What Will Sarah Shahi Be Facing in Her New USA Series?
Sarah Shahi
"Laws were made by people, and people are often wrong."
That's the mantra for Sarah Shahi's titular character in USA's new legal drama, Facing Kate. The show, executive produced by Michael Sardo and Steve Sark, focuses on the world of lawyers who, like Kate, resign from practicing law and simply mediate clients' disagreements.
"Mediation is exploding in this country, exploding all over the world," Sardo said Friday at the Television Critics Association fall TV preview. "Kate is someone who rebels against the one-size-fits-all mentality of the law."
"I've been waiting to play a character like this," Shahi said of Kate, who is someone that gravitates towards danger for the greater good. "My history with roles in the past has always been bad girls. I wanted to play something that was similar to me in a way that it was upbeat. She's a beautiful mess. Her flaws, at the end of the day, are what make her interesting."
Kate will be faced with a weekly conflict to resolve, which producers said will stem from questions such as what life is worth and what it means to be a hero. "Each one deals with a fundamental precept of human behavior," Sardo said.
Kate's foils include a stubborn boss who looks at their firm as her child and an ex-husband (Michael Trucco) who just can't let go of his relationship with Kate. "I'm sort of the knight in shining armor to Michael's distress," Shahi said. The couple is going through a divorce, but they're still friends with benefits.
Because of these tricky relationships, Kate throws herself deeply into work. "The busier you are, the less you have to look inside [yourself]," Shahi said.