Matlock's Skye P. Marshall advocates for more ICE and immigration-focused procedural dramas at Monte-Carlo TV Festival
At the Monte-Carlo TV Festival, actress Skye P. Marshall, known for her role as the sharp-witted attorney Olympia in Matlock, spoke candidly about her career, her character, and the kind of stories she hopes to see more of on television—particularly procedurals centered on ICE and immigration. Matlock finished its debut season as television's 1 new series and 2 series overall and throughout the season, an average of 17 million viewers watch it across broadcast on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Marshall shared that she is returning to shoot season 2 next month.
Skye P. Marshall
The actress shared with journalists at the festival insights into her process of developing Olympia, a high-powered attorney with a relentless drive. Though the show provided little backstory, Marshall crafted her own inspiration. "She loved the name Olympia. And I had never heard of the name Olympia before, except for Serena Williams's daughter... I wanted that name to represent an athlete, focused, determined, disciplined, go-getter. I wanted to attach all of those attributes that someone at that level as an athlete would be if she were an attorney."
She also revealed the challenges of separating herself from her character, especially in emotionally charged scenes. "When she found out that Julian was cheating on her with someone at the office, I was like, 'Let me just slap her one time. Just give me one good soap opera slap.' And they were like, 'No,' 'cause Olympia's focused on the client... That was really challenging for me."
Marshall’s unconventional path—serving in the U.S. Air Force, working in corporate pharmaceutical marketing, and then pivoting to acting at 28—has deeply informed her craft. "Being a prior military veteran, I was trained in the most sophisticated way on how to process fear... If I'm scared to say something, I'm like, 'Damn, now I have to say it.'" Her corporate experience in pharmaceuticals also gave her an edge in understanding power dynamics, which translates seamlessly into her portrayal of Olympia.
Marshall gushed about her co-star Kathy Bates, recalling their first meeting with humor. "I did the thing you're not supposed to do. You're not supposed to touch any of the talent. And I said to her, 'Can I hug you?' As I'm already approaching... She started walking towards me, and I was like, 'Oh my God, this is happening.'" On working with Bathes Marshall added that "Kathy knows everybody's name from the cater waiters to the background actors, to the grips, to the PAs. She will make eye contact with every single person that she comes across. She'll even ask, like, how your kid's doing. Her memory is so sharp, but also the quality of her character is so authentic. She is extremely real. 'I'm a teacher and a student. I'm a cheerleader and the coach'. And that's what she represents on the set. And so watching how she moves and the respect that she gives everybody, which I was already doing, but a TV series, the energy goes off at the top, and it makes its way down."
She also addressed the diversity in Matlock, emphasizing that the cast reflects real-world legal environments. "This is what New York law firms look like... I worked in that industry. And so I'm so happy that CBS and our creative team were smart enough to diversify Jacobson Moore from age to race."
The most striking part of the conversation came when Marshall expressed her desire to see more procedural dramas tackling ICE and immigration issues. "Somebody asked me not long ago, 'Is there a procedural drama that you haven't seen yet?' And I said... 'I want to see ICE.' I want to see what's actually going on in there. I want to see the allies who are feeling really uncomfortable about the things that they're being dictated on doing. I want to see those families. I want to see the heart of those families that are being destroyed." She believes Olympia would fiercely defend such clients. "If that's a good citizen who's doing what they're meant to be doing in this country, she will fight to the death, and she will raise hell for that client, and she will win... I need more of those people, especially in the United States of America". Marshall’s passion for justice was palpable as she continued: "I want justice so bad, and I just want there to be order... This is meant to be the United States of America, and I just want more unity. That's all I've ever strived for."
She also revealed the challenges of separating herself from her character, especially in emotionally charged scenes. "When she found out that Julian was cheating on her with someone at the office, I was like, 'Let me just slap her one time. Just give me one good soap opera slap.' And they were like, 'No,' 'cause Olympia's focused on the client... That was really challenging for me."
Marshall’s unconventional path—serving in the U.S. Air Force, working in corporate pharmaceutical marketing, and then pivoting to acting at 28—has deeply informed her craft. "Being a prior military veteran, I was trained in the most sophisticated way on how to process fear... If I'm scared to say something, I'm like, 'Damn, now I have to say it.'" Her corporate experience in pharmaceuticals also gave her an edge in understanding power dynamics, which translates seamlessly into her portrayal of Olympia.
Marshall gushed about her co-star Kathy Bates, recalling their first meeting with humor. "I did the thing you're not supposed to do. You're not supposed to touch any of the talent. And I said to her, 'Can I hug you?' As I'm already approaching... She started walking towards me, and I was like, 'Oh my God, this is happening.'" On working with Bathes Marshall added that "Kathy knows everybody's name from the cater waiters to the background actors, to the grips, to the PAs. She will make eye contact with every single person that she comes across. She'll even ask, like, how your kid's doing. Her memory is so sharp, but also the quality of her character is so authentic. She is extremely real. 'I'm a teacher and a student. I'm a cheerleader and the coach'. And that's what she represents on the set. And so watching how she moves and the respect that she gives everybody, which I was already doing, but a TV series, the energy goes off at the top, and it makes its way down."
She also addressed the diversity in Matlock, emphasizing that the cast reflects real-world legal environments. "This is what New York law firms look like... I worked in that industry. And so I'm so happy that CBS and our creative team were smart enough to diversify Jacobson Moore from age to race."
The most striking part of the conversation came when Marshall expressed her desire to see more procedural dramas tackling ICE and immigration issues. "Somebody asked me not long ago, 'Is there a procedural drama that you haven't seen yet?' And I said... 'I want to see ICE.' I want to see what's actually going on in there. I want to see the allies who are feeling really uncomfortable about the things that they're being dictated on doing. I want to see those families. I want to see the heart of those families that are being destroyed." She believes Olympia would fiercely defend such clients. "If that's a good citizen who's doing what they're meant to be doing in this country, she will fight to the death, and she will raise hell for that client, and she will win... I need more of those people, especially in the United States of America". Marshall’s passion for justice was palpable as she continued: "I want justice so bad, and I just want there to be order... This is meant to be the United States of America, and I just want more unity. That's all I've ever strived for."
