Taylor Handley, Mayor of Kingstown, on Season 3

Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 has given Kyle McLusky whiplash. Taylor Handley’s character has had a new baby with his wife Tracy, but Kyle is also struggling to cope with the death of his mother Mariam, whose funeral was shown in the Season 3 premiere. That led Kyle to make a surprising decision: He joined the Kingstown Police Department’s SWAT team, putting his life on the line in a whole new way.

Where will this change take Kyle? And what does it mean for his personal life with Tracy and their son Mitch? CBR spoke with Handley about his character’s recent change and the overall challenges of season three. The actor also talked about what the role of Kyle – the longest role of his career – means to him.

CBR: Season 3 isn’t the first time Kyle McLusky has changed his career path. He also left the Kingstown Police Department in Season 2. How did you react when you found out he was taking a new job this season? Did it feel a bit like Déjà-vu?

Taylor Handley:
He was a cop and then everything went wrong and then he became a cop. That didn’t work out so well. So he came back, but the cop shit kind of weighed on him.
I guess as a McLusky, you have your pick of careers in Kingstown that involve law enforcement—if you can call it that.
But it seems like he’s just trying to find the right way to change as much as possible for the better.

I’ve been doing this long enough to have had quite a bit of weapons training over the course of my career, and to do that even more, especially this season with the technical advisors we had, it’s really fun to do the action. I was very, very fortunate to know the trajectory of Kyle’s story arc this season, and being on SWAT was just a lot of fun.

Evelyn just reminded Kyle forcefully that the SWAT team’s transfer will bring Kyle closer to Robert and his tendency to haul a lot of bodies. How would you describe the dynamic between Kyle and Robert in the rest of season three? Is there cause for concern?

Related

“Iris is in love with Mike”: Kingstown Mayor Emma Laird explains which side she’s on

Mayor of Kingstown star Emma Laird tells CBR where Iris’ loyalties lie after Season 3’s big twist — and whether Paramount+ fans should be worried about her.

Handley:
They’ve always worked well together. Now Kyle is in his element. It’s a case of good television because he’s entering Robert’s world. There’s going to be conflict. There’s going to be drama. Kyle has one way of doing things. Robert has a different way of doing things. And that’s why I’m excited to tune in.

Kyle’s brother Mike and his wife Tracy weren’t thrilled about the transfer either. Now that he’s been on the SWAT team for a while, the question is how this job and its demands will continue to affect Kyle’s family relationships or even himself.

Handley:
He’s really putting his life on the line here, he’s at the tip of the abyss, but I think he has to make such an extreme decision to move on and bury the tragic feelings he feels about what happened at the end of season 2. I think this is his way of trying to do good, to accept himself after what happened with his mother’s death.

No one is safe in Kingstown, but you know what you can do? Kyle won’t take no for an answer when it comes to things he believes are good for him, his family and the town.

This brings us to the other story, Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 has begun. Season 3, Episode 6, “Ecotone,” gave Tracy a serious problem that she hasn’t told Kyle about. So how much should viewers worry about their relationship? They have the only truly sweet dynamic on this show, but it seems like they won’t be happy for long.

Handley:
I know, and I think the genius thing that the creators and writers have done is that they have created this world in which
no one is safe, and if you have even the slightest inkling of something positive, all your senses as a viewer are on high alert.
This adds extra drama to the show and is, in my opinion, one of the reasons for the show’s success.

We always bring the hits. We don’t mince our words. We’re just raw, real, always rooted in the truth, in this crazy environment they put us in, in Kingstown.
It’s like watching a train wreck. You can’t look away.
It’s brilliant storytelling.

However, one of the positive aspects of Kyle’s transformation is that you can Mayor of KingstownLead actor. How did it feel for you to be able to act in practically every area with this talented TV ensemble?

Related

“Time is Life”: Mayor of Kingstown, actor Tobi Bamtefa, on Bunny’s threat in season 3

Kingstown Mayor Tobi Bamfeta tells CBR whether fans should be worried about Bunny surviving season three—and whether Jeremy Renner’s Mike could become an enemy.

Handley:
You’re right. Kyle definitely works a lot with a lot of different people. I think the only character he doesn’t spend time with is Bunny. If there was a scenario where he and Bunny had to work together – they had that briefly in season 2, but as the show continues to evolve, I’m really excited to see how the writers and creators bring everyone together.

This is the longest time you’ve spent with a character in your entire career. How would you describe it? Mayor of Kingstown was it for you, both in terms of getting to know Kyle better after three seasons, and also in terms of playing in this sandbox that is so dark and dirty, but also so challenging?

Handley:
Yes, it is. It’s going to be 30 episodes with one character – with another character I had about 21 episodes, so it’s the longest I’ve spent with one character. Just being able to contribute to the DNA of the character throughout the process makes it a lot easier to get into the character’s shoes.

I come up with imaginary scenarios for the backstory, incorporate certain things that have happened in my own life, and look for a thread of truth to hold onto to bring the character Kyle to life…
Being able to play this character with the players I play with, the writers, the actors, the filmmakers, has really been a huge highlight of my career.

Would you say there has been a particular highlight for you so far? Is there a scene or episode that particularly stands out in your memory?

Related

Stephen King praises “badass” Jeremy Renner’s Paramount+ series

Legendary author Stephen King has high praise for Jeremy Renner’s work on Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount crime drama.

Handley:
I have a favorite scene that I shot. It was in season 2. (Jeremy) Renner (who plays Mike) and I confronted the evil CEO when we got to the guy’s house and Renner went in and got into a scuffle and I had to burst in and fight the guy back… Just the way we shot that scene. We’re constantly pushing the envelope in filmmaking. It’s incredible. We have four cameras, a drone and this amazing crew… Just bringing those words to life is truly a dream job.

Mayor of Kingstown streams Sundays on Paramount+.

Mayor of Kingstown

In the crime-ridden town of Kingstown, the McLusky family holds a lot of power and acts as a mediator between the law, criminals, inmates and residents. After the death of his brother, Mike McLusky takes on the key role and must navigate the complex web of corruption, violence and systemic problems. As he tries to bring order and justice to the community, Mike faces moral dilemmas and constant threats from all sides that test his resolve and the fragile balance of power.

Release date

14 November 2021

Creator

Hugh Dillon, Taylor Sheridan

Pour

Jeremy Renner, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, Aidan Gillen

Seasons

3

Streaming service(s)

Paramount+, Prime Video, Apple TV+

Expand