Julianne Nicholson Was “Concerned” About Reprising ‘Mare of Easttown’ Role In ‘Task’ Season 2: “Do I Know Who This Person Is?”
Julianne Nicholson has said she initially worried about returning as Lori Ross, her Emmy-winning character from HBO’s Mare of Easttown, in the second season of Task. She was concerned that six years away from the role and fans’ attachment to the original series would create high expectations, but said returning to work with familiar collaborators quickly made the experience feel comfortable.
Nicholson would not reveal Lori’s storyline, but described Task’s central crime as moving and timely, predicting viewers would be impressed. Task is created by Brad Ingelsby, is also set in Philadelphia’s working-class suburbs, and stars Mark Ruffalo, Mahershala Ali, Harry Melling and Edgar Ramírez; its second season follows Ruffalo’s Tom Brandis leading a new task force.
- Nicholson returns as Lori Ross in Task season two.
- She initially worried about meeting fan expectations.
- The new season features a timely central crime.
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Mare of Easttown was a 2021 HBO crime drama set in small-town Pennsylvania. It followed police detective Mare Sheehan, played by Kate Winslet, as she investigated a murder, while Julianne Nicholson played Lori Ross, a close friend whose family life became central to the story.
The series was created by Brad Ingelsby and was praised for its portrayal of working-class communities and the personal pressures faced by its characters. Nicholson won an Emmy for her performance, and the show’s ending gave Lori a particularly important role in resolving the main storyline.
Task is another crime drama created by Ingelsby and set in the Philadelphia area, but has its own main cast and investigation. Its second season centres on an FBI task force led by Mark Ruffalo’s character, Tom Brandis, with Nicholson returning as Lori in a role whose connection to the earlier series has not been disclosed.