Perry Mason's Matthew Rhys Had Some Reservations About Returning For Season 2
That's a wrap on Season 2 of "Perry Mason." As the latest batch of episodes came to an end, the series chose a surprising character to set up as a possible villain for Season 3 while also giving the Gallardo brothers a fairly happy ending, considering their guilt. However, it all could have been left on the cutting room floor if Matthew Rhys had nixed the idea of returning as the private eye turned lawyer.
While there are many outstanding elements to the "Perry Mason" revival, particularly in its second season, the whole thing hinges on Rhys' compelling turn as a grittier, more world-weary version of the iconic detective. Still, Rhys revealed to Forbes that he was initially on the fence about whether it would be worthwhile to return to the role for another round.
Though Season 2 was even more well-received than Season 1, and Rhys is happy with his work, he admitted that he saw a return to "Perry Mason" as a possible mistake. "On the flip side of that coin, there is also the danger of the second season not delivering, so you take a bit of a punt," the actor explained. "I was certainly reticent and wary. I will never watch it because I don't watch myself anymore, but shooting it was very interesting, and I enjoyed it."
Rhys was interested by the new angle the team found with Perry
Season 1 may have provided all of the vital building blocks to help bring fans to a place where they would have a new understanding of Perry Mason as a character, but it didn't strike Matthew Rhys as a very compelling place to start from in Season 2. "I was very relieved that they came with a very interesting angle," Rhys said. "We saw Mason at the end of season one, very accomplished and happy with himself, with the new suit and his name on the door, and I didn't want to pick up from there."
However, the writers were able to find a new conflict that brought Rhys around to returning to "Perry Mason." "They said, 'What if Mason is having a crisis of faith and he's dealing with some imposter syndrome?'" the actor recalled. "I thought that was a great place to start."
"When they posed 'Perry Mason' as a limited series, it was lightning in a bottle, and you throw all the grenades and get out," Rhys explained. While the performer was clearly set on leaving while the audience was still applauding as far as this project was concerned, he did say that he has a special place in his heart for this new version of the character. "However, several things happened with Mason, and I did fall in love with this part," Rhys admitted. "I loved the person we created, and when you set something up so well, it poses possibilities."