How Cary Elwes Prepared to Play a Private Investigator in Peacock's M.I.A.
Cary Elwes did some old-fashioned research to help shape his role in the new Peacock crime drama show, M.I.A.
Key Takeaways
- Cary Elwes prepared for his role as Kincaid in Peacock's M.I.A. by interviewing real Miami private investigators, many of whom are former law enforcement or military.
- Kincaid is an Read More
- Cary Elwes prepared for his role as Kincaid in Peacock's M.I.A. by interviewing real Miami private investigators, many of whom are former law enforcement or military.
- Kincaid is an ex–Miami detective who took a job as a private investigator because he really needed the money.
- Elwes said it's fun to play a character who's morally ambiguous.
Cary Elwes took preparing for his role as a private investigator in Peacock's M.I.A. seriously.
The actor, best known for starring in films like The Princess Bride and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, plays Kincaid in the new crime drama series, which boasts nine episodes that are all available to stream on Peacock now.
The new series stars Shannon Gisela as Etta Tiger Jonze, a young woman who's restless in the Florida Keys when disaster strikes her family. As the show's synopsis teases, "When her family’s drug running business shatters in tragedy, Etta embarks on a dangerous journey through Miami’s neon lit underbelly that will define who she is and what she’s ultimately capable of."
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Elwes' private investigator, Kincaid, a former detective in Miami, is called upon to look into Etta's family's murders. And the 63-year-old actor did his research to prepare for the role.
Keep reading to find out what Elwes did to get ready for the part!
How did Cary Elwes prepare for his role as Kincaid on Peacock's M.I.A.?
Elwes got into character as a private investigator for M.I.A., in part, by speaking with some of the people who do the job in real life. "Thanks to production, I was able to interview a couple of private investigators in Miami before we started shooting," Elwes told Peacock Blog in an interview before the series premiere. "And the first thing I noticed about both of them was that they both were very casual in their dress. And I asked them about that, and since they were both ex-police officers — which many private investigators are, or ex-military — they said that after wearing uniforms for such a long period of time, they really, really leaned into wearing more casual wear when they decided to retire and take on the role of a P.I."
Elwes continued, "With that in mind, Karen Campbell, our showrunner, and I really explored making Kincaid... more of a Key Largo vibe to him, with the Tommy Bahamas and the shorts and stuff. And give him a different energy than the other characters in the show."
Cary Elwes says it's "fun" to play someone who's "carrying some baggage"
For much of the series, it's difficult to tell if Kincaid is on the right or wrong side of things.
"It's always fun to play a character who's morally ambiguous, and that seems to be a theme that the great
Bill Dubuque (M.I.A.'s creator) likes to explore in his shows.," Elwes told Peacock Blog. "And he delivered very high quality, ambiguous characters in this show. It was fun. It's always fun to play someone who's nuanced and is carrying some baggage. That always makes them more interesting."
*** SPOILER WARNING: There are major plot details revealed for M.I.A. below ***
It's eventually revealed on M.I.A. that Kincaid was hired as a private investigator by Caroline (Marta Milans), a member of the family that had Etta's family killed. In the final episode, when Kincaid starts to suspect that Caroline may be responsible for at least one, and likely more, murders, he quits his private investigator gig. Kincaid tells Caroline that he's "going back to the force" and returning to the homicide division, where he helps "put murderers away."
"We explored the idea that [Kincaid] was taking this job [working for Caroline] because he really needed the money and it was a high-paying job," Elwes told Peacock Blog. "And because of that, he was told not to ask too many questions of his employer. And once he found out that Caroline was perhaps not being entirely upfront with him, that's when Kincaid's moral compass started to present itself. I loved that nuance about him — being able to play a guy who was seemingly feeling like he was accomplishing his goals, but at the same time, wasn't."
Cary Elwes calls Shannon Gisela a "force to contend with"
Elwes said that Dubuque and Campbell "picked a team both in front and behind the camera of a remarkable talent."
He called Gisela, who plays Etta, "a force to contend with... She just grabs you by the lapels and won't let go. But that goes for the talent [all] around her. All of the cast are wonderful, wonderful actors."
"It's always nice as an actor when you show up and find out that the people you're working with aren't just talented, they're nice people," Elwes added. "They're people you wanna hang out with after you wrap, and that was the case on this show. We all became friends and bonded over this experience."
All nine episodes of M.I.A. are now streaming on Peacock.
