Irish actor Mark McKenna steps into a bold new chapter as the lead of “SUPERMASSIVE,” an indie feature directed by Steve Utaski. McKenna plays Wyeth, a gifted yet withdrawn former astrophysics Ph.D. candidate pulled into an unexpected road trip with his brother Cam (Carter Glade) — a journey that escalates into family tension, sharp humor, and emotionally charged revelations. In this interview, McKenna discusses building Wyeth’s inner isolation, developing on-screen chemistry with the cast, how Darla (Kelli Berglund) reshapes the story’s energy, and what the role allowed him to explore in a way audiences haven’t seen as much before.
SUPERMASSIVE blends family tension with emotional chaos. What drew you to the project—especially to Wyeth as the lead?
I’m always most interested in trying new things in acting. When reading Steve’s screenplay, it felt like nothing I had done before, both tonally and the character of Wyeth. I felt like Wyeth had so much range to him as a character and I think any actor would jump at that opportunity. Steve’s writing also has this way of balancing humour with the human moments that I always love in a script. The dynamic he built between every character felt earned and every character got to show their truth, good or bad.
Wyeth is described as a gifted but withdrawn former astrophysics Ph.D. candidate. How did you build his inner world and that sense of isolation on screen?
A lot of times when building a character the external traits really helps me figure out the internal traits. When filming Supermassive I went to Spokane a week early for preproduction. So, as often times is the case with a lot of shoots, I was isolated in a city I had never been to where I didn’t know anybody. I kind of enjoy this element of filming because it allows me to remove all familiarity and throw myself into the project. On Supermassive, I just embraced that isolation a little more in that first week. Before getting to know the cast and eventually getting dinner together every night, I would regularly walk around the city alone and people watch or get dinner alone to embrace that isolated feeling. It’s a different type of isolation to what Wyeth experiences, but it helped me draw from it in his journey of feeling like every else’s life goes through seasons while his has just remained the same.
The relationship between Wyeth and Cam carries rivalry, affection, and conflict. What was it like developing that chemistry with Carter Glade and finding the balance between humor, tension, and drama?
Carter and I got to Spokane a week early for preproduction and in that time we rehearsed a lot of the scenes with Steve which was a huge help. It gave us the time to ask our questions and figure out our rhythm. Carter is a very naturally open and funny person so there wasn’t much of an awkward getting to know each other phase. He went all in on the idea that we were brothers, he called me Wyeth in real life more times than he called me Mark. I think a lot of the dynamic building is owed to Carter and his embracement of Cam’s charisma both on and off set.
Darla (played by Kelli Berglund) arrives and sparks new friction. What can you share about how her presence shifts the energy of the story—and of Wyeth himself?
Darla’s character literally and emotionally derails the brothers journey for the best. Wyeth’s journey of growth doesn’t really begin until she shows up. I think the great thing about Steve’s writing on Supermassive is Wyeth as a character believes that by dropping out of his Ph.D. his journey of a new life has begun. You get to watch him be naive and reluctantly stumble into meeting Darla; realising she is the true beginning of his journey and the heart of Wyeth’s story.
This is director Steve Utaski’s feature debut, after two decades in the commercial world. What was his directing style like on set, and how did that background shape the film’s pace and tone?
Steve was amazing to work with as a director. The atmosphere he created on set was great and, in turn, everyone wanted the best for the project. He was so open and ready for any idea anyone had on set. He would listen to us all and was never afraid to experiment, even on our tight schedule. After the week of prep and rehearsals Carter and I had done with him, it felt like he let us go with the characters as if he was watching his kids go off to college. Once we got to set he never told us how a character should be played, he gave suggestions, believing that we knew our characters well enough to know where to take his ideas.
Your career spans very different projects—from Sing Street to series like The Tourist and Wayne. What did SUPERMASSIVE allow you to explore that audiences haven’t seen as much from you yet?
I think Supermassive is the first time I really got to play into the comedy of a project while simultaneously playing into the emotional range of a character. Getting to take a character from cartoonish reactions to the more grounded serious moments. I’ve done comedy before but I think the “straight man and funny man” nature of this project is new for me. I’ve never had the opportunity to play off another person so opposite in character that even the most normal conversation between Wyeth and Cam can be funny to watch.
After this film, what kinds of roles are you most eager to pursue next—something even darker and more dramatic, or continuing to move across genres?
Something darker and more dramatic could be fun. Whenever I read any script I try to mainly focus on my character, their role in the story and what I can do with them to make them come to life and feel real and interesting. My main concern is creating interesting characters and trying to not repeat myself in my performances instead of focusing on the overall genre or project I would like. A good character is a good character no matter what type of movie you’re making.
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