From Sherlock Holmes to Nancy Drew, private detective stories in literature, TV and film have thrilled audiences for centuries.
That history of mystery and suspense lives on in Sugar, a contemporary detective TV series on Apple TV+ that stars Oscar-nominated actor Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin). Farrell plays John Sugar, an American private investigator looking into the disappearance of Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler), the granddaughter of renowned Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell).
Oscar-nominated actress Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) plays Melanie, the ex-wife of Bernie Siegel (Dennis Boutsikaris), Jonathan's movie-producing son. She meets John during his search for Olivia, who was once her stepdaughter. Melanie is also the former lead singer of the fictional '90s punk band known as Vanilla Whore. The series is directed by Oscar-nominated Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles (City of God).
Along with her critically acclaimed role in Gone Baby Gone, some of Ryan's most memorable movies include Capote with late Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bridge of Spies with Oscar winner Tom Hanks and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) with Oscar nominee Michael Keaton. She's currently filming the psychological thriller Wolfs with Oscar winners Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood) and George Clooney (Syriana).
During a recent interview with the Current, Ryan, 55, talked about what drew her to her new series and what it was like working with Colin Farrell. She also revealed who her go-to artist is when taking the stage at a karaoke bar.
Sugar premieres April 5 on Apple TV+.
What resonated with you about a private detective story like Sugar?
I love a few things about it. Visually, it transports you instantly into another world. So, it's not just [a] detective whodunit series. It's really driven by our main character and how this world affects him. He's a character that has a great love of old Hollywood films. As he navigates through this world, you see those references pop up through his thought process. At the end of the day, you're asking yourself, "Where's the humanity in all this?" and "How does this harsh world affect us?" Nobody goes by unscathed. I think that's what really sets [Sugar] apart.
What drew you to your character?
Melanie had great success in her early 20s and 30s in her band and had married Bernie who was part of a multigenerational powerful Hollywood producing family. She's still attached to the family, but no longer married into it. Melanie has a lot of stories in her background and puts a lot of walls up, but there's also still a tenderness and a humanity in her. That comes out stronger through the friendship she makes with John.
You get to sing in the series. Had you ever sung on a film or TV series before?
No, I had not. When I read the scene for that, I thought it was going to be a quiet little song you sing into your glass late at night at a bar. But [director] Fernando [Meirelles] really had this idea that [the scene meant] she recognized that she's still a person. She's enjoying living [in the] old days. She hasn't performed something in years. It takes a bit of steely, great gumption to go for it.
What's your personal go-to karaoke song?
I'm sure it's a Neil Diamond song or something fun. Something that gets the crowd going.
You have worked with some amazing directors over the years like Steven Spielberg and Alejandro González Iñárritu. And now, Fernando Meirelles.
I feel just gobsmacked that I got to work with him and his cinematographer César Charlone (City of God). There's just another language they speak. The worlds they create together are like none other.
This is the first time you worked with Colin Farrell. Did you know him in any capacity before this series? What was the experience like?
We had mutual friends, which is always a great icebreaker. Working with him felt like I've known him for a long time. It was effortless and liquid. We have great mutual respect for one another, and it was just so much fun. I adore that man. He's a great actor.
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