[Editor’s note: The following interview contains spoilers for “Matlock” Season 1, Episode 9.]
Tension continues to mount between the on-again-off-again Julian Markston and Olympia Lawrence in CBS’s “Matlock” — but to hear Skye P. Marshall tell it, she and co-star Jason Ritter have it easy.
“I had chemistry reads with five different actors for Julian,” Marshall told IndieWire. “And I was blown away by how Jason is such an incredible active listener. If I would change the tone or the pace, he just went with me like a perfect wave.”
In Episode 9, Olympia’s maybe too-truthful ex-husband confirmed he had an affair with jury consultant Shae Banfield (Yael Groblas) when their marriage was on the rocks. They’d just rekindled, but with both Julian and Olympia up for partner at Jacobson & Moore, “Matlock” used its winter premiere to set up an ultimatum. When the board chooses, whoever isn’t promoted will have to leave the firm.
“And boy, does that cause quite the dilemma,” said Marshall. “It creates a new challenge between Julian and Olympia professionally and personally that will play out throughout the rest of the season. That is the new page turner.”
The drama writes itself. On the show, Julian’s father Senior (Beau Bridges) is the head of their firm, making his son’s claim to partner possibly cliched but strong. Still, Olympia’s formidable presence seems impossible for Jacobson & Moore to part with — especially considering her growing bond with show namesake Matty Matlock (Kathy Bates). The real-life friendship between Marshall and Bates does wonders for their onscreen dynamic, and Marshall says she sees something similar happening with Ritter.
“Just as I was able to take parts of me and place them within Olympia, I see Jason in Julian as well,” she explained. “I saw it from the audition when I said [the line] to him, ‘Nepotism wasn’t a factor in my hiring.’ I mean, the way that hit him and the way he delivered that scene. He has had to face challenges with being the son of [late actor] John Ritter and people throwing the ‘nepo’ word at him before it was even a thing — when he just wanted to prove to himself that he was strong actor who can deliver on his own merit. And he absolutely can.”
As for Olympia and Julian’s troubled romance, Marshall said the fact that both she and Ritter are married to fellow actors helps. Marshall met husband Edwin Hodge at another audition for CBS (the actress told IndieWire that story in the rest of our interview), and Ritter married “Yellowjackets” star Melanie Lynskey in 2020.
“Look at his wife — a powerful, incredibly strong, focused, kind, sweet, amazing mother, but who will move the world with integrity and passion,” said Marshall. “I’m just obsessed with Melanie. Jason has that experience of being married to a powerful woman and I’ve seen him use that in a scene.” The actress once asked Ritter how he and Lynskey kept their relationship strong, and said he gave the advice to “always talk through it all.”
Marshall continued, “We both have that experience of being married to somebody in the same industry as you and just trying to work our way up the ladder and accomplishing all these goals and dreams that we had long before we met each other. Being able to play that with Jason has been a lot of fun. Sometimes I get to say more to Julian’s character than I get to say to my own partner, but that’s what makes this life so entertaining.”
“Matlock” airs on CBS Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET and streams the next day on Paramount+.
