Check out our exclusive interview with Bellamy Young on the premiere of the pilot for ‘Prodigal Son’
Prodigal Son follows Martin Whitly, a NYPD homicide detective and the son of a convicted serial killer. Growing up with a serial killer for a father, Malcom has a unique skill set that allows him to understand the thought process of a serial killer, giving him a natural instinct and ability to solve crimes. Malcom, not only has to deal with the stresses of being a detective, but also the friction his father is causing on his mother and sister who would prefer to forget the past. The psychological exploration of Malcom, along with this Silence of the Lambs-esque relationship with his father is primarily makes Prodigal Son a compelling series, bringing a level of darkness on a classic detective drama genre. The Show stars Tom Payner, Michael Sheen, Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Halston Sage, Aurora Perrineau, Frank Harts, and Keiko Agena.
Bellamy Young stars in Prodigal Son as Jessica Whitly. Bellamy Young is a vetern actress who has appeared in Mission: Impossible III, A Wrinkle in Time, Criminal Minds, and Scandal. We got a chance to speak with her about the premiere of the pilot episode of Prodigal Son!
The Knockturnal: What would you say the best part of filming was?
Bellamy Young: The cast! It felt immediately comfortable. You go on different jobs and you’re always grateful to be working. But sometimes it feels awkward, or it’s not a right fit, or it’s fractious or something, but this just felt like an old shoe immediately. Everybody’s really great at what they do and really well cast, so getting to be in the ring with each of them was just joyful.
The Knockturnal: Now at this point in your career, I’m calling you a pro, I think that you’re a pro. Were there any challenges when filming?
Bellamy Young plays Jessica Whitly in ‘Prodigal Son’
Bellamy Young: Oh yeah, no, always! I think anybody that said there were no challenges is just a big ol’ liar. They were nice enough to offer me this job, which is always super super kind, but that also means you don’t go through the process of tuning your frequency to the director’s vision. Or just even getting notes from the director when you’re auditioning, so my first stab at the character was with a camera in my face in front of the whole crew, stakes up. Our director, Lee, was incredible, you just feel so vulnerable so it’s very like – “Am I just awful? Are they gonna fire me? Is this my last day on this job?” But he calibrates everybody, as you can see from the pilot, so carefully that I wound up being okay. But those are terrifying moments. Everybody thinks it such a great thing to be offered a job but it’s also really terrifying because when they finally see you do it, there’s the possibility that they’re like “Ohhhh… no”.
The Knockturnal: I doubt that was a case with you ever! But, when you’re not acting and you’re not filming, what do you like to do for fun?
Bellamy Young: Travel! I’ll go anywhere. I always have a list of where to go, and I always try to peck or chip away at it every year. I was very happy to be tethered to LA during Scandal and I couldn’t have been any happier. But this last year and a half I’ve just gone around. I was here (In New York) for 9 years out of college and every morning I wake up and think “I’m so sad that I’m not back in LA” and I just took the red-eye last night – I’m a little out of sorts. My dog and my cat and I took the red-eye. Yes, I am that lady. And then we went straight to the studio and then came straight here so it’s been a bit of a crazy day. But I’m so happy to be back in New York! I walked into my new little apartment to get hair and makeup done – I’ve been missing New York I’m so glad.
The Knockturnal: Are there any other independent films or anything else you’re working on that you’d like to share?
Bellamy Young: Dolly Parton is doing 8 movies for Netflix, each one based on one of her shows, it’s called “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings” . And I got to be a part of that earlier in the year so that’ll come out in October. She deserves it – she still writes a song a day because she’s like “That’s what I’m here to do and I gotta practice what I’m doing” but, she’s hilarious and just the most down to earth human being. Our episode was about the song “Down from Dover” which she wrote when she was 17 – it’s about this little girl that falls in love with a little boy and gets knocked up, and he runs off and she’s like “I know he’ll come back for me, he’s gonna come down from Dover,” she loses the baby in the song, and then the end of the song is like “I guess he’s never coming back from Dover.” A dark, dark story, because she tells the story, she doesn’t flinch or sugarcoat. And so, Holly Taylor is the lead in that episode and it’s just so beautiful.
The Knockturnal: What was it like watching Prodigal Son?
Bellamy Young: No they sent us a link, so I saw it on my laptop. I love this, I love it so much, I’m so proud to be a part of it. I can’t believe how stylistically how mature it is. Pilots are always all elbows and knees, they’re so awkward. But the world is gorgeous, all the characters are so well drawn, the idea is perfect, like “What if your Dad were Hannibal Lecter?” None of us is immune from feeling like our parents wounded us in a very particular way so I think everyone will be able to identify with the whole concept, if not in the degree to which things are happening.
Interview by Lenique Vincent.
Check out the trailer for Prodigal Son below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26C6JqBdb20
