Actor Matthew Rhys sees a creepy parallel between the killer clown in his new Apple TV series and President Donald Trump.
Rhys’ longtime partner, fellow actress Keri Russell, joined him for an interview with Variety released on Wednesday, where they each discussed their Emmy nominations—Rhys for his roles in Widow’s Bay and The Beast in Me, and Russell’s for The Diplomat. As the pair discussed the popularity of Widow’s Bay, Russell said one thing she liked was the “escape” it provides, as there’s no sign of Trump’s era in the show.
“It’s also such a delightful departure from the s--t that we’re in,” she said. “Do you know what I mean? There is not a mention in the show so far for me about what’s happening—the destruction of our country,” she added, “Right?”
Rhys disagreed, telling her that there’s one character in the series that brings the president to mind.
“Well, there is,” he said, referring to the killer clown who lurks in the series. “In the crawlspace. That’s Trump.”
The interviewer noted that Russell seemed “dismayed” until Rhys clarified that he was joking.
Rhys plays Mayor Tom Loftis in the comedy-horror series, which follows the character as he tries to turn his isolated New England island town into a thriving tourist attraction. The town’s eerie history and urban legends complicate his mission, as they turn out to be more than just stories.
The show also stars Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root, Kevin Carroll, Dale Dickey, Kingston Rumi Southwick, and Hamish Linklater. The Righteous Gemstones’ Tim Baltz appears in one episode as a terrifying clown in a haunted hotel.
Widow’s Bay earned 19 nominations for its first season and has already been renewed for a second.
