On the surface, Mayor of Kingstown is a crime drama centered around the McLusky family. But at the heart of it, this show is truly about corruption, power, and chaos grounded in systemic inequality, racism, and the thriving industry that is incarceration. And as the series winds down its fourth season, Fangirlish got a chance to catch up with some of the stars at the heart of this series.
Front and central for a lot of this season is Kyle McLusky, played by Taylor Handley. He’s the youngest son of the McLusky family who went from police officer to being put through the wringer in Season 4. And his time in prison was made all the more difficult by the notoriously evil Merle Callahan, played by Richard Brake. We got to speak to both of them about loss, playing the bad guy, and why they love this show.
For Handley, he notes that Kyle is broken. For those who need a refresher, Callahan escaped prison and killed Kyle’s wife Tracy. Kyle eventually got his revenge against Callahan in the season finale. But this event has reshaped his character forever. Handley said, “He’s a broken man. I mean, having gone through all the things that he’s gone through and it’s led to this. […] There’s something sad about it.”
That sadness is grounded in the fact that despite all that Kyle had went through, he was still hopeful. And Callahan crushed him and his hopes. “You know, he was so hopeful throughout all this, even thought when he would incur the tragedies that he did. And then it still winds up so terrible for him that it really justifies the choice that he makes at the end.”
That choice that Kyle makes is the killing Callahan. And Handley knows that the killing in itself might be controversial for the way it was handled. “Is it the right choice? You know, there’s an argument that could be said about either or. But again, it’s just great storytelling. It’s so premium and it’s so well know at the end of the day.”
Then there’s Callahan. The actor who plays him has played creepy, dark or villainous characters for a while. He was Sheriff Rotter in the new The Strangers films, Frank in Barbarian, and Luther Shrike on Supernatural. For Brake, he admits that he doesn’t look for roles like this. They just happen.
“They seem to be more attracted to me,” Brake admitted with a laugh, “I don’t go searching for them, they seem to come to me. But I think it keeps me sane. I once played a character that ate somebody, a child. And then when I would get home, my two young boys, who are now grown boys. But I would read them stories and I thought this is what keeps me sane.”
But Callahan on Mayor of Kingstown, oh, he’s different for Brake.
“He might be one of the pinnacle bad guys that’s I’ve ever played. He’s an extraordinarily evil human being.” And even though his journey as Callahan is over, he’s grateful for the time he got to spend flexing his acting abilities with him. “I’ve been lucky and it was a great gift that it came my way and I got a chance to embody him. And also let him go once he went. […] You know, so that’s just great writing, you know?”
Kyle and Callahan weren’t the only characters getting development this season of Mayor of Kingstown. There’s also corrections officer Cindy Stephens played by the talented Laura Benanti. For many, Benanti is best known for her time on Broadway, including a Tony Award win for 2008’s Gypsy alongside five Tony Award nominations. And while she has done other roles in shows like Elsbeth and The Gilded Age, she’s never done something like Mayor of Kingstown.
For Benanti, “stretching yourself as an actor is always really important.” She added, “I’ve been really focused on comedy for a while, which I love and is my favorite thing to do. But when this opportunity came along, I was sort of so taken by the notion of completely stripping down and being a totally different person. And I feel it was really valuable for me.”
Cindy ends Season 4 having killed a fellow prison guard who goes on a killing spree. That shakes her, as it would anyone. And it’s led Benanti to think about what she wants next for Cindy when the show returns for a fifth season. “I’d like to know more about her backstory. I feel like I want her past to come back to haunt her a little bit so that we can better understand who she is and why.” She also added, “I hope she lives. I really don’t want her to die. I don’t want her children to die. That’s my biggest hope for her.”
Being iconic Broadway talent, we did throw a curveball question her way to wrap up this interview. That curveball was Hazbin Hotel related. With her working with Jeremy Jordan before on Jason Robert Brown’s Parade, and her mentioning that stretching yourself as an actor is important, we wanted to know if she’d ever join Hazbin Hotel if given the opportunity. And… she didn’t know what Hazbin Hotel was.
Knowing that there’s too much TV for anyone to be totally caught up, we broke down the show’s concept. And with everything that she learned, the more excited she got. And when we asked her again if she would join, she excitedly answered with: “Oh my god. I’m gonna call him. I can’t believe this lead you have me on. Thank you for the job tip!”
So if you’re looking for anyone to add to your cast, Vivienne Medrano, Benanti is interested!
Mayor of Kingstown Seasons 1-4 are available on Paramount+.
