Co-creator, showrunner and executive producer Nikki Toscano and star Amanda Seyfried chat with THR's Mikey O'Connell to talk all about the Peacock series 'Long Bright River' during a THR Frontrunners conversation series.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00And you, I heard that you had always wanted to play a cop.
00:04Yeah, well, because no one looks at me and thinks, cop.
00:09And, and, and someone did.
00:18I was going to start with like a joke about the dulcimer.
00:21That was just the most beautiful thing in the world.
00:23Are people just expecting that of you now?
00:26I don't know.
00:27No.
00:27I don't know.
00:28But I got more secrets to reveal as time goes on.
00:33Oh my God.
00:33That was an amazing performance though.
00:35I have to say, like, even when I was watching that, I was just kind of like, is there anything this woman can do?
00:40Well, you made me learn the English horn.
00:43I did do that.
00:43I think you kind of weren't as surprised.
00:45You're like, yeah, well, she, what, what did, what did Mickey do in the book?
00:50I forget.
00:51She wanted to be a history teacher.
00:52Right, right.
00:53Boring.
00:54Yeah.
00:54Add the English horn.
00:55But, but I, it did, was effective, especially for me as an actor.
00:59Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:59No, I feel like the musician thing did, you know, yeah, elevate it.
01:02And it gave you something to do.
01:03It gave you something to play.
01:04Yeah.
01:05There's always a lot of changes that need to happen between book to series.
01:09So.
01:11That was one of them.
01:11She's the thing that, she's the one that.
01:13Um, wait, then why don't we just start with that?
01:16Like, this is such an interesting situation because we have Liz Moore, who is a, like,
01:23wildly successful.
01:24Oh my God.
01:25She's amazing.
01:26Um, and this is her first time writing television.
01:30Yeah.
01:31What did you have to teach her about screenwriting?
01:34And what did you learn from her working with a novelist?
01:38Um, I mean, it, it, it, it, it's amazing how gifted she is in pretty much everything
01:42that she puts her mind to.
01:44Um, so I didn't, you know, I mean, I feel like she was very, very open.
01:48I feel like we had early conversations about what we wanted to preserve about the book,
01:55the soul, the spine of the story.
01:57Um, and we were always sort of on the same page about it.
02:02So it made it really easy when we got into conversations about how we were going to adapt
02:07it, the things that we were going to preserve, the things that we might step away from in,
02:11you know, and taking it from book to screen.
02:13We were, we were always sort of like on the same page.
02:15And, um, and I think that it was just about having, being open to having conversations sort
02:23of ad nauseum about what was important and, um, um, and which would sort of just guide us
02:31in, you know, episode one through eight.
02:34How much of the book is like right there up front that you teased out in the show?
02:38And I guess I'm speaking to like the central, like conflict between your character and her
02:44sister.
02:44Is that something that reveals itself later in the book or is that?
02:48Well, I mean, in, in our series, you know, the, the fact that, um, that Mickey and Casey
02:59are sisters is something that's revealed over the course of the, of the first episode.
03:03Whereas in the book, you know, that right from sort of the get go.
03:07Um, and, um, and so, you know, Liz and I just talked about this idea of, because Mickey
03:14was this really, really internal character.
03:17It was an, uh, a nice way of, of bringing out, um, uh, something that she wouldn't say
03:24to everybody, which was that her sister was missing.
03:26Right.
03:27And so it was like a nice way to sort of hang a hat on the fact that she was internal, that
03:34she wasn't going to be forthcoming.
03:35And then to have this really, really poignant emotional reveal come out in the, in the course
03:41of the episode.
03:42When the project was announced, um, you were both a part of it, but clearly there was a
03:47chronology beforehand who courted who.
03:51You courted me.
03:52Hells yeah.
03:54It was nice to be courted.
03:55I ain't stupid.
03:57We were like, we were doing, it was the, the strike was.
04:00Yeah.
04:01Post, it was right post.
04:02It was like literally post strike.
04:04We totally courted her like full court press.
04:07Super excited.
