This Gritty 1970s Al Pacino Drama Inspired Jon Hamm's New Crime Thriller

Published Sep 30, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT Summary Collider's Perri Nemiroff chats with the cast and creatives of American Hostage at TIFF 2026. Giovanni Ribisi, Kristoffer Polaha, Mireille Enos, and William Jackson Harper discuss their scene partners, histories with co-stars, and Enos teases For All Mankind Season 6. Adam Arkin, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Jonathan Tucker, and Kat Cunning discuss the two directors' visions and collaborating on the series and the stars discuss relationships with their co-stars. Before its MGM+ debut, Jon Hamm’s (Mad Men) new thriller series, American Hostage, celebrated its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Based on the 2022 eight-episode podcast of the same name, the show tells the harrowing true story of Tony Kiritsis, portrayed by Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar: Fire and Ash), from the perspective of Indianapolis local radio reporter Fred Heckman (Hamm), whom Kiritsis trusted most with his story. From creators Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers (The Night Agent), American Hostage is the first season of a new anthology series, beginning with this 1977 crime that captured the public’s attention in a way that was unheard of at the time. Before live coverage, and just at the precipice of the 24-hour news cycle, a desperate man’s hostage scheme and stand-off with police is broadcast live on air when Kiritsis demands a phone call with Heckman. At the Collider Media Studio, presented by Campari and The Cayman Islands, Perri Nemiroff had the opportunity to chat with the team behind the show ahead of its two-episode premiere on September 20. Check out the full conversations in the videos below, with time codes provided. The 'American Hostage' Cast Reveals How They Pulled Off the Show's Intense Live-Action Setup "We were doing eight to 11 pages a day, live." In this interview, Nemiroff speaks with Ribisi, Kristoffer Polaha (Jurassic World Dominion), who portrays Dick Hall, the broker Kiritsis takes hostage, Mireille Enos (For All Mankind), who will play Barbara Heckman, Fred’s wife, and William Jackson Harper (The Morning Show), who portrays Heckman’s protégé, Ben Hairston. At TIFF, they spotlight their scene partners’ performances and collaborations on set, discuss past histories with co-stars, and Enos reveals how For All Mankind Season 6 “sticks the landing.” 00:51 - Giovanni Ribisi Embraces the Unknown in His Performances 01:46 - Ribisi Details the Unique Two-Set Production and Live Phone Conversations 04:48 - Kristoffer Polaha and Ribisi Discuss Their Collaboration as Scene Partners 07:10 - Mireille Enos’ Shared History With Jon Hamm Helped Create an Instant Family 08:16 - William Jackson Harper on What Ben Admires About Fred and His Professional Blind Spots 10:00 - The American Hostage Cast Celebrate Exceptional Work on Set 14:52 - Enos Teases How For All Mankind Season 6 Sticks the Landing How 'American Hostage's Directing Duo Created Its Raw, Immersive Visual Style "Especially as a television director, that's something that doesn't happen often." In this conversation, Nemiroff sits down with directors Adam Arkin (The Night Agent) and Nina Lopez-Corrado (House of the Dragon), and stars Jonathan Tucker (Westworld), who portrays FBI Special Agent Cormac McNally, and Kat Cunning (Rap Sh!t), who portrays Ibby Hall. During their conversation, the directing duo discuss why American Hostage benefits from two visual languages and creatives at the helm, and the team highlight their top-notch camera crew and discuss their relationships with their scene partners. 00:28 - Nina Lopez-Corrado and Adam Arkin Discuss the Rewards of Directing Together 02:42 - Arkin Explains Why Two Directors Benefit American Hostage 04:30 - The Directors Discuss the Show’s Documentary-Style Visual Language 05:48 - The American Hostage Team Highlight Their Favorite Camera-Operator Moments 08:06 - Jonathan Tucker on Reuniting With Arkin After Justified 09:33 - Kat Cunning Discusses the Creative Appeal of the Project and Its Immersive Production 11:10 - Cunning Praises Mireille Enos’s Generosity and Strength as a Scene Partner 12:39 - Profiling Other Characters Helped Tucker Understand His Own Role American Hostage Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2, are available to stream on MGM+. Release Date September 20, 2026 Network MGM+ Directors Adam Arkin Writers Abby St. Clair, Eileen Myers, Shawn Ryan Creator(s) Shawn Ryan, Eileen Myers