The Story Behind Countdown's Secret Opening Cameo: 'I Wanted The Audience To Instantly Like This Guy'
The following contains spoilers from the opening minutes of the Countdown series premiere, now streaming on Prime Video.
For weeks, TVLine's Countdown preview coverage has been telling you that the Prime Video thriller is set in motion when an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight.
By a Crock Pot.
OK, he was killed by a bullet. But the ill-fated agent, Robert Darden, was played by Milo Ventimiglia, in a bit of top-secret casting.
Speaking with TVLine ahead of the Prime Video series' premiere, creator Derek Haas said that he had no previous association with the This Is Us alum, but instead was lucky to book him for the small but pivotal role.
"I got really lucky that Milo was available," Haas said. "And he knew ahead of time that this was going to be [only] the first eight minutes of the show."
During his limited screen time, Ventimiglia's Darden — an officer with DHS' U.S. Customs team — was seen sussing out some cargo containers parked at the Port of Los Angeles, and then rendezvousing, while strapped, with a rather sus-looking sort. When said goon and a cohort attempted to get the drop on Darden, a brawl and then a foot chase ensued. Darden effectively evaded his pursuers and breathed easier upon emerging on a busy street, only to take a bullet to the chest at close range.
When Special Agent in Charge Blythe (Euphoria's Eric Dane) assembled task force "Hurricane" — comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural's Jensen Ackles), DEA badass Amber Oliveras (All Rise's Jessica Camacho), DHS intelligence offer Damon Drew (The Chosen's Jonathan Togo), LAPD gangs unit officer Lucas Finau (Young Rock's Uli Latukefu), and FBI agents Evan Shepherd (The Flash's Violett Beane) and Keyonte Bell (The Boys' Elliot Knight) — to look into the shooting, it was learned that Darden recently had his eye on the Los Reyes Nuevos cartel. And that gave the team their first lead to work.
"What I love about Milo — and if you've gotten to spend any time with him, you'll agree — is that within 20 seconds of meeting the guy, you're already, 'I like him!'" notes Haas. And that quality, as an actor, was important to get viewers invested in "Hurricane" ASAP.
"His death is going to inform the rest of this case, it's the kickoff, so I wanted the audience to instantly like this guy," says Haas.
Meanwhile, "For Milo what was fun was getting to be an action star" in those opening minutes, Haas says. "We got to do this giant chase in downtown Los Angeles that he crushed, so that was really cool."
Want scoop on Countdown, or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line!