Posted in: FX, Peacock, TV | Tagged: M.I.A.

M.I.A.: Cary Elwes on Dubuque, Cast, 'Very Young Frankenstein' & More

Cary Elwes discussed his Peacock crime drama M.I.A., creator Bill Dubuque, Shannon Gisela, Very Young Frankenstein, and much more.

Cary Elwes is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, still going on strong since making his debut in 1979's Yesterday's Hero. With a career spanning more than four decades, there isn't an opportunity that the British actor hasn't taken advantage of across all genres. He's appeared in comedy classics like the Rob Reiner fairy tale classic The Princess Bride (1987) and the title character in Mel Brooks comedy classic Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). He's also thrived in supporting roles in horror classics Braham Stoker's Dracula (1992) and the Saw franchise. In recent years, Elwes has been appearing in high-profile projects like the final two Mission: Impossible films, the Sonic franchise TV spinoff Knuckles for Paramount+, and Netflix's Rebel Moon. His latest is the Peacock crime drama M.I.A. from creator Bill Dubuque (Ozark) and showrunner Karen Campbell (Dexter), which follows a young woman, Etta Tiger Jonze (Shannon Gisela), who dreams of a life in Miami's glittering sub-tropical kingdom, but when her family's drug-running business shatters in tragedy, however, Etta embarks on a dangerous journey through Miami's neon-lit underbelly that will define who she is and what she's ultimately capable of. Trying to help get to the bottom of the case is detective-turned-private investigator, Kincaid (Elwes). The star spoke with Bleeding Cool about finally getting to work with Dubuque, building Kincaid's nuanced story, how Etta is a breakout role for Gisela, and an update on reuniting with his Robin Hood director and co-star, Mel Brooks, for the FX pilot sequel series Very Young Frankenstein, playing the President of the United States.

M.I.A. Star Cary Elwes on Finally Working with Ozark's Bill Dubuque, Shannon Gisela's Breakout Performance, Very Young Frankenstein & More

BC: What intrigued you about 'M.I.A.', and how did you get involved?

Elwes: Well, I was first intrigued, Tom, by the fact that the show was created by Bill Dubuque. I'm a huge fan of his work, and my wife [Lisa Marie Kurbikoff] and I binged Ozark the second it became available, and we were not disappointed. When Peacock approached me and told me he was involved, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. He's a remarkable creative talent. His shows always have characters that are very nuanced, often morally ambiguous, and as an actor, you can't ask for more to play those kinds of roles, you know?

What did a role like Kincaid like to do that maybe you don't typically do in your other roles, or maybe not do enough?

What was great about Kincaid is that I was given a great backstory by the showrunner, Karen Campbell, and Bill. This is a guy who was going to have his own energy as a retired police detective-turned-private eye. He was somebody who they wanted to have a contrast to the other characters and what they were going through, so that appealed to me, obviously. The other thing that appealed to me was the fact that Kincaid was someone who had to take this job to find the killers of Etta Tiger-Jonze's family, and he was asked not to ask too many questions about it from his employers. He was just told to find out who the killers were and then report back. As the season progresses, he starts to realize that he's got to take on two roles as a detective. One is to find the killers, and two, finding out a little bit more about his employer, so what's nice is that Kincaid must rediscover his moral compass in this season.

What do you like most about just working with this talented ensemble and just diving into that South Florida culture?

To answer your first question, Tom, I first have to start by singing out praises for our lead, Shannon Gisela, who plays Etta Tiger Jonze. She's just remarkable in this role. I mean, it's a breakout role like no other, and she's terrific, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the entire cast Bill and Karen put together are not just wonderfully talented actors. I'm familiar with some of their work, I've watched some of that work, but to find out when I got to the set that not only were they talented, but lovely people is always a great thing for an actor to show up and find out that there's an energy of camaraderie, a unity and bonding that can take place, and that happened with the crew as well. I started making T-shirts of my character, and it was a very special experience for me. I remember it fondly, and I just hope we get to do another season. I hope we got given that opportunity, because we really enjoyed making this show.

Final question, Mel Brooks revisiting some of his past IP, I was curious about one of my favorites, Robin Hood Men in Tights. I was wondering if there was some space in your life, if you had ever considered maybe revisiting the role of Robin of Loxley and seeing what that character is up to.

Well, that's a question for Mel Brooks, not for me. He is very busy right now, probably. I told him he's busier than he's ever been with Spaceballs (The New One), History of the World (Part II), and now, Very Young Frankenstein, but he enjoys working. That's something that keeps him entertained and keeps his mind working. He's an extraordinary human being and very gracious. Of course, getting the call to come back and work with him was a lovely thing to get. It's a sequel to Young Frankenstein as a series. It's directed by the great Taika Waititi and stars Zach Galifianakis, who's just…what more do I need to say? And so yeah, we had a lot of fun doing it.

M.I.A., which also stars Danay Garcia, Brittany Adebumola, Dylan Jackson, Alberto Guerra, Maurice Compte, Gerardo Celasco, and Marta Milans, is available on Peacock.

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