Tom Bateman says that his Based on a True Story character pulls people into his world, interview

Based on a True Story, one of summer’s must-watch Peacock series, has more twists and turns than its true crime podcast inspiration. As one of the show’s pivotal characters, Tom Bateman draws viewers into his complicated, twisted, and even sinister world. Although that charming smile might be alluring, appearances might not always be what they seem.

When viewers are introduced to Tom Bateman (Matt Pierce) in the first episode of Based on a True Story, the unassuming plumber seems almost forgettable. In some ways, that particular job might be vital, but it is not the person that gets prime billing.

During a conversation with Bateman, he shared that his character’s profession is a vital starting point to the story’s arc. Bateman said, “looking at Matt’s evolution throughout the series, he starts off and people don’t really notice him. In most houses that he goes into they just see the guy who does toilets. I even have a line, try being a plumber in LA, you know it’s not like anyone’s going to invite you to a house party, Mr. Plumber. He’s not seen or recognized. Then, around halfway through the season, his evolution plays out. There are billboards talking about him and that’s what he wants, what he craves. There’s this real desperation at the beginning to be seen and noticed by people. It is something that is willing to stop at nothing to get.”

As his character’s desire to be seen, almost worshipped grows, there are moments where it appears that Matt is willing to escalate his actions. He chooses to do almost anything to keep people’s eyes on him.

When asked about that idea, Bateman shared, “Matt’s a huge narcissist at the end of it. He wants everyone to be talking about him. Whether that is that they fear him or that they like him, he just wants to be seen and noticed by people. Either admired or feared, he is almost like a like a sort of olden-day King. You can be a tyrant, king, or a loved king, but they want connection and want other people to know of them. Bringing people into that world was very important and making people do things his way, in his world, was very important to the character.”

Even as the plot unfolds, the Matt character is unpredictable. That multifaceted nature has many people watching and re-watching episodes to appreciate all the nuances.

Bateman revealed, “I quickly realized that Matt is so many different things. I spoke to Craig Rosenberg, our creator, quite early on about a book I read called The Psychopath Test by John Ronson. What fascinated me in that book is that every single psychopath that John Ronson talks to, realized that all of them wear these masks. They have no empathy. They are pretending to be normal people. They’re performing very well-being a normal, functioning member of society, and that’s something I wanted to lean into. This guy is almost different from every person he meets. He has a different way of being with his kid, with people he’s maybe dating with Ava and Nathan, and it was something that was fun.”

“As an actor, this role was wonderful to play because there were no scenes that were just the same. They all had their own little life. They all had their own little energy that I could play with and pull against as well. The writing allowed that. If I decided to play the scene one way and they completely changed my mind halfway through the scene, it really held and it made it really fun because it’s it felt like there were no rules when playing this role. He could be everything and nothing at the same time.”

Based on a True Story can be streamed on Peacock. Tom Bateman plays Matt Pierce. In addition, the series stars Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina.