Mr. Monk and the Actor
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| “Mr. Monk and the Actor” | |
|---|---|
| Monk episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 1 |
| Guest stars | Stanley Tucci Susan Ward Andrea Bogart Greg Grunberg Peter Weller |
| Written by | Hy Conrad Joe Toplyn |
| Directed by | Randy Zisk |
| Production no. | 503 |
| Original airdate | July 7, 2006 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty" | "Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike" |
| List of Monk episodes | |
Mr. Monk and the Actor is the first episode of Monk’s fifth season, cleverly recaps pertinent information about the characters and the story thus far as a famous method actor preparing to portray the neurotic detective on film gets a little too into the role. Unusually, the viewer is shown many aspects of the crime(s) (including the actual events and the identity of the killer) before Monk solves the case and explains what happened.
[edit] Episode Trivia
- Disher and others state that Jack met and killed Michelle on a Thursday night (which is consistent with Monk’s Friday therapy session the next day). However, although the time on the camera’s display in the opening is 11:55, matching up with a midnight murder, the date displayed is 7/1/06. Both July 1, 2006 and the alternate interpretation January 7, 2006 were Saturdays.
- This episode, along with the debut of Psych, was available via OnDemand, Comcast’s video on demand service, for a week prior to the July 7th premier.
- Stanley Tucci, the actor who portrays the actor playing Monk, was one of the final three actors considered for playing Monk in the series. Tucci is friends with Shalhoub whom he worked with on several collaborations such as Big Night where he played one half of tempestuous siblings and The Impostors where Tucci once again played an actor who learns of a devious plot, planned by a guest (Shalhoub). Tucci will direct Shalhoub in Blind Date, a drama about a family tragedy.
- The movie being made is based on the crime in Mr. Monk and the Astronaut. One noticeable change is that the original victim was 5'5", the same height as Natalie, but in the movie version, the victim is 5'7", possibly because the actress portraying Natalie was 5'7".
- A running joke in this episode is Lieutenant Disher's frequently expressed desire to be played by Brad Pitt, "if it's in the budget"; however, when the filming begins, it's revealed that the character of Randy Disher has been rewritten as a dishy female Lieutenant, who is having an affair with Captain Stottlemeyer.
