Created by Damon Lindelof and acclaimed novelist Tom Perrotta, the HBO series The Leftovers, about what happens after 140 million people vanished from the face of the Earth, is currently in its final season. With the seventh anniversary of the Sudden Departure approaching, John (Kevin Carroll) and Michael (Jovan Adepo) Murphy are each on their own path to determine whether there may truly be miracles, after all.
After seeing seven of the eight episodes of Season 3 (they were understandably withholding the final episode of the series), Collider sat down with actors Kevin Carroll and Jovan Adepo to talk about what originally attracted them to The Leftovers, whether they ever could have imagined what the journey would become, the challenges of building a family dynamic that they then had to completely tear down, not having all of the questions answered, and being spoiled by the opportunity to work with such great material. Be aware that there are some spoilers discussed.
Collider: What was it that originally drew you to The Leftovers and this character, and could you have ever imagined where it all would have ended up?
KEVIN CARROLL: Absolutely not! Initially, it was the chance to play a father in this world, but to also be a complete person and not just a function of something strange. He was actually a person with some flaws, but who loved his family and had a history of working at having a family. It may not have been perfect, but he worked at it. I thought that was really interesting. Initially, in one of the early conversations we had, after I came on board, Damon [Lindelof] said, “So, what do you think about the Murphys?” I said, “I don’t know what to think. Is there something that you want to tell me?” And he said, “No, absolutely not. I just wanted to know what you thought.” I said, “Not knowing where this was going to go, and not that it really matters, I just think that at the center of it all has to be love in this family. He cocked his head to one side, smiled, winked and said, “Right on,” and just walked off. And then, when it all came together, I thought it was perfectly pitched and not preached about. The way it was scripted, you got a sense of love in this family and you knew that there was a history of this family working at being a family, and yet, you could tell that maybe there were some issues there, but it didn’t tip the hand too much. So, for me to come aboard and have the chance to play a father who was engaged but not perfect, even as a starting place, I thought that was great.
JOVAN ADEPO: The thing that really drew me to playing this part was that I was a fan of the show. The first season was incredible. It was such an interesting premise. Just the way that they took the characters through their own journey in the first season, when they started casting the second season, I was really excited and said, “If there’s any way that I could be involved, in a significant manner, I’d be honored to do so.” I was really excited, and I never could have imagined that they would have taken the Murphy family and the Garveys in the direction that they did. It’s just a testament to Damon’s talent and his very complex mind in our storytelling.
Was it challenging to spend Season 2 building a family dynamic, and then have to tear that down and rebuild it in Season 3?
ADEPO: It wasn’t too difficult because we’re really used to being provided with the unusual, or just the unconventional. That’s what I got, from the first day that I came onto the show, and the rest of my castmates. We were prepared to be thrown through different obstacles, and you have to be ready to adjust when you can.
CARROLL: That’s a testament to the writers. The shock and surprise of it all is something that I still have not wrapped my mind completely around. There was a three-year time gap when we started the season, but it was only a six-month period of time off. When we came back, although you see on the page that it’s three years later, the emotional reorganizing of logic, love, understanding and processing of it all was very confusing. I was fortunate to play opposite Amy [Brenneman]. Because we have such a long history of knowing each other, there’s a trust in that, so I was very fortunate, in that way. But I have to be honest, I was a little mournful. Relationships have to move around, based on what the story is, but I did not see that coming, at all. Somewhere deep down, I was ready to keep the level of this man working on, through and with his new sense of life and family. I was ready to see where that took him, but I absolutely did not see this coming. The writers think about the character journey first, so I hope that it’s as shocking and as satisfying for people to watch, as it was to do.
Did you guys, as the actors playing the Murphys, spend any time together to work on that initial family dynamic?
ADEPO: When the Murphys were brought on board, the four of us spent a lot of time together. That wasn’t necessarily a requirement, but it was a testament to the dedication of my castmates. Regina [King], Jasmin [Savoy Brown], Kevin and I wanted to get together to see what it was like to interact off one another and use that to inform our performances on screen. By the time we had to be a family in front of the camera, it was there because we spent a lot of time during pre-production at dinner and going to each other’s houses. It was very much a family. Me and Jasmin played pranks on each other. Me and Kevin really spent a lot of time communicating our miscommunications, as the characters. He’s such a talented actor, who comes from the stage. It was fun to get to explore that with him and learn how to ask questions that you should ask, as an actor.
