Whether it’s from growing up with The Sopranos or Goodfellas, I’ve always had a soft spot for movies and television about the mafia. While most of the stories being told involved the Italian Mafia, that doesn’t mean there aren’t interesting tales coming from elsewhere. The Westies were an Irish Gang in Hell’s Kitchen in the mid-20th century and, despite being a small group compared to their Italian counterparts, held their own and kept their territory. Now, we’re getting a new TV show highlighting their exploits, and it’s familiar enough, while still being a bit different from those of the Italian variety. I really enjoyed the show’s first season, and you can check out Alex Maidy’s review HERE.
I was fortunate enough to sit down with stars JK Simmons, Tom Brittney, Titus Welliver and Jessica Frances Duke about their new show. Both JK and Titus discuss how they actually ran into real-life Westies while they lived in Hell’s Kitchen in the 80s. I was also shocked to hear that Jessica doesn’t consider her character to be the moral center of the show, as she really seems like the only person consistently doing the right thing. It’s a pretty funny moment that shocked the two actors when I asked it. I also got to talk Detroit Tigers with JK which, as a lifelong fan, was an absolute joy. This was an awesome talk and you can check it all out in the video above.
The Westies plot:
In 1980s Hell’s Kitchen, the Westies crime gang eyes profits from the Javitz Center construction. Though vastly outnumbered by Italian mafia, their brutality earns them a share. Generational tensions rise as FBI probes deepen.
The Westies is now streaming, with new episodes dropping every Sunday.
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