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The Bondsman: Purdy, Grant on Prime Video Series, Kevin Bacon & More

The Bondsman stars Jolene Purdy and Beth Grant spoke with Bleeding Cool about how the series "didn't feel like work," Kevin Bacon, and more.

You wouldn't know it, but given how much fun Jolene Purdy and Beth Grant had in making The Bondsman, they had the best time making the dark supernatural action series, no matter how nihilistic the themes. Purdy, who's appeared in an eclectic mix of comedy and dramas from Netflix's Orange is the New Black, Disney+'s WandaVision, and HBO's The White Lotus, plays Midge, a representative for the Devil, giving bounty hunter Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon) a second chance at life following his death, and redemption by hunting demons and sending them back to hell. Grant, a veteran character actress active for over four decades since her debut in NBC's B.J. and the Bear with recent appearances on Netflix's animated series Carol & The End of the World and AMC's Mayfair Witches, plays Kitty Halloran, Hub's more spiritual mother trying to make sense of her son's predicament and doing everything she can to ensure his success so his soul can be saved. Purdy and Grant spoke to Bleeding Cool about the Grainger David series, working with showrunner Erik Oleson, Bacon's natural charisma, series authenticity, and breaking down Kitty and Hub's relationship.

The Bondsman Stars Jolene Purdy and Beth Grant on Kevin Bacon's Aura and Series Authenticity

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'The Bondsman?'

Both: Kevin Bacon! [laughs]

Purdy: The script, characters, strong world, and the tone. It's a tone that is very nuanced and hard to land. They cast such dynamic actors as I got the pleasure of being in the world with. It wasn't work. It was watching other people work, coming alongside them, and them lifting me up. It's such a supportive cast.

Grant: Vice versa, we didn't have to work at the funny.

Purdy: Mm-hmm.

Grant: You just say the lines. It was in the script. It's funny, and yet it's mythological, horrifying, action sequences…

Purdy: Country music!

Grant: I mean, Kevin does a 40-foot drop like the scene that Alan Rickman did in 'Die Hard' (1988). I mean, we got it all. But it is a tone that you can't…do you know a name for a genre that incorporates all that?

Purdy: We're gonna interrogate you now.

Grant: I mean, it's called "Bleeding Cool" he's bound to know

I compare it to 'Evil Dead' and 'Supernatural.'

Purdy: We'll say, "It's a complex tone." It's a…

Grant: It's a complex tone, an original.

Purdy: Yeah, an original.

Grant: But those are good mentions [laughs].

What's it like having Grainger and Erik as creatives?

Both: A dream!

Grant: Just so collaborative.

Purdy: You don't really get to have that level of collaboration, making sure that we read all the scripts. You don't do table reads as often these days; they wanted to sit down and give us the freedom to keep our characters authentic. They trusted us with our characters and gave us the freedom to grow and to try things. We got some great colors. Throughout the season, there will be growth and arcs for each of us.

Grant: Every single person and speaking of those table reads. I remember they would always ask us, "You got anything?" I remember when I first met Erik, he said, "How do you like to work?"

Purdy: Yes!

Grant: And I said, "Oh my God!" No one's ever asked me that in my career." Grainger – coming from the South and growing up on an island near Charleston (South Carolina) basically, but also Northern Georgia. He lived in different places – really knows these people. And then Erik's southern, too, since he comes from Virginia, but it's still farm country. To have people that could guide us with authenticity.

Purdy: But also seeing the humility, right? From the page, they're such brilliant minds with the humility they must trust us and allow us.

Grant: Erik's the perfect showrunner at 6'8". You will do what he says.

Purdy: Mitch might try him.

Grant: But he's joyous. He so wants joy on the set. That's the most important thing to him. It's ironic because we're doing horror with gore and violence, and yet it was the most joyous experience you could ever want. It's really special.

So Beth, how do you break down your chemistry with Kevin and the bond that you guys have as Kitty and Hub? Was it something that you guys maybe built a little backstory between scenes?

Grant: We did have access to the backstories, the Bible that they had written, the writers. That was very helpful because I had written some things that coincided, which were great. To find out that my husband had died and then [Hub] had to take care of me for a while, and then I got on my feet, and us being in the bail bonds business together, all of that. As actors, [Kevin]'s remarkably easy to love. The chemistry, the minute I met him on Zoom, and he was just so sweet, endearing, talking about his goats, llamas, and all donkeys, and he sings to him and has these fabulous earthy stories.

I said, "Well, maybe he's from Philadelphia, but he's a country boy at heart." I tell you I just thought of this one thing the first day I didn't think I was nervous. I just hadn't found a connection with him physically yet. I went out, and I said, "Can I have a hug?" Can you imagine? I can't believe I did that, but I did. He hugged me and said, "You can ask for a hug anytime," and I don't think I asked for another one, but I wanted that physical connection that a mother and son would have after years of being together, and he was so receptive. Maybe I did it one other time, but maybe not. It was enough just to have. So, great question. I'm a very tactile person, and I like a connection with hugs, and this was a great hug.

Purdy: Amazing hugger! On our table read, I was so nervous. I walked in, she was lit up, arms open. You didn't ask me for a hug. You gave it. You gave it straight, but I love that we had that.

Grant: You could have had a cold shoulder there. You might have felt like that, but she did she accept it.

Purdy: I needed it.

Grant: It helps us.

Purdy: Because you're a mom, you knew.

Grant: We're that tight, so they offer us that ability to be free, this group. It's been fabulous and easy. Did it answer to your question?

Yeah

Grant: Easy, fun, loving, and here we are making a "horror movie."

Purdy: [Laughs]

Grant: This lovely group, we're eating ice cream and singing country music. They even got me singing and playing an autoharp.

The Bondsman, which also stars Jennifer Nettles, Damon Herriman, Maxwell Jenkins, and Denitra Isler, is available on Prime Video.

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