How to Get Away With Murder star Jack Falahee’s guest stint on NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society, alongside fellow HTGAWM alum Aja Naomi King is currently airing, and the actor says working with her again is “healing.”
Falahee plays Pierce, the slick owner of Goldman Properties, who tries to recruit King’s character, Catherine, to his company. But things don’t stay friendly for long. “I think the tease would be that it starts as like this flirty dynamic, I suppose,” he said to Blavity’s Shadow and Act in a recent interview. “And then in [Episode] 7, I think it actually turns more into the Connor-Michaela rivalry dynamic,” he said. “So it was just really fun to be able to explore all of those nuances with her on screen.”
Jack Falahee says acting with Aja Naomi King again was ‘healing’
This project came during a time when Falahee needed it most. “Last year, I ruptured my Achilles and had to undergo surgery. And it’s just been a lean couple years,” he said. “And I reached out to Aja. I reached out to a couple folks, Viola included.”
That Murder bond clearly runs deep. “I reached out to Viola. She immediately invited me over for lunch and was like a shoulder to lean on,” Falahee said. “I reached out to Aja, she immediately picks up the phone and she’s like, ‘Come act on the show with me.’ There’s a little fun little role. It’ll be you and I and every scene. Cried again because just that’s who she is as a person and an artist and mother and friend.”
The experience was more than just a professional reunion. “It was so healing for my spirit at that time, to when your friends see that you’re hurting and they actually reach out and don’t just say things,” Falahee said. “So yeah, healing I think is the headline for me.”
Beyond the friendship, Falahee had another reason to say yes to the role. “I grew up not far from Grosse Pointe. So when Aja brought it to me, I was home for Christmas and I was talking to my aunts and uncles, and they were all that pissed that it wasn’t shooting in Grosse Pointe,” he said. “We’re from that neck of the woods.”
He added, “So I’m just a proud Michigander. That alone was enough to hook me.”
Praising the cast and giving flowers to Aja Naomi King
The vibes on set also helped seal the deal. “It’s also just a sexy show,” Falahee said. “I think it definitely has some of the same special sauce that Murder had. And I’m just honestly a fan. Like Melissa [Fumero], Ben [Rappaport], AnnaSophia [Robb]. I’ve now … it was my third time working with AnnaSophia.”
He also gave King her flowers for her Emmy-nominated role in Lessons in Chemistry. “I was with Aja when she got the call,” he said. “We were actually having coffee with Pete Nowalk, who created How to Get Away With Murder, when she got the call herself. It was just really cool to see her be a leader on set with so many other strong leaders.”
Could Jack Falahee return to ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society’?
When asked if he’d want to come back, Falahee didn’t hesitate. “I think it could be fun to have him in the night in question,” he said. “Because he is kind of this … he’s a bit slimy, so I could see him getting his hands dirty or becoming complicit in some way.”
“But also, I’d really like to be a victim,” he added. “I think him getting whacked by Catherine would be cool. But yeah, I think that’s what I really like about the show, is that there’s … it’s such a rich world. So he could really fit in any way.”
Grosse Pointe Garden Society airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.
