Monica Raymund and Rebecca Cutter on ‘Hightown’ Season 3: ‘We’re going out with a bang’

Monica Raymund, who plays the lead on the crime drama and Rebecca Cutter, the creator of the show say the third and final season will see the characters end up in a place that feels at once shocking and inevitable

The crime drama Hightown, tells the story of Jackie Quiñones, a  National Marine Fisheries Service agent struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. She is investigating an opioid epidemic plaguing Provincetown, Massachusetts. Played by Monica Raymund, Jackie, according to creator Rebecca Cutter came to her in a “fever dream.”

Over a video call from Los Angeles, USA, Rebecca says, “I just knew that that character could be the centre of a show. I wanted to develop her from there and then, thank God, Monica came in and made her real. It’s been a blessed journey from the beginning.”

A lot of preparation for the role was thanks to Rebecca, says Monica. “She told me about Jackie’s origin story, her context and circumstances. It was with Rebecca’s insights that we crafted the character. I also don’t know anything about Provincetown, so Rebecca was my leader there, (laughs) teaching me about the area and living there.

Jackie is a complex character with her relationship troubles and her struggle to stay sober, all the while dealing with a high-pressure risky job. On how much of Jackie is Monica and how much the script, the 37-year-old actor laughs saying, “I think, 50-50, or more like 90-10! When actors play characters, we always bring a part of ourselves to the role. I felt connected to Jackie because I understood what she was going through. I understand how we try and deal with things not going our way. How one finds purpose is also Jackie’s story. She’s trying to figure out what her purpose is, sometimes making mistakes along the way.”

Elaborating on the similarities between herself and Jackie, The Good Wife actor says, grinning widely, “Well, she likes to party and so do I. Jackie is constantly trying to figure out her true self. And like Jackie, that is what I’m trying to do all the time as an adult. There are times when I know exactly what my purpose is and that motivates me and there are others when I lose that.”

Putting together Jackie’s look was a process, says Monica. “Between Rebecca, our pilot director, Rachel Morrison, a couple of producers, and me, we made sure we were telling the same story. The look was messy, rock and roll- ish. She’s a player and likes to be the fun one at the party. Translating that vibe to hair and makeup and wardrobe was fun.”

Jackie also has a working-class look, says Rebecca. “We had to find a mix between small town and hip, city vibe.”