‘The Leftovers’ Star Ann Dowd Modeled Character After Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick’s influence apparently extends all the way to Hollywood.

Actress Ann Dowd, who played stone-cold cult leader Patti on the first season of the HBO series “The Leftovers,” told The Boston Globe this week that she drew inspiration from the New England Patriots head coach while developing her character.

“After about the third episode or so, Patti kept reminding me of someone, and I couldn’t figure out who it was,” Dowd said in an email to the Globe. “Finally it dawned on me that it was Bill Belichick, whom I watched countless times during Patriot games and always liked. And for these reasons: his stoicism, that he seems full of secrets, that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him.”

Dowd was born and raised in Massachusetts, so the fact that she’s a Belichick fan isn’t a huge surprise. We won’t spoil things for anyone who’s still catching up on the first season, but we’ll just say her character shares the coach’s penchant for not answering questions.

Left photo via Twitter/@TheLeftoversHBO