Eric McCormack’s career is anything but predictable.
From redefining TV’s portrayal of LGBTQIA+ characters in Will & Grace to diving into thrillers like his latest project Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, McCormack continues to prove that his versatility knows no bounds.
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue is streaming now on Stan with new episodes dropping on Sundays.
While his adventurous new role strays away from the field of comedy, it’s the heartfelt connections he made with fans through Will & Grace that continue to shape his journey.
“I have the life I have because of Will & Grace,” the actor said in an interview with 9Entertainment this week.
“In 1998, we didn’t think we were doing something important. We were just trying to stay on the air and be as funny as Seinfeld or Friends. But after eight years, we realised the effect it had.”
For many McCormack will always be Will Truman, the witty and grounded lawyer in a groundbreaking portrayal of gay characters on television.
Over the years his character has touched countless lives, and it’s these fan interactions that McCormack holds most dear.
He recalls a particularly poignant moment when a fan shared how Will & Grace had helped them navigate their own identity.
“I still get that every day with people saying, ‘My parents accepted me because they realised I was like Will,'” McCormack shared. “Nothing can beat that.”
McCormack also recognises the power of representation the show provided.
“Sometimes we were doing very broad comedy, but it didn’t matter. It was just representation. And not just of ‘gay’ in general, it was the representation of two very different gay men. The more flamboyant one that everyone assumes, and then the guy you might not know was gay.
“The number of men I’ve met who say, ‘I modelled myself on Will’ is incredible. He was out and proud but lived true to himself. For a sitcom, that’s a pretty amazing thing.”
Though Will & Grace remains a cherished part of his legacy, McCormack is now embracing a completely different challenge.
His new project, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, is a gripping six-part limited series thriller now streaming on Stan.
In Pictures
In pictures: Every episode of Friends ranked from worst to best as voted by you
The super fans have spoken!
READ MORE: Celebrate Mardi Gras with a brand new Pride Collection on 9Now
The series follows nine strangers who crash-land in a remote Mexican jungle while traveling from Guatemala to the U.S.
As they struggle to survive, one by one they are murdered, forcing the remaining survivors to unravel the terrifying mystery before they meet the same fate.
For McCormack, the decision to join the project was an easy one. “It was an offer that came over a year ago,” he said. “It was last January, and it was just a great time in my life. I just needed [something new].”
When McCormack’s usually reserved agent called with “exciting news,” he knew it was a sign. “I went, ‘Wow, exciting. OK, I’ll take it,’ because it really was a great, cool, fun offer and an international show shooting so far away. It was a pretty hard yes pretty quick.”
McCormack plays Kevin Anderson, a man who initially keeps his identity a secret before revealing that he was once a doctor.
The intrigue surrounding his character is what drew him to the role.
“I love characters with secrets,” he explains. “I think all of these characters necessarily have secrets. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t all be suspects.”
Shot primarily in the Canary Islands, McCormack was surprised to learn how much of the jungle setting was created in a studio.
“I had to Google the Canary Islands,” he admits with a laugh. “They are Spain, but they are practically Africa. And, of course, I thought, ‘I guess we’re shooting there because it’s a jungle show.’ Not so much.
“Gran Canaria is much more volcanic, and a lot of the jungle was actually built in a studio. Over time, as we shot for seven weeks in that studio, it became a jungle. It became its own biosphere, and then we started to be covered in insects.”
Beyond the lush, immersive setting, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
READ MORE: Newly-released kitchen appliances we can’t stop talking about
“Rather than just immediately cooperating and helping each other, all the characters seem to have a sense of, ‘I’m not telling you everything about me.’ They play their cards close to their chest,” he continued.
“Over the course of the week it takes for them to be found, things start to happen.”
But will viewers get the answers they crave?
“It will [resolve], it’s a limited series, so it’s just six episodes,” McCormack confirms.
“I think there’s some great surprises along the way, and that’s part of the fun. It’s not just in the writing – it’s also in the playing.
“The way we perform it can either drop great little clues for those trying to solve it or completely mislead them. That was my favourite part.”
McCormack is no stranger to switching between genres, from comedy to drama and now to thriller.
“I never wanted to just play one thing or one style. I love doing comedy, but I really love going dark. I did a whole season of a show called Slasher about a year and a half ago, and it was the darkest, most vicious bastard character. It was so much fun.”
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue is streaming now on Stan with new episodes dropping on Sundays.
Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.
