Interviews with Annabella Sciorra, Jay Will, Martin Starr, Garrett Hedlund and Bella Heathcote of “Tulsa King” on Paramount+ by Suzanne 9/15/25
This is a very good show, even though I’m not a big fan of mobster shows or movies. The actors are fantastic (including star Sylvester Stallone), and there’s a lot of superb writing for the stories and characters, as well as action. They do an outstanding job of showing the characters caught up in the criminal world and how it affects their lives.
The actors answered my questions very well last week, and I enjoyed speaking with them. It was an honor to speak with Annabella Sciorra and the rest….but of course, it would have been nice to speak to Sylvester Stallone again. Not all “stars” leave a noticeable absence in any room, but he always does. He’s the titular king as well as the main character and star. He’s a busy guy, though, so I’m not surprised I didn’t get to speak with him a second time. Don’t miss the premiere tomorrow, 9/21/25 on Paramount+!
TULSA KING follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters, to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
Interview with Annabel Scholey, Aggy K. Adams and Sam Palladio of “The Couple Next Door” on STARZ by Suzanne 9/16/25
This anthology series on Starz is very sexy (and maybe a bit kinky – if anything is nowadays) and filled with drama and intrigue. It also has some very good writing and characters. If you enjoyed season 1, you should enjoy this season 2. Even if you never saw season 1, though, you can watch season 2 because it mostly different characters.
I was supposed to interview all 3 of these actors, plus Sendhil Ramamurthy. Unfortunately, the latter had a personal conflict, so I wasn’t able to speak with him. That was a real shame because he’s the one I most wanted to chat with! He’s always great, and I’ve enjoyed his work since “Heroes” on NBC (2006-2010) and that show’s reboot later on, as well as many other series I watched, like “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Flash” on The CW and “Doom Patrol” on MAX. It was wonderful to speak to the other three, though. We weren’t allowed to use the video this time, though, only audio, so here are the two transcripts below. They’ve been edited, but we’re not quite through proofreading them yet, so please do check back.
Sam Palladino
Suzanne: My name is Suzanne from TVMEG.COM. So, had you watched the first season of the series before you, started filming the second?
Sam: Well, I got the audition, and so I hadn’t seen it without any context. But, after getting the audition and reading the first script, I definitely did a little research and definitely watched a few, and actually was really…quite honestly, very captured and spellbound by this show. And it wouldn’t usually be my kind of show.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
Sam: But I was like, “This is really great. It’s beautifully shot, it’s well acted…. The story’s gripping.” And so, I think before I’d actually got the job, I was a fan. I was auditioning, going, “I hope I get this one ’cause it’s pretty good.”
Suzanne: That’s good. So, can you say, is the second season as crazy as the first?
Sam: oh, the second season of “The Couple Next Door” takes it to a whole new level, right? I mean, it really does. I think the writers and producers learned what worked in Series One, and it was pretty obvious that was the… I mean, it was the great writing, but it was the tension, it was the drama, it was the spicy sexual desire and the consequences of all that. All that hit home for sure. So with Series Wwo, we build on that and we go to even more bonkers places, to be honest. Yeah, it’s a real progression and I think, with this series… I got to work with just some fantastic actors and we all felt very much like a team. And even so much so with the directors, and producers, and the whole creative team. It was very collaborative. It wasn’t like, “Here’s your lines, you act, go stand over there.” It felt like we were all trying to make the show the best it could be.
Suzanne: That’s good. I think it works well when they let the actors have some input.
Sam: Mm-hmm. For sure.
Suzanne: And is there a lot of sex this season, like last season?
Sam: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. There’s way more sex. Oh, way more. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, we certainly, yeah. We take it to some new steamy places. There is a sequence in episode three that, when I read on the page, I thought, “How are we gonna do this? This feels like we’re put really pushing the boat out.” And so, yeah, like I said, I think that we build, and we take it to new levels, for sure.
Suzanne: Okay. And did they have someone on set to make you all feel comfortable during those scenes?
Sam: For sure. I mean, and that’s a brilliant thing that’s come into the industry now: the intimacy coordinator. I think it’s really important, particularly for us, our sequence — there’s a threesome sequence, you know, and so on the page you kind of go, “How do we handle this?” But yeah, Vanessa, our intimacy coordinator, they make it more like a choreographed dance sequence. And so that means that we had rehearsals prior, fully clothed, you know, where actually, you go through the protocols… it’s also contractual, you know, levels that you’re comfortable with. Everything’s open and discussed. And then it becomes very much… It’s choreographed. Gone are the days of like, “Okay, off you guys go, do your thing.” Which just means everybody feels comfortable and safe. And by that point, we’d saved a lot of those intimate scenes to… pretty much the last week in filming ’cause we were shooting for about three months or so. We’d all dubbed it “sex week.” Which was really quite funny because they just put it all together. So it was this very confusing week where we were all just went to the gym, you know, for weeks, trying to eat healthy and work towards “sex week.” But it just meant that we are all very comfortable with each other at that point. You know, Annabel, who plays my wife, Charlotte on the show… we’ve become like really great friends,, and so nothing felt awkward. And if it did, we were able to joke about it and have the intimacy coordinator there to just make sure everybody’s on our side, you know?
Suzanne: Right, right. And now this is an anthology series, so most of the characters are new, and the setting’s the same, and some of the characters are the same. So, is there anything that you can tell us about what’s new besides, you know, spoilers? No spoilers.
Sam: For sure, for sure. I mean, we have some, we have, Hugh Dennis, who returns as Alan. So he, he’s a brilliant actor. I love the character, Alan, actually, he goes on quite a redemptive arc.
Suzanne: He’s so pervy.
Sam: He’s so pervy. and that really sets the tone for Series One. And, and of course he goes on a different arc, this series. But, yeah, he’s a great. You know, he’s a catalyst to bring us back to this world. I think this series, just goes deeper into those desires and what happens when you explore that, and the consequences of that. And with some pretty, pretty drastic consequences. This series, you know, for my character Jacob, he goes on a crazy arc, you know? He’s a proud, jealous guy. His wife’s ex-partner, Leo, comes back into the mix, who Jacob has this real beef with from 20 years ago. And of course, Mia moves into the neighborhood, seduces me, seduces my wife. Suddenly, Jacob’s thrown into this world where he thought maybe this was gonna go somewhere and then realizes that Mia is after other things. So, you know, the, the layers are pretty varied for Jacob. And then he makes some terrible decisions late in the series that, I don’t think the viewers are expecting…based on the, the crazy circumstances they put themselves in.
Suzanne: Right. All right. Well thank you. I appreciate you talking to me today and I look forward to seeing the rest of the show.
Sam: Thanks. Thanks, Suzanne.
Annabel Scholey and Aggy K. Adams
Suzanne: Hi, I’m Suzanne from TVMEG.COM. How are you feeling?
Speaker 3: Good, thanks. Thank you. Good.
Suzanne: Had you both watched the first season of the series before you started shooting?
Annabel: Yes, I auditioned for series one. Yes. So I knew it pretty well. I actually read for Evie, and then I watched it ’cause I, I love the scripts. So I was very familiar.
Suzanne: Okay. How, how about you?
Aggy: Yes, me, too. I’ve seen season one, but only after I’ve gotten the job actually. So. yes, I’ve watched it sort of as we started filming. I was very curious once I’ve met the team, of how it was shot. So it was very fun. It’s great to see.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm. So, we know that it’s set in the same neighborhood (as the first season), and it has some of the same characters in the neighborhood, but the main cast is different. What else can you tell us about the differences this season… either of you, or both of you?
Annabel: This season has much more of a thriller element to it. There’s a lot more suspense… it’s not obvious where it’s headed. I mean, Aggie will talk about this more, but her character in particular is extremely mysterious and you don’t really ever find out until the end, really, the truth about what’s going on there. But, they wanted to shoot it more like a thriller. as well. And I think the director DRIs, who did both series one and series two, deliberately shot it more like that, so there’s more suspense, I’d say. I mean, it was very fast-paced, Series One, and gripping. So we keep that. But yeah, it definitely has a different tone.
Aggy: Yeah. Well, the plot is very different, and the tone as well. Series Two is maybe more sensuous in some way. There’s some art to it — it felt quite artistic to me. Some shots just feel slower… it is shot a bit differently. It takes place in the Autumn, as well, so it just has a different feel. It has a different mood — Series One was in the summer, so obviously, that, yeah. It sets the tone differently.
Annabel: And ours is a love story as well. It’s a love story between the two women. And I think Series One was more about sexual attraction and obsession, whereas this felt more like a psychological relationship drama.
Aggy: Definitely. It felt more psychological, yeah.
Suzanne: Okay. And, I read that the neighborhood that it takes place in is mostly shot in Leeds, right?
Annabel: No, we didn’t shoot anything in Leeds, actually.
Suzanne: Oh, yeah?
Annabel: It was shot in Antwerp and Holland. And I think… Maggie, you were in France, weren’t you?
Aggy: Exactly. We were just on the border of France and Belgium. Yeah, that’s where we shot Brussels, but we never shot in Leeds. Yeah, I think they shot Series One in Leeds.
Annabel: Yeah, they did.
Suzanne: That’s interesting that they changed it.
Aggy: Hmm.
Suzanne: The houses are a set, right?
Annabel: They are. So I actually grew up in, in Leeds, and the houses are definitely more attractive in our show. On the whole, they wanted to keep it set in Leeds, but because we didn’t really have any specific Leeds areas, right? They just shot everything elsewhere in Europe.
Suzanne: Interesting…I’ve been to the UK, but I grew up in the US. So, I’m thinking (while watching the first season), “How can a teacher, and a guy who’s working in a struggling newspaper, afford such a nice house — that comes with a Koi pond?”
Annabel: Mm-hmm.
Suzanne: But my husband just said, “It’s Europe.” I said, “I don’t know about that. It looked awfully nice.”
Annabel: No, I agree. That’s probably stretching into the realm of fantasy a little bit.
Suzanne: They had family money, maybe…. So, do either of you have any interesting or funny stories about shooting, or behind the scenes?
Annabel: Well, we both went into open heart surgeries as a research day, which was incredible.
Aggy: Mm-hmm.
Annabel: I mean, it definitely wasn’t funny. It was very moving, actually. And I was really worried I was gonna pass out ’cause I get a bit like that, but I just, it just blew my mind how incredible it was. It was a real it life-changing moment, actually. It was a real privilege.
Aggy: Yeah. Absolutely.. open heart surgeries, and that part of research was the best part for me, as well. Hmm. So interesting.
Suzanne: Had you ever played a doctor before, Annabelle?
Annabel: No, but I really wanted to, and I’m a huge “Grey’s Anatomy” fan, , and Christina Yang was my favorite, and I always thought, “Oh, God, how great….” Yeah, it was really good to delve into that. It was a real physical challenge, actually…not only to try and understand some of the science, and learn how to hold things, but to act with just your eyes. My eyes were behind the goggles, as well. So it was not only doing all of the technical stuff, but then trying to convey the relationship that was happening across the table between our two characters. It was a lot. It was a really interesting thing to have to try and learn how to do. It was thrilling.
Suzanne: Wow.
Annabel: Yeah.
Suzanne: What about you, Aggy? Have you played a nurse, or doctor, or any kind of medical professional before?
Aggy: No, I’ve never played a medical professional before. This was my first time. And, I’m very fascinated by it. It was like my dream, in a way. I’d love to play a heart surgeon next time ’cause obviously I’ve played a scrub nurse. So I hope it will happen again. And I’m a huge fan of medical shows, too. I really can’t wait to see “The Pitt,” also. And yes, I did watch “Grey’s Anatomy” in the past, growing up and, yeah, it was really fun.
Suzanne: Okay. Cool. Nice shout-out to “The Pitt.” That’s an awesome show.
Aggy: Yes, I, it’s on my list. I can’t wait to start.
Suzanne: Oh, you haven’t seen the first season yet?
Aggy: No, not yet. I’m new to it.
Suzanne: Yeah. It’s a bit intense. It’s a good show, though.
In this new chapter of the deliciously dark psychological drama, “The CoupleNextDoor,” we venture back into the claustrophobic world of the cul-de-sac and explore the fallout of taking your fantasies and making them reality. Brilliant heart surgeon, Charlotte Roberts (Annabel Scholey), and her husband, consultant anaesthetist Jacob (Sam Palladio) take centre stage, alongside their mysterious new colleague Mia (Aggy K Adams) and Charlotte’s old flame Leo (Sendhil Ramamurthy). Leo’s return sparks a change in Charlotte and Mia seizes the opportunity to work her way into Jacob and Charlotte’s confidence, their street, and eventually even their bed, befriending cul-de-sac outcast, Alan (Hugh Dennis) along the way. But it’s not long before Mia’s past comes back to haunt her, leading Charlotte and Jacob to question who she really is, especially when patients at the hospital start mysteriously dying. One thing is clear – giving in to their desires could have deadly consequences.
Annabel Scholey has performed extensively on stage and is known for her roles in the BBC supernatural drama Being Human in 2009 and as Anne-Marie Blake in the true crime drama miniseries The Sixth Commandment in 2023. She also played the leading role of Maddie in the musical feature film Walking on Sunshine (2014).
Aggy K. Adams is a British actress, born 19th May 1998. Her television roles have included The Witcher (2023). She had a lead role in the film Oh, Ramona! (2019). She was born in Warsaw, Poland, before later living in the United States and eventually settling down with her family in the UK as a child.
CAST AND PRODUCTION CREDITS
CHARLOTTE Annabel Scholey
JACOB Sam Palladio
MIA Aggy K. Adams
LEO Sendhil Ramamurthy
ALAN Hugh Dennis
GEMMA Maimie McCoy
BEN Adam James
YVONNE Tanya Moodie
PRODUCTION CREDITS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER David Allison
Dries Vos
Walter Iuzzolino
Jo McGrath
DIRECTOR Dries Vos
WRITER David Allison
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Diego Dezuttere, SBC
EDITOR Gert Fimmers, Ep. 201, 203, 205, 206
David Verdurme, Ep. 202, 204, 206
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Max Van Essche
COSTUME DESIGNERS Katie Broome
Jutta Smeyers
HAIR & MAKE-UP DESIGNER Morgane Verhelst
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY Hannes De Maeyer
INTIMACY COORDINATOR Vanessa Coffey
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
CHARLOTTE Annabel Scholey
A consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, Charlotte is highly competitive and well-respected at work. Married to Jacob and happily child-free, Charlotte is starting to wonder what’s next – is 20 more years doing exactly what’s expected of her really that appealing? The pressure of her career and of caring for her elderly father sometimes overwhelm her, but it’s not until her ex, Leo, returns, and Mia crashes into her life, that she starts to entertain the thought of cutting loose from it all.JACOB Sam Palladio
Always charming, Jacob loves his wife, Charlotte, and enjoys their verbal sparring, as well as the fact that she is so proficient in the operating room. But buried deep within him are insecurities about his status. Jacob enjoys pushing boundaries and copes with the pressures of his high-octane job with the help of various illicit prescription drugs. Adored by half the junior staff at the hospital, Jacob has always been faithful to Charlotte. But when Mia arrives, it soon becomes clear she might be another drug he can’t quite resist.MIA Aggy K. Adams
New in town, with a very mysterious past, surgical nurse Mia is clearly trying to run from someone or something. With a very un-British attitude toward both work and sex, Mia has an uncanny ability to draw people in and make them desire her. But this can also make her a formidable enemy. When she sees Charlotte and Jacob for the first time, she’s immediately fascinated by them and determined to work her way into their seemingly perfect marriage
LEO Sendhil Ramamurthy
Having had a whirlwind romance with Charlotte during her med school years, Leo’s life has taken a very different path in the years since. He’s travelled the world, working for charities and eschewing the trappings and easy life his family’s wealth could have provided. But now, with his father, Viraj, seriously ill, Leo has returned home. When he sees Charlotte, the old feelings come flooding back. Will he try and win back the woman he’s always loved?
ALAN Hugh Dennis
Isolated and alone since Jean left him a year ago, Alan has had to suffer the scorn of the community, as his crimes towards Becka became more widely known. Now fully recovered from his stroke, he’s been sentenced to community service, completing menial tasks around the local area to repay his debt to society. But has Alan really mended his ways? And if he has, will his past prevent him from ever finding love again?
GEMMA Maimie McCoy
Senior manager at the hospital, and longtime best friend to Charlotte, Gemma’s still struggling to process the end of her marriage to Ben, who left her for a much younger woman. Once she meets the charming, suave Leo, life starts looking up. But with Leo still harboring feelings for Charlotte, can they ever be more than just good friends?
BEN Adam James
Medical director of the hospital, Ben is Jacob’s boss, friend and mentor. In the grip of a mid-life crisis, he has left his wife for Alyssa, the 20-something receptionist at his local gym. She’s beautiful and makes him feel young again, but do they really have anything in common? And, as he watches his ex-wife getting closer to Leo, will he start to feel the pangs of regret?
YVONNE Tanya Moodie
Mia’s closest ally amongst the nursing staff, Yvonne avoids being drawn into the gossip and drama of the hospital. She’s kind and caring, but unlucky in love. Mia thinks she might know the perfect man for her friend – Alan. But can Yvonne overlook Alan’s past? And, if so, will he be able to prove he’s a changed man?
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONSEPISODE 201 Airdate: September 19, 2025 Written by: David Allison Directed by: Dries Vos
When new surgical nurse Mia arrives at the hospital, she quickly turns her charm on married colleagues, Charlotte and Jacob, who can’t help but feel unsettled when she unexpectedly moves into the house next door.EPISODE 202 Airdate: September 26, 2025 Written by: David Allison Directed by: Dries Vos
After a wild night out, Charlotte tries to distance herself from Mia. Charlotte’s ex, Leo, returns to the hospital and at the fundraising ball, his and Jacob’s mutual dislike is palpable. Mia’s reaction to a death at the hospital raises eyebrows.
EPISODE 203 Airdate: October 3, 2025 Written by: David Allison Directed by: Dries Vos
To celebrate their 20-year anniversary, a guilt-ridden Jacob plans a surprise weekend trip to Antwerp for Charlotte.When an unexpected third person turns up, things take an erotic, but dangerous, turn. Back in town, cul-de-sac outcast Alan is forced to put his telescope back into action.
EPISODE 204 Airdate: October 10, 2025 Written by: David Allison Directed by: Dries Vos
Upon her return from Antwerp, Charlotte throws herself into her work. Gossip about the trip spreads through the hospital, leading to tension. Meanwhile, Mia tries to do a good deed for Alan.
EPISODE 205 Airdate: October 17, 2025 Written by: David Allison Directed by: Dries Vos
Jacob comes to a heartbreaking realization, while Mia’s past finally catches up to her leading to tumultuous events for everyone.
EPISODE 206 Airdate: October 24, 2025 Written by: David Allison Directed by: Dries Vos Relationships are imploding and the fallout seems to have deadly consequences. Leo is in a race against time to try and uncover who is really behind the deaths at the hospital, while Alan is forced to take drastic actions to protect Mia.
Interview with Omari Hardwick, Trae Romano and Matthew Loren Oates of the movie, “Xeno” by Suzanne 8/27/25
First, it was really fun to speak with Omari Hardwick, whom (as I mentioned in this video) I interviewed 15 years ago! He was very nice, and humble, in this chat. He plays a great villain (of sorts), named Keyes, in this compelling scifi drama. I hope you can watch the movie because it’s got a lot of heart. It’s definitely worth watching. It premieres Friday, 9/19 in select theaters!
Omari Hardwick
Trae Romano and Matthew Loren Oates
Second, I spoke with Matthew, AKA Mattie, who wrote and directed the movie, as well as actor Trae Romano. It’s very exciting. Trae was one of the stars of this film. I recognized him from the show “Stargirl,” where he played Mike, kid step-brother to the heroine, Courtney. He plays a different character here, Gil, but he’s still on the good guys’ team. The actress who stars in the movie, Lulu Wilson, does a fantastic job as a sad high school girl who discovers something amazing in the desert. Gil is one of her classmates, who clearly has a crush on her. The film sort of reminds me of “E.T.” mixed with “Predator.” I really think they should make it into a TV series because the characters and story are so intriguing. I found the ending to be sad, but I didn’t realize that there’s another clip midway through the credits. Don’t miss that!
Production Company: Hartbeat in association with Tabooma
Director: Matthew Loren Oates
Writer: Matthew Loren Oates
Producers: Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Shana Marie, Jesse Jensen
Production Company: Hartbeat, in association with Tabooma
Distributor: Blue Fox Entertainment
Cast: Lulu Wilson, Omari Hardwick, Trae Romano, Wrenn Schmidt, Paul Schneider, Garrett van der Leun
Tagline: One Bond. Two Worlds.
Logline: A teenage girl and a terrifying alien form a powerful bond after a chance encounter in the desert, sending them on an adventure that questions the nature of good and evil.
Synopsis: A teenage girl and a terrifying alien form a powerful bond after a chance encounter in the desert, sending them on an adventure that questions the nature of good and evil.As government agents close in, the girl discovers the alien is not the extraterrestrial she expected. Compelled to protect her new friend, she uncovers a secret that could change the fate of both their worlds.
Matthew Loren Oates (Director/Writer) was born on 5 November 1981 in Sacramento, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for We Don’t Work (2003), Xeno (2025) and Wasted (2006).
Trae Romano’s (Gil) love of acting came after a summer on the set of the Farrelly Brothers remake of “The Three Stooges”. This was soon followed by 555 with Jane Adams. His breakout performance was starring opposite Beau Bridges in “Robbie”, where he played young Robbie. When Trae isn’t acting and doing school work, he enjoys playing guitar, skateboarding and playing video games with friends. He splits his time between Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Omari Latif Hardwick (Keyes) is an American actor known for his starring role as James St. Patrick / Ghost, the protagonist of Starz’s Power and his role as Vanderohe in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead (2021). He is also known for his roles in Saved and Dark Blue, in Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna (2008), Kick-Ass (2010), Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls (2010),[2] and as Andre in BET Network’s Being Mary Jane.
Interview with David Altrogge (Director) and Roberto Clemente, Jr. of the documentary “Clemente” by Suzanne 8/26/25
This is a very interesting documentary about the late, great baseball player, Roberto Clemente, Jr. It was really wonderful to speak with his son, and the film’s director. As you will see, Roberto Jr. has a lot of his dad’s charisma. They were both very kind when answering my questions. I hope you can see the movie, which opens September 12th in theaters, and if you go to MLB ballpark, it’s also Robert Clemente Weekend! If you’re a fan of history, or baseball, or documentaries, or just of Roberto Clemente, you should enjoy it. Families and kids should enjoy it as well as adults. The movie is not rated at this time, so check your local listings or movie theaters. Can’t get to the movie theater? Then watch it on the History Channel September 23, 8/7 Central time.
