Will Cards is well underway, and this new CW crime procedural drama is a hit! Following the unlikely and mandated partnership of con woman Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan, Riverdale) and boat/desk duty officer Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti, Grey’s Anatomy), there’s romance, action, gruesome crimes to solve, and a whole lot of 90s references.
When Max helps Ellis solve a case that neither of them is technically on, especially because she was in police custody at the time, it leads to an arrangement that gets Ellis closer to ending his demotion and keeps Max out of jail. Nerdophiles had the pleasure of chatting with Vanessa & Giacomo about what lies ahead for the reluctant pair, if love is on the horizon, what these two teach each other, and more! Read out our conversation here:
On what we can look forward to in terms of romance as the season progresses, Morgan shared: “With shows like this, you kind of always know there’s going to be the “will they, won’t they” aspect, and as actors you assume that eventually, maybe not in the first couple of seasons, but eventually they will come together. But what I like about Max & Ellis is how they’re building a friendship even though their chemistry speaks for itself. But reading the script, I could tell that the writers were going to dive into that.” Gianniotti added: ” I think we want to continue building the chemistry and attraction between Max & Ellis but not capitalize on it quite yet. So, we’re still holding off on that., for now…”
On playing a bold woman of color on television like this, Morgan told us: “Well, it feels very empowering, stepping into a lead role and playing such a confident character. It’s refreshing to play a woman who doesn’t just use her sexuality, nor does she lead with that. Max leads with her sense of humor, and her likability is nice for me to play, especially the comedic aspects of it with the disguises and dressing up. So yeah, I love it. And I love how people have received Max; all their compliments on her humor warms my heart.”
On how motherhood has shaped her career choices thus far, particularly in taking this role, she added: “As for being a mother, I would say it’s changed the type of roles I want to do, which is part of the reason why I wanted to play Max because she wasn’t a high school student anymore. But also just being a part of something like high vibes and family content that makes people feel good. Our showrunner, Michael Konyves (Bad Blood), was part of why he made the show. He wanted something that people could get joy out of even though it’s a procedural, it’s a light procedural, and we want to put smiles on people’s faces. And so that’s been my priority. I’ve said I want to be a part of something that aligns with my frequency, and I want to put content that is not as dark or heavy into the world. And we’re dealing with murders and cases that we’re solving on this show, too, but having the mix of banter makes me happy to be leaning into something a bit lighter.”
Wild Cards — “The Infinity Thief” — Image Number: WCD101b_0023r — Pictured (L-R) : Vanessa Morgan as Max and Giacomo Gianniotti as Ellis — Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
On Ellis’s journey this season and how Max helps him break down his walls, Gianniotti mentioned: “Ellis is in a vast state of grief in the beginning, and he doesn’t know how to process it. And so, like many people’s response to grief, he buries himself into his work so he doesn’t have to process any of his feelings. And while everyone around him may describe him by the book, I think he’s a very out-of-the-box cop. It’s his unconventional nature that has gotten him in trouble and demoted. But he’s not good with idle time and can’t be alone with himself or his thoughts.”
He continued: “So, in the beginning, he sees Max as an obstacle to him getting back to his job, but what he realizes from working with her is that she’s teaching him a lot about his feelings and being able to talk and through her sharing things about herself, that creates the intimacy that he needs. He eventually feels comfortable sharing things about himself, and that’s huge because he doesn’t have anybody in his life. He doesn’t have any family or friends, so what he’s gaining more than anything this season is a friend, which he desperately needs because she’s filling quite a large hole in his life. But I think she needs a friend, too.” Morgan added: “Yes! She needs a friend as well, especially because her best friend, her father, is in prison. But she does have Ricky, too!”
On if we will find out how Max makes her money and if we’ll find out Ricky’s (Fletcher Donovan, Love Hard) identity and profession, Morgan teased: “All will be revealed by the end of the season, and you’ll learn how Max is surviving and the role Ricky plays in that too.”
On whether Max will remain a permanent consultant with the police department, Morgan told us: “I think she should be her person and still work with the team. She should be a Private Investigator with her office and have Ricky answer the phones. But she should solve more crimes with cheating husbands! (laughs)”
Gianniotti added: “That’s not our show, but it seems like a fun idea (laughs). But either way, fans have to keep watching because we have a plan that answers this question at the end of season one and sets things up if we get a second season.”
Well said, and we’re rooting for a second season and many more after that!
New Episodes Of Wild Cards Air On Wednesday Nights On The CW!
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