Content warning: This article and interview with In Limbo’s Bob Morley references suicide and may be triggering to some readers.
ABC’s new dramedy, In Limbo, delves into the aftermath of suicide and the profound emotional effects it causes and for star Bob Morley, its theme of mental health is close to home.
Written by Lucas Taylor (Five Bedrooms) and Tamara Asmar (Doctor Doctor), the series follows Nate (Bob Morley) and Charlie’s (Ryan Corr) friendship until Nate’s own tragic decision to take his life at the age of 38. Charlie’s coping mechanism is put to the ultimate test as the ghost of his best mate starts ‘haunting’ him. Instead of levitating tables or flying books, Charlie confronts the overwhelming spectre of loss in this emotional roller-coaster. However, his dead friend’s charisma and humour bring him much-needed comfort – albeit in phantom form.
“I watched the screeners and if I can step outside of my own ego and my own performance, it’s definitely one of the most unique Australian shows that I’ve seen in a while and unique in all the great ways,” actor Bob Morley said on Chattr’s The Entertainment Hotline podcast. “[It’s] Challenging and very moving and funny.”
Bob Morley found solace in the cast and crew of In Limbo
The statistics around suicide globally are concerning, with 8.6 people in Australia taking their own life each day, making it the leading cause of death for Australians aged 18-44, with 75% of those being men.
To create an authentic and compassionate portrayal of this sensitive topic, Taylor and producer Jennifer Cummins worked in collaboration with accomplished researchers and practitioners in men’s mental health and suicide prevention while the cast and crew also provided support for one another during the challenging shoot.
“I’ve been on my own mental health journey for a long time,” Morley revealed. “And really, in the last our years, I’ve really focused in on it. In terms of that support [on set], I reached out to my family, and to Ryan and got to know the crew as well. It was a very welcoming environment to be part of. The whole crew had been affected by a mental health condition in their life at some point, so it was a really important story for all of us to tell and it felt like a really strong unit throughout.”
In Limbo looks at how friends and family cope with grief
In Limbo revolves around Nate’s journey and subsequent suicide, while also delving into the subject of how loved ones cope with such a loss.
The audience is left uncertain about Nate’s existence as a ghost or a projection of Charlie’s grieving thoughts and is encouraged to form their own opinion on this prominent theme.
“Even Nate’s mother Maria [Lena Cruz] is trying to find answers where they aren’t and Charlie and Freya [Emma Harvie] go through that as well, where they kind of go, ‘well, there must have been something else. There must have been this.’ And I think that’s what’s quite beautiful about the show. It depicts that there are no real simple answers.”
“There is nothing concrete, nothing tangible that they can hold onto because of x,y,z happened. There are so many mitigating factors. The one true thing — and I don’t want to say Nate didn’t have the courage, because to work through his own issues on his own is a really admirable thing — it was just that next step of being vulnerable, and being able to talk to his wife. It wasn’t like he was withholding information, he just wanted to be able to cope on his own.”
If you or someone you know is in distress and needs more information, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
In Limbo premieres Wednesday 24th May at 9.00 pm on ABC TV and ABC iview with all six episodes available to stream on ABC iview from launch.
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