Produced By: Mike Blizzard, John Bennett Scanlon, Mary Sabol, Andrew Calvetti, Sarah Altrogge, Jocelyn Hartnett, Keith Ayers, Stephen Turselli; Associate Producers, Luis Mayoral, Matt Paré and Jackson New-Smith
Executive Produced By
Roberto Clemente, Jr., Luis Roberto Clemente, Roberto Enrique Clemente, Richard Linklater, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Duane Rieder, Jamal Henderson, Philip Byron, Steve Burman, Laura Heberton, Jim Evans, Brad Ragland; co-executive produced by Matthew Rissmiller
Run Time: 101 minutes
SYNOPSIS
Clemente is the definitive documentary on the extraordinary life, career, and enduring legacyofMajor League Baseball icon Roberto Clemente. Told through stunning archival footage, never-before-heard recordings, and unprecedented interviews, the film reveals the story of aman who lived by his own uncompromising code. A double outsider—too Black for white America and too Latino for Black America—Clemente refused to stay silent in the face of racism and injustice. Through sheer determination and relentless discipline, he rose from poverty to superstardom, yet never lost sight of those on the margins. Clemente is more than a sports story; it’s a portrait of a man who gave everything—for the game and for others. A powerful, joyful reminder that a life marked by passion, courage, and empathy can truly change the world.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
We live in an age of uncertainty. An age of division. An age where people are asking, “is there good in the world?” The life and legacy of Roberto Clemente answer that question with a resounding “yes!” Roberto lived his life for others. Instead of pursuing the rich, famous, or powerful, he sought out the poor, destitute, and broken. Clemente is a film about a man who gave his all for others. A reminder to the rest of us that an act of kindness, no matter how small, can change the world. A celebration of the power of compassion, generosity, and sacrifice. Since his death over fifty years ago, many have attempted to tell the story of Roberto Clemente the athlete. However, few have told the story of Roberto Clemente the man. I came to this story not primarily interested in Roberto’s prowess on the field. Rather, I was primarily drawn to this story because of the life he lived off the field. A life of sacrifice and kindness, courage and empathy. It was this vision that drew Roberto’s three sons — Roberto Jr., Luis, and Enrique — to the project.
Their support, guidance, and stories have shaped the film in countless ways. In addition to conducting the last interview with Roberto’s late wife, Vera, we’ve been able to secure interviews with some of Roberto’s nearest and dearest friends, people who knew a side of him that was rarely seen in public. Additionally, we’ve been granted unprecedented access to the Roberto Clemente Museum’s extensive archives. Duane Rieder, the executive director of the museum, has amassed tens of thousands of rare photographs, documents, films, and artifacts, many of which have never been seen by the public. Finally, our team has discovered a cache of Roberto Clemente recordings, most of which have not been heard by anyone since the late ’60s. Preserved by Ramiro Martinez, a close friend of Roberto, these tapes present a side of Roberto that, until recently, was lost to history.
Clemente is a film about an athlete and a man who gave his everything for others. A reminder to the rest of us that an act of kindness, no matter how small, can change the world.
– David Altrogge, Writer/Director
FAMILY STATEMENT
We are thrilled to be involved with CLEMENTE, a documentary that shines a light on our father’s life and legacy. The documentary could not be more timely as it marks a cornerstone of a new movement for the Clemente Brand. After 50 years, a legacy as strong as our father’s deserves a fresh perspective for the younger generation, and we are excited for audiences to see what director David Altrogge captured. Over the years, there have been several documentaries, but none where we were involved with producers and worked with the creative teams to accurately and holistically capture all aspects of Roberto Clemente – husband, father, humanitarian, and professional baseball player.
With David, hailing from Pennsylvania and living in Pittsburgh, we quickly found comfort with his involvement in telling the story. We could see his passion for the project from the start. He developed a strong relationship with Duane Rieder, founder of the Roberto Clemente Museum. Rieder’s Museum began as his photography studio, which was turned into a Clemente photo exhibit as decor for a family All-Star Game party in Pittsburgh. At the party, our mother approached Rieder and remarked that he had the beginnings of a museum on his hands. This eventually inspired the creation of Clemente Ground Zero in Pittsburgh.
To see David utilize this space as the backdrop of our mother’s last interview before her demise in 2019 was extremely special and significant to us. It further proved that David was the perfect person to shape this story. Through her grace and love for humanity, our mother, Vera, further solidified the enduring Clemente legacy of goodwill.
We are grateful to David and the Vinegar Hill production team for their dedication in thoroughly exploring aspects of our family’s legacy that are being brought to viewers for the first time. Their attention to detail in presenting this story in impeccable detail is truly commendable.
The most significant impact of this project is the call to action it inspires. Understanding how he lived and died prompts us to reflect on how we can make our own surroundings better. We hope it will inspire viewers to emulate our father’s legacy of kindness, respect, and unity.
As producers of this project, we invite both devoted Clemente fans and newcomers to witness and learn from the worldwide generational impact of our father, “The Great One.” Every year, we learn that thousands of students choose our father as the subject of their school year-end projects. We hope this documentary will provide them with more context and a better look into who he was on and off the field. Our father’s career and life were first and foremost works of love and we are honored to be able to continue to share his story and legacy with the world through this documentary.
– Roberto Clemente Jr and Luis Clemente
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
DAVID ALTROGGE | Director, Writer, and Producer
Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania (the hometown of Jimmy Stewart, in case you were wondering), writer/director David Altrogge produced his first feature-length film in high school. Since then, he has established himself as a filmmaker whose work is inspiring, entertaining, and deeply human. In addition to directing content for some of the globe’s most influential brands (Netflix, Google, and the Discovery Channel, to name a few) his films have been featured by the LA Times, HuffPost, CNN, BBC, and NatGeo. David lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children. When not making films he enjoys painting and writing sappy songs about his family.
ROBERTO CLEMENTE JR | Executive Producer
Roberto Clemente, Jr., eldest son of Roberto Clemente, is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, former broadcaster, and professional baseball player. Roberto Sr. used his platform and immense athletic gift to serve others and devote his short life to helping make the world a better place, something Roberto Jr. has sought to emulate. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the first seven years of Roberto Jr.’s life were spent between Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh, PA. After his father’s untimely death in a 1972 plane crash, while taking relief supplies to Nicaragua earthquake victims, Roberto Jr. became his father’s voice and the spokesperson for the family. He went on to establish the Roberto Clemente Foundation, an organization committed to aiding at-risk youth, disaster relief, and promoting global service leadership. Throughout the last 30 years of the foundation’s existence, Roberto Jr. and the team have helped thousands of children and their families.
LUIS CLEMENTE | Executive Producer
Luis is the second of three sons of Roberto and Vera Clemente. Currently, Luis leads the Clemente Legacy Program. This complex integration of Clemente namesakes, schools, and programs encourages students to become goodwill ambassadors in their communities. Luis is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, making numerous appearances representing the family at Roberto Clemente commemorative tributes throughout the world. As CEO and President of Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente (Roberto Clemente Sports City) and The Roberto Clemente Foundation, Luis has played an integral role in continuing his father’s legacy. Luis and his wife Olga have three sons, Luis Jr. (33), Robby (29), and Bobby (28) and they make their home in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
ROBERTO ENRIQUE CLEMENTE | Executive Producer
Sports journalist Bob Costas, one of the film’s commentators – Courtesy of Clemente Film Ltd.
Roberto Enrique Clemente is the youngest son of Roberto Clemente. He was born in San Juan, PR and played baseball until the age of 13. He’s worked with the Roberto Clemente Foundation since the age of 21 alongside his older brothers Luis Roberto and Roberto Jr. He has committed his life to honoring the legacy of his parents.
RICHARD LINKLATER | Executive Producer
Richard Linklater is the Oscar-nominated director of Boyhood, the Before Trilogy, and Dazed and Confused. He resides in Austin, TX and is a lifelong Roberto Clemente fan.
DUANE RIDER | Executive Producer
Duane Rieder is the founder and executive director of the Clemente Museum. Over the last twenty years, he has gathered one of the largest, most comprehensive Clemente archives in the world.
MIKE BLIZZARD | Producer
Mike Blizzard is the producer of the award-winning NO NO: A DOCKUMENTARY, which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. More recently Mike has teamed with Oscar-nominated writer/director Richard Linklater as producer of the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, the animated Netflix film APOLLO 10 ½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD, and HIT MAN – which premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals and will be released in theaters and on Netflix in 2024. Mike currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Austin Film Society, and previously served two terms as Board President.
ABOUT VINEGAR HILL
Founded in 2007, Vinegar Hill is a Pittsburgh-proud production company and storytelling outfit. In addition to producing content for some of the globe’s most influential organizations, their films have been featured by the Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, RogerEbert.com, LA Times, HuffPost, CNN, BBC, and NatGeo. www.VinegarHill.film
ABOUT VANTAGE PICTURES
Founded in 2022 by Jim Evans (of Untitled Inc.) and Keith Ayers, Vantage Pictures specializes in creating high-quality content across a range of genres with a focus on telling underdog stories. The company has several projects in active development, including the sports documentary series Clutch with director Jingyi Shao (Chang Can Dunk) and SMAC Entertainment producing, and the thriller Do Not Disturb with Tate Donovan attached to direct. Vantage is also developing a feature film based on the book Spinning the Globe about the origin of the Harlem Globetrotters and is in preproduction on a feature documentary about philosopher Alan Watts with Religion of Sports.
ABOUT UNITERRUPTED
UNINTERRUPTED is the award-winning athlete storytelling brand within The SpringHill Company (TSHC), founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, that combines revolutionary content, experiences and consumer products. Since 2015, the UNINTERRUPTED brand has existed to partner with athletes to invite the sports community to celebrate the humanity in sport through culturally connected content. as creators to help the world reimagine the athlete’s world beyond sport through culturally connected content. UNINTERRUPTED original content properties and franchises include Top Class, More Than An Athlete, Iman Amongst Men and more. Studio projects within the unscripted and documentary space for UNINTERRUPTED include What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali, Greatness Code, Top Class, Golden: The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts, The Redeem Team and more. For more information follow @UNINTERRUPTED on social media.
Interview with J. Eddie Peck of “The Young and The Restless” on CBS by Suzanne 7/24/25
It was awesome to speak with J. Eddie! I used to watch him play Cole on “Young and The Restless” 32 years ago when he first appeared in 1993. I’d been watching the show since 1986, when I was in college. Like many young people back then, I picked up the soap habit in college – between classes or while at home on vacation. He’s incredibly handsome and made a good couple with all of the women they paired him up with, especially Victoria (played then by Heather Tom); her mom, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott); and Ashley (Shari Shattuck and then Eileen Davidson back then). It was wonderful that they brought him back last year, not only to reunite him with Victoria (now played by Amelia Heinle), but to show that they have a long-lost daughter, Claire (Hayley Erin). Heinle and Peck had immediate chemistry; they’d previously played lovers Jake and Mia on “All My Children” in 2003.
Unfortunately, the powers-that-be on Y&R wrote Cole out by killing him off with Legionnaires’ disease in early July. This was very disappointing to fans of his, and of fans of the couple Cole and Victoria, and their family with Claire. That happens quite often on the soaps, and in TV in general, usually do to cutting costs, or contract negotiations, or because of some other reason – they don’t let us know these things. Peck was originally brought in for a short-term return, so it was great when they decided to keep him around longer and give him story. We wish it had lasted longer! Perhaps one day they’ll bring him back. As they always say, you’re never really dead in the soaps.
We had a very nice, long chat. I hope you enjoy it! There are also quite a few other questions that I didn’t have time to ask, but he kindly answered them via email.
TRANSCRIPT (not finished proofreading this yet)
Suzanne: So it’s great to see you.
JEP: Thank you, Suzanne. It’s a pleasure to be on with you today and I, I appreciate you reaching out to do [this].
Suzanne: Oh, yeah. Well, first off, let me get something out of the way that I’m sure all your fans are asking. Do you know why “Young and the Restless” decided to kill off Cole?
JEP: Oh, wow. That’s, uh. Excuse me. Um, that’s a really good question. Um, well first, Suzanne, it, it, it took me by surprise.
Suzanne: Right?
JEP: Obviously when Cole– (thank you, son) when Cole got sick, or started with the cough, my first thought was, “he’s gonna have this cough. He’s gonna get sick. He might get really sick ’cause it’s lingering for a long time.” I know the fans, fans, viewers, were very, keen to, Hey, we’ve seen this before. I think they’re gonna write this character off. me, on the other hand, I, I really had a lot of faith, that, um, it was working well for Cole and I. Over at the show, I really felt like, it was starting to really click with, Amelia Heinle, who plays Victoria, and the relationship with Claire. I just thought there was a really nice family dynamic that may have been slightly a different tone than some of the other family. Relationships. I just felt like we, we, we had a certain unique uniqueness to us.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And I felt like, all of the goods were there, if you will, all of the history, right….three, you know, good actors, lots of history, lots of stuff to work with. So I felt like this was gonna be something that they were going to utilize to, move Cole into the tack house, which. It seemed as though we were going in that direction.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And then, um, Victoria would nurse Cole back to health and that would, that would quickly speed up their relationship.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: So they could take us to a different place in their relationship.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And possibly even, you know, remarry, that sort of thing.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: So, uh. Actually that was not the intent and it never really was the intent. That was me, the wishful actor thinking, Hey, this is working. Yeah, for what it really was. Josh Griffin, our executive producer, head writer, he had given me a call and he was so, so kind and gracious and, and and just, just really a very, very heartfelt conversation that we had. And he says, you know, J. Eddie, we only intended on bringing you back for a couple of days. You know, we saw you at the 50th and everybody got to talk and said, Wow, J. Eddie, you look great.
Suzanne: Gee.
JEP: It was a lot of chatter. And, and the fans have wanted Cole to come back for some time and, you know, due to the 50th, they brought a lot of people back for cameos and things. So I looked as though, Hey, we’re gonna stay back for a couple of days. This might be interesting and fun.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, um. Then he said, but we liked you. You know, we like the dynamic with you and Amelia and Haley. And he said, and we just really liked you. He said, I just, I love what you did and I just continued to write for you. So, and, and so really, um, everything beyond that two days, Suzanne was really a gift. And something, I’m very, very grateful for. And, it’s been really, really nice, you know, at this time in my life to be able to go back and play the role that I love so much. And, so I’m very, very grateful for that. And he did his thing. I think, you know, Josh says, we gotta kill Cole, to take Victoria and Claire where we need them to go.
Suzanne: Ah.
JEP: So I don’t know exactly what that means.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: But I do believe that there’s obviously gonna be a big story, you know, a big setup for those characters. And, and Cole was kind of the sacrificial lamb, I guess, if you will, to propel those characters emotionally, you know, where [it] can take them, so…
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: They’ll do their ride, and I wish that was along for it, but, you know, yeah. Again, I’m grateful for the 20 months that I did get.
Suzanne: Well, even though they did kill him off, they could bring him back because it’s a soap and anything’s possible, right?
JEP: Yeah, yeah, yeah. There’s been, there’s been a lot of chatter , even when, you know, it was first learned, over at the show, I had at least half the directors come to me and say, “Ah, you’ll be back,” but who knows? You know what I mean? Who knows? I mean, that’s fine. I mean, listen, I, I certainly can’t guess any of this stuff.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And so, yeah, who knows.You know, I mean, Josh is very, very creative. If he ever woke up in the middle of the night, says, you know what? And may, Hmm, that might’ve been a mistake. Let’s bring that cowboy back.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: You know, so, yeah.
Suzanne: And I mean, I could say this because people say that about me, but you don’t look your age at all, so….
JEP: Oh, yeah. Thank you.
Suzanne: I mean, they can easily bring you back in 10 years. You’ll still look great.
JEP: Oh, well, I don’t know about that, but, um, you know, when I went back for the 50th, I made a big mistake, Suzanne, when I went back for the 50th, I was so anxious to take my wife, you know. We were really excited and whatnot, and she says, “You know what? You don’t want to take me. Take Austin” – my son, my oldest son, and really, Austin’s like, “Dad, I’d love to go. This might be my only chance to ever go with you, you know, for something like that. Sure. I’d love to go.” Well, Suzanne — and he’s not in the room so I can say this — My son is six foot seven, and better looking than [me] on my best day in life. So I take this guy that completely upstages me. I mean, if you can look all over the internet, and there’s all these pictures of him at the 50th, and he’s not an actor, you know, he’s kind of a, I hate to say “struggling musician”, but, you know, somewhat of a struggling musician and he is all over the place. ’cause simply because the people are like, my gosh, who is that six?
Suzanne: Is he the one that was wearing the mustache and beard in the picture you sent me?
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: Yeah. You know.
JEP: Oh yeah, yeah. That’s him.
Suzanne: He looked a little bit, and I can’t remember the actor’s name. Don um, Don… something… that used to play Brad on “Young and the Restless.”
Yes. He looks a lot like him. yeah. Yeah. He has a bit of, a bit of a bit of that, a bit of that, that, yeah. He has blackness in his black hair. Yeah, he is very dark. Yeah.
Suzanne: So tell us, um. How it came about. Let’s go back a little bit to 2023, when you returned to as Cole after 26 years.
Hard to believe it was 26 years. You see, I’m gonna interrupt you. Oh, doggie. Hi baby. Aww.
Suzanne: There’s your little baby
is a rescue that I’ve had eight months and I just adore him. He is such a sweet boy. I love him so much.
Suzanne: Boy, he’s so cute.
Oh, I’m sorry to interrupt, Chris.
No, that’s fine. You can always interrupt.
You’re just looking up at me. Daddy, you’re ignoring me. You’re not talking with me.
Suzanne: I put mine in the back room because she’ll bark. She might.
JEP: Oh yeah. Well, I’ve got, I’ve got a house full of dogs here. They must, I’m so sorry. Must than mine. You were asking, you were asking me a question. I’m so sorry.
Suzanne: No, that’s okay. How did it come about back in, 2023 when they asked to come on the show?
JEP: Oh, well, yeah, that’s a good question. Again, you know, Y&R had its 50th anniversary, and they had a special event.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And, uh. You know, I’d been off the show at that time. I was off the show about 23 and a half years.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And they hadn’t seen me in a long time. Well, I shouldn’t say that. I mean, they, they have invited me back for anniversaries and things like that. They’ve been really nice to me over the years and always invited me back. But they hadn’t seen me at that in that time. I don’t know, maybe in about five years or something like that. So when I showed up and everything, my son and I, we went… my son’s very western… we went wearing our Western gear. Just, you know, let’s just, let’s kind of go, let’s just go being us, you know, I don’t have to dress looking all soapy. And, and I think it just kind brought more attention and just people went, “Well, who…? Oh hey, that’s J. Eddie. Oh, oh my gosh, that’s Jay Eddie.” And, you know, so a lot of the network people saw me and, uh, and this and that, and they kinda got the idea, “Wow, we ought to bring him back for the Blast From The Past event.”
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: So I got a call maybe a couple of months later, and YR was doing their very first Blast From The Past. And I’d asked Kathy Thomas, “Who else is doing the Blast From The Past?” She says, “Well, you’re the first one we called.” I said, “Oh, great. Okay.” So II did that. They brought back alumni from —
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: From B&B, “Young and the Restless”, and by far, I was the longest person to be off the show, so I really– I told my wife, I said, I don’t really know if I want to go to this Blast From The Past. She says, “Well, why?” I said, “It’s gonna be embarrassing,” I said, “because no one is gonna know who I am.” I’d been off the show almost 24 years at that point. And I said, “No one’s gonna know me. It’s gonna be embarrassing.” So Suzanne, when I showed up, thankfully it was amazing how many fans were our fans back in the nineties and were Cole fans back then. And I got a very, very unexpected reception.
Suzanne: Oh.
JEP: And um, so, uh. You know, um, I guess I didn’t know this, but what I was told by another producer is that before that even happened, Josh already said, I wanna bring J. Eddie Peck back for something. I’ve gotta figure out what it is, right? And then about, oh, a couple of days after this Blast From The Past, one of these soap predictors that we see on YouTube – that predicts what’s going on?
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And a reputable one, said, “J. Eddie Peck is coming back to Young and Restless.” And whenever that announcement came out, my phone lit up.
Suzanne: Oh wow.
JEP: And I was like, “Oh my gosh. I hope Y&R doesn’t think that I’m announcing that I’m going back to Y&R.” I hope they don’t think I’m that guy.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And my phone just looks… I immediately get on my social media, and I said, “Hey, not going back to Young and Restless. I don’t know what the rumor is. I don’t know why anyone would say that. I’m not in talks with Y&R. I’m not going back to Y&R. Not happening, but thanks for asking. You know, thanks for inquiring” and so, about two weeks after that… So, I would say it was around, August 18th or 20th, I get a call. I’m sitting on my patio having a coffee. My son was visiting again, so I’m having a coffee with my wife and my son. And it’s Greg Salmon, casting director of Y&R. He says, J. Eddie. this is Greg. Are you getting my messages?” I said, “No, Greg. What messages?” He said, “Well, I’ve been emailing you, and I’ve left you messages. And he says, “Listen. We wanna bring you back to the show.” He said, “Are you interested?” And I just start laughing. I’m laughing and I, and I’m shedding tears. So I said, “Oh, great. This is hilarious.” I said, “This rumor got out a couple of weeks ago .”I said, “I guess it’s true! I’m the last one to know.” See, here I am, Suzanne. I’m the last one to know that I’m going back to the show, and I’m the last one to know, “Hey, stupid, you’re fired.”
Suzanne: That’s funny. But anyway, there are so many rumors out there, all the time about…
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: About soaps and actors.
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: Yeah, there are. I mean, I always tell people, Don’t believe anything at all until you see it in a verified publication because you just don’t know, and it’s just speculation most of the time. Even if it turns out to be true, it’s not necessarily true [when you read it] and you shouldn’t depend on it and spread it.
JEP: Well. It’s like you said, oftentimes it’s speculative.
Suzanne: Well, yeah.
JEP: You know, maybe, maybe something is a rumor or a thought, but then, you know, once it gets out there, people may think it’s gonna happen, right?
Suzanne: Yeah, exactly. So, well, so you had a great deal of chemistry with everyone on the show, particularly Haley, who played Cole’s daughter —
JEP: Thank you.
Suzanne: Claire, and Amelia, who plays Victoria, the love of Cole’s life.
JEP: Yes.
Suzanne: Can you talk about working with them?
JEP: Oh, well. Yeah. I will start off with Haley. Haley is — I think she’s about the age or so — she’s somewhere between my two adult sons, and… I don’t have a daughter, but, I mean, for maybe the second day that I worked with her, I just really felt a connection with her in a fatherly way. And I think what that is, is she’s such a special young lady, you know? She’s a mother, a wife. She’s classy, she’s unique. I feel like Haley has a maturity and, almost like a throwback to another era.
Suzanne: Hmm.
