Jeff Hiller Promoted to Series Regular on Widow's Bay
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- Jeff Hiller has been promoted from guest star to series regular for Widow's Bay Season 2 on Apple TV, Deadline confirmed — meeting up with creator Katie Dippold, whom he first knew from an improv group 25 years ago.
- Dippold originally wrote Hiller's character Dale to die, but later called Hiller to ask, 'Do you mind if I don't kill you?' as her script evolved.
- Widow's Bay earned 19 Emmy nominations in its debut season, making it the most-nominated new show of the year per Deadline, with nods for leads Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, Kate O'Flynn, and Dale Dickey.
- Hiller's character Dale became a breakout for the panicked line 'This place is a death trap! RUN!' — a bit born from improv sketches he and Dippold used to perform.
- Hiller is also Emmy-nominated this year for a guest role on Apple TV's Pluribus and won an Emmy last year for HBO's Somebody, Somewhere.
- Matthew Rhys described the Season 1 finale as a 'massive cliffhanger' — his Mayor Loftis now knows the island's folklore is real, meaning his son will die if he ever leaves.
Why it matters: The promotion locks in a scene-stealer from the show's most viral moment as Apple TV pushes the 19-nominee hit into Season 2. With Hiller already an Emmy winner and a current nominee for another Apple TV show (Pluribus), the network gains a performer with cross-pedigree credibility attached to its top new comedy.
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