ted Cruz

    Heidi Cruz’s ‘high powered’ role on her husband’s campaign trail prompts comparisons with Hillary Clinton

  • Postmaster General Taunts Dems: You’re Stuck With Me for Good

    Jim Watson./GettyLouis DeJoy had a defiant message on Wednesday for those craving to see him ousted as U.S. Postmaster General: “Get used to me.”The comment came after Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) asked the embattled U.S. Postal Service chief how long he would remain as Postmaster General—“long time,” DeJoy spat back—during a Wednesday hearing in the House Oversight Committee.That exchange was indicative of the entire proceeding, which was frequently chippy, combative, and fueled by Democratic lawmakers’ outrage over DeJoy’s handling of the USPS at a time of worsening mail delays and difficult questions about the service’s long-term viability.DeJoy’s crack to Cooper made Democrats’ blood boil even more. But he may have a point, at least for now: because the postmaster general is installed by the service’s board of governors—and not by the president—it means that President Joe Biden, or Congress, cannot fire DeJoy even if they wanted to.His removal would only be possible when Biden fills Democratic vacancies on the USPS Board of Governors, which has the authority to hire and fire postmasters general. Confirming those spots in the Senate will take time, though the Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Biden has identified three nominees to move forward.In the meantime, though, Democratic lawmakers are working with DeJoy on urgent legislation to reform the agency’s finances and employee pension burden, even while many publicly call for his resignation.To many Democrats, DeJoy’s performance on Wednesday on Capitol Hill may make that balancing act harder: they found much to dislike not only in what the postmaster general said, but how he said it.“I gotta say—I just don’t think the postmaster gets it,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a member of the Oversight Committee who questioned DeJoy on Wednesday about the agency’s delivery standards. “I think it’s time for him to go.”“I thought he approached a lot of our questions with that exact same attitude, which was one of sneering condescension,” Krishnamoorthi told The Daily Beast after the hearing, invoking DeJoy’s response to Cooper. “That’s not gonna fly, man. Not gonna fly.”Wednesday’s hearing was the second time in DeJoy’s short tenure that he has been subjected to a high-profile grilling in the House Oversight Committee. Shortly after taking the USPS’ top job in June 2020, delays and irregularities quickly began to mount—a particularly alarming development for lawmakers on the eve of an election in which more voters than ever planned to vote by mail.Biden to Nominate 3 New USPS Board Members, Opening Path to Oust DeJoyIn a contentious August 2020 hearing, Democrats interrogated the former logistics executive and GOP mega-donor on everything from cuts in overtime hours to the price of a stamp. Questioning from Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) produced a memorable DeJoy response: “I will submit that I know very little about postage and stamps.”By the time House Democrats called DeJoy back to Capitol Hill this week, their worst fears about the USPS delays’ impact on the voting system had failed to materialize. But they still had plenty of questions about DeJoy’s stewardship of the USPS: in October, the USPS inspector general issued a report finding that the changes DeJoy made to delivery schedules and protocol led to the worsening delays. Already battered by the pandemic, the USPS limped into a busy holiday season, and is now providing the poorest service that many longtime observers of the agency have ever seen.Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), a member of the Oversight panel, was a 29-year veteran of the USPS before she came to Congress. She told The Daily Beast after the hearing that she has never seen the service in such dire straits as it is now: “I don’t think we’ve ever confronted this,” she said.The unprecedented delays are happening around the country. In Washington, D.C., just 40 percent of all first-class mail arrived on time by the end of December 2020—compared to nearly 90 percent the same time the year before. Chicago residents are receiving holiday packages a month-and-a-half late. Lawmakers are inundated with calls and emails from frustrated constituents looking for answers; this week, 33 senators signed a letter to DeJoy asking him to explain the recent delays.DeJoy apologized for those delays at the top of Wednesday’s hearing. “We must acknowledge that during this peak season we fell far short of meeting our service goals,” he said. “I apologize to those customers who felt the impact of our delays"But Lawrence expressed concern about DeJoy’s forthcoming “strategic plan” to get the USPS through this difficult stretch. Though the postmaster general has not revealed specifics, he testified on Wednesday that he will propose cuts to delivery standards, including the standard that local mail be delivered within two days. Democrats believe that would be a disastrous move at a time when the USPS is struggling to compete with private-sector competitors, particularly if it is coupled with consumer cost increases, which DeJoy has suggested.“To say that’s what’s bold and needed… that’s not leadership,” said Lawrence. “He has to prove himself. He heard us loud and clear, that he needs to prove himself.”The Michigan Democrat stopped short of saying that DeJoy deserved removal, and told The Daily Beast that she and other Democrats are working with the USPS on postal reform legislation. On Wednesday, CNN reported that Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) was supportive of working with DeJoy to pass reforms.In the wake of the new political reality in Washington, the postmaster general has begun to attempt outreach to Democratic lawmakers. Lawrence said that during the last administration, DeJoy did not take her calls or respond to her—but after the 2020 election, they had a “cordial” call.Other Democrats see any charm offensive as too little, too late. Krishnamoorthi said he is supportive of working with whatever USPS leadership is in office in order to pass reforms, but argued that DeJoy should go as soon as is possible.Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), a senior member of the Oversight Committee, issued a statement after DeJoy’s hearing hailing Biden’s nomination of three appointees to the USPS Board of Governors—and explicitly stated his hope they would remove DeJoy. “These nominations are an important first step toward reforming the Postal Service,” said Connolly. “My hope is the newly constituted Board will do the right thing and bring in a new, qualified Postmaster General.”A majority of the nine-member board would be required to support DeJoy’s removal. Currently, there are four Republican appointees, and two Democratic appointees. If all Biden’s choices are confirmed, Democrats would hold a majority on the board.The Republicans on the Oversight Committee had questions for DeJoy about mail delays, but largely cast him as a victim in an anti-Trump Democratic crusade. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the top Republican on the panel, compared the party’s concerns about USPS delays—and Trump’s potential role in those delays—to the Trump impeachment investigation he said was predicated on “baseless conspiracies.”Far-right Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), meanwhile, suggested that the root cause of USPS delays was actually the Black Lives Matter protests that took place over the summer, and read articles from fringe outlets like the Gateway Pundit to prove his point. And Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) raised the unfounded belief in widespread conspiracies about election fraud while saying it was not time to get into “specifics.”At one point, tempers flared when Connolly said that Republicans who voted to object to the Electoral College certification on Jan. 6 had “no right to lecture” anyone on the dangers of partisanship.Democrats left more concerned about the fate of the USPS, however, than the state of things in Congress. “It’s not some theoretical concept,” said Krishnamoorthi. “It’s not some abstract issue, it’s real for every single one of us… I’ve gotta tell you, people are starting to work around the mail, which is a scary concept.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • TikTokers are testing family and friends by playing PornHub's music, testing whether they recognize the sound