JEP: She’s not your typical young lady of her age. She’s not even your typical actor of her age. You know, she has a really wonderful, wonderful quality about her, and I just found it endearing, and I just connected in…when I say connected, I mean, Cole just really connected with what she was giving me [as an actor], and um, I’ve always had in my mind the history of where Cole was, what’s happened in his life, his loves… His disappointments. I knew that Cole never had children over the years. I knew that Cole never had a deep, meaningful relationship when he was gone all of that time. That was truly always the way that I had seen him in my mind. And it was uncanny how the writers picked up on his history exactly the way that I had seen it. And, you know, because they could have easily said, well, Cole was married and divorced and he lost his wife.
Suzanne: Right?
JEP: And, you know, all different kinds of things. I knew that he had never had a deep, meaningful relationship. And, they actually brought that up in a conversation between Cole and Victoria one day. She had said to him, “Well, Cole, you’re a, a professor at Oxford and you must have run across and had a number of relationships and things of that nature,” and he said, “Well, I had a trist or two, but I never really had any deep, meaningful relationship, and that truly is the way I always saw this character. I always saw him… even when he was married to Ashley, [whom] he cared a great deal for, but his true love was always Victoria. And that’s why he went, you know, he went outside his marriage…He, I just, I think so much was just the way I played him, the way that Bill wrote him, that even back in the day, I was always trying to steer it back to Victoria, even when I was working with Ashley.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And, and I really enjoyed working with those actresses, Shari and Eileen… I loved it, and I loved the Ashley character. Wonderful character.
Suzanne: Right. She’s great.
JEP: Yeah. But, um. I felt Cole’s heart was always with Victoria. And so when Amelia took over that role in, [2004], just prior to that, She was on “All My Children” [as Mia].
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And I had several different love interests on “All My Children” for the time that I was there.
Suzanne: Sure.
JEP: But Amelia was my last one. And Cole, or excuse me –Jake and Mia actually got engaged right just before I left the show, so there was a connection there, there was a night, there was a friendship there that Amelia and I had, and I thought we had a really nice chemistry on that show, just from absolutely, from the get go.There was just some nice chemistry there.
Suzanne: So yeah, I watched that one too, so I–
JEP: Oh, good. Oh, wonderful. Well, thank you for even remembering. It was so long ago.
Suzanne: It was a long time ago.
JEP: Yeah, it was, it was long ago. But, but anyway, um, yeah, I absolutely believed that all the goods were there. You know, if they had chose to go more that direction and for a longer period of time, I just really believed that Cole’s relationship with Claire, and the chemistry, that the three of us had, which is, eh, it was fun.
Suzanne: It was, it was unique, I think, and I think it worked.
JEP: The other thing too, Suzanne, is that I hate to use the word designed, but I guess you could say that I saw a path for Cole. Um, his personality, his history, his love and devotion. He’s a hopeless romantic. He has a sense of humor. He’s a strong male who will fight for the deaths for his family and anything he believes in. I knew I had the fire in the belly, if you will, as an actor, just like I do as a father and a husband in real life. And, I knew that I could make that character very, very interesting if I had the opportunity to do more with it. And especially at this time in my life. You know, this time in my life, I’m a very different person
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: Than I what I was 20, 25 years ago. You know, fatherhood and life and ups and downs, and reinventing myself – as I had to do when I left acting. All these kinds of things, you know, have deepened me as a person, and it’s kind of shaped me into a different person than who I was in the 1990s.
Suzanne: Well, that’s, I guess that’s the best of what happens to us as we get older and mature and we–
JEP: Yeah. Fully become better people.
Suzanne: Absolutely.
JEP: Absolutely. And I think that’s what makes it so interesting, you know, for all actors, as we all get, get older, I think…motherhood, for the ladies that I’ve worked with, whether it was Amelia, whether it was Heather Tom, you know. I know, as Heather, whom I worked all those years ago, she was just this young– this young lady with this tremendous amount of talent. I know that she, she’s a different person today. You know, she’s had a very long, successful marriage and she’s a mother and all the years of experience and her close relationship with her mother and things that she had, and all these things really shape all of us. And I think that’s what makes daytime such a dynamic medium is that we see these characters grow and evolve from their youth and through their trials and tribulations to hopefully [become] seasoned, mature, interesting people.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And it’s not just the characters, it’s us, too, [and] that’s what makes the storylines so much more compelling and more interesting in this medium than anywhere else. And that is, that we see and experience the life that these characters go through and how that changes them.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And generally for the better character.
Suzanne: The character development is great… has always been great on soaps. Anyway, is there anything else that you’d like to tell us about working on the show, and if you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories?
JEP: Well, let me think here. Funny and behind-the-scenes…
Suzanne: You know, anything you’re allowed to tell.
JEP: Yeah, exactly. Well, you know, at Y&R, I think I grew up a lot. By the time I got toY&R, even in the nineties, you know. When I was on Days of our Lives, we were stinkers, you know, and especially me. I had to be one of the worst. (Bye honey. My wife’s checking out. ) I had to be one of the worst when it came to just doing stupid pranks, stupid stuff. But my fellow actor buddies on the show. Oh gosh. I hate to even tell some of the stuff I used to do. But anyway, yeah, over there, there was a lot of, you know, we were just young, younger guys and, just a lot of crazy stuff. I know we did have showers in our dressing rooms, and, of course, why not? We always had a shower in the dressing room, so if you choose to shower at work and shower in the dressing room… “All My Children”, we did not have showers in a dressing room.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And at days, most of the time I was there.. actually, I was one of the few people who did have a shower in a dressing room because I had Redd Foxx’s dressing room, which meant you had to walk through a whole ‘nother empty stage to get to the main stage. And a lot of the actors went, “Mike, I don’t wanna walk that far. Just, just gimme one of the close rooms.” And I was like, “Wait a minute. That room’s got a shower, and it’s got a steam. I take it, I want that room. I don’t care how far I gotta walk.” But before I took that room, Suzanne, there was a downstairs area that– most of us guys were downstairs. Most all of us were. And we’d have to shower, you know, down in the community shower and whatnot. You didn’t have a separate stall, but, and I think there was just two showers. There might have been one. I think there was two. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There was two. And, so when, you know, Michael Easton or Robert Mailhouse, when they would be in their showering or whatever, man, I’d, I’d sneak down there. I’d sneak in there and I’d grab, they’d have freezing cold water. I could get that outside in the hallway, not the tap, but really, really cold stuff. They’d be in their shower and I’d be dousing them with the cold water — just mean, stupid stuff, you know?
Suzanne: Yeah, yeah.
JEP: And then a lot of other funny stuff that I, I really can’t tell, but, we were always cutting up and doing things. What it was at Y&R, you know, for whatever reason, it wasn’t as juvenile as what I was allowed to be on some of the other shows. Again, I was more mature, so where by the time I went to “All My Children,” I wasn’t doing any shenanigans. And then, you know, after I left Days and went to Y&R, there were no shenanigans. I’m trying to think of, if the other folks did stuff.
Suzanne: You know, I heard that the actor that plays Nick, um…
JEP: Oh yeah. He is a practical joke. Nick is, yeah, Josh is, Josh is hilarious. He’s, he’s very, very funny. He’s, he’s a very special individual. Um, I just have so much respect for Josh because I remember when he came in his very first day, and he, Josh, was originally from Oklahoma, and he had been living out in the LA area in the valley for a short amount of time.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, going to school, playing basketball for our junior college. (And I got Pilgrim saying, he’s just handing me his ball, handing me his bosses. Come on, dad’s ball time.) Hopefully he’ll stop. But anyway, I remember when Josh first came in and. I wanna say he was 19, I think he was 19 years old. He was pretty young. You know, those first scenes, I was doing those first scenes with him. He [played] Victoria’s brother…But I was gonna say, he’s just a great guy with a tremendous sense of humor. All of the younger guys on the show are all super special. I mean, they’re just, they’re great guys. They’re great individuals. Um. Pots of gold. Everybody’s a just a really good person. Everybody’s so solid. I’ve said to my sons, when I look at my cast members, these are people that are fortunate, but these aren’t people who got lucky.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: These are people that are so special and unique. [They] have a multitude of gifts and qualities, which put them in a position to where they could win that special job. And then when they won that special job, they grew from there and they improved and they were professional and they’ve hung on, you know, to those roles. And trust me when I tell you that these are not just lucky people who happen to land on a soap. I think that. Sometimes there were those people maybe 30 years ago or more. But, I really think, especially with our cast over at Y&R
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: These are really talented, deserving, people that have these coveted jobs and roles and characters that we love. You know, they’re wonderful. I’m a huge fan of my cast on that show, as it was every cast that I ever worked with.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: They’re just really special talented people that don’t take anything for granted. They’re professional. People know their stuff. They show up prepared. There’s no slacking, they’re good. I have seen people that, I don’t wanna say slacked off, but maybe weren’t as professional prepared, you know?
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And that’s not slacking. It’s just like some people just have a problem getting that material down, Suzanne. It’s hard to deliver it. Well, and the people I work with are a lot better at it than I am. They’re really, really good at it. And they’re tremendous and, anyway, but funny stories…Let’s see. Do I have anything? I’m sure you know that there are, um. But I can’t. I can’t.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: No, they cannot for anything. You know, I will say that, in the nineties and everything, um, I used to socialize a lot more with a cast.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, you know, we’d go to the Emmy’s and we’d all go hang out and go out to dinner and go out dancing and all those kinda things and–
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And even over the show, you know, I used to socialize a lot with the cast and, and maybe, I don’t know what it is now, but… This time coming back? I’m friends, but I never really socialized, you know? Probably ’cause most of the people who do the socializing, you know, were younger than me, and I’m that guy that would finish up with work and, say, “Oh my gosh, I’d love to go do this. Or I’d love to go meet a friend for a while. I gotta race home…” Because I was always rescuing dogs, you know?
Suzanne: Right, right.
JEP: Oh, I can’t leave my wife with. 15 million dogs at the house. I gotta, I gotta rush home.
Suzanne: And how long have you been doing the dog fostering and rescue?
JEP: Um, well, my mother had an animal rescue, when I grew up as a boy in Joplin, Missouri. So, she kind of initiated me with that when I would get home from school. If I didn’t have sports after school, then I was, I was racing home to bottle-feed, to clean up after the puppies, or clean the kennels or do something, or, she’d say,” Hey, I need you to go with me. We’re gonna go pick up a doll.”
Suzanne: She trained you and all that.
JEP: She trained me with all that. Exactly. That’s good. But what she really did was that she opened my eyes to the plight of the dogs. You know, we have the same issues today that we did in the 1970s, which is spaying and neutering, educating – get getting people to spay and neuter their animals. We have overpopulation.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm
We have dogs that are going in the shelter situations, and the shelters are overrun all over the country. And obviously, a lot of shelters euthanize, and that’s what we have out here inL.A. You know, most euthanize. And what I try to do is I try to help find the homes, and place, and bring attention to the dogs that are on the 72-hour list. So, you know. My time is limited.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And there’s a lot of things that I want to do at this time in my life. I’m 66 years old, and I wanna make the best use of my time while I have my health and things. But to be honest with you, Suzanne, my wife and I are up every single night, following the plight of these dogs. We get alerts and things of the situations and dogs that are critical. We just can’t– you can’t turn your back on it.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: You know, it’s just not something that I can just walk away from and, oh gee, that’s a bad problem. And I can’t, and I just feel compelled to try to, to do more, to try to help these animals, to educate people more, too. So I am trying to, more so than, “Hey, I’m gonna try to place and find a home for this particular dog,” which I do a lot of, but I’ve exhausted my Rolodex. I’ve exhausted every friend, family [member] — people see me coming, you know, on area over area. So place the dog, can we help it? Can we keep it? Can we foster it? You know?
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: So what I’m trying to do now is, I’m trying to do fundraising. I’m trying to expand more on the education of people throughout my entire area and things. We have a lot of folks in Los Angeles that are from all over the world, and folks from all over the world have different cultures, and different cultures that the way in which they view spaying and neutering and things of that nature. So there’s an educational campaign, that I really think that we need to do. And I’m working with that. I’m working with raising money, particularly for my shelter here in Santa Clarita. I did a fundraiser here about four months ago that, thankfully, I had some really nice people that did the heavy lifting.
Suzanne: Good
JEP: That really did the most of the work for me. But we were able to raise some good money. Then I’m involved with another, philanthropist-type of person here, within my community. And we have a big gala coming up on November 1st.
Suzanne: Well, thank you so much.
Here are the rest of the questions that we didn’t have time for:
Suzanne: How did you get into the Airbnb business? Have you ever booked any soaps fans (either inadvertently or on purpose)?
JEP: I had remodel and resale experience. One son is in commercial real estate, the other has history in residential. At the beginning of the pandemic we set our sights on finding the worst house in a nice neighborhood with a great location. Within a few weeks, we found it: a corner lot with a city view.
My son, Austin, created the interior and exterior design, and I got to work—taking the house down to the studs and rebuilding what we call a rustic mid/century farmhouse—remodeled inside and out, including re-plastering the pool and landscape.
The house is very quiet and private. A nice alternative for those looking to avoid hustle and bustle of Los Angeles while being just 7 minutes from Six Flags Magic Mountain, 25 minutes to Universal Studios and an hour from Disneyland during low traffic times.
Last year the house was booked 92% of the time, and we’ve met some wonderful people from every continent in the world. To your question: Yes, I have been recognized a few times. A few months ago I dropped-in to clean the pool. The female guest walked outside, I waved “hello,” she took a long pause then ran back inside the house. After a few minutes a man comes out and shyly says: “I know this is crazy, but my wife is convinced you’re the actor, JEP on the Young and the Restless?” I think even he was surprised when I said, “Yes.” I was pretty sure they were both wondering why an actor on her show is cleaning the pool? I said, “It’s a family biz and we are very hands on. I’m the guy who fixes everything and does the pools.”
The B&B business takes a lot of work. When something breaks—and it will, it’s gotta be remedied right away. There are days when I rather be acting on B&B than be the AirBnB biz. But this is about doing business ventures with my sons, and nothing is more rewarding than that.
Suzanne: I saw a video on your Instagram where you said something like, you would like to go to another soap. Are you going out for auditions in general?
JEP: I think what I mentioned was I’d love to work on another soap. It’s hard to beat the daytime medium when it comes to finding roles with depth. So yes, I love to work on any of the daytime shows. Whether it be B&B, GH, reprising my role of Hawk Hawkins on Days, or creating a new one on “Beyond The Gates.”
Suzanne: Some questions from fans:
Monica wants to know what your favorite storyline on Y&R was?
JEP: Without a doubt, my favorite storyline on the “Young and the Restless” was the early days when Cole and Victoria discovered one another, fell in love, only to marry and find out that they were half brother and sister.
I got a call from Bill Bell one night telling me that he loved the chemistry between Heather Tom and I (when Cole and Vic first met in the tack house where Cole lived). I said, “Oh that’s great. I really enjoy working with her, but we are brother and sister.” Bill followed with: “Hey, you don’t worry about that. That’s my job. You just keep doing what you’re doing—I like you two together. You’re the first actor to have chemistry with the kid, and I’ll figure out how to make it work.” Of course, we know the rest of the story, Victor exhumed Cole’s mother (Eve) from the grave, did a DNA test, and as it turned out, Cole was NOT Victor’s so,n and he and Victoria were reunited. That made much of the audience happy and I was glad to be working with such a brilliant young lady. Heather’s depth was far beyond her years, and I loved working with her. Bill Bell’s stories through the 90s were wonderful, and I was honored to be a part of that era.
Suzanne: Eva writes Y&R recaps for our site. She asks if you have any kind of message for the fans that miss you on Y&R?
JEP: When I got the call from Josh Griffith that he was going to kill Cole, it caught me by such surprise that all I could think about was how grateful I was to have the opportunity to come back and play the role for 20 months. And now, after some time has gone by, it’s really hit me on how much I enjoyed Cole’s return and sad to see it end in his death. Reading viewer comments—some of which are fans from the 90s—touched me deeply. It made me feel I’d left some kind of mark on the show, and at the end of the day, that’s what all of us actors are hoping for.
I think I had over 7,000 comments for two short posts that I put out on my departure. I announced I was going to read every one of them, and I did. It took me about 3 1/2 weeks to read them all. So my message to the fans : Thanks so much for your kind, heartfelt words of support that have helped me feel a little better about Cole’s demise. Wishing you and your family the very best! ❤️
Suzanne: Janet asks, “Where does your next adventure take you to?”
JEP: I’m not sure…and it’s kind of exciting not knowing, really, what lies ahead. I do know that whether it’s on another show, a Lifetime movie, or my own YouTube channel—which I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, I promise I will bring heart, depth and worthy content that our Y&R viewers deserve.
Suzanne: Chris wants to know where you would have liked to see the dynamic of Claire, Victoria and Cole go in the future?
JEP: Hey Chris, thanks for your question. Yeah, I would have liked to have seen the story go exactly in the direction that me as the actor and Cole as the character were hoping and pushing for since Cole’s return to GC. Obviously, Cole’s first priority is the health and well-being of his daughter, Claire, followed by his unconditional support for helping Victoria reach whatever goals she was after in her life. As far as Cole, Victoria was the love of his life since leaving Genoa City 24 years earlier. He never forgot about his one true love and was never able to move on and find a fulfilling relationship. As Cole once told Victoria, “Yeah, sure, I had a tryst with a colleague every now and then, but nothing that ever went anywhere.” Cole’s wish was to remarry Victoria and become the family unit that he always wanted with his daughter, Claire.
Suzanne: Chris also asks, “If you have a dream job or role to play, what would that be?”
JEP: Chris, I became an actor because I wanted to tell stories. I wanted to play characters with depth, heart, and passion. Characters that were appealing, unpredictable, within stories that inspire people to hopefully become better people.
I also have a rather deep sense of humor. I like to bring some level of humor to all my characters . Unfortunately, this time around there wasn’t much room for humor, romance or courtship. The depth of Claire’s story, Aunt Jordan, and Victoria dealing with it all, left little opportunity for Cole’s personality to shine. If there was room, I would have brought it, and it would have been a lot harder for them to get rid of me, I can promise you that.
A veteran actor of eight television series; actor, producer, writer, director and host, J. Eddie Peck has both domestic and international appeal. Once known by millions of viewers around the world due to his thirteen-year stint in daytime television as Cole Howard on CBS’s number one daytime drama, The Young and the Restless, Hawk Hawkins on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, and as Dr. Jake Martin on ABC’s, All My Children. In addition, his starring roles on Dallas and Dynasty are still aired throughout the world. In fact, J. Eddie is one of the very few actors to have a front-burner storyline on two primetime series simultaneously.
Peck has also starred in fourteen films and several hit Movies-of-the-Week. One being the major release dance movie, Lambada, a Gene Siskel “top ten” rental pick-of-the- year. The film was an idea J. Eddie pitched and sold to the studio as a writer, and was later cast as the film’s lead. Peck also starred with the Olsen Twins in the lighthearted comedy, To Grandmother’s House We Go, one of ABCs most successful TV movies of the 90’s, and still a holiday classic today.
Eddie recurred as the world’s “second” smartest human in the role of scientist, Adam Baylin on ABC Family’s all-time highest rated series, KYLE XY. Originally hired for a two-episode guest star, the show opted to bring Peck’s character back from the dead enabling him to return in seventeen of the last 27 episodes.
Once voted by “Teen Magazine” as “TV’s Sexiest New Star,” JEP is one of a small few daytime male stars to shoot the cover of “TV Guide” magazine. He also appeared on eleven daytime covers within his first twelve months on The Young and the Restless, as well as over 75 National magazine covers throughout his daytime career.
While at CBS, the network approached the actor about an “at home special” featuring Peck and his family on their California horse ranch. Originally slated for daytime viewing, CBS later decided to air the show as a prime-time special. The show caught the attention of the network’s executives, and as a result J. Eddie was soon hired by the network, and approved by the pageant owner, Donald Trump, to host the Miss Teen USA, and later, the Miss USA, which proved to be the highest rated USA Pageant in CBS history.
Eddie has also been a guest on over 50-television talk shows, including The Today Show, GMA, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Good Day LA, Regis and Kathie Lee, and Donahue. The former disc jockey also enjoys holding the mic, having hosted for E-Entertainment’s Pure Soap and Along for the Ride with J. Eddie Peck, an equestrian lifestyle show which he created and executive produced. In addition, Peck served as guest correspondent for Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Crook and Chase, as well as a celebrity panelist on 22 episodes of the syndicated game show, Match Game.
Eddie’s created scripted and unscripted programming as well. He’s sold or optioned several feature scripts; a one-hour scripted drama, as well as a one-hour pilot for Animal Planet. Currently, he is in development with “Flippin’ The Bird,” a reality pilot featuring an interesting cast of characters and their vintage-aircraft restoration business out of Ozark, Missouri. Also in 2023, J. Eddie co-stars in Bright Ideas, a Ronn Head-directed, independent comedy currently hitting film festivals and expecting a distribution deal within the year.
From the executive level in entertainment, J. Eddie was brought on by TAMD Multimedia Corporation from 2009 to 2010 as Senior VP of Acquisitions. Mr. Peck expanded his executive level work outside the studio realm when he was hired from 2012 to 2016 as the CEO & President of the national financial services company, AmeriPrem LLC. In addition, he served a five-year term as consultant and national spokesman for the healthcare company, AmeriPlan USA.
Outside of entertainment J. Eddie’s lifelong passion for building and remodeling to restoring old cars and trucks, J.Eddie is usually juggling several projects at a time. Most of all, he enjoys doing all of the above with his wife, Sonya, and their two adult sons. The kid who booked a national commercial within his first 24 hours in Hollywood because they liked his “Ozark Twang,” is still the same guy today — only a little less accent, and a few more credits.
In October of 2023, J. Eddie Peck reprised his role of Cole Howard on CBS’s number one daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Cole’s managed to rekindle his relationship with his former wife and long-time love interest, Victoria Newman, played by Amelia Heinle.
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, the #1 daytime drama for over 30 consecutive years, is a continuing drama revolving around the loves, enmities, hopes and fears of the residents of the fictional Midwestern town of Genoa City.
The series, currently in its 52nd season, airs on the CBS Television Network, and is available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Interview with Rory Alexander & Sadhbh Malin of “Outlander: Blood Of My Blood” on Starz by Suzanne 8/25/25
It was fun to speak with these two young actors. This was a roundtable, so there were 5-6 other press members asking questions, besides myself. They gave us about a half an hour, so everyone had a chance to ask at least one question, and some got two questions. I came in a little late due to a previous engagement, but I didn’t miss too much. I hope you enjoy this transcript below. We weren’t allowed to use video on this one. They were delightful, though, I have to say. They clearly enjoy their work.
Tony: Great to talk to you both. Rory again it was pleasure last time.
Rory: Nice to see you, Tony.
Tony: Yeah, I gotta say. Let’s go back to the first episode, because that we can talk about, because it’s already aired. For example, there was a scene right after the victorious boar hunt, and you’re washing your hands, and she comes on over. Jocasta comes over. So, talk about playing that scene, because I saw a little bit of a spark there. Maybe I’m wrong. We’ll start with the ladies, of course.
