Terry Serpico has one of those faces – you may have seen him in Michael Clayton, Donnie Brasco, all of the Law & Order series, and Rescue Me – but it’s his performance as Frank Sherwood on Army Wives that has taken his career to the next level.

Al Norton: It must have been great to get the scripts at the start of the season and see how much more of a storyline Frank was getting.

Terry Serpico: I was just thrilled to death…First of all, we were getting our scripts on time this year (laughing). That was a problem last year. And that there was such juicy stuff for Frank and Denise to deal with…Over the last two years as a recurring guest on the show I was actually quite busy but to be a regular on the show this season was a real affirmation for me that they respected my work and the part that I played on the show.

The opportunity to deal with a marriage that is an example of how difficult relationships are in the military was a real thrill for me. To be able to bring that to life…It’s an extraordinarily difficult lifestyle on the families and it’s very hard to maintain viable relationships in that kind of environment so to get the opportunity to play that was a real thrill.

Al Norton: Frank is obviously a very emotional character but one who plays his emotions very close to his chest; are there challenges to playing a character like that?

Terry Serpico: I would have to agree with you – I think that’s a good assessment – Frank does indeed play his card very close to his chest, and I’m glad you recognize that he’s an emotional person. He’s very black and white. There’s a distinct personality type that joins the military and that wants to make the military a career, as Frank desperately does. That personality type is generally not an emotionally demonstrative person but let’s not forget that Frank is just totally in love with his wife. His sense of duty and honor to the military is surpassed only by his sense of duty and honor to his family.

I think Frank is a bit of an interesting character for television because you do get this sense of his code of honor, of his sense of decorum and protocol, but by the same token he can be very emotional and very loving. I think that’s something that is lost as people interpret Frank. They don’t read between the lines, they don’t see past his gruff exterior and lose sight of the fact that he is a deeply sensitive person who so very much loves his family.

Al Norton: One of my favorite things about the writing on the show, and to be honest, the way you play Frank, is that the little things are done right. There was a scene early this season where Frank and Jeremy are talking and Jeremy says something disrespectful about his Mother and Frank just snaps at him, saying, basically, “I don’t care what’s going on with us, you don’t talk about your Mother that way.”

Terry Serpico: What a thrill for me that that’s a scene that stood out to you; that’s one of my favorites from the season as well, I think because to a great degree I could hear my Father’s own voice in that scene. My Father was a 26 year Army veteran, retired a full Colonel in the US Army. He was a hardass Army officer, and ironically enough is name is Frank. I am very much playing my Father and in that scene specifically I felt like I could here his voice saying, “regardless of what has happened you will respect your Mother, do you understand me?”

Al Norton: How do you think Frank has changed over the show’s three seasons?

Terry Serpico: There is a season this season where Frank picks Denise up on a motorcycle and she says, “where is this coming from?” and he says, “it’s all about situational awareness.” Knowing when something isn’t working, you have to be willing to change your direction. I think that’s very much out of the Officer’s Handbook but it’s also part of his learning process. He may understand that in the field but I don’t think he had applied that to his personal life yet. For him to go ahead and take that directive and be able to apply that to his marriage was a real leap for him and that’s a big part of his changing. He is beginning to see himself as more than just an Officer and a provider, he’s seeing himself as a husband and a father in ways that perhaps he hadn’t before.

Al Norton: What sort of feedback have you received on the show, both from fans and from your Dad?

Terry Serpico: My Dad is very proud of the show. He watched and he is a fan. He believes the show fills a void in how the American public views the military and military families. He’s also proud of the fact that we are trying to address some of the issues that effect soldiers directly, in particular PTSD. My Father’s almost 80 years and his PTSD from his tours in Viet Nam has reoccurred; the guy wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares and the smell of blood in his nostrils.

Frank’s son Jeremy on the show has been dealing with it and we will be delving into it deeper. It’s like my Dad says, “it’s such a nebulous thing, it’s like a ghost.” It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it but it just doesn’t go away. Years past it would have been called shell shock and people would have dealt with it and tried to get over it but there’s a stat out now that something like 90% of soldiers returning from our various theaters of operation are experiencing some form of PTSD.

Al Norton: Are you getting feedback about what’s going on with Denise and Frank?

Terry Serpico: Oh certainly. People are very pleased – in particular a great number of our female fans are very pleased – that Frank has found it in his heart to forgive Denise and work on their marriage.

Al Norton: They’re both very good shows but you probably couldn’t get more of a change of pace going from Army Wives to Rescue Me.

Terry Serpico: No, I don’t believe there could be more of a change of pace. They’re both wonderful situations to be working in. As an actor to be employed on two shows is great but to be working with two extraordinary groups of people is just wonderful. Rescue Me is a different show, a different audience, and a difference character. The style of work is very different, too. Rescue Me is very loose; we joke that the script is just kind of a guideline (laughing).

Al Norton: Is it hard to keep a straight face during some of the scenes? I am thinking of the Denis Leary’s speech that ends with the entire family drinking again.

Terry Serpico: What a messed up family (laughing). The Gavins are just beautifully dysfunctional. Yes, it is a tough show to keep a straight face and because of that kind of thing it takes us longer to shoot than an average show. We’ve got these wonderfully comedic actors on the show, several of whom are actual stand up comedians, so I spend the time between takes laughing and going along for the ride.

Al Norton: You’ve not only appeared on all three Law and Order series but multiple times on each, every time playing a different character.

Terry Serpico: I think I’ve done Special Victims three times and the other two twice.

Al Norton: When you show up is it ever confusing as to who you are playing this time?

Terry Serpico: No, but I wish that it was (laughing). You go in, you do your work, and you try to make the character you are playing at the time as real as possible without really thinking about where you have been in the past.

Al Norton: Tell me a little bit about The Men Who Stare At Goats? It’s got one of the best casts I’ve ever seen (George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges).

Terry Serpico: It’s really a phenomenal cast. I tell people it’s like the Catch 22 for our era of persistent conflict. It’s absurd in many ways but that it’s to a great degree a true story is what is truly shocking. It’s basically about a division within the military that they call psy-ops (psychological operations) where they’re investigating the possible uses of everything from ESP to remote viewing to being able to affect the outcome of events with one’s mind. They call themselves “Jedi.” The film itself is very funny and it’s great to work with these guys.

Al Norton: Can you give me a preview of Sunday’s Army Wives season finale?

Terry Serpico: In the season finale there are very real questions as to how well my character’s son, Jeremy, is handling the loss of his friend in Iraq and to what extent he’s suffering from PTSD. There are also questions regarding the future of Pamela and Chase’s relationship but I can’t give anymore away! We are so proud of this season and very excited to get back to work on season 4 in January.