Anthony LaPaglia wanted his Without a Trace character to have flaws
Viewers watch television for different reasons. One is entertainment, and another is using it as an escape from the real world. When you become interested in a show and its characters, you immerse yourself in a fictional place, providing a temporary way out of your life for thirty minutes to an hour.
Whatever the reason, though, many viewers agree they prefer characters who reflect real people instead of someone perfect. If you're one of those people, you'll be glad to know that Without a Trace star Anthony LaPaglia wanted his character John "Jack" Michael Malone to be as imperfect as possible.
"I didn't want to have a character who was like a superhero and never made mistakes and always solved the case or always got it right,” he told The Birmingham News in 2004. "I really wanted a fully fleshed out human character that had flaws, who was unlikable sometimes, who did the wrong thing at times."
The article also stated that LaPaglia often consulted with Without a Trace's writers and producers to explore different possibilities and bring more life to Malone. At the time, Malone, the Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI's Missing Persons Unit, quit his job in New York to move to Chicago with his wife and kids, facing an uncertain future.
After his wife files for divorce, Malone finds himself jobless and picking up the pieces.