Sadhbh: Yeah, you’re definitely not wrong. There’s definitely a little spark there. I don’t know. I think it’s in that moment, so early on in their very long relationship, as we know. I think it’s just fancying and seeing something in someone that you really, really like, and it’s a crush and it’s young. I think he’s really kind to her, and I think it’s a really beautiful moment for Jocasta, who is not in her most ideal situation right now. We’ve seen her being quite stern, and there’s feelings of being misunderstood, but we see her in this light, beautiful, playful moment with a man that she’s crushing on. So, yeah, I think it’s young and relatable.
Tony: What do you say, Rory? You kind of glanced in another direction slightly there in that scene, if I recall.
Rory: Yeah, I definitely clock that there is chemistry between us. He is pretty focused on Ellen, but also, I think he’s on top of the world. He’s just been victorious in a boar hunt, and he kind of feels like things are going his way, and then Jocasta reads his eyes so quickly and kind of embarrasses him and goes, “I’m going to talk to my sister for you.” And I think he sort of suddenly spots that she does have this likeness and that they can actually have quite a serious conversation, but in quite a sort of gentle, playful way. And I mean, he’s only human. He is a young man, and the lovely Jocasta is in front of him.
So, although he has these feelings for Ellen, he’s like, oh, wow. I also I think it’s important that he does give her a compliment. That feeling of being overlooked is a really hard one, and Murtagh definitely feels that in his life and with his set up as well. So, the opportunity to be able to say to someone, “I see you,” is very special, and it’s a really good place for them to start, I think.
Joe: Hi, guys. Thanks for chatting with us today. People are different when they get older from their younger selves, right? I’m not the same guy today as I was 10 years ago, and 10 years ago, I wasn’t the same guy that I was 10 years before that.
You’re both playing characters that are established already in the Outlander universe. What’s the challenge of playing these new characters, playing these characters that people already know, but playing younger versions that they don’t know? Like Murtagh, for example. The younger Murtagh is more hopeful, less hopeful than he becomes later. What’s the challenge of taking little moments, though, of these actors’ performances from the original Outlander series and kind of saying, like, well, “I’m still that guy; part me is still there, but I’m creating a new version of this character or a younger version of this character.” Talk about that challenge.
Sadhbh: Yeah. Well, I guess, I mean, we all kind of, I think, spoke about this the whole way through filming. It wasn’t something that you were really able to obsess over, and like, I guess, for me, it was about finding the essence of of Jocasta and like small things like voice. Because I do think the way someone starts off their life as a baby and, you know, as a young person and the way they end, there’s often something really in their essence that’s very similar. So, for me, like the essence was quite important. Then, also like remembering how much Jocasta goes through in her life and all of those experiences are what make her the version that we meet in Outlander. So, I guess trusting that she’s going through all of those things episode by episode that are going to turn her into who she becomes. So, yeah, I guess trusting in that and trusting that, if that makes sense.
Rory: Yeah, I totally agree with that. You can’t play the character like you’ve been through those experiences, and that’s kind of the joy of getting to do it is you go, “Well, we are on one side of the veil, and then everyone has already seen on the other.” And there’re little things like, you know, Sadhbh’s and my like kind of chemistry on screen might be different to theirs. But the same thing is true, which is that they have an important and deep connection, and I don’t think there are certain organic things that you can just mimic. Otherwise, you fall into the realm of kind of being inauthentic. And also, there are similarities that come through just by dint of being in the same universe. You know, it’s the same family members and like they’re fighting the same – well, they’re not the same wars, but, you know, figuratively the same wars. So much of the similarities are kind of given to you by the world already, which is really, really useful.
Riju: So, both of your characters are kind of, I mean, if not for Ellen, we did mention that there was a spark between both of your characters. So, if not for Ellen, do you think that Jocasta and Murtagh would have made a good couple?
Sadhbh: I think in the world, if we weren’t in the world that they’re in potentially, but I think there’s so many reasons going against them. And Jocasta is married, and it was arranged for her. Yeah, I think there’s a lot of reasons bigger than them as to why they couldn’t, but I think in a simpler world, there’s definitely a spark there that could have been excavated.
Rory: Yeah, I mean, Murtagh doesn’t really have control of his life necessarily, because of his family ties and things and his kind of status and position. But yeah, you kind of hope that if you took away all the other elements, just at the core, they definitely have a spark in the chemistry. Yeah, it’s good. It’s like, it’s good writing, but it’s always sad that you don’t get to kind of do more of it. There is definitely something good to mine here. I guess that’s where the tension comes in.
John: Well, first off, you guys are doing amazing work this season. This episode, especially, there’s just so much power that comes from what you both go through when it comes to this longing for love. I’m just curious, as actors, how you found the essence of those emotions, because it felt so raw and so real.
Sadhbh: Yes. Well, I mean, together, I guess, trusting in each other and trusting in the writing. And I think what they go through is really real and relatable, and I think they go through like a very imperfect or the beginnings of a very imperfect love story. I think we all, anyone who’s human, knows kind of what that feels like. So, I guess, yeah, trusting in each other, and we’re friends, so I’m trusting in that too.
Rory: Yeah, trust is the key word. I think you can do as much work as you like, sort of answering all the questions and thinking about the context and the emotional history and how they’ve got to these places and what’s causing them to feel this way, and then you kind of just have to sit in a tent opposite Sadhbh and do the scene, and, you know, you’re not thinking about any of that stuff. You’re just there, and somehow that’s kind of all become ingrained in you. Then, you just go, “What happens if you if you touch my hand? How am I going to touch it back?” And it just happens when you’re doing it, because, yeah, you can’t kind of logistically plan emotions. You just kind of have to hope that something feels right as you’re doing it. Yeah, I think, because of our relationship and how Emer directed it and the script, it just went, “yeah, this clicks.”
John: Thank you guys. Appreciate it. Amazing, amazing work.
Rory: Thank you, John.
Genevieve: First of all, I want to let you know that I am loving Blood of My Blood. First, I was really just looking forward to a return to the Outlander universe, but you have all blown me away with your acting and the storytelling, and I can only imagine the great pressure of taking on established characters brought alive by other great characters, but you’re both handling your characters wonderfully, and I look forward to more of your versions of Murtagh and Jocasta. But my question is more about your acting, and it’s for both of you. What is the last thing you do, think, or say to yourself before you step on set to get into your characters?
Sadhbh: Very much the same.
Rory: Sometimes I’ll be like listening to music in my trailer to kind of get yourself into the right into the right headspace. Like some of like Bear’s music, who obviously does the music for the show. Sometimes it’s, yeah, listening to the Rolling Stones just to kind of get the right energy and feel for it. I don’t have like a line that I say to myself that like instantly makes me feel like Murtagh, I would say. And it’s hard, because sometimes you’re sat there having a coffee talking about what you did on the weekend, and they’re like, “Okay, and rolling,” and then you go, “Here we are,” which is maybe unprofessional. Maybe it means that we’re getting better at it. I don’t know where the line is. Sadhbh, any thoughts?
Sadhbh: It really depends on the day, I think. Yeah. There’s sometimes like where I like really, really, I don’t know, try to get into like create the thoughts that Jocasta is having, like really try to create a stream. I don’t know. It’s so hard to talk about that without sounding like a little, without sounding like a proper actor. Yeah, different things. Music is good. But I find sometimes as well, like sometimes I think if you have a scene, you like really, really care about it, and I think every scene you care about. But if there’s a scene that really feels huge for your character, and you go in with all these like massive, complicated thoughts and feelings and you’re, you know, doing movement in your trailer, not that I’ve done that, but, you know, you’re going to that extreme. Then, you get to doing it, and you’ve made the process towards the scene so complicated that actually you’ve kind of brought a bit too much to it. I think sometimes like understanding and connecting and being present is actually enough. Like you’ve done the work, and you just have to trust that it’s in there when you show up on the day.
Rory: Sometimes, just before the camera rolls, I sort of talk to myself. Like I’ll say, “Oh, I’m in this tent, because I made a stupid mistake, and Brian’s not here.” And then you can kind of kind of gee yourself up into it. But I totally agree with Sadhbh. You can outthink yourself and try and become way too prepared.
Sadhbh: I also don’t do movement in my trailer, by the way. Sorry, I just really had to clear that up. I promise.
Rory: It’s like, have you’ve ever played Mario Kart? Like if you rev the engine at the start of the Mario Kart race, if you do it, then your car just goes, and you don’t get a good start. Like you can’t overcook it. That is my academic analogy for today.
Genevieve: Thank you both. Thank you.
Rory: Thank you.
Suzanne: So, I’ve had actors say before that they love when they get into the costume and have the props and everything, because it gets them into the mood, so to speak, gives them the headspace, helps them with the character. But leaving that aside, your costumes look kind of uncomfortable. Would you say they’re uncomfortable or do they try to make them comfortable for either one of you both?
Rory: They definitely try and make them comfortable, but that doesn’t make them comfortable, especially if they get wet, and then they start to smell, and then everyone smells like wet sheep. Then, you’re doing a scene where you’re meant to be staring at each other thinking like you’re the hottest girl in the world, but we both stink of sheep. But it is very useful, because I get wrapped up like a burrito every day in my kilt, and after you’ve done that, you don’t really feel like yourself anymore. You’re 90% of the way to getting into character. So, it is very helpful. But yeah, when you’re doing long days in triple tweed, you finish, and you feel like you’ve been carrying a military backpack for the day. It’s quite a lot.
Sadhbh: Yeah, they’re heavy. They’re really heavy. So, that dance scene in Belton was like, I don’t know how much my costume weighed that day, because it felt like I was carrying a few kilos on my dress. So, prancing up and down was funny.
Suzanne: So, women’s costumes aren’t any lighter?
Sadhbh: Say that again, sorry.
Suzanne: I said, the women’s costumes aren’t any lighter?
Sadhbh: No, I mean, I don’t have facts on this, but I feel like they’re probably heavier.
Rory: I think they could well be heavier. Everyone always looks forward to a scene where they’re like, “Oh, you’re not wearing a jacket in this,” and two weeks off, you’re like, “I can’t wait to do that scene,” and then on the day, it’ll be snowing, and you’re like, “I wish I was wearing a jacket.” You can’t get it right.
Sadhbh: I think the discomfort helps. Thank you so much. Thank you.
Rory: Yeah, I agree. My corset is very comfortable, though.
Sadhbh: Do you have a corset?… Humiliating me.
Tony: All right, guys. Well, you both have relatives in this series that you’re close to. One’s a sister, and I think, Rory, he’s more of a cousin to you, isn’t he? Isn’t that right?
Rory: Yeah, he’s my cousin.
Tony: So, what’s it like? Kind of describe the relationship and how you get along, or maybe at times you don’t get along. What’s it like? Ladies First, of course.
Sadhbh: Yeah. I think there’s, as we saw at the end, or at the start of episode five, I think there’s the beginnings of a change in Jocasta and Ellen’s relationship. But I think Ellen and Ellen’s position, Ellen’s relationship with her late father is a real outlet for Jocasta’s kind of frustration and discomfort in her own life. I think it’s much easier to get angry at your sister, but I think there’s the beginnings of a change, and I think their trip to Belton is a real step in the right direction. So, I have hope for them.
Rory: Yeah, similarly, I think, I hope, but knowing that there’s definitely going to be some family feuds along the way, which is nice, because it means it’s realistic. I have lots of siblings, and we’re not always having picnics. So, Murtagh is Brian’s cousin, but they really are best friends. So, sometimes it feels like there’s a family duty, and sometimes it feels like they’re actively making a choice. And that works both ways, where if you betray one another, it kind of cuts double deep. But also, if you’re looking out for each other, you’re not just doing it because you have to, you’re doing it because you choose to, because you can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. And in this instance, he kind of does both. So, yeah, it makes everything doubly powered, in both the positive and the negative.
Tony: That’s what it’s like being a sibling.
Rory: There it is.
Tony: All right, thank you guys.
Joe: Guys, the show’s a very physical show, right? A lot of it’s set outside. I’m sure, I don’t know what the weather’s like, if it’s too hot when you’re filming, or maybe too cold. You’ve got animals. I’m sure there’s a lot of mud and dirt and bugs. Ben, can you pick out maybe one of the most challenging or uncomfortable days or scenes that you experienced during season one of Outlander: Blood of My Blood? And on the opposite end of the spectrum, maybe what was a pleasant surprise? Something that you’re like, “You know what? If I wasn’t on this show, I never would have got to experience this moment or this day.”
Rory: Well, we’ve had some very uncomfortable ones on season two already, and we’ve only just started. So, that’s not a good sign. I had an incident with a horse, where I was stood on the mark for too long, and the horse, like the Mario Kart, actually, it got too charged up. And I was meant to just – it’s actually in the start of episode five. I come in, and I tell Brian, “Come on, let’s go to the festival,” but the horses galloped full speed into this courtyard, and there were 200 crew and a crane and all the lights and stuff. And I was riding over the cobbles. And as I came around, Jamie looked up, and apparently, I was just manically giggling. And Jamie was like, “Why is he going to this scene hysterical?” I was like, “I didn’t choose to do this. It was just my pure fear pouring out of me.” So yeah, that was a pretty sticky day, I think. I got it in the end, just.
Sadhbh: We had one day at the funeral scene at the very start of episode one. It was actually an amazing day. But we went, I think it was in Crieff in Scotland. We travelled up there to shoot the scene. They had this amazing place down, all these windy, windy roads. If you imagine the most rural, undiscovered Scottish land down. It was wild. It was amazing. It was so beautiful. So, many of us there and so many essays and crew. I have never seen rain like it in my life, and I’m from Ireland. It was rain that you could see. It was like bullets and just went and went and went all day. I just felt for, yeah, it was like bullets. But they did it, and it actually looks amazing. So, it was worth it.
Rory: I think that shot of you guys on the road, the really far, [it’s] unbelievable.
Sadhbh: Yeah, it’s fabulous. Fabulous shot.
Rory: Fabulous.
Sadhbh: Fabulous. But it was one of those days where everyone just laughed so much, and we had so much fun, and we were all together, but no one had any signal. We’re like, “God, if something happens, we’re doomed.”
Joe: Opposite end of the spectrum, what was a pleasant day or a pleasant moment, big surprise?
Rory: There were loads. Sometimes it’s just about doing a really, really good scene. Like our scene in episode five, I just loved doing, and I knew as soon as I read that script, I knew that that was the scene that was kind of make or break. Like if we did it badly, I would have thought about it for weeks. So, yeah, when things like that go well, or it felt like it went well, that’s like really special.
I think my first day filming was a scene that’s, I think it’s cut, because it probably wasn’t very good. And it was Brian and Murtagh by a fire before they go to the gathering. And I just couldn’t really get my head around the fact that it was just two people and a fire, and yet we were in the middle of the forest. The cranes had lit up the sky so that it was starlight and there was a fake moon. And Philippe, the chef, had been preparing an actual rabbit for us to cook over the fire, and he’d been seasoning it with like thyme and tarragon. Then, there was a van that was giving us hot gyoza in the middle of the night, and we’re literally in the middle of nowhere. And I just thought, they’ve just created an entire world just so that me and this lad can sit by this fire and say three lines, and it blew my mind.
Sadhbh: Yeah, that’s a really good one, I think. Yeah, I think there were so many days. I mean, there [were] amazing days where loads of us were in and sitting in the [unintelligible]. And it’s just like – not to sound, yeah. It was just like laughing, just so much laughing. So much laughing that you go home with a headache. I know probably every cast says this. Like,”Oh, we’re all genuinely friends,” but like, we’re genuinely really good friends, and it’s like so lovely and cool that you get to go to for like people that you genuinely think are class. But yeah, I think those days where there’s loads of people in, and it’s like you kind of get so giddy and hyper, and you go home, and your head hurts, and people are like, “Do you want to go for dinner?” And you’re like, “I have to go sit in a quiet room for the night, I think.” I think those days are really special, because you’re like, “This is work. This is mad.”
Rory: Big time. Doing the Belton festivals like that, I had the giggles at Belton for four days, and everyone was there, and then you kept forgetting that like certain characters don’t know other characters. So, I kept giggling with Conor who plays Ned. And I thought, actually, Murtagh doesn’t know who Ned is, but he just, you go, “Right, come on, professional. Be professional.” Yeah, I think we are very lucky, not to sound trite.
Sadhbh: Yeah.
Lauren: Yeah. Thank you all so much. Really appreciate your time.
“Outlander: Blood of my Blood” is a romantic saga that unfolds across time. From the battlefields of World War I to the rugged Highlands of 18th century Scotland, two fated couples must defy the forces that seek to tear them apart, intersecting in surprising and unforeseen ways.
After 11 years of epic romance on the groundbreaking series “Outlander,” the timeless tale continues — or rather begins — on the eve of an earlier Jacobite rebellion. A prequel to “Outlander,” the series explores the lives and relationships of two couples as they fight against all odds to be together: the parents of “Outlander’s” Claire Beauchamp — Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine); and those of “Outlander’s” Jamie Fraser — Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy). In addition to Corfield, Irvine, Slater, and Roy, “Outlander: Blood of my Blood” stars Tony Curran as Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, Séamus McLean Ross as Colum MacKenzie, Sam Retford as Dougal MacKenzie, Rory Alexander as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, and Conor MacNeill as Ned Gowan.
The stand-alone prequel series features new cast, characters and stories welcoming viewers unfamiliar with the “Outlander” universe, while also providing origin stories of fan-favorite characters from early seasons of “Outlander,” and offering new perspectives that will change what viewers of the original series think they know.
New episodes of “Outlander: Blood of my Blood” will air weekly on Fridays at 8:00 pm ET/PT on STARZ in the U.S. and at 9:00 pm ET/PT in Canada.
Matthew B. Roberts serves as showrunner and executive producer on “Outlander: Blood of my Blood,” with Ronald D. Moore, Maril Davis and Jim Kohlberg also serving as executive producers. “Outlander: Blood of my Blood” is produced by Sony Pictures Television.
Follow “Outlander: Blood of my Blood” and the “Outlander” Universe on Social
Instagram: @Outlander_STARZ Facebook: @OutlanderTVSeries.starz TikTok: @STARZ YouTube: @STARZ Join the conversation with #BloodOfMyBlood, #Outlander and #STARZ
About STARZ STARZ (NASDAQ: STRZ) is the leading premium entertainment destination for women and underrepresented audiences, and home to some of the most popular franchises and series on television. STARZ offers a robust programming mix for discerning adult audiences, including boundary-breaking originals and an expansive lineup of blockbuster movies, and is embodied by its brand positioning “We’re All Adults Here.” Complementary to any platform or service, STARZ is available across a wide range of digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors and is a bundling partner of choice. STARZ is powered by an industry-leading advanced technology, data analytics and digital infrastructure and the highly rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app.
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing, distributing and carrying programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to managing one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, SPT is home to a thriving global content business, operating a robust portfolio of wholly-owned and joint-venture production companies across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, as well as linear and digital channels around the world. SPT is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.
Rory Alexander is a British actor, also known for his work as a voice actor and content creator. His acting credits include roles in the TV series Alex Rider, Pistol, and Outlander: Blood of My Blood, and the film Inland. He is also a sim racing content creator on YouTube, known as EERIEISSSS.
Sadhbh Malin is a graduate from The Lir Academy’s BA Acting. Her play “In Heat” debuted at this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival, produced by Philomena Productions. Recent theatre credits include “Portia Coughlan” (Almeida Theatre); “Lights Out” (Four Rivers Theatre); “Steward of Christendom” (Gate Theatre, Dublin) and “Dubliners” (Corn Exchange). She made her feature film debut in Love Rosie with Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Jaime Winston and Suki Waterhouse in 2014. She was recently seen in “Conversations with Friends,” the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel.
Interviews with Nicholas Colia and Everett Blunck of the movie “Griffin in Summer” by Suzanne 8/21/25
It was a lot of fun to chat with both of these guys. Nicholas is the brilliant mind behind the movie, and Everett is the talented young actor who stars as Griffin. It’s always great to enjoy a film and then pick the brains of the people in or behind it. They did not disappoint! Don’t forget to watch “Griffin in Summer,” which premieres August 29th in theaters everywhere.
Produced by: Juliet Berman, Bobby Hoppey, Camila Mendes, Rachel Matthews, Matthew Miller
Executive Produced by: Fred Bryant, Cullen Conly, Alex Tynion
Starring:
Everett Blunck (The Old Way)
Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”)
Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes)
Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret)
Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein)
RT: 90 minutes
SYNOPSIS
Griffin Nafly (Everett Blunck) is the most ambitious playwright of his generation. He’s also fourteen years old and living with his parents in a humdrum suburb while dreaming of moving to New York City. When his mom (Melanie Lynskey) hires a handsome 25-year-old handyman (Owen Teague), Griffin’s life and his new play take an inspired turn. Also starring Kathryn Newton and Abby Ryder Fortson.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
On March 13th 2020, I left Brooklyn, moved back home to Massachusetts for what I thought would be a couple weeks. I ended up staying for several months, and like a lot of people, found myself languishing. A year out of NYU Graduate Film School, I had come to the end of the road on various script collaborations I had spent the past couple years working on and was generally adrift. So, with seemingly nothing certain in the future, I decided to look backwards, digitize all our old home movies. Amongst the endless baby videos, the now colorless weddings of relatives since divorced, I found dust-covered VHS tapes of the various plays and films I had directed out of my parents’ basement as a teen but hadn’t really revisited since. Watching them back as an adult, I was finally at a place where I was able to see the unintentional absurdity of these productions.
While Griffin is not my exact autobiography (he loves writing new dramas, I preferred directing old comedies. Think Neil Simon), these shows were still all a bunch of young teens in bad wigs, with wrinkles drawn on their faces, sipping fake martinis as they discussed their divorces. I became obsessed with this notion of kids playing adult. And, more than anyone onstage, with the overzealous teen at the center of it all, choosing to spend the bulk of his pubescent years striving for theatrical professionalism whilst avoiding his actual impending adulthood. I combined these themes with a handyman crush element from a short film of mine, and the journey of Griffin in Summer began.
Five years later and we are finally releasing Griffin into the world, it’s taking on a life of its own. Part of this has been seeing the phrase “queer coming-of-age” attached to our film. While not inaccurate, it still feels surprising for me as this was never really something I thought about. Griffin’s queerness is not incidental, but it’s also not the source of the central conflict in the film. Ultimately, I just wanted to make a comedy that felt wildly personal and actually got made. In terms of what I hope audiences will take away from the film, I’d be pleased if they picked up on any of the more thematic elements described above. But truly, I just hope they fucking laugh. Thanks! – Nicholas Colia, 2025
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
NICHOLAS COLIA (Writer & Director)
Nicholas Colia is a Brooklyn based filmmaker. He received his MFA from NYU Graduate Film School where he was the recipient of the Martin Scorsese and Maurice Kanbar Scholarships. His award winning short films include Alex and the Handyman and Untitled Short Film About White People. His first feature, Griffin in Summer, premiered at the Tribeca Festival where it received awards for Best US Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay, and the Special Jury Mention for New Narrative Director. Since then, it’s played over twenty additional festivals across the US and Europe and was acquired for distribution by Vertical Entertainment. He was recently nominated for the Someone to Watch Award at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards.
