Paul Raci has been acting since the ’80s, but he gained a lot of attention in 2021 when he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his excellent performance in “Sound of Metal.” Since then, the 75-year-old has been appearing in all sorts of projects, showcasing his unique talent and character acting ability. And as far as “Perry Mason” goes, Raci deftly played Lydell McCutcheon’s ruthlessness, displaying true evil in the third episode when he uses a live oil rig to burn a former Brooks employee’s cheek.
Raci spoke to /Film about her part in “Perry Mason” and specifically highlighted her character’s mean streak, explaining how she auditioned for Lydell and “didn’t know it was for the bad guy.” He added:
“So they asked me to add something to see if I could be nasty. I was like, ‘Okay.’ So we did that and then they called me back and we did it again. So I got the part, but I didn’t really realize he was as obnoxious as he was going to be.”
Still, the actor seemed to enjoy playing the part, saying that being cast as the bad guy “was in [his] please,” and that “he loved playing Lydell McCutcheon. It’s just a great role. He’s got a great suit, great hat.” Many of the best scenes with Raci were shot at the last minute, with the actor revealing that the main scenes between Lydell and Brooks were added mid-shoot. But the cruelty? It was there from the start, and Raci seemed to handle it all with ease.
