Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for the season premiere of “Your Friends & Neighbors,” now streaming on Apple TV.
As Coop begins to put his life back together, a new neighbor threatens to tear it apart.
James Marsden makes a grand entrance in the Season 2 premiere of Your Friends and Neighbors as Owen Ash, a brash, charming and immeasurably wealthy bachelor. He throws his blue McLaren directly into the drama of Westmont Village, throws extravagant parties, and befriends beleaguered Andrew “Cop” Cooper (Jon Hamm) and Samantha (Olivia Munn).
The premiere picks up some time after the end of season 1, when Coop is acquitted of Sam’s husband’s murder and reunited with his family. Although Sam is able to defend himself against some misdemeanors, he is still an outcast in Westmont’s society. Wanting to make a new start as a real estate agent, she meets Ash as a listing agent for her home.
While Ash is a stranger to the elite of this fictional New York suburban country club, Marsden has known his co-stars for some time. The role was offered to him via text message from both Hamm and Mann.
“We grew up in Oklahoma City and she was friends with my sister who went to the same high school,” Marsden says of Mann. “She said, ‘I’d love to have you in Season 2. It’s a fun role. Please say yes.'”
Marsden and Hamm have never worked together before, but they regularly play against each other in fantasy football leagues. “I don’t think it was intentionally a Hollywood fantasy football league, but over time it became something like that,” Marsden says. “Ten or 12 years ago, Chris Evans asked me to join, but it’s not very public. It’s like a secret league of people, but it’s pretty laid back. It’s not in a legitimate Hollywood way. It’s just a bunch of interesting people who happen to be in Marvel movies.”
What was your first impression of Owen Ash when you read the script for ‘Your Friends and Neighbors’?
For me, the further away a character is from me, the easier it is to play. This man and I have some traits in common, primarily that he is very energetic, wealthy, and bossy. He’s the one who comes to town and shakes things up, disrupts everything going on in Westmont Village, attracts the attention of the locals, and primarily Jon Hamm’s character. So I was excited to play something different than usual.
I’ve come across people in my life who reminded me of this character, so I decided to take a little bit of that and channel it in a playful way, drawing inspiration from my past experiences. But in the end, you just realize that your duty is to contribute to the story. He’s a good complement to Jon Hamm’s character, and it’s fun to blur the line between whether these two end up being friends or hitting it off at some point in the season.
What’s the subtle key to playing a charming thief?
You can’t venture too far into sordid territory. You need to make the guy actually intelligent and actually attractive. And I think not noticing is the key. The more people don’t realize how obnoxious and self-serving they are doing something, the funnier it becomes. You need to make sure it’s fun for your audience. You don’t want to put them off or make them think. I just hate this guy. They need to know his charm and enjoy watching him dance. What really matters is the unconscious. These people don’t realize how inappropriate it is to talk about their cars, money, Italian clothes, or how arrogant it is. It’s fun to lean into that humor and play characters that make you laugh.
Why is he so attracted to Samantha?
He’s smart enough to recognize that, bullshit. (My youngest son is nearby, so I look around a lot.) He is a smart person and can see right through everyone. Because he is rich, he can tell when people are flattering him and can tell them apart. He can see if someone is wearing a facade. So when he sees Sam, he becomes interested in why she is an outcast from the social clique of Westmont Village. From the beginning, he could tell she was a straight shooter. Very frank, unapologetic about her past and not trying to hide anything. She just says, “Oh, my husband committed suicide and I got arrested.” And I think he’s fascinated by that. He sees a transparency, honesty, and frankness in Sam that appeals to him.
He also has an instant connection with Coop. Does Ash know more about them and the community he has just joined than he is letting on?
I don’t think he knows anything specifically about Coop’s history or Olivia’s history or any of it. He moved to town to start a new life and maybe settle down a little with his daughter. And the biggest weapon in his arsenal is spending money and throwing big parties. That’s how he introduces himself to the community. But he’s probably hiding some dark details as well. There are a lot of people who like to talk about themselves, but Owen is someone who likes to ask questions about other people, and maybe that’s his way of distracting himself. What he does for a living may be legitimate, or it may be a little shady. Maybe he has money in an offshore account. I think he moved to Westmont for some reason because he’s an oddball.
But I think he has a lot of good qualities. There is a child inside him. He’s very genuine and excited about what’s going to happen next. He is passionately interested in what these people’s lives are like and who they really are. He is attracted to Coop because he is also a straightforward person who doesn’t take his word for it. However, Owen is good at reading people’s feelings, and when he looks at Coop, he sees someone who doesn’t fully show his hands. That has always been a mark of intelligence for Owen. Well, what is this man’s secret?
Does he consider himself in the co-op?
He is. He also says, “We are two single people living in this town.” He likes people who draw outside the lines. He understands that Cope tends to run a little closer to the edge than most, and that’s something that resonates with him. For Owen, things need to be exciting, and when they get dull or dull, he moves on. He sees it in Coop as well.
I think the party scene was shot over several days. Is it unusual to be in that mode for this long?
It’s not as fun as it looks, I say that. But it’s not a terrible time. We’re there and there’s music playing on this beautiful grounds. You’re not drinking real champagne, and you’re in the pool for 4 hours instead of 25 seconds in the show. It becomes a hindrance. Go, this is what I do for a living. I’m wearing a tuxedo at this pool at 4am. Since we are shooting at night, we will be shooting until sunrise. It’s good socially. Between takes, you can hang out and chat with a bunch of people. After 12 hours, it starts to wear out. How many times do you have to dance on the dance floor? How many times do you need to jump into a pool while wearing a suit? It’s not as fun as it looks.
“Jury Duty” returns with “Corporate Retreat.” Any ideas for a potential third season?
There are other minds working on it too. But if it were me, I think it would be fun to run a technology startup. However, it must be a place where you cannot bring your cell phone. Maybe it’s a crazy Hollywood party or a weekend masquerade party with no phones allowed.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
