‘Eyewitness’ Star Julianne Nicholson Reveals What Drew Her To USA Network Series

Julianne Nicholson revealed why she fell in love with USA Network’s crime thriller “Eyewitness” the moment she read the script for its pilot episode.

“I loved the story,” Nicholson told Variety when asked what drew her to the Adi Hasak-created series, which is based on the Norwegian show “Øyevitne.”

“I thought Helen Torrance was a really fascinating and fleshed-out character,” the actress said of what she liked about her role on the series. “I loved digging deep into her life and her marriage.”

Helen used to be a hotshot homicide detective in Buffalo, New York until a traumatic event made her move to Tivoli, where she now works as the town sheriff. She is married to Gabe (Gil Bellows), and together they are foster parents to Philip (Tyler Young).

“I think that is one of the exciting things about playing Helen. She is not just a sheriff. She also has her home life,” Nicholson told Parade in a separate interview.

But Helen’s multi-layered characterization isn’t the only thing that drew Nicholson to the series. “[Helen’s story is] paired with the story of two boys [Philip and Lukas (James Paxton)] falling in love, which I thought was portrayed in a beautiful way that I hadn’t seen on television,” the actress told Variety.

When asked how the LGBTQ storyline of the show is different from others, Nicholson said: “It begins more as a straight-up love story than necessarily a 'gay love story,' and I liked that. It doesn’t have to do with sexuality, and I feel like that’s important.”

An all-new episode of “Eyewitness” airs on Sunday, Nov 20 at 10 p.m. EST on USA Network. Check out the synopsis for Season 1, episode 6, titled “The Yellow Couch,” below:

“As Helen looks for the murder weapon, Kamilah (Tattiawna Jones) pulls her into a desperate search for Sita (Amanda Brugel). Lukas is on the verge of his dream sponsorship but it requires an act of betrayal to secure the deal.”