Hugh Dancy‘s character on Hulu’s “The Path” is so magnetic that even the actor who portrays him couldn’t resist falling under his spell.
On the Hulu original drama, Dancy plays Cal Roberts, the charismatic cult leader of the Meyerist movement. Fans of the series saw him as a villain, but that was a reception Dancy hadn’t predicted while shaping the character and filming the series.
“It turns out I was playing a much darker character than I realized,” the actor told TheWrap. “I was busy justifying him and kind of feeling, basically, sympathy for him. And it turns out I’m pretty much alone in that feeling.”
The series, from creator Jessica Goldberg and executive producer Jason Katims, also stars “Breaking Bad” veteran Aaron Paul and “True Detective” alum Michelle Monaghan as a couple who begin to question their faith and loyalty to Dancy’s reckless leader.
“We all kind of share the load, and we all get to work with each other,” Dancy said of his co-stars. “There’s a lot of dynamics across the show.”
To capture the atmosphere of a real cult, “The Path” films on a real religious compound just outside of New York. The scenic location goes a long way in setting the tone of the show, Dancy explained.
“It’s kind of idyllic,” he said. “It creates the environment of the show to a great degree, just by virtue of being by the Hudson River.”