Matthew Rhys promises he's not 'disturbing.' But his TV characters definitely are

Matthew Rhys is nary alien to playing a antheral with the value of the satellite connected his shoulders. Six seasons juggling subterfuge and suburbia arsenic deep-cover KGB cause Philip Jennings connected “The Americans” (which earned him an Emmy successful 2018) illustrated the Welsh actor’s accomplishment astatine depicting a psyche fraying with each enactment of violence.

Now, Rhys embraces 2 wildly antithetic roles helium changeable back-to-back, showcasing versatility against foreboding backdrops of execution and the supernatural. One quality oozes confidence; the different struggles to summation any respect, adjacent though helium is successful a presumption of power.

“It does amaze maine erstwhile radical go, ‘You are so disturbing.’ I don’t deliberation I am. I deliberation the portion I played is disturbing,” Rhys says, speaking implicit Zoom from his Brooklyn home, having precocious wrapped Season 2 of “Presumed Innocent.”

Rhys’ existent property scion Nile Jarvis is arsenic menacing and alluring other writer Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes) successful Netflix’s cat-and-mouse thriller “The Beast successful Me.” In Katie Dippold’s Apple TV horror-comedy “Widow’s Bay,” the histrion gets a uncommon accidental to flex his deft comedic timing arsenic tightly coiled Mayor Tom Loftis, who desperately wants to alteration his cursed land municipality into “the adjacent Martha’s Vineyard.” Both men support secrets.

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1. Rhys successful “The Beast successful Me.” (Netflix) 2. Rhys successful “Widow’s Bay.” (Apple)

A frightening brushwood with a fabled Sea Hag successful the 3rd occurrence turns dyed-in-the-wool skeptic Tom into a believer, allowing Rhys to workout his pipes and awesome pitch. “I was acrophobic astir the shriek,” Rhys says. “Because sometimes I would bash it arsenic a gag successful rehearsal, and [director] Hiro [Murai] goes, ‘Try it, conscionable effort it, and we’ll bash antithetic versions. If it’s not ringing true, I’m not going to usage it.’ We played astir with it. It inactive makes maine nervous.”

Rhys, besides an enforcement shaper connected “Widow’s Bay,” refers to Dippold and Murai arsenic a “match made successful heaven,” and Murai’s grounded attack helped Rhys find his footing, portion giving the histrion country to experiment. One memorable laugh-out-loud country directed by Murai aboriginal successful the play is simply a maestro people successful carnal comedy. “I felt similar Charlie Chaplin,” Rhys says. Another episode, directed by Andrew DeYoung, sees Tom accidentally ingest potent hallucinogenic mushrooms, with Rhys nailing absurdist wit and a haunting flashback.

What successful a relation scares Rhys the most? Dancing. “Ten being the astir terrifying, it’s similar a 15,” helium says.

(Ebru Yildiz / For The Times)

Even erstwhile Tom isn’t connected psychedelics, helium alternates betwixt wordless bewilderment and near-constant exasperation toward his co-workers, peppered with crisp outbursts — sometimes joy, sometimes fear. “He’s sitting connected truthful much, everything with his son, his woman has passed away,” helium says. “The municipality hates him. He’s similar a unit cooker, and it’s moments erstwhile it volition erupt. That’s what I was playing astir with.”

One adversary-turned-ally is Stephen Root’s cantankerous existent believer, Wyck. Having gone toe-to-toe successful 2020 with Root successful “Perry Mason’s” archetypal season, Rhys was thrilled Root was formed arsenic Tom’s superior antagonist. “The archetypal country we did unneurotic was erstwhile helium sings the oversea shanty. The archetypal rehearsal is conscionable him going, ‘Aawoo,’” Rhys says, expertly capturing Root’s off-kilter delivery. “That stayed with america passim the full filming.”

But if you truly privation to scare Rhys, inquire him to dance. Sea hags person thing connected the fearfulness of performing Nile’s drunken dancing successful “The Beast successful Me.” The prime of “Psycho Killer” is purposefully connected the nose, and thing onscreen gives an inkling of awkwardness.

“Ten being the astir terrifying, it’s similar a 15. When I spot immoderate quality dances, I’m like, ‘Ugh.’ I’ll bash thing [not to dance]. I’d sing earlier I dance,” Rhys says. He covers his look erstwhile the line-dancing scenes connected “The Americans” travel up. “That inactive makes maine shudder,” helium says.

Despite the song’s title, though, Rhys didn’t cognize if Nile was blameworthy of murdering his woman erstwhile helium signed connected to “The Beast successful Me.” Instead, Nile’s notoriety and presumption informed Rhys’ choices: “People dainty you otherwise if they cognize you’re incredibly wealthy. If you person this societal stigma of a missing wife, radical dainty you precise differently.”

Rhys gave a kaleidoscope of options depicting the miniseries’ astir unexpected enactment of violence, revealed successful the 4th episode. “We did antithetic versions,” Rhys says. “Whether it was a existent infinitesimal of panic that he’s like, ‘Oh, my God, I f— killed someone,’ oregon whether it’s like, ‘I’m f— loving this.’”

Matthew Rhys.

(Ebru Yildiz / For The Times)

He was mindful not to extremity into villainous theatrics during layered interactions other Danes. “Those moments you’re trying not to twirl [the mustache],” Rhys says. “Ultimately, the assemblage has to judge that astatine a aboveground level it tin beryllium deemed a mean conversation. There’s galore ways to tegument it. You ever anticipation it lands successful a existent way.”

Still, 51-year-old Rhys didn’t instrumentality Nile’s demons oregon Tom’s supernatural load home. “I utilized to deliberation that was the mode backmost successful your 20s, erstwhile you’re trying to beryllium [Marlon] Brando oregon [Robert] De Niro and ‘Oh, my God, I’ve got to unrecorded it,’” helium says. “Now, I’m conscionable like, ‘You travel in, you effort to retrieve which kid has what athletics oregon who you’re picking up.’ The power is disconnected the 2nd they accidental cut.”

Speaking of family, Rhys’ look lights up astatine the notation of the caller Actor Awards, wherever spouse Keri Russell won for “The Diplomat.” (Rhys was nominated for “The Beast successful Me.”) Would the histrion bash “The Diplomat” if asked? “Oh, God, yeah. I deliberation Deb[ora] Cahn’s penning is immoderate of the champion astir astatine the moment,” helium says. “She writes the aforesaid benignant of beauteous wit that reminds maine of Katie’s stuff; it’s truthful dry, acerbic, intelligent.”

It each goes backmost to the script. The entreaty of playing characters similar Tom and Nile stems from what lies beneath the surface. “There’s much layers to play,” Rhys says. “There’s much obstacles to get over. There’s much down your eyes successful the scenes. It’s ever an added bonus to me.”