Steven Pasquale

Don't worry, we cringed too when Steven Pasquale burst into song in the latest episode of Rescue Me.

But once the shock wore off — and we realized that Pasquale could still make Sean Garrity hilariously stupid while singing — it became apparent that creators Denis Leary and Peter Tolan had put some thought into the song-and-dance routines. (That's right, routines; there are more to come.)

"Those would be my fault," Tolan told TVGuide.com. "We were sort of looking for a way to showcase Steve's singing, and this seemed like the most natural way — these fantasies while he was being prepped for surgery or after. The good thing is they're all on story. The first one is more naturalistic — there's sort of an MTV feel to the second half of it, but it feels a little more grounded. Then they just spin out of control."

Pasquale has a history with ... read more 15 Comments

Rescue Me fans have laughed at Sean Garrity for five seasons, but with the revelation in Tuesday's episode that Garrity has kidney cancer, Steven Pasquale's character will be more than just a punch line.

Despite the heavy subject matter, Pasquale says playing this story arc is "great fun." He particularly enjoyed the emotional breakdown at the doctor's office when Garrity learns his problems are more serious than just back pain. "I've been playing such comic relief on the show for so many years that it was good to get back to having some really serious material for a couple of episodes," Pasquale told TVGuide.com.

But don't look for Garrity to stay weepy ... read more 5 Comments