Ally's cat? Jon Bon Jovi joins cast of 'Ally McBeal'

Published in the Asbury Park Press 1/13/02

By KELLY-JANE COTTER MUSIC WRITER

The FOX series "Ally McBeal" is part comedy, part drama, part karaoke night.

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ALLY McBEAL Starring Calista Flockhart and featuring Jon Bon Jovi 9 p.m. Sunday FOX Channel 5

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Characters frequently burst into song or plunge into hallucinations, the better to illustrate the neuroses of modern living.

Now that Jon Bon Jovi has joined the cast of David E. Kelley's hit series, it remains to be seen how Ally and her cynical cohorts will adapt to the straight-talking, down-to-earth guy that the rock star will portray.

Bon Jovi himself admits he didn't really watch the show before accepting the role. So far, he said, his story lines have been serious.

"It's very dramatic," the Monmouth County resident said. "I don't do the quirky comedy thing."

Judging from his performances in movies, Bon Jovi could be a breath of fresh air for "Ally McBeal." Although his music traditionally has been scrutinized -- and skewered -- by critics, his acting has generated near universal praise, with critics citing his poise and his natural delivery.

Bon Jovi, who turns 40 on March 2, began his acting career in the late '80s. He has appeared in 11 films and video features. His first bona fide character role was in the 1995 film "Moonlight and Valentino," in which he played a painter.

The recurring role on "Ally McBeal" is his episodic television debut. His first episode airs at 9 p.m. tomorrow on FOX Channel 5.

"I'm Victor Mars, a plumber/handyman," Bon Jovi said, calling during a break from taping on the set in Los Angeles.

A handsome working-class guy? Like in "Moonlight and Valentino?" Why not go against type and cast Bon Jovi as a sneaky, high-powered lawyer?

"No, I didn't want to be a lawyer," the Sayreville native said. "On lawyer shows, you can't tell one from another. And, unlike 'Moonlight and Valentino,' my character is Zen-like. He's the voice of reason."

That should provide a nice foil to neurotic Ally. And from what Bon Jovi understands, Victor might become a boyfriend as well.

"She buys a house and I was hired by the bank to fix it up," he said. "What starts as a love-hate relationship -- she hates me and I like her -- will eventually, I'm told, turn into something more romantic."

Bon Jovi expressed respect for Kelley ("The guy's amazing. He simultaneously writes three shows on a piece of legal paper with a ballpoint pen"), and said the challenge of a TV series intrigued him.

"With a movie, you can read the script and find out the whole story," he said. "With TV, you don't know where it's going next week. And the way David Kelley works is he creates a character based on you and your ability, based on what he finds out as he works with you."

Bon Jovi is scheduled to appear in nine episodes.

"I have no idea if we're on four, five or six right now," he said. "We go back and forth, and if David Kelley finishes an episode but doesn't like it, he'll do it over."

Therefore, Bon Jovi has no idea when he'll get back home to Middletown. "The man behind the curtain controls my destiny," he said with a laugh. A devoted New Jerseyan, Bon Jovi recorded his last album, "Crush," entirely in his home studio.

He and his bandmates -- Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres -- are itching to record the follow-up to the tremendously successful "Crush" and Bon Jovi has resigned himself to recording in California.

"We're going to have to do it simultaneously, the album and 'Ally McBeal,' " he said. "We've written close to 30 songs and unlike 'Crush,' where we wrote 60 to get 12 good ones, we've got it now."