    A TikTok audio called "hey lol" by user khaleel mashes up the PornHub intro music and "Redbone" by Childish Gambino, and it's become a prank.

  • Angry Democrat Gerry Connolly tells Trump ally he ‘will not be lectured’ by someone who tried to overturn election

    Accusing Jim Jordan of ‘gaslighting,’ Gerry Connolly said ‘I didn’t vote to overturn an election and I will not be lectured by people who did about partisanship’

  • Residents describe road where Tiger Woods crashed as 'a real danger,' especially for drivers unfamiliar with the area

    Reports suggest that officials are not investigating Tiger Woods for driving under the influence leading up to his devastating car crash on Tuesday.

  • The more data we get, the more it seems vaccinated people aren't spreading the coronavirus

    A preliminary study from Israel suggests people vaccinated against COVID-19 have lower viral loads, which are linked to less spread of the virus.

  • Marvel Studios president hints 'we probably could' see characters like Jessica Jones again 'someday' in the MCU

    "I'm not exactly sure...but perhaps someday," Kevin Feige said of the possibility that Netflix or ABC characters would enter the MCU.

  • Mitch McConnell: Nancy Pelosi's plan for investigating the Capitol attack is a 'bizarre partisan concept'

    Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’s concerned Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plan to establish a commission to probe the assault on the U.S. Capitol would be overly “partisan.”

  • Teen Accused of Killing Disabled Sister as Parents Slept

    Facebook/Lancaster County District AttorneyA Pennsylvania teenager is facing charges after allegedly fatally stabbing her wheelchair bound older sister—then hysterically calling 911 to confess to the crime.Claire Elaina Miller, 14, has been charged with homicide after calling authorities on Feb. 22 to admit she stabbed her older sister, 19-year-old Helen Miller, while her parents were asleep, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s office. The elder Miller, who had cerebral palsy, died from a stab wound to her neck.“I stabbed my sister,” Miller repeatedly told police when they arrived at the house. Since Miller is being charged as an adult, she was denied bail during a Monday arraignment.According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Daily Beast, the Manheim Township Police Department arrived at the home just after 1 a.m. to find Miller, a ninth-grader at a local private school, standing in front of the house close to “what appeared to be blood on the snow near the driveway.”“Miller appeared to be attempting to wash her hands in the snow,” the affidavit states, adding that the teenager also had blood on her pants.Police say Miller directed them into her older sister’s bedroom, where Helen was found with a “pillow with blood stains” over her face. One of the officers removed the pillow and “found a large knife in Helen’s neck, just above her chest.”“Helen was lying on her back with her hands up near her head,” the affidavit states, adding that there was a “large amount of blood” pooled near her chest and bed. Lifesaving measures were “unsuccessful” and she was pronounced dead at 4:13 a.m. On Wednesday, the coroner’s office released an autopsy report confirming Helen Miller died from multiple stab wounds. Authorities also confirmed to The Daily Beast that the 19-year-old had cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair.Police say the girls’ parents were asleep during the incident that has sent shockwaves through the small Pennsylvania community about 75 miles west of Philadelphia.`“When I heard about this I was almost instantly upset about it myself over the details that had been related to me,” Manheim Township Police Chief Tom Rudzinski told WHTM. “I don’t know that I have ever been a part of something that is quite as sad as this.”Prosecutors and police, however, have not offered any details about a motive. An attorney for Miller did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s requests for comment.“The investigators are going to be asking those types of questions, conducting those interviews of everybody that was involved, and trying to determine a timeline [for what] would have led to this awful event,” Rudzinski said.Lancaster Country Day School officials confirmed to The Daily Beast that Miller was a ninth-grade student at the school of about 550 students. “As a tight-knit school community, we are of course shocked and saddened by this tragic event and are focused on supporting one another,” a school spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Manheim Township School District confirmed that Helen Miller received educational services from a school within the district.“We were so saddened to learn of Helen’s tragic and unexpected passing,” the district said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the Miller family. This is a devastating tragedy.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Amazon reportedly told workers to 'Vote NO' in a historic union election and to drop ballots in a USPS mailbox that recently appeared at their Alabama warehouse

    Amazon workers told Vice they feel higher-ups directed them to mail ballots at the mailbox to "monitor us and gauge how many people are using" it.