“Private Practice” star Tim Daly (Dr. Pete Wilder) has had his share of issues throughout the four seasons of the series.
Daly has appeared in a variety series throughout his career. From the popular ’90s sitcom “Wings” and also providing the voice of Superman/Clark Kent for various Superman animated series and films, Daly has also had starring roles in drama series such as “The Fugitive”, “Eyes” and “The Nine”.
But in “Private Practice”, Daly’s character Dr. Pete Wilder has went through a complicated relationship with Dr. Addison Montgomery (played by Kate Walsh), and with that relationship falling through, he begins dating and has a son with Dr. Violet Turner (played by Amy Brenneman) who suffers major trauma after a near tragic incident and suffers post-traumatic stress in which Dr. Wilder is literally left behind with their son.
Despite being one of the straight-laced and busy doctors of the show, season four brings out a side of Dr. Wilder that fans will see for the first time and suffice to say, his character is tested.
In the opening episode of the fourth season, Dr. Wilder and Dr. Turner are married but throughout the season, their relationship is put to the test. For one, his estranged family is brought back into his life courtesy of his wife (who wants him to accept his family), having to deal with his wife wanting to adopt Del’s daughter (knowing that last time, Violet took off and left him alone with their son) and feeling the two are not ready for a child and suffice to say, their relationship has its issues. Issues that will eventually have its ramifications for Dr. Wilder, especially for the season finale.
With the fifth season of “Private Practice” to air on ABC on Sept. 29th, “Private Practice – The Complete Fourth Season” DVD box set has been released on Sept. 13th.
The following is a media Q&A with actor Tim Daly reflecting on season four of “Private Practice”.
What can you tell us about Season Four of Private Practice?
TIM: We’ve had a lot of fun filming Season Four and there are lots of plots and interesting twists for all of the characters on the show. When it comes to Pete Wilder, we find out that he witnessed his mother murder a guy when he was younger. Pete’s mother is a drunk with a long string of men, but the one guy that stuck around? Pete witnessed her stab him to death.
How does the truth come out after all this time?
TIM: Violet (played by Amy Brenneman) pushes Pete to reveal it. He doesn’t want to talk about it and he doesn’t want to revisit it. Even after all these years, it’s still a fresh wound for him – but he eventually opens up and reveals everything to her.
Season Four opens with marriage on the cards for Violet and Pete. Are they destined to become the perfect couple?
TIM: I fear that they are just avoiding their inevitable downfall because Private Practice isn’t known for being a show where relationships work out. At the start of the season, I assumed that we’d have a couple more episodes of happiness before everything turns bad – but I could have been wrong on this one. The problem is, happiness is inherently not dramatic.
So you don’t think they will live happily ever after?
TIM: I don’t know. Pete has Addison’s permission to be with Violet, but that doesn’t mean anything. A lot of our storylines are based on how happy Pete and Violet were once upon a time – but they were only happy for 15 minutes. There’s a myth in the fan base that everything was fantastic when they are together, but people don’t really know the truth.
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Is there any possibility of Pete and Addison rekindling their romance?
TIM: Addison is deeply into her thing with Sam. I don’t know if any of that stuff is going to resurface, but so far Addison and Pete have been happy colleagues. I hope they leave it at that for now.
As a result of Violet and Cooper’s friendship, will we see a similar relationship develop between Charlotte and Pete?
TIM: I think that they are interesting to put together because Charlotte is so hard and critical, but Pete is to this point. Pete is a humanist and he tolerates the gray areas of life, which is something Charlotte struggles with.
What do you think of Pete’s gradual journey from being so uptight to being more open and warm?
TIM: It was a dramatic change, but I believe that people can alter their path. It’s not always easy, but Pete had a big episode in his life that shook him out of his complacency. That happens sometimes. Sometimes people build up to making a change over a long period of time, and then it suddenly happens. But being reborn is painful and interesting, and people reinvent themselves as something else. I do like that about him.
How good are you at taking advice?
TIM: I’m good at it and bad at it because I have a very difficult time being definitive about things. Once I am, I’m good. But it’s the decision-making process and the advice that I solicit. I’m a Pisces, which my sister tells me is the sign of two fish swimming in opposite directions at the same time. It’s very easy for me to make a scenario where I empathize with everybody with both sides of an issue – and it drives me insane.
You’re the male spokesperson for a breast cancer charity, which is quite unusual for a guy. Why did you get involved?
TIM: A dear friend of mine fought this disease and her husband was so profoundly affected by it that it made me realize how breast cancer is important to men as well as women. These are our wives, our mothers, our sisters and our daughters who are fighting the disease. That’s why I decided to get involved – and I’ll continue to do so for a very long time. It’s a very important charity that’s close to my heart, and I do everything I can to help out.
Private Practice – the Complete Fourth Season is available on DVD on Sept. 13th.
Photo credit: ABC/Andrew MacPherson