Season 2 of Peacock’s Rutherford Falls pushes the feel-good comedy even further. Part of what makes the series so great is its cast of comedy veterans bringing relatable characters to life. Josh Carter, played by Schitt’s Creek‘s Dustin Milligan, joined Season 1 as a journalist eager to chronicle the real story behind the town of Rutherford Falls. In the process, he meets and falls for Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding). Their relationship comes to an end when Josh releases a podcast about the town called American Powder Keg, painting Reagan’s friend Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) in a bad light.
Though the couple has split, Season 2 of Rutherford Falls still brings Josh in to remind Reagan of how much she has accomplished and also to throw a wrench in the works of her new relationship. In an exclusive interview with CBR, Milligan recently spoke about returning as Josh for Season 2 of Rutherford Falls. He dove into what it was like to transition from Schitt’s Creek, how he got involved in the project, and the joys of working with such a great team.
CBR: How did you first get involved with Rutherford Falls back in Season 1?
Dustin Milligan: You know, I get that question quite a bit. I think there’s this assumption, I don’t know if it’s about acting in general or if it was maybe just post-Schitt’s Creek, but I auditioned for this just like every role I’ve ever gotten in my life almost. [laughs] That was basically how it all started. It was something where, growing up in northern Canada, I was really excited to be a part of the show. To even just get to audition for a show that was… At that point, I only had an inkling of how much the Indigenous influence was going to be present in the show. Obviously, that was a big part of the story itself. I knew Sierra [Teller Ornelas] as the co-creator, obviously, is Indigenous, but as it unfolded, as I was lucky enough to book the part and then as it unfolded, and I just learned how much how deep it went, how thorough it was, it was just something super incredible.
How do you approach playing a character on a show that really highlights and centers Indigenous storytellers and experiences?
Growing up in Yellowknife, where I’m from, we have a significant Indigenous population there. It’s something that was always a part of our education and our upbringing growing up there. I think that allowed for, I don’t know… There was a pride that comes with being a part of this at all, and in many ways, with my character specifically, representing — certainly in the first season and as his journey continues into the second season — someone who sort of thinks he knows and then is appropriately educated a little bit further and a little bit more thoroughly.
I think that’s something that, in a lot of ways, to be honest, was just representative of me, personally, because there was so much that, again, it was part of our upbringing, growing up in Yellowknife, but then you just keep learning more and more and more and more. You’re awoken to the realities of Indigenous life all over the world and certainly in North America. It was an absolute pleasure and continues to be an absolute pleasure to play that guy who is doing his best, but it’s still kind of missing the mark. [laughs].
As such, not being the center of the show in any way, it’s lovely. It’s an honor. I think that’s the thing as an actor, too, is I’ve never really felt the desire to be “the guy.” I love supporting people. I love being someone just on the sidelines. Certainly, throughout my career, it’s been a privilege that I’ve got to work with so many people and support so many great actors, and Jana Schmieding, who plays Reagan, she’s no exception. It’s such a joy to get to work with her and support her.
Can you talk about how you see Josh in Season 2? We see a little less of him, but he definitely still has an impact. Do you see him as a pot-stirrer, an obstacle, or maybe a stepping stone?
You know, I think there is, in the layerings of the plot of Season 2, I think there’s obviously this sort of… On the surface level, he seems like someone who, after Reagan finds Nelson and seemingly is finding someone who feels like a really good fit — who’s also super funny. I think Dallas [Goldtooth] is so funny on the show. [laughs] I’m such a fan. But it is that thing where Josh comes in, and it’s a reminder of a part of Reagan. On the surface, it’s a reminder for the audience, and for Reagan herself, of this other version of her life that she sort of imagined could be possible for her. I think there is that element of, like, “Oh no, is this just throwing a wrench in the plans?”
I also think, too, and maybe this is just because I have a soft spot for the character, but I do think there’s also something about the way Josh sees Reagan that, if you’re just kind of adding everything up on paper, Josh might not be the right guy for her, in a super practical sense. I do think there’s something where he sees her in a way that I just think is special because she is very special. I think there’s just a quality there that I hope, in Season 3, we get to explore more because look, in so many ways, he doesn’t hold a candle to Nelson. [laughs] There’s just so many things that he could never compete with, but I do think that he does see Reagan. He sees her heart in a way that is significant, and I hope we get to explore some more.
