Where has Diana Muldaur been all our lives? Right there, on the tee-vee, in one series after another, many of them forgettable, a couple of them hits, but never registering quite so strongly as she has this season as Rosalind Shays, the loved and hated lethal eagle on NBC's "L.A. Law."
"Some people really don't want to say hello to me when they see me on the street," says Muldaur. "Others say, `Go, Roz! Terrific!' "More than lawyers are watching though, and savoring or deploring, or both, the treacherous machinations of Roz, a hardboiled corporate "rainmaker" brought into the firm of McKenzie Brackman to bolster its finances - much as Muldaur was brought into the cast of "L.A. Law" to get some dramatic fireworks going. And did she.
"At the end of year three, the firm was a nice close family where everyone trusted each other," says executive producer David E. Kelley. "With Roz, that chemistry changed. The controversy and discontent have generated a lot of heat."
A few weeks ago, sinister Shays wrested the senior partnership of the firm from venerable patriarch Leland McKenzie (Richard Dysart). But then, as the show moved into the final new episodes of the season (the last airs Thursday), dissension over Shays' back-stabbing is grew.
The big showdown between Shays and McKenzie occurred Thursday. McKenzie appears to have won out, but the fallout isn't over yet.
The character of Rosalind Shays, meanwhile, has taken off in ways the producers didn't quite expect. She may not have achieved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle status, but she's much bickered about among the show's fans. Roz is despicable and yet delectable, full of intriguing complexities - a sneaky rat one moment, a brave defender of the faith the next.
"I was told that at Harvard Law School, they hiss when she comes on," says Muldaur. "They all watch it in a big hall and go ssssssss."
And how does she feel about Roz?
"I don't think she's a terrible person. She's a person I wouldn't want to spend any time with, but I'm fascinated by her. When I get a script, I'm horrified each time. I say, `How am I ever going to do that?' And it can take me two days to really work on it, and then I go out and do it."
On TV, Muldaur has appeared in everything from "McCloud" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation." And short-lived shows like "A Year in the Life" and "The Tony Randall Show."
Muldaur and Shays have been great for "L.A. Law." The question is, will they both be back when "L.A. Law" returns in the fall? "If you find out, let me know," says Muldaur..
"I'm definitely not going to kill the character," promises Kelley. But he indicates she might just make an occasional appearance.
Muldaur clearly would like to continue. Told that some viewers would be hurt if Roz doesn't come back, Muldaur smiles and says, "I think Rosalind would be hurt, too. Ha ha ha. I think Roz would be very hurt."