Murray Bartlett on ‘Homicide on the Patel Motel’: ‘It’s a double-edged sword’

Murray Bartlett, who gained our hearts as Armond in The White Lotus, and as Frank in The Final of Us, performs Gareth in Maulik Pancholy’s comedy podcast, Homicide on the Patel Motel. He additionally seems because the disgraced puppeteer, Brian, in Season Two of 9 Good Strangers.

“They’re related, in a means,” says Murray over a video name from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. “Each have a thriller on the centre of it. The distinction with 9 Good Strangers is we received to be in superb places in Germany and Austria, with a beautiful forged of people who I set to work with in particular person.”

Previous traumas

Each characters, the 54-year-old actor stated, are coping with trauma from the previous that holds them again. “They each need to be backed right into a nook earlier than they reveal themselves. It’s not straightforward for them to face or speak about it or be susceptible round.”

The absence of visuals is each liberating and difficult, in accordance with Murray. “It feels uncomplicated to have one sense to hone in and concentrate on. There are fewer distractions. It offers you a powerful point of interest. It’s an attention-grabbing course of the place you’ve solely received the audio so that you turn out to be extremely conscious of how one can play with that in attention-grabbing methods to inform the story.”

With a glance

There are some scenes, Murray says, which you would like you may simply do with a glance. “You must discover a solution to do it with sound. It’s a double-edged sword, it’s a problem, nevertheless it additionally makes you artistic. There’s one thing thrilling about that.”

Voicing a personality in an audio-only format calls for the same method to his work in tv or movie, Murray says. “There are particular subtleties that you are able to do visually with out saying issues you can’t use in audio. You must be sure you’re getting the character and the story throughout successfully via audio.”

Murray Bartlett with Nick Offerman in a nonetheless from ‘The Final of Us’
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HBO

Wealthy world

The world of audio is so wealthy as of late with podcasts and audiobooks, Murray says. “It’s an thrilling style to step into. We at the moment are used to listening to content material in the best way that we used to hearken to radio performs. I used to be aware of the style and how one can carry subtlety into audio in a means that you just may when engaged on movie and tv visually. Homicide on the Patel Motel is comedy, so that you generally is a little broader, and play with sound in a comedic means.”

Having identified Maulik for a very long time, Murray instantly stated sure to taking part in Gareth, Maulik’s character, Milan’s, associate. “I really like the thought of this small city in Montana the place there’s this Indian American household, and the sort of world that surrounds them. Maulik informed me about this community of Indian American households who run motels across the Midwest of America, which I used to be unaware of.”

Grounded in actuality

Comedy is difficult appropriately grounded in actuality, Murray feedback. “You don’t need it to be completely untethered. This present has a particular actuality to it, and there are some poignant moments. As an actor, you need to have enjoyable with the comedy, whereas ensuring that these really feel like precise characters, with moments of reflection, poignancy and connection.”

Murray says the forged did completely different takes and variations of sure scenes. “Once they have been enhancing, that they had some decisions to get that steadiness of comedy, drama and thriller proper.” 

Occasional improvisations

Whereas the forged largely caught to the script, Murray says there was improvisation too. “With audio work, you don’t work with the opposite actors. I used to be fortunate, as a result of Maulik was main this undertaking and was in all of the recording classes. We have been studying the scenes collectively in actual time. He inspired improvisation when it felt proper. We did the scenes as scripted, however then would do takes the place we mess around.”

There are scenes the place it made sense to improvise, Murray says. “With 10 episodes, the recording classes have been lengthy, and when you begin to settle into the character, you get a way of what else you may have the ability to provide because the character. Maulik was collaborative and inspired us to stick with the script to be sure that we have been telling the story correctly, but in addition to inhabit our characters and play with it.”

Near house

The podcast touches on themes of id, household and returning house, all of which resonated with Murray. “Irrespective of the place a narrative is culturally, environmentally, or geographically, there are common issues about household that we will all relate to — advanced, unsettling, difficult, and humorous issues.” Murray was intrigued with the “fantastic specifics” about Indian American households that he received to study via the podcast.

“A variety of us, significantly within the arts, who grew up in small cities, have the identical expertise that Milan has. We are usually the black sheep of the household. I went midway all over the world to pursue the work that I really like.”

Murray Bartlett
| Picture Credit score:
Getty Photos

Highlights the distinction

If you return house, Murray says, there are all these fantastic, troublesome and comedian issues that occur. “The dynamics spotlight the distinction you are feeling between the particular person you’ve turn out to be and the 17-year-old you have been when you will have left,” Murray says laughing.

Hoping that listeners to Homicide on the Patel Motel snicker lots, Murray says, “There are some stunning issues about being disconnected from household and the complexity of making an attempt to reconnect. A variety of the characters have secrets and techniques or elements of themselves that they’re not in contact with, or hiding. And thru the course of the present, secrets and techniques come out and the characters have to have a look at and face who they’re.”

If Gareth had a secret interest, Murray says he would in all probability fancy himself a popstar. “I’d think about when no person’s house, he would get out the karaoke machine and sing within the mirror,” he says laughing

Murray’s favorite scene within the podcast was when his finger will get partially lower off by an axe. “It was enjoyable to have the ability to scream and let unfastened,” he says, laughing uproariously.

Homicide on the Patel Motel is accessible on Audible

Revealed – July 28, 2025 04:10 pm IST