04:08Number one, we went to her and thank God she responded to our material.
04:15She responded, she listened to the book.
04:17Um, we sent her, I believe the first three episodes and, um, and then we had a conversation
04:23with her and, um, there was just something so lovely and there's something so lovely about
04:29Amanda because she's just like raw and just like puts it out there.
04:32And she doesn't want to be like going through reps and she doesn't want to be doing things.
04:36She just wants to have like an open conversation.
04:38And it made everything like really, really easy and, um, and, uh, uh, uh, really just like
04:46a wonderful, a wonderful dialogue.
04:48Yeah.
04:49It was pretty obvious.
04:50Like these, these, you had been working on it for a long time.
04:53I didn't know how long, but I knew it was like a passion project and I knew you'd spent
04:57a lot of years honing in on what it was that needed this, that made the story so special
05:03and like weeding out all the stuff that you would do as a showrunner, showrunner.
05:07It's just, there's a lot.
05:08I mean, you just, I could never do what you do, but when it, when it was ready, I, it was
05:14ready for me.
05:15And so it was easy to sink my teeth into, it was so nice to jump into something that
05:19would have been such heavy, so heavily cared for.
05:22And it was so grounded.
05:24And I mean, the book was so grounded, but it's really hard to translate books to TV.
05:28It just is, but you know how to do that really well.
05:31And you had the blessing of the writer and you had the writer with you the whole time.
05:36So just, it was ready for me.
05:38I, you know, and so that's a lucky thing.
05:41Yeah.
05:42And you, I heard that you had always wanted to play a cop.
05:46Yeah.
05:46Well, cause no one looks at me and thinks, cop.
05:51And, and, and someone did, but because it's not a cop show, it's a show about a human being
05:58with a kid and generational trauma.
06:01Who's like kicking herself, you know, subconsciously every day, but, you know, trying her best.
06:07Like most of us, we're just not necessarily making the best decisions all the time, but
06:13we're trying our best.
06:14And that's what, this is a human story.
06:16She happens to be a cop.
06:17Yes.
06:17So I get to play somebody with the uniform.
06:20The uniform is transformative.
06:22It really is.
06:23You know, Daniel Day-Lewis always talks about those fucking shoes and he's right.
06:28Yeah.
06:28The uniform just goes 10,000 miles more.
06:32So did this scratch the itch or do you want to play a cop again?
06:35No, I'm good.
06:36No, I'm kidding.
06:37I remember season two, I get promoted to detective.
06:41No, I, I, I would totally play a cop again.
06:44I respect the job and I love portraying the good ones.
06:49Yeah.
06:49If it's me, if it's, yeah, if it's a person who's interesting and a role that I haven't
06:54done before and they happen to be a cop, of course.
06:57I mean, it's interesting what you said about it because it is, the cop is the secondary thing
07:01for you and the character, which obviously it should be.
07:03But the selling point of a show like this, um, not to disparage any studio or platform is
07:10serial killer, missing sister.
07:12So how do you, what are the discussions about like how like our true, like our true north
07:19is still character and then like getting into like the opioid crisis and, uh, corrupt cops.
07:27Like it's, there's a lot of heavy themes and a lot of like deep, like trauma character work here.
07:32Well, I mean, I think what was so unique to me when I read Liz's beautiful novel was this
07:39idea that there was this love story between these two sisters that was juxtaposed against
07:45this murder mystery.
07:45And in order to solve not only the murder mystery, but the, but, but, uh, her sister's disappearance,
07:56this, this character had to reflect on, on their collective past and, and, and her role in
08:03their estrangement.
08:04And it was only when she confronted that, that was she able to sort of find, um, find the,
08:11the, the, the way to sort of, to, to, to, to solve all of these, all of these things.
08:17So I think that that was, was sort of made it so made it so unique and grounded it.
08:23And yes, it does have all of these like heavy themes and things, um, that are, are sort of,
08:32um, governing it, but it's a story about humanity and empowerment and, and about an underserved
08:38community, like taking their power back.
08:41And, and so I think that for us, like the North star was always about how our main character,
08:48Mickey saw this world, right.
