Karen Bryson MBE stars in the acclaimed television adaptation of John Grisham's The Rainmakeron ITV and following its successful run on USA Network and international rollout this fall.
Photographers: Catherine Falls and Yellow Belly Photo
Dot Black is going through every parent’s worst nightmare. How did you prepare emotionally for playing a mother dealing with such profound grief while also having to fight for justice for her son?
Dot’s grief doesn't completely break her, but it propels her. Her unimaginable loss and broken heart, drives her need to seek the truth, justice and clear her son’s name. Dot is a very instinctive person, a loving mother, a fierce protector, and she just knew that something was wrong with regard to her son’s death. She just knew, and she couldn’t let it go.
What was it about Dot that immediately drew you to the character, and did you discover anything about her during filming that surprised you?
Firstly, almost everything about Dot and her emotional arc, her journey, drew me to the part. There are very few female characters of a particular age with such power (it is slowly changing). There was something about the fact that she was such a complex human being going through very complex emotions. And as an actor, that’s always going to be a challenge that you want to take on and hopefully succeed at. I was thankful for the opportunity.I discovered that people (audiences) perceived Dot as prickly at the beginning, such is the nature of the gorgeous story telling, the way the story unfolds. I found it to be quite an interesting response initially, but that is of course before they understand what it is she’s up against. It’s one woman against a machine until she partners with Rudy — the only one, to start with who believes her.
Dot’s case becomes one of the first major tests of Rudy Baylor as a young lawyer. How would you describe the relationship that develops between Dot and Rudy, and what does she see in him that perhaps he doesn’t yet see in himself?
It is a beautiful relationship that they form. The relationship started initially from a need. She needed a lawyer, he needed a case, but it evolved into a very beautiful, loving friendship based on respect, care, and trust.She says to him that she noticed a ‘fire in his belly’, which is exactly what she needed: a straight-talking young man with fight. They have a profound effect on one another. As the show progresses, you can start to really see that.
There’s a real tension between grief and determination in Dot’s story. How did you approach showing a woman who is vulnerable because of her loss but incredibly strong when it comes to demanding accountability?
I believe that grief and determination can exist side by side, it certainly does in Dot’s case. All the unexpected twists and turns, ups and downs in life tests our character on a daily basis. Like life, people’s characters are full of contradictions. So while she’s grieving, she wants to fight, she has no choice but to fight. Her objective is to get justice. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. There are moments where you wonder, what is the emotional toll on her? And there’s one moment in Episode Seven where she doesn’t hold it together, and the person whose arms she falls into is Rudy. That’s how close their relationship is. He doesn’t want to let her down either. He’s fighting for his life as well as for Dot.So life is complex, and I think that vulnerability and strength can exist alongside the other quite comfortably. I don’t think for any person or character, there is one thing at any one time.With playing Dot I knew I had to remain emotionally open on set, to go wherever she took me. As an actor we all aim for that anyway. But for Dot; absolutely essential. I knew that was the key.
Photo above : Catherine Falls
John Grisham’s novel has been hugely successful and already had a major film adaptation. Did that history add any pressure for you when stepping into the world of The Rainmaker, or did you deliberately try to make Dot your own?
I had experience with the book many moons ago, which added pressure, especially when I was auditioning, and I’d also seen the film, which is very different tonally to what our show is, but I deliberately wanted to make Dot my own.So I didn’t re-watch the film, and I deliberately didn’t re-read the book. I started to and I thought, “you know what, put it down”. I felt it more useful to take our material and just run with it. Dot’s circumstances are slightly different from the original novel as well.I’m also that type of actor that can get overwhelmed if I think about the enormity of something. For me, I just have to stay as true to the storytelling and the character as possible, and that’s it. I’ve got to cut out that extra ‘noise’.
The wrongful-death case raises some difficult questions about power, money and whether ordinary people can really take on powerful institutions. What do you think Dot represents within that wider story?
This is a David and Goliath story. There are so many cases in recent times also of people taking on or daring to take on the big conglomerates, the big boys with lots of money for defense lawyers.
She had no choice. So what she offers is hope that it’s not impossible despite the odds and she refuses to give up.And to meet someone in Rudy who has the knowledge and the same heart and determination as her, together with Bruiser and Deck of (J Lyman Stone law firm) , a winning combination.
Were there particular scenes with Milo Callaghan that you found especially powerful, and what was your experience working with him as Rudy?
Milo is an absolutely amazing actor, and we had such amazing friendship chemistry from the moment I met him. I think that was essential, especially with playing Rudy and Dot. Their friendship, our chemistry on screen, our care for each other, translated onto the screen, making for a beautiful part of the story.
I really enjoyed working with him. A lot of my scenes were he and I alone, and we just had a similar way of working, where we would go there and try things and be in the moment. It was extraordinary working with him, and we were lucky to have each other.
There’s a scene in Episode Seven that I found especially powerful. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but there’s a moment when Dot falls into Rudy’s arms, and she just sobs. She’s been portrayed as this strong woman throughout (she’s had to be), holding it together, fighting for justice, being very vocal about it, but in this one moment we see a vulnerable woman whose son has died.
It’s just a moment where she is able to be vulnerable, and with Rudy. There is a strength in vulnerability. I think it’s important in life that we’re able to express that.
Grief can be very quiet as well as explosive. Were you conscious of finding the smaller, more understated moments of Dot’s pain rather than relying on big emotional scenes?
Great writing…
Grief never leaves you. Loss never leaves you. People even say, “In time…” I don’t believe that theory either. I think we just learn how to live with it. So when you’ve lost someone significant, it doesn’t go, in my opinion. It is always there…Omnipresent.
What do you hope audiences take away from Dot’s story? Is there something about her fight that you think will particularly resonate with viewers?
She, to me, represents hope, which I think is a really important thing to feel, to think, to keep sight of when life gets rough.
Finally, The Rainmaker is packed with legal battles, moral dilemmas and high-stakes drama. Without giving anything away, what do you think will surprise audiences most about Dot and where her story takes them?
I think the most surprising thing about Dot is that she has a sharp wit and a beautiful way with words. Sometimes when you’re grieving, you feel guilty about feeling joy, but there are some moments of joy that you see in Dot throughout it, even if it is in flashes.
