The crime drama Hightown tells the story of Jackie Quiñones, a National Marine Fisheries Service agent struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. She is investigating an opioid epidemic plaguing Provincetown, Massachusetts. Played by Monica Raymund, Jackie, according to creator Rebecca Cutter, came to her in a “fever dream.”
Over a video call from Los Angeles, USA, Rebecca says, “I just knew that that character could be the centre of a show. I wanted to develop her from there and then, thank God, Monica came in and made her real. It’s been a blessed journey from the beginning.”
A lot of preparation for the role was thanks to Rebecca, says Monica. “She told me about Jackie’s origin story, her context and circumstances. It was with Rebecca’s insights that we crafted the character. I also don’t know anything about Provincetown, so Rebecca was my leader there (laughs), teaching me about the area and living there.”
