As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of TV-watching under my belt, I must say that the anticipation for the new crime drama, “Murder in a Small Town,” is palpable. Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk’s chemistry promises to be an exciting ride, and their unconventional audition process over Zoom adds an extra layer of intrigue.
In the 2024 TV lineup, Fox is set to air a fresh take on crime dramas titled “Murder in a Small Town“. This series, which stars Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk, is adapted from L.R. Wright’s novel series. The story revolves around Karl Alberg (played by Sutherland), a new police chief, and Cassandra Lee (Kreuk), the local librarian, who form an alliance while investigating crimes together in their small town. James Cromwell features prominently in the 90-minute premiere, but it’s the chemistry between the two lead actors that truly drives the show. During an interview with TopMob, Sutherland shared that he initially wasn’t keen on taking up the leading role.
Rossif Sutherland has made his debut on Fox, which was previously known as the long-term station for his brother Kiefer Sutherland in the series “24”. During our conversation with him and Kreuk before the launch of “Murder in a Small Town”, he disclosed some insights about the audition process.
Initially, I received the role offer rather than being the one who initially offered myself. I had tried out for it, which took place over Zoom due to current circumstances. At the time, I was employed in Montreal and unexpectedly received a text about a detective series on Fox. Although I’ve portrayed numerous detectives before and wasn’t keen on taking on another role, my initial enthusiasm waned. I also disliked conducting auditions via Zoom. However, something compelled me that day to give it a try, thinking ‘Well, why not? I have nothing to lose.’ Consequently, I performed the Zoom audition, and two weeks later, we received the call expressing their interest in me for the role.
Television crime dramas are quite common, and with his extensive experience playing detectives throughout his career, Sutherland wasn’t instantly drawn to the role of a police chief. However, Murder in a Small Town isn’t just another spin-off from the vast universe of shows like Law & Order or NCIS. Its unique setting in the quaint Canadian coastal town of Gibsons makes it stand out from other crime series in the genre.
Luckily, I took a chance and auditioned for the part of Karl, even though I’m not a fan of online auditions. Somehow, it was enough to snag the role. As for what drew me in before Kristin Kreuk secured the part as Cassandra, let me tell you…
Previously, I had tried out for similar roles, but it was always a challenging process involving multiple attempts. However, this time around, it seemed they had already set their sights on me, which left me both touched and thrilled. Subsequently, they required someone to play the love interest, and they contacted several talented actresses, including Kristin Kreuk, among others.
Viewers who watched the premiere of “Murder in a Small Town” on Fox on September 24 (or those streaming it via Hulu) would agree that the show relies heavily on strong performances from its leads. The production team was successful in casting the right actress for the leading role, as they found Kristin Kreuk to be their ideal choice. In an exclusive interview with TopMob, Kreuk revealed that she didn’t follow the traditional audition process.
That would be me! We did the chemistry read. That was my audition for the show, and it was on Zoom, and it was an audition. It was fun and nice… Zoom chemistry reads are bizarre things.
In casting for a new series, chemistry readings are frequently used to develop relationships between characters, such as the romantic bond between Karl and Cassandra in “Murder in a Small Town” or the platonic one in “Brilliant Minds”. If it seems strange that strong on-screen chemistry can be established through a virtual call, then the stars of “Murder in a Small Town” would concur! Rossif Sutherland added his thoughts: “[Chemistry readings] can indeed happen over Zoom.
It’s quite peculiar, I must say [laughs]. To gauge the connection between two individuals based solely on a two-dimensional encounter seems strange, but somehow they sensed something. The producer, Jeff Wachtel, referred to it as an intriguing game of mutual prodding, and he found that particularly intriguing.
Despite the difficulties in interpreting two-dimensional chemistry during the reading, Kristin Kreuk and Rossif Sutherland managed to strike a successful dynamic that met the producers’ requirements. Kreuk, who concurred with her co-star about the “ridiculousness” of conducting the reading via Zoom, encapsulated the experience by saying:
She provokes him with questions or statements, and he must address these provocations. Essentially, this back-and-forth interaction took place, after which we collaborated, making the experience delightful.
The mystery thriller titled “Murder in a Small Town” made its debut on Tuesday, September 24, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. It’s scheduled for the same time slot next week as well. However, starting from the following week, the show will be moved to 9 p.m. ET on Tuesdays. Don’t forget to keep watching and catch Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk in their fresh roles, following an unusual casting process. If you’d rather stream than watch live on Fox, the series will be accessible on Hulu from now on.
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2024-09-25 05:07