Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Teacup!
Boris McGiver is a country man who must work with his neighbors to solve a terrible ordeal in Carpet. Son of acclaimed character actor John McGiver, Boris has risen steadily to stardom since holding early supporting roles in everything from the Queen Latifah-led. Taxi to HBO’s acclaimed crime drama The ruler and Steven Spielberg Lincoln. In recent years, McGiver has been acclaimed for his turns as Tom Hammerschmidt on Netflix House of cardsMonsignor Matthew Korecki at Paramount+’s Evil and Uncle George in Apple TV+S servant.
McGiver stars in Carpet As Donald Kelly, the rough-around-the-edges neighbor of the show’s main family, the Chenoweths. While searching for his and his wife’s wandering dog, Donald finds himself trapped along with the Chenoweth and Shanley families when the mysterious McNab paints a blue line around their property, and quickly learns that it means the difference between terrifying life and death when Donald’s wife Claire steps over. The line and leave one of his hands decimated. Left with more questions than answers, the group must all learn to trust one another if they have any hope of surviving their mysterious situation.
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Along with McGiver, the ensemble Carpet throw incl The maid’s storyby Ivan Strahovski, Gray’s AnatomyScott Speedman, The ranchKathy Baker, Émilie Bierre, Caleb Dolden, EchoS. Chaske Spencer and smileS Rob Morgan. Currently holding an approval rating of 79% from critics and 78% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as receiving a rave review from Stephen King, the horror show is perfect for fans of isolated horror mysteries like of.
With the show halfway through its season 1 run, Screen Rant Interviewed Boris McGiver to discuss CarpetWhy audiences shouldn’t judge his character’s book by its cover, the joys of working with Strahovski and the show’s talented ensemble, how Donald will react to Ellen’s death, and why viewers should trust King’s glowing assessment of the horror Title.
McGiver was hooked by Carpets script before even getting to his character
“… It’s not your typical sci-fi horror stuff, which is what it’s been described as.”
Screen Rant: Great to meet you, Boris, and to chat about Carpet. I love this show from what I’ve seen so far, I’m about half way through it. So, I wanted to ask first, what was it about the show that really drew you to want to be a part of it? Is it Ian’s vision for the whole piece, is it your character?
Boris McGeever: I’ll tell you, they sent the script to me and said, “Give it a look, see what you think. Are you interested?” I read 10 pages and stopped, turned to my wife and said, “Read these 10 pages.” She said: God too, and it was as if there was no question. This was such a good script, such a good script. And it’s not your typical sci-fi horror stuff, which is what it’s been described as. But I thought, “Wait, this is really about deep and complex interpersonal relationships.” And I thought, “This is just good writing, I have to be involved.” And my character isn’t even in the first 10 pages yet. I said, “Yes, absolutely, I’m doing it.”
So, looking at your character, what did you find was one of the things that really excited you about bringing him to life?
Boris McGeever: Well, when I finally got to where my character was in the script, I found that he’s really one of those people where you really can’t judge him by a cover. He was a book that had a lot more layers than you thought. And that’s what I found attractive about him, and Ian brings so much depth to his writing, even in two or three lines, just back and forth between people, you think, “Oh, wow, there’s a lot to unpack.” And for Donald, there was so much of that. I hesitate to use the word soft, but heart, true heart. So, it was a nice arc to play with someone you don’t think has a heart.
Claire’s Episode 2 death will have a “Novelty” Impact on Donald
McGiver also praises the practical effects team’s creation of the sequence
The death scene from episode 2 is quite terrifying, and I would like to hear first what your reaction was when you read it on the page, and then when you saw the practical effect of it?
Boris McGeever: On the page, it’s very exciting. You think, “Wow.” I mean, I’ve lost several people in my life, and I’ve been there when they pass, they die, and that’s a very difficult death to be involved in. But then there is something. That happens painfully, and you just go with what’s on the page. There is pain, there is death, and there is also no real understanding in such moments. Our conscious mind has not caught up to what’s happening. We are really just in shock. We call it shock, but we are really processing things.
