Preach, Papa Pope! Rowan Pope is out of prison – and making a comeback. Joe Morton, who plays Olivia Pope’s (Kerry Washington) powerful and conniving father on Scandal, knows his character is terrifying. But that’s half the fun. Morton recently opened up to Us Weekly about the inner-workings of the former B613 commander.
“There are no limits to what he is capable of. He thinks about things in a three-dimensional sort of way. So no matter what the moment is, he’s thinking about where he is, how does he get out from where he is, what his power situation is at the moment and what it’s not, when it’s important to come out of the shadows, and when it’s important to be seen,” Morton, 68, tells Us of Rowan. “He’s sort of always playing this cat-and-mouse game.”
He adds: “He really does believe in the republic and that’s his great fight. He will do anything to save it, protect it, so that he can persevere. If it was the series finale, forever and ever, I would like him to be the last man standing.”
Gladiator fans last saw Rowan handing over incriminating information about senators on the Judiciary Committee in exchange for his freedom. Papa Pope is sure to get his hands bloody once more, and interfere with his daughter’s love life. Morton jokingly tells Us that he’s neither Team Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) nor Team Jake (Scott Foley).
“Rowan gave [Jake] his opportunity and Jake just couldn’t deal with the pressure,” Morton says. “So basically, neither one of them.”
In fact, Morton – who has three children of his own – offered up love advice for the wine-loving Washington, D.C.-based crisis manager.
“No. 1, don’t get hooked up with a married man. That’s not a good idea. And No. 2, I think the responsibility of a father with daughters is to try to get them to see who they are, so that when they choose a lover, it’s not about any sort of need other than something that compliments who they are,” Morton explains. “As I think Kerry has said many times, Olivia’s relationships in the show are all very very unhealthy because clearly she has a very unhealthy relationship with both of her parents.”
Check out the rest of Morton’s Q&A below:
US WEEKLY: Do you stay in character in-between takes?
JOE MORTON: My tendency is to be quiet, and to stay focused and in character. Not the entire time, but certainly to stay focused while I’m on set.
US: Do you have a favorite Rowan line?
JM: I think probably the favorite of all time is, you know, “You’re a boy.” That whole speech.
US: How would you describe Rowan and Jake’s relationship?
JM: They are father and son who sometimes get along, sometimes don’t get along very well. I believe Rowan deals with the [B613 agents], and raises them, if you will, as if they are his children.
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US: What’s been one of your favorite moments with Kerry?
JM: There is something really fun about being in that kind of pressure cooker all of the time….It’s not pain like a masochist or a sadist does, it’s pain that you’ve actually created a sort of tension and a certain kind of relationship between those two characters that never seems to go away, that there is a real even flow between what Kerry and I do. And we never talk about it. We come to the set and go to work.
US: What are you really drinking when characters grab a glass of wine?
JM: I actually enjoy drinking wine and I always have to remind myself that it’s grape juice. I have to remind myself what it actually smells like and remember what it actually tastes like as opposed to what I’m drinking.
US: Are fans scared when they meet you?
JM: It’s kind of like a moth being drawn into a flame….People will come over and they are very friendly. And they will also say, while they’re smiling, that they are a little nervous or that they’re scared.
US: How would you describe Rowan in three words?
JM: Very, very scary.
Scandal airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
