‘FBI’s Sela Ward on Why She Returned to a Procedural Drama

FBI - Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell and Sela Ward as Dana Mosier
Q&A
Michael Parmelee/CBS

After an interlude as a former first lady on Graves, ex-CSI: NY star Sela Ward is back in the law-and-order game, playing Special Agent in Charge Dana Mosier on exec producer Dick Wolf’s latest hit, FBI.

In coming weeks, the expert profiler will track a cop-killing pair of armed robbers, work the case of an investigative journalist who is executed and try to stop a bomber intent on striking again. The veteran actress (above with Missy Peregrym) clues us in.

In 2017, you told us CSI: NY was your final procedural. What changed your mind?

Sela Ward: I thrive and shine where there are relationship pieces. When I have a role like CSI or this, I feel like a racehorse who gets five gallops out of the gate and then gets stuck, [even though] I’m ready to fly around the track. I did this because I’ve known Dick Wolf forever and it would give me a reason to be in New York. I’ve been dying to move back here.

So far, Dana Mosier is a bit of a mystery. How would you describe her?

She’s very principled, so she will always do the right thing. She’s absolutely all about the correct way to handle things. As a profiler, she’s had so much experience in terms of behavior — she uses that to make decisions that protect her people.

Sela Ward

What about her personal life?

I don’t even know if she’s married or has children! That’s very, very different for me.

You’ve worked opposite really interesting actors in your career. Who was your favorite on TV?

Billy Campbell on Once and Again. Our personalities just clicked. I’m a very serious chick, and Billy was so much fun and really brought out the little girl in me.

FBI, Tuesdays, 9/8c, CBS