Murder 101
Moonlighting
Where Your favorite Stars are Shining After Work
By: Lara DeLosh and Jonathan Reiner
SOW: Nov 1994
Murder is in the air when Another World's Stephen Schnetzer (Cass) and Guiding Light's Fiona Hutchison (Jenna) team up on the Cosby Murder Mysteries Nov 30 to help "The Cos" sleuth out a killer.
In the episode "Mirror, Mirror" Schnetzer plays "twin lawyers who run the law firm of Brackett & Brackett," he explains. [Howie] is found dead at the beginning of the show, setting off an investigation." Howie was the twin everyone liked, while Marty was despised by everyone, including wife Brenda (Hutchison). Guy (Bill Cosby) must figure out if it's a case of mistaken identity, or murder. Could the culprit be Marty or Brenda? "Naturally, it wouldn't do to tip off the ending," Hutchison says with a laugh.
Filmed on location in New York City, a good portion of the episode was filmed outdoors. "That was fun because you're really there, instead of pretending you're outside. I love those outdoor scene shot in soaps studios -- like we are really fooling anybody, "Schnetzer says with a laugh. It was the people they encountered however that made the shoot memorable. "A few people recognized me, but Bill had fans coming out of the woodwork. One guy came out at him doing a Fat Albert imitation, and another guy yelled, 'Jell-O, Bill. Jell-O'. It was fun."
Also fun for him was working with Fiona, "Schnetzer says. "She was great. And it was a thrill to work with Bill. He remembered me from when [The Cosby Show] was taped in Brooklyn (at the same studio AW is produced). He and I used to talk sports and whatnot. He made us all feel very welcome, and is a very generous man."
"He's wonderful," Fiona adds. "He gets to the truth of the scene and makes sure every moment is honest. I think it's because he's a comedian and a good amount of comedy comes from truth. It was remarkable watching him work. It made me say to myself, 'This is why I do what I do'"
Hutchison says that Schnetzer and Cosby were "so funny I was in stitches the whole time."
The project was not without it's challenges. "The tough thing about film is that you have to be as fresh and exciting for each shot as you were the first time," she notes. "But I think it was a refreshing change for Stephen and me to work on something that showcases other talents." *
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