An Interview with Andy McQueen from ‘Mrs. Davis’

MRS. DAVIS -- "Beautiful Things That Come with Madness" Episode 104 -- Pictured: Andy McQueen as Jay -- (Photo by: Elizabeth Morris/PEACOCK)

Andy McQueen is an accomplished actor that has been all over our television screens over the past few years. Courtesy of his work in shows such as Books of Blood. Currently, he plays Jay in the new Peacock series, Mrs. Davis, and we were lucky enough to sit down with Andy to discuss his mysterious character in this dynamic new show.
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John Betancourt: What was it that attracted you to the role of Jay?

Andy McQueen: The scripts are incredible. And the people that are involved in this project are also incredible. And it's just the perfect alchemy with regards to how everything came together, that I'm so fortunate to have gotten to be a part of this project.

John Betancourt: Something that’s come up often in discussions with your fellow cast members, is how much fun everyone had in making this show. What did you enjoy the most about playing around in this incredible world?

Andy McQueen: Ah, I mean, I love getting to play opposite Betty Gilpin. I love playing in that world. I love building this world of Jay and Simone. I loved going to the falafel restaurant on the Warner Brothers soundstage. That was a dream. I mean, pinch me all the time, still pinch me, it seems… this all seems surreal. So, you know, it's just such a wonderful opportunity and such wonderful people that are involved. And outside of the falafel, I could only have ever read what was going to happen and seeing it all come to life on the screen... it is wild and I'm excited for people to see it.

John Betancourt: Now this is a show that has a lot to say about faith and technology, of the many themes present in the show, what’s the one you hope audiences take away?

Andy McQueen: I feel like you know, we're living in a world right now where we put so much faith in technology, we have faith in you know, religion, we have faith, you know, in the idea of magic, all of these things that we cannot see. And I think that, you know, when we were shooting this, I had no idea or wasn't aware of ChatGPT and like since being wrapped, now ChatGPT I believe is ChatGPT… four? Or it's another incarnation of the thing. And we're, it's… it’s moving so fast. And I'm so excited for people to start having conversations, once the show comes out about what we put our faith in, you know, how plugged in are we? And perhaps unplugging for a bit might be better? Or maybe not. It depends. Being connected to people is also great. So, you know, all I could ever hope is that this creates more questions and creates more conversation between people and how we deal with technology and how we view religion and how we, you know, how we see the world.

John Betancourt: What kind of challenges came about as an actor regarding your critical role in this tale?

Andy McQueen: Try to honor the text, I think I always had to go back to what was written on the page, because if I'm not serving the story, then I'm not doing my job. So, I think at the end of the day, to sort of block the noise, or the nerves, nerves are always gonna be a thing, you can use them. And it's one of those things where you get to work, you do all the prep, you can, and you throw it all away. And then you're right there in front of your scene partner, and it’s a testament to Betty Gilpin, it's like two takes two to tango. And it was, you know, just so much fun. Getting to ride that roller coaster, it was like, to me a love story. In the midst of this crazy, wild zany adventure, it was, you know, it was very, very, very great to be a part of.

John Betancourt: What does it mean to you to be part of such an incredible and ambitious project?

Andy McQueen: It means the world to me, I feel like young me, 13 years ago, would have never believed after watching Lost four times that I would have been a part of a Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez show. Tara Hernandez is an incredible showrunner and co-creator of the show, and also a pinch me moment to be, you know, shaking hands with Damon Lindelof. It's a very, very, very cool experience. And then, you know, you got the cast and the crew and it's… it's really the perfect alchemy of things.

John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on this show?

Andy McQueen: I would say episode six, the mop scene in the falafel restaurant. I think it's such a private moment between Jay and Simone. I think it's the first time we get to see Simone look at Jay without him knowing. I think it's the perfect time for Jay to be in his own element. I think there's a really cool sort of, kind of illustration of what the trinity of the three of them are of, you know, Wiley, and Simone and Jay, we get to see that both worlds kind of collide in that way in a very, in a very beautiful way.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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