In this exclusive interview… Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, and Chris Chalk discuss HBO Max’s Perry Mason with The Knockturnal‘s Kinsey Schofield.
“As Perry would say, murder is never funny.” – Paul Drake
Thankfully for us… Matthew Rhys is.
Perry Mason returns to HBO Max for season 2 on March 6th. More than a reboot, Rhys fascinatingly explores Mason’s origin story… a role that almost went to Mason superfan, Robert Downey Jr.! Rhys tells The Knockturnal that RDJ was originally in talks to play the iconic tv attorney, “The true origin story was for him to play Perry Mason. Many many years ago. He’s a big fan of Mason. That was the original idea. And… [for] one reason or another he now just produces it.”
The bromance between Rhys and RDJ was immediate. The Americans actor remembers seeing Bob star in Chaplin… “I remember there’s a sequence he does… I kind of made an involuntary noise. I was so taken with this moment… To me, he kind of works on a higher level of genius that many of us aspire to.”
When asked if the two mega-stars might share a Mason scene together soon… Rhys admits the thought is a little intimidating! He tells The Knocktural, “He would have to act with someone else because if I was acting opposite of him… that would be… tough! I would just look like a rabbit in the headlights!”
Co-stars Juliet Rylance and Chris Chalk are (obviously) also RDJ fans but agree that Matthew Rhys brings magic to the set of Perry Mason. The pair discuss what it’s like to work with Rhys, the success of the show, and the sophistication required to shoot a period piece.
Perry Mason season 2 debuts on March 6th on HBO Max.
Kinsey Schofield is a contributor to The Knockturnal and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