JULIET BERMAN (Producer)
Juliet Berman is a film and television producer with experience working in both the independent and studio/streamer space.
Since forming Spiral Stairs Entertainment in 2023, Berman has produced two features, a remake of the 1991 cult classic DON’T TELL MOM THE BABYSITTER’S DEAD which was released wide theatrically in April 2024 before streaming on BET+ and independent comedy GRIFFIN IN SUMMER, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024 where it won the Founders Award for Best US Narrative Feature as well as Best Screenplay and a jury mention for Best New Director. She is currently in post-production on DEAD LETTERS, an independent drama starring Margo Martindale, Cole Sprouse, Stephen Root and Yalitza Aparicio.
Previously, Berman was the Head of Production for Treehouse Pictures where she built a film and television slate from the ground up and managed an in-house fund for independent development/production financing. During her ten-year tenure at Treehouse, she brought in and oversaw a diverse range of films, including the Italian drama MEDITERRANEA written and directed by Jonas Carpignano which premiered at Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, Iraq war film SAND CASTLE, starring Nick Hoult and Henry Cavill and the romantic comedy SET IT UP starring Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch, which was developed based on her original idea and was Netflix’s top-performing movie in over 200 territories in the summer of 2018.
Prior to Treehouse, Berman worked at New Line Cinema, Summit Entertainment and Anonymous Content. She grew up in Los Angeles and graduated with honors from Columbia University.
BOBBY HOPPEY (Producer)
Known for championing talent, Bobby Hoppey has over a decade of experience in film and television development. Bobby’s executive experience includes indie finance shops Complementary Colors, Valparaiso Pictures, and Echo Lake Entertainment where he oversaw their respective in-house project slates. His most recent producorial credits include Neon’s PIG starring Nicolas Cage (streaming on Hulu), and the LGBTQ rom-com STRAIGHT UP (streaming on Netflix) – both Independent Spirit Award nominees. Bobby currently has a number of feature projects in development through his new production shingle, Coveside Films. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Corporate Communications from Elon University.
RACHEL MATTHEWS (Producer)
Rachel Matthews is an actress and producer, and a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is known for her work in Disney’s Frozen II, Universal’s Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U, Lionsgate’s The Duel, CW’s Batwoman, Hulu’s Looking for Alaska, Netflix’s Do Revenge, and Upgraded, which reached #1 worldwide on Prime Video. She is also the co-founder of Honor Role, a production company she launched with Camila Mendes. Honor Role produced Griffin in Summer, which won the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and will be premiering in theaters this summer and most recently produced Idiotka which premiered at SXSW and has been acquired by Utopia for a theatrical release.
CAMILA MENDES (Producer)
Camila Mendes is a Brazilian American actress and producer best known for her role as Veronica Lodge on the CW’s hit series Riverdale. In 2020, she appeared in the critically acclaimed sci-fi/comedy Palm Springs,followed by Netflix’s Do Revenge in 2022. After wrapping her seventh and final season of Riverdale in 2023, Mendes launched production company Honor Role alongside her fellow NYU Tisch graduate Rachel Matthews. Mendes and Matthews previously collaborated as executive producers on Upgraded, a romantic comedy in which they also starred. The film premiered on Amazon and remained the platform’s number one film globally for several weeks. Their latest project, Idiotka, which also stars Mendes, premiered at SXSW to glowing reviews and was acquired by Utopia for a theatrical release. Mendes also served as an executive producer on Amazon’s critically acclaimed Música, in which she starred opposite director Rudy Mancuso. Next year, she will star in Mattel’s live-action film, Masters of the Universe,portraying the character of Teela alongside Nicholas Galitzine, Alison Brie, and Idris Elba.
MATTHEW LEE MILLER (Producer)
Matthew Lee Miller is the co-founder and owner of Vanishing Angle, a critically acclaimed production company known for championing innovative independent films. A Spirit Award and Critics Choice Award-nominated producer, Matt has produced over seventeen feature films and has executive produced, co-produced, or line produced over ten others. His work also includes more than thirty short films, several digital series, and numerous music videos and commercials. His projects have premiered and won awards at top festivals worldwide, including Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Cannes, and Berlinale. Before shifting his focus to producing, Matt spent years working in production as an assistant director and set PA, gaining hands-on experience under some of the industry’s most respected filmmakers, including Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Noah Baumbach, Gus Van Sant, Clint Eastwood, and Sean Penn. These experiences shaped his approach to fostering a collaborative and supportive production environment. Through Vanishing Angle, Matt continues to support emerging talent while maintaining long-term collaborations with filmmakers. Recent projects include Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead which recently won the audience award at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, and The Edge Of Normal, starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Rupert Friend, which recently wrapped production. For more, visit www.vanishingangle.com.
FRED BRYANT (Executive Producer)
Fred is a Richmond, Virginia-based serial entrepreneur. Over the past decade, he has founded, built, run, and exited businesses across various industries. Before his private sector career, Fred served as a decorated officer in the United States Army, where he deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). He currently oversees several companies he has founded and serves as a Board Member and advisor to several privately held businesses. Fred is a University of Richmond graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
CULLEN CONLY (Executive Producer)
Cullen Conly is a literary manager and producer at Anonymous Content. Among his clients are Academy Award winner Sian Heder (CODA), Cory Finley (Bad Education), Andrew Ahn (Fire Island), Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) and Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! The Musical). Prior to Mosaic, he was a Motion Picture Literary agent in the New York offices of ICM Partners. Before representation, Conly was the Manager of the Feature Film Program of the Sundance Institute, where he worked in the Screenwriter and Director Labs. Among the filmmakers he supported in that program are Ryan Coogler, David Lowery, Marielle Heller, Sara Colangelo, Sean Durkin, Benh Zeitlin, Lena Dunham and Ry Russo-Young. Before Sundance, Conly worked in development and production at Paramount Vantage and began his film career in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency.
BETSY FIPPINGER (Casting Director)
Betsy Fippinger has trained under some of the best casting directors in New York, including Meredith Tucker, Ellen Lewis, Ellen Chenoweth, and Shayna Markowitz. As a casting associate and assistant, she worked on projects directed by Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Bo Burnham, Greg Mottola, and Lynn Shelton. She won an Artios Award for her work as the casting associate on the pilot episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. As a casting director, Betsy cast the pivotal youth roles of ‘Margaret’ and ‘Nancy’ in “Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret” for Lionsgate. Her upcoming films include Jane Weinstock’s “Three Birthdays”, Patrick Clement’s “Bury Me When I’m Dead” and Sarah Friedland’s “Familiar Touch”. Before entering casting, Betsy worked at HBO and the William Morris Agency and graduated with a BFA in Film from Wesleyan University in 2003.
MEREDITH TUCKER (Casting Director)
Meredith Tucker is a New York-based casting director. Credits include THE WHITE LOTUS (Emmy Win), BOARDWALK EMPIRE (Emmy win and nomination), VEEP (Emmy win and nomination/New York Casting) and WHITE HOUSE PLUMBERS, all for HBO; UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT (Emmy Nomination) and the upcoming THE RESIDENCE for Netflix; GODFATHER OF HARLEM for MGM+ and DEFENDING JACOB for Apple TV+. Recent film highlights are EIGHTH GRADE, BRAD’S STATUS, BEATRIZ AT DINNER, IRRESISTIBLE, and SET IT UP.
Prior to breaking out on her own, she worked for Walken/Jaffe Casting on THE SOPRANOS from Season 3 on, and co-cast Seasons 1 & 2 of ENTOURAGE (Emmy nomination). She also worked for Casting Director Howard Feuer on films helmed by directors including Jonathan Demme, Alan Parker, Tom Hanks, Peter Weir, Barbet Schroeder, Harold Ramis and Gus Van Sant.
FELIPE VARA DE REY (Director of Photography)
Felipe Vara de Rey is a Madrid-born, LA-based director of photography. After obtaining a Fulbright Scholarship, Felipe moved to New York City to pursue NYU’s Graduate Film program, where he has now served as an adjunct professor for the cinematography department for the past seven years.
Felipe’s body of work as a cinematographer includes commercials, music videos, documentaries and long-form narrative projects. He’s recently shot the sci-fi thriller BREATHE, directed by Stefon Bristol and produced by Thunder Road Pictures; the film FIRE ISLAND, directed by Andrew Ahn for for Searchlight; the four-part HBO documentary series ‘NYC Epicenters’, directed by Spike Lee; and the rom-com LONG WEEKEND, directed by Steve Basilone and distributed by Sony Classic Pictures.
ABOUT THE CAST
EVERETT BLUNCK
Everett Blunck was the breakout star of GRIFFIN IN SUMMER, from filmmaker Nicholas Colia, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024 where it took home the festival’s top prize for Best Narrative Feature. The film will release in theaters later this summer. He was most recently seen in the lead role in Charlie Polinger’s directorial debut, THE PLAGUE, which had its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Everett is currently in production on Jonathan Glatzer’s upcoming AMC series, THE AUDACITY, with Billy Magnussen, Sarah Goldberg, and Zach Galifianakis. Additional film credits include OUTLAW POSSE (dir. Mario Van Peebles), BLOOD FOR DUST (dir. Rod Blackhurst), and THE OLD WAY starring Nicolas Cage (dir. Brett Donowho).
OWEN TEAGUE
Teague’s range and versatility as an actor is robustly captured on both big and small screens, as witnessed in his numerous television, theatrical, and streaming credits. Teague’s performance in 20th Century’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is earning him high praise with film critics worldwide and opened number one at the box office during its first weekend. 2023 was a busy year for Owen, the widely-praised actor with co-starring roles in two films which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival: writer/director Nicole Holofcener’s comedy “You Hurt My Feelings,” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies released by A24 in January; and “Eileen,” a mystery-thriller directed by William Oldroyd, starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie released by Neon in December. In 2022, Teague received unanimous praise for his role in the critically acclaimed drama “To Leslie,” as Andrea Riseborough’s son, James, which debuted at SXSW Film Festival and was released by Momentum Pictures in October (and resulted in an Oscar® nomination for Riseborough as best actress). He also starred in “Montana Story” opposite Haley Lu Richardson, released by Bleecker Street in April of that year. Additional film credits include “The Empty Man” and “Every Day.”
MELANIE LYNSKEY
New Zealand-born and Emmy Nominated actor Melanie Lynskey has become an industry staple, having amassed a plethora of thought-provoking roles in television and film over the course of 30 years.
Most recently, Melanie starred opposite Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress in the 10-time Emmy-nominated Showtime series Yellowjackets, which had its season 3 finale on April 13th to much acclaim. She plays Shauna Sadecki, a player on a team of wildly talented high school soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. Melanie has received high praise for her performance, including two Emmy Nominations, a Critic’s Choice Award win for Best Actress in a Drama Series and a Gotham Award nomination for Outstanding Performance in a New Series.
Upcoming, Lynskey will lead Pike River as Anna Osborne, opposite Robyn Malcom and directed by Robert Sarkies. The film is centered around the 2010 Pike River tragedy and captures the profound impact of one of the worst mining disasters in New Zealand’s history.
Lynskey was seen in the film Griffin in the Summer alongside Everett Blunck, which premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. In this coming-of-age story, ambitious fourteen-year-old, Griffin Nafly, is putting on a dramatic new play when his attention begins to drift toward Brad, a handyman working at his house, his life will never be the same. The film won three awards at Tribeca Film Festival, including Best Screenplay.
In 2024, Lynskey starred in Peacock’s limited series The Tattooist of Auschwitz alongside Jonah Hauer King, which premiered May 2nd. She portrays Heather Morris, the writer of the heartbreaking true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov’s time in Auschwitz Birkenau.
Lynskey recently starred in HBO’s critically acclaimed The Last of Us, a series adaptation of the widely popular 2013 PlayStation video game of the same name. Written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman, Melanie stars alongside Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsay, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman. The first episode premiered on January 15, 2023 and drew4.7M viewers across linear and HBO Max, marking the second-largest debut for the network since 2010.
Lynskey picked up a Guest Actress Emmy nomination for her role, which was one of the twenty-four the show was nominated for.
Lynskey’s career began in 1994 with the release of Peter Jackson’s acclaimed film Heavenly Creatures, which earned her a New Zealand Film Award for Best Actress. Subsequent film credits include Adam Mckay’s Don’t Look Up, Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Steven Soderbergh’s TheInformant, Tom McCarthy’s Win Win, Megan Griffith’s Sadie, Billy Ray’s Shattered Glass, Sam Mendes’ Away We Go, Jason Reitman’s Up in The Air, Justin and Christian Long’s Lady of the Manor, Andy Tennant’s Ever After and Sweet Home Alabama, Jamie Babbit’s But I’m A Cheerleader, Clint Eastwood’s Flags Of Our Fathers, Joe Swanberg’s Happy Christmas, Angus MacLachlan’s Goodbye To All That, Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, for which Lynskey was nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Actress, and Clea Duvall’s debut feature, The Intervention, which earned her the US Special Jury Prize for Individual Performance at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
In 2012, Lynskey played the lead role in Todd Louiso’s film Hello I Must Be Going. The film opened the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was rated one of the Top Ten Independent Films of the Year by the National Board of Review. Lynskey’s performance earned her critical praise and a nomination for a 2012 Gotham Independent Film Award in the category of Breakthrough Actor.
On the small screen, Melanie starred in Hulu’s crime thriller Candy opposite Jessica Biel. The series tells the true story of Candy Montgomery, a Texas housewife who infamously murdered her friend Betty Gore, played by Lynskey, with an ax in 1980. She received a Critic’s Choice nomination for her performance in the series. Additional television credits include: Hulu’s Mrs. America opposite Uzo Aduba and Cate Blanchett and Castle Rock, opposite André Holland, Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgård; Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later and Girlboss; the Duplass brothers’ critically acclaimed HBO show, Togetherness in which she was nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award for her performance in the series. Lynskey voiced the character Beatrice in Cartoon Network’s Over the Garden Wall, which won the 2015 Emmy for Best Animated Program; and from 2003-2015, Lynskey had a popular recurring role as Rose in the hit TV show Two and A Half Men.
Melanie currently resides in Los Angeles, with her partner, actor and producer, Jason Ritter and their daughter.
ABBY RYDER FORTSON
Abby Ryder Fortson recently starred in the title role for Lionsgate’s feature adaptation of Judy Blume’s beloved novel, ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET, opposite Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie.
In addition to her work in MARGARET, she can also be seen as ‘Cassie Lang’ in Marvel feature films ANT-MAN and ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, where she earned widespread praise for her scene-stealing performance opposite Paul Rudd. Abby also played Kara in GRIFFIN IN SUMMER an indie film that recently got accepted to the Tribecca film festival. Prior to that, Abby starred as ‘Young CJ’ opposite Betty Gilpin in the DreamWorks and Universal feature, A DOG’S JOURNEY.
Abby is also active in TV and reoccurred in the Golden Globe winning Amazon series, TRANSPARENT. She can be seen in the Amazon series TALES FROM THE LOOP and as a series regular in the HBO series, TOGETHERNESS. Additional credits for Abby include Spielberg’s ABC series, THE WHISPERS, and the Duplass Brothers’ HBO show, ROOM 104.
Entertainment Weekly named Abby “One of TVs Most Valuable Kids” and “One of the Top Child Actors to Watch.” She was also awarded RISING STAR OF THE YEAR at CinemaCon in April 2023, and nominated for Critic Choice Awards, Best Young Actress in 2024.
KATHRYN NEWTON Kathryn Newton most recently starred opposite Cole Sprouse in Zelda Williams’ directorial debut, LISA FRANKENSTEIN, which was written by Oscar-winner Diablo Cody and will be released by Focus Features on February 9. She will also be seen opposite Connie Britton and Zach Galifianakis in WINNER, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and Universal’s ABIGAIL alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Dan Stevens, and Angus Cloud.
Newton recently starred in Marvel’s ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA, in which she stars as ‘Cassie Lang’ opposite Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer – the film made almost $500 million at the box office and was nominated for a 2024 People’s Choice Award for “Action Movie for the Year.” Upcoming, she will be one of the few new actors that will lead Marvel’s next iteration of the MCU in Phases 5 & 6.
Newton is well known for starring in HBO’S Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series, BIG LITTLE LIES, for which she was nominated for a SAG Award as part of the ensemble. She also starred in Netflix’s popular series, THE SOCIETY; Kay Cannon’s BLOCKERS, which made almost $100 million at the box office and was the highest earning R-rated comedy of 2018; and POKÉMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU opposite Ryan Reynolds, which made $450 million.
Newton’s other film credits include Amazon’s THE MAP OF TINY PERFECT THINGS; THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI for which she was nominated for a SAG Award as part of the ensemble; Universal’s FREAKY opposite Vince Vaughn; Greta Gerwig’s LADY BIRD; and Peter Hedges’ BEN IS BACK.
Newton is also an extremely accomplished golfer, having played in some of the most prestigious international golf tournaments including the Celebrity Ryder Cup. She is a champion for women in the sport and was recently named as the newest ambassador for the R&A.
ALIVIA BELLAMY
Alivia Bellamy, a talented young actress, has quickly made a name for herself in the world of film, theater and TV. She recently starred as Pam Vanderworm in Griffin in Summer, directed by Nicholas Colia, which is set to world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival June 2024.
Alivia honed her craft through rigorous training at Richmond, Virginia’s Cadence Theatre Company, where she studied under esteemed instructors such as Laine Satterfield and Jana Ferrell. Her dedication to the art of acting was evident from an early age, participating in various theater productions such as Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Black Girl Magic, and Heathers: The Musical, all of which have helped shape her into the skilled performer she is today.
Born and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Alivia’s passion for acting was ignited at a young age by watching classic films like the 1934 classic Imitation of Life and theater productions like Diana Ross’s The Wiz with her grandmother. Her commitment to her craft and ability to bring depth and authenticity to her characters have earned her praise from peers and mentors alike.
Looking ahead, Alivia aspires to explore diverse and challenging roles that push her creative boundaries. She is particularly interested in memorable characters and hopes to continue to work with visionary directors and writers who share her passion for storytelling. Outside of acting, Alivia enjoys watching movies, singing, listening to old school music, and collecting vintage albums, all of which she believes enrich her performances and provide a well-rounded appreciation of the arts.
JOHANNA COLÓN
Johanna Colón first entered the spotlight at the age of 6 when her dance recital video to Aretha Franklin’s RESPECT went wildly viral earning more than 80 million views world wide. After appearances on NBC’s Little Big Shot and The Ellen Show she began acting in television on TBS’ The Guest Book (2017) and HBO’s Euphoria (2019) and in film as Smash in Troop Zero (2019) on Amazon and as Lucia in Feel The Beat (2020) on Netflix. She made her voice over debut as Becky in Little Ellen (2021) making her dream of becoming a cartoon a reality. Johanna is of Puerto Rican and Italian descent and loves singing, dancing and performing improv with her troop.
MICHAEL ESPER
Michael Esper plays a supporting role in the recently released film THE CREATOR, for writer/director Gareth Edwards, and starred opposite Rebecca Hall in RESURRECTION (dir. Andrew Semans). Other features include BEAU IS AFRAID (dir. Ari Aster), BEN IS BACK (dir. Peter Hedges) starring Julia Roberts, RUNNER, RUNNER (dir. Brad Furman), FRANCES HA (dir. Noah Baumbach), THE DROP (dir. Michael R. Roskam), ALL GOOD THINGS (dir. Andrew Jarecki) and A BEAUTIFUL MIND (dir. Ron Howard).
Esper has a Recurring Role in the new Amazon series, FALLOUT and a Guest Starring Role in the recently released series, THE GIRLS ON THE BUS for HBO Max. He recently starred in FLORIDA MAN opposite Edgar Ramirez, currently airing on Netflix. He was a Series Regular in TRUST (FX) starring opposite Donald Sutherland and Hilary Swank. Recurring Roles include THE OUTSIDER (HBO), RAY DONOVAN and NURSE JACKIE (Showtime), THE FAMILY (ABC), SHADES OF BLUE (NBC), PERSON OF INTEREST, THE GOOD WIFE and BRAINDEAD (CBS) and has Guest Starred in JULIA (HBO MAX), PRODIGAL SON (Fox), REPRISAL (Hulu), ELEMENTARY (CBS) and HALT AND CATCH FIRE (AMC). Esper is currently in the Tony nominated Broadway hit, APPROPRIATE with Sarah Paulson (Belasco Theater). He has originated several Leading Roles on Broadway and Off including Sting’s THE LAST SHIP, the Tony nominated production of THE LYONS, the multiple Tony award winning musical, AMERICAN IDIOT, and Roundabout Theater Company’s critically acclaimed production of A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. Other New York Theatre credits include CATCH AS CATCH CAN (New Ohio Theatre), LAZARUS (NYTW AND LONDON), THE AGONY AND THE AGONY, AS YOU LIKE IT (The Public), SLANTED! ENCHANTED!, PAVEMENT, THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL’S GUIDE TO CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES (The Public Theatre), BIG BILL (Lincoln Center Theater), ASSISTANCE, CRAZY MARY, MANIC FLIGHT REACTION (Playwrights Horizons), THE FOUR OF US (Manhattan Theatre Club), and subUrbia (Second Stage Theatre), THE GLASS MENAGERIE (LONDON WEST END) Regional credits include LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (The Druid Theatre Company & the Dublin Theatre Festival) and ME, MYSELF, AND I (The McCarter), TALES FROM RED VIENNA (MTC) .
IAN HERNANDEZ-OROPEZA
14 year old Puerto Rican actor, Ian Hernandez-Oropeza, started his journey in 2020 through the IMTA competition where he won the Most Sought Out Talent award. He filmed his first short film in Los Angeles, “The Last Human Person on Earth,” directed by Ryan Hoskins and went on to work on the feature film “Over/Under” from Director, Sophia Silver that premiered in the Deauville American Festival in France.
Ian plays the principal role, alongside Jason London and Robert LaSardo on Danny LeGare’s “Blood Harvest”, currently streaming on Prime Video. In 2023, he worked alongside Melanie Lynskey, Owen Teague, Abby Ryder Fortson, and Everett Blunk on “Griffin in Summer” directed by Nicholas Colia, now premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival and nominated for the Best US Narrative Feature Award.
Ian is proud of his heritage and continues to honor it by bringing Latinx characters to life through bilingual (English/Spanish) voiceover work for video games and audiobooks, as well as in his choice of acting roles.
Ian is very active on and off set. He is an outstanding student, plays competitive baseball and loves other sports such as golf, basketball, and table tennis. Ian lives at home in Florida with his parents, grandma and four dogs.
GORDON ROCKS
Gordon Rocks is an American actor who was born on December 2, 2009, in Sydney, Australia, to a family of Russian immigrants. Due to his father’s job (an airline pilot) Gordon spent the first years of his life in Miyazaki City and Tokyo (Japan). When he was 4 years old, his family moved to Southern California, where he began acting at the age of 10.
