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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Jeff Wilbusch said his Talmudic detective character in The Calling, premiering Thursday, has powers that any viewer can develop if they're so inclined. "It's definitely universal intuition that any person can develop," Wilbusch, 34, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "I think Avraham was intuitive and was empathetic before he became religious."
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Wilbusch plays NYPD Detective Avraham Avraham, or Avi for short. His study of the Talmud gives Avi insight into people that he uses to interview witnesses and suspects.
"I think religion is an important part of his life but it's just a part of his character," Wilbusch said. "Wisdom and intuition are something that every human has, and I think Avi is also quoting philosophers from different cultures."
Avi's captain, Kathleen Davies (Karen Robinson), deploys Avi when traditional detective work hits a wall. Robertson said she's not so sure every person has the capacity to learn to be like Avi.
"I think that's the thing that differentiates Avi from the rest of us and any character," said Robinson, 54. "It takes a very particular kind of person to do so because it also costs."
Robinson said The Calling also shows how Avi's gift isolates him from others. Avi can overstep at times, but Robertson said that dynamic is what makes him a compelling character.
"This show isn't about a straight shot to 'who done it,'" Robinson said. "Through Avi, what it does is it takes you into everybody's lives."
Avi impresses rookie detective Janine Harris (Juliana Canfield). After seeing Avi make a suspect confess, she asks to partner with him.
Janine wants to learn from Avi, but one thing Avi has in common with many movie and TV detectives is that he prefers to work alone.
As much as Avi teaches Janine, she also provides Avi with an objective perspective on his methods. Canfield, 30, said many rookies asked to work with Avi, but Janine is the first one Capt. Davies ever assigned to him.
"Janine is so special because she has this chutzpah," Canfield said. "She's so smart and ambitious and she comes back quoting the Talmud."
Wilbusch said Avi's sense of calm in the face of volatile witnesses and suspects comes from his sense of isolation. Janine interrupts that, but it's also important for Avi to expand and connect with others.
"His only purpose is to help people," Wilbusch said. "I think he's the most comfortable in those situations and maybe too comfortable. Janine tells him it's not sustainable."
In between crime scenes and interviews, Janine asks Avi to take her to a shul. She quotes Talmudic instructions to share his teachings with others.
"Janine is neither intimidated nor dismissive of his method," Canfield said. "She has a lot to teach him about how to operate in the world, which is, after all, where these crimes are being committed. She's a good reminder for him to come back down to Earth."
Davis still relies on traditional detectives on the force, such as Earl Malzone (Michael Mosley). Though Earl does not possess Avi's intuition, he admires it.
"He loves Avi," said Mosley, 44. "Earl looks up to Avi, but he also likes to bust his balls. He's still his friend."
The Calling also shows that Avi isn't the right cop for every situation. That's where Earl comes in.
"In moments of crisis, Earl seems to immediately know what to do," Mosley said. "He seems to immediately know how to deal with a crowd. There is an instinct that he has that's right for this job."
Mosley is a veteran actor from shows like Ozark, The Sinner and Criminal Minds. Robinson hails from Morning Show Mysteries, Frankie Drake Mysteries, A Million Little Things and many more.
Wilbusch was born in a Hasidic community in Israel. He left for school in the Netherlands at 13 and became an actor in Europe.
He was in AMC's 2018 miniseries The Little Drummer Girl and the Yiddish language series Unorthodox in 2020. Wilbusch said Avi combined his secular and religious studies in one role.
"I felt all my life experience was put into Avi," Wilbusch said. "Everything that I've experienced in life made me the person I am."
Canfield's earliest film credits came in 2018, and she's had ongoing roles in Y: The Last Man and Succession. Canfield said working with Wilbusch inspired her, too.
"Jeff pushes me to be more prepared, more open, more excellent like him," Canfield said. "Something that I'm certainly going to seek out in the future is true partners."
All eight episodes of The Calling Season 1 are now available on Peacock.
