Colin Donell goes from criminal mediator to pastor when he finds himself in a small beach town in Australia. In his new Peacock series DisrespectfulColin’s character must appear in the moonlight as the devoted Reverend Mack as he tries to find a way to escape quickly before his past catches up with him. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY to Colin about diving deep into this meaty role.
I just loved it from the first reading. I loved the world so much Paddy Macrae built. I loved that Mack/Paulo is such a complicated guy. I felt like it was an opportunity for me to do something different from what people have seen me do on TV before,” said Colin. “It’s such a fun show and there’s so much humor. And on the other hand, you have so much heart and such a wonderful story about community and personal growth that it felt like I could use all the tools in my box to create a really complicated, multi-dimensional persona that people watch be able.”
Mack/Paulo will face “trouble” at every turn, Colin teased. “There’s the danger coming at him from Chicago. There is a risk of being discovered not only by the police within the city, but really by the entire community,” said the actor HollywoodLife. “He’s going to have to use every tool he had back in Chicago as a mob negotiator to really trick everyone into believing he’s that reverend at some random church in the middle of nowhere.”
Colin noted that the “engine of our show is” Mack/Paulo “figuring things out on the fly, whether it’s faking the Reverend stuff or finding some money to get the fuck out of it.” . Along the way he starts forming these unexpected relationships, like with Daisy and with Piper. That’s really where things change for him personally.”
Daisy, played by Tegan Stimson, according to Colin, is quickly becoming an “essential part of his Reverend persona”. The actor added, “But we also find out very quickly that she’s not exactly a do-gooder and they can help each other in a lot of different ways. Not only does she help him play what he’s trying to do for the city, but she has a bit of an influence on his not-so-dignified demeanor.”
The Peacock series was filmed on location in Australia, which Colin described as an “amazing” experience. “I was able to take my wife and daughter with me. We spent the first two and a half months in a very small town in far north Queensland called Mission Beach, which was our clump. And just like Max – a fish out of water in Clump – patty [Murin], Cecileand I was a lot fish out of water at Mission Beach.”
Colin continued: “But the town itself, I think, really plays their own character on the show, they were made so welcome, not only to me but to my family and the whole production, so quickly, it was just a wonderful way from was really fulfilling experience. I don’t think we could have done half the things we’ve done without the support of the community there. It will always be a very special place for us.” Disrespectful is now streaming on Peacock.