‘Perry Mason’s Matthew Rhys On The Power Of Noir, Scene Partners & New Perspectives — Deadline FYC House + HBO Max
deadline.comEditor’s note: These interview was done outside of the FYC event as there was no cast or creatives panel as a part of the event. “I think there’s a certain pace a noir allows, which at times can be an indulgent luxury,” says Perry Mason‘s Matthew Rhys of the 1930s-set HBO series from Team Downey. “But it really allows you the time for things to unfold.
It’s a real luxury, I think, for actors to have that kind of time and space, and real estate.” Chatting before Perry Mason was cancelled by HBO on June 6 after a two-season run, The Americans alum certainly has a strong sense of time and space tacking the iconic character in the heart of the Great Depression and the rise of Fascism in Germany, Italy and Spain.
Having concluded its second season on April 24, the Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Justin Kirk, Diarra Kilpatrick, and Jee Young Han starring show left viewers with Mason behind bars for hiding evidence. “It’s not justice that’s an illusion; it’s the system,” he tells Rylance’s Della Street in the Michael Begler penned Season 2 finale. “So, what are we supposed to do with that?” Mason’s legal firm partner responds. “We fight.” To that end, Emmy winner Rhys spoke about the power of Perry Mason’s ensemble, the necessary shifts from Season 1 to Season 2, and noir.
Rhys also talked about the power of writers, as Begler and fellow The Knick creator Jack Amiel came aboard as showrunners for what turned out to be the show’s final season. DEADLINE:The second season of Perry Mason really saw an evolution of the character.
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