On June 4, the IndieWire Honors Spring 2026 ceremony will celebrate the creators and stars responsible for crafting some of the year’s best television series. Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, IndieWire Honors is a celebration of the creators, artisans, and performers behind shows well worth toasting. In the days leading up to the Los Angeles event, IndieWire is showcasing their work with new interviews and tributes from their peers.
Ahead, “Widow’s Bay” star Stephen Root reflects on the unique blessing of working with our Visionary Award recipients, series creator Katie Dippold and series director and executive producer, the kind of duo who make a “witches’ brew” unlike any other.
As a long-time character actor, I have had the good fortune to have been in many productions with tremendously good teams, producing, writing, directors, and executive producers.
Rarely, and I’m talking in a 50-year career, have I been blessed to work with two such amazing people.
Katie Dippold shaped the show from its very beginnings by way of her passion for both horror and comedy, Hiro Murai is a quiet artist who carries a big imaginary stick.
With this stick, they have stirred up the best kind of witches’ brew cauldron, brilliantly walking the line, creating a show that envelops horror and comedy, drama and dramedy for us fortunate actors to jump around in.
I think all of us would say that we jumped at the chance to be a part of this show after reading Katie‘s amazing scripts. Subtle comedy, real life scary.
Played, as Matthew Rhys says — for real.
And keeping the tone of the show grounded in reality, is the equally brilliant Hiro Murai. With a quiet phrase and a small smile, he keeps all the dishes spinning in the air and coming down ever so softly to create characters that you care about. That you want to know more about. And then, back comes Katie with another amazing script.
I can honestly say that this team, as executive producers, have made this an astonishing experience from the top on down, from the food service to the best technicians in the business. Brilliant music, scene design, props, gorgeous, photography, and everything in between, what a joy these two have cooked up.
Thank you, Katie. Thank you, Hiro.
As Wyck would say, “You done good.”
Love, Stephen Root