What was it like to have Regina King not there, and to instead have Amy Brenneman as the female center of this family?
ADEPO: It was a different rhythm. Both of those actresses are immensely talented, but they bring a different flavor to the equation. It was different, but it worked and it was a lot of fun. It’s interesting, I think Amy has a very similar approach to character work as Kevin has, which is very complex and thought out. She thinks about everything. Regina did that, as well, but was just different. I was very fortunate to work with both actresses and have them play that motherly role because I was able to learn something from each of them. I’m spoiled.
How was it to be able to interact much more deeply with Scott Glenn, in this final season?
ADEPO: He’s awesome! I was so excited when I found out that I would actually get to interact with Scott’s character and Scott, as an actor. He’s been around for a long time, he’s paid his due, and he’s done great work. He’s intense, and it’s awesome just to be around that air and breathe that in with him. He’s such a giving actor, and he’s so well-informed and experienced that you catch yourself, in between scenes, watching how he prepares. He can literally just snap into a scene and give it his all. When he’s in it, he’s in it. So, it’s really cool to say that I got to spend some time with him [in Australia]. It was fun.
Are you okay with not having all of the questions answered, or did you have to take a moment to get over the fact that you’ll never have all of the answers?
ADEPO: I’ve come to accept it now. I got a taste of that when I first got cast. As an actor, you want to do your character work and work on your backstory. I was bugging Damon, blowing up his office phone and saying, “I have questions about this. Where did he come from? Where did he get this idea?” And he was like, “You have to figure that out on your own. That’s why I cast you. You have to inform the character and season the character. I trust you.” I had to learn that. They can have a template and an outline for the character, but they want you to put the air into his lungs, breathe that personality and make him come to life. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do that.
Do you feel personally satisfied with where the story ends up?
ADEPO: I do. It took me awhile to understand what they were trying to say with it, but I find comfort in knowing that there is television out there that actually challenges the audience. Too often, there are TV shows [where it’s so easy to predict what’s going to happen]. We have a show that continues to push the envelope and continues to ask the audience to think and to have a conversation with the other people that they’re watching with, about what they think is going on in this world. We don’t always need the answer given to us. There doesn’t always have to be a period at the end of the statement. Maybe there’s a “...” or a “?” It’s a challenging show.
Because you’ve had so much to play with and get to do in this show, do you feel completely spoiled, as far as having to find the next project?
CARROLL: No, it’s not spoiled, at all. I feel ruined. I don’t know when I’ll run into this kind of partnering again. I don’t know that Damon recycles people a lot, in what he does, so there’s that. And there’s a universality in the foundation of this show that sparks the kind of conversation that is above and beyond trite conversations. Watching this show, the kinds of conversations that are possible to have after the show are profound conversations about our existence, how we’re using our time, and what our time means. This show pushes us to have some of the most profound conversations that a piece of art can challenge you to have. Honestly, I don’t know when or if I’ll have another shot at this level of conversation, or inspiration for conversation. It sounds a little corny, but that’s what this show is. Whether you want to be an artist because you want to help people, because you care about humanity, or because you want to inspire people, this show can spark that kind of thought, conversation, understanding and self-realization that can lead to the bigger things in life. Not that everything has to be this, but this opportunity for me, at least on film and in television, has been really rare. Theater offers you a little bit deeper opportunities at craft. But, this is a moment of consideration because of the writing. There’s a small grouping of shows that do this. I’ve had a blast, and I hate to see it go.
ADEPO: This sounds so cheesy, but as we try to find material, you have to be open to the material finding you. We have been spoiled, but I like to say blessed, to be able to play these characters in such a great world and on a show that challenges conventional thinking. Doing this show is proof that there is interesting storytelling to be had out there. You’ve just gotta know how to catch it when you see it. You have to try not to force it while you’re looking for interesting and complex characters and stories. That’s my own mission, for my career, and I think my castmates share a similar goal.
The Leftovers airs on Sunday nights on HBO.
