"So we had psychiatrists and counselors and therapists around the set regularly, especially for those scenes in which Jason would be dealing with a patient to make sure we were doing it all appropriately"
About this Quote
There is something quietly radical about an actor admitting the presence of psychiatrists on set: it punctures the old mythology that performance is just talent and instinct. Thicke is describing a production choice, but the intent is reputational as much as artistic. The line is a preemptive credibility shield: we werent just dramatizing mental illness, we were supervised. In an era when TV can turn therapy into plot seasoning or a punchline, the phrase "make sure we were doing it all appropriately" reads like a cultural accountability clause.
The subtext is also about risk management. Scenes where "Jason would be dealing with a patient" carry a double hazard: misrepresenting clinical practice and misrepresenting people in crisis. Bringing professionals "around the set regularly" suggests the show understood that one off consultation isnt enough; accuracy is a process, not a disclaimer. That regularity also signals respect for the audience, many of whom have lived experience with mental health care and can spot lazy tropes from a mile away.
Context matters: this is the television industry learning, sometimes grudgingly, that realism isnt just a texture, its an ethical stance. Thicke frames it in practical terms, but what he is really describing is a shift in who gets to police the story. Not just writers and producers, but the people whose work and patients are being fictionalized. Its a small sentence carrying a larger message: entertainment doesnt get to be careless and then hide behind drama.
The subtext is also about risk management. Scenes where "Jason would be dealing with a patient" carry a double hazard: misrepresenting clinical practice and misrepresenting people in crisis. Bringing professionals "around the set regularly" suggests the show understood that one off consultation isnt enough; accuracy is a process, not a disclaimer. That regularity also signals respect for the audience, many of whom have lived experience with mental health care and can spot lazy tropes from a mile away.
Context matters: this is the television industry learning, sometimes grudgingly, that realism isnt just a texture, its an ethical stance. Thicke frames it in practical terms, but what he is really describing is a shift in who gets to police the story. Not just writers and producers, but the people whose work and patients are being fictionalized. Its a small sentence carrying a larger message: entertainment doesnt get to be careless and then hide behind drama.
Quote Details
| Topic | Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
More Quotes by Alan
Add to List




