FX’s new drama,Grotesquerie, airs on the network on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET and is available to stream next-day on Hulu. The series is written and created byRyan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken, and follows a string of grisly murders that “have unsettled a small community.” Believing the killer means to torment her, Detective Lois Tryon seeks help from nun and journalist, Sister Megan. However, as they dive deeper into the horrific crimes, the duo uncovers more questions than answers.
Emmy Award-winner Niecy Nash-Betts stars as Lois alongside Courtney B. Vance, Lesley Manville, Micaela Diamond, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Raven Goodwin, and Travis Kelce. Nash-Betts is known for a wide range of projects such asNever Have I Ever,Claws, andThe Soul Man. Still,Grotesquerieis not the actor’s first time playing a police officer. She has worked on over one hundred episodes ofReno 911!and portrayed FBI trainee Simone Clark in ABC’sThe Rookie,leading its spinoff,The Rookie: Feds.
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Screen Rantinterviewed Nash-Betts about what drew her toGrotesquerie,working with Travis Kelce, and her character’s dynamic with Micaela Diamond’s Sister Megan.
Nash-Betts Was The First Actor Attached To Grotesquerie
“Ryan [Murphy] gave me a stack of scripts and said, ‘Find something you like.'”
Screen Rant: In addition to being the lead, you’re also an executive producer, so how early on were you attached to Grotesquerie?
Niecy Nash-Betts: I think I was the first one attached. I think right at the beginning. Ryan [Murphy] gave me a stack of scripts and said, “Find something you like.” I read this one, and I was salivating. I was like, “Whatever this is, sign me up.”
This is obviously not the first police character you’ve played, but what really stands out to you about Lois and this story in general?
Niecy Nash-Betts: She’s very, very troubled. She has a lot of personal problems. Problems in her marriage, problems with her daughter, she’s battling alcoholism, but at the same time, she is good at her job. So I just thought, “I’ve never played anyone like this. This one is going to be interesting.” And Ryan has been a great partner and collaborator during the process.
This is Travis Kelsey’s first series regular role. How was working with him, and how often do you get to share the screen?
Niecy Nash-Betts: You’re going to see Travis and I together quite a bit. He’s wonderful, charming, gregarious, and he has a great sense of humor, takes direction really well, and comes to work prepared.
Detective Lois Tryon Will Be Hesitant To Team Up With Sister Megan
“The interesting thing is that Detective Lois Tryon has been a one-man band. ‘I don’t need anybody to do what I need to do.'”
I’m personally looking forward to the concept of a detective-nun team-up. What can you share about that dynamic and what it’s going to bring to the show?
Niecy Nash-Betts: The interesting thing is that Detective Lois Tryon has been a one-man band. “I don’t need anybody to do what I need to do.” You know what I mean? I catch ‘em all, and I lock ‘em up. But this time, these crimes have a religious overtone. So at first, she doesn’t think she needs Sister Megan played by the lovely Micaela Diamond, but then she realizes she may have some value, so she brings her along for the ride.
I’m curious how you would describe the tone of the series because it’s much darker than a usual network drama. Would you say that this is a horror?
Niecy Nash-Betts: I guess the term that I would use is gruesome. It’s a gruesome story, but there’s also a drama portion of it that’s the base and the gruesomeness just kind of floats over the top.
Grotesquerieis advertised as 10 episodes. Is it meant to be 10 episodes only, or is the hope for this to go on for seasons?
Niecy Nash-Betts: I think the hope for it is to go on on the other side of this.
If you could use one word to capture this series, what would it be?
About Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie
A series of heinous crimes have unsettled a small community.
In FX’s Grotesquerie, a series of heinous crimes have unsettled a small community. “Detective Lois Tryon” feels these crimes are eerily personal, as if someone—or something—is taunting her. At home, Lois grapples with a strained relationship with her daughter, a husband in long-term hospital care and her own inner demons. With no leads and unsure of where to turn, she accepts the help of “Sister Megan,” a nun and journalist with the Catholic Guardian.
Sister Megan, with her own difficult past, has seen the worst of humanity, yet she still believes in its capacity for good. Lois, on the other hand, fears the world is succumbing to evil. As Lois and Sister Megan string together clues, they find themselves ensnared in a sinister web that only seems to raise more questions than answers.
Check back for our other interviews with theGrotesqueriecast:
Grotesquerieairs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Source:Screen Rant Plus
Grotesquerie
Grotesquerie: In this crime drama, a detective and a nun delve into a series of heinous crimes with personal ties, confronting their own struggles while unraveling a sinister web. Their investigation raises profound questions, revealing unsettling truths that challenge their perceptions and deepen the mystery.
