Airdate: Mr Inbetween

New Australian drama Mr Inbetween begins on October 1st on Showcase.

The six part series created by and starring Scott Ryan as hitman “Ray Shoesmith” is inspired by his film The Magician.

Originally shot over ten days at a cost of $3,000, Ryan met filmmaker Nash Edgerton who took on the project as editor and producer along with Michele Bennett. Receiving further funding, the film was released in 2005 and went on to be nominated for a Film Critics Circle of Australia Award and an Inside Film (IF) Award.

Now the character returns in a series directed by Nash Edgerton. Turning it into a television series took 14 years for Scott Ryan to realise. It will also screen on FX in the US.

“To have Mr Inbetween finally made was incredible and a relief,” said Scott Ryan. “In the series we wanted the audience to question whether they like him or not and that was a challenge in the writing, and would be a challenge for me as an actor when it came to capturing that in my performance,” he adds. “Mr Inbetween has all kinds of elements, it’s not just funny, it’s not just violent; it’s like a three course meal, you’re getting a bit of everything within his morally complex, dangerous and funny world.”

Ryan reprises the role as charismatic, yet volatile hit-man “Ray Shoesmith”, and also serves as the series writer. Driven by dark humour and off-beat conversation, the series follows Ray as he navigates his chilling business, while also maintaining friendships, parental responsibilities and a fledgling romance. Tough roles to juggle in the modern age and even harder when you’re a criminal for hire.

The Mr Inbetween cast, each who characterises “Ray’s” intense world, includes Justin Rosniak (War Machine, Animal Kingdom), Brooke Satchwell (Jack Irish, Wonderland, Packed To The Rafters), Nicholas Cassim (Wish You Were Here, Around The Block) , Chika Yasumura, Damon Herriman (No Activity, Justified, Secret City), and features appearances from David Michôd (writer/director The Rover, Animal Kingdom, War Machine), Matt Nable (Bikie Wars, Jasper Jones), Firass Dirani (House Husbands, Underbelly) and Edmund Lembke-Hogan (Ladies in Black, Wanted).

Prior to directing Mr Inbetween, Edgerton directed Gringo, starring Academy Award winning actress Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried and Thandie Newton. Edgerton also served as Executive Producer on the soon to be released Boy Erased, directed by Joel Edgerton and starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Joel Edgerton.

“I couldn’t be more excited to share with the world, Scott Ryan’s wonderfully dangerous character, “Ray Shoesmith” and see him come to life once again,” Edgerton said. “Scott is a very talented writer and actor with a great natural ability, and he’s able to tread that line of being really charming and really scary at the same time. That’s what I loved so much about the character when I first saw The Magician and why I was interested in exploring the character further.”

“Mr Inbetween is an extraordinary achievement for Scott Ryan, who took it from an indie film with a cult following to a half-hour drama that he stars in,” said Eric Schrier, President of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. “Scott is one of those rare creators who can bring his own character to life on screen, and he is perfectly paired with Nash Edgerton, who brilliantly directed all six episodes. This project is a great inaugural step with Foxtel as we build Showcase as the destination for FX’s Original Series in Australia.”

Mr Inbetween is produced by Michele Bennett (Chopper, The Magician) and executive produced by Nash Edgerton, Jason Burrows and Scott Ryan and is a collaboration between the Blue-Tongue Films collective (The Gift, Wish You Were Here, The Square) and Jungle Entertainment (No Activity, Here Come the Habibs,The Moodys), with funding support from Screen Australia and Create NSW and has been developed with the support of FX Networks in the US.

8:30pm Monday October 1 on Showcase.