I think one of the other unique things that Josh can do is maybe his special podcasting skills. American Powder Keg is such an interesting conceit — podcasts are such a huge phenomenon, especially now. We hear a little bit of the podcast this season, but how much did you get to dive into that backstory?
I’ll be honest, I think the whole thing with the podcast, it’s like — and I don’t hold any of this — but there is kind of a cliché joke idea of what we think of podcasting because it sort of blew up and became so widespread. Then there’s that certain tone and the voice and all that kind of stuff. So there is an element of just like, “Podcasters are jokes and sort of full-of-themselves hipsters,” and all that. Which again, Josh — not saying that that’s not true for him.
But no, it was this thing that I was happy that we did get to see a bit more of that. Certainly, by the end of the season, we’re looking at his journalist side coming back around again, the podcast thing probably coming back around again. I liked that it’s just a slow burn, where it’s this thing in the background that isn’t necessarily at the forefront, but that we get to sort of reach [to] for humor. Some of the cadence and delivery that he has, I think it’s just really fun to get to do, and sort of a light mocking of the medium — a respectful mocking, a respectful mockery, if that makes sense. [laughs]
You’ve done some voice acting for podcasts before, is that correct?
Oh, I did an Audible thing in between the seasons, which was really fun, this Christmas one. I also do the voice of this Canadian kids cartoon called Super Agent Jon Le Bon about a super agent caribou and his super agent animal friends who are protecting the Earth from climate-damaging villains. [laugh] So yeah, I do have a little bit… not really that podcasting, per se, world, but I do have a little bit of experience in the voice thing, which is really fun. It’s a very liberating thing to really just be focusing on the voice itself to communicate what you need and sort of honing in on the subtleties of that. It’s nice because as an actor for film and television, so often the focus is just about how things look. It’s nice to really hone in on something else.
Many viewers likely know you from Schitt’s Creek — what’s it been like to move on from the success of that show and specifically into Rutherford Falls?
I think it’s one of those things where yeah, certainly people will know me best from Schitt’s Creek, but a lot of times, the transition is just like any other. I’ve been fortunate to be doing this since I was 18 years old, and I’m about to turn 37. So I’m old as shit, and I’ve done this quite a bit. You hop around from job to job to job, and you never can actually predict the success, the audience reception of anything that you do. So you really just start to look at what’s the environment like? What’s the experience like day-to-day? Something I’m always not only advocating for for everybody that I work with but also just for myself is how much joy am I experiencing while I’m working?
I think what’s really lovely about Rutherford is that it is one of those experiences where everyone is nice and kind and thoughtful. There’s a lot of thought going into what it is that we’re all together as a team presenting. There’s so much consideration and just real intense effort coming from Sierra, from Ed [Helms], from Mike [Schur], all the writers, and then from the performers as well. Top to bottom, it’s just such a lovely gift. Again, that’s not something I knew going into it. You never have any idea. Someone can be an asshole, or you could end up being an asshole — you just don’t know.
This is one of those ones like I’ve had a few times in the past. It’s pretty rare, though, to be honest. It’s just been really lovely. Going onto one of those things where it’s like, oh, I actually consider some of these people friends. Some of these relationships are actually nice. That was something on Schitt‘s that I did have, as well. Like Annie [Murphy] is somebody who’s a bud, and Emily [Hampshire], and the whole gang. There’s a lot of people there that I consider myself lucky that I’ll be able to call them friends for the rest of my life.
That’s really lovely and heartwarming. To finish up here, I know you’ve done some dramas, some comedies, and you’ve also done voice acting for a secret agent caribou. Is there a particular genre or type of story that you’re interested in diving more deeply into?
I’m actually, first and foremost, more than anything, I am a sci-fi fan — a little bit of fantasy, but mostly just straight sci-fi. I have had little to no experience on very, very few things in the very beginning of my career, but that’s something… I write as well, and everything I write is sci-fi. I make music as well, and all that is thoroughly rooted in the sci-fi genre, sort of synth wave and retro wave and that kind of stuff. So that’s something that pretty much dominates creatively for me. When I’m not working on other projects that are paying me, all the things that are self-generated, all the things that bring me the most joy out of anything, are hardcore sci-fi. That’s something that I hope, as my career continues, that I’ll get to do more of.
Stream all of Rutherford Falls Season 2 now on Peacock.