Entertainment One and FOX Entertainment’s ‘Deputy’ directed and produced by David Ayer, blends the spirit of a classic Western with a modern-day attitude and emotionally driven, visceral storytelling anchored with ambitious and complicated characters who won't rest until justice is served.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is one of the largest police forces in the world, but when the elected Sheriff dies, an arcane rule in the county charter, forged back in the Wild West, suddenly the most unlikely man steps into the job. BILL HOLLISTER (Stephen Dorff, "True Detective," "Star"). He’s a fifth-generation lawman, Bill is only interested in justice at all costs. The bad guys don't stand a chance, but neither do the politicos in the Hall of Justice.

The dangers associated with the job often lead the police to LA County General Hospital, where Bill buts heads with Dr. PAULA REYES (Yara Martinez, "Jane the Virgin," "True Detective"), the hospital's chief trauma surgeon – and his wife.

Yara Martinez and Stephen Dorff sat with us at a recent Roundtable at The Fox Winter TCA to talk about ‘Deputy,’ their characters and the chemistry of them as a family and a couple in high stakes jobs.

Question: So you sewed a banana? (To Martinez)
Yara Martinez: Pretty much... like, just watched this video that she sent me and I was like trying to figure it out.

Q: Just banana? Any plantain?
YM: No, no plantains... was, it was, just a banana, a solid yellow banana. Yeah, for a surgical thing that I have.

Q: So, you’re a surgeon, I want to know how difficult is it to memorize all these multi syllable words?
YM: For me, it's very difficult. And thankfully, I don't have too much of those words on this show. What I do is say them out loud, like, the entire day before, like, over and over. I'm like that annoying person. Like, I'll be in the grocery store and I'm just saying the words and I'm just like talking to myself. Anything that's emotional, emotionally driven it’s super easy for me. But stuff like that... I'm like, I just don't want to sound like an idiot, you know? So yeah, it's actually pretty hard for me.

Q: So, what was it like to prepare for this role? Especially because so many things that happen in real life? And then to try I mean, there's so much to work with because of what you see in TV and what you see in the news and what you see what's going on. How was it to develop your characters and building them, and try to really bring them grounded to what reality is.
Stephen Dorff: I mean, you know, first off it's the stories that kind of set with the backdrop of the LA Sheriff's Department. So the first step for me was to learn about that department, to learn about them, I played law enforcement in different variations over the years in films and stuff; I have the utmost respect for people that put their lives on the line for strangers, basically, people that will never meet these people... that's just a really admirable part of, I think all these guys whether you're a fireman, whether you're, you know, 911 emergency, the team, whether you're the Sheriff Department, LAPD, and then you know, you break down as far as jurisdictions and all the things the Sheriff's Department has, like I said up on stage, I just didn't know about it, I didn't realize how much bigger they were than the LAPD... the LAPD is really the size of an ant next to the Sheriff’s Departments power and jurisdiction, and scope.

YM: Yeah, it's interesting because the pilot you know, you get the part but it has to go, the show has to go to the network, so there's so many people involved and it just feels like everyone's a little tense you know, and it's hard to relax.... it was a horrible process, um, it's... it's anti-intuitive, like for an actor like because you just feel tight, you know, and you need to, I think for anything in life to do well, you need to be relaxed and open. One thing that I appreciate is obviously having Steven as a partner and David, because they, I mean, and Bill Hollister I feel like the three of you... something you guys have in common is that there's no room for bullshit. Like, even if it's this line, that it's just like, how is that going to come out? You know, and like, you just cut the fat out of it. It's like it's straight to the truth of the scene. So I really appreciated having them in the pilot for that, cuz I'm not a huge fan of doing pilots like that. Anyway, um, but then after we've made it through...we got it, we've been in a groove and I feel like super comfortable with Stephen. And also more more comfortable bringing more of Yara to Paula, you know, which I think you kind of see more as the episodes go along.

Q: You mention about, you know, wanting to have a positive portrayal of the Sheriff’s Department and especially touching on, on your friends service and whatnot. And the sacrifices these men and women have, and commit to for to the safety of our county. And David also touched on the fact that he wanted people to be encouraged to, you know, call the police.
SD: They said that, because that's really what we're doing. We're not the federal government, where it's not our job to disrupt, you know, 9 million families and you know, to get one bad apple, and I think that's what Bill is talking about in the pilot. He's going on instinct, but his instincts are true, you know, it's like if we do our homework, and we know where the bad guys are, we'll go get them.

Q: Talk more about the family dynamic because both of your characters have hot, very high stress jobs, and usually most relationships can’t last that way.
SD: Well, there's probably a divorce episode coming down. (Laughs)

YM: Drink a lot. (Laughs)

SD: And I think when they get stressed with each other, they'll come to an agreement. To respect each other and they love each other. And part of what I love the most about the home scenes is that you see Bill as a person, not just the tough guy, not just the guy that's doing crazy stuff.

YM: And seeing him with Valeria, who plays Maggie really brings out like a beautiful sweet side to him. Like when I see those scenes, it's really really sweet, which I think makes you care about them.

SD: Yeah, I really love that Bill has a daughter instead of a son in a weird way because it brings out a sensitive protective thing in a different way. I think anytime you have, I don't have children but, I am playing dads a lot now that I'm old, but I know there's something about a father and a daughter. It's a really intimate relationship and she's really great Valeria.

YM: She's amazing. I just think the fact that they deal with these high stakes, like people can't usually relate to people's jobs, but they can, they can be there for each other, you know. So I think that's something that's really beautiful to explore.

SD: I look forward to all the home scenes with the gals because they're great. And we have a really great, really natural, kind of effortless chemistry. It's, I mean, I actually look forward to those things more than just hanging out of a chopper, you know, with an AR 15. I mean, those are fun to, you know, done all that in movies forever. This is kind of cool to explore the two sides to see, see the man at home and the strength that these women give to him to be able to then go and sit up and do this job every day. Your pillars... Well, I think you need those, you know.

Tune in to Deputy on FOX, Thursdays at 9/8c!