Marc Anthony: ‘Everybody has a tough side’

Grammy-winning salsa star Marc Anthony returns to TNT’s “HawthoRNe” as an executive producer and Det. Nick Renata, a guest spot that graduates to a recurring character in the medical drama’s third season, premiering Tuesday.

Last season, you were a romantic interest of Jada Pinkett Smith’s title character, but she and Tom (Michael Vartan) got back together, so now your detective is part of a whodunit. Is this your first recurring TV role?

No question. I haven’t ever done TV, and I always said if I was ever going to do it, I wanted to play a detective. I thought that was one slice of the pie, a challenge I’d never taken on. And I had a clear picture of what I might be able to bring to the table.

Which was what?

A guy like Nick Renata is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever played, loyal beyond belief. And the arc this season is like nothing I’ve ever heard. So that had a lot to do with me coming back. How they presented Nick this season was unbelievably robust. I wanted to explore when you have a character faced with moral conflict, which way would he go? And trust me, Will [Smith] and [executive producer] Jada gave me plenty of work in that department.

Your detective is a tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside kind of guy. I’ve seen you play tough guys on the other side of the law as well. Where does that come from? Do you have a tough side? You don’t sound tough to me right now.

Listen, for me as an actor, it’s therapeutic. I like characters that have very little to do with who I am as a person. Can you imagine how boring it would be to play somebody who’s a musician married to an actress and has twins? I think everybody has a tough side, no? Especially when you have license to push it.

Are you drawing on anybody you’ve known?

I was raised around cops. I was raised across the street from the 23rd Precinct in East Harlem. Police officers have had a great impact on my life, even after. I’ve worked with the Fraternal Order of Police and the NYPD. I always got it, the guys on the front lines who run toward what we run away from. I always felt there was this bravery, but a lot of flawed, interesting people who were wired to handle situations a certain way, and when they carry it over to their personal life, that’s where they struggle.

You’ve done crossover work over the years, but you’ve always retained a strong hold on the Latin music market. And rather than evolve more into a crossover artist, I gather that with “Q’Viva: The Chosen,” your new TV project with wife Jennifer Lopez, you’re trying to bring Latin culture more into the mainstream.

I think that what you do when you’re in a position to do something speaks volumes. And “Q’Viva” is a passion project. Jennifer, [director/choreographer] Jamie King and I got together with [“American Idol” creator] Simon Fuller, and we decided to make the most amazing, authentic Latin show the world has ever seen, period. Then we started talking about the process: I want to cast it. I want every country represented. OK, cool. Twenty-one Latin American countries represented. Let’s say we take two people from each country, bring them back and build this live show.

Then there’s, let’s film the process. OK, it sounds like that will be great TV, like a docu-journey kind of thing, and the series will end opening night. There will be a ticking clock. It’s a refreshing, robust approach to introducing culture, representing who we are as a people, exploring differences, exploring similarities. So I’m really, really excited about it.

Do you hope it will be broadcast this year?

It will be broadcast in English and Spanish simultaneously. We film and mount the show this year, so we start filming at the end of July. That’s when we start flying to all these countries. People will be able to upload their videos [at https://www.youtube.com/qviva]. When we land in each country, we’re going to go and knock on their door and invite them to come back with us. We’re getting tens of thousands of videos now. It’s empowering people all the way around.

Let me ask you about the Miami Dolphins. How did your involvement with the team come about? I get the sense it’s kind of a party being a minority owner, because Venus and Serena Williams and Gloria and Emilio Estefan are also owners.

Not when you write the check.

When [majority Dolphins owner] Steve Ross called me and we first met about the opportunity ... first of all, you don’t get an opportunity to buy into an NFL team — that’s one of the rarest events ever. What captivated me was his vision for the team. I’ve learned so much. He’s really taken me under his wing. We’ve become good friends and golf buddies. He’s a fascinating man.

Ross said you have out-of-the-box ideas for change. What have you been doing with the team?

I have my big summit meeting on Tuesday in New York with them. We’ll basically close the door and exchange ideas on what we need to accomplish this coming season. And so I have a couple of books of ideas. It’s about going to a Miami Dolphins game and the experience — the sound, the entertainment, the mood that’s set. Are we taking care of those that care about our team? At the end of the day, my seat at the table is that, and it happens to be my area of expertise.

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