Murray Bartlett, who received our hearts as Armond in The White Lotus, and as Frank in The Last of Us, performs Gareth in Maulik Pancholy’s comedy podcast, Homicide on the Patel Motel. He additionally seems because the disgraced puppeteer, Brian, in Season Two of 9 Good Strangers.
“They’re comparable, in a means,” says Murray over a video name from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. “Each have a thriller on the centre of it. The distinction with 9 Good Strangers is we obtained to be in wonderful areas in Germany and Austria, with an exquisite solid of folks that I started working with in individual.”
Previous traumas
Each characters, the 54-year-old actor stated, are coping with trauma from the previous that holds them again. “They each must be backed right into a nook earlier than they reveal themselves. It’s not straightforward for them to face or speak about it or be weak round.”
The absence of visuals is each liberating and difficult, in line with Murray. “It feels uncomplicated to have one sense to hone in and concentrate on. There are fewer distractions. It provides you a robust focus. It’s an fascinating course of the place you’ve solely obtained the audio so that you change into extremely conscious of how one can play with that in fascinating methods to inform the story.”
With a glance
There are some scenes, Murray says, which you would like you possibly can simply do with a glance. “You need to discover a solution to do it with sound. It’s a double-edged sword, it’s a problem, nevertheless it additionally makes you inventive. There’s one thing thrilling about that.”
Voicing a personality in an audio-only format calls for the same method to his work in tv or movie, Murray says. “There are particular subtleties that you are able to do visually with out saying issues that you would be able to’t use in audio. You need to be sure to’re getting the character and the story throughout successfully by audio.”
Murray Bartlett with Nick Offerman in a nonetheless from ‘The Final of Us’
| Picture Credit score:
HBO
Wealthy world
The world of audio is so wealthy lately with podcasts and audiobooks, Murray says. “It’s an thrilling style to step into. We are actually used to listening to content material in the way in which that we used to hearken to radio performs. I used to be aware of the style and how one can convey subtlety into audio in a means that you just may when engaged on movie and tv visually. Homicide on the Patel Motel is comedy, so that you is usually a little broader, and play with sound in a comedic means.”
Having identified Maulik for a very long time, Murray instantly stated sure to taking part in Gareth, Maulik’s character, Milan’s, associate. “I like the thought of this small city in Montana the place there’s this Indian American household, and the sort of world that surrounds them. Maulik instructed me about this community of Indian American households who run motels across the Midwest of America, which I used to be unaware of.”
Grounded in actuality
Comedy is difficult correctly grounded in actuality, Murray feedback. “You don’t need it to be completely untethered. This present has a particular actuality to it, and there are some poignant moments. As an actor, you wish to have enjoyable with the comedy, whereas ensuring that these really feel like precise characters, with moments of reflection, poignancy and connection.”
Murray says the solid did totally different takes and variations of sure scenes. “Once they had been enhancing, that they had some decisions to get that steadiness of comedy, drama and thriller proper.”
Occasional improvisations
Whereas the solid largely caught to the script, Murray says there was improvisation too. “With audio work, you don’t work with the opposite actors. I used to be fortunate, as a result of Maulik was main this mission and was in all of the recording periods. We had been studying the scenes collectively in actual time. He inspired improvisation when it felt proper. We did the scenes as scripted, however then would do takes the place we mess around.”
There are scenes the place it made sense to improvise, Murray says. “With 10 episodes, the recording periods had been lengthy, and when you begin to settle into the character, you get a way of what else you may be capable to supply because the character. Maulik was collaborative and inspired us to stick with the script to make it possible for we had been telling the story correctly, but additionally to inhabit our characters and play with it.”
Near house
The podcast touches on themes of id, household and returning house, all of which resonated with Murray. “Irrespective of the place a narrative is culturally, environmentally, or geographically, there are common issues about household that we will all relate to — complicated, unsettling, difficult, and humorous issues.” Murray was intrigued with the “fantastic specifics” about Indian American households that he obtained to be taught by the podcast.
“Loads of us, significantly within the arts, who grew up in small cities, have the identical expertise that Milan has. We are typically the black sheep of the household. I went midway around the globe to pursue the work that I like.”
Murray Bartlett
| Picture Credit score:
Getty Photographs
Highlights the distinction
Whenever you return house, Murray says, there are all these fantastic, tough and comedian issues that occur. “The dynamics spotlight the distinction you are feeling between the individual you’ve change into and the 17-year-old you had been when you’ll have left,” Murray says laughing.
Hoping that listeners to Homicide on the Patel Motel chuckle so much, Murray says, “There are some stunning issues about being disconnected from household and the complexity of attempting to reconnect. Loads of the characters have secrets and techniques or elements of themselves that they’re not in contact with, or hiding. And thru the course of the present, secrets and techniques come out and the characters have to take a look at and face who they’re.”
If Gareth had a secret pastime, Murray says he would in all probability fancy himself a popstar. “I might think about when no person’s house, he would get out the karaoke machine and sing within the mirror,” he says laughing
Murray’s favorite scene within the podcast was when his finger will get partially minimize off by an axe. “It was enjoyable to have the ability to scream and let unfastened,” he says, laughing uproariously.
Homicide on the Patel Motel is on the market on Audible
Printed – July 28, 2025 04:10 pm IST
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