‘Irreverent’ star Colin Donnell on his role in the new Peacock drama

Colin Donnell plays a man living a double life in his new Peacock drama Irreverent.

“This character is quite different from anything I’ve done before,” Donnell, 40 (“Arrow”, “Chicago Med”), told The Post.

“Aside from the parallels that he’s from Chicago – and I was playing a Chicago-based TV doctor – it was nice to get something that felt very different. He’s charming and funny and he’s quick on his feet. He’s a survivor and a bit dangerous underneath it all.”

“Irreverent” premieres November 30 and follows Paulo, aka Mack (Colin Donnell), a criminal Chicago agent who is forced to flee when a mob deal goes awry. A comedy full of mistakes has him hiding in a remote and quirky Australian town in far north Queensland, posing as the church’s new reverend.

“That was me [to Australia] before. I occasionally attend pop comic conventions because I used to do Arrow. So I’ve been to Sydney and Perth before but this is my first time in Australia for any length of time and it was my first time in Queensland and Gold Coast and all that. The duality of the character was a really good time,” said Donnell, who lives in New York with his wife Patti Murin (“Chicago Med”) and their toddler.

“He’s had a really ticking clock. People are hunting him, and he’s also trying to figure out how to keep his cover in this town among people who are looking for him for a very specific cause that’s way outside of his comfort zone. But the coolest thing about the character is that he’s a wonderful chameleon. He has the ability to be everything to everyone in any situation he finds himself in. So from scene to scene, he’s five different people depending on who he’s confronted with.”

Irreverent creator Paddy Macrae was inspired in part by the CBS show Northern Exposure (1990-95) for the audio, Donnell said.

“I loved this show growing up. It was one of the shows that stuck with me into adulthood. Our story has so much humor and heart that it’s pretty much parallel to what was going on on that show as well. I think there’s so much to gain by throwing a character into completely unknown circumstances and turning them into a real fish out of water.”

Donnell, who also has a Broadway background (“Jersey Boys”), said he also drew on his theater experience to relate to Mack.

“It has something to do with what it takes to survive – I’ve luckily never experienced the extreme situation he’s in. But one thing we see about the character is that she finds herself in the way she’s being influenced by the community she’s implanted in. When we find ourselves in a select group of people, like the theater community that I was part of in New York, or friends and family that I’ve grown accustomed to throughout my life – you can’t help but be influenced by the people who you are surround yourself with. It’s been a really fun journey finding myself with Mack, seeing how this theme of our community show can have a really dramatic impact on an individual. Really, Mack’s story is about personal growth and a little bit of redemption.”