Exclusive Interview
‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ Bosses Spill Details on Rhage & Mary’s Chemistry Test
What To Know
- Audrey Hare was unanimously chosen by author J.R. Ward and EP/director Tosca Musk to play Mary in Season 2 of Passionflix’s The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
- The new season centers on the intense romance between vampire Rhage and cancer survivor Mary.
- The chemistry between Hare and Alexander Cubis (Rhage) impressed the creators during auditions.
Though The Black Dagger Brotherhood fans already met Rhage (Alexander Cubis) in Season 1, they haven’t yet met Audrey Hare‘s Mary, the human woman who instantly turns the vampire’s head. It turns out that Hare also had that effect on Lover Eternal author J.R. Ward and executive producer/director Tosca Musk.
The second season of the Passionflix supernatural romance, like the book series it’s based on, moves its focus to Rhage and Mary’s whirlwind love story. As Rhage navigates his unique curse — which transforms him into an uncontrollable, beastly dragon — he crosses paths with cancer survivor Mary. Though her strength and fearlessness rivals his own, her human nature presents problems for their romance. Rhage and Mary are drawn to each other while he protects her from the lessers alongside his warrior brothers.
When it came to finding the new love interest, Ward and Musk knew right away that Hare would fit into the world. “We go out there, we ask people to audition, they come back, and she’s the only one that we loved,” Musk, who serves as director, writer, and executive producer on the series, told Swooon at our New York Comic Con studio. “She captured the role of Mary so perfectly, and we’re like, ‘This has got to happen. I really hope that chemistry read one goes well.'”
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Ward, who also serves as an executive producer on the TV adaptation of her Black Dagger Brotherhood books, agreed that Hare was the only actress that fit her vision for the live-action Lover Eternal heroine. “The other thing that I think is great is that Tosca’s vision is my vision, if I were able to be Tosca,” Ward explained in a joint interview with Musk. “So what I love about the casting process, just in general for the whole series, is that you and I always pick the same person, which is great because that just tells me that I’m with the right partner.”
The chemistry read did, in fact, go well. Cubis and Hare’s first scene together was Rhage and Mary’s first date at TGI Friday’s, which book fans may recall. “What I appreciated was when they worked together, when they were doing the scene,” the Passionflix CEO recalled. “They just worked together organically, which was very nice. They didn’t feel uncomfortable or nervous… Their goal was to perform the best scene, and they did a great job. I just sat there and watched, and was like, ‘Oh, this is good.'”
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Ward was nervous about finding someone who had Mary’s “quiet strength,” but they quickly noticed that Hare possessed that quality from her own life. “She has to be vulnerable and strong at the same time, and it’s really tricky to get that through the eyes and the voice,” the author said.
She continued, “And one of the things that Tosca has taught me is what you can and can’t change from an audition. In other words, when they come in and they do the audition, she’s like, ‘All right, this is what we can do. Like, here’s our toolbox with this particular actor. Here’s what I can amplify.’ And so she’s taught me a lot about how to take an audition and see whether it fits. And when I saw Audrey, I just really teared up.”
As readers know, Rhage and Mary have an emotional road ahead of them, so you’ll need to get your tissues ready, too. What book scene are you most excited to see Hare and Cubis bring to life? Let us know in the comments below!
Black Dagger Brotherhood, Season 2, October 29, Passionflix
