While filming a series as dark as the new FX drama Grotesquerie, it helps to have someone like star Niecy Nash-Betts to ease the tension every now and then. Otherwise, spending all day filming bloody bodies in perverted biblical poses can get tricky.

“There’s a shock factor when you first walk in,” she said in an interview with diversity. “Afterwards you say, ‘I need to tell a few jokes to keep this crew going all day.’ After all, we’re going to be stuck in all this blood and guts for the next 12 hours.”

Although Nash-Betts has a gifted comedic voice, she plays against type in “Grotesquerie” as Detective Lois Tryon, a troubled alcoholic pursuing a serial killer with a penchant for biblical carnage. To help her clear up the religious references, she teams up with reporter and nun Sister Megan Duval (Micaela Diamond) – all while juggling a difficult family life with her daughter Merritt (Raven Goodwin) and her comatose, estranged husband Marshall (Courtney B. Vance). ).

For Nash-Betts, it was a gift to play a role so far removed from her typical roles.

“I’ve never played a character like this before,” she said. “Detective Lois experiences a lot of drama in her family life and now she is on the hunt for a serial killer who is taunting her. She has a very complex life, and when you add her addiction to that, I just thought, ‘I’ve never done that before.’ And that excited me.”

While the premise sounds simple, the first two episodes – both airing tonight and then weekly on the cable network – introduce a lot of big ideas about faith, family and madness that set them apart from traditional slasher fare.

In a press conference for the series, Ryan Murphy, who co-created the show with Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken, presented his overall vision.

“Most horror pieces can be very violent and kind of cynical,” Murphy said. “And I feel like this movie is definitely racy and a little bit action-packed, but it’s not cynical. It’s about searching for hope and light in a dark place. This is what I ultimately found and wanted to write about. And it gave me hope. We’re premiering this week, I just finished editing the final episode of this season. And I think as shocking as the show is – and it is very shocking – it also gives you hope. And make no mistake, our final episode airs on October 30th, just before the election, and I think that’s pretty much what we’re writing about. That’s what we’re dealing with. And it gives you something to think about. At least that’s what I’ve been thinking about as we enter the next phase in the life of our country. I found that very profound.”

The show’s big ideas are so expansive that they also draw on historical versions of religiosity. Nicholas Chavez, who plays the charismatic (and, of course, hot) local priest Father Charlie, said the series and his role in it made him look at the church in relation to American life, both modern and historical.

“One of the interesting aspects of the story that I tried to chronicle was that the church, and this goes back centuries, often preached to people who were illiterate,” said Chavez, who also plays Lyle Menendez in Murphy’s new drama, “Monster.” : The story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. “They actually couldn’t read other sources. People’s ability to educate themselves was hindered, so they only knew what they were told. This is a show set in a really, really small community, and I saw Father Charlie’s view of his community as a nod to a more archaic version of the church.”

Community was also a priority for Vance, as he wanted to use his position as executive producer to foster support during the grueling days of filming.

“The Ryan Murphy universe is a blessing,” he said. “My wife (Angela Bassett) has been in the RM universe for about 15 years. I watch her and she’s someone who’s just very laid back – “What can I do to help?” And that’s me. I’m really just trying to make sure everyone is okay and get to know everyone’s PAs and names. Because that’s what makes the difference on set.”

This good energy helps the crew get through difficult moments, be it blood-soaked sets or gut-wrenching monologues. Goodwin, who had emotional scenes with Vance and Nash-Betts in the first two episodes, said the empathy she felt for her castmates helped her get through those challenging moments.

“It’s a family conversation, it’s a difficult conversation,” Goodwin said. “You get something out of it because this is a real thing where, especially in the black household, you have had arguments with your parents, but you do it out of respect and love. Even if you disagree, there is a line you don’t cross. Merritt has a lot of empathy and compassion for her parents, just as they do for her – almost to the point of supporting each other. As far as preparation goes, we just made it up and figured it out as we went along. I think that’s what makes it more authentic to a family going through something.”

Ultimately, Nash-Betts sees such moments and their place in the series as part of Murphy’s master plan.

“With Ryan, I just lean in because I know there’s something going on in his brain that none of us will ever understand,” she said.