Gordon’s first onscreen appearance was as The Boy in Rene Perez’s western Righteous Blood (released on DVD and being streamed on Amazon since August 2021), where he played most of his scenes with Michael Paré.
Gordon is best known for his lead role of the Son in the short film Lemon Tree, directed by Rachel Walden, which had its World Premiere at the Directors Fortnight Division of Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, got qualified to be considered for Academy Awards, and is now streaming on MUBI.
CREDITS
Written & Directed by
Nicholas Colia
Produced by
Starring
Juliet Berman
Bobby Hoppey
Camila Mendes
Rachel Matthews
Matthew MillerEverett Blunck
Melanie Lynskey
Owen Teague
Abby Ryder Fortson
Kathryn Newton
Interview with Louise Sorel of “Days of Our Lives” on Peacock by Suzanne 7/19/25
It was so great to speak with Louise! She’s such a legend in the theater and in daytime soaps. She worked for many years in primetime TV and movies as well. She’s most known for playing Augusta Lockridge on the daytime soap “Santa Barbara” 1984-1991 and playing Vivian on “Days of Our Lives” since 1992 (off and on). She plays a great villain with a lot of humor and style.
She’s not only an outstanding actress, but she’s quiet beautiful. “Star Trek” had no shortage of beautiful guest stars, but she stood out in the third season episode “Requiem for Methuselah” as Rayna, the woman that Lazarus/Methuselah/Flint created to be his companion. She made the mistake of falling in love with Captain Kirk (like so many women did) and couldn’t choose between them, which destroyed her.
Louise has a book coming out August 6th that is part memoir and part poetry. It sounds like a lot of fun. Pre-order it now!
Suzanne: Well, anyway, so you’ve got a book coming out in August. What made you decide to write it?
Louise: Well, actually what it is, is I’ve been journaling for years. I’ve had a rather odd and interesting life, and so I have all these journals and poems and observations and things, and friends of mine – once in a while I’d. say to a friend, “Oh, can I read you this?” And they say, “Oh, for God’s sakes, why aren’t you putting that somewhere?”
Suzanne: Right.
Louise: So, it just was in my head, and I thought, last September I went, all right, I have no excuses. So, I thought, maybe I could actually do that, because it feels productive, and I like to be productive. So, I found a brilliant editor who offered to – First of all, he was interested in the writing, which made me feel good. Some editors will say, “Are you kidding?” But he liked the work. So, that’s how it happened, and I’m so thrilled with myself, because I can’t even believe – Even now, I can look at the book in my head and say, “Who did that?” I’m so impressed with myself for doing it, because I think a lot of people I know would like to do it, and they often they say, “Well, I’m so impressed that you did that, because I’ve always wanted to, and I just haven’t done it.” So, I encourage people to do that, if they want.
Suzanne: So, the title is, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings. What does that mean?
Louise: Well, first of all, I’m a dog advocate. I’ve had nine to ten dogs in my life, and I can’t be without. I don’t understand – I mean, I do understand; a lot of people don’t, but for me, I would be bereft without a dog.
So, the title came from a poem I wrote, which is in the book. And it started out to be, the cover was Musings and Mutterings, and I was showing it to a PR person out in LA, who’s on Days; she’s sort of their person, and she saw the other title that I had, which was If There Were No Dogs, and she said, “I like that title better. I like that.”
I thought about it. So, I reversed it so, that it’s, If There Were No Dogs is the title, and of course the picture. The cover is with a dog. And then the Musings and Mutterings were sort of like a reference to what goes on in the book.
Suzanne: Okay, and how many dogs do you have right now?
Louise: Oh, I only have one. I’m not in a position to – believe me, I would have a hundred if I could and every other animal on the planet.
Suzanne: There’s a lot of work and cost and everything.
Louise: Well, so are children, and so is life and everything else, so why not?
Suzanne: Right, right. I can’t handle more than one myself.
Louise: No, I only have one. At one point I did have two, briefly. I saved a Dobie and a little dog that I had, but I thought that Dobie deserved more than living in Westwood, Los Angeles. So, I found a farm for him that I thought he’d be happier. So, somebody took him, yeah, so he got freedom.
Suzanne: Right, but about two years ago I was walking my dog and another dog that was very skinny, it turned out to be a puppy, but it was a big puppy, came bouncing up next to us, very friendly, and followed us home. So, we kept that dog for about a week, tried to find a home for it, fattened it up because it was starving, took it to the vet and all that. It was a really sweet dog, really sweet dog. And we fortunately found a sanctuary place that not only took it in and trained it to be a service dog for a retired firefighter in Los Angeles.
Louise: Oh, how fabulous.
Suzanne: Yeah, it turned out really well and she is thriving now. So, we get pictures of her once in a while.
Louise: Oh, that’s great. And your dog is wonderful.
Suzanne: Oh, thank you. She’s a sweetie. Everybody loves her.
Louise: What a great looking dog.
Suzanne: Thank you. Yeah, my husband calls her the star of the internet, but she’s not really, but…
Louise: Well, you know, I was going to – I have a thing. I’m thinking of doing. It’s a one-woman show, and it’s called My Life with Dogs and Other Men. [laughs] Which sort of made me laugh when I thought about it. And I visualized the opening of it, which just the opening alone I think would be worth it. I would have a stage, and it would be a cutout of every dog I’ve owned, every shape, size, color, done by an artist. And when people came into the theater, they’d all be barking. Then, I would come out on stage with a little wagon filled with all kinds of paraphernalia and memories and tell them all to be quiet, and one by one they would stop barking. I thought, I think that’s a great opening for a show, and then maybe that’ll be it, and then I’ll say, “Curtain!”
Suzanne: Where do the husbands come into it, though?
Louise: Oh, yeah, well, you know. Well, quite frankly, they’re dead. But it was just a thought. I think it could be a very funny entertainment. But at any rate.
Suzanne: So, yeah, I remember that you’ve done a lot of different movies and TV shows, but I remember you playing Rayna in the original Star Trek, and I was looking at your IMDb, and I see that you also co-starred with William Shatner, or [rather], guest-starred with William Shatner, in an episode of “Route 66,” and on his show “Barbary Coast” in the 70s, which I loved (that show). So, you worked with him quite frequently?
Louise: Yes, we got on well. You know, he was a horseman. So, I used to ride with him. He did horse shows out in the valley, Los Angeles, and I did some of that with him. We just, you know, he’s one of these people if you have a sense of humor, and you look right at him, and you just start laughing. I mean, maybe not with anybody anymore, but we always had this, I don’t know what it was, it would trigger something, and we would just start giggling, because he looks like he’s going to burst into laughter.
Suzanne: He’s a funny guy.
Louise: Yes, he is. And so, I mean, we got on very well, even on “Star Trek.” There’s a picture in my book that I – You know, you have to put some pictures in. So, there’s a picture of me dancing with Bill, because we did a waltz or something. And I just put a notation under that saying, “Excuse me, what did you say?” That’s sort of our relationship. He’s 90-something now. I haven’t seen him in a long time.
Suzanne: Right. Well, he’s still doing horse shows and is active on Twitter. Yeah, whatever they let him do, he does.
Louise: Yeah, that’s how you keep going.
Suzanne: Yeah, I think so. So, you’ve had a great long career in daytime, primetime, and movies. Do you have a favorite genre that you prefer?
Louise: Theater.
Suzanne: Theater, right? That’s where you got your start, right?
Louise: Yes, yes. To me, it’s the purest form. I mean, once in a while, you’ll find, oddly enough, when I was on a show called Santa Barbara, there were a lot of theater actors. So, I’d never done a soap or seen a soap, and I wasn’t sure I was going to want to do that. Then I saw we had Dame Judith Anderson talk about the theater, and then Nicolas Coster. Nicky was in England in theater and all over the place, and we both had worked together before. And there were a couple others, Lane Davies, who does Shakespeare all the time now in Prague. So, you know, it was quite amazing to walk onto a soap opera and have that kind of group to work with. And we did work like we were in theater. So, you know, that was nice. Although, yeah, it was as close to theater for me, doing that. It ended up not being so close, because it ends up you have to get the show in the box, and you have to get it done, and everybody’s looking at their watch, and that makes it a different experience. However, it was a very good experience, I must say.
Suzanne: Plus no live audience.
Louise: No live audience, no. But, you know, I did a show with Don Rickles, and we did have a live audience. So, it was sort of like theater.
Suzanne: When was the last time you did theater?
Louise: Last, let’s see… Oh my God, I hate to say this. It was about, really seriously, about ten years ago here in New York with a transport group. We did “I Remember Mama,” and it was an absolute huge hit. And every actress in it was a theater – I call them theater rats, because they’re devoted to the theater. Wonderful actors all the way down the line. Everyone was a theater actor, and we got rave reviews here. It was supposed to move to Broadway but financially they couldn’t do it which was really a shame, because it was so unusual. I don’t know if you know the movie…
Suzanne: I’ve seen it, but a long time ago.
Louise: Yeah, well, it’s a lot of different characters. We were ten women doing the men, the children, and the adults. So, we were all playing – I played a younger sister. I played this very older woman who was a writer, a very arrogant sort of woman. Heather McRae played a man. I didn’t play any men, but several actresses played men as well as women, and Barbara Berry was wonderful. She played the lead character, so it was a great group of women with very unusual experience
Suzanne: Wow, that sounds great. Yes, you last appeared on “Days of Our Lives” in April. Do you know if you’ll be back again soon?
Louise: Yeah, I’ll be on in September.
Suzanne: Oh, good.
Louise: Now it’s sporadic, because I live in New York, and they have to fly me out and put me up, which is nice. And then they’ve got new writers, so I don’t know what they’re doing. I don’t know what direction it’s going in, but they might not want to just continue putting me in there unless they were to do a really interesting storyline, because Vivian’s up to cause havoc, and I don’t know if there’s anybody left for her to care about in terms of her storyline, so I have no idea, but I know I will be back. I’ve done them – I can’t remember what date, March I think, and they’ll be on in next September
Suzanne: Oh, good. I know you have a lot of fans out there who always enjoy Vivian coming on and causing trouble.
Louise: It’s kind of fun to do that. You never want to be – who is it? BIlly Wilder or something [said], “Don’t be a victim.” You don’t want to play those roles.
Suzanne: Well, I think Vivian plays the victim in her mind, but nobody else agrees.
Louise: Yes, exactly.
Suzanne: Exactly. I’ve watched Days off and on since the 90’s. I’ve seen a lot of your work. I think my favorite was when Vivian buried Carly alive. Do you have a favorite Days storyline?
Louise: Well, that was fun, because we committed to that. I’ve been very lucky, because the writers… I don’t know what possessed them, but they wrote me some pretty funny stuff. I mean, I was Elvis Presley. I was a French woman. I had something put in my teeth so that I was being operated [on] by – I mean there were just so many
Suzanne: Controlled by Stefano…
Louise: That’s right. I mean it was always surprising. I remember walking in one day to the wardrobe department there was a wonderful man doing the wardrobe there, Richard Bluer just fabulous, and he said, “Do you want to know what you’re wearing tomorrow?” And he said “Maybe not. I don’t think I’m going to tell you that.” So, I walk in, and there is a large box of french fries. I mean, large – you know 6 feet high or not quite 5 something. I said, “Richard please tell me.” He said, “Yep, that’s you.” I was a box of french fries, and Ivan, my butler, was a hamburger. So, you know, as much as I thought they were out of their minds, when I reflect on it, I thought, “Thank you.” I had such a fun time to be quite insane, so it makes it much more fun than doing a mournful dreary victim storyline where you’re crying all the time and wondering who did what to you. I’d much rather do it to somebody.
Suzanne: I always loved Vivian and Ivan’s relationship
Louise: Oh, so did I. I’m sad they didn’t bring that back, because we talk once in a while. He used to come into work and say “Madam” – he called me madam – “do we have any lines today?” Ivan, we’ve got 20 pages. I mean it would drive me nuts. I mean, he knew the work, but we had that kind of relationship, and I thought it was a very good one that worked well in the show
Suzanne: What is he doing now?
Louise: He lives in Santa Fe on a really lovely piece of property. He also does go to work. He’s from Prague, and I think he goes and works there once in a while. I haven’t spoken to him in a while, but I’d like to say “hello.” I was very fond of him. I mean to have that kind of person to work with was just – I actually got a T-shirt that said “madam feels like shit today” [laughs] because that would be sort of our relationship. Yeah, we had a great time.
Suzanne: Yeah, they definitely should bring him back, too.
Louise: Oh, yes.
Suzanne: So, you’ve appeared in so many plays, tv shows and movies…Which character, that you’ve played, do you have a favorite?
Louise: You know, I can’t say that I do. I wonder when people say they have a favorite that you don’t spend that much time with these characters. There’re so many of them. I had more of an enjoyment of being able to play a Greek girl, because I do dialects, or a gypsy. I was thrown into a lot of those roles – a French girl on “Rat Patrol” – and that was so enjoyable for me, but it wasn’t any one specific, because they don’t last that long.
Suzanne: Sure, especially back then…
Louise: Right, and Broadway shows – I mean, I did several, but I can’t really say that any one particular thing was more a favorite than another. I just enjoyed doing it whatever it was.
Suzanne: Well, you probably played Vivian longer on the screen than anyone else.
Louise: That’s true. I do love the character. You know, at first I was very intrigued, and then there was a point where I was doing really silly things, but now I realize that that was part of the charm of the character. I would balk at certain things they ,wanted for instance the burying alive of Carly. When it said, “Vivian does a jig,” and I said “What are they talking about?” So, I marched up the stairs and said, “Excuse me; I don’t jig.” I had a tendency to make statements or ask questions. I’m very loving of my character, and I always want to protect them. So, he said – mortified – he said “What is it you want to do?” because of course he couldn’t come up with anything, one of the producers. I said, “I have no idea, but I’m going to a lunch hour, and I’m going to work on it,” which I did. So, I came up with – don’t ask, I don’t know where it came from, maybe Shakespeare – she loves me; she loves me not. I did this strange wandering around the grave and the crew was in shock, because they just pulled the camera back, and they said, “We don’t know what she’s going to do. Okay, shoot it,” and then it was dead silence when I finished, and a couple of people said it gave them chills, but whatever. You know, it’s sort of fun to create those things.
Suzanne: Well, it was definitely memorable for sure, even though they kind of repeated it a little bit later on with other characters.
Louise: Yeah. I didn’t get anything to cover to make sure they couldn’t steal it, but anyway…
Suzanne: Was there anything that you wish that you could have done on Days or any of the other soaps that you didn’t get to do?
Louise: Well, I don’t know, because each of them was so different. The characters were so different. You sort of go along with what they write for you, and the things that I would do that may not have been appropriate for the character, I did have an idea about something which I went and told one of the producers, and I won’t say who, but another character ended up doing what I had suggested, and that was as annoying as hell, but, you know, nothing you can do about that. I did have an idea of playing a character that was my twin sister who is a Brit coming over and being my conscience, and the other character saying, “Vivian, what the hell do you think you’re doing? Stop it!” You know, a conscience sort of character. It didn’t happen, but you think about those things.
Suzanne: You were on “One Life to Live” as a judge, And “Port Charles”…
Louise: No, I think on One Life I was a lawyer. I was a lawyer on that, and judge on “All My Children.”
Suzanne: And you were a fashion designer on Port Charles briefly.
Louise: Very briefly [laughs] very very briefly, yes.
Suzanne: So, would you do any of the other soaps that are on now if they asked you to? “General Hospital,” or “Young and the Restless,” “The Bold and The Beautiful?”
Louise: Well, you always want to work. I think what’s happened, and I don’t know if I could work that way anymore, and it’s nobody’s fault… but the rapidity now of getting things done, which I experienced on Days last time, is the rush to finish, and the lack of time to really delve in and make them the best. You know, they try their best, but everybody is under the clock, and that’s a very difficult thing for everyone to work with. I mean, if it was some wonderful character for a brief thing, I think that would be fun, but there are only four shows left, and I think they’ve got enough people. I don’t think they’re looking for anything.
Suzanne: Well, actually, there’re five now.
Louise: Five… oh, right, [Beyond] The Gates.
Suzanne: “Beyond The Gates”, yeah… a couple of actors from the other soaps have gone over there for [more] work. I’m just glad people have work…I think everybody that works on soaps is happy that there’s a new one, just because it means it’s [not] all ending.
Louise: Yes, I mean they dwindled from twelve to four.
Suzanne: Yeah.
Louise: That’s really a lot
Suzanne: Tell me about it. When I started my site there was like nineteen, I think. (I was wrong about this, oops!)
Louise: Oh, when did you start?
Suzanne: Well, in the late 90’s
Louise: There were nineteen soaps?
Suzanne: I think there were. I’d have to go back and look. There were a lot, I know that.
Louise: I didn’t know there were that many.
Suzanne: I’ll have to go count and let you know, but yeah, just to see them go down, but you know all of TV is having that problem, not just daytime, unfortunately. And worldwide, even the British shows are having [problems] because of streaming and everything. I mean, there are more parts for actors because of streaming, but it’s hard to get people to watch so many shows. So, it’s difficult, and then all the financial problems, so, yeah… don’t mean to be doom and gloom, though…
Louise: No, but it’s true. Financially, it’s a lot of pressure, just huge, and sometimes I feel bad that sometimes I have to stop shooting a scene, and I want to correct something or make it better, and I feel sort of guilty, because I’m stopping them ,and they’re looking at their watches, but you can’t help it. If you care about something, you just want to make it the best you can.
Suzanne: Yeah, definitely. Are you still close to or in touch with any of your favorite cast mates besides Ivan?
Louise: Ivan… Well I’ve maintained a friendship, because I’m living so far away. I don’t really see them. There’s a wonderful girl on Days of Our Lives, Judi Evans, and she is an angel from heaven, that’s all I have to say. I have never met anyone like her and [with] the loss that she’s had, you would never know anything other than full love respect for everyone. She’s like a bundle of joy. I was just so overwhelmed by her generosity of spirit. We’re not close friends, but we sort of became friends when I went back on Days a couple of times. You know, you lose lots of time, because I live in New York, so I really feel like you go to do your work, and if something happens it comes out of it, like Judith McConnell.
The book is a collection of prose pieces and poems by actress Louise Sorel drawn from her life, childhood, and career. Her father was a Hollywood movie producer and her Egyptian-born mother an actress and musician. Louise Sorel began her career on Broadway with actors such as Art Carney, Charles Boyer, and Rita Moreno, and toured with George C. Scott, Walter Pidgeon, and many others. She guest-starred in dozens of TV shows and movies such as Bonanza, Route 66, Kojak, Medical Center, The Flying Nun, Airplane 2, Plaza Suite, Star Trek, and many others. She appeared as Augusta Lockridge on the show Santa Barbara, and has starred as the iconic character Vivian Allemain on the show Days of Our Lives for many years. Louise’s life and adventures from which this book comes have been motivated by her love of the theater, her devotion to dogs and other animals, and her many travels.
A flashy, aggressive, cold and calculating villainess and eternally hopeless meddler on a number of daytime soap operas, Louise Sorel has given her opulent, show-stopping characters major doses of humor and grit that have allowed her to become one of daytime’s more popular figures for over six decades.
Of Jewish heritage, Louise, whose roots are in theatre, was born on August 6, 1940 in Los Angeles to entertainment professionals. Studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, she made her Broadway debut playing a teenager in the 1961 comedy “Take Her, She’s Mine” starring Art Carney and also had subsequent roles in “Lorenzo” (1963) and “Man and Boy” (1963). Her initial interest obviously was sparked by her actress/concert pianist mother Jeanne Sorel, and father Albert J. Cohen, who produced films in the 1940s and 1950s. Louise went on to co-star on Broadway with Rita Moreno in “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” in 1964 and appeared with George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst as Princess Alais in the 1967 Bucks County Playhouse production of “The Lion in Winter.”
Given a bit part (billed as Jacqueline Sorel) in the exploitation teen film Eighteen and Anxious (1957), Louise, in 1964, married comic actor Herb Edelman, best known for his recurring role of Bea Arthur‘s ex husband Stan in The Golden Girls (1985). Around this time, she began setting her sights on TV drama, appearing on various dramatic shows including “Dr. Kildare,” “The Defenders,” “The Trials of O’Brien,” “Route 66,” “The Rat Patrol,” “The Virginian,” “Run for Your Life,” “Star Trek,” “The Big Valley,” “The Fugitive,” “Night Gallery,” “The Bold Ones,” “Banacek,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Owen Marshall,” “Kojak,” “Hart to Hart,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Ironside” and several episodes of “Medical Center,” as well as a recurring part on the short-lived nighttime soap opera The Survivors (1969) starring Lana Turner and George Hamilton. In a change of pace, Louise turned to comedy as Don Rickles‘ wife on his poorly-received series The Don Rickles Show (1972).
Though she divorced Edelman in 1972, Louise nevertheless co-starred with him again in the failed sitcom Ladies’ Man (1980). She met second husband actor Ken Howard in 1972 while appearing with him in a Philadelphia stage production of “Volpone.” They married a year later but divorced a couple of years later in 1975.
Various daytime soap operas reinvigorated Louise’s career tenfold in the late 1980s. She began her road to sudsy infamy in 1984 as the eccentric archvillainess Augusta Lockridge for the entire run of Santa Barbara (1984). From there she was given recurring roles as Judith Sanders on One Life to Live (1968) and as Donatella Stewart Port Charles (1997). In 1992, Louise joined the cast of Days of Our Lives (1965) as the manipulative Vivian Alamain. By the time she left in 2000, she had won five Soap Opera Digest Awards.
More recently, Louise has had devilish fun in the quirky soap Passions (1999) and in a recurring role on the political drama Beacon Hill (2014). Bio from IMdB
Days of our Lives is the multi-award-winning daytime drama that has weathered and reflected political and societal shifts without pause since 1965. Featuring drama, romance, mystery, and suspense, “Days” follows the lives, loves, and conflicts of the Horton, Brady, DiMera, Kiriakis, and Hernandez families and their many friends and colleagues. As one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, it is enjoyed in many foreign territories including Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, and Australia. Peacock is the exclusive home of Days of our Lives. Audiences can access the past season and new episodes every weekday. Days of our Lives is produced by Corday Productions Inc. in association with Sony Pictures Television. (From the NBC/Uni site)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera that aired on NBC from July 30, 1984, to January 15, 1993.[2] The show revolves around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California. Other prominent families featured on the soap were the rival Lockridge family, and the more modest Andrade and Perkins families.
The serial was produced by Dobson Productions and New World Television, which also served as distributor for the show in international markets. Santa Barbara was the first series for New World Television.