08:50Which was with humanity and compassion and not in, and, and, and, and chose to reflect
08:56on the humanity versus the horror.
09:00Was it different for you when you were acting in the police uniform?
09:04And then when you were playing clothes, like, did you like acknowledge that?
09:09Like internally, did it affect anything?
09:12Oh, that's a good question.
09:14Um, I don't know.
09:15I, I, there's just this responsibility that is, you can feel a sense of responsibility when
09:28you're wearing a uniform, like such as this, where it's just the people in the real world
09:34who wear this uniform are there to serve and protect and the good ones do that.
09:38So yes, I am portraying the good, the good kind of cop, the cop who gives a shit.
09:45Um, and it, yeah, it is, it's powerful.
09:47It's very powerful.
09:48And, um, and funny enough, like that didn't go away when I went back into playing clothes.
09:54I just, I think it's just cause Mickey's a cop, but whether she wants to be or not, I
09:59mean, she's a cop for, for, for better, for worse, you know, for, and it serves her as
10:03well because she can look after her sister.
10:06She can help support a community that she feels very close to.
10:10And it didn't make a difference in the end.
10:14Like I'm still, I mean, Mickey was still a cop, even though she was in playing clothes.
10:19She was still investigating.
10:20Like she never takes that badge.
10:21Uh, she never puts that badge on her nightstand, like emotionally.
10:26And, and I think that's beautiful about her, but it's also like kind of harmful.
10:30I mean, she's not a well person.
10:33She's, she's in the midst of a, of a, of a struggle and of, of a, of trauma.
10:38And, and like most of us, you know, hasn't completely gathered the tools yet to be able to know
10:44how to deal, but she's, she's doing her best.
10:48And, you know, I love portraying somebody who's real.
10:51Yeah.
10:52She has it rougher than most of us.
10:53She does.
10:54And, and that's the thing.
10:55Like I can relate to her being a mother.
10:58I can relate to her feeling the guilt of not being as present as she'd like to be.
11:03I can relate to a lot of things, but I can't relate to being a single mother.
11:07Um, not knowing if she's going to make, make sure there's food on the table for her kid,
11:12you know, living month to month.
11:13I can't relate to that.
11:13So like, I just, I want to play people like this because I know that people are going
11:18to feel less alone when they watch it.
11:20And also it's just a story about a lot.
11:21I mean, we can all relate to these characters in this show.
11:25It's about a specific thing, about a specific group of people, but any, everyone can relate
11:30to aspects of these people, which is why I love making grounded television.
11:34I love comedies.
11:35Don't get me wrong.
11:36Can't wait to do one.
11:37But, and especially because it hits home for me with the addiction in my family and being
11:43close, like being raised close to Philly, this just like took the cake.
11:47It's like, oh yeah, we're talking about real things.
11:51It's not easy to watch sometimes because it's so real, but it's important.
11:56Yeah.
11:57Like we, we, we don't take any of this lightly.
12:00Yeah.
12:01We make it for a reason.
12:02One of the things that we always talked about, you know, was, was, and I, I think I spoke
12:07to this a little bit earlier, but like just the idea of like the way that Mickey sees the
12:11world, right?
12:11Is, is that, is that she is able to see the light in the dark and that she needs to believe
12:16in that sliver of hope that her, that her sister, that her son, that her neighborhood
12:23is going to be okay.
12:24And even in the way that we shot this, there was a lot of talk about just how, like how
12:30we were, you know, from a cinematography standpoint, how we were, how we were sort of constructing
12:36the frame and, and how the light was informing the darkness at all times.
12:40With every female director.
12:42Yes.
12:43We do have all female directors.
12:45And, and one special one who we should address.
12:49I don't know.
12:50Nikki?
12:50Is she on stage?
12:51She directed an episode six.
12:53Directorial debut, episode six.
12:57Let's.
12:58I think it was her debut.
13:00Yeah.
13:01What the fuck?
13:03Yeah.
13:05What?
13:06Real time.
13:07This is awkward.
