‘Kin’ Star Charlie Cox on Why ‘Daredevil’ Fans Will Enjoy the AMC+ Drama

Charlie Cox may be best known for playing Matt Murdock in the beloved Daredevil series, but the actor is taking on a new role in AMC+’s Kin.

This time around, he’s part of the Kinsellas, a tight-knit Dublin crime family who become embroiled in a war with drug kingpin Eamon Cunningham (Ciarán Hinds) when tragedy strikes. Freshly out of prison, Cox’s Michael is a man torn between his family and his own desires for a better future. Below, the actor opens up about why Daredevil fans will love the series, his character’s struggles, and more.

There are so many twists and turns in this series, what should people know about your character Michael and his role in the Kinsella family?

Charlie Cox: At the beginning of the show, he’s coming out of prison. He’s been put away for eight years. The person that we meet is very different from the human that was part of the family almost a decade before. What really drew me to Michael was this idea that we meet someone who is trying to live a very different life, has been very humbled by his experiences, feels great shame, and there’s a fragility to him that is not how his family members remember him.

(Credit: Patrick Redmond/AMC+)

He is pretty quiet when the show kicks off, but there is an unspoken tension between him and sister-in-law Amanda (Clare Dunne). What is that about?

Yeah. Without wanting to give too much away, what is evident through some very subtle comments and looks early on in the show is that there is a history between Michael and Amanda, who is his brother Jimmy’s (Emmett J. Scanlan) wife. That dynamic between the three of them is very complicated and very charged. I think from Michael’s perspective, he loves both of them a great deal. In the past, [certain] decisions have really jeopardized those relationships. But above all, what we learn about the show is that the bonds of family, especially a family like this are stronger than you think.

Michael’s family is eager to get him back in the business. Do you think that they see him more as a tool to be used or do they really think that’s what’s best for him?

In a family like this, you are utilized in a way that best represents your strengths. Michael has got a very cool head. He doesn’t get emotional very easily and he’s got a ruthlessness and athleticism that is well-suited to the kind of stuff that he’s done in the past. As I said before, [he’s] not quite the same man and things have changed. So it’s going to take a minute for the family to realize that they probably are utilizing him against his will now, rather than in the past where he was more of a willing participant.

(Credit: Patrick Redmond/AMC+)

A lot of Michael’s actions revolve around the relationship he has with his daughter Anna (Hannah Adeogun). What can you share about their connection when the show picks up?

Before Michael went away, even considering the life he was leading which was full of criminal activity and violence, in spite of those things, I think he was actually a really great father. He loved his wife and daughter. When he gets put away, it’s a crushing reality. Not only can he not physically see her, he’s not allowed to have any contact with her. So when he comes out of prison, his great desire is to rekindle that relationship, make progress, and prove to her that he can be a father again.

The show opens with a major tragedy that Michael doesn’t seem too upset about. Is he internalizing his true feelings?

Yeah, it’s such a good question. I struggled with this when we were filming it as well.  I think it’s devastating, but Michael is so broken at the time. This kind of violence is so unsurprising that there is a numbness to it in some ways. Rather than sending him into a frenzy of anger and revenge, which I think he probably would have done in the past, it just deepens his resolve to get out. He doesn’t want to be around it anymore.

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And you’re best known for your role as Matt Murdock in the Daredevil series. What do you think fans of that show and role will love about Kin?

The thing that I’m proud of in terms of the Daredevil show was that I feel like we made a show that didn’t rely on the superhero element in order to draw fans and to draw audiences. But the superhero element of course is important. That’s the reason for making the show, but we want it to present real people and real-life scenarios and have the relationships be the foundation of the show so that it was compelling viewing for anybody. One of the things I talked about with the creators of that show before we started was that you did not have to be a fan of the superhero genre in order to enjoy it. That there’ll be enough for everyone.

So really to answer your question, I would just say that this show in some ways is no different, it just doesn’t have the superhero element. So it’s still about people dealing with their insecurities, the problematic relationships within their family, and trying to live a life that makes them comfortable. What’s complicated about the show is that those people are criminals. Therefore I think you’re pulled in two directions because on the one hand, you like them and you relate to them and you’re drawn into their life and their desires and their pain. But every now and again, you’re reminded that they are…

Bad people?

They’re not good people in many ways. Hopefully what draws people in is the fact that it’s good drama. It’s good storytelling.

Kin, Series Premiere, Thursday, September 9, AMC+