LOS ANGELES _ In the new Fox legal drama "Proven Innocent," Rachelle Lefevre plays Madeline Scott, who runs an underdog criminal defense firm with a focus on getting innocent people out of jail. At the age of 18, Scott was wrongfully convicted of murder _ along with her brother, Levi (Riley Smith) _ and the pair spent years in jail before being released.
Lefevre's research often included talks with creator and executive producer David Elliot, who has worked as a practicing attorney. That was mixed with her own acting skills, which she found reflects some of the theatrical ways attorneys try their cases. Toss in that the show is filmed in a real courtroom and Lefevre had almost everything she needed.
"It helps that there is a lot of actor in lawyers. I don't know about all of them, but trial lawyers are 100 percent actors," Lefevre says. "What I felt shooting in the real courtroom was the distance from the table you talk from and the judge. You really have to project. You have a certain posture and disposition. There is something about the layout of the courtroom that sort of forces you to do this loud, clear performance. It's almost like public speaking."
The last thing that went into her preparation was calling on roles she played in medical shows such as "Off the Map." She found any role that deals with medicine requires the ability to be able to do lots of research and say big words without knowing their meaning.
Lefevre never worries about doing too much research for a role or having too many outside influences. It all comes down to knowing what to keep and what to reject.
"Every actor has a different limit on how much information they can take in. I feel like I can take in a lot of information because I am so good at throwing it away. I take what I need, what works for me, and throw away the rest," Lefevre says.
She's shown her ability to use just enough background in a long list of TV and film work. Credits for the Canadian actor include "Mary Kills People," "Electric Dreams," "Under the Dome," "White House Down," "Homefront," "Pawn Shop Chronicles," "The Caller" and the first two installments of "The Twilight Saga" franchise.
One of the attractions for Lefevre to "Proven Innocent" was the show focuses on cases of people who potentially were wrongfully sent to jail. That means the cases her firm will be tackling is one where the prosecution has already won.
"I think that that gives it an interesting twist. Rather than assuming the prosecutor is going to lose, we're starting from the opposite of that premise," Lefevre says.
At the same time, Scott tries to find the real murderer from the case that sent her away for a decade. Elliott stresses that element is important because it's not just any murder or any murder mystery, it's the formative event of the main characters' lives.
Working on "Proven Innocent" has given Lefevre a chance to look at the legal system. Her view on that world is relatively positive.
"I am optimistic because through my research because I have seen how many people are working so hard to change the system. There is so much activism. With social media things that are broken are really getting talked about a lot," Lefevre says. "Things have to hit critical mass before you change them and I think that is where we are. I am optimistic because of the people who are working so hard to make changes."
When she is not working on a TV or film project, Lefevre is an animal rights supporter who has been a national spokesperson for Best Friends Animal Society since 2009. She has been on the board of the Environmental Media Association since 2010, working to bring awareness and action surrounding climate change. She also is an active board member of AdoptTogether, the largest nonprofit crowdfunding organization providing families with the financial support needed to complete the adoption process.
The cast also includes Russell Hornsby, who plays the lawyer who helped set Scott free after 10 years in prison, investigator Bodie Quick (Vincent Kartheiser) and communications director Violet Price (Nikki M. James). Kelsey Grammer plays the firm's biggest opponent in court.
