Things are looking dire for Gracian “Gray” Parish (Giancarlo Esposito) and his new boss in the upcoming episode of AMC’s new crime dramaParish. Debuting at the end of March, the series lets Esposito go beyond his villainous roles as Gus Fring or Moff Gideon to instead play “a good man with a troubled past” whocan’t seem to escape his old life of crimeand the bad habits that come with it. As he continues to sink back into his old ways, Episode 3 will see his loyalty to the Zimbabwean gangster The Horse (Zachary Momoh) tested after a serious injury leaves the boss bleeding out and in need of immediate help. Ahead of the premiere, Collider can share an exclusive clip of Gray going to the one place he believes is safe for them — the local church.
Parishfollows the devolution of Gray from a loving family man whose life is on the straight and narrow back intoan agent of the criminal underworld in New Orleansafter the vicious murder of his son and the collapse of his luxury car business. He’s once again tangled with a shady crime syndicate, including The Horse, and forced to get his hands dirty. This time, however, he’s approaching the work with good intentions andhopes to break himself and his family freeof the cycle of violence that he hasn’t been able to shake thus far. His old line of work has dangerous consequences, however,a point made abundantly clear in the sneak peek of Episode 3.
In the footage, Gray rushes The Horse into the back room of the church where a furious Sister Anne, played by SAG Award nomineeAmanda Brugel, awaits. She’s none too happy to see Gray since she knows he’s only bringing trouble with him, otherwise he would’ve simply brought his boss to the hospital. As sirens blare in the background, both men beg her to help, though she initially refuses both because there’s clearly criminal activity involved, and she only has a single year of nursing school under her belt, not nearly enough experience to treat The Horse’s nasty wound. With some extra encouragement, she finally cracks and asks Gray to get her medical supplies from the closet. He looks in the mirror as he grabs everything she needs,bringing back a traumatic memory when he eyes his blood-covered hands.
‘Parish’ Remakes ‘The Driver’ for a New Audience
Parishwas developed asan adaptation of the BBC One seriesThe Drivercreated byDanny BrocklehurstandJim Poyser. Brocklehurst reprised his duties as co-creator and writer for the show, albeit with a new partner inClass of ‘09andRaised By WolvesdirectorSunu Goneraas co-creator. It also features a strong cast withPaula Malcomson,Skeet Ulrich,Bonnie Mbuli,Ivan Mbakop,Arica Himmel, andDax Reyall aboard alongsideBradley Whitfordin a recurring role.
The pairing of Esposito and theScreamlegend Ulrichended up being a fortuitous one for both actors, who formed a mutual respect while working together onParish. Inan interview with Collider’sChristina Radish, Ulrich explained how this collaboration was something he had long hoped for after seeing Esposto on stage and how their chemistry translated to the screen:
“I had the great pleasure, in 1992, of watching this man on stage at the company I was training at in New York, the Atlantic Theater Company, for a part he won an Obie for. He’s been in my mind, as a performer, for 32 years now. We didn’t know each other in those days. I was more a fan of his. We re-met on an airplane a few years ago and had the loveliest three-hour conversation. He was gracious enough to send me a book that I was really into and am still into. And then, this opportunity came, and I couldn’t believe it. I honestly can’t believe it. It’s a blessing to be amongst this group of creative people. What you see in that connection is a lot of my energy and my admiration turned into Colin’s admiration.That chemistry comes out of a real place.It’s not something manufactured, at all.”
ParishEpisode 3 airs on AMC on Sunday, April 14. Getour thoughts on Esposito’s new television role hereand check out the exclusive sneak peek below.
Follows a taxi driver whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to pick up a Zimbabwean gangster mostly known for exploiting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports.