13:10I didn't know that.
13:11Yeah.
13:12I did not.
13:13She directed.
13:13What?
13:14I didn't know it was your first.
13:15Yeah.
13:16Sorry.
13:16I just.
13:17No, it's all good.
13:17No, she's a fucking bro.
13:19She knows what she's doing.
13:21Wow.
13:22Uh-huh.
13:22You're going to sit with me every day?
13:23Hey.
13:24Yeah.
13:25Fucking incredible.
13:26I mean, listen, you were leading the whole pack the whole time.
13:29You were there every day.
13:30But as a director, it was nice because there was no middleman.
13:34There was just like a direct.
13:35There is something nice about cutting out.
13:37Like just, you know, just being able to be dealing with directly.
13:41Because as a showrunner, you are there every day, right?
13:44And so you are the person that is there every day when the directors are coming in and out.
13:50So there was something really, really nice about just having a very, very direct relationship with your cast and not passing a message along.
13:59You know, um, and, uh.
14:02It's rare.
14:03It's rare.
14:03Yeah.
14:04It's really rare.
14:05Yeah.
14:05It was really fun.
14:06It was.
14:07I know.
14:08It's funny.
14:08It's, it's, it's, you know, you, you watch a show like this and it really, it's, it's harrowing and exciting.
14:14But, you know, has its moments of darkness and fear and for these characters.
14:20But you always find the levity on set.
14:23So when we talk about it.
14:25You find the levity on set too.
14:27Yeah.
14:27I guess we, I just, we really had a fun time.
14:32Yeah.
14:33Amanda is a wonderful, I'm just saying, if there's anybody in this thing that's wondering.
14:37Work with me.
14:37Oh my God.
14:38Should we hire Amanda or not or whatever?
14:40Absolutely.
14:41Like run, don't walk.
14:42She is the best number one on the planet.
14:45And even though that we were dealing with, we were obviously like dealing with some very, very heavy themes.
14:52She is a, like a, just sort of a beacon of light on set and, and, um, and puts it out for everybody that's like around and inspires everybody to be bringing their A game and takes such.
15:07She's the most generous person in the world.
15:09She takes care of our cast and our crew.
15:11She got us a, um, a food truck every week of, um, it's essential.
15:18You got to feed people.
15:19It's amazing.
15:20Um, amazing, amazing, amazing.
15:22No, it was fun.
15:23I, yeah, everything about it.
15:26I love talking about it.
15:27I love doing these screenings because it came out a couple months ago and it's just the fact that we just get to talk about it.
15:33Every interview, it's just like, listen, if we get to talk about it more, why not?
15:38Like, I feel like also more people will see it the more we talk about it.
15:41Yeah.
15:41Like, I, you know, I don't know.
15:44It feels important.
15:45And every time we do get like you guys like listening to what we're saying, you know, I don't want it ever to be boring, but it, it, it feels nice that, you know, you care.
15:55That people, yeah, are showing up to see our, the thing that we made.
16:00Yeah.
16:01Yeah.
16:01Also, this isn't boring.
16:02We had a revelation.
16:03You didn't know it was her first time directing.
16:05This is amazing.
16:05Yeah.
16:06What else don't I know?
16:07You, we, I feel like you and I have talked about this before.
16:09It's easy for you to sort of like shed the material at the end of the day.
16:17Like how different of an experience would this be with someone who had to like live in it for the whole shoot?
16:23Like that's tough, right?
16:25Yeah.
16:26Yeah.
16:27We both, I'm sure you've both worked with people who've had to live in it.
16:30Yes.
16:31I mean, I think that, you know, I think that a lot of actors have different processes and I respect all of those processes and always try to give like an actor a room to do the thing that they need to do.
16:41But there is something I'm just going to say in this specific scenario, and that's the only thing that I can speak to here is that it's really, really nice that when, when cut was called that Amanda, you know, reverted to being like lovely, amazing, you know, hopeful Amanda.
16:58And there was something just really refreshing about her having just the ability to do that.
17:08It's kind of, it's kind of amazing.
