'Blue Bloods': Kelli O'Hara Teases Possible Return as Erin's Best Friend (Exclusive)

By Daniel S. Levine

In December, Broadway star Kelli O'Hara made a surprising return to Blue Bloods, playing a close friend of Bridget Moynahan's character. It was The Gilded Age star's first time on the show in a decade, but it did not feel like that much time had passed when O'Hara stepped on set, she told PopCulture.com in an exclusive interview. O'Hara said she would love to return to the show if asked.

O'Hara's character Lisa Farragaut appeared in the episode "Reality Check," which aired over 10 years after her first appearance in the September 2011 episode "Mercy." In the intervening years, Lisa has become a high-powered political consultant, and A.D.A. Erin Reagan (Moynahan) takes her advice to heart when she considers running for Manhattan District Attorney. Lisa helped Erin realize that she doesn't have much of a life outside of work, and people need to see a personality to win their votes. Erin didn't agree with that, and Lisa gave back her retainer.

"It was neat" to come back, O'Hara said, noting that it felt like no time had passed. When she and Moynahan started talking about their children as if it was ten years ago, although their children are ten years older. "It was really fun," O'Hara explained. "Lisa Farragaut, the role I played was this personal friend of [Moynahan's] character. So, I think [the Blue Bloods team] just called and said, 'We'd like to bring her back.' I said, 'Great, I'm already established, I didn't have to reinvent the wheel on that one.'"

O'Hara finished filming her scenes in just two days. It was a "great time," she said, and she was "sure" she'd come back if the Blue Bloods producers asked for her return. O'Hara's episodes are available to stream on Paramount+, alongside every Blue Bloods episode. Blue Bloods airs on CBS Fridays at 10 p.m. ET.

The Tony-winning star also appeared on television in NBC's Peter Pan Live! production back in 2014. Live theatrical productions like these have helped bring Broadway stars to all corners of the country, which O'Hara can appreciate as someone who grew up far from New York City in Oklahoma. "I really support the fact that they get the reach out there," O'Hara said. "I would be open for anything. I feel like it's a real gift when you can... bring a little bit of theater to people who can't always get to it themselves."

In The Gilded Age, O'Hara plays Aurora Fane, who helps Louisa Jacobson's Marian Brook break into society. O'Hara is one of many theater stars in the show, alongside Christine Baranski, Morgan Spector, Carrie Coon, and many others. Since the show was filmed during the coronavirus pandemic, there were some impressive protocols in place to keep everyone safe. "I really marveled at how we all just did it. We did it for each other. People didn't complain," O'Hara said. "We were so grateful to be there, that whatever was asked of us, was easy to do." The Gilded Age airs on HBO Mondays at 9 p.m. ET and is available to stream on HBO Max. 

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