**Inside the Intense Dynamic of Task’s Dark Hearts Duo: Jamie McShane and Sam Keeley on Perry and Jayson**
*13 min read*
In the final episode of *Task*, Dark Hearts leader Perry (Jamie McShane) faces a heartbreaking dilemma: should he kill his protégé, Jayson (Sam Keeley), who has become a dangerous liability to their criminal organization? Earlier in the season, Perry already murdered Jayson’s wife for leaking information, but when it comes to finishing the job with Jayson, he simply can’t bring himself to do it. For Perry, killing Jayson means accepting that he has failed him as a father figure.
This fraught moment brought to mind the complex father-son-like relationship between Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti in *The Sopranos*—or at least, that’s what I thought. When I mentioned this parallel to McShane and Keeley in September, they were stunned.
“High praise, dude,” McShane laughs.
We met at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, just days before *Task* premiered and more than a month ahead of the show’s finale—which has since aired on HBO.
“I thought you were gonna say Starsky and Hutch,” McShane jokes.
That’s exactly how these two actors see Perry and Jayson: two loose cannons, inseparable friends who would do anything for each other—even if they’re both vicious killers running drugs.
While the Dark Hearts members don’t receive the same deep backstories as Task’s main leads (Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey), McShane and Keeley bring an unmatched intensity to the crime drama. Their performances make their characters feel like real threats until their very last seconds on screen.
In a shocking twist at the finale, Jayson kills Perry before taking his own life in one last showdown.
“Brutal, just brutal,” McShane says of the finale. “Justified, but just heartbreaking because the two characters loved each other so much.”
Their favorite scene? Episode 4’s moment when Perry punches Jayson in the jaw with a metal chain wrapped around his fist.
“Male friendships are weird like that,” Keeley remarks.
“Such a beautiful scene,” he continues. “I was so lucky to have this man as a scene partner, and to get on like family. We’re friends for life. That bond allowed us to mine the depths of our darkest feelings. There was some kind of energy between us. And the head-to-head thing was great because it just ended up like animals.”
—
### The Actors Behind Dark Hearts
While *Task* is arguably Keeley’s most prominent role in the US to date—following his co-starring role in 2015’s *Burnt* alongside Bradley Cooper—the Irish actor also stars in the highly successful Dublin crime drama *Kin*, alongside Charlie Cox (*Daredevil: Born Again*) and Aidan Gillen (*Game of Thrones*). In 2022, at only 32 years old, Keeley won the IFTA Award (the “Irish Oscar”) for Best Actor in a Lead Role Drama.
Meanwhile, Jamie McShane has been grinding his way through TV for over 25 years. Before landing stellar roles in *1923*, *The Lincoln Lawyer*, and *Sons of Anarchy*, the 59-year-old actor portrayed police officers, soldiers, and doctors across nearly every network show in the early 2000s. Name it—he’s been there.
Joining *Task* felt like “being picked for the All-Star team,” says McShane.
“It was a dream come true,” Keeley echoes. “I was telling Jamie earlier, when I watched it for the first time, I was like, ‘Am I in this? Am I actually in this?’ It’s just fantastic.”
—
### Hanging Out in Philadelphia and the Birth of a Bond
Below, McShane and Keeley share stories from filming in Philadelphia, how Keeley originally auditioned for a different role, and their thoughts on their characters’ tragic endings.
**Esquire:** What did you both make of Philadelphia?
**Sam Keeley:** Love the spirit. Philly pride is fantastic. We went to a lot of pubs, all Irish, of course. But American pubs have their own flavor.
**Jamie McShane:** Well, one had your flag.
**SK:** That’s right! One bar had my family crest. I’m from Tullamore, home of Tullamore Dew. I was walking by off South Street and saw the Tullamore flag right outside. It was fantastic.
**JM:** Have you seen that anywhere else before?
**SK:** No, and when I asked the bartender about it, he said, “Dude, I have no idea. It was just there when I bought the place.” [Laughs]
**JM:** How much time did you spend together before filming?
**JM:** We met over Zoom and hit it off immediately. Brad [Ingelsby, creator] suggested we get coffee to get to know each other. We ended up hanging out every day. We were next-door neighbors, so it was literally a knock on the door: “Whatcha doing?”
**SK:** We shot a lot of pool and even did archery. He’s an honorary Irishman in my eyes now.
—
### The Moment Keeley Got the Role
**Keeley recalls,** “I was going for the role of Grasso, but it just wasn’t right. Fabian Frankel smashed that role. After my audition, I was gutted—I knew I wasn’t getting it. I was actually in my bathroom when I got the call confirming it wasn’t going my way. Then, a month later, I was with my Ma in a bar when my agents called again—three or four at the same time, which usually means big news. They said, ‘Do you remember *Task*? They’ve just offered you Jayson.’ I hadn’t even read for that part. I started crying right there in the bar with my Ma. Just bawling my eyes out.”
—
### Favorite Philadelphia Spots
**SK:** Angelo’s. A cheesesteak from Angelo’s. It’s so good, man.
**JM:** Pearl and Mary’s happy hour.
**SK:** Absolutely unbelievable.
**JM:** And we got to say hi to Frankie Bones.
**SK:** Of course! The bouncer from Fergie’s Pub—Frankie Bones. Killer name.
**JM:** Oh yeah, we had a lot of fun.
**SK:** The best time. To call it a job is hilarious.
—
### Favorite Scenes to Film
**JM:** The episode 4 scene where Perry finds out Jayson has been lying and punches him. Then they lock heads—literally. He spits on the ground. I loved it. The show gave us rehearsal time to work it out. The director wanted me quieter and closer to Sam. Then Sam asked, “Jamie, can I put my head against yours?” That locked-head moment completely changed the scene. It became so layered.
**SK:** They were like wolves—speaking their piece but also establishing physical dominance. Perry knows how to control Jayson physically and psychologically. He makes sure Jayson stays that same boy he was when they first met, even though Jayson could snap Perry in half. It’s all about control and manipulation.
**JM:** That’s a great way to put it.
**SK:** The dynamic really comes across on screen.
—
### On Their Characters’ Endings
**JM:** The fact that Jayson kills Perry with the same knife Perry intended to use on him—that’s brutal.
**SK:** Someone had to put Jayson down. He was a wild animal. He lost everything—his father figure, his wife, the money. His own club was out to kill him. He was feral. That someone was Fabian’s character felt right. I had him on a leash, too, in their backstory. Jayson was going to destroy everything. He couldn’t be contained anymore. Pure destruction.
—
### Reflecting on Their Roles and the Future
**JM:** I’m just grateful. This has been the best job of my career, the best role. And this guy? Amazing, despite himself. [Laughs.]
**SK:** What I want is the *Dark Hearts* prequel. That would be the show. Just saying, Brad [Ingelsby], get your finger up. Seriously though, I’m so proud that we did this and played a part in it. We hope the world connects with it as strongly as we did. I have no doubt they will.
—
*Task*’s portrayal of Perry and Jayson’s volatile yet deeply bonded relationship left a lasting impression—one thanks in large part to Jamie McShane and Sam Keeley’s powerful performances. Amidst the crime and violence, their story remains a poignant exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and broken fatherhood.
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a69075419/sam-keeley-jamie-mcshane-task-finale-interview/
