Matthew Rhys is just as nervous as the rest of Us about possible deaths in season 2 of Widow’s Bay.
“[Fans should be] terrified. No one is safe. Anyone can be taken down at a moment’s notice,” Rhys, 51, quipped during an exclusive interview with Us at Brooklyn Bridge Marina on Tuesday, August 18, for the Brunswick Boat Group Event.
Rhys assumed that nothing was off the table when it comes to Apple TV’s horror-comedy series.
“The game is wide open for a big shocking death where everyone goes, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t think they would kill off Tom Loftis,’” he teased of his own character. “I have that worry. Present tense.”
The hit show, which premiered in April, is set in a fictional New England island town of Widow’s Bay, which happens to be plagued by a centuries-old curse that brings various supernatural evils upon the island.
Rhys and his costars Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Dale Dickey, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Jeff Hiller, Stephen Root, K Callan and more received critical acclaim when the show debuted. (Widow’s Bay has since gone on to score 19 Emmy nominations.)
“[It is an] the interesting question [to consider] how long [the show could go for],” Rhys told Us about what comes next. “It’s like Scooby-Doo. How long could you draw an episode of Scooby-Doo? How long does it take for them to figure something out? Or how long does it take for them to try and figure something out before they become buffoons for not figuring it out?”
He continued: “If the audience is going, ‘Oh my God, come on! You can see how it’s figured out!’ Then you’ve lost them. So I don’t know but it could be quite finite.”
Rhys could see the series branching out, however, with spinoffs — and maybe an anthology twist.
“I pitched that actually. You go back to the ’60s and I’m a mayor. And the 40s and the 1890s,” he noted. “Then I’m pretty sure Patricia is going to get her own spinoff or should [get one].”
Looking ahead, Rhys only has one big wish for his story in season 2.
“Obviously I was pushing for time on a boat in season 1, which they did promise. They were true to their word,” he said. “However, the aforementioned boat was not in the water. It was suspended about 30 feet in the air on a sound stage. So I felt like I was robbed.”
Rhys is now determined to “see Tom Loftis on a boat for most of season 2. We can make it happen. I will make it happen. I shall show them.”
The actor, who owns a boat off screen, got to enjoy some time at sea while discussing his partnership with Brunswick Corporation with Us in honor of the company’s latest innovations across boating, propulsion, navigation and marine technology.
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“I remember thinking how calm it was. I think how calm water is in general and just thinking, ‘Oh, it’s just such a lovely way to spend some time,’” Rhys recalled how he fell in love with boating. “You’re just looking at the water.”
He added: “After a hectic day, there’s literally nothing I prefer more than coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park and ultimately Brooklyn Bridge Marina and just looking out at the water. That I think is the gold of what we have as New Yorkers is you are so close to looking at the water. It’s the greatest asset and to me is one of the most calming.”
Rhys spoke with Us while enjoying the views on the NAVAN C30. Brunswick also has other options including the Boston Whaler 405 Conquest, 210 Guardian and 330 Outrage, the Sea Ray SLX 360, the Elite, the Mercury Racing x MTI 440X Catamaran, the Textron TSUNAMI 25′ and more.
“I have no idea why but I had the mad idea of owning a boat, which is ridiculous. What you need are friends with boats. That’s what you should aim for,” Rhys joked. “Or what we try and offer here with Brunswick is an accessibility to the water without necessarily boat ownership, which is far more reasonable.”
For Rhys, boat ownership has also led to more time with his family.
“In my dreams, the family is always on the boat,” Rhys, who shares a son with wife Keri Russell and is a stepdad to her eldest children, noted. “The good thing is that it forces them to be together. They literally cannot escape.”
