Jeff Daniels and Adam Rapp on Character-Driven Storytelling in Season 2 of American Rust: Broken Justice

We recently had the opportunity to meet with actor/executive producer Jeff Daniels and executive producer/co-showrunner/writer Adam Rapp to discuss the process behind developing season two of their series American Rust: Broken Justice. For Jeff Daniels, the show serves as a continuation of the narrative established in the book and his primary focus was on developing characters to maintain the audience’s interest. He highlighted that his similarities to Del, in addition to the great writing, facilitated his natural portrayal of the character. Jeff’s preference for working off-book and his ease with playing Del allowed him to complete scenes efficiently, while also appreciating the narrative breadcrumbs that kept both him and the audience engaged. 

Adam Rapp elaborated on the storytelling aspect, emphasizing the intricacies of weaving together urgent scenarios and smaller storylines to create a cohesive narrative. He praised the various departments involved in the production and stressed the importance of exploration of moral ambiguity within the characters to maintain a consistent tone throughout the series.

Watch the full conversation below.

Amidst the arrival of fracking to Southwestern Pennsylvania, Del Harris and Grace Poe try to rebuild their lives after a series of harrowing events, but a string of seemingly unrelated murders hints at a much larger conspiracy that threatens everything they’ve grown to love.