We were joined back on the Popternative show by Kingston Rumi Southwick (56 Days, Presumed Innocent) to discuss his role as Evan Loftis in the horror comedy series Widow’s Bay on Apple TV. The series, which debuted on April 29, is truly a combination of two genres—genuine horror, with creepy and unsettling scenes, and comedy splashed throughout with hilarious moments and subtle humor.
Kingston plays the son of Mayor Tom Loftis in a small New England island town with spotty cell service, no Wi-Fi, and a community steeped in local folklore. Tom, portrayed by Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me, The Americans), finds himself at odds with residents who view him as unfit to lead but remains committed to creating a brighter future for his teenage son and revitalizing the island through tourism. Against the odds, visitors finally begin arriving in large numbers. Just as his plans appear to be working, however, long-dormant legends that many dismissed as myths begin resurfacing, bringing a new wave of terror to the island.
Taking on a series like Widow’s Bay was new territory for Kingston. “I had always done drama [projects], but I really loved the horror part of movies and TV. I really wanted to try [horror] because I had always done drama and I really like horror, and I [thought I] should [also] do comedy, it sounds interesting and difficult,” he explains. “I wanted to try and find a project that [would] ease me into that. I learned about this project months before I auditioned for it and I really want to do [it]. I finally did get the audition and it was so perfect. They wrote it so well, they blended the horror and comedy [so well]. I was like, this is exactly what I want to do.”
Kingston also had the opportunity to experiment with a great deal of improvisation during filming. “There was a lot of improv, especially in [the scenes] with the other kids. There [were] many lines that they kept in; there’s a scene where we’re in the car and they dare me to go into the [haunted] house, and then I get out and I spook them in the car. Stuff like that [was improvised]. We were having fun on set.”
The experience gave him a fresh perspective on comedy, “I had done [improv] within the boundaries of very intense scenes with me being able to do a scene how the director wanted it, and then [bringing in my] perspective. But for the comedy part of it, I had never done that before. And it was funny to [see] different reactions. Especially with Kate [O’Flynn], too, she would come up to me and she’d be like, ‘what if you said this?’ And it was fun to improv with that because I’d never done it with comedy before. [Everyone on set] were very open to hearing about [our ideas].”
Working alongside Matthew Rhys was a valuable learning experience for Kingston, who said he gained a great deal from watching and collaborating with the acclaimed actor. “I’ve worked with a lot of different people before playing my dad [who are] very serious [on set], and then I met Matthew [Rhys] and he was so funny and charismatic [both on and] off set. I learned a lot from Matthew; I just appreciate him so much. We text all the time. He’s the best. I couldn’t ask for a better on-screen dad.”
Kingston also admitted it was often difficult to keep a straight face during filming, especially when Matthew was on set. “There were takes where I could not help myself. Especially when [Matthew’s character] was on mushrooms. There were scenes of him very high on mushrooms and I could not stop laughing because he was so in it. There’s also scenes where he’ll just look [at you] and you lose it.”
Watch the full conversation with Kingston Rumi Southwick below.
The season one finale of Widow’s Bay drops June 17 on Apple TV.
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