‘Based On A True Story’ star Tom Bateman was “surprised” to play Matt as a “sober serial killer” in Season 2: “I'd never read anything like it” (2024)

Peacock’s Based On A True Story is the funniest and most unexpected dark comedy on streaming. Back for its sophomore season, the series finds Ava (Kaley Cuoco) and Nathan (Chris Messina) juggling the demands of parenthood with the stress caused by the murders that occurred in the wake of their befriending Matt (Tom Bateman), a serial killer known as the “Westside Ripper.” After Matt’s secret relationship with Ava’s sister Tory (Liana Liberato) is revealed, they two fly to Mexico where Matt seeks to help for his murder addiction by embracing new age practices and “sober” living.

Bateman, best known to audiences stateside for his notable turns in Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot movies and Netflix’s supernatural thriller Behind Her Eyes, was “very surprised to see where the story went: “A sober serial killer almost sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?” However, Bateman was more than game for his character’s new twist. “The tone of the show allows me to stretch into the comedic side of the character,” explained Bateman. “It was interesting as an actor to be able to do that.”

Throughout Season 2, Matt’s origin story remains a mystery. Not even the reveal of the existence of Matt’s first wife, Olivia (Melissa Fumero), gave audience answers about what motivates his killings. “I’ve built my own origin story for Matt as you have to as an actor,” said Bateman. “Your character didn’t just start existing at episode one, season one.” Creator Craig Rosenberg and new showrunner Annie Weisman agreed on keeping Matt’s background murky…for now. “It will be something that we should hopefully explore if we’re able to tell more of his story,” said Bateman. Sounds like Bateman and viewers are keeping their fingers crossed for a Season 3.

Bateman stopped by the Decider studio for a spoiler-filled chat about the season, bonding with his co-stars, and why he believes Matt is playing Tory like a puppet.

DECIDER: Based On A True Story is back for Season 2! Given the events of Season 1, were you surprised to see where the story went?

TOM BATEMAN: I was very surprised to see where the story went. That’s the whole point, right? You don’t want to give an audience what they expect. You want to be ahead of them in terms of the storyline. We have a new creative team, new writers, and new showrunner this season. They wanted to place their stamp on the show, and they did. It picks up not where you expected.

The concept of a “sober serial killer” is an intriguing one. What made you most excited to play Matt’s arc this season?

A sober serial killer almost sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? . I’d never read anything like it. The darkly comic spin on very troubling subject matter really, really interested me. What would happen if—in this crazy world—a serial killer decides to stop murdering people and approach his problem like an addiction he can overcome. Who would ever think that that would be the basis for a show?

Obviously, Matt is a serial killer. He’s a bad guy, but you play him with such depth and wry humor that it’s hard not to root for him as he struggles down the path for change. How do you navigate a character like this?

The tone of the show allows me to stretch into the comedic side of the character. Fortunately, most of my scenes are opposite the very funny Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina. I get to play the straight man, which just adds to the craziness of show. I get to say those very dry lines in response to whatever it is they are doing.

I remember talking to Alex Buono, who’s one of our returning directors. He has a great overarching handle on the show. He had me play Matt’s scenes line by line—one line would be incredibly scary, the next would play up his charm, the next would be a combination of the two—which was interesting for me as an actor.. You are not usually asked to flip flop your delivery in the same scene.

One of the most interesting relationships on the show to me is the one between Matt and Nathan. What is it like crafting that dynamic with Chris Messina?

I just love him so much. Anyone who meets Chris cannot help but love him as a person. He’s very talented and hard working. Chris and I both approach things similarly. We’ve done a lot of theater, so we loving pulling apart a scene and putting it back together. I’m from London, and shooting a series in L.A. for four months can make me feel quite homesick. While everyone was wonderful, Chris invited me into his family’s home to watch the Super Bowl together [laughs]. That sort of thing really creates a bond.

The showrunners saw how close we were and wanted to lean into that. This bumbling, nervous father—who is totally out of his depth in so many situations—has befriended this serial killer who forces him to do things outside of his comfort zone. We likened it a little bit to the relationship that Ed Norton and Brad Pitt have in Fight Club in the sense that these incredibly different people shouldn’t influencing each other. I’m leading him astray, and it is incredibly fun to play.

Kaley Cuoco is so, so good as Ava. One of my favorite scenes in the season is when Matt and Ava try to solve the cypher together. Do you have a favorite Matt/Ava scene?

What I love about the show is that my interactions with every single character are so different. Kaley’s character Ava is the only one that sees through Matt’s mask. None of his tricks or charms works on her. A really fun, unspoken dynamic happens between them.

I did like that cypher scene in Season 2 when Matt comes to ask Ava to be nicer to Nathan. She’s sitting there trying to solve the riddle. Matt teases that he could help her, but she’s going to have to beg. He’s like, “if you want me, you’re going to have to ask me.” She doesn’t want to ask Matt because she doesn’t like him. She’ll never say please [laughs].

Matt knows his influence on Tory is not good for her, and he’s the first one to say it! Can they come back from all that has transpired or has he shut the door on that relationship, given the murder and the kidnapping?

I don’t think Matt cares for her. It was one of the things I was struggling with at the end of season one. I thought: “wait a second, I’ve built this character on the facts that he doesn’t have feelings and that he does these awful things because they’re the only things that make him feel something.” I was surprised when they suddenly introduced this romantic relationship. It was tough to wrap my head around initially.

However, as Matt’s and Tory’s relationship deepens in Season 2, I kept in my mind that this is all a game. He is just playing Tory like a puppet. The end goal for Matt is to mess up Ava’s and Nathan’s life. He does that by going behind enemy lines, seducing Ava’s sister, and becoming part of the family. Matt is at the family dinner table, and there’s nothing they can do about it. Matt’s like the vampire who’s been welcomed in. If there’s a third season, it’ll be interesting to see where Matt and Tory end up. I might have to do some serious recalibrating.

Matt is such a chameleon. He’s has to be! Do you and creator Craig Rosenberg know his true origin story?

I’ve built my own origin story for Matt as you have to as an actor. Your character didn’t just start existing at episode one, season one. Craig and I had discussions, and he wanted to be able to keep it open. Our new showrunner this season agreed with that. It will be something that we should hopefully explore if we are able to tell more of his story. Season 3 might be more of an opportunity to mine that mystery. However, I do have my own clear story of how Matt’s murderous impulses began, and it actually worked quite well with Matt’s ex-wife being introduced in Season 2. When I was reading, I thought: “This actually folds quite nicely into the story I’ve built for Matt.”

Speaking of a potential Season 3, where would you like to see Matt’s story go?

Take him to the Bahamas [laughs]! I really enjoyed this season because there was so much that was unexpected. I had no idea Matt would embark on this new age reinvention. I hope the audience is as surprised as I was. Personally, I’d like to see a little bit more of Matt in action. We didn’t really see in Season 1 or 2 Matt actually pretending to other people that he wasn’t the serial killer. Nathan and Ava worked it out too quickly [laughs]. If the creators decide to look back into Matt’s origins, I would love to see how good he is at choosing a person to kill, killing them, covering his tracks and continuing to go undetected. I want to see how good he was.

All 8 episodes of Based On A True Story Season 2 are streaming on Peacock.