BONES: Carla Gallo on Filming Sweets’ Memorial, Possibly Giving Birth On-Screen, and More

The BONES team said goodbye to Sweets in “The Lance to the Heart” in a very appropriate way: they gathered together, shared stories of what he meant to him, and sang “Coconut” as they scattered his ashes.

I spoke with BONES’ Carla Gallo (Daisy) about filming the memorial for her on-screen love, possibly giving birth on-screen, her favorite Sweets/Daisy moment, and more…

How was it filming the memorial scene for Sweets?
Carla Gallo: That was a tough one. I would say that’s the hardest episode I’ve ever shot.

Obviously, it was the most emotional, and from the actor standpoint, I just knew how much work I’d have to do for it. And so it was hard! And so you’d go in saying, “I got through this day and these scenes.” And then you’d know, okay, the next day I have to come in and get through these scenes. It was really challenging. It was really super challenging on the work side of it.

And to be in that emotional state is hard, and sad. And it really did feel like [we lost John Francis Daley (Sweets)] — usually when you’re shooting a death scene or something like that on whatever show, you have the actor you’re not so attached to, it’s just an actor playing someone who died. This was a unique circumstance to be mourning someone who is leaving or gone. I’ve never really had that before. Normally it’s, “I have to play this person died, but I’ve only been working here a week. I don’t know this person, or I was just a day player, or we didn’t get to know each other.” But in this case, I think we all felt [this] way: I can’t believe he’s gone. I can’t believe he’s left.

It was really bizarre; it felt surreal.

Was it a difficult transition to go from that grief to singing “Coconut”?
CG: Um, yeah, it was a little. [Laughs] I’m curious to see how it plays, because it was a heavy scene. I totally understand ending on a lighter note. But also, I didn’t know all the words, so I was like, oh God, and I turned away from the camera. It felt like we were all singing different words, so I hope it turned out okay.

It did! It felt like a very appropriate goodbye for Sweets.
CG: I just remember singing one part and other people singing other parts, and oh my God. But I hope it looks good! But it was tough doing all the emotional work and then singing.

I know Daisy is set to return, but have you filmed any more episodes beyond “The Lance to the Heart” yet?
CG: I haven’t! [Editor’s note: Gallo is in the episode that started production today.] And I don’t get the script until the day before I start work. So I actually don’t know what I’m doing. So I’m just glad to be coming back.

And after that, I know we have the 200th episode coming up. I just know that I’m coming back [for that], so I’m just very grateful.

Do you know at this point whether you’re going to have to give birth in an episode, or is Daisy going to just show up with a baby?
CG: I don’t know. I’m not sure. Initially, I was like, “Oh, I’m sure I’ll just show up, [and be like,] ‘Hey, I had the baby yesterday.'” But now I’m starting to think maybe they will [handle it on-screen]. I don’t know if they’ll show it, but I don’t know. Maybe it just won’t be glossing over it; I was kind of expecting that. I don’t know! It’s going to be interesting.

You’ll get a surprise when the script arrives!
CG: I always kind of do, but this time more than ever. Am I going to have to give birth? I’ve never had to do that on-camera. I kind of hope not, because that’s a hard thing to do, but I don’t know.

I feel like if I did have to do that, it would be BONES-style, so it would be funny, you know? So at least it wouldn’t be dramatic. At least I hope not.

It’s a tough call, because they have had two characters give birth on-screen, but a the same time, with Sweets being dead, you’d think they wouldn’t want to gloss over his child being born…
CG: Right. It’s a good point, though — they’ve done it twice, so they might not want to do it again. But yeah. I think [Sweets’ death] is going to be why it won’t just be, “Hey, I had the baby!” It is more meaningful than just a character having a baby, it’s his legacy.

Since you’re now done with with this particular chapter in the Daisy/Sweets story, is there a particular moment you’re most going to cherish from their time together?
CG: My goodness, that’s a good question. [Pauses] That’s hard, there are so many good ones. There’s a lot of them — him proposing. The scene where I tell him I’m leaving for Maluku.

We had a lot of great scenes in his office. They always staged it so we were sitting across from each other — those are my favorite ones. Just the two of us. We certainly had a very nice make out on the couch in that room if I recall. And then we had another nice make out when he got his gun for the first time. I would say any of those scenes in that office were my favorite.

At a certain point, I made the choice because Daisy can be annoying and quirky and all that, [that] when she was with Lance, she was her most honest. All of the whatever, the facade, the defenses, and all that she had out in the world of, “I’m smart, and I have to prove it, and I’m the best!” are all gone when she’s with him. She was just very authentic. I think that’s also why I loved doing the scenes with him — I think I, oddly, felt the most authentic. Whereas the other scenes, a lot of it is comedy and silliness, and with him, it was an actual, true connection.

Just talking about it, [it hits me], God, I’m going to miss it so much. I’m going to miss him and working with him.

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BONES airs Thursdays at 8 PM on Fox.

Related:

BONES: Carla Gallo on Daisy’s Grief, Filming ‘The Conspiracy in the Corpse,’ and More
BONES: ‘The Geek In The Guck’ Photos
BONES: Stephen Nathan on the Next Big Bad, Max’s Secrets, and More
BONES: Stephen Nathan Offers a Few Hopeful Season 10 Teases

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