Over the course of five seasons of Ghosts, we’ve got to know Pete Martino well. There is nobody other than Richie Moriarty we could imagine playing him, bringing the lovable nature but also the somewhat insufferable personality without being too much that we hate him on the series.
It’s a fine balance to get the annoying elements in a positive way, and Moriarty understood that from the start. This came up in our conversation, as we looked back at the inspiration for the character and the feedback he initially got during the casting process.
There is still plenty of growth available for Pete, especially as so much has happened when it comes to his relationship with Alberta and the fact that his ex-wife managed to “steal” his spot in the afterlife. It meant plenty to talk about in our exclusive interview as we prepare for the fun Thanksgiving episode that pays homage to a very special holiday movie.
GeekSided: Let’s go right back to the start. What made you realize that Pete was the character for you?
Richie Moriarty: I think when I first read the script, I responded to it as a whole right away. It is such a fun concept, such a fun world to jump into. The BBC version did such a great job of establishing the world and the rules around it.
So, when I got the sides for Pete when I got the audition the first time, I immediately thought of my dad. My dad was very much in the same vein as Pete. He was such an involved parent. He wasn’t a Boy Scout Troop Leader, but he was the photographer for the swim team, the PTA president, just a very active part of my life, and my dad is very good-natured. He’s very smiley, always has a joke to tell, so there were a lot of similarities there. So, in my original audition, I really did my best to embody my dad in part and then amplify that a little bit for the tone of the show.
The showrunners told me something very early on after I had booked the part. I think it was Joe Port who said, ‘One of the things we liked about your audition was that there was a touch of Ned Flanders to it.’ So, that gave me a nice little in with it too. If you can see him as Flanders-esque, I can totally tap into that. What an iconic character from The Simpsons to pay homage to, as well. So, he’s a sort of mix of my dad and Ned Flanders.
I’ve never thought of Ned Flanders before, but now you say it, I can see it.
I feel like Flanders has a way of taking criticism and not letting it get to him. Homer can be very stern with him, and he’s just like, ‘Okilly dokilly, see you tomorrow.’ That’s a bit of that with Pete, too, where some of the ghosts get annoyed with Pete occasionally, and he just has a way of letting it run like water off a duck’s back.
He’s also a sensitive dude, so there are some things that hit a little closer to home. But for the most part, yeah, Ned Flanders.
Pete still has a lot to learn, and he needs to learn something to be able to move on to the afterlife. His personality seems to hold him back from learning that, though. What’s that like playing this role knowing you need to learn something, but it’s not in his nature?
There are lessons we all learn. Again, similar to The Simpsons, there’s a bit of resetting at the beginning of each episode. The characters are archetypes, and those archetypes don’t change drastically. There are certainly things that Pete can learn, like he has to stick up for himself a little bit more. He learned to push back against his ex-wife when he finally got to tell her that he knew about her cheating on him, so there are things like that, but it can be tricky.
As an actor, you want to see a character change over time. There are often changes that happen over the course of an episode, but over the course of a series, I don’t know how much Pete does change drastically. There are circumstances that allow him to interact with the world, like learning he can leave the property is a huge one, and it opens the world up to him and new relationships, but at the end of the day, he still is this lovable, goofy dad. He still falls back to the same thing, and that’s probably true for most of us to some degree.
I don’t think Pete is going to change drastically, but it’s so fun to be able to play different sides of him, like when you get a script where he’s Dark Pete for a day, and he’s all moody. Or when you learn there’s something different, like when we learned he loves MMA. He likes to fight, and he has a blood thirst for aggressive sports. That will play out later again, and it’s super fun to play.
Any time the writers throw you a curveball where you get to show a different side to the character is fun. It’s a playground as an actor, because we’ve done 80-something episodes at this point, so any variation is a blast.
You mentioned his ex-wife. Carol made a huge sacrifice for him. Where’s Pete’s head at now?
I’m sure there’s a lot of reflection. We’ve had certain episodes where the ghosts are trying desperately to get sucked off in whatever way they can. I got to play this a little bit like there’s a big disappointment. He’s wondering if his ex-wife stole his spot in heaven or wherever they’re ascending to. There’s always that idea that if they do a certain good deed that maybe they’ll move on from this plane of existence.
I think when something is established like this in a show, it’s so tricky for the writers and showrunners to get that part of the storytelling right. The Joes have done such a good job so far with it, but we’re fortunate to be renewed for seasons 5 and 6. The show’s gonna end eventually, and I’m curious at how they resolve things for these ghosts. Will they all figure out how to get sucked off, or will some of them continue on this plane forever?
And you don’t want Pete to be sucked off, since then you’re out of a job.
Exactly! Let’s not leave too soon. The show is doing so well. We just got through Halloween, and I think Halloween is always a fun reminder that we have such incredible fans out there who are dressing as our characters and sending us pictures. I feel so fortunate.
The Halloween episodes are always something to look forward to. What’s that like on set?
The thing that is most striking during those episodes is how our production designer, Zoë Sakellaropoulo, designs and decorates for Halloween. She deserves an Emmy. She is so incredible at what she is able to pull off with her team in short periods of time. We will show up on set, and there are so many details around the house that, frankly, the camera isn’t seeing probably 60% of the time.
