Over the last two decades of his career, Mandy Patinkin has gained a legion of fans with serious roles in Criminal Minds, Homeland and The Good Fight. But these days, he's all about showcasing a much more light-hearted side of himself.
Take for instance his new Hulu series, Death and Other Details. In the show, Mandy plays Rufus Cotesworth, a down-on-his-luck detective who the world once revered as "the world's greatest." When he finds himself tasked with solving a murder mystery while aboard a swanky yacht with his current employers, he discovers the whodunit is a lot more complicated than just simply finding the culprit on the ship.
Although the plot — and character — feel akin to tropes seen in other Hulu shows (like Only Murders in the Building), it was not only a completely new role for the actor, but one he's been looking, or rather hoping, to land.
"My son Gideon kept saying to me, 'You know, people remember the last thing you did, so if you play in a serious piece, then they think you're a heavy, serious person,'" Many exclusively tells Good Housekeeping. "No sooner does he say that, this script comes in. I read it and went, 'Gosh, this sounds like this is right what Gideon ordered for dinner.' I gave it to [my wife] Kathryn [Grody], and everybody agreed this was worth doing."
Given how there are a plethora of fictional crime shows already on television, when it came to portraying Cotesworth, the Tony Award winner needed to make sure his version of an investigator stood out. He watched Murder on the Orient Express and one of the Knives Out films as inspiration, but ultimately decided to try a tactic that would set him apart from his TV contemporaries.
As Mandy explains, in his mind, a detective needed to be eccentric, playing an antithesis to the all other characters he stars alongside onscreen — something that came easier to him than he first thought.
"I loved that [the writers] had written this guy is from Brighton, England and has a pretty interesting accent," he says. When reflecting on ways he could make the character more eccentric, Mandy realized just being himself was enough. "I said to myself, 'Mandy, you got an accent, and you're the oldest motherf--ker on the show. Why isn't that enough? And I went, 'that is." He also joked, that it made him "sad" to find "part of my eccentricity was just me."
Although the actor is aware of how similar Cotesworth is to the other roles he's known for (Jason Gideon in Criminal Minds and Saul Berenson in Homeland), he insists Death and Other Details feels different to him.
"Things like Criminal Minds or Homeland are so similar worlds. Very serious in nature and no joking around," he says. "This is sort of like the musical comedy version of a serious detective story, because it's light-hearted and not serious ... it's like playing Clue. It's a box game, and I think people love it because that want to escape from a lot of sad things going on in the world."
Another way that Mandy is bringing a bit of fun to his fans is by giving them a peak at his real life on social media, where he amassed a surprise following based on conversations he has with his wife and son.
As for how his online popularity came about, the actor initially started his accounts back in 2015 to showcase his work with the International Rescue Committee. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Gideon began filming Mandy and Kathryn to help preserve memories for their future grandchildren. When Gideon posted an argument the couple had about the anniversary of their first date, people loved it and the Patinkin family instantly became unexpected influencers. They now have more than 2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
"Oh, it's crazy," he laughs. "We do nothing except answer Gideon's questions — it's amazing. We are grateful for the platform to, you know, make people smile and to bring attention to causes that we care about. But my son made my dream come true by getting the world to know my wife. That was, for me, the greatest gift of all."
Amid his newfound online success and a continued acting career, Mandy has high hopes for his followers on what to take away from his work.
"I hope I'm bringing something that is serving your day, that is making you forget about your troubles, that is bringing you something that you didn't expect might be brought to you," he says. "Well, it's easier said than done, and a part of my job is trying to get you to have some fun. And I try myself to have some fun. I think that's a good way to wake up and try to spend the day."
