Jenna Dewan Talks Playing Bailey's Harrowing Abuse Storyline on 'The Rookie'

In an interview, actress Jenna Dewan opens up about her role as Bailey Nune on the TV series "The Rookie."

On the parallels between her real-life and on-screen relationships:

"When Alexi [Hawley, the show's creator] had this great idea, I was immediately excited. Steve [Kazee, Dewan's real-life fiancé] is such a good actor that I felt we would be able to push each other and really go to places that you feel safer to go to when it's someone you trust and you're going home with."

On the cathartic nature of the fight scene at the end of Episode 5:

"Finally, she's speaking up to him and telling him he's Sideshow Bob... She finally got to her breaking point, found her power and was ending the cycle."

On consulting with victims of domestic violence to inform Bailey's story:

"Through speaking to people I've known in my life... I do hear very often a refrain that even [if] the threat is controlled or minimized, you feel the PTSD of that energy interacting in your life... I think [with] Bailey, through the season, you see that: 'Am I safe here? Oh, I am safe here. OK, that's gone.'"

On Bailey's struggle to identify as a victim of abuse:

"I thought that was really an incredible moment of writing, because it's true. We all have these opinions of what things should look like or should be in order to categorize it as something, and I even learned at that moment, violence, abuse and domestic abuse looks different for everyone."

On Nolan and Bailey's relationship:

"For Bailey, Nolan feels like a safe place for her to be vulnerable and to be herself... When two people have that level of danger in their jobs, it's hard for anyone else to acknowledge and experience that unless you're in it."

On the relevance of the show's themes for a younger audience:

"Every night she's like, 'Can we watch a new 'Rookie?' So we've gotten to the point now where my daughter can officially watch some of the things that I do and really like it... It's cool to be able to share it with her."

On her experience working for Janet Jackson early in her career:

"I do credit Janet, because Janet was my first dream come true... All I wanted was to dance for her... I really learned from her how to be a leader, how to do it with grace and love, and how to work with others and bring it together in a unified way."