As an example, there was a charcuterie plate this year — or maybe last year — there were multiple plates that were designed to be spooky. So, one was a skull that was wrapped in prosciutto that looked like skin, and then there were witches’ fingers that were asparagus wrapped with meat with almonds for nails on the end. Our crew does an incredible job elevating the show that way.
Our crew is turned it around in a weekend. They have one or two days where they’ve dressed everything on set, and those days are so fun. It’s the same with the Christmas and Thanksgiving episodes. It’s what really highlights the skill set of our production team.
It’s a team sport
100%. It’s funny, because the first two seasons — or three seasons — we weren’t allowed guests on set. The restrictions have been a little bit relaxed in these last two seasons, so we’ve gotten to have guests occasionally, like good friends or family members. Our reps who came to set for the first time said they couldn’t believe how many people it takes to make these things happen.
We take it for granted. Every day, we’re familiar with everybody. We’re very friendly with the crew and all the people who work in our amazing studio. It’s a good reminder that it takes a village, and we’re so fortunate for our crew up in Montreal. They’re incredible, and it’s always fun to see guests come to set and be amazed by the work they’re creating.
Let’s jump into Pete and Alberta, because they’re finally together. What has it been like having this slow-burn romance?
I adore Danielle Pinnock, who plays Alberta. She and I just have so much fun offset together. She’s such a warm, hilarious presence on set. Going back to it being 90+ episodes into this. When you hear, ‘Hey, we’re gonna get this relationship going,” it’s great. It’s just a new fun thing to play, and it means more screen time with her, which I love. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’m curious to see where they continue to take it.
We don’t know too much about what’s coming down the line. We know roughly a week before we film, so there are at least 11 scripts that I haven’t seen for this season. There is an episode coming up where Pete and Alberta have this moment where Pete senses that she’s hiding something from him. She reveals a pretty big secret about her past, and we get some flashbacks into her life about her past, and I think it really deepens their relationship.
It's that classic moment in any new relationship where you truly open up to each other about your history. I think any time I’ve been in a personal relationship like that where that happens, those are the moments where you wonder if this person’s going to stick around or go, and it’s really nice to be able to play those moments on screen and show that these two people are building something together.
I think it’s a bigger risk for Alberta than most normal people, because if you run, you’re not going too fat. Sure, you can leave for a bit, but you have to come back and be around her.
Yeah, she’s stuck, and she feels like she’s taking a risk, and I think she’s really heartened by the fact that Pete doesn’t run off, despite revealing something that he was unaware of. I wish I could tell you more about it.
I can’t wait! And I also can’t wait for the Thanksgiving episode. Can you tease anything about that? I’m looking forward to seeing Pete and Sam push each other’s buttons a bit more.
Absolutely. This episode is really a homage to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, the Steve Martin and John Candy movie. I’m very much playing the John Candy part on this road trip, where I’m annoying her, which is so fun to play. Again, it’s very much in Pete’s wheelhouse. It’s a fine balance to play him lovable still in these moments, and the script does a lot of favors. Akilah Green wrote the script, and she’s fantastic, and Heather Jack directed it. She’s become one of our favorite directors on Ghosts.
In rewatching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, I just marvel at how great John Candy is, not only at playing comedic moments, but also at transitioning into playing serious moments. What an incredible actor. I definitely have moments in this episode where I’m able to highlight what his strengths were in comedy and drama.
I love seeing these two-person scenes come across our table at table reads. Basically, the episode is almost all Rose and I two-person scenes, and there’s nothing more fun to play. We’re so used to doing these big group scenes and you’re peppering in a comment or two, but to be on the road with her solo and have legit, two-person scenes that are funny, but also poignant, it’s the best. Rose McIver and I have the best relationship. I love and respect her so much as a person, and I think she and I are very similar in a lot of ways about how we prepare for material and how we like the rhythm to be set, so that was just a blast.
It was still summer in Montreal, so we did a lot of exteriors. Luckily, my Pete costume is okay in the summer months in Montreal. Right now, it’s covered in snow, and I hope there aren’t exterior scenes when we go back to filming!
I feel for you all in that weather! When I learned you filmed in Montreal, I understood the need for so many in-studio scenes.
A crazy story: We had to film something outside with me in February. Remember the scene where Pete is being chased by the delivery robot? It was relatively mild for a Montreal winter, but it was still too cold to be out in shorts and a T-shirt, but it wasn’t below zero. We were doing okay.
One of the things my AD told me was, ‘We’re not allowed to see your breath, because ghosts aren’t supposed to breathe.’ So, they had me suck on ice chips between takes to basically freeze my mouth. It works! It cuts out 90% of the moisture you’d see in the air. So, in between takes, I’m in this giant jacket with a mouthful of ice, then they’d call action, and I’d spit out the ice, take the jacket off, and do those scenes. It’s so much easier to film in our studio.
That’s wild! But without exterior scenes, we can’t have the spinoff I want to see. Pete and Sam solving cold cases.
Right! It’s the perfect idea. Get Pete to Dallas to find out what really happened to JFK. Let’s interview some ghosts there. Things like the storylines and the crime solving would actually be make it an amazing show. I’m excited about the prospect of that potentially.
He needs to build up his ability to stay away from the property for longer.
Yes, and there’s a bit in the Thanksgiving episode where we’ll see him testing the limits on how far he can be away, or how long he can be away from the Mansion. They get lost, and they have trouble getting home, so that comes into play in that episode.
Ghosts airs on Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.