Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Hightown’s Atkins Estimond

Atkins Estimond is one of the stars of Jerry Bruckheimer’s highly anticipated new series Hightown. Set in the beautiful backdrop of Cape Cod, the crime drama follows one woman’s journey to sobriety in the midst of a murder investigation, which she finds herself in the middle of. It’s a breakout role for Atkins, who’s best known for projects like Dumb and Dumber To, Powers, StartUp, and The Resident, and it’s a character unlike any he’s played before. Pop Culturalist caught up with Atkins to chat all things Hightown.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Atkins: When I was younger, I was in a Boys & Girls Club with my brother. They had a performing arts branch, which we were part of in South Florida. They would perform all these original plays. Boys and girls would be singing, dancing, and playing instruments. I wasn’t quite old enough to be in it, but my brother was. I’d go and watch him do shows. I was in awe. I was like, “When I’m old enough, I want to do that.”

A year later, I was old enough to audition, but I was pretty shy as a kid. When I got the opportunity to audition, I froze up in the room. They were like, “What’s your name?” I couldn’t even get my name out. I was petrified. They were like, “Thanks for coming in.” I knew in that moment that I blew it. I kicked myself about it for a while. I knew if I ever got the opportunity again, I would jump on it. When I got to high school, I did just that.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Atkins: Well, definitely my brother. Like I said, watching him from the start, that made me want to perform. I’ve had a lot of great people in my life. I had a teacher of mine when I was in school who used to do a lot of her lessons using the guitar. That had an effect on me as far as music. But for the stage and screen, I am inspired by people like Forest Whitaker, Jack Black, Will Smith, and Cate Blanchett. I have a wide range of people who I look at and try to draw inspiration from. I’m a fan of it all.

PC: You majored in theater in college. What’s that transition been like going from the stage to the screen? How has that experience prepared you for your career?
Atkins: It’s kind of a weird situation. When I got out of school, I was in a band. I didn’t go straight to college and get into theater. I was working professionally as an actor before I went back to school for theater. A lot of people who I looked up to I found were classically trained. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to train like them. When you look at people like Meryl Streep, they all have extensive theater training. So I decided I was going to go back to school for that, and I did. It was tough because I was starting to pick up some work on the film and TV side. As much as I love theater, it takes a lot of time. If you’re going to do theater, you have to put time aside to prep for the run of the show.

It was getting tough to keep telling my agents “I can’t do this audition.” I booked two jobs while I was working on a play. I had to turn them down. A lot of people were looking at me crazy. They were like, “If I booked two jobs, I would say forget it to the play.” But I made a commitment, and I was going to stick to it. I’m not saying it was the easiest choice, but I stuck with it. But I ended up having to leave school because I was getting too many opportunities on the film and TV side. It wasn’t working out.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Atkins: I’ve been really fortunate in my career. I’ve got to work with people who I’ve looked up to since I was a kid. If I had to pick one off the top of my head, it’d be Dumb and Dumber To. I’d been watching the first movie since I was a kid. Twenty years later, I get to be a part of that world and work with people that I looked up to as a kid. That was surreal. That was the first movie that I booked with a big production. Being on that set, I was like, “I’m here. I’m a working actor.”

Hightown

PC: Tell us about your new series, Hightown, your character, and what drew you to that project.
Atkins: Hightown is a cool show that’s coming out. It’s set in Cape Cod, and it follows Jackie Quiñones, who’s played by Monica Raymund, who is fantastic, and her journey to sobriety. She’s doing that during the midst of this murder investigation that’s just kicked off. It pulls all of these people’s lives together. All these other characters find themselves colliding into each other as a result of the murder investigation.

My character, Osito, is a hitman on the show, which is a big departure for me. I’ve never played anything close to that. I don’t know if I would call him a villain, bad guy, or antagonist. That hasn’t been something I’ve ever booked. I’ve gotten a lot of auditions for roles like that. I know that I have a very intimidating presence on the surface, but that hasn’t been a role that I’ve landed. When I got it, I was surprised! I put in all the work, and I did all the due diligence I would for any audition, but in my mind, I didn’t think this would be mine.

He’s so different from any other character that I’ve played. He’s a gangster, but there’s a moral code with him. He’s not just an evil person. He very much sees his job as a job. He’s not taking it personal. He’s not a psychopath. Killing is just a job. Just like an accountant has to go in and punch numbers, he has to kill people from time to time. It’s a very interesting role to take on, and I’m really excited for people to see the show. It’s a fantastic cast, and I’m super fortunate to be a part of it.

PC: With this being such a departure from previous characters you’ve played, did that change the preparation? What’s been the biggest takeaway?
Atkins: When I was reading the audition, I could tell that there was a grounded, real person here. So instead of being like, “How do I be bad?” I just tried to find his truth and work from there. I wanted to make him a real person who people could relate to or learn to understand, which was hard, given what he does. That’s how I started. There’s a lot of darkness in this character and through this story. There were moments where I had to take a deep breath and take a step back because it was heavy.

PC: If you had to summarize the first season in one sentence, what would it be?
Atkins: You never know where it’s going to take you.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Atkins: 90 Day Fiancé

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Atkins: The Burning Bed. It’s one of those old, Lifetime crazy abuse movies, but with revenge at the end. I remember my mom watching a ton of those movies. [laughs]

PC: Favorite book?
Atkins: The Alchemist

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Atkins: I love, love, love, love Mary Poppins.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Atkins: Dolly Parton. You’ll find some “Jolene” on my playlist. Don’t look at me crazy!

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Atkins: Kenan Thompson

To keep up with Atkins, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch new episodes of Hightown every Sunday 8/7c.

Photo Credit: Eley Photography