Scarpetta brings best-selling author Patricia Cornwell's iconic literary character to life in a gripping new Prime Video series starring Nicole Kidman as Dr. Kay Scarpetta. With skilled hands and an unnerving eye, this unrelenting medical examiner is determined to serve as the voice of the victims, unmask a serial killer, and prove that her career-making case from 28 years prior isn't also her undoing.
Set against the backdrop of modern forensic investigation, the series delves beyond the crime scene to explore the psychological complexities of both perpetrators and investigators, creating a multi-layered thriller that examines the toll of pursuing justice at all costs.
From Emmy-nominated writer, executive producer, and showrunner Liz Sarnoff, Scarpetta unfolds across two timelines. This dual narrative explores Kay Scarpetta's journey from her beginnings as a Chief Medical Examiner in the late '90s to her present-day return to her hometown, where she resumes her former position while investigating a grisly murder.
Earlier this week, we spoke with stars Ariana DeBose (Wish) and Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man and The Wasp) about their roles in the series as Lucy Farinelli-Watson and Pete Marino.
Pete is a former detective and a longtime friend of Kay, who is now married to her sister, Dorothy. Lucy, meanwhile, is Dorothy's daughter and a computer genius. Each plays a pivotal role in this story—and in the title character's life—and we hear from them on the respective journeys of their characters and the father-daughter dynamic they shared.
If you're a fan of the Scarpetta books, then rest assured that these two powerhouse talents do right by their respective characters. That should also be evident from the insights they share with us here.
Check out our full interview with Ariana and Bobby in the player below.
Bobby, Pete is such a rich character on the page that definitely carries over into this series. But what was it that drew you to him beyond obviously sharing this role with your son? [NOTE: Jake Cannavale plays the younger Pete in the series]
Bobby Cannavale: Well, you know, working with Jamie and Nicole and Liz, of course, and Ariana, the package was too good to resist. And I just liked how loyal he is. I like how loyal he is to Kay and how loyal he is to keeping that secret that they have between each other. And I think the secret is so compelling and so well—it's just such a good secret that I thought that will be fun to keep a lid on actively with another actor of caliber that Nicole is for a season or more. And so that was something I thought was really actable and I really wanted to get to do that with a great actress.
And Ariana, Lucy, she's such a smart character, but she starts the series off in a really dark place. So what were some of the biggest challenges for you in figuring out how to bring her to life with everything that she's going through when we pick up with her here?
Ariana DeBose: Oh, I thought her journey was really compelling. I've never seen a grief process portrayed in this way. That's a fun element for the viewers to pick up on when they watch the show. And being a person who's now personally going through their own grief journey, it manifests in different ways. And at the time of shooting this, I was just constantly trying to find her moments. When does she viscerally feel it? How does she pull herself out of it? And ultimately, it's the connections between the family members that get her brain going. That was really exciting because it just kind of reaffirmed my personal belief that the way through is together.
I love the father-daughter dynamic between Pete and Lucy. So for both of you, that must have been really interesting to explore.
Ariana DeBose: It was fun. I mean, he naturally has this really great energy, a dad-like figure, but also in regards to our characters. He's probably the closest thing to an actual father figure Lucy's really known. And that was really nice to be able to lean into in moments. And God love you, Bobby. He didn't shy away from my hugs.
Bobby Cannavale: I really loved how much he talks about her when we really only have a handful of scenes, but we have a great scene in the kitchen which is really lovely and cathartic and it comes later in the season, but he talks about her all the time because he's kind of—she's grown up around him. So he is like a father figure if you know so I really like the way she is mentioned constantly having nothing to do with work you know having to do with like what she's going through and that just informs so much of what that relationship is about and what the family dynamic in this show is about which I think you know is a surprise will be a surprise for people who are ready to tune into a genre crime genre sort of thing there's this really dark gothic family mystery that's happening too.
Ariana DeBose: This is definitely giving, like, how do you survive your family and maybe a serial killer, too.
Scarpetta will launch exclusively on Prime Video on March 11.