Death and Other Details is one of those shows I just can’t stop watching. Every character has secrets. And pretty much any character could be the murderer. In fact, the more you think a particular character is “safe” from suspicion, the more suspicious you should probably be. That includes Imogene (Violett Beane/Sophia Reid-Gantzert), who is presumably one of the only characters who should be free of suspicion. The verdict’s still out on Imogene all grown up, but I’m at least going to assume young Imogene (played by Reid-Gantzert) is safe. And if it turns out she was the criminal mastermind behind her mother’s death, well…I’ll be eating my words, won’t I?
As much fun as I’m having delving into Hulu’s murder-mystery series, I’m having even more fun talking with the stars of the show. I was thrilled at the chance to speak with Reid-Gantzert about her role as young Imogene. If you haven’t seen the series yet…well, you should check it out. But here’s the thing you should know about Reid-Gantzert in the role: she’s going to steal your heart and make you root for her from the very first scene.
You know how younger actors usually get compliments with asterisks on the end? Like, “Oh, they’re really good…for as young as they are.” Reid-Gantzert doesn’t need any asterisk in her role as young Imogene. She’s really good. Period, end of sentence. She holds here own against Mandy Freaking Patinkin. That’s how good she is.
So, yeah, I had to ask her about what it was like to work opposite Mandy Patinkin (Rufus Cotesworth). And, as a fellow fan of The Princess Bride, did she ask him to say The Line? In respect to the latter question…sadly, the answer is no. Though she (and her mom) wanted to do so. So now I’m launching my “Get Mandy to call Sophia and deliver The Line over the phone 2024” petition. (I’m sure he’s probably sick of getting asked to say it, after all these years, and I’m sympathetic to that. But I saw him deliver The Line to a packed house when he came to perform at my university, and everyone in the audience lost their minds. So I don’t blame anyone for wanting to experience that magic.)
She may not have gotten The Line, but she admitted she did spend a day getting “a Master Class” from her fellow actor. (Can I say I’m more than a little jealous? I’m more than a little jealous.)
As much fun as it is to watch her with Patinkin, she really shines as a young Beane. Enough that I could definitely buy Reid-Gantzert and Beane as the same character. In my previous interview with Beane, I asked if the two had worked together to prepare to play the same role and was told they didn’t work together early on. So I asked Reid-Gantzert how she prepared for the role.
As it turns out, particularly in the first episode, the answer is “luck.” She was also given the entire back story surrounding Imogene’s mother’s murder, which helped her lay the groundwork for the emotional journey her character would go on as the series progressed. And, of course, the producers were happy to show her dailies and give her input into how Beane would deliver a line.
One of the things we love most about Death and Other Details is its old-school murder mystery feel. It feels like an Agatha Christie mystery, in all the best ways. Not just in the writing, but also in the sets and costuming. And Reid-Gantzert loved filming on such a huge, beautiful estate. As a self-professed fan of murder mysteries (and Agatha Christie) herself, I can only imagine how much fun she had working on the project.
The one thing that would be more of a struggle is having to keep the secret. And, in this, I feel like I have a kindred spirit in Reid-Gantzert. Of course, every time I watch an episode screener, I have secrets I have to keep to myself. Though usually, I only have to keep them for a week or two. Reid-Gantzert has had to keep hers since filming last year – or possibly even earlier, since they filmed the pilot in 2021. I can’t imagine.
She’s a professional so she did a very good job at not spilling secrets she couldn’t, even in our interview. But she admitted it’s hard.
She also has a somewhat unique experience from the rest of the cast, because she was only really given information about her own mystery – the murder of her mom. She wasn’t given information about the murder on the ship in the present day. So that gives her the opportunity to play sleuth to a degree. She confessed, “Every time [the official account] posts on Instagram, you know how they kinda have the little clues in the comments? [My friend and I are], like, trying to decode everything right away.”
As we wrapped up the interview, I had to ask Reid-Gantzert if she could tease anything coming for her character. Naturally, she had to choose her words carefully to not give away too many spoilers. However, she did promise some “fun stuff” ahead between her and Violett Beane.
Past Imogene and Future Imogene interacting together? Color me intrigued.
A new episode of Death and Other Details can be found on Hulu on Tuesday.
