The hit NBC crime drama The Hunting Party is back for season two. Before the season, we exclusively talked with Eric McCormack and Finnigan McCormack, who star as the younger and older version of Ron Smalls. The show airs weekly on Thursdays on NBC and next day on Peacock.

The Hunting Party follows a team assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers after the secret prison suffers an unexpected explosion. Former FBI profiler Rebecca “Bex” Henderson has to grapple with her own past in addition to the mystery of what was happening at the prison. Melissa Roxburgh, who you may recognize from Netflix’s Manifest, stars as Bex.

Eric McCormack stars as Ron Simms, a killer who preys on women searching for love and his son Finnigan plays the younger version of Ron.

Finnigan: “The hardest part is having to relay the extreme distress in a way that viewers can empathize with.”

Eric has had an incredible acting career up to this point, most known for his role as Will Truman in Will & Grace, Grant MacLaren in Netflix’s Travelers, and Dr. Daniel Pierce in the crime drama Perception. The Hunting Party is Finnigan’s acting debut.

A father-son duo on set playing the same version of the character is something special, and both Eric and Finnigan had to rely on each other to master the same character. Eric said he saw Finnigan do his scenes before he got to play the older version, so he took away how Finnigan portrayed the anxiety he brought to the character.

Eric: “I got to take away the anxiety [Finnigan] brought to the character, the quiet yearning, it really informed me.”

Finnigan said it was cool getting to see his dad in his element in such a professional environment. Because Eric has been acting for so long, he is so good at being able to change little things for every take.

Finnigan: “I was able to see [Eric] transform each little take so the team had a million things to work with.”

On his first big television set, Finnigan said it was fun seeing how fast things move, but because he didn’t have time to second guess himself or overthink, it made him a more confident actor and allowed him to relax and focus on his lines.

As Finnigan continues to grow in his career, Eric’s biggest advice for him and any other aspiring young actor is to trust your instinct and gut with regards to your lines and your character’s emotions.

Eric: “The main thing that has always worked for me is to trust your gut.”

Thanks to Eric and Finnigan for chatting with Young Entertainment! Watch the rest of the interview to hear about even more BTS moments and tips, and be sure to like and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.

Consider this:

• The more we can mimic real life and be authentic in our acting, the better it comes across on screen.