On the occasion of the second season of Mayor of Kingstown we interviewed Hugh Dillon, actor and showrunner (together with Taylor Sheridan) of the series. Available to stream on Paramount+
In the background we see a guitar, a Marshall amplifier and a drum set which, on the bass drum, sports the logo of the series he created and interpreted. An effective set for our video interview via Zoom, enclosing the many souls of Hugh Dillon: musician (he is the frontman of Headstonesand founded in 2003 an indie rock band, the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir), actor (we saw him in The Killing and in Yellowstone) and, above all, creator, together with Taylor SheridanOf Mayor of Kingstownexcellent crime thriller series starring Jeremy Renner.
The show, available on Paramount+has reached its second season (one of the most watched series, along with Yellowstone and 1883_), and resumes the events related to the previous season finale: we are in Kingstown, Michigan, where Mike McLusky continues his work as an intermediary, linking the affairs of prisoners, free criminals and the police force. “The biggest challenge of this second season? Honestly, getting the first!”reflects Hugh Dillon, during the chat. “It has taken ten years to get to this moment. There have been some challenges, but nothing compared to what has already happened”.
Mayor of Kingstown 2: Interview with Hugh Dillon
The narrative peculiarity of Mayor of Kingstownin which Hugh Dillon plays Ian Ferguson, police officer and brother of Mike, is his strong visual identity, split in half: inside and outside the prison. “Taylor Sheridan was my drama teacher. For years we thought about this world. I’m from Kingston, Ontario, where there were nine prisons, then we talked about his time in Texas”Dillon explains “We built that world, talking about it incessantly. Putting ourselves in the game. Considering the details. A passion project. It was something I’ve wanted to do, ever since I was eighteen. Taylor was curious, even before he became what we know. He already had the gift of looking at worlds and scripts. He has a fascinating way of looking at the world. And he changed my life, I’m grateful to him”.
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Jeremy Renner and the power of crime series
Mayor of Kingstown it is a hard and pure crime, however the core of the series is the family, focusing on the family dimension itself. “Everything comes from families. In my nucleus there are several brothers, other families. My mother, a former teacher, vaguely inspired the character of Mariam McLusky”. A thought then goes to Jeremy Renner, and to the tone of the show, between pragmatism and humor. “Jeremy is a funny guy by nature. I just heard from him, and when he suffered the accident I asked for videos and news. I was relieved to receive videos from everyone! He is an insightful person, he understands the story, the character. Love this world and the passion shines through”.
Mayor of Kingstown, the review: Jeremy Renner for a very high quality TV series
In closing the interview, we ask Hugh Dillon why audiences love thriller series so much. “Well, there’s beauty in the ugliness. And in the ugliness there’s humanity and tragedy. It’s always been of interest to the public. You can’t look away. The system of drugs, crime, darkness. It’s not ordinary things, it’s another way of looking at life.”