American Gothic fans won’t unravel the full mystery of the Silver Bells Killer until the final 10 minutes of the season finale, Antony Starr promises.
The killer’s identity may have been revealed already, but many twists and turns are coming in the CBS thriller, Starr and fellow cast member Justin Chatwin said at San Diego Comic Con 2016.
Created, executive produced and written by Corinne Brinkerhoff, the 13-episode “American Gothic” tells the story of a wealthy Boston clan shaken by revelations after the death of the family patriarch. Younger members of the family begin to suspect that dear old dad might have been a serial killer. The Silver Bells Killer murdered members of Boston’s elite in the late 1990s.
Starr plays oldest brother Garrett, who has returned after 14 years of living off the grid (and growing a beard). Chatwin stars as younger brother Cam, a recovering drug addict with a son, Jack (Gabriel Bateman), who digs dark activities—like cutting off a cat’s tail.
Other family members include ice cold mom Madeline (Virginia Madsen) and older daughter Alison (Juliet Rylance), a politician. Youngest child Tessa (Megan Ketch) married Boston police detective Brady Ross (Elliot Knight).
Any one of them could be the killer—or an accomplice. But Starr and Chatwin weren’t about to tell reporters any secrets. The actors talk about how each cast member thought at one point they were the killer.
“The showrunner really kinda kept all the secrets close to her,” Chatwin said. “When we read the last episode, we all were like, ‘Wow, that was good. Nobody saw it; that was good.’ ”
The actors update us on their characters, working with their costars, the show’s dark humor and another surprise.
“That was really me,” Starr said of his beard, “it looks fake, but that was really me.”
Check out the videos accompanying this story, and watch more video interviews on my YouTube. “American Gothic” airs at 9 p.m. CT Wednesdays on CBS.
American Gothic: Antony Starr & Justin Chatwin