Pop Culturalist Chats with Michael McGrady

Michael McGrady is a legend in film and television. His credits include 24, Day Break, Southland, Mob City, How to Get Away with Murder, and American Crime Story. He’s currently starring as Frank on Showtime’s addictive crime drama, Ray Donovan, and as Tom on Freeform’s groundbreaking sci-fi series, Beyond. Pop Culturalist had the amazing opportunity to chat with Michael about both roles, why it’s important to follow your intuition, and what fans can expect from both series.

Ray Donovan Questions

PC: What can fans expect from Frank in Season 5 of Ray Donavan?
Michael: Frank becomes an intricate part of forcing Mickey and Ray to play their hand and that’s going to result in some pretty direct consequences.

PC: What initially drew you to this project/role?
Michael: Ann Biderman—she created the show. She also created the other show on NBC that I was on called Southland.

PC: Your character is an anti-hero. What are some of the biggest challenges playing him?
Michael: A lot of the scenes could, on a superficial level, be read as the same type of scene over and over. It’s usually a shakedown. The challenge is trying to find moments where I can demonstrate and express the different colors of Frank’s personality.

Beyond Questions

PC: You also just finished filming Beyond. What can you tease about that new season?
Michael: A lot’s going to be revealed. There’s a ton of betrayal and we find out the truth. It’s more spectacular and a little darker.

PC: In Season 1, the family is helping their oldest son adjust to life after waking up from a twelve-year coma. How have they grown as a family and what is their dynamic like heading into Season 2?
Michael: We had to come together as a family to deal with and reconcile with the fact that our son has come out of his coma. We try to help him cope with a normal family life. When Season 2 opens, it seems like we’re trying to pull that together, but in a very short period of time, circumstances change and we’re suddenly blown apart again as a family. We all deal collectively with what’s happening within the family, but we’re also dealing individually with storylines that come full circle by episode 10. Relationships are more clearly defined. People that we thought were allies ended up actually not being allies. I remember Willa wrote down ‘trust no one’ on Holden’s arm, and that really comes to fruition in this second season in a very big way!

PC: Did you draw on your personal relationships with your own kids when developing your character’s bond with his sons?
Michael: Absolutely! I do it innately. It’s hard not to when you’ve been a dad for as long as I have.

PC: What’s the biggest piece of advice you’ve given Burkely and/or Jonathan, and what’s something that they’ve taught you?
Michael: Go with your instinct—go with your heart on both the business side of things and the choices they make as actors. There are a lot of facts and figures out there, but there are also a lot of agendas that are tied to those factors and figures. At the end of the day, you’re responsible for your life, your career, and your path. It’s our intuition that tells us whether or not it’s a green light or a red light. I would definitely teach them to pay attention to that intuition because it was given to you for a purpose. It knows when something’s right and when it’s not right. You have to trust that. In life, I tell my kids the same thing. Something I’ve learned from them is to keep the optimism. When you’ve been around as long as I have, it’s really easy to fall in a steady state of cynicism in this industry, which can really contaminate your work and your personality.

PC: Great answer! Do you have a favorite on or offset moment with them?
Michael: A few actually! Burkely, Jeff, and Jonathan came over to the house before we even started shooting, and we shared some cocktails together, hung out: just laughing and reconnecting, because the boys live up here and me and Jeff live in L.A. It was really nice to start the season off like that.

PC: Beyond has had tremendous success, especially on digital platforms, reaching over fourteen million viewers. What is it like knowing that the show has reached this milestone and do you have a message for the fans?
Michael: It really is a spectacular show. We knew it would be well received, but certainly not to this extent. I think the fans are going to be very, very happy with the second season. It’s going to fulfill their expectations because we really delve deeper into the logical ramifications of Holden’s journey. We also find out more about Frost, the realm, Tom, and Diane. There are so many questions after Season 1 that really make people anxious to see Season 2. Those questions will be answered. Then of course, as usual, Season 2 also raises more questions.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Michael: Deadliest Catch

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Michael: I want to say all of the Bond films. They’re great movies, I’ve seen them so many times.

PC: Favorite book?
Michael: Anything written by Robert Bly.

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Michael: Instagram. I have Instagram and Twitter, but I’m mostly doing Instagram just recently.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Michael: I listen to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd religiously.

PC: Go-to Karaoke song?
Michael: I’m actually in a band. I play in a band of my own called Michael McGrady’s Sonic Groove Band. We don’t have the need to do karaoke!

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and catch Ray Donovan every Sunday on Showtime at 9 PM ET/PT. Beyond Season 2 returns in 2018.

Photo Credit: Freeform/Nino Munoz