Here’s How a Hip-Hop Artist Unknowingly Helped Ramón Rodríguez Get in Character in ‘Will Trent’
One of the buzziest new police procedural shows around, Will Trent is a series that has captivated the attention of fans of all ages. Fresh, funny, and full of romance and drama, Will Trent stars Ramón Rodríguez as the title character. Rodriguez is no stranger to the entertainment industry. In fact, he has enjoyed high-profile roles in TV shows like The Wire, and has become known as something of a heartthrob. His role in Will Trent was new for him, however – and he dove headfirst into preparing to play the part of a dyslexic Special Agent. In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Rodriguez opened up about how he prepared for the series and who his inspiration is for Will Trent’s accent.
What is ‘Will Trent’ about?
Will Trent debuted on ABC on January 3, 2023. The show is based on a novel series by Karin Slaughter, and tells the story of a Special Agent named Will Trent, who rises to success as a brilliant detective, in spite of the fact that he was raised in foster care and is still dealing with the traumatic effects of being abandoned by his parents. Trent manages to make enemies in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation due to his high case clearance rate – but through it all, he remains focused on his job.
Fans gravitated to Will Trent from the start, embracing the quirky character and all of his lovable personality traits. For Rodriguez, playing the role of Will was the chance of a lifetime, and he took preparing for the character very seriously, working with a dialect coach to master Will’s unique accent.
Ramón Rodríguez based his ‘Will Trent’ accent on a famous hip-hop artist
One of Will Trent’s defining traits is his strong Southern accent. In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Rodriguez revealed that he turned to an unlikely source for inspiration on nailing the accent. “One of the first things I wanted to tackle was like, ‘Okay, this guy’s from Atlanta.’ You know, I wanted to be honest about the character,” Rodriguez told Fallon. “So I got a dialect coach to help take away some of my New York Puerto Rican sounds and help me sort of dive into that molasses, beautiful sound that’s rich in the South.”
Rodriguez went on to describe how “We actually found a model. We found…this artist from Outkast, Andre 3000. We used them just as an inspiration. Not trying to copy him, but to find the nuance and specificity of his sound. (We tried) to take some of that and some of the things that we put together to create the sound of Will Trent.”
Will there be a second season of ‘Will Trent’?
Fans are fully invested in Will Trent – and even though the series is relatively new, many have already started speculating that there might just be a second season. Currently, the series has not yet received a renewal notice. However, some outlets are reporting that signs are pointing toward an upcoming renewal announcement for Will Trent. According to Matt & Jess TV Commentary, the show has managed to outperform initial expectations, attracting and retaining viewers at an astounding rate. Couple this with the fact that there is still plenty of source material for the series to draw from in the origin novels, and it seems likely that producers will look to renew Will Trent for a second season.
While they wait for a renewal notice, fans can check out the first season of Will Trent on ABC or stream it on Hulu!
