We fell in love with him as Stanley on the very much buzzed about MTV series, Skins…but now Danny Flaherty has taken on a new role in the season premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent! Danny plays Taylor, a kid who becomes the suspect of recent violent acts after his unstable father’s meltdown threatens the family’s finances.
The season premiere airs in just 2 days and Danny has given Hollywood the Write Way readers a preview of what to expect! He also talks briefly about his music ventures, which I am so excited about, especially after watching this performance.
Photo Credit: David Kaptein
This kid is talented! I don’t know what I am more excited about, a possible season 2 of Skins or Danny’s album debut with his band. Until both takes place, we’ve got Law & Order: Criminal Intent to look forward to…
Starting off with Law & Order: Criminal Intent, what are characteristics stand out for your character, Taylor?
He’s really caught up in an emotional war because his father is going crazy and he really loves his mother but he really dislikes his father, so there’s a big tug and pull between each parent since they fight a lot. He has all of this emotional stress while he’s trying to keep his mother safe.
What most intrigued you about the relationship between Taylor & his parents?
It’s such a crazy thing, this teenager going through all of this stuff. It’s kind of the same with Stanley but this is more of a problem towards his parents so it’s nice to play this type or role but in a different aspect. It’s been really interesting to play something different and still kind of the same.
What did you take away from Skins that you applied on the set of Law & Order: CI?
Skins was my first big TV production so I learned a lot just from working there. So I was really focused on set. I knew what I was doing when I was going in since I had worked on Skins for so long over the summer. It has been a great preparation for this big experience since Law & Order: Criminal Intent is such a huge show. I’m so thankful for this part.
Had you seen this show beforehand or watched any of the other Law & Order shows prior to being cast?
Not Criminal Intent as much as SVU. My parents love the show too.
So what was it like working with Jay Mohr who plays your father in the episode?
He was hilarious and super nice. It was so surreal working with such a big actor. He’s very inspirational. It was pretty amazing.
How has your life changed and your high school life change since making your TV debut in Skins?
I come from a small town. I only have about 100 kids in my grade. The only thing that’s really changed is that when we’re in the hallway, they’ll call, “Stanley.” But there’s really no big difference. Besides that, people still treat me the same so it’s great. ‘m just trying to pass high school, ya know?
Had you seen the original series before signing onto the show?
Oh yeah. My brothers and sisters had a friend who was obsessed with Skins and told us that we had to watch it. That was the first time that I watched it. Once I heard about this part, I started watching it again, then I went to the open call and since then, it’s been awesome.
Because the show is so risqué, what did your parents think of you taking on this role?
(laughs) Yeah. They loved the original Skins, they were addicted. And they support me as an actor since it’s my dream and it’s something that I’ve really want to do. They have been helping me out the whole way so it has been great.
Do you plan on doing anymore work to spread awareness for causes such as poverty awareness like you did in your documentary, Without a Home?
Yeah, I’d like to do a film when I’m older. I am planning on going to film school because I want to be a director. I definitely want to keep spreading awareness about poverty and helping people.
How did you become so interested in poverty awareness?
I grew up in New Jersey, so I visit the city a lot where I witnessed a lot of homeless people at a young age so I wanted to help.
Lastly, what’s going on with your NJ based band, MF Killer Starfish? What’s your favorite venue to play?
I played at the Knitting Factory in New York one time and that was really cool. But my band as changed around since then so we’re trying to find our sounds now. We’re jammin’ all of the time. We’re planning on recording this summer.
Watch Danny in the season premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 9/8c on USA.