Everyone who watched Mayor of Kingstown loves Mike McLusky. Without him, the city would look like the beginning of Demolition Man. However, as much as we enjoy Mike, it’s doubtful he’d be as beloved without Bunny, played by the amazing Tobi Bamtefa.
I recently interviewed Bamtefa to discuss Paramount+’s Mayor of Kingstown and how he goes about playing Bunny. The biggest takeaway from this interview was how grateful for the role and humble the breakout actor is.
“I try to be in the moment as much as possible. I think that’s what I’m most proud of. So thank you for your compliments. It tells me that what I have done and the preparation I have put in has worked. It resonates. I don’t want to say it has worked, but it resonates with you, so I’m really glad for that. I think that’s… that’s one of the most.”
While we were on the subject of gratitude, I needed to know what it was like acting beside the great Lennie James.
“Man, let me tell you, it was a dream. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I just couldn’t. And there were moments where I was looking at him. And I’m learning things about how he processes his own character and stuff like that. And when he came in, he didn’t really have much time. So he came in, boom-ba-ba-boom, he’s already kind of figured out.”
“And I’m just like, oh my goodness, I cannot believe this is happening right now. And then I have to, like, quickly get back into it, you know what I’m saying? And it’s… yeah, it was fantastic. I enjoyed every second of working with Lenny. Enjoyed it thoroughly,” he continued.
“I was just in complete awe. I had to catch myself a lot of times, because there were scenes where it’s… it’s Jeremy, Lenny.”
Tobi Bamtefa
Tobi Bamtefa as Deverin “Bunny” Washington in Mayor of Kingstown episode 3, season 4, streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Credit: Dennis P. Mong Jr./Paramount +
It was interesting to look and listen to a kind man and realize he plays Bunny. Yes, the character has a lot of heart and love for people, but he can also be a monster.
“The aim is to try and put yourself in that character’s shoes, almost to an extent, kind of seeing things from that character, without judgment, do you know what I’m saying? That makes for a much more interesting viewing. If you put yourself in that character’s position, how would you react? And then all of a sudden, it draws in a lot of conversation, you know, people want to talk about it. It’s like, ‘oh, yeah, I would… I’ll do this.’”
“This is like a portrayal of real life. And it also helps because, the story is based off of Hugh Dillon’s life. Like, he lived in a town that was surrounded by prisons and stuff, and everybody in that town worked or was in the prison.”
Tobi Bamtefa
He also adds that he’s met people who’ve done what Bunny does, and it’s helped him with the role.
“I have met people working on this job, and working on other jobs, too, who have lived lives that are actually very close to what you guys watch on TV. I love talking to people. I’ve heard stories from a variety of people who have told me some of the craziest things, and all of a sudden, now, Kingstown is not so far-fetched. Do you know what I mean?”
One last thing I had to add was the conversation on when he thought the role of Bunny switched from “side character” to a crucial part of the story. His answer made a lot of sense.
“The shift really began after Rhonda was killed, Bunny’s cousin. Obviously, it puts him in a very precarious position because Bunny is a person who looks after his people. Albeit through dubious means, but his family is kind of like the thing that holds him together. So he has a great love for his family, and he will protect them at all costs.”
Considering what went down with him and the possibility of Frank Moses setting him up, we could see another shift in Bunny’s personality. Stay tuned to Showsnob to find out what’s next for Bunny on Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+.