Not emotional, we process things with thought. Then, there’s a pain that’s like, “What?!” And then, you try to think through things, because the emotions are always secondary [step]. Physically, emotions come after we have thought through something, especially in a crux moment like a car accident, “Boom, you’re not there”. And yet you don’t think, “Oh God”. You think, “What happened? Why is there glass on my lap? Why is the person bleeding?” Things like that. You just play moment to moment, really.
So how did you feel when you saw the actual practical effect? Because when I talked to Yvonne and everyone, they were all blown away.
Boris McGiver: Oh, yes, it’s a deep talent that I had no idea about. I do not have a partial bit of DNA in my body to be able to do what they do, the makeup people, and the effects on top of that. I’m so impressed with the stuff, especially a couple of the episodes. They are as much of a character as Donald, or Yvonne, or James, all of them. They’re a massive character from this, so it’s pretty impressive stuff, scary.
So, you mentioned processing grief and pain. Part of this process can often be shifting the blame onto someone else to try to find an answer. Do you think Donald will start turning his grief over the character’s death on the group or on McNab? What can you tell me about how he will begin to react to the death?
Boris McGiver: Oh, interesting. I don’t want to give away too much, but what’s interesting, it’s surprising the way Donald reacts. We are surprised as an audience that, again, we did not read the book properly just by seeing the cover, and there is much more complexity to Donald’s conscience, to his possible empathy. He learns, socially, very quickly about others, and I think that adds a lot to the tension, because we’re not sure how he’s going to react, and then we find out that he’s reacted in ways that are like, “Oh, that It’s surprising, but I don’t think so.”
But then, you add everyone else’s reactions to those moments, especially in scenes when there are so many of us in the scene, it becomes a whole new life. No one was forced to have to live like this, at least in their lifetime. They are forced together, they cannot go anywhere, they are stuck together, all seven-eight-nine, whatever it is, I forget how many. And that’s what’s interesting, is how Donald reacts with these situations. It’s weird, it’s lovely.
McGiver loved his entire ensemble (but Strahovski was a standout for him)
“… It was such a good group of actors.”
So, you mentioned the group scenes, and I love how the show also splits everyone into little pairings. Who was your favorite scene partner to get to work with on this show?
Boris McGiver: Oh god, they’re all like that [good]Honestly, it was such a good group of actors. And I’m not just saying that because we’re told to say that, it’s the reality of the show. We had such a good time, right down to the little 11-year-old kid, he was just such a lovely individual. We all have a good time with each other because we are just there to play. Although I probably had the best time, I will say, it was Yvonne. We have a couple of scenes together, which is just so beautiful. I really like working with you.
I love working with everyone, but there were a couple of moments where we, as characters, didn’t know each other. And I think it’s the surprise about what’s under the surface to each other that none of us, as characters, would have known or taken the time to be with in that world, and yet there we were stuck together. She’s fixing me up, and then the things we discover and talk about, and care for and don’t care for. I think these are probably my favorite scenes so far.
There is 1 key reason why King’s glowing Carpet Review rings true
“…I believe that’s why he said that, because he doesn’t have to say these things.”
I love that Stephen King came out and voiced his support for the show. I wanted to hear your reaction to it, and why do you think people would really want to get hold of it, except King of all people?
Boris McGiver: It’s a really well-written show. Ian is a master, and I was pleasantly surprised by Stephen King saying what he said, but then you realize, “Oh, it’s because it’s a really well-written show.” And that he is a really good writer, he could write well when he saw it, and I believe that’s why he said it, because he doesn’t have to say these things. He’s Stephen King, for God’s sake. But he saw good writing, and he saw interpretation, the visual interpretation and sound interpretation of that writing done so well, so that’s why, and viewers will understand why. I think he said, “It’s all thriller and no filler,” and it’s true.
Even in the very quiet scenes, where apparently not much is going on outside, a lot is happening inside. And this is great writing, and all that can be just as suspenseful. And that’s why, back to the scene with Yvonne, we’re not sure, because the people are so different. You think, “What’s really going on? Is there something more? Will she hurt him? Will he hurt her?” But because people do not know, but they are very muted scenes, they can be just like suspension.
About Carpet
TEACUP follows a special group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat to survive. Inspired by the New York Times bestselling novel Stinger by Robert McCammon.
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Source: Screen Rant Plus