17:10I know.
17:10Every time I meet an actor who's the same way, I'm just like, oh, great.
17:16This is great.
17:16It's going to serve you well.
17:17Like Sydney Sweeney is the same way.
17:19I would just work with her and she was like, we would be looking at a dead body and then cut.
17:24And she would be like, anyway, so I have to show you this picture.
17:26And it's just like, it's, it's refreshing because we do the work and then we do the work and then the cut, like a breath of fresh air.
17:35And I'm not, I'm not saying every scene, you know, requires this amount of like looseness, but it's nice.
17:41Well, and in particular, I was even just like in, in, in the, in episode 106, which was a very, very heavy episode with a lot of reveals.
17:50I feel like for the first five days, Amanda and I were like, oh, you're crying in every scene.
17:54I mean, I'm really sorry that I did that to you, but you were so amazing.
17:59And then the moment that cut was called or whatever, we could like take a breath and then refresh.
18:03And then, and then, and then she just went back into it, you know, action.
18:07No, you were amazing.
18:08Stop.
18:09It's hard.
18:09I mean, yeah, you can't, yeah, you can't expect to not hate yourself at least, you know, 70% of the time, but, but you were really.
18:16You can do that as a showrunner as well.
18:17Oh, no, it's just, we hate on each other, on ourselves, but no, it's true.
18:22It's, it's, um, you gotta, you gotta know the, you gotta have boundaries, I guess, with your character.
18:28Pennsylvania native, Allentown.
18:30Um, we talked about how Philly looms large, the Delco accent.
18:36We've seen some shows where it featured very prominently, but, uh, you and your producing partners decided very early on that was not going to be her character's journey.
18:47I'm going to speak to this really quick.
18:48Yeah.
18:48I'm just going to say, just only because it was something that was, like, in the book, and I feel like it's, sometimes it gets missed on, in the, in the translation when it, when it, when it came to screen.
18:57Like, Mickey is a character who has been an outsider the majority of her life, and whether good or bad, she has chosen to shed her accent.
19:07And that was a conscious choice that the, that the character made in the book, whereas Casey, her sister, doubled down on her accent, and where she was from, Mickey had this idea of wanting to rise above her circumstance, which is why she shed her accent, and why Amanda did not, um, do that in series.
19:28It was not a matter of, sorry.
19:29And, but also, it's just, it goes, like, I, I'm from Allentown, and a lot of people around me have a very specific kind of way of speaking, and it's just, like, you go to school, you meet different people.
19:39Nobody has a consistency in their accent.
19:42Like, it's really, rarely does that happen, so it actually is, is more believable when you think of it that way.
19:49It's just, like, I, I don't have an accent, and my grandmother speaks very different than I do, very differently than I do.
19:55Like, we're from Pennsylvania, Dutch country, and, like, there are certain things people say differently than, than I would, and it's just, like, I went to a very inner city, inner city school.
20:04Like, when, a lot of people who go to Catholic school, they're, they, the, the teachers from the people that I know have, like, just made sure that they didn't have an accent.
20:12It's just, things, people want things to be very streamlined, and, and then it's also a choice, you know, who you hang out with, you, and tend to mimic, and I think that's how accents come about, it's just who you spend time with.
20:25So, Mickey spends time with a lot of cops, but also just had a conscious effort to not.
20:33And also, thank God, because I didn't want to be targeted with that, for that kind of scrutiny.
20:39You know, I love the fact that Mickey had a, no accent, really worked for me.
20:46What is the, what is the role that you've done that had, like, the most dramatic accent work?
20:51I'm trying to think.
20:52Oh, it's not out yet.
20:55I just spent a week fixing it in post, and I'm starting a movie on Monday where I have a Tulsa accent, and I just finished on last Friday, not, a week ago.
21:09I'm in Manchester, so I was talking like this, like, really, I can't do it anymore.
21:17Wow, I really, I've already, it's fucking weird, but I have an ear for it, but it takes me a minute.
21:23But when I finally finished the Manchester movie that I did last year after our show, I was not good.
