Emilia Jones, the 23-year-old British actress who portrayed Maeve Prendergrast in HBO’s Task, recently offered insight into her preparation for the role during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Originally from Westminster, London, United Kingdom, Jones arrived in Philadelphia three weeks early prior to filming to immerse herself in the region’s culture, with a particular focus on mastering the show’s thick Delco accent.
As part of that process, she participated in local bar crawls, explaining, “I flew to Philly three weeks early and just went bar hopping and befriended the locals.”
She quickly noticed how certain conversations unlocked the dialect, adding, “I found the minute you spoke about Philly sports, immediately everyone’s accents would come out.”
Ultimately, Jones came to view the accent as more than just speech patterns, saying, “The Delco accent is like an energy,” a quality that became central to Maeve’s on-screen presence.
That authenticity feeds into a series built around layered characters and intersecting lives. Task centers on Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), a former priest turned FBI agent, grappling with grief and alcoholism while leading a small task force investigating a string of violent home-invasion robberies. The crimes are ultimately linked to Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey), a Philadelphia sanitation worker who maintains the appearance of a quiet, family-oriented life. In reality, Robbie is orchestrating a covert operation targeting drug stash houses connected to the Dark Hearts, a motorcycle gang. As the season unfolds, his motivation comes into focus. His brother Billy, the father of Maeve, was murdered by the gang, and a hidden informant within the organization has been guiding him toward each target.
HBO has already greenlit Task for a second season, though the network has not yet shared a timeline for filming or release.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.