Julianne Nicholson on Reprising Her Mare of Easttown Role in Task Season 2: "I Was Concerned About Expectations"
Julianne Nicholson admits she felt the weight of returning to a role that won her an Emmy. The actress, who took home her first Emmy in 2021 for playing Lori Ross on the HBO limited series Mare of Easttown, is reprising that character in the second season of Task — and she told People she was not sure she could find her way back in.
"It's been, like, six years," Nicholson said, according to Deadline. "Do I know who this person is? I was concerned about expectations or people's devotion to that show and the characters in it."
Mare of Easttown, which starred Kate Winslet as a small-town Pennsylvania detective investigating a local murder, became a phenomenon when it aired on HBO. Nicholson's Lori Ross was the best friend of Winslet's Mare, and the performance earned her the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Emmy (Deadline).
Task and Mare of Easttown are both created by Brad Ingelsby and both set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, so the crossover is a natural one. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter first reported Nicholson's return in July 2026.
In Task Season 2, Tom Brandis — played by Mark Ruffalo — takes the helm of a new task force, and the deeper the operation runs, the harder it becomes to tell who the real target is. The ensemble also includes Mahershala Ali, Harry Melling, and Edgar Ramirez. Nicholson called the cast "out of control," telling People: "Everybody's just brought their A-game. It's going to be amazing" (Deadline).
Once she was back on set, the anxiety dissolved. Nicholson credits the familiar creative team — Ingelsby, producer Mark Roybal, and the same costume designer, dialect coach, and makeup person — with making the return feel natural. It was, she said, "like your favourite coat [that] you slipped back on" (Deadline).
Nicholson also teased what viewers can expect from the new season's central crime, calling it "so moving" and "very current." Her prediction for the audience: "I think people are going to be blown away" (Deadline).
For fans of Mare of Easttown, the crossover means a familiar face returns to a familiar world — this time alongside one of the most decorated casts on television.
