Note: This story includes spoilers from “Ponies” Episode 8.
Vic Michaelis is one of the breakout stars of Peacock’s bingeworthy new spy drama, “Ponies,” thanks to a juicy twist in the Season 1 finale. So, it may surprise you to learn that Michaelis didn’t know the scope of their character’s arc until reading the scripts en route to Budapest to film.
“I did not know her twist until I was on a plane to Budapest, because I was the last one cast,” Michaelis told TheWrap. “They were having a tough time casting her … I was the last sort of regular cast [member] that ended up fitting into this puzzle.”
Michaelis, who uses they/them pronouns, recalled auditioning for the part five times in one week, noting the whole process was a bit “rushed.” It didn’t help that they were on tour on the East Coast when they got the call that they landed the part and were needed in Budapest ASAP.
“And so, the bag that I had brought to tour came with me to Budapest. It was crazy,” they noted, before quipping, “I ended up getting more clothes. Don’t worry. I know that’s what all of the readers are going to be worried about.”
Yet, as Michaelis shared, they didn’t learn that Cheryl, the controlling office manager and wife of CIA operative Ray, was the mole at the American Embassy until they were mid-flight.
“I’m reading these scripts over the Atlantic, and I just audibly gasp when I get to the end of Episode 8,” they shared. “Everyone is sleeping. I’m wide awake. I’ve never been more awake in my life.”
While the twist was certainly a jaw-dropping one, Michaelis did note that there were Easter eggs along the way hinting at Cheryl’s devious behavior.
“I think [creators] Susanna Fogel and David Iserson and all the writers did a really wonderful job with the power of suggestion,” Michaelis said. “Women aren’t taken seriously in this world, and they say it a lot and confidently at the beginning — and that gets you so far. When you look back on it, Cheryl is literally following Dane [played by Adrian Lester] around, doing like the thing that killers and bad guys do the most, which is return to the scene of the crime.”
On the motivation behind Cheryl’s big betrayal, Michaelis pointed to conversations they had with Fogel and Iserson, highlighting that “ego” often plays a big role in why many people spy.
They continued: “With Cheryl, and this is sort of based on small conversations and how I filled this in not knowing where this story could go exactly for another season — fingers crossed, I don’t have any information — I think it is probably something that’s like boiling a frog. It was really slow, at first, and small, and it was exciting.”
Michaelis also noted that Cheryl’s frustrations of being routinely overlooked, despite being a highly competent person, also may’ve played a factor in her decision to work for the Russians.
“All of a sudden somebody was going, ‘You’re so good at this. They’re not using you at all in the way that they should be using you. You’re amazing,’” Michaelis noted. “And Cheryl, this person who thinks that about herself and is so deeply capable … and in another world and in other circumstances, probably would have risen above her station, but it’s just burning her alive, and she’s like, ‘Yeah, I am so good at this.’”
Of course, the dynamic between Cheryl and Ray, the seemingly perfect Embassy couple, also fueled things. In Episode 7, the couple get into a heated argument outside an Elton John concert, with Cheryl notably declaring, “Everything I do [is for you].”
“I think there’s so much resentment,” they said. “I think the marriage, as dysfunctional as it is, probably started with a grain of love. My guess is Cheryl had a lot of choices and she picked Ray for a lot of reasons. I think she really thought, he was going to be a senator, or something like that. They were going to do this, like, CIA thing for two years, and then he was going to go run for governor of Utah, as I’m sure every governor of Utah has before him.”
And, even though Cheryl’s seen kissing another man, a Russian KGB agent, and killing their nanny in the finale, Michaelis maintained that Cheryl’s actions are rooted in the love she has for her family.
“I think one of the best motivations to kill is for people you love,” Michaelis explained. “Cheryl was so calm about it. I’m like, that has to be because she goes, ‘This is for the people that I love most in this world.’”
As for how all of this might surface in a possible Season 2, Michaelis confessed they haven’t been “given a clue” about what’s to come — but admitted they did throw out a plot pitch.
“There was a really famous production of ‘Hair,’” Michaelis shared. “And I just really think we should integrate that some way, like, Diane Keaton was in [the original Broadway production]. How are they in Moscow during this time? Does that relate to what’s happening? I don’t know. I don’t have those answers, but I feel in my bones, it’s going to be deeply important to the plot.”
In the meantime, Michaelis is continuing their fruitful collaboration with Dropout, the independent comedy subscription service where they lead the parody, improvisation talk show “Very Important People.” In fact, Michaelis made it clear that “wild horses couldn’t stop me” from continuing on with Dropout.
“I love working at Dropout,” they said. “I do think it’s been a question lately, where people are like, ‘Does this mean you’re going to not be doing Dropout stuff?’ And I’m like, ‘Absolutely not. I know where the building is. I’ll just keep showing up. They can’t kick me out, even if they wanted to. I’ll sit with the security guard until [CEO] Sam [Reich] comes to talk to me.’”
Given Michaelis’ rising star, we highly doubt it will come to that.
“Ponies” is available to stream on Peacock. New episodes of “Very Important People” debut Thursdays on Dropout.
