#’Tell Me Your Secrets’ Stars Preview the Twisted Complexities of Their Characters

The series, created and written by Harriet Warner (Dangerous Liaisons), follows Karen (Lily Rabe) as she’s forced to take on the new identity of Emma after being released from prison into the Witness Protection Program. Her safety becomes compromised, however, when Mary (Amy Brenneman), a determined mother on the hunt for her missing daughter, recruits ex-sexual predator John (Hamish Linklater), to track down Emma.

What will Mary, who still believes her daughter Theresa is alive, do to uncover the truth of her disappearance? Can John be trusted to permanently shed his damaging history of sexual assault? Will Emma’s PTSD relent so she can access her vital memories? Can Emma trust Pete (Enrique Murciano)? For Warner, these questions and more were crucial to her development of the series, as they intend to get to the root of “our capacity for secrets” — among these complex characters and humankind.

Continue reading for a deeper look as the immensely talented cast and creators prove why this character-driven series is a must-watch for all psychological thriller fans.

Twists & Turns at Every Corner

(Courtesy of Amazon Studios)

Tell Me Your Secrets is not your typical game of cat and mouse, due to the intricate layers of each character. This unreliability was intentional, says executive producer Casey Haver, “to make sure that everyone is on edge” while the intense secrets of these characters unfold in front of our very eyes.

Elliot Fletcher, who plays Mary’s naive yet strong-willed son Jake, notes that at times, it’s difficult to pinpoint “who truly wants to be changed and redeemed, and who is just using it as a ploy to get what they want.”

Navigating Rocky Family Relationships

It’s important to note that Theresa was not only a daughter but also a sister. In fact, Jake must navigate this loss alongside Mary’s deep-rooted obsession with uncovering the truth throughout the series, something which Fletcher says “does put a strain on their relationship,” as “oftentimes he is more of the parent to her than she is the parent to him, especially after Theresa disappears.”

Furthermore, family plays a significant role in Rose’s (Chiara Aurelia) motivations. Her “suffering from a lack of love, understanding, and compassion from her own family” tremendously informs the dark places she reaches “to find the love that she needs,” Aurelia explains.

Wicked Character Dynamics

(Courtesy of Amazon Studios)

Enlisting a former sexual predator to help solve the mystery of a teenage girl’s disappearance at the hands of a murderer is certainly not an expected choice, but one that Mary makes nonetheless. What could draw these two opposite figures to each other? In the eyes of Linklater, “John sees Mary as a means to his salvation” and believes their relationship can firmly place his dark past behind him once and for all. Even Mary is forced to reckon with the darkest components of her identity until she reaches the grim conclusion that “she doesn’t have to be good” to uncover the unaltered truth of the mystery surrounding Theresa, says Brenneman.

Running from Your Secrets

Throughout the series, Emma must grapple with her PTSD, which clouds the integral memories of her life as Karen, and the mysteries tied to her previous identity. Rabe reveals that Karen is a “softer person, her heart is open,” while “Emma’s is closed.” Hertrauma forces her to “build a physical armor” to protect not only herself but her heart that has been betrayed in the past, the star continues.

However, not every character possesses the ability to run from their secrets, something which Ashley Madekwe, who plays Pete’s wife Lisa, notes. “I don’t think Lisa is emotionally handling the secrets well. She’s struggling with it, and she goes on a journey with her own relationship to the truth,” she previews.

Can these characters ever escape the mysteries that loom over their heads? “Your secrets and your past will follow you,” Aurelia claims, “and even if no one else knows, you’re going to have to face yourself.”

You’ll have to tune in to find out more!

Tell Me Your Secrets, Series Premiere, Friday, February 19, Amazon Prime Video