Legacy’s Miles Gaston Villanueva Talks New Role & Titus Welliver

It started off as 2 episodes, and they continued writing for me, and they wanted to see how it worked between myself and Paul. They loved us together, so they kept it going. The dynamic was an alpha and an up-and-coming alpha. Perry Lopez came from South Bureau, working on gang murders. He’s done great work there, and he’s been promoted to RHD, which is a huge promotion for him, a huge privilege. The elite. Jimmy’s been there, and he’s seasoned. He’s the godfather. Lopez has respect for Jimmy because he leads.

Paul is very decorated, yet made this experience incredibly special and memorable for me, especially as a newcomer in the universe. Titus and Paul are both titans. However, I worked with Paul a lot more. He’s truly an artist with his craft. He’s process-orientated, careful and precise with each moment, each detail — something to which I identify greatly and one quality I love about him most. He has over 40 years of acting experience, someone who just loves the work and the craft of it all. There was always space to talk, and daily, about our characters and their motivations. He told endless stories about his career and his history playing Jimmy. We laughed and connected a lot, too. The bond off camera was just as fulfilling and inspiring — a great man and guide, one whose praises I could not sing enough. He’s going to be in my life indefinitely.

Titus is such a star. He’s got that swag. He has that grounded artistic vibe, that seasoned New York energy, worldly, just like Paul (who also grew up in New York). Stories for days about theater, movies and television shows, offering such colorful insight into our business. He’s so warm, welcoming and present when we are all working, too: one of the most down-to-earth leaders I’ve come to meet, on any set, during the course of my career, and why I believe the show has seen so much success. A special man.

That’s the environment the producers create. Everyone is so brilliant on this show, top-down — casting, staff, crew, actors, truly everyone. The Bosch people make you feel like family. That is so rare in this business. Michael Connelly is prolific; showrunner, Tom Bernardo, is ethereal in his classiness; a leader; ever present and kind. Eric Overymer, Henrik (Bastin), Pieter (Jan Brugge), all these guys, all the producers, it’s just easy. They are good men. I could tell, from day one, this was a tight-knit family, and I was immediately welcomed as part of that family when I begn. Special.

Tim Marcia was a monumental resource for me and for our set. I loved working with this man — another great and classy one on this show. What an encyclopedia of knowledge. A generous and smart man in the field of detective / police work. Patient with the newcomer. He gave us the lowdown on every situation. Interrogations, guns, violence. I was blown away. He has lived it, and was there for us, almost daily — sometimes even in texts and calls I sent his way — to offer so much insight for the sake of specificity and authenticity in story. He was there for that shootout scene in Episode 4, too. We’re shooting this scene with the crash, and then they have stunt people come in to do the actual crash. You get done with a take and your heart is jacked. But you feel supported by people like Tim, so you rise to the occasion. Incredible to me, Callum, the men and women who brave this kind of dangerous and unpredictable work on the daily.

Bosch: Legacy was one that blew my mind, shooting local here in Los Angeles. It’s beautiful to get to shoot such a storied show in the city where your career began. I had a moment when we were shooting downtown. Sitting on a cop car with my badge and gun, coffee in hand, Jimmy‘s strolling up. The crew is buzzing, so many great people working hard, right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. It was a pinch me moment. I was like, “I am lucky to be here, with this group of people, doing this work.” I started here in 2013, Callum, and it was so special, and such an honor, to be shooting a very well-respected show, in the City of Angels, with such invested creatives.