Brenneman Amazed At How 'Amy' Rules

New York Daily News - May 23, 2000

By RICHARD HUFF

The early reviews for "Judging Amy" were lukewarm, and Amy Brenneman had been around the business long enough to know how tough it is for a new show to last a full season.

Frankly, Brenneman hadn't set her hopes on being in a long-running series.

"I just figured we'd do 13 [episodes] and be done by Christmas," she told The News. "Then, about November, I realized it had a life of its own."

The series had more than a life. "Judging Amy" ends its season tonight at 10 p.m. as the most-watched new drama of the year. It has beaten the ABC drama "Once and Again" in head-to-head matchups and has often outpointed "NYPD Blue."

Brenneman said the show's top-ranked status is "sort of overwhelming."

So far this year, "Judging Amy" has averaged 14,007,000 viewers, making it the 24th-most-watched series of any kind on the air.

"Judging Amy" is based on the life and career of Brenneman's mother, a family court judge in Connecticut. Brenneman plays the judge and Tyne Daly ("Cagney & Lacey") plays her mother.

There's little in the story lines that actually comes from Brenneman's mother, although the judge does serve as the show's only technical adviser.

"My mom and I have always been very clear; her main contribution is in the cases," she said. "She's just a happy viewer in that way."

Brenneman has learned what life is like as both a producer and series star. The result: People within the business are taking her seriously.

"The fact that I'm a producer has been as significant as the acting," she said. "It's allowed me to do other things. It's kind of like sitting up at the grownups' table. That's a real shift, and it feels lovely."

Doing both, of course, also means more wear and tear on Brenneman. She has somehow found the energy to pull off a scene as an actor after wearing both hats for 12 hours. And she has also gained a different perspective on the business.

"My needs as a producer are in conflict with my needs as an actor," she said about the conflicts in her duties. "I've learned a lot," she added, citing the difficulty of telling actors they're not right for a part. "I will never take anything personally again," she vows.

Brenneman has found a way to be the producer but avoid being put into spots where she's got to be the bad guy. It's left to others to deal with contract matters, for example. Producer Barbara Hall, meanwhile, lays out the story lines.

"I'm almost embarrassed by the riches of our show," she said. "I would literally say to Barbara, 'I want to do some comedy,' and she'll write me some comedy."

Despite her growing clout, Brenneman isn't looking to capitalize off her power this summer. The heavy workload of "Judging Amy" has left her wanting some time off.

This month she went to Cannes to help promote an upcoming movie, "The Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her," with Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz and Calista Flockhart.

Now, she's heading for a real break.

"I'll be honest. In terms of this hiatus, you have these huge fantasies: 'Oh my God, I'm in a Tom Cruise movie,'" she said. "The truth is, with how I feel, I need to take the hiatus off."


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