21:29I was not good enough when we shot it, and then I fixed it in post, like, some sounds, sounds.
21:35I don't agree with that, but.
21:37Mother, mother.
21:38Oh, I played Motheran Lee from Manchester in the 1770s.
21:44No, anyway, but we'll see how that turns out.
21:46It's better than it used to be.
21:47And then I, the last week, I've just been, like, kind of southern, like, Tulsa, and I'm, like, from McAllister, which is Pittsburgh County, and present day, and I'm about to start, start that.
22:02Wait, what?
22:03That sounds terrible.
22:04Now I'm just confused.
22:08I'll be good come Monday.
22:10Is Manchester the musical?
22:12Yes.
22:12So, are you singing in a Manchester accent?
22:15Oh, my God, everyone.
22:16Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:17It's a fever dream.
22:19Yeah.
22:19And I can't, I went straight from Billy Cop.
22:23Into.
22:23Present day.
22:24Yeah, no, the most, the funniest thing, too, is I was texting Amanda recently, and then she sent me, like, a video of her in ADR singing, and it's, like.
22:33So weird.
22:34It's the most amazing thing.
22:37What is the name of screaming?
22:38No, but it's, I mean, it's the most beautiful screaming I've ever heard in my life, because I was just, like, oh, my God, she just did this, and, like, taped herself, and then it was insane.
22:49It's, like, honestly insane.
22:50It was to prove how wacky things can get.
22:53It's, yeah.
22:54It is fun.
22:55It's good.
22:55It's a good thing.
22:57It's a good thing.
22:57It's a good thing.
22:58I'm just, like, a little confused right now.
23:02Oh, but I'll be American again.
23:07Sorry, northern, northern England again?
23:14I don't think we have.
23:15I don't think we have much more time, but I.
23:17Good.
23:19Because I'm confused.
23:21One, like, Amy Pascal, absolute legend, executive producer on here.
23:26What is an Amy note like?
23:28I mean, I think it's just, I mean, I think the breath of Amy's experience is so incredible, and I think, like, along the way from, you know, early on, you know, her giving notes about what's going to land, reaching out, her thoughts on casting, her thoughts on marketing, her thoughts on, I mean, everything.
23:51You're dealing with an absolute legend, so I feel like any time she's speaking, everybody in the room is just rapt and wants to hear what she has to say.
24:01I mean, it was really lovely having her on the project and to guide us and to be our sort of, like, cool-ass bouncer.
24:12You know what I mean?
24:13That's just, like, watching out for our show, you know?
24:15Is there any chance of getting the band back together, because I believe Liz Moore's God of the Woods, which is, like, such a great read, is also in development.
24:30Who's making that?
24:31Who the fuck is making that?
24:34I think some of your fellow producers.
24:37Yeah, no, no, no.
24:38Original film is, I'm not going to speak about Liz's, that particular project.
24:44Oh, it's a film.
24:44No, no, no, it's not.
24:46But I'm not speaking about that project.
24:48I'm just going to say that I do know that original film, Neil Moritz and Pavan Shetty, who were a part of Long Bright River, are also on God of the Woods, as is Sony.
25:03So I think that Liz is continuing her relationship with Sony, and then she also has another book.
25:09I might as well just do Liz's press.
25:11She has another book, in case anybody's interested.
25:13I think her third book, The Unseen World, is also at Sony for development.
25:20Yay, Liz!
25:21Good job, Liz!
25:22We love Liz.
25:23She's missing tonight.
25:24Yeah, she is.
25:25We miss her.
25:26I'm just going to...
25:27She's in Philly.
25:28Falling homey.
25:29Yeah, she's here in spirit.
25:31Pour one out.
25:31Um, I think we're out of time.
25:35No, this has been so lovely.
25:38Thank you for having me.
25:38Bye.
25:45I'm just going to show you All the Times.
25:48Bye.
25:50Bye.
25:51Bye.
26:00Bye.
26:01Bye.
26:01Bye.
26:02Bye.
26:02Bye.
26:03Bye.
26:03Bye.