An idyllic Caribbean vacation goes terribly wrong for the Thomas family when their oldest daughter, Alison, tragically dies. Saint X, based on Alexis Schaitkin’s book of the same, explores the ripple effects of the grief and trauma the Thomas family experienced in both the past and present. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Michael Park about Bill’s journey with grief then and now.
Michael Park and Betsy Brandt as Bill and Mia. (Hulu)
“It says in the book quite clearly that Bill and Mia are grieving together but separately, and that is so incredibly true in most cases, right? As a parental group or a familial group, you either bond together when something like this happens, or you kind of fracture,” Michael said. “I think because it was such a high profile case, Alison’s disappearance was a high-profile situation, they came together as a team.”
For Bill, Michael noted that it was all about “trying to take the next steps” in the midst of the media frenzy. In the aftermath, Bill and Mia decided to move their daughter across the country. However, grief doesn’t just fade away. Grief is a constant ebb and flow.
While Bill and Claire (who goes by Emily in the present day) had a “wonderful” relationship before Alison’s death, the loss of a child changes the entire family dynamic. Michael pointed out that Alison’s death “fractured” Bill and Claire’s relationship. He also noted that Claire’s decision to move away from her parents when she got older “extended” her relationship with her father further.
“He had to shelter her from all of this nonsense that was happening that could prevent her from having a ‘normal upbringing.’ Because of that, because of the choices that Bill made, that Bill and Mia made, definitely put a damper on the already existing relationship that Bill might have had with Claire,” Michael told HollywoodLife. “But the lines of communication with Emily were always open. They were always there.”
Michael Park with the cast of ‘Saint X.’ (Hulu)
The actor admitted that Claire/Emily’s relationship with her mother is even more complicated. While Bill “understands why” his bond with his daughter is “fractured in a way and is much more accepting of that,” Michael revealed that “it’s harder for Mia.”
Saint X premieres April 26 with the first 3 episodes on Hulu. New episodes will continue to be released weekly.
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Saint X — Saint X is a psychological drama, which is told via multiple timelines and perspectives, explores and upends the girl-gone-missing genre. It’s a show about how a young woman’s mysterious death during an idyllic Caribbean vacation creates a traumatic ripple effect that eventually pulls her surviving sister into a dangerous pursuit of the truth. Emily (Alycia Debnam-Carey), shown. (Photo by: Hulu)
Michael Park and Betsy Brandt star as Bill and Mia. They are the parents of Allison and Claire.
Sourse: hollywoodlife.com
