Exclusive Interview: Colin Donnell Talks Irreverent Season 1

Colin Donnell is one of the stars of the must-see new series, Irreverent.

A criminal mediator from Chicago is forced to flee his life and everything he knows and hide out in a small Australian reef community in Far North Queensland posing as the new church Reverend. “Reverend Mackenzie Boyd” (not his real name) has made a mess so bad he can never go home, but he’s going to need all his considerable street smarts to pull off posing as clergy—something he doesn’t know the first thing about. If he slips up, he’s dead and after a lifetime of crime, doing good work is not something that comes naturally. But “Mack” finds himself in a small beach town, with no phone or internet, amongst a community that is filled with people desperate for connection and crying out for a leader. What at first seems like a perfect hiding place from the Chicago mob quickly becomes Mack’s home. But as he reluctantly settles into his new life, Chicago commences the hunt. The only way he will be able to stay off their radar will be to maintain the illusion that he is a Reverend. To do that though, Mack will have to appear to care. Trouble for Mack is, after all that pretending, it may just become a little bit real.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Colin about Irreverent, bringing his family to Australia to film the series, and more.

PC: You’ve been a part of so many fantastic television programs in the past. What was it about this particular project and character that stood out to you?
Colin: I was so captivated by the script when I read it and auditioned. I was chomping at the bit to play this part. I feel really lucky and grateful that they brought me over to inhabit Mack/Paulo. It was an opportunity to do a little bit of everything. It was different from a lot of the characters that I’ve played on television before. He’s really funny. The show itself is really funny, but there’s also so much heart to it. There are so many great messages within the series about community, relationships, and redemption. I saw a great opportunity to stretch myself and to be able to create a character that’s multifaceted and multidimensional. But also, selfishly, to be able to use all the tools in my box to have a good time and get to do some absurd comedy and then turn around and have these really heartfelt, wonderful moments within the character’s relationships.

PC: You also became a father during the pandemic. Has fatherhood changed the way that you look at different roles and scripts? How much more special was it bringing your family down to Australia and having them by your side?
Colin: Being a father has changed everything about my life. You start thinking about things you want to do and something that your kid is going to be able to look back on someday…if she cares, which she probably won’t. [laughs] But it’s the whole experience of us being able to travel as a family down to Australia and go to a place like Mission Beach where we started out filming, which was our Clump in the series, and to be so embraced by not only the cast and crew of our show but also the people at Matchbox and Peacock. They all took such good care of us going over there. It’s something that we did not take for granted, and I still don’t. We got to live in a completely foreign land surrounded by people who wanted to take care of us, and we had such a wonderful experience. The town of Mission Beach was so welcoming and so inviting to all of us—not only my family but the whole film crew. It was amazing.

PC: While this series is penned as a crime-drama, there’s a lot of humor that’s interwoven into the show, which I wasn’t expecting. What has it been like getting to flex those different creative muscles? As an actor, is drama or comedy more challenging?
Colin: First of all, I love it. Paddy Macrae, our creator, did such a wonderful balancing act between the comedy and the drama of the show. It’s a credit to him and the entire writing staff and Jonathan Teplitzky and Lucy Gaffy, our two directors. They were so encouraging of us to lean into the comedy and make changes with all of that. They allowed us the space to really sit and feel all the feelings and lean into the drama of it all. It’s so special. I love comedy so much. I’ve gotten to do it on stage quite a bit and in little bits here and there on television, and I’m excited for audiences to be able to see this side of me that I think is fun and engaging and a really special part of our show. That balancing act is what makes it so entertaining to watch.

PC: I love the dynamic between the two Macks. What was it like getting to collaborate with P.J. as you brought that dynamic to life?
Colin: He’s so brilliant. He’s such a wonderful actor and human being. It’s so fun. He’s such a great scene partner to bounce ideas off of. Again, it’s credit to Paddy and both of our directors. They gave us the room to have fun, create, and expand on what was on the page. The real Mackenzie is such an absurd character in the hands of P.J., and I love being a straight man for that because that comedy duo is so sparkling and fun. I love all those scenes.

PC: In the series, your character is forced to hide out in a small Australian reef town. When you’re looking to escape, where’s your go-to destination?
Colin: Oh, golly. If I tell you, it’s not going to be a secret anymore. It’ll probably be somewhere with a beach though. I don’t want to be hiding out with a parka and a toque, and all of a sudden I’m in Canada. It’ll be some ocean island somewhere. I’m not going to tell you where because I don’t want people to find me. Come on, Kevin. [laughs]

To keep up with Colin, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Irreverent on Peacock.

Photo Credit: Nathan Johnson