Denis Leary emphasized that maintaining a genuine military presence is as crucial as delivering laughs in his latest series, Going Dutch. In the show, Leary portrays Army Colonel Patrick Quinn who, after a heated outburst against the Joint Chiefs of Staff, finds himself reassigned to a military base in the Netherlands. Here, he and the troops partake in comedic antics, yet they always respect the essence of the Army.
“Sure, we’re here to entertain and make people laugh, but we’re soldiers first and foremost,” Leary remarked. “We’re in uniform all the time, even when we’re just in the hair and makeup trailer. It’s a helpful reminder of who we are portraying.”
Leary, who also serves as the executive producer alongside creator Joel Church-Cooper, places a high value on the finer details, insisting on including elements that might not even be noticed by viewers.
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“For instance, I wanted a specific prop—a challenge coin linked to my character’s past military achievements in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s something the audience will never see, but it’s important for the authenticity of the character, who carries it daily,” explained Leary.
This attention to detail reminds Leary of his time on the firefighter series Rescue Me, where portraying a fireman went beyond mere acting.
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“Wearing the firefighter gear, you had to embody a firefighter, especially on shooting days. We had real firefighters on set to ensure our portrayal was accurate,” Leary added.
Going Dutch is filmed on an actual Dutch military base, surrounded by the daily operations of real military personnel.
“The base is bustling with activity—jets, cargo planes, tanks. It’s a huge, open, and often windy space. With real soldiers training nearby, it’s quite daunting,” Leary described.
Leary shared that the inspiration for the show came from a real base in the Netherlands that was shut down due to misconduct involving legal local vices.
“This base handled laundry, along with cheese and wine provisioning for other naval bases. Unfortunately, it had to be closed due to issues with prostitution and other illicit activities. They’ve since established a new base nearby, but it faces similar challenges,” he noted.
Going Dutch wrapped up its inaugural season on Fox in March and is available for streaming on Hulu.
Be sure to check back on Monday for the panel video.
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