The performer talks to ET about taking center stage in the second season of the Peacock comedy.
While Rutherford Falls garnered critical acclaim for its authentic representation of Indigenous people onscreen, the Peacock series has also been recognized for its excellent ensemble cast, with Jesse Leigh earning much-deserved, breakout attention for their scene-stealing role as Bobbie Yang.
First introduced in season 1 as a young, unpaid intern/assistant to Ed Helms’ character, Nathan Rutherford, Bobbie takes center stage in the second season after they find themself unexpectedly running for mayor of the titular small town and navigating new, unexpected pairings with other key members of the series.
“I was so excited when I found out,” Leigh, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, tells ET about learning of Bobbie’s expanded storyline in season 2. “I had drinks with [showrunner] Sierra Teller Ornelas, and she brought forth the idea that Bobbie would be running for mayor of Rutherford Falls. And I screamed. I said, ‘You’re kidding, right?’ Like, ‘This is amazing.’”
They add, “To play a non-binary character on a show, but also them flourish and see them run for major of the town, it’s so amazing. And I feel so lucky.”
The mayoral bid, which spans the entire course of season 2, sees Bobbie not only reuniting with Nathan, who becomes their campaign manager, but also teaming up with casino magnate Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes), who has high stakes in the outcome of the election.
“Being Bobbie Yang’s campaign manager, as opposed to being the actual candidate running for mayor, just felt like a savvy choice creatively,” Helms says. And the pairing of Terry and Bobbie also proves to be a smart move as the two actors get to bring the laughs by playing into their unexpected dynamic.
“Playing off Terry Thomas, Michael Greyeyes’ character, was such a fun experience because, first, he’s an amazing actor and just so fun to watch -- it’s like a masterclass in acting, watching him -- and, on the show, he’s very stone cold and very dry, which I feel like Bobbie can also play into,” Leigh says. “So, we have this really fun mentor-mentee dynamic happening.”
In fact, it’s the pair’s chemistry that caught the attention of Ornelas, who recalls a moment from season 1 when she realized these two characters have a lot in common. “When you look at their personalities, they’re both on the come up. They both have a hustle. They’re both kind of sharp mentalities,” she says. “And I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to see them kind of paired up in this election storyline?”
For Greyeyes, it was a welcomed opportunity to see his co-star get more screen time in the new episodes. “Jesse’s such a fantastic actor. I know that in the feedback we got from season 1, people were like, ‘Bobbie’s my favorite. We need more Bobbie. Jesse’s so brilliant,’” he recalls. “So, when I found out that the town was getting a new mayor, I was like ‘Oh my god. How delicious.’ And then all of a sudden, I found out it was Bobbie that was going to run and I was like, ‘That’s incredible.’”
It also allowed for the two actors to work more closely together than they did in season 1. “Playing with Jesse was a real highlight because Bobbie surprises Terry constantly,” Greyeyes says, adding that “there was just huge humor” in their dynamic.
Helms adds, “You cannot give them enough to do, truly. They’ll just nail it. Whatever you pile on Jesse, they will absolutely crush it.”
And for Leigh, that was not only getting to try new things with the character when it comes to the campaign, but it was also serving up moments that made them such a scene-stealer in the first place. One such example came during the hilarious Halloween episode, which sees Bobbie dressing up as Kim Kardashian.
“That was really fun to do,” they say of recreating the reality star’s all-black Met Gala look, before adding, “I can do a really good impression on Kim K.”
Leigh also says the Halloween episode “was one of the best experiences from season 2.” For them, “playing a character who is not afraid to dress up all the way or dress as Kim K. or as a female, it’s for sure a lot of fun.”
Rutherford Falls season 2 is now streaming on Peacock.
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