Richard Short – Mary Kills People

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I’ve been putting in fourteen-hour days on the play Cleo. We were on stage until about midnight last night and we are opening to previews. We’re right in the deepest, darkest part of it now with tech-rehearsal and dress. So, it’s nothing but Richard Burton movies, diaries, books and CDs and looking at Elizabeth Taylor a lot. I’ve done a couple things since I’ve been here, like finishing up on The Dare, which is the British horror movie that was done out in Bulgaria. I’ve been doing some ADR on that since I’ve been out here in Texas. Of course, I went back up in Toronto a few weeks ago for an awards show.

Q) How was Des originally described to you?

A) He was described in about a three or four sentence paragraph in an email that was sent to me. They didn’t touch about quite how complex he would be. He was always British. So, I always knew I could sound like him if nothing else. Obviously, they explained his take on assisted suicide and they described it to me as he was that while very complex he was a very moral man, which is good because that tells me right away what side of the fence he stands (politically) on the subject. They also told me he was an ex-drug addict. These were all initial clues, but not much more than that. The first time you get a breakdown on an email, that’s all it is and then we start mining it and start crafting it, which is fun. That’s the great thing about being a part of a show from the beginning as you get to shape him of who he is and who he becomes.

Q) What did you add to him then that wasn’t in the initial breakdown?

A) Let me see…It’s more specificity really. The general themes of course they have an outlined journey of Des and Mary (Caroline Dhavernas) and where they want the show to go after six episodes, another six, etc. They are very amenable to saying, “Des wouldn’t say this line” or “I want him to say this” or “Perhaps he should not fall off the wagon in Season Two.” Stuff like that. They just start to value your opinion, which is absolutely warranted. You don’t want the lunatics to take over the asylum. (And by lunatics, I mean actors, obviously.) But there is something to be said…I, obviously, understand Des Bennett at a certain point as much as the writers do. I’ve spent as long in his skin as long as they have and have ideas. But they are really good at us making little edits as we go along.

Q) Des is recently out of prison. How has he changed since his release?

A) Well, he’s grown and evolved emotionally. He’s matured is the succinct way of putting that. He’s maintained his moral integrity, but he didn’t gone in and come out as some ex-cons you’ve seen on television (I don’t know about reality) where they come out and are a master of all criminal trade. He’s more left prison and he’s been strengthened in his beliefs as to why they do what they do. Of course, as you seen in Season Two it’s a sort of yard stick that Mary drifts away from because of her own complications. She’s fortunate to have him in Season Two in many ways. They are fortunate to have each other always, of course, but she’s very fortunate in Season Two that Des keeps his feet on terra firma – to be honest. She could drift off at any point as she’s becoming a little wayward I think. Sort of around episode three or four marker, I think she’s losing it. She’ going! The star of our show is going! But it’s good because the more complex she gets – even better too, naturally. The series always plays with the blurred lines and I think that’s magnificent because that’s true in real life, too. I’m sure you think that, too. You can’t judge someone right away. We all try not to, but we sort of do in so many ways for whatever reasons. And the more you learn sometime…Mary might be completely evil and terrible and Des might be fantastic, wonderful and the second coming of Christ. I don’t know either of those things, but they could have been. But it’s good to discover that along the way. For the tattooed drug addict guy to become the moral compass of the show is a good thing in so many ways because it turns peoples’ expectations on their head. And the same with Mary! She’s got some dirt underneath her fingernails now.

Q) Why does Des trust Mary so much?

A) It’s platonic love and friendship. It’s one of the most endearing and beautiful relationships I’ve had the pleasure of playing in any format – stage or camera. It really is. There is something unswerving about their devotion and dedication to each other. I know at times it appears that Mary’s reciprocity wasn’t the same for Des because she just has more complications. But Des is such an inherently lonely person in his life, which makes it tragic playing him in so many ways, but I love him to death. They would go to the ends of the earth for each other and I think it’s the central tenant of the show. Just to have the two of them is a beautifully crafted male/female protagonist together. I love it. Because of that there is total faith to do whatever they ask of me on behalf of Mary. That’s quite nice. It feels like a safety net.

Q) Is Olivia finished with Des or even Mary?

A) No, I don’t’ think she’s finished with him. I think there is a lot of juice to mine with Olivia (Rachelle Levre). I think her intelligence is what we can play with the most. Obviously being very careful not to ruin your Monday night (any more than I am by being on your TV. [laughs] She’s just such an interesting spice to throw into the mix. It’s a little unexpected and how she comes into it all. She’s magnificent and such a lovely flavor. It adds to the show, I think, which is great! Why not?

