Matthew Rhys doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to what attracts him to certain projects.
Star TV series "Widows' Bay"« and his longtime partner, actress Keri Russell, discussed their Emmy nominations in a recent interview, during which Rhys was asked how he chooses his roles.
«"Cash," the 51-year-old Welsh actor immediately joked in an interview. Variety . "In cash.".
As Russell laughed, Rhys continued, "As they say, what makes the most money wins. It's that simple. Three kids and a mortgage—I'll do it. I'm not ashamed. I'll sell myself to anyone.".
«"To be honest, the script «Bay of Widows» "It's something I've never seen before," Reece added in a more serious tone. "I desperately wanted to be in that movie.".
Matthew Rhys plays the mayor of a creepy island in Apple TV's comedy-horror series "Widow's Bay" (Apple TV+).
Rhys plays the mayor of a small New England town in the hit Apple TV+ comedy-horror series, which received a total of 19 Emmy nominations this year. The series, created by «Parks and Recreation Areas» Katie Dippold follows Rhys' character as she tries to boost tourism to an island that locals believe is cursed.
The Emmy Award winner added that he was thrilled to join the project once he learned that renowned director Hiro Murai would be helming five of the 10 episodes.
«"And knowing Hiro Murai was directing, I thought, 'Oh my God,'" Rhys said, before adding another joke. "And the money." (Apple hasn't disclosed the exact salary Rhys received for his Emmy-nominated role.)
Star film "The Diplomat"« Russell, 50, said Rhys is often skeptical about the projects he gets involved with, but "« "Widows' Bay"» was "the only project where he came home and thought, 'Oh, he likes this.'".
This year, Rhys received two Emmy nominations in different categories for his leading roles in The Beast in Me and Widow's Bay (AFP/Getty).
The longtime couple isn't alone in praising this must-watch series, which also stars Stephen Root, Kevin Carroll, Dale Dickey, Kate O'Flynn, and Kingston Rumi Southwick. The miniseries debuted in April with a coveted 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but has since dropped to 98%.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo Del Toro gave the comedy-horror a glowing review on X in May, writing, "If I may say so, I think #WidowsBay may well be the best series to hit streaming platforms in a long time... and certainly one of the most mesmerizing examples of storytelling in the horror genre.".
Betty Gilpin, who was nominated for an Emmy for her guest role on one episode of the series, said the show was a hit because it embodied "what the hell people want.".
«"They created the most brilliant thing I've ever seen," Gilpin said. IndieWire earlier this month. "The show as a whole feels like a real slap in the face of the safe, algorithm-driven, formulaic television created by ChatGPT. And yet, it's achieved such mainstream success, which is exactly what the hell people want. It's just incredibly satisfying.".