Down Under No More

by Becky Randel | Miami magazine | June 22, 2011

Matt Passmore made a name for himself in the long-running Australian series McLeod’s Daughters and while he may not yet be a household name to American audiences, his second season on A&E’s Florida-set drama The Glades is sure to change that very soon. Passmore plays Jim Longworth, a sardonic-yet-brilliant homicide detective whose (will-they-or-won’t-they?) chemistry with single mom/nurse-in-distress Callie Cargill (Kiele Sanchez) is the stuff TV legends are made of.

Season one of The Glades was the most-watched drama series in A&E’s history. Do you feel pressure going into your sophomore year? It certainly puts [the burden of] responsibility on our shoulders. We want to keep the voice and expand some elements that we think can enhance the show. Why do you think the audience has responded so enthusiastically? We have a lot of fun, so I hope that comes through. I think we bring a very light touch to a very dark subject. Your character, Jim, and his love interest, Callie, left us on a cliffhanger with her husband getting out of prison at the end of last season. What can you share about their future? The road to love is never easy. Everything gets a little more complicated and uneasy in season two, but that’s what makes great drama: obstacles. Jim is something of a loveable ass, so how do you, as an actor, ensure he stays likeable? I think he has the elements that are in every bloke… that battle between the man and the boy. One part is petulant, selfish and playful, and another part is stoic, respectful and intuitive. With Jim, it’s often the boy part that wins out. How does the Florida setting play into the storylines? It sets up the whole show. The episodes that I’ve liked the most have happened around something so Floridian, they couldn’t [have taken place] anywhere else in the country. This year, we’re filming in Little Havana, taking a poke at Scarface. What do you like most about filming here? I grew up in Queensland, sun and surf, so the laid-back culture of Miami really suits me. It’s so incredibly eclectic. You step off the beach and you could be in a mansion… or a swamp.