As a devoted fan of Patrick J. Adams‘ acting career, I find myself consistently impressed by his ability to take on diverse roles that keep audiences guessing. In his latest project, “Accused,” he steps away from the charming, reliable characters we’ve grown accustomed to seeing him play and delves into a more morally ambiguous character, which is a refreshing change of pace.
Similar to how his accomplished ex-castmates on Suits did, Patrick J. Adams acknowledged the legal drama’s Netflix streaming triumph in 2023 and expressed optimism about the forthcoming NBC spinoff Suits L.A. However, he’s been swamped with a variety of personal projects, one of which made it to the 2024 release calendar – Fox’s legal drama anthology Accused, where he portrays a character that deviates from what viewers are accustomed to seeing him play.
Prior to the broadcast of “Marcus’ Story” on Adams’ show “Accused,” which features Nick Cannon from “The Masked Singer” in its cast, I had a conversation with Adams. He shared that he was taking a complete break, spending time with family outside Toronto, following the filming of the 2025 TV series “Lockerbie” in Scotland. However, despite his plans to continue relaxing off-set, an offer for “Accused” arrived and it enticed him to get back to work, though only for a single episode.
He shared how much of an honor it was just to be sought out for a series whose cast has also included TV faves like William H. Macy, Margo Martindale, Wendell Pierce, Jason Ritter, Rhea Perlman and many more. And then pointed out how playing against his usual character type was also a big draw, saying:
As a gamer, landing a role in this series where each episode features a fresh cast was definitely intriguing. Normally, roles like this don’t come my way often. This character isn’t your typical good guy; he’s hurried, and his morals are somewhat questionable. I usually play characters who are dependable, kind, open-hearted, and charming. But here was an opportunity to switch things up by heading to Toronto and collaborating with an incredible team. Plus, Clark Johnson was directing this episode, and he’s been a role model for me since day one – working with him had always been a dream. So, when the offer came, it felt like a no-brainer.
I’d like to give a shout-out to Clark Johnson, an accomplished actor known for his roles in shows such as “Homicide: Life on the Streets,” “The Wire,” and the upcoming “Daredevil: Born Again.” Notably, he has also made a significant impact behind the camera as a TV director. He is yet another example of the exceptional talent that “Accused” boasts, with Patrick J. Adams referring to him as “the real deal.” We’ll delve deeper into his praises later in our conversation.
In essence, Adams hasn’t been known for playing sinister antagonists, but rather characters that viewers naturally support and trust. It’s surprising that more projects haven’t capitalized on this by offering him villainous roles, as it wouldn’t be difficult to catch audiences off guard.
How Filming Accused Reminded Patrick J. Adams Of His Early-Career Acting Muscles
Despite the role being quite distinct, Adams may not have accepted it if not for the anthological aspect of Accused. The fact that he only needed to focus on filming a single episode made the decision to put family time aside more justifiable. (And the fact that the Toronto filming locations were relatively close also played a role in his thinking.) This is how he put it:
At that point, I was yearning for a break from work as I had recently completed a heavy workload. Instead, I found myself eager to spend time with my loved ones, but I couldn’t refuse. Furthermore, it struck me that the initial phase of my career resembled the guest-starring roles many actors take on. These are the roles you can secure when you don’t have a significant fan base yet, and instead of booking your own pilot, you’re mostly doing multiple TV episodes. I hadn’t realized how much I missed those opportunities.
For budding actors, consistently landing small roles in individual episodes might feel disheartening, but spearheading an episode of a series like Accused could be the optimal scenario for such progression. This opportunity isn’t merely attractive due to the reduced workload, but also because of the inherent complexity and unpredictability it offers. Even though creating a lasting impression for a character over multiple TV seasons is challenging, it becomes even more intricate when you have only 42 minutes to do so.
That spur-of-the-moment creative push was a thriller for Adams to refamiliarize himself with for Accused. He continued:
On lengthy assignments, it’s a muscle that seldom gets exercised. Currently, I’m fortunate enough to tackle these projects, devoting my full attention, and fostering connections with the crew over an extended period. This prolonged engagement offers an exciting challenge: ‘How swiftly can I immerse myself? How rapidly can I turn this into reality? How quickly can I make a captivating decision with this?’ This situation stretches aspects of acting that aren’t as challenged on shows with a limited run of six episodes.
It sounds like you’re asking if we might expect Patrick J. Adams to appear in additional compelling TV series such as “American Horror Stories,” “Black Mirror,” or potentially a full storyline in “True Detective.” Given his enthusiasm for working on “Accused,” it certainly fuels hope that we could see more of him on our screens.
Currently, he’ll be maintaining excitement among viewers for the next year with a couple of streaming series. These include an aircraft disaster drama titled “Lockerbie” and the Netflix thriller “Wayward.” Additionally, he has a co-starring role in the upcoming spinoff of “Yellowstone,” named “The Madison.
Accused Season 2 airs new episodes Tuesday nights on Fox at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-22 23:07