Interview: Christopher Gorham breaks down his role as Trevor Elliott in The Lincoln Lawyer

Whether you’re a fan of Michael Connelly’s book series or not, The Lincoln Lawyer has become a huge success for Netflix, soaring to the top of the Netflix charts shortly after its release. A tense, character-driven legal thriller, the ten-episode first season is seriously gripping from beginning to end and at the center of that story is tech mogul Trevor Elliott, played by the talented actor Christopher Gorham.

Spoilers ahead for The Lincoln Lawyer

Before The Lincoln Lawyer, Gorham starred in many hit shows, such as Covert Affairs, Ugly Betty and Netflix series Insatiable. Now he plays the primary defendant in Mickey Haller’s case after Trevor’s former lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered. Trevor stands accused of murdering his wife and her lover in a jealous rage. But did he actually do it?

Netflix Life spoke with Chris about his work on the series, what it was like working opposite of Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and how he got into the mindset of someone like Trevor Elliott.

Christopher Gorham talks The Lincoln Lawyer

Netflix Life: I loved the show and when I spoke to Becki Newton about it, we agreed there was something nostalgic about the series, yet still thrilling. Were you at all familiar with the books or the movie before accepting the role?

Christopher Gorham: One of the first things I noticed about the show is that it was being produced by David E. Kelley, and I’ve been a fan of his since Ally McBeal. Then I read the script and it was a really good script and then I saw that Ted Humphrey was going to be the showrunner and I was a fan of his from The Good Wife, so that’s what got me on board, the quality of the writing and what I anticipated to be the quality of this show, the finished product.

I was familiar with The Lincoln Lawyer movie, but I hadn’t read Michael Connelly’s books, but I knew they were really popular, I’ve got friends and relatives who love his stuff. There was a lot to be attracted to.

NL: Were they excited when you got cast? Were you like, yeah, I’m playing this character from the books?

CG: Yeah, well, this character, it’s a different character in the book.

NL: Right his name is Walter Elliott in the book, right?

CG: Yes, and he’s like a film producer. It’s one of the ways in which they updated the storytelling, since the book has been out for quite a while. But yeah, they were happy for me.

NL: Speaking of that, Trevor Elliott is a tech guru and a video game designer, was that uncharted territory for you or are you someone who likes gaming and getting into the latest technology in real life?

CG: I’m somewhere in the middle. I loved gaming as a kid. Then had kids and so had no time to play video games for a long time. But then just during the pandemic, some friends turned me onto The Last of Us, and I became completely obsessed with that game.

I played the first one, and then lucky for me, the second one was just about to come out and then the second game just, I mean I could really connect to part of the Trevor storyline because the way he talks about “overcoming the uncanny valley,” is a visual thing. But The Last of Us 2, for me, totally changed, to me, like how we can tell stories because that was like the first time where I felt like, what Trevor was describing.

I felt like I was in a completely immersive film. It was a completely immersive story that I was getting to play a part in and therefore connected with these characters in a way that I had never felt watching a movie or a TV show, and the way, particularly in The Last of Us 2, that they then, completely switch your perspective in the second half of the game and force you to emphasize with the antagonist, was so groundbreaking and so effective.

NL: Most of your scenes in The Lincoln Lawyer season 1 are opposite Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who plays Mickey Haller. What was your experience like working with him?

CG: Manuel is fantastic. He’s such a wonderful actor, he’s a great guy, we had a really good time working together. It’s my only regret is that I won’t be able to go back and do season 2 with him. We had a great time.

You can’t tell, because of what a wonderful job he does, you can’t tell how challenging this role is for him because English is his second language, so coming to work every day, working with his accent, and having to memorize pages and pages and pages of stuff, people don’t understand how challenging that is. He pulled it off with such grace.

NL: How did your perspective of Trevor change from the beginning of the show to the end of it? 

CG: For me, I had to ground how I play him in the truth. I decided this guy really does love his wife, like he really did love her. Part of his tragedy, is that he didn’t love her more than his drug, right? When Mickey talks about [Trevor] as an addict, I think it’s really apt. This is a guy who is addicted to this success and to this attention and to this lifestyle now.

At the end of the day, when he was forced to choose, he chose the addiction. I think the helpful thing for me as the actor, is playing that as the truth allows me to then honestly tap into those emotional feelings when he’s being vulnerable and he can honestly reveal his true feelings about her without then revealing all the other stuff that he doesn’t want you to see and it makes a very effective argument.

NL: There’s a part of the show where Mickey’s daughter mentions that Trevor isn’t an underdog, so why is Mickey defending him? I thought that was an interesting perspective since we don’t always consider what criminal defense attorneys have to consider when accepting a client. So the choices you made create a better character, so Trevor doesn’t come off one-dimensional. 

CG: Exactly, I mean he’s an asshole. [Laughs] But it doesn’t mean he didn’t love his wife.

NL: Those are always more interesting characters. They don’t necessarily think what they’re doing is wrong.

CG: We don’t really get into it in the show, but it’s not easy to kill a person. In fact, it is one of the least repeated crimes. Murder is not often repeated because it is so emotionally… the trauma is real from taking someone’s life.

So when Mickey takes [Trevor] back to the scene of the crime, the audience, at that point in the show, sees it one way, but for Trevor, it is actually traumatizing to be there for him. It’s actually difficult and emotional and upsetting, it just gets interpreted the wrong way since Mickey doesn’t know the truth yet.

NL: One last question, you and Becki Newton, you were both on Ugly Betty. Was that just a coincidence?

CG: Total coincidence, I mean, I was thrilled. Frankly I was nervous. I didn’t want them to think about it because I didn’t want them to psych themselves out and think, “Maybe we shouldn’t do that,” I don’t know why.

Once all the paperwork was signed, she was one of the first people I texted because I was thrilled. It was so nice to be able to reconnect and catch up. I only wish we could have had more scenes together.

NL: I still am crossing my fingers for a reboot of that show someday.

CG: I know me too, me too!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Lincoln Lawyer is now streaming on Netflix.

For more on The Lincoln Lawyer, check out our comprehensive recap guide to the show’s first season by clicking the link below.