The Lincoln Lawyer, released in 2011, was an adaptation of the 2005 novel by Michael Connelly and was directed by Brad Furman (The Take). The film stars Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, who’s not your typical lawyer but makes his way through Los Angeles criminal courts fighting cases out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car. Cisco: The Unsung Hero of The Lincoln Lawyer
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Who is Cisco?
The Lincoln Lawyer had an investigator named Cisco, who’s written as a quirky, technical-genius character who comes up with some interesting evidence. In real life, that role is played by Angus Sampson, who actually acts as Mickey Haller’s own investigator in real life. We don’t hear much about him until later in the movie when he shows up at Mickey’s office and shows him some data from his computer – it turns out he was looking into McDeere to prove that he killed his wife so he could get a better deal from prosecution. What you didn’t know is that Sampson plays several characters in other movies including Simon Pegg and Jason Statham’s bodyguard and Family Guy writer Steve Callaghan.
How did the role come about?
I actually met Brad Furman in Australia. He was there to look at another Australian actor for a movie he was casting. After several meetings, he decided I was perfect for his next project – called ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’. He sent me some pages and I wrote to him saying it was an amazing part and that I couldn’t wait to do it. When Brad told me who would be playing opposite me, as Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey),
my head almost exploded with excitement. There aren’t many people you’d jump at the chance to work with more than McConaughey… Add to that Marisa Tomei and William H Macy – what more could you ask for? It was an incredible opportunity.
What was it like working with Matthew McConaughey?
He is a very grounded, nice and approachable guy. He has no airs or graces, and he’s completely down to earth and real. We worked closely together on our scenes in The Lincoln Lawyer, which involved getting in and out of police cars quickly and efficiently over 100 times! It was hard work but it was fun working with Matthew McConaughey. Angus Sampson as Cisco in The Lincoln Lawyer 2011
What were some challenges faced in filming?
When filming Angus, did you see any similarities between him and his character in The Lincoln Lawyer? What about differences? We’ve heard that he’s quite a joker. Did you get to see that side of him?: Working with Miles Jacoby was also a lot of fun. He plays Marconi and is considered an expert in his field. Are there any other Australian actors or movies you would like to work with in future?: What sort of research did you do for your role as Cisco Cortez?: Can you share some behind-the-scenes stories from set?: Working on The Lincoln Lawyer was one of my favorite movie experiences ever! My hat goes off to Marty, Brad and Aaron for creating such a great film!
Would you work on another film with Matthew McConaughey?
I wouldn’t hesitate to jump at a job with McConaughey. I think he is one of those rare actors who is able to lose himself in a role and make it his own. He has that rare quality where you forget that you are watching an actor. As for working with him again, I would hope so. If they approached me, which they probably won’t because lawyers don’t really make it into films often, I would be only too happy to do it again.
Do you have any upcoming projects or roles in mind?
Yep, I’m doing a comedy series called Super Fun Night on ABC in America. It’s with Rebel Wilson who is pretty much a sensation over there. We play three friends who go out every Friday night but it just never seems to work out for them! I can’t give too much away but there are definitely some laughs along with a few heavy topics touched upon in each episode. Super Fun Night starts airing on October 2nd in America and will air here (in Australia) later on. My character doesn’t appear until about half way through season one so make sure you catch up before that episode airs!!
Solving Murders with Cisco: An Interview with Angus Sampson
Cisco, the private investigator on the hit television show Murdoch Mysteries, played by actor Angus Sampson, seems to solve more murders than Detective Murdoch does! But how exactly does he do it? I decided to interview Sampson about his character and what he brings to the table. Here’s what we talked about…
What is it like being in a Brad Peyton movie?
Brad (C.R.) Peyton is an incredibly exciting director to work with—he’s very visionary, and he gets his actors involved in every aspect of film-making, from creating their own characters to coming up with story-lines to writing songs for soundtrack. Working on a Brad Peyton movie isn’t just about telling a great story; it’s about living it. It was a lot of fun, though. I made some lifelong friends on that set.
How do you prepare for your role?
I really try to make an effort to let things sit for a while, so that I can come back to them and give them another look. I think it’s important not just in investigating a case but in how we approach our roles as actors. With Fargo, you’ve got one season at best, you’ve got these extraordinary characters that were created by Noah Hawley, Joel and Ethan Coen and their incredibly strong writing staff. You kind of want to be very careful about how you approach those characters.
What was it like working with Dwayne Johnson?
I had a great time working with Dwayne Johnson. I think he’s an amazing actor and it was an honor to work with him on our film. It was also my first time meeting him and he has been very warm and friendly since we met. In between takes, he never stopped joking around which made for some pretty memorable moments on set.
Who plays Cisco in the Lincoln lawyer?
Season 2 of The Lincoln Lawyer was released on DVD and Blu-ray last week, so I thought it would be fun to catch up with one of my favorite characters, Jerry Edgar (Cisco). The lovable investigator is played by Australian actor Angus Sampson, who fills me in on his experience working on such a successful show.
Who is Dennis Wojciechowski?
Dennis Wojciechowski is an award-winning screenwriter, author and film producer. His books have been #1 bestsellers on four continents, and he has been writing for Hollywood for more than 20 years.
Meet the Crew
There’s a solid chance you haven’t seen ‘Fargo’ if you’re not from North America. It was first released in 1996 and currently there are two seasons out on DVD for your viewing pleasure. Like all good crime drama shows, it stars an excellent supporting cast including Jean Smart as Officer Molly Solverson, Allison Tolman as Deputy Molly Solverson, Colin Hanks as Gus Grimly, Joey King as Greta Grimly and many more. And then there’s Peter Stormare who plays Marge Gunderson’s brother, how can you go wrong? Aside from acting in Fargo , Sampson is also one of its producers so we thought we’d ask him some questions about how he created a great show.
Where’s Cisco during the film?
Cisco, Mickey’s friend and go-to investigator, isn’t actually seen in Hot Fuzz during most of it. He arrives at a pivotal point late in act one, during the Horny Husband case. When Lady station member Danny is killed by an unseen assailant after receiving a phone call from Bexhill, his co-workers quickly suspect foul play. The local police disagree—understandably so given their limited resources—and believe Danny may have died of natural causes or even suicide. Chief Inspector Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent) suspects they’re barking up the wrong tree and enlists private investigator Thomson (Nick Frost) to aid him in uncovering what he believes is clearly a homicide.
How Many Times Does He Appear?
In most episodes, there are two murders to be solved and therefore two crime scenes. In those episodes where a single death occurs (Murder on the Princess Aurora), there is only one crime scene to investigate. At least, that’s how it works in theory. So far, at least one instance of repeated material has occurred on each season