Santa Barbara aired in the United States at 3:00 p.m. Eastern (2:00 p.m. Central) on NBC in the same time slot as General Hospital on ABC and Guiding Light on CBS and right after Another World. Santa Barbara aired in over 40 countries around the world. It became the longest-running television series in Russia, airing there from 1992 to 2002. Santa Barbara won 24 Daytime Emmy Awards and was nominated 30 times for the same award. The show also won 18 Soap Opera Digest Awards and various other awards. (From Wikipedia)
Interview with Brandon Routh and director Joseph Kahn of the movie “ICK” Suzanne 7/22/25
I’m not exaggerating when I say that I was ecstatic to interview Brandon because I’ve been a fan of his since 2001 when he started on “One Life to Live” as Seth! Then he soared to great heights with “Superman Returns”, and showed us what he was really capable of with the character of Ray Palmer (AKA The Atom) in all of the CW superhero shows (especially “Arrow” and “Legends of Tomorrow“). I grew up with 3 older comic-book loving brothers, and Superman was always my favorite superhero, so you can imagine how thrilling it was to also meet one of the few actors to have portrayed him on screen.
I also enjoyed speaking to Joseph, who co-wrote and directed the film. I always love interviewing directors and writers because I can ask them more interesting questions about the development of the movie itself. He has done quite a few films already, but I think we will see him go on to even bigger and better films in the future. Both of them were very kind and down-to-earth in our interview.
Routh stars in this film, which is a comedy-horror movie. It’s funny, surprising, scary and a little gross (but not TOO gross) and just fun to watch and laugh with. Anyone who’s a horror or comedy fan should love it! They do a great spoof of many different horror films, as well as make some humorous commentary on America. Go see it for yourself!
It premieres in local Los Angeles theaters today, July 24th, and it can be seen in theaters nationwide starting July 27th. It also has a great soundtrack of songs from the early part of this century. Enjoy this video and don’t miss this movie!
From acclaimed director Joseph Kahn (Torque, Bodied) comes his latest film, ICK, the pulpy horror comedy bursting with splatterly bedlam starring Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Scott Pilgrim), Malina Weissman (Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events), and Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie).
For almost two decades, a viscous vine-like growth known colloquially as “The Ick” has benignly crept into every nook and cranny of American life while the residents of small town Eastbrook remain blasé about its existence. The exceptions are former high school football star-turned-hapless science teacher Hank (Routh) and his sardonically perceptive student Grace (Weissman) who are thrown together by Grace’s mom Staci’s (Suvari) closely-guarded secret and a mutual suspicion that the Ick is about to unleash some monstrous mayhem. A wild ride driven by a power punk spirit, ICK is a dizzyingly fun and hilariously grotesque homage to throwback PG horror flicks, as well as an ode to Millennial nostalgia manifested in soundtrack needle drops by American Rejects, Paramore, and Blink 182.
Director: Joseph Kahn
Starring: Brandon Routh, Malina Weissman, Harrison Cone, Debra Wilson, Taia Sophia, Zeke Donovan Jones, with Jeffrey Fahey and Mena Suvari
Screenwriters: Samuel Laskey, Joseph Kahn, Dan Koontz
Producers: Steven Schneider, Joseph Kahn, Peter Trinh, Joe Heath, David Kang, Adi Shankar
Cinematography: David C. Weldon Jr.
Editor: Chancler Haynes
ComposesS: Brain Mantia, Melissa Reese
Music Supervisor: Budd Carr
Rating Not rated by the MPA
Run Time: 87 minutes
Brandon James Routh (pronounced like “south”) was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and grew up in nearby Norwalk. He is the son of Catherine (Lear), a teacher, and Ronald Routh, a carpenter. He has English, Scottish, and German ancestry. Brandon attended the University of Iowa and starred in many productions at the Norwalk Theater of Performing Arts. His first professional acting role was in the ABC television series Odd Man Out (1999), and he went on to guest star in the series Gilmore Girls (2000) and Undressed (1999). He came to fame with Superman Returns (2006) and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (2016). In his spare time, Routh enjoys playing soccerand basketball, swimming, biking and reading. (from IMdB) More at Wikipedia
Joseph Kahn was born on October 12, 1972. He is a director and cinematographer, known for Bodied (2017), Detention (2011) and Torque (2004).
One of the biggest and most respected music video directors working today. Has directed dozens of videos for such varied top artists such as U2, Sisqo, Moby, DMX, Backstreet Boys, Brandy, Monica, Destiny’s Child, Enrique Iglesias, Foxxy Brown, Ice Cube, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Eminem. – from IMdB. More at his official site
Interview with Jackie Dallas of “The Hunting Wives” on Netflix by Suzanne 7/10/25
It was great to speak to Jackie! She’s had an interesting life and has acted in a lot of TV shows that I’ve seen. She has a small part in the upcoming Netflix series, where she plays the campaign manager for Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney). I saw a few of the upcoming episodes of “The Hunting Wives,” and it’s trashy fun as well as being a good whodunnit. She’s a good addition to the cast, which features Brittany Snow, Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, Malin Akerman and more. Jackie also has a recurring role as a doctor on “The Bold and The Beautiful” weekdays on CBS. Enjoy the video and don’t forget to watch the show, which premieres Monday, 7/21 on Netflix!
Brittany Snow will co-lead the upcoming drama series “TheHuntingWives,” alongside previously announced co-lead Malin Åkerman. STARZ ordered eight episodes of the addictive, twisty thriller, which will begin production this Spring in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Following the spin-off of Starz Inc. into an independent company separate from Lionsgate Studios, Lionsgate Television acquired rights to The Hunting Wives back from Starz. In June 2025, Netflix licensed U.S. rights to the series for a year, with the series scheduled to premiere on the platform on July 21.
Snow will portray Sophie O’Neil in the series based on the novel by May Cobb, which tells the story of Sophie and her family’s move from the East Coast to deep East Texas, where she succumbs to socialite Margo Bank’s (Malin Åkerman) irresistible charms – and finds her life consumed by obsession, seduction, and murder.
Snow can currently be seen in the 2024 Academy Award®-nominated live-action short film Red White & Blue. She also debuted her directorial feature debut film Parachute at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and earned two awards including the Thunderbird Rising Special Award. Parachute is set for a 2024 release. Snow will also be seen in the upcoming feature The Good Half which debuted at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
“TheHuntingWives” is executive produced by Rebecca Cutter (“Hightown”), who will write and serve as showrunner, Erwin Stoff (“The Serpent Queen,” The Matrix, Edge of Tomorrow, Julia) for 3 Arts Entertainment and Cobb. The series is produced by Lionsgate Television and 3 Arts Entertainment.
About Netflix
Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.
About 3 Arts Entertainment
3 Arts Entertainment is a talent/literary management and production company, with 33 years of experience. We have offices in Beverly Hills and New York and have clients in the TV and Film Lit world, acting world, hosting world, branded areas, digital media and more. 3 Arts has produced hit films such as The Matrix, Austin Powers: Thy Spy Who Shagged Me, The Devil’s Advocate, Edge of Tomorrow and 13 Hours and more. We currently executive produce over 30 shows on the air. Some of our series include: “Julia,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Master of None,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Insecure,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company’s film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a 20,000+ title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.
Jackie Dallas stars in Netflix’s “The Hunting Wives” (July 2025) and is known for her sharp, grounded performances across television and film—from her breakout role in Netflix’s “Stranger Things” to action thrillers alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme and Juliette Binoche.
Raised in Florida in a family of doctors, Jackie initially pursued a medical career, studying microbiology at the University of Florida and attending medical school with a focus on surgery and pathology. However, her passion for performing began early, sparked by a childhood role as a dancing forest nymph in a summer theater camp production of “The Chronicles of Narnia”—a spark that never faded.
After meeting her husband during residency, Jackie relocated to Northern California and made the bold decision to leave medicine behind and pursue acting full-time. She immersed herself in the San Francisco indie film scene before moving to Atlanta, where she landed a role in the first season of “Stranger Things” as ‘Jen,’ the science teacher’s girlfriend—kickstarting her on-screen career.
Since then, Jackie has become a familiar face in some of television’s most-watched series. She delivered a memorable guest performance as ‘Nancy,’ a flight attendant caught in a human trafficking conspiracy, in a gripping episode of “Magnum P.I.” Her additional credits include “Criminal Minds,” “The Resident,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “13 Reasons Why,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” “NCIS: Hawai’i,” and more.
Her feature film work includes starring opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme and Kristanna Loken in James Cullen Bressack’s action thriller “Darkness of Man,” and Anna Gutto’s crime drama “Paradise Highway” with Juliette Binoche, Morgan Freeman, and Frank Grillo. She also played ‘Ivy,’ the straight-talking best friend of ‘Armeka’ (Jennifer Sears), in Booker T. Mattison’s thriller “Twisted Marriage Therapist.” Additional film credits include “Hunting Season,” “The Pining,” “Devil’s Revenge,” and “The Free Fall.”
Her passion for performing is rooted in a deep love of storytelling and a fascination with the human experience. Throughout her life, she’s held a variety of jobs that placed her alongside people during some of their best and most challenging moments—experiences that deepened her interest in the human condition and make it especially meaningful for her to bring those stories to life on screen.
Outside of acting, Jackie remains connected to her medical background as a philanthropic patient advocate for women’s health. She collaborates with a female urogynecologist to improve access to educational content around pelvic floor health and related disorders, while also advocating for increased research, funding, and awareness. Her dedication to this work stems from her time in residency, where she published 20 clinical research papers focused on surgical outcomes, including disparities in race and age.
Interviews with Kendyl Berna, Paul de Gelder and Kinga Philips of “Shark Week” on Discovery by Suzanne 7/16/25
I don’t watch too many non-fiction shows, but I enjoy “Shark Week” every year. They do a good job of keeping a balance between entertainment and education. The programs this year are really fun. I interviewed some of the “Shark Week” stars about their programs. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Don’t miss “Shark Week” starting Sunday, 7/20/25.
Summer’s most-anticipated television programming event, Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week,” returns for its historic 37th year on Sunday, July 20 at 8PM ET/PT. The network previously announced the upcoming Shark Week special Dancing with Sharks and today released the first official promo clip for the 2025 celebration.
Kendyl Berna studied Environmental Science with an emphasis in Ecology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While in college, she took a semester off to work at Discovery Channel and realized that she loved the media side of environmental science and the outreach that it could have. From here, she began her career in documentary filmmaking, particularly specializing in nature, marine, adventure and wildlife and producing shows for networks such as Netflix, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, A&E and others.
While producing a marine-based show for Travel Channel in the British Virgin Islands she met Chris Juredin and his team at Commercial Dive Services. Two years and two Category-5 hurricanes later, they teamed up to create Beyond The Reef. Kendyl handles the creative side while Chris handles the logistics and engineering of actually building and sinking a ship.
Kendyl’s Shark Week 2025 Show: “Black Mako of the Abyss” premieres Tuesday, July 22nd at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery When Shark Tagger Keith Poe saw the shark for the first time, he knew it was different. It was aggressive, 13-feet long and had very dark skin. Now, a group of experts lure the beast up from the abyss to determine if the creature is a mako, or mutant, or possibly, a mako and great white hybrid.
Paul de Gelder, a former Australian Navy diver, is a shark conservation advocate and motivational speaker recognized for surviving a 2009 bull shark attack in Sydney Harbour, which led to the amputation of his right leg and part of his right arm. He educates the public about sharks and advocates for their conservation, primarily regarding overfishing and shark finning. Since 2013, de Gelder has frequently appeared in Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” specials , engages in motivational speaking, and authored the book “Shark: Why We Need to Save the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator”. More at https://www.pauldegelder.com
Kinga Philips In 2021 Kinga became the first female host in 33 years of her own show on Discovery’s SHARK WEEK with Tiger Queen. Filmed in Turks and Caicos Kinga investigated a mysterious population of never before studied tiger sharks coming face to face with these magnificent apex predators. In 2022 Kinga created, hosted and executive produced Sharks in Paradise, one of Shark Week’s first shows to ever be filmed in Tahiti. Both shows rated among Shark Weeks top shows. Kinga is currently in production on three upcoming 2025 Shark Week shows.
In her free time, Kinga explores a singular fascination with the ocean, free diving (see below), scuba diving (she is advanced open water, nitrox and dry suit certified), surfing, spearfishing to harvest her own food, exotic travel and sharks (those are her two friends from Guadalupe Island, MX swimming up top)… followed just slightly by a love of solo adventure travel, charity work, exotic foods and action sports.
“Dancing with Sharks” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
Hosted by Emmy® Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron, Dancing with Sharks is a competition show unlike any other. For the first time ever, five divers compete to put together an amazing underwater routine with their toothy partners. From hammerheads to tigers and nurse sharks, each shark has its own signature dance moves. At the end of the show, a winner is crowned – if all the competitors make it that far.
“Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
A 20-foot great white breaches in New Zealand, sparking a hunt for Colossus – the legendary flying shark who went missing 10 years ago from South Africa’s waters. Could he still be alive and lead researchers to a secret colony of lost great whites?
“Great White Assassins” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery
Shark expert Alison Towner teams up with Shark Week legend Dickie Chivell to decode how killer whales take down great whites with ease. To get answers, the team travels to New Zealand and goes to the extreme, sending Dickie underwater posed as an orca to see how the great whites react.
Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Monday, July 21
“Great White Sex Battle” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
In a Shark Week first, male and female great white sharks compete in a series of challenges to determine which sex is the superior predator in the waters off the coast of New Zealand.
“Jaws vs Mega Croc” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
Using data gathered in new experiments, Tristan Guttridge, Rosie Moore and Dr. Sora Kim construct a CGI fight to the death between two of the biggest and baddest apex predators in the water – the Great White Shark and Nile Crocodile.
“In the Eye of the Storm: Shark Storm” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery
In the summer of 2024, dozens of cameras capture a rare outbreak of shark attacks along America’s gulf coast. Told exclusively through first-hand accounts of victims and eyewitnesses, nobody has seen all these perspectives unfold in real time until now.
Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Tuesday, July 22
“Great White Northern Invasion” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
Great white sharks have found a new home off the shores of Nova Scotia, Canada. With the waters now frothing with great whites, interactions with humans are on the rise. A team of scientists tracks down and tags the biggest sharks to uncover the sharkiest locations before there’s a fatal attack.
“How to Survive a Shark Attack” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
Shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder attempts the unthinkable – getting attacked by a shark, again. Under the supervision of experts, Paul provokes sharks to attack him in multiple scenarios, where they bite and tear off prosthetic limbs to teach life-saving tactics for surviving an encounter with nature’s deadliest predators.
“Black Mako of the Abyss” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery
When Shark Tagger Keith Poe saw the shark for the first time, he knew it was different. It was aggressive, 13-feet long and had very dark skin. Now, a group of experts lure the beast up from the abyss to determine if the creature is a mako, or mutant, or possibly, a mako and great white hybrid.
Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Wednesday, July 23
“Expedition Unknown: Shark Files” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
Global adventurer Josh Gates solves some of the strangest and most disturbing shark mysteries of all-time, including the real-life bloody inspiration for the movie Jaws and the gruesome case of the Tiger Shark who vomited an arm while living in captivity and ultimately helped police solve a murder mystery.
“Expedition X: Malpelo Monster Shark” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
Josh Gates sends Phil Torres and Heather Amaro on their most perilous mission yet – tracking a legendary monster shark that lurks in the eerie waters of Malpelo Island, 300 miles off Colombia’s coast. After terrifying footage of this monster is brought to Josh, he sends his fearless team deep into the ocean to unmask the true identity of this 20-foot-long predator.
“Alien Sharks: Death Down Under” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery
Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante injects himself with shark venom after diving down under into Australia’s dangerous waters, home to some of the weirdest, alien-like and deadly sharks. He hopes this risky and potentially lethal experiment will bypass years of red tape to finally discover the potency of the venomous Port Jackson Shark and Ghost Shark.
Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Thursday, July 24
“Surviving Jaws” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
Fifty years ago, Jaws changed the beachgoing experience forever – striking fear into millions of Americans who vowed to never go in the water again. Now, marine biologist Tom “Blowfish” Hird and predator ecologist Michelle Jewell re-examine the movie and dive with Great Whites to separate fact from fiction, answering questions like: does skinny dipping really attract great white sharks? Could a monster shark chew through a boat’s hull?
“Caught! Sharks Strike Back” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
This year has set a record for shark encounters captured on camera, from a hilarious moment when a shark slaps a fisherman in the face to the intense 10-minutes a great white stalked a kayaker… these are craziest moments of when sharks strike back.
“Frankenshark” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery
Shark expert Tristan Guttridge and his team use CGI to create the ultimate apex predator. Pulling from a variety of shark species, they build the deadliest, weirdest shark on the planet and put it to the test in a high-stakes showdown against a killer orca.
Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Friday, July 25
“Great White Reign of Terror” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
In South Africa, two people are killed by great whites near the eastern cape, an area that hasn’t seen an attack in decades. Scientists worry it could be the start of a series of attacks eerily similar to Black December in 1957, when six people lost their lives. Ryan Johnson, Gibbs Kuguru and Andy Casagrande head out to investigate the cause behind the spike in attacks before there’s another fatality.
“Florida’s Death Beach” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
The numbers are in, and once again, Florida – specifically New Smyrna Beach – has earned the title of “The Shark Attack Capital of the World,” accounting for 30% of global shark attacks. But why has the popular spring break, party beach become so deadly? Forrest Galante and his team investigate before even more blood ends up in the water.
“Bull Shark Showdown” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery
The most vicious and insane populations of bull sharks from Australia and America faceoff in a no-holds-barred showdown beneath the water. Bull Shark-attack survivor Paul de Gelder contends that his Aussie sharks are the toughest, while American shark biologist Dr. Craig O’Connell attempts to find the meanest sharks Florida has to offer to take the crown.
Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Saturday, July 26
“Attack of the Devil Shark” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
A rogue Tiger Shark attacks and kills a person in St. Martin. Weeks later, it strikes again. Locals fear it could be the work of the legendary Devil Shark – a massive and ruthless tiger shark who’s haunted their shores for decades. When a team sets out to track down the shark responsible for the attacks, they uncover a seismic force that may be triggering aggression in sharks.
“Battle for Shark Mountain” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
Off Mozambique’s coast, sharks swarm a hidden peak, hunting Giant Trevally in a once-a-year feeding frenzy. But when 5,000 Trevally fight back, the hunters become the hunted in one of the ocean’s wildest showdowns.
Encores run at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery.
Dive into Shark Week across Social:
Follow @sharkweek on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Threads and follow @Discovery on TikTok and YouTube to keep up with the latest. Be sure to use the hashtag #sharkweek to join the conversation. To learn more, please visit www.sharkweek.com.
**Shark Week 2025 starts Sunday July 20th on Discovery**
Interview with Rebecca Romijn, Jess Bush, Martin Quinn, Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokum and Melissa Navia of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” on Paramount+ by Suzanne 7/12/25
I was very excited to speak to these actors because I love this show. To be honest, I’ve been a “Star Trek” fan since I was a little girl in the 60’s, and I love the entire franchise, but this is the only current Trek show, as well as arguably the most popular one in a long time. Unfortunately, star Anson Mount (Pike) had a personal emergency, so we didn’t get to speak to him. I think Christina Chong (La’an) was also called away (both were originally listed for the press day). Still, it was great to speak to the wonderful actors on this show who play Number One, Christine Chapel, Scotty, Uhura, Dr. M’Benga, and Erica Ortegas. This was a roundtable, and there were quite a few journalists there. You’ll hear many voices on the interview, asking the stars questions. I hope you enjoy it, and the upcoming season, which begins July 17 on Paramount+. Hit it!
Rebecca Romijn
Jess Bush and Martin Quinn
Celia Rose Gooding, Babs Olusanmokum and Melissa Navia
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS SETS COURSE FOR SEASON THREE PREMIERE ON THURSDAY, JULY 17 ON PARAMOUNT+
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Is Produced by CBS Studio
Paramount+ today announced season three of its hit original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS will premiere with two episodes on Thursday, July 17, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. The series will also stream on Paramount+ in international markets where the service is available. Following the premiere, new episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays, with the season finale on Thursday, September 11. Paramount+ previously announced the series has also been renewed for a fourth season, which is currently in production.
In season three, when we reconnect with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, still under the command of Captain Pike, they face the conclusion of season two’s harrowing encounter with the Gorn. But new life and civilizations await, including a villain that will test our characters’ grit and resolve. An exciting twist on classic Star Trek, season three takes characters both new and beloved to new heights, and dives into thrilling adventures of faith, duty, romance, comedy and mystery, with varying genres never before seen on any other Star Trek.
The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment and stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun and Martin Quinn, along with guest stars Rhys Darby, Patton Oswalt, Cillian O’Sullivan, Melanie Scrofano and Carol Kane, plus special guest star Paul Wesley.
Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Chris Fisher, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States, the United Kingdom, Latin America, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Japan. The series is also available on Paramount+ in Canada. It streams on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
The STAR TREK franchise on Paramount+ also includes STAR TREK: SECTION 31, the original movie with Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh, and the new original series STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY. All seasons of the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS; theaward-winning original series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, starring Sonequa Martin-Green andthe critically acclaimed original series STAR TREK: PICARD, starring Patrick Stewart reprising the iconic role of Jean-Luc Picard, are also available to stream.
@StarTrek
#StrangeNewWorlds
About Paramount+
Paramount+, part of Paramount’s (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA) global portfolio of multimedia entertainment and news brands, is a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combining live sports, breaking news and A Mountain of Entertainment™. The streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, the service’s cornerstone plan, is also home to SHOWTIME® content, including scripted hits and critically acclaimed nonfiction projects and films. This premium plan includes unmatched events and sports programming through the local live CBS stream, including golf, basketball and more. All Paramount+ subscribers have streaming access to CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com, and follow @ParamountPlus on social media.
About CBS Studios
CBS Studios is one of the world’s leading producers of entertainment programming, with dozens of globally popular series for broadcast and streaming. The Studio’s expansive portfolio includes a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed programming which includes genre-defining franchises such as NCIS and the STAR TREK universe, fan-favorite comedies such as The Neighborhood and Ghosts, the newly reimagined Matlock, and buzzy international co-productions such as COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS and upcoming King & Conqueror.
@ParamountPlus
@PeakParamount
#ParamountPlus
Rebecca RomijnNumber One is an American actress and former fashion model, best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men film series. She was born on November 6, 1972, in Berkeley, California. Romijn began her career as a model, appearing in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition and hosting MTV’s House of Style. She transitioned to acting, gaining recognition for her portrayal of Mystique and also starring in films like The Punisher and Femme Fatale. Romijn has also had notable roles in television series like Ugly Betty, The Librarians, and Star Trek: Discovery. She is married to actor Jerry O’Connell and they have twin daughters.
Jess BushChristine (born 26 March 1992) is an Australian actor, model, reality television personality, and visual artist. Her television work includes competing on the seventh season of the reality television series Australia’s Next Top Model, and playing Nurse Christine Chapel on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Celia Rose GoodingUhura (born February 22, 2000) is an American actor and singer. They rose to prominence for their Broadway debut as Mary Frances “Frankie” Healy in the rock musical Jagged Little Pill for which they won a 2021 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and received a nomination for a 2020 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, becoming one of the youngest nominees in the category at age 20. Gooding plays the role of Nyota Uhura in the Paramount+ original series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022–present).
