Rossif Sutherland Jokes He 'Wasn’t Sleeping' AfterMurder in a Small TownCrew Pulled Epic Prank on Him (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Rossif Sutherland in ‘Murder in a Small Town’.Photo:Kailey Schwerman/ FOX

Kailey Schwerman/ FOX

Rossif Sutherlandtakes his craft very seriously, but he says there’s still room for some fun on set.

Speaking with PEOPLE to promote the Sept. 24 premiere ofMurder in a Small Town, Sutherland and co-starKristin Kreukreveal what went on behind the scenes — and the practical joke that everyone on set caught onto, which got to Sutherland’s head.

“[Sutherland’s] son loves pigs, and he also had a dream about a pig,” Kreuk says. “And Aaron Douglas, who plays Sid Sokolowski, started to tease him about it. And he bought 50 or so tiny little squeaky pigs, like those rubber duckies, but in pig form, and he would hide them in [Sutherland’s] pocket.”

Sutherland then laughs that he “had no idea” where the toys were coming from or that it was a joke.

“I wasn’t sleeping, and people were quite concerned that I was…” Sutherland says, before Kreuk interjects, “That he was losing his mind! They would show up everywhere. They were everywhere, and you could hear people squeaking the little piggies that they found.”

Kristin Kreuk and Rossif Sutherland on ‘Murder in a Small Town’.James Dimmock/ FOX

James Dimmock/ FOX

Murder in a Small Town,which Sutherland has said isdedicatedto his late fatherDonald Sutherland,is a murder mystery series on Fox “set in an idyllic coastal town.”

“People who have their history, their broken hearts, trying to keep this very fragile and very special thing alive,” he adds.

The pair say their characters’ love came easy for them to act out because they had such a great natural chemistry while filming.

“Other than just running lines a few times, there was a magic between the two of us,” Sutherland shares of how they prepared to take on these roles. “She’s wonderful. But there was an ease. Sometimes it happens, sometimes you have to act chemistry. It was there.”

Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk.Kailey Schwerman/ FOX

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

“Yeah, there’s regular actor processes that you do to build character, but like what he’s saying, once you’re on set, everything changes,” she says. “Everyone brings something different to the table, and you move with it.”

She continues: “I think there’s a flexibility in acting. It’s really part of the joy of it. Like you said, it was easy and fun, and didn’t require a ton of heavy lifting, which was a joy.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Murder in a Small Townairs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

source: people.com