Actors Denis Leary and Ray Romano recently reflected on their time shooting a rugged fight sequence for the upcoming 2024 series No Good Deed. They provided amazing perspectives from their difficult shoot. The even more intimate and personal scene takes place in a bedroom environment. Both actors had to do a lot of fight choreography, which Romano confessed is not his favorite form of acting.
Leary, who has previously collaborated with Romano in five Ice Age films, found himself surprised by the challenges of the fight scene. Prior to filming, the two sat down for a candid discussion. Romano was very open about his concerns of the physical toll the scene would take on him. Even with this hesitance, both actors agreed that they needed to be on set based on the sheer logistics of the shoot.
I can’t! I have a terrible back!” Romano shouted, and the crux of him being nervous about shooting fight choreography at their age really struck the cast. Leary reassured him, saying, “Well we’re not going to go back and say we can’t do a fight scene because we’re too old!” It was their playful interaction that highlighted the fun and friendship they’ve fostered as new cast members in the still-unreleased series.
To get them ready for the intense demands of the busy scene, putting on some safety equipment helped these two actors get real. Romano wore back and shoulder pads, and Leary decided he wanted knee pads. During the shoot, they continually stopped production to relieve their pain with ice packs and Advil. Leary observed that they were “getting up there in age,” which made shooting a dangerous endeavor.
“The stunt guys did as much as they could, but they had to use us, because it’s a bedroom scene, so they were close on our faces,” Leary explained. Due to the closeup nature of the setting, viewers had to see their faces—requiring the audience to witness their fierce commitment to the physically demanding choreography.
Romano confirmed the significance of the scene, stating, “There’s a fight scene, there’s a big fight scene.” As they continued to film, Leary humorously acknowledged that another similar scene was on the horizon: “Well there’s another fight scene, she said, coming up after.”
In the end, both actors realized the fight scene was tougher than they expected. And though the physical labor was an incredible test of their bodies, it actually united them more than ever before. Their mutual background only strengthened their performances in No Good Deed.
