‘Marshals’ Star Logan Marshall-Green Doubts That Cal’s And Belle’s Connection Is “Long For This World”: “It Is A Dysfunctional Relationship”

The Marshals Season 2 premiere picks up right where the Season 1 finale left off: Pete “Cal” Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green) and Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel) are in the midst of a gunfight with mystery assailants. Thankfully, the two survive and quickly work together with their team to figure out that wannabe rancher/ all-around crook Tom Weaver (Chris Mulkey) is behind the attacks on Calvin and Skinner and the raid on East Camp. Realizing that Weaver has lured Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) to his stronghold in Wyoming by taking his son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), Cal and the Marshals set off in a chopper to join in Kayce’s fight.

One of the perks of working on Marshals for Marshall-Green is the incredible stunt work he gets to do. “I’ve always been an actor who is protective over character,” says Marshall-Green. “I’ve always viewed stunts as part of the job. My stunt double’s job is to keep me safe, but also to support me if I want to do certain things myself.” While Marshall-Green stressed the “need” for stuntmen and stuntwomen on-set, he also acknowledged that “if you use a stunt double for certain sequences, it means you have to cut, and it could potentially be a weak edit.” That’s why it’s always been “important” for Marshall-Green “to be the guy on the celluloid.”

In addition to stunts, Marshall-Green continues to delve into Cal’s psyche as he juggles the demands of being a U.S. Marshal with a devastating cancer diagnosis. “Because he’s a SEAL with this incredible drive, he feels like he can work and go through treatments at the same time,” said Marshall-Green. “He’s done hard things before, but I think you’ll see that he’s biting off a little more than he can chew as the season goes on.”

Marshall-Green hopped on a Zoom to discuss the Season 2 premiere, share his thoughts on Cal’s and Belle’s budding connection, and tease the “devolution” of Cal in the upcoming episodes.

DECIDER: What do you think of Season 2 picking right up where Season 1 ended?

LOGAN MARSHALL-GREEN: It felt like just that. I mean, we had a hiatus, but I don’t remember it. We went right back into it with a very similar crew and cast. It just feels like one massive, beautiful season instead of being split into Seasons 1 and 2.

I was happy that Cal and Belle survived the sneak attack by Weaver’s men! Do you think this is another incident that bonds them together?

You know, I’ve never looked at it that way. Likely, being able to survive by helping each other has indirectly impacted their relationship. It’s something that puts a huge magnifying glass on working with someone you have feelings for. It’s not easy, certainly. It creates more drama and more stakes and more peril. In their line of work, the person they are next to could die at any time.

Cal gets to channel his inner Sherlock Holmes as he and the team put together the clues to figure out that Weaver is behind the attacks. It’s interesting to see him thrive in detective mode. Was that a fun side of Cal to get to play?

He’s been in that detecting mode before in many ways. He’s a team leader among an impressive group of crime fighters. They’re all leaders, but he just happens to be the guy with the office. You’ll see that the technicians play more of a role in Season 2, which I really love. With their help in the premiere episode, Cal is able to put things together and understand that he and Belle were not just randomly attacked; there are much bigger fish to fry.

Cal rallies the Marshals, and they take off in a chopper for Wyoming to help Kayce save Tate and stop Weaver. Did you get to ride in that chopper?

Yeah, we all worked in the chopper. Our incredible stunt doubles did the fly-by in the field. We have a pilot who is just killer and went up and down in the chopper with us to get certain shots. It’s intense when you’ve got the rotors going and you also have lines to deliver. It’s also important for me to convey that this is old hat for Cal. He’s a U.S. Navy SEAL, and he’s been there, done that. It can be a lot, but that’s why I act. I want to live outside of myself and test myself. These experiences are important to me.

You’ve done big stunt work in the past, but how does the stunt work differ on Marshals? It feels much more practical and up close.

I’ve always been an actor who is protective over character, and it’s not because I have a bravado. I remember when I first started acting, these older actors would be like, “Oh, don’t worry, kid, you won’t be doing your stunts for long.” That never happened. I always do my stunts if I can.

Of course, there is a need for stuntmen and stuntwomen. I have a great stunt double, Ryan Happy, who unfortunately hurt himself. So, we’ve had to actually go through some other stunties to do certain things this season. That also meant the team relied on me more to do a lot of these fights and stunts myself, which I had no problem with.

I’ve always viewed stunts as part of the job. My stunt double’s job is to keep me safe, but also support me if I want to do certain things myself. If you use a stunt double for certain sequences, it means you have to cut, and it could potentially be a weak edit. I know everybody has to cut, but cutting is for the weak [laughs]. Like on the stage, blackouts are for the weak. That’s why it’s been important to me to be the guy on the celluloid.

More and more bodies turn up at East Camp. Cal comments, but moves on pretty quickly. Does this carnage start to affect Cal’s and Kayce’s relationship? How will they evolve in Season 2?

They’re going to have to rely on each other again and again as they did in the first season. There certainly is an event—I won’t say anything—but there is an event where I have to rely heavily on Kayce. It will become a big secret that only the two of us know. That’s been a lot of fun, but I’ve actually found that Cal’s and Kayce’s upcoming stories are aligned in many ways this season. Because of his cancer, audiences will see Pete Calvin having to take a step back and be humbled.

Right. On top of his day job, Cal is dealing with a cancer diagnosis. When Belle offers to come with him to his oncologist, he doesn’t resist, though he downplays the severity of his treatment. Is he still a bit in denial about the journey that lies ahead?

I wouldn’t say he’s in denial. I think he lives and dies by that badge. Because he’s a SEAL with this incredible drive, he feels like he can work and go through treatments at the same time. He’s done hard things before, but I think you’ll see that he’s biting off a little more than he can chew as the season goes on.

It seems like Belle’s and her husband’s relationship is on the rocks in the first episode. We already talked a little bit about Cal’s and Belle’s connection, but do you think the timing is right for them?

Do I believe the timing is right for the two of them? No, I don’t. I think it is a dysfunctional relationship. She’s just getting out of a dysfunctional marriage, though she and her husband do function together for their child. I don’t know if Cal’s and Belle’s connection is long for this world. I don’t know, to be completely honest.

I know you can’t say much, but do you think it’s eating away at Cal that he hasn’t told Maddie about his diagnosis yet? Or is that something he puts out of his mind when he’s with her?

No, he’s very conscious of what his cancer diagnosis is going to do to everybody in his life, but particularly to her. He’s already caused Maddie all sorts of trouble given that he was an absent father. He’s quite aware of what this news could do to their new relationship. He’s going to have to be careful in how he navigates around her.

What else are you excited for audiences to see in Cal’s evolution this season?

Well, I actually think audiences will see Cal’s devolution in many ways. This big tough guy SEAL is going to be humbled by cancer, which is a much bigger enemy than he’s faced before. Unfortunately, there’s some real sadness to Cal’s story , but also humility. He softens a bit in some of his relationships and as a team leader. I’m looking forward to exploring and showing audiences that change.