True Detective may solve McAdams career mystery
TORONTO — Canadian actors Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch could recover some lost cred when they star in the second season of the buzzy HBO drama True Detective. Or, if the new season disappoints, they could have trouble getting work.
That’s Indiewire’s take on the big news that McAdams and Kitsch will get leading roles in the offkilter crime drama, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in its debut season. Both Canadians have seen their star power dwindle in recent years, says Indiewire, even though they’ve delivered strong performances in lower-key projects.
True Detective could ensure they’re marketable as true A-listers once again, writes TV editor Ben Travers.
“(McAdams) needs a hit. She needs one bad, but thankfully, she doesn’t seem to want to sell out to land one,” he writes.
“With True Detective, McAdams will have a chance to flex her acting talent in what’s now a widely-respected series with the pedigree of HBO dramas behind it and a smash hit in the ratings to boot. It’s exactly what she needs, and also a great grab for HBO, talent-wise.”
Travers also compliments Kitsch’s acting chops but says True Detective might represent a do-or-die role for him.
“Despite having his face on the poster of an Oscar-nominated drama with a $125 million domestic haul, Kitsch is still labelled as box office poison thanks to blockbuster flops like John Carter and art house duds like Oliver Stone’s Savages,” Travers writes.
“Kitsch can absolutely get the job done if the writing is there and the character strong.”