​”Prodigal Son” is a fresh take on a crime franchise with a provocative and outrageous lead character and a darkly comedic tone.​ The series airs Mondays at 9PM ET on FOX and stars Tom Payne in the lead role, along with Michael Sheen, and Lou Diamond Phillips. We sat down with Phillips to discuss his role and how this innovative series will challenge your expectations of a network drama.​

​In “Prodigal Son” Malcom Bright (Tom Payne) has a gift. He knows how killers think and how their minds work. Why? Back in the 1990s, his father was one of the worst, a notorious serial killer called “The Surgeon.” So it makes sense Bright is the best criminal psychologist around; murder is the family business.

Lou Diamond Phillips and Tom Payne

​The only way Bright feels normal is by solving cases with the help of his longtime mentor, NYPD Detective Gil Arroyo (Lou Diamond Phillips). Arroyo’s one of the best detectives around, and he expects no less from his team​.

Phillips in his breakthrough role as Ritchie Valens in “La Bamba”

Phillips​ has had a long successful career as both actor and director. His breakthrough came ​in 1987 ​when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film ​”​La Bamba.​”​ For the Academy Award–nominated ​”​Stand and Deliver​,​”​ Phillips was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won an Independent Spirit Award. He made his Broadway debut with the 1996 revival of ​”​The King and I,​”​ earning a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of King Mongkut of Siam.

‘Jose’ Chavez y Chavez in “Young Guns”

Phillips’ other notable films include ​”​Young Guns​,” “Young Guns II​,​​”​​”Courage Under Fire​,” ​”​The Big Hit​,” Brokedown Palace​,” ​”​Che​,” and ​”​The 33​.” In the​ recent​ television series ​”​Longmire,​”​ he played a main character, Henry Standing Bear.

​HOMBRE: What are your expectations for “Prodigal Son”?
​Lou Diamond Phillips: ​The expectations are very high. The scripts are wonderful​. Our writers have such a great pedigree having done amazing work in the past and they really set out to make this show different. It’s not your typical procedural​ (a genre of television programming which focuses on how crimes are solved​).

​H: ​It feels like a film.
​LDP: ​Exactly. And Lee Krieger had a lot to do with it, our director. It operates on so many levels. It’s a procedural so there’s always a climb and that’s exciting and different​,​ but it’s funny, and it’s character driven. We’re not interchangeable, every character is three-dimensional and very well drawn. And then there’s the​ relationships, the dynamics between everybody are so much fun​.​

​H: How did you prepare for the role?
​LDP: ​Fortunate​ly​ for me I read this role and thought​,​ I know this guy, there’s so much about him that is like me.

Phillips as serial killer Richard Ramirez​

H: How so?
​LDP: Being my age, having children, having to take care of the immediate and extended family​. And I played a lot of cops. Going back to when I rode around with ​D​etective Bob Grogan, who caught the ​H​illside ​S​trangler​.​ I playe​d​ Richard Ramirez, and talked with Gil Carillo who was part of the task force that caught Ramirez, so a lot of my research is in my past​. ​I bring that knowledge and that experience with me and Gil​ ​​(​​my character)​ kind of wears that. He wears it sort of like the vintage clothing that he likes.

​H: Since it’s such a different type of series for network TV, what impact do you think it will have?
​LDP: ​I’m hoping it will do quite well. What’s fun is that F​OX is evolving a little bit and we are very lucky to have  Charlie Collier a​s​ the head of ​the network . It​’​s starting to bring in these streaming and cable sensibilities and I think ​”​Prodigal ​Son”​ is a part of that. ​Its got some darker elements, serialized elements, it​’​s going to be telling some shocking stories, that​’s​ going to be fun​.​

​H: You’ve had such a long and successful career, to what do you attribute your longevity?
​LDP: ​Number one I’ve been very fortunate. ​It’s always been about the work. It hasn’t been about how popular I am at any given moment, how many magazine covers​. It’s been about doing good work and getting enough people to see it. I’ve been fortunate that every good job has led to another good job. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going​. As they say​,​ the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step​.​

​H: Following up on that thought, what advice can you offer aspiring talent?​
​LDP: N​ever quit. ​You have to train, you have to respect the work, you have to respect the craft and the art of acting​,​ film-making, writing, all of it. ​B​ecause you get lucky a couple of times, after that i​t’​s hard work.

​H: Finally, why should audiences tune into FOX on Monday nights for “Prodigal Son”?​
​LDP: T​hey’re going to enjoy it quite a lot​. It​’​s entertaining, it​’​s surprising, it​’​s not your typical television show, and ou​r​ cast is just amazing​.​​ Our cast is wonderful to watch​.​