Hamish Linklater on the purpose of his character
Linklater and Samantha Sloyan also improvise a major moment for their characters that takes place offscreen.
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers through the finale of Midnight Mass.]There are a lot of exciting casting choices out there, but it feels like it doesn’t get much better than pairing up an actor like Hamish Linklater with a role as Monsignor John Pruitt in Midnight Mass. The character gives him the opportunity to deliver one breathtaking speech after another, make the most of his chemistry with the majority of the main set, and also dig into the complexity of what Monsignor is actually looking for.
On the verge of death, John Pruitt obtains a second chance in life thanks to an encounter with a being he supposes to be an angel. Hoping to end the “roar” of death, Pruitt brings the angel back to Crockett Island to share this “gift” with his community. However, in Episode 7, Pruitt admits he was especially keen on getting a second chance at life with his wife (Alex Essoé) and their daughter (Annabeth gish) – a complicated personal enterprise, which could have had important ramifications for the world.
With Midnight Mass Now available to stream on Netflix, I was fortunate enough to catch up with the cast and couldn’t wait to dig out Linklater’s approach for the role. During an interview in pairs with another Midnight Mass scene thief, Samantha sloyan, Linklater laughed as he shed additional light on Monsignor’s final phase. Here’s what Linklater said when asked what Pruitt thinks Crockett’s Island and the world might look like if his plan went off without a hitch:
“I think if he thinks it deeply, he thinks it’s the next step in human evolution – is that there will be no more death. I don’t know how it works with overpopulation. , if you have to invest more in space travel at this point, but there will be a lot of time to work on the aerodynamics. Like, the best minds will not leave anymore… But I think the experience he had, his new level of awakening has been so keen that he simply believes these are the right steps he is taking.
Linklater also noted that Monsignor’s goals change as the show progresses:
“I tried to keep it simple and do the right thing from scene to scene. And that changes – its focus, its plan changes as the series goes on, but always focusing on what can be the positive outcome of each scene and that’s kind of the lifeline.
Looking for even more Midnight Mass talk about spoiler? There is a lot more where this came from! Watch my full conversation with Linklater and Sloyan in the video at the end of this article and keep an eye out for more Midnight Mass interviews with Gish, Kristin lehman, Kate siegel and Zach Gilford.
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