Evan Peters Helped Come Up With His Most Memorable Mare of Easttown Scene

Evan Peters, who played Detective Colin Zabel in HBO’s Mare of Easttown, reveals that he helped come up with his character’s most memorable scene. The limited series, from writer Brad Ingelsby, focuses on a detective named Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet). While trying to keep her personal life from falling apart, Mare investigates the murder of local teenage girl Erin McMenamin (Cailee Spaeny). As it progressed, Mare of Easttown garnered strong reviews and its finale became HBO Max’s most-watched episode ever.

Although he makes his debut in the second installment as a detective from out of town, assigned to help Mare solve Erin’s murder, Colin makes a strong impression in episode 3. The young detective drunkenly approaches Mare at a bar and essentially blurts out all of his secrets and regrets to his new partner. Trying to put on a brave face, while clearly working through his own issues, Colin tells Mare about his failed engagement and suggests that he might have a crush on her. The scene turned heads, serving as the first of many instances in which Peters would be praised for his Mare of Easttown performance. But it almost played out very differently.

Vanity Fair recently dug into the bar scene between Mare and Colin. It was revealed that, at least initially, Colin was intended to be depicted as a confident young man with a lot of charm. But, as director Craig Zobel took over from Gavin O’Connor, the approach changed. Although traces of that confident young man remained, it was decided that Mare of Easttown would lean into Colin’s insecurities and his sense of imposter syndrome. This was reflected in the bar scene, ultimately, which Peters changed by suggesting that his character “should be s–itcanned.” You can read his full quote below.

“Craig and I met to talk about Zabel and this is a scene that came up. I said, I think he should be sh–tcanned. He has so much that he’s hiding. He seems like he has it all together. By the time you find out in [episode] five that he’s been carrying this thing this whole time, you want to see him at the bar and go, man, there’s something behind this.”

It’s interesting to note how significantly the scene shifted by the time it reached the audience. The original version not only fundamentally shifts Peters’ character, but also alters the understanding of Mare of Easttown itself. Although he’s introduced as someone who has it all figured out, with a sterling reputation, it’s gradually revealed that Colin isn’t quite the excellent detective he’s presented as. In other words, like most of the other characters on the show, the hotshot detective is actually uncertain and occasionally insecure and not always at his best. He fits right into the ethos of the series instead of being the outsider that defies it.

The scene was admittedly difficult, with Peters confessing that he needed a hug after filming was over. Peters has even said that he considered whether he should quit acting after that moment in episode 3 because he was unsure whether he pulled off an authentic performance. It’s clear now, with Mare of Easttownhaving ended, that Peters succeeded in his portrayal. The exchange between Mare and Colin, only a few minutes long, still has people talking. It’s reinforced that, as an actor, Peters is capable of far more than he’s typically allowed to show.

Source: Vanity Fair

About The Author

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
(1121 Articles Published)

See also  Katy Perry's Pokémon 25th Anniversary "Electric" Song & Music Video Out Now

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

More From Abdullah Al-Ghamdi