After spending seven seasons on Blue Bloods as Linda Reagan, Amy Carlson is stepping into a very different first responder role.
Carlson, who played Danny Reagan’s (Donnie Wahlberg) wife until Linda’s off-screen death between Seasons 7 and 8, appears in the season finale of Apple TV+’s Smoke as Captain Emily Pearson, a sharp, no-nonsense leader in the series’ arson investigation unit.
Rather than drawing on her Blue Bloods experience, Carlson prepared for the role by connecting with a real-life arson detective through a friend.
This marks another law enforcement role for the actress, following her performances as a paramedic in Third Watch and a bounty hunter in FBI: Most Wanted. Carlson says she’s drawn to characters who thrive under pressure and pursue the truth with determination.
Inspired by true events, Smoke follows detective Michelle Calderone (Jurnee Smollett) and arson investigator Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton) as they hunt two serial arsonists.
Carlson describes Captain Pearson as fiercely intuitive, uncompromising, and unwilling to tolerate dishonesty. She arrives at every investigation ready to challenge assumptions, demanding precision and accountability from everyone around her.
At the same time, Pearson isn’t flawless. Carlson says creator Dennis Lehane crafted a deeply layered character whose personal mistakes and vulnerabilities make her even more compelling, adding that she’s excited for viewers to see how those flaws shape the story moving forward.
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