Emerson Miller ViacomCBS In following Mike’s life, Mayor of Kingstown is an examination of a town that has a bleakness to it, and it will examine themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, even as it looks at the McLuskys attempts attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither. In the interview below, Renner spoke to reporters about what it is like to headline a TV series for the first time after starring in so many movies, why Mike feels a prisoner in his own town, the reality of places like the fictional Kingstown and Sheridan’s accurate portrayal of it, and more. When you took on the role of Mike what particular aspect of his character were you really excited to dig into as an actor? I don’t know if I was excited as much I was trying to find some ground to stand on. That world was pretty foreign to me, so the first few weeks it was just about putting my feet on the ground, trying to understand because everything is also written in the shorthand of that world. Taylor was there to help give me a lot of understanding of the shorthand of all this information that was going back and forth: What does it mean? What is he trying to say? Rather than just saying the words and not having a real understanding of the meaning. A lot of it was that. I can’t say there was excitement, it was more about needing to figure out what this world is. It was very foreign to me. Once I got a grasp of that, then it was about the more emotional context to the character that was very complex: His fortitude and strength and fearlessness and his actionability. Those types of things were all assets and characteristics that I like to play. Mike seems like a guy who’s always in control. What would it take for him to lose it? It would be a principle thing. That’s a chink in the armor. You become a puppet when you can be manipulated by caring for somebody or protecting somebody. That would be the reason he gets out of control. Do you think Mike is reluctant to take up this mantle? Does he actually want to be in Kingstown? What does he think he can achieve? No, he doesn’t want to be there bad, but it’s all he knows. There’s a bleakness to the thing. You don’t know what else to do. This is all you know in your life. You grew up in a town of prisons, where everything in the town is about incarceration. What else do you do? If you go to Florida, what are you going to do there? All your life is known and built around this environment. These people are products of that environment, so there’s a sadness and acceptance of this thing. People don’t get the hell out of there. They’re in it, but there’s also something that that feels like, “OK. How do you give someone some sort of peace? It doesn’t mean that you make them smile, it doesn’t mean anything else, but just give them some sense of peace and that is, I think, what drives Mike. A lot of characters in this show are just trying to keep the peace. Mike is fierce in some ways, but is he a brave man? And if he is a brave man, then why can’t he leave? I think he is very brave, actually, in what he does, but like I was saying earlier, I think it’s the plight of the people that are in this environment. Yes, they can physically go, but then where are they going to go in perpetuity? When you are a screwdriver, you can only do a few things in life. You can screw things, but you’ve got to be around things that need screwing. If you’re a screwdriver, there’s a limitation to that environment. There is a great sadness to that, but when you have an acceptance of it, you do what you’ve got to do. That’s the inner struggle with the whole family that’s involved in this show. They are no different from a lot of parts of this country that are like that. I’ve had the pleasure of exploring and understanding some of those communities, like Charlestown. Charlestown exists and nobody goes across the bridge. It’s right there. The bus is right there. There are 25-year-olds I know that never went across the bridge. That exists. It’s mind boggling to me, but it does happen. That’s what makes these microcosm communities or human behavior so fascinating to watch, right? Because we’re not living in that but you’re going to want to watch this stuff because you’re going to want to see how this plays out because this is real. To me, it’s fascinating. Taylor’s put this amazing story that is all based in truth and written fantastic characters; it really is captivating. What has the transition and adjustment been like going from a live action superhero like Hawkeye to a more slow burn series as a shady politician like Mike? Transition is easy enough. Once you’re on set and get the understanding of it, you fall right into it, you fall right into place. You’ve got different actors, different sets and costumes. I didn’t really realize the difference that we were doing until I saw the first or second episode early on in the process. I was like, “Wow! Wow! This is pretty intense compared to the Hawkeye show, the lighter fare, and the happiness in the Christmas music." The harrowing storytelling of Taylor Sheridan, I am blessed to be able to do both. You’ve worked in so many different mediums, but this is your first time really leading a whole television show. What it was like compared to other different creative endeavors? It’s the same thing as film, but it was a lot! It was just a lot! I was blessed to work, but it was a big learning curve. It’s every day and it’s relentless. It just does not stop. It felt like it was all on me, because I guess it is in some ways, but that isn’t because there aren’t amazing other cast members. But both these shows were anchored on the characters I played, and with that came the responsibility and the duties that that come along with that. The responsibility is on and off camera and setting the tone for the show, how to work, and work ethic. I will always work the hardest, and people can follow suit if they choose. That’s kind of what’s new, but I also enjoyed that. But there’s a lot. It was a very long, strong year of work but I was glad to do it during a time where it was difficult for anybody to do anything. With the lockdown, we were all trapped at home, so I was glad to be able to get up and do it. With your body of work, you have most famously played Hawkeye, a hero, but you’ve played some villains, too. As an actor do you see Mike as a hero? I don’t know if hero is the right word, but there’s a through line to it. He wants to do good for other people; he’s a selfless guy. I think that that is a word that is heroic; it’s a selfless act, right? Heroism is something that is a selfless act and nothing he’s doing is for himself, and there’s something heroic about that. Dianne Weist, who plays Mike’s mother, has a line that Mike works incredibly hard and accomplishes nothing and also people around him are always surprised he’s not dead. Will he maybe change his point of view? I think that is thematically what this show is. It is just that. Yes, he does he do a whole lot of amazing things, but nothing is going to shift to change. That’s the futility of the job and life in the environment that everyone is living in. The only thing anybody can do is leave, but they just can’t. Mayor of Kingstown begins streaming on Sunday, Nov. 14 on Paramount+. Next, The Mayor of Kingstown Is Coming to Paramount + Watch the Arresting New Trailer!