Q) Josh’s life and death effected Des quite strongly. Where does Des go moving forward?

A) Oooo. It’s a loaded acquisition because I don’t know if Des ever really truly knows where he is going moving forward. He seems more in control of his faculties since we’ve known him. I think his central focus now is moving on with the death retreat, to have a safe haven in the woods for those that require it. I think it’s a beautiful, unique, quirky, slightly odd idea of the writers and I’ve always been 100% supportive of the death retreat idea. I think he’s focused on moving on with that because it gives him a reason for getting up every day. He’s also very good at it. For whatever reason, he can focus on this and stay away from his own demons. But, of course, you know that people with such demons they are always just at the door tapping, waiting to come in. I think that’s his focus. I think that’s how he moves on next. He concentrates on putting together a real place and really it’s a magnificently beautiful thing he can do – if we can make that work.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from filming “Mary Kills People?”

A) Oh God! There’s been plenty! Most of which have been with Caroline, of course, because we’re always together. Also, we’ve found ourselves in so many odd situations together – good, bad, left or right. All these kinds of places and climates and it’s sort of beautiful. We’ve worked in sickness together and a hundred plus degrees together. We’ve been handed newly written monologues and looked at them together. Because of that it mirrors Des and Mary a little and that’s so beautiful. I remember most of those moments specifically. For instance, the night of start of Season Two where we split up with each other as it were in my car. It was such a painful evening – it really was – because you get to know someone in a real way, in a true way, and she’s just so good. We’re so good on camera together that she can look at me and break my heart. And that scene really socked me in the stomach every time we did it. What we did felt real, which is magnificent because we’re chasing that. We’re always trying to feel something or look like we’re feeling something. Sometimes you really do and you go, “Thank God!” We’ve also traveled the world together doing press and stuff so we have a friendship and because of that there is a doorway into jokes, on set banter and a shorthand. You can just show up and sometimes you don’t even need to speak to each other in the morning because it’s 4am and we have do hair and makeup and no one has had their egg and bacon yet. So, it’s just stay away and keep a low profile. Then there also moments when Grace Lynn [Kung] (who plays Annie) and I are talking and I’m showing her plans for the death retreat and we were in a ski park about an hour and a half north of Toronto. There was a big acrobatic gym area and it was about 8am and we were ready to go on set, but we had to wait around (which you always do on a set). Grace was swinging away on a climbing frame and going up and down ropes. It was a very funny visual to see Annie the nurse…She’s very bendable and pliable. [laughs] It was a funny morning. There have been a lot of little moments and they’ve all been quite beautiful. I’ve enjoyed almost every second of being on “Mary.” I really have.

Q) What do you think it is about the show that has made it such a fan favorite?

A) I think it’s because it’s unique. I also think the subject matter is unique. The tone is also a huge selling factor because one thing I must say about the creators, writers and producers did so well (Tassie [Cameron], Tara [Armstrong] and Holly Dale [in Season One]) is they keep this tension. There is no denying if you want the plot to go there or there, but they keep the tension taut. They keep the suspense going throughout six episodes. I’m sure you’ll agree that so much happens in the show. Forty-two minutes in on one episode and three people have died and two people are in trouble. It’s insane!

Q) Where would you like to see “Mary Kills People” go for a Season Three?

A) I would like us to experiment with a little more conversation perhaps in the future. I’m thinking of long term. I think that would be fun. Assisted suicide is sort of legal in some starts and some provinces, but not in others. Even when it is legal, there are different versions of it. Right? It’s very complex and we could explain a little of that and explain why they could get in trouble, even though in Ontario (where we shoot the show) it is now legal. So, I’d like us to do that. Having spent time with assisted suicide doctors as research it would be nice to find Mary and Des in a courtroom or something. I think that would be quite interesting. They are quite smart people too so I’d like to see their take on it.

Q) What would you like to ay to everyone who is a fan and supporter of your work?

A) I’d like to give them an enormous kiss and a cuddle and say, “God bless you. Love you all. Keep watching it.” I’d also like to genuinely thank them for their endearing non-ending support. It’s the “Mary Kills People” fans that have supported me in every other venture and that’s bloody marvelously. I truly do! I hope a few of them can make their way to Houston to see Cleo. That would be fantastic if they do. They’d better make sure they are outside and we can say hello. But really, thank you for watching and I’ll try to keep up with them online.