X
  • Culture
  • TV & Movies
  • Entertainment

Dylan McDermott talks about The Practice and his Netflix show Hollywood

The Emmy Award-nominated actor discusses his character in the new series Hollywood, what The Practice means to him now and filming the Venus and Serena Williams biopic King Richard with Will Smith.

Headshot of Patrick Holland
Headshot of Patrick Holland
Patrick Holland Managing Editor
As Managing Editor, I lead CNET's mobile team, covering news and reviews on smartphones, wireless carriers, AI, wearables and more. I oversee the team's product testing and translate our findings into accessible recommendations. With nearly a decade of experience at CNET, I've covered Apple and the iPhone, Google and the Pixel, Samsung and the Galaxy, Motorola and the Razr, iOS vs. Android and much more. I'm passionate about storytelling (hey, former theater director and playwright here).
Expertise Apple | iPhone | iOS | Android | Samsung | Sony | Google | Motorola | Interviews | Coffee equipment | Cats Credentials
  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland
2 min read
dylan mcdermottt

Dylan McDermott plays a pimp, producer and actor in the new Netflix series Hollywood.

 Mike Pont

When it comes to actors, Dylan McDermott's long and varied career is something of a rarity. He's worked successfully in films like Steel Magnolias, Wonderland and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In the late '90s and early 2000s, when network TV was on the decline, he starred in the hugely popular ABC show The Practice. And more recently he's found his groove acting in shows on Netflix like American Horror Story and The Politician. 

So it's no surprise to see him portray a pimp-producer-actor in the new Netflix show Hollywood. In an interview on CNET's new podcast I'm So Obsessed, McDermott explained the concept behind the new show.

This story is part of I'm So Obsessed (subscribe here), our podcast featuring interviews with actors, artists, celebrities and creative types about their work, career and current obsessions.

"Well the whole show centers around Hollywood, hence the title," McDermott says. "It really is a revisionist story of Hollywood in the 1940s. What if women, people of color, gays were treated equally."

Hollywood reunites McDermott with Ryan Murphy, the producer and creator behind American Horror Story and The Politician. McDermott describes Murphy as a genius and says that the key to their continued collaborations is trust.

Read: CNET's Hollywood review: Intriguing Netflix miniseries dreams up alternate film history

My interview with McDermott was recorded at the beginning of April. In it we discuss how he prepared for his role in Hollywood, which included having underwear specially made for his character. The Emmy-nominated actor also talks about his mother, playwright Eve Ensler, starring with Will Smith in King Richard, the Venus and Serena Williams biopic scheduled for release next year, and the challenge of maintaining a street that was named after him.

Listen to my entire conversation with McDermott on Spotify or in the player embedded above, and subscribe to I'm So Obsessed on your favorite podcast app. In each episode we catch up with an artist, actor or creator to learn about their work, career and current obsession.