‘Irreverent’ Star Colin Donnell Says a ‘Ton of Heart’ Is at the Core of New Peacock Show (Exclusive)

Irreverent star Colin Donnell is going “under collar” as he makes his way Down Under in Peacock’s new black comedy set in the tiny Australian beach town of Clump. The Arrow alum stars as criminal mediator Paulo Keegan in the new series, premiering Nov. 30, forced to flee Chicago only to end up in the far north of Queensland, forced to impersonate “Reverend Mackenzie Boyd” for the congregants of the tiny town.

“He’s the type of guy who is … all the things he needs to be to anybody he meets, whatever the situation,” Donnell told PopCulture.com of his character ahead of the premiere. As Mack tries to hold up his cover as Clump’s new clergy member, hijinks ensue in the quirky comedy, but underneath all the laughs is a “ton of heart.” 

“There’s so much humor and so much fun stuff that [Mack] gets to do, but there’s also at the core of our show a ton of heart and a lot of growth for Mack over the course of this entire first season…” Donnell explained. “Where he ends up is so completely wildly different from where he began.” Having the dichotomy of absurdist comedy and real relationships playing off of one another is the key to Irreverent’s charm, Donnell noted, especially when it comes to Mack’s relationship with Daisy (Tegan Stimson). 

“You know, the comedy was funny and we really tried to push it as far as we could go. And [directors Jonathan Teplitzky and Lucy Gaffy] also allowed us the space to really live in those more tender moments of the series,” the Broadway vet shared. “That relationship between Mack and Daisy was one of the great joys of filming this.”

“It’s great to have a relationship like that that isn’t about falling in love,” Donnell continued, adding with a laugh, “It’s about two people looking out for each other equally and changing each other … having such a profound effect on each other’s lives sort of, uh, against their will.” Also starring in the Peacock series are PJ Byrne, Kylie Bracknell, Briallen Clarke, Ed Oxenbould, Wayne Blair, Russell Dykstra, Calen Tassone and Jason Wilder. Irreverent starts streaming on Peacock Nov. 30.