'Castle Rock' Season 2: Star Matthew Alan on landing the role of Chris Merrill and his shift to the good side
For Matthew Alan (13 Reasons Why), landing the role of "Chris Merrill" on 'Castle Rock' season 2 was a "chance to play in that [Stephen King] world" which was "exciting". Speaking to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Alan said that the beauty of King's characters was that they were "real people put in unreal situations, where anything is possible", which made the script exciting for him. "Stephen King opened up my world to the horror genre. I read 'Pet Sematary' when I was 12 or 13. I was a little too young at the time, so it stayed with me for a while. I have read countless books since then, but that book really opened up Stephen King's world to me because they were about these fascinating characters in abnormal situations."
Even though his character, Chris, was not part of the 'official' King canon, on the show, he is part of the Merrill clan and is affected by the legacy of being part of the "crime family of Castle Rock". The Merrill family members have often played antagonists in King's books. In the upcoming season, Alan plays the brother of one such "infamous" Merrill character, the bully and drug dealer, John "Ace" Merrill. Alan revealed that the "fascinating part" about his role was that he could "take different parts [from the people] in that world and still create a character from scratch".
"What is great about Chris in Castle Rock is that he is tirelessly trying to keep everyone together. He means well and he's got good intentions." The character is a stark contrast to the character Alan played on '13 Reasons Why' - that of the abusive drug dealer, Seth Massey. The shift to the 'good' side was something that the actor enjoyed. But given its the 'Castle Rock' universe, he said all the characters are all a "little off", if not dangerous, which made them fascinating and real in some ways. "You see Chris really trying to do what is right for the community, and for the family, but along the way, you will see him being challenged about what grounds him."
Straddling the line between real and supernatural horror, the series is steeped in King's oeuvre. A big part of the series' look and feel was thanks to the locations and the sets that evoked the small-town vibe of King's world set in Maine, according to the actor. "We shot just outside Boston, starting in April-May... so it was about six months [of shoots]. And I would really be excited to turn up for work every day." Season 2 also merged inspirations from several of King's works, with a shoutout to many characters and stories from the "larger universe" of King's works. Alan remarked that avid readers would find many easter eggs in season 2 and even some subtle links to the show's first season, even though Season 2 is a stand-alone season in this anthology series. "Season 2 is an intense season. I think fans will enjoy how it just starts right out of the gate. Its a roller coaster ride from start to finish. It's hard to catch a breath."
His next project doesn't stray far from the horror genre -- HBO's 'Lovecraft Country' series that will come out sometime next year. "I worked on the first episode of the series, which is about a man following his father in the 50s. But it has a 'Lovecraftian' kind of element to it. So I am very excited about that," said the actor.
'Castle Rock' premieres on Hulu on October 23.
