Ronald Peet on Embracing Caribbean Roots in Apple TV’s ‘Bad Monkey’ 

Actor Ronald Peet is no stranger to the silver screen, but this time, he is basking in his Caribbean roots as Neville Stafford on Apple TV’s new hit crime comedy, Bad Monkey. The show stars Vince Vaughn, who portrays former police officer Andrew Yancy, who, after damaging his reputation, was humbled by being reduced to conducting restaurant inspections in South Florida. However, once body parts start washing up on the beautiful shores, Yancy finds himself embedded in a world of corruption between the Sunshine State and the island of the Bahamas.

Peet’s character of a troubled fisherman finds himself tied into this dangerous world of greed. However, in the real world, Peet thrives on being just as radiant as the beautiful waters in his native Bahamas but admits to the transition being a little rocky.

“I’d say in some aspects yes and in some aspects no. Bahamians, Caribbeans in general, are very proud people. We’re proud of our customs; we have a sense of pride that’s just baked into the cake, and so I knew that if I take this role, if I say yes to this, I’m going to have people coming at me from all sides,” Peet admits.

“And so I put a lot of pressure on myself to be like, let me make sure that it is so grounded, that it’s not a caricature, let me make sure that it’s so honest, so authentic, so real.”

With a supporting all-star cast, Peet described Neville as “honest” but touched on how important it is for such characters to be represented. With the Bahamas having limited shine on the big screen, Peet feels he “did right by his people,” which is a big deal. “That was something I was nervous about but also something I was excited about being able to play this beautiful, open-hearted character who is up there with Vince Vaughn,” he highlighted.

“You never see a Bahamian or a Caribbean character in like a Bill Lawrence production, Apple TV…prestige…so to me, this is so unique and feels like a responsibility I want to undertake. I felt really, really special.”

Click the link below for the full interview and additional cast interviews.