Stanley Tucci won an Emmy for his guest appearance inMonkseason 5, episode 1, “Mr. Monk and the Actor,” which was not only one of the show’s best moments but also a love letter to Tony Shalhoub’s character. WhilerewatchingMonkfrom the startmakes it clear that most of its episodes were very similar, the series would sometimes break out of its formula and have an unforgettable moment. This includes the season 5 premiere, during whichStanley Tucci played an actor who was hired to play Adrian Monk for a television filmabout one of his cases.
Meta on every level, “Mr. Monk and the Actor” is considered one of thebestMonkepisodesand stands out from the rest. Tucci’s David Ruskin, a method actor who will stop at nothing to understand the character he is playing, proves himself to be as fascinating as Adrian but for different reasons. While the episode had a case to be solved – two murders that appeared to be connected – the focus was on the dynamic between Adrian and the actor playing him.David Ruskin wanted to understand who Monk was, which led to both hilarious and emotional scenes.
Tucci Playing An Actor Playing Monk Highlighted How Fascinating Adrian Was
David Ruskin Wanted To Understand Adrian Monk
Although Stanley Tucci’s performance as David Ruskin, who by the end of the episode truly believed he was Adrian Monk, deserves all the praise, “Mr. Monk and the Actor” put into perspective how fascinating of a character Adrian was.By having an actor trying to mimic Adrian’s personality and behavior followed by a surprisingly deep character study of the detective,Monkshowed that its titular character was even more complex than it seemed. David soon realized that there was way more to Adrian than being a good detective with “quirks.”
Stanley Tucci was not the only guest star to win an Emmy forMonk;John Turturro won an Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series Emmy for his role as Ambrose Monk.
Rather than focusing on mimicking the way Adrian walked or talked, David Ruskin wanted to understand why he was like that. The actor needed to know why Adrian continued to workon cases and what drove him now that his wife was gone. In an emotional scene in which David discoversMonk’s file on Trudy’s unsolved case, the actor finally gets why Monk does what he does. Adrian Monk was making up for not catching Trudy’s killer with each case he solved, but they were never enough. David’s performance became so spot-on, that he started to believe he was Adrian.
Stanley Tucci’s Monk Character Was A Love Letter To Tony Shalhoub’s Performance
Tucci Wasn’t Playing A Parody Of Adrian Monk
“Mr. Monk and the Actor” is one of many examples of how great of an actor Stanley Tucci is, but it is also a homage to the character Tony Shalhoub helped build during those first four seasons. Tucci is not playing a parody of Adrian – he is playing someone who truly wants to understand that fascinating character. The episode does have fun with its premise, especially afterDavid starts to dress like Monk.However, those funny moments don’t undercut the emotional weight that comes with the deconstruction ofAdrian Monk’s character.
“Mr. Monk and the Actor” ends on a bittersweet note as Adrian questions whether he could’ve saved Trudy.
The case itself was not that interesting compared to everything else that happened in the episode. At first, Adrian was more worried about impressing the famous actor that Trudy was once a fan of. As the episode goes on, what Natalie warned Adrian about becomes true. David, who had already gone into trouble when playing real-life people due to his method of acting, got lost in Adrian’s character and believed he needed to find the man who killed Trudy. “Mr. Monk and the Actor” ends on a bittersweet note as Adrian questions whether he could’ve saved Trudy.
Tucci & Shalhoub’s Friendship Made “Mr. Monk And The Actor” Even Better
“Mr. Monk and the Actor” was an amazing episode, but the behind-the-scenes story behind it makes it even better.Monkwas not Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci’s first time working together, as they had already shared the screen in 1996’sBig Night. Shalhoub and Tucci, both of whom had a theater background, remained friends and would then reunite for aMonkepisode. During an interview withIGNahead of season 5’s premiere, Tucci joked about how it was“awful”working with Shalhoub, and that he didn’t want to do it again.
One Of Monk’s Best Villains Was Played By The Last Person You’d Expect
Adrian Monk faced many memorable criminals over the show’s eight seasons, with one of the best played by this surprising actor and comedian.
Tucci continued to tease Shalhoub by saying that he wanted to prove that playing Adrian Monk wasn’t hard. Shalhoub explained that he tried to get Tucci on the show several times, but it never worked out. Tucci then noted that David Ruskin was the right character for him to play on the show, and fortunately, they were able to make it happen. The result was one ofMonk’s greatest moments.
Monk
Cast
Starring Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, Monk follows the titular detective, a private investigator with OCD who helps solve crimes with the San Francisco Police. On the side, he also investigates the death of his wife, who was killed by a car bomb. Bitty Schram, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford also star.
