Sam Jaeger Talks Religion, Gilead And Cults As Two Series Premiere In September

Extreme religious fundamentalism is the throughline of two series starring Sam Jaeger. Both are based on bestselling novels; one is a true story, and the other is not though it edges a little too close to reality.

In the new eight-episode Netflix thriller Devil in Ohio, premiering on September 2, Jaeger portrays Peter Mathis, a man trying to keep his family together after his wife takes in a mysterious cult escapee. He stars opposite Emily Deschanel, who plays hospital psychiatrist Dr. Suzanne Mathis, and the two quickly realize that their family is in danger. Devil in Ohio is the true story of a devil-worshipping cult in Ohio and is based on Daria Polatin’s novel of the same name. She also created the television series.

The series is similar to Jaeger’s other hit, The Handmaid’s Tale, wherein he plays Mark Tuello, the man tasked with taking care of Yvonne Strahovski’s Serena Joy Waterford as she faces karma for her many sins. The fan favorite will return to Hulu with its fifth season on September 14. The streamer will premiere the first two episodes of the 10-episode season that day, with the remaining episodes dropping weekly. Based on Margaret Atwood’s fictional classic novel, the story is set in the dystopian world of Gilead, where a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship rules a hellish existence.

Both series take on the complicated subject of religious extremism and what that does to individuals and communities. Jaeger describes himself as religious. He can also see how religion can be taken to extremes.

He grew up in Ohio but hadn’t heard of this true story before taking the role in Devil in Ohio. “I think religion is incredibly important to a lot of people. There’s comfort in having organized religion,” he said in a phone interview.

He tells me he grew up in a close-knit family and attended church regularly. “The Jaegers were the first to get to church and the last to leave.” He sang in his family’s Methodist church choir every week from the time he was in the sixth grade until he graduated high school.

“Religion was weaved into our daily lives in a healthy way,” he explains. “I grew up in a loving community. My parents didn’t force-feed religion to us. But even then, I could see that some people in our church believed in a certain straight line.”

He warns how that type of enthusiasm can be taken to extremes. “With cults, all it takes is one person with some charisma and a desire for power to grab ahold of people.”

Jaeger brings up the quest for spirituality as we talk. “How far do we go to hold onto faith? One of the most dangerous things in society is certainty because certainty taken to its end is extremism. We see that a great deal in The Handmaid’s Tale. People latch onto this thought that this is the solution and there are no others. And then we ask, what do we have to do to see that solution through?”

He points out the throughline with his new series Devil in Ohio and the cult at its center. “There is no gray in their thought process. There is only black and white. You are either on the right side or the wrong side. I have always felt a fear of that personally. And I’ve experienced it. The moment I find something concrete in my life, it explodes.”

Jaeger acknowledges how divisive these belief systems are, but he thinks there’s still hope. “We are at such a heavy moment in human history, and it takes a concerted effort and an open heart to reach across and communicate and remain close to people we disagree with. It’s difficult to hold onto what you believe and discover that the ones you love feel the opposite.”

When asked if season five will be the last for The Handmaid’s Tale, Jaeger says he doesn’t know. “I don’t feel like this is the end,” is all he will say. “It’s fascinating to me when I look at the show’s arc. It’s about religion taken to the extreme, but it’s not meant as an attack, although some may feel it is. It does its best to represent people with religious extremes and those looking for a light in all this darkness.”

Of course, one question has simmered over the last few seasons. Is Tuello in love with Serena Joy? Jaeger pauses before answering. “I think he is maybe in love with who Serena was before Gilead. This season is about discovering how much of a hold Gilead has on her.”