Yvonne Strahovski and The Cast Of ‘Teacup’ Were Drawn To The Genre Series Because Of Creator Ian McCulloch: “Each Character Is A Work Of Art”

Adapted from Robert McCammon’s best-selling novel Stinger by Ian McCulloch ( Yellowstone, Chicago Fire ), Peacock’s Teacup follows the families inhabiting a cluster of farms in rural Georgia who come together after a mysterious occurrence on their land. As more and more strange things begin to happen, the families realize that they must stick together to survive. Produced by horror maestro James Wan ( The Conjuring Universe, Saw, M3GAN ) and his company Atomic Monster , Teacup is an atmospheric, fast-paced sci-fi series that will have audiences guessing up until the very last second.

While Teacup is expertly crafted—genre standouts E.L. Katz ( Channel Zero ), John Hyams ( Black Summer ), Chloe Okuno ( Watcher ), and Kevin Tancharoen ( Helstrom ) each direct two of the eight episodes—the glue of the series is its cast. Yvonne Strahovski ( The Handmaid’s Tale, Dexte r) and Scott Speedman ( The Strangers, Underworld ) anchor the series as Maggie and James Chenoweth. A successful veterinarian, Maggie struggles to keep her house together after a rift in her marriage to James’ occurs, which is mostly his fault. The two find common ground once they have to protect their children in the midst of the strange happenings.

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Their complex dynamic is what drew Speedman to this role. “If I’ve had any luck in the genre space, it’s when [the project] leans into the relationship drama,” Speedman explained. Given McCulloch’s impressive body of work, Speedman knew the creator was not “going to do a bad, cheap horror version of this show.” Speedman didn’t “really focus on the horror elements” of the series when he first received the scripts. “I thought, ‘well, this is a great family drama that ascends into a more genre-type show with a Western feel.'”

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While McCullouch and the “collaborative” environment he fostered was a draw for Strahovski, the Emmy nominated actress was also attracted by the opportunity to come aboard as a star and a producer. “I’m entering a space in my life where I’ve been telling stories as an actor for 20 years now,” said Strahovski. “I’m so ready to step back and pivot into the greater vision of the piece.” While Teacup was mostly developed before Strahovski signed on, she had a “voice creatively with the scripts and the characters.” Strahovski praised McCulloch and the Atomic Monster team for being so “open” to her input. She liked the “classic vision” they had for the project. “It was a wonderful experience,” said Strahovski.

The involvement of McCulloch and the way he approaches storytelling also appealed to the rest of the Teacup cast. Known for his work in The Twilight Saga and Echo , Cheske Spencer was instantly impressed by McCulloch’s work. When explaining what drew him to the project, he said: “It was Ian’s script [and how] he pitched the character of Reuben.” Spencer plays Reuben, a neighboring farmer who brings his wife Valeria (Diana Rodriguez) and teenaged son Nicholas (Luciano Leroux) to the Chenoweth’s farm after a horse of theirs takes sick. As the series progresses, Reuben’s life takes a complicated turn as he is forced to reckon with very strange events. “[Ian] told me an idea of where it was going to go,” remembered Spencer. “I was really excited and enthralled about it.”

Veteran actor Rob Morgan ( Stranger Things, Smile ) acknowledged that McCullouch was a “big part of the decision” to play McNab, a slippery character—he wears the gas mask in the show’s marketing— whose motives are unclear at the beginning. McCullouch’s “magnificent scripts” were enticing, but what really attracted Morgan to the character of McNab was the “vulnerability” of the character. “I thought that was something very exciting and fun for me to play,” said Morgan. Morgan also admits that Wan’s name at the top of the project motivated him to sign on. “It was a no brainer,” said Morgan.

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Rounding out the on-screen Chenowith family are young actors Emilie Bierre and Caleb Dolden. Playing Maggie’s and James’ headstrong, but sensitive teen daughter, Meryl, Bierre noted the character’s “interesting layers.” Bierre took comfort in the fact that she had “some depth to play with” as the series progressed. “I was just in love with the writing,” said Bierre. “The world that Ian created and the characters felt so real and grounded.” Bierre also was excited to work with Strahovski. “She is just this powerhouse,” gushed Bierre. It was easy for Bierre to mirror her real-life dynamic with Strahovski with their characters on-screen. “I was amazed at how open she was to creating,” said Bierre.

Perhaps the most difficult role in the series belongs to Dolden. As Maggie’s and James’ nervous young son Arlo, he experiences a strange occurrence that impacts everyone around him. “When you cast a child—especially a child that has to do so much heavy lifting as a character—you have to go by instinct,” explained creator Ian McCulloch. It was clear to McCulloch from Dolden’s very first audition that he would be “grounded” and “real” as Arlo. For Dolden’s part, McCulloch’s writing “made [him] want to be in this show” as well as the “connection” he felt to Arlo. “I knew how good it was,” explained Dolden. “Each character was a work of art.”

While audiences will initially stream Teacup for its enticing premise, genre pedigree, and star-studded cast, they will continue to be drawn in by the series’ rich characters, brilliant storytelling and break-neck pacing. Speedman, for his part, can’t wait to get viewers “hooked” and take them on an “emotional ride with us.” “That’s what’s most important to me,” he said.

The first two episodes of Teacup are now streaming on Peacock, with two episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays until Halloween.

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