Babs OlusanmokunDr. M’Benga is a Nigerian-American actor best known for playing Dr. Joseph M’Benga in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022–present) and Jamis in Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). He also appeared in the video game Max Payne 3 as Serrano, a role that he both voices and performs motion capture for.
Melissa NaviaErica Ortegas is a Colombian-American actor and writer. Born and raised in New York, she has portrayed a myriad of singular characters on both the stage and screen, including guest star appearances on Billions, Dietland, and Bull. Navia stars in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Lt. Erica Ortegas, helmsman of the USS Enterprise. She also plays the banjo and is trained in martial arts and sword fighting.
Martin QuinnScotty (born 1994; age ~31) is a Scottish actor joins the cast of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” as Montgomery Scott (the first Scottish actor to play Scotty). At 18, he won the lead role of Oskar in the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Let The Right One In, adapted for the stage by Jack Thorne and directed by John Tiffany. The play opened at Dundee Rep in the summer of 2013 before transferring to the Royal Court Theatre in London the following December and then onto the Apollo Theatre in the West End in 2014, with Quinn reprising the lead role on both occasions. He then attended Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since graduating he has performed in London’s National Theatre and Old Vic as well as various Scottish theaters including a national tour of “Oor Wullie”- The Musical, where he played the titular role.
Interview with Steven Ogg of “Revival” on Syfy by Suzanne 6/23/25
It was fun to speak to Steven about his role as the antagonist Blaine Abel. He’s a very interesting actor and person. If you watch the show, you’ll see what excellent work he does as Abel. He’s very intense. Even in our interview, he was very animated. Don’t miss “Revival” Thursdays on Syfy!
On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the recently deceased suddenly rise from their graves. But this is no zombie story as the “revived” appear and act just like they once were. When local Officer and single mother Dana Cypress is unexpectedly thrown into the center of a brutal murder mystery of her own, she’s left to make sense of the chaos amidst a town gripped by fear and confusion where everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.
The series stars Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, and Andy McQueen.
The series is created by Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce, who serve as showrunners and executive producers. Lance Samuels, Daniel Iron, Samantha Levine, Neil Tabatznik, Daniel March, Melanie Scrofano, Greg Hemmings, Stephen Foster & Amanda Row also serve as executive producers.
“Revival” is produced by Blue Ice Pictures and Hemmings Films.
Interview with Director Rachel Israel and actors Judah Lewis and Nina Bloomgarden of the film “The Floaters” by Suzanne 6/18/25
This is a sweet and fun summer movie that anyone should enjoy. I had a great time speaking with these three! The film is premiering today at the Bentonville Film Festival and will be playing in other venues soon. You don’t want to miss it!
Freshly ousted from her rock band, Nomi takes a last-resort job from her best friend Mara at their childhood Jewish summer camp. As camp director Mara contends with a busted septic system, she tasks Nomi to supervise a group of outsider teens called the floaters.
When their rival camp—led by Mara and Nomi’s nemesis Daniel—issues a high-stakes challenge with prize money on the line, Nomi pushes the limits and loses Mara’s trust.
Now, Nomi and the Floaters must overcome their differences and outperform their rivals to keep the camp alive.
Framed through multigenerational perspectives, this offbeat comedy captures the rich diversity of a Jewish summer camp and explores the conflict between leaving one’s mark and building connection.
Directed by Rachel Israel, this spirited film celebrates authenticity and warmth, painting a vibrant portrait of modern Jewish life.
It’s about bonds forged in shared struggles, identity discovered in unlikely friendships, and strength found by embracing exactly who you are.
The Floaters showcases K180’s commitment to storytelling that resonates, steering clear of clichés to offer something memorable and deeply meaningful.
Credits:
Director: Rachel Israel
Screenwriter: Brent Hoff and Andra Gordon & Amelia Brain
Production Companies: K180 Studios, Athena Pictures
Producer: Becky Korman, Lily Korman, Shai Korman, Andra Gordon
Co-Producer: Amelia Brain, Nick Page, Aaron Levine
Cinematographer: Danny Vecchione
Production Designer: Jordan Janota
Costume Designer: Ava Hama
Editor: Chelsea Taylor
Casting: Stephanie Holbrook, CSA
Choreographer: Maud Arnold
Music Supervisor: Matthew Hearon-Smith
Music: Erik Desiderio, Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach
Original Songs: Dan Bern & Orit Shimoni, Jackie Tohn & Dan Henig, Taali, Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach, What Does It Eat
Also Featuring Songs By: Shira Margalit, Kosha Dillz, Tony Shevlin, Cayucas, Cheap Fabric, DiToro, Cake Without Candles, Dara Ackerman, and more
Principal Cast: Jackie Tohn, Sarah Podemski, Aya Cash, Seth Green, Judah Lewis, Nina Bloomgarden, Jake Ryan, Steve Guttenberg, Jonathan Silverman, Jill Kargman, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Dan Ahdoot, Ben Krieger, Max Samuels, Jim Kaplan, Jacob Moskovitz, Thani Brant, Jillian Jordyn, and Bekah Zornosa
Rachel Israel is a New York based writer and director. Her feature debut Keep the Change (2017) world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won Best U.S. Narrative Feature, and Best New Narrative Feature Director. It also won Best Debut Film and the FIPRESCI Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Keep the Change opened in theaters internationally in 2018 as a NY Times Critic’s Pick, which described it as “a landmark motion picture” which “deserves to be widely seen”; it was critically acclaimed for being a fresh take on the romantic comedy, and an authentic and nuanced portrayal of characters on the autism spectrum. Rachel has taught both screenwriting and directing actors at Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program and Rhode Island School of Design. She is represented by Verve Talent & Literary Agency.
Judah Lewis is an American actor, best known for his roles in the films Demolition (2015), The Babysitter (2017), its sequel The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020), The Christmas Chronicles (2018) and its sequel The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020). Lewis is the son of Hara and Mark Lewis, who are acting teachers.
Nina Bloomgarden is An American actress, born in New York, USA. She is the granddaughter of theatrical producer Kermit Bloomgarden. She studied acting at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, Wales. She is known for Body of the Mined (2021) and Jane (2022).
Interview with Laurence Leboeuf of “Transplant” on NBC by Suzanne 6/9/25
It’s so nice to interview Laurence again. I just love this show, and she’s the lead female star. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her a little in these short chats, over the years. She’s an amazing actress. I will miss the show after this final season! Make sure to tune in on Thursdays on NBC. This week’s show, “Heart” is a pivotal episode. Next week’s episode, “Fever Dream” is a mind-bender.
Laurence Leboeuf is an award-winning actress from Montreal who stars as Dr. Magalie “Mags” Leblanc in NBC’s “Transplant.”
The bilingual actress (French and English) has been acting professionally since she was 10 and rose to stardom with multiple award nominations and wins. She won the 2024 ACTRA Montreal Award of Excellence and has continuously booked leading roles in both television and film of French-Canadian and English-Canadian productions.
On the film side, Leboeuf recently starred in Chloé Robichaud’s latest feature, “Two Women.” The film premiered at Sundance as part of the festival’s exclusive World Cinema Dramatic Competition and won the Special Jury Award for Writing.
Leboeuf won Best Drama Actress for her work in “Transplant” at the Canadian Screen Awards for 2022. Additional award wins include the Gemeaux Awards (French Canadian Emmys) for Best Actress in the series “Les Lavigueur,” Best Supporting Actress for her role in the series “Musee Eden” and Best Actress for her role in the series “Marche A. L’ombre,” which also won her the Best Leading Actress Award at the French Festival Séries Mania.
She also won Best Actress for “Human Trafficking” (featuring Mira Sorvino and Donald Sutherland) at the ACTRA Awards. For her film work, Leboeuf won at the Prix Iris Awards (previously Jutra Awards) for Best Supporting Actress in “My Daughter, My Angel.” Her indie action-comedy film “Turbo Kid” was widely received at the Sundance Film Festival.
Leboeuf was born to actor-parents and grew up surrounded by creative arts. Her dad owned a stage theater for 18 years, which allowed Leboeuf to explore the behind-the-scenes of the craft. She’s driven by the passion of acting and the need to be creative with plans to produce and write. Leboeuf enjoys reading and staying active with running, snowboarding and loves to travel.
NBC
Transplant
Transplant Season 4 Premieres Thursday, May 22 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT)
Season 4 of “Transplant” finds Bashir “Bash” Hamed on the precipice of finishing his residency at York Memorial and officially requalifying as a doctor. With his future uncertain once again, Bash and his sister, Amira, are Canadian citizens now, but are still trying, with everything they have, to build a life in their adopted country.
The series stars Hamza Haq, Laurence Leboeuf, Ayisha Issa, Jim Watson, Rekha Sharma, Sirena Gulamgaus, Torri Higginson, Kenny Wong.
Joseph Kay is the creator, showrunner and executive producer. Bruno Dubé, Jocelyn Deschênes, Josée Vallée, Rachel Langer, Stefan Pleszczynski, and Sarah Timmins also executive produce.
S4.E5 ∙ Heart
Thu, Jun 12, 2025
Mags shares personal news affecting Bash’s outlook. June treats a patient with a debilitating phobia. Theo faces obstacles from a concerned family doctor while caring for a returning patient. Claire asks Devi for guidance .
S4.E6 ∙ Fever Dream
Thu, Jun 19, 2025
The York Memorial team deals with the life changing-surgery of one of their own.
S4.E7 ∙ Torn
Sat, Nov 18, 2023
Bash passes on an opportunity and works cases where things are not as they appear; Mags returns to York Memorial; June navigates loss professionally and personally; Theo goes out on a limb again for a patient; Claire is confronted by Devi.
S4.E8 ∙ All I Have is How I Feel
Sat, Jan 6, 2024
Bash and Mags support each other as doctors through new challenges, treating an older couple who arrives hospital glued together. Liz Bergeron confronts Theo about his inability to follow hospital rules. June makes a surprise announcement.
S4.E9 ∙ Who Is Mags?
Fri, Jan 12, 2024
Bash treats a man injured in a car accident who was saved by the woman who hit him; a former member of the York Memorial team returns.
S4.E10 ∙ Never Too Late to Start Again
Fri, Jan 19, 2024
June and Novak are at odds. Theo jeopardizes his safety to help a patient and decides on a major change.Bash steps up when urgently needed and realizes his growth.
Interview with co-creator, co-showrunner and executive producer Aaron B. Koontz of “Revival” on Syfy by Suzanne 5/29/25
It was fun to talk to Aaron about this show. He seems to really enjoy working on it. I’m sure it must be great to be involved with creating something like this and seeing your project come to life. He’s a very down-to-earth guy that grew up watching and reading about fantasy, scifi and horror, so he’s just a geek like me and most of my friends and family (which I hope he doesn’t mind my saying). This series grabs you right away, getting you invested in the characters and their town. You don’t want to miss it if you love horror. I will say that, although it has some gross scenes, it’s not as bad as any of the “Walking Dead” shows.
On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the recently deceased suddenly rise from their graves. But this is no zombie story as the “revived” appear and act just like they once were. When local Officer and single mother Dana Cypress is unexpectedly thrown into the center of a brutal murder mystery of her own, she’s left to make sense of the chaos amidst a town gripped by fear and confusion where everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.
The series stars Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, and Andy McQueen.
The series is created by Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce, who serve as showrunners and executive producers. Lance Samuels, Daniel Iron, Samantha Levine, Neil Tabatznik, Daniel March, Melanie Scrofano, Greg Hemmings, Stephen Foster & Amanda Row also serve as executive producers.
“Revival” is produced by Blue Ice Pictures and Hemmings Films.
Aaron B. Koontz
Executive Producer, “Revival”
Aaron B. Koontz is the co-creator, co-showrunner and an executive producer on the new SYFY drama series “Revival.”
An Indie Spirit Award nominee, he’s the CEO and founder of the genre production company Paper Street Pictures.
Koontz has produced more than 20 feature films, including “Blood Relatives,” “Old Man,” “A Creature Was Stirring,” the SXSW-winning “The Artifice Girl” and the upcoming “Shelby Oaks,” which is scheduled for release in 2025.
Outside of producing, Koontz is also an award-winning writer and director, creating “The Pale Door,” “Camera Obscura” and is the creative force behind the “Scare Package” franchise for Shudder.
Koontz’s unprecedented output has led to him being named one of the 10 most influential horror filmmakers of 2023 by Horror News Network and Paper Street being named the Best Production House of 2022 by the Austin Chronicle. In 2025 Koontz was inducted into Full Sail University’s Hall of Fame.
Interview with Alan Tudyk, Chris Sheridan, Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund, Meredith Garretson, Corey Reynolds and Elizabeth Bowen of “Resident Alien” on Syfy by Suzanne 6/2/25
It’s always wonderful to speak to these actors, and showrunner Sheridan. They’re so gracious with their time. I’ve been lucky to speak with them many times in the past 4 years. I love this show, and I hope it gets another season. Joining me in these chats is my dear friend Jamie Ruby of Scifivision. We had a fun time picking the brains of the stars of the show. Please enjoy season 4, premiering June 6, 2025 on both USA Network and Syfy. We’ve only seen the first four episodes and can’t wait to see the rest!
Star Alan Tudyk and executive producer Chris Sheridan
Stars Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund and Meredith Garretson
Premieres Friday, June 6 on USA & SYFY (11 p.m. ET/PT)
Based on the Dark Horse comics, “Resident Alien” follows a crash-landed alien named Harry and his life on planet Earth. The fourth season starts with Harry (Alan Tudyk) and his baby Bridget stuck in prison on the Grey Moonbase, while a shape-shifting Alien called a Mantid (also Alan Tudyk) has taken over his body on Earth passing himself off as the real Harry Vanderspeigle. Harry manages to escape the Greys and arrives back on Earth for a showdown with the Mantid Alien, but soon finds he may not have what he needs to finish the job. Asta (Sara Tomko) and D’arcy (Alice Wetterlund) struggle to keep a secret from Ben (Levi Fiehler) and Kate (Meredith Garretson), who are both desperate to find answers to what has been happening to them. Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) attempt to solve some mysterious deaths in Patience that Sheriff Mike is beginning to think aren’t caused by anything human.
From UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group in association with Amblin TV and Dark Horse Entertainment, “Resident Alien” was adapted to television by executive producer Chris Sheridan. Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg of Dark Horse Entertainment, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank of Amblin TV, Robert Duncan McNeill and Nastaran Dibai also executive produce.
Alan Tudyk
Harry Vanderspeigle, “Resident Alien”; Devil, “Devil May Care”
Alan Tudyk stars in the SYFY drama “Resident Alien” as Harry Vanderspeigle, an alien who crash lands onto Earth and must pass himself off as a small-town human doctor.
He also recently voiced the role of Devil in “Devil May Care,” which also aired on SYFY. In addition, Tudyk voices the maniacal Joker in DC Universe’s “Harley Quinn” animated series on HBO Max. Tudyk also voiced Tuk-Tuk in the Oscar-nominated film “Raya and the Last Dragon” as well as Pico the Toucan in Disney’s hit film “Encanto.”
In 2016, Tudyk appeared in Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” as the scene-stealing security droid, ‘K-2SO.’ Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film grossed over $1 billion at the global box office and was the first live action Star Wars spin-off. He also voiced characters in two Academy-Award nominated animated films, playing the ‘Duke of Weaselton’ in Disney’s “Zootopia” and the rooster ‘Hei Hei’ in Disney’s “Moana.”
Tudyk is also the creator, executive producer and star of the Emmy nominated series “Con Man,” which was funded via Indiegogo with a record-breaking $3.2 million donation from over 46,000 fans. “Con Man” debuted at Lionsgate’s Comic Con HQ in 2015 and later aired on SYFY. Loosely based on Tudyk and Nathan Fillion’s experiences starring in “Firefly,” “Con Man” centered on the post-show life of ‘Wray Nerely’ (Tudyk) after “Spectrum,” a sci-fi TV series canceled before its time that later became a cult classic. In 2016, Tudyk, along with Fillion, also launched “Con Man: The Game” based on the series which allowed players to build and host their own comic book conventions.
Tudyk has shown audiences wide versatility in numerous television shows and a plethora of feature films. Recently, he co-starred in the Jay Roach 2015 SAG Award nominated feature “Trumbo,” opposite Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren and John Goodman as well as 2014’s “Welcome to Me” with Kristin Wiig. In 2013, Tudyk co-starred in the well-received Jackie Robinson biopic, “42,” opposite Chadwick Boseman as former Philadelphia Phillies manager ‘Ben Chapman.’ He made his feature film debut in 1998, when he first appeared opposite Robin Williams in “Patch Adams.”
Tudyk’s role in the Disney animated feature, “Wreck-It Ralph,” garnered him an Annie Award for his role as ‘King Candy.” He can also be heard in its sequel, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” as ‘KnowsMore.” Tudyk has also loaned his voice to ‘The Duke of Weaselton’ in Disney’s Academy Award-winning film “Frozen,” ‘Alister Krei’ in “Big Hero 6” and ‘Ludo’ and ‘King Butterfly’ on the Disney Channel series, “Star vs. the Forces of Evil.”
His additional film credits also include: “28 Days,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” “Death at a Funeral” (the original UK version), “Knocked Up,” “Tucker and Dale vs Evil,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Serenity,” “Premature,” “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” and “Transformers 3.” Additionally, Tudyk motion performed the lead robot, ‘Sonny,’ in “I, Robot” opposite Will Smith.
In television, Tudyk can currently be seen in DC Universe’s “Doom Patrol” and season three of Netflix’s “Santa Clarita Diet.” He was a series regular on the critically acclaimed ABC comedy, “Suburgatory” as well as on NBC’s workplace comedy “Powerless” and BBC America’s “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. His work on Joss Whedon’s “Firefly,” has been highly lauded by fans and has gained him a strong cult following. Tudyk also appeared in “Strangers with Candy,” “Dollhouse,” “Frasier,” “Justified” and “Arrested Development.” He also was the host of “Newsreaders,” written and produced by Rob Corddry and David Wain, on Adult Swim.
Tudyk attended the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and has starred on Broadway opposite Kristin Chenoweth in “Epic Proportions,” played ‘Lancelot’ with the original cast in Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” as well as the lead role of ‘Peter’ in “Prelude to a Kiss” opposite John Mahoney.
Tudyk grew up in Plano, Texas and currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife.
He is represented by The Coronel Group and Gersh.
Chris Sheridan
Executive Producer, “Resident Alien”
Chris Sheridan serves as executive producer of SYFY’s “Resident Alien.”
Five-time Emmy nominee and BAFTA nominee, Sheridan has been a television writer and producer for 26 years. He has produced more than 400 episodes of television, including 17 seasons on the Fox Network animated hit, “Family Guy” where he acted as co-showrunner from 2004 to 2009. He remains a consulting producer on “Family Guy,” and has a feature film in development with Josephson Entertainment.
Sara Tomko
Asta Twelvetrees, “Resident Alien”
Sara Tomko stars in SYFY’s “Resident Alien” as Asta Twelvetrees. Strong and sarcastic, she works with Harry at the town’s health clinic.
Tomko is known for her recurring roles on “Sneaky Pete” and “Once Upon a Time,” as well as her appearances on “The Leftovers” and “The Son.”
She started her career in experimental theatre and musicals in Virginia, later moving to Los Angeles in 2007 to pursue film. Her first independent film roles aired on SYFY, and she is thrilled that her TV career has brought her full circle. She is an actor, singer, producer, poet an artist.
Tomko is represented by Bohemia Group and KMR Talent.
Alice Wetterlund
D’Arcy Bloom, “Resident Alien”
Alice Wetterlund stars in SYFY’s “Resident Alien” as “D’Arcy Bloom,” the charismatic bartender at the local pub who, as a former Olympic snowboarder, is also a part of the avalanche control team.
Wetterlund has performed her non-yelling brand of comedy nationally at colleges, clubs, and festivals such as Just for Laughs, Bridgetown, Moon Tower, Women in Comedy, SF Sketchfest, RIOT LA, Bonnaroo and more.
She is known for her character “Carla” on HBO’s “Silicon Valley” and played “Kelly Grady” on TBS’ “People of Earth.” She can also be seen in the movie “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” as “Cousin Terry.” She has performed her stand up on “Conan” and currently co-hosts the popular podcast “Treks and the City” with Veronica Osorio. She recently wrapped “Search & Destroy” for Hulu, produced by Carrie Brownstein. Wetterlund can currently be seen on the latest season of Netflix’s “Glow.” Her hourlong stand-up special premiered on Amazon in August.
Meredith Garretson
Kate Hawthorne, “Resident Alien”
is a theater, television and film actress based in New York and Los Angeles. She received her MFA from NYU’s prestigious Graduate Acting Program. She also trained for two years in Meisner Technique at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In 2021, she starred as Ali MacGraw in the acclaimed limited series THE OFFER on Paramount Plus. She plays Kate Hawthorne in the hit series RESIDENT ALIEN on Syfy and Peacock. She is a founding member of SOCIETY Theatre Company in New York City.
Corey Reynolds
Sheriff Mike Thompson, “Resident Alien”
Corey Reynolds stars in the SYFY drama “Resident Alien” as Mike Thompson, the local sheriff who runs the town with a chip on his shoulder, a cowboy hat on his head and an iron fist.
Reynolds is best known for his role on “The Closer,” which he starred on for six seasons. He will next be seen as a guest star in Apple’s “The Afterparty.” He’s recurred on “All American,” “Red Line,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Masters of Sex” and “Murder in the First.” He has guest starred on “Seal Team” and “Chicago P.D.”
On the film side, he was last seen on screen in “Straight Outta Compton” and also appeared in “Selma,” opposite David Oyelowo and Common.
Reynolds was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Broadway’s production of “Hairspray.”
Elizabeth Bowen
Deputy Liv Baker, “Resident Alien”
Elizabeth Bowen plays Deputy Liv Baker on the hit SYFY series “Resident Alien.”
Bowen was raised on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts – West before moving back to Canada to work on improv comedy while pursuing film and television roles.
Bowen credits her role in season two of FX’s “Fargo” as a career turning point. Bowen’s other credits include recurring roles on Amazon’s “Upload” and Hulu’s “Woke,” as well as the Freeform holiday movie “Angry Angel.”
Interview with Dean Devlin and Olivia Morris of “The Librarians: The Next Chapter” on TNT by Suzanne
I always enjoy chatting with Dean Devlin about his shows. This was a roundtable, so they didn’t give me video. It was a very fun one, but I’m not sure if that really comes over in the audio. Anyway, we had a great time. I made my own video, using the audio, so I hope you enjoy it! It was very nice to meet and chat with Olivia Morris, who plays Lysa on this new series. She is a busy and amazing actress. I hope the series runs for many years! I’ve enjoyed it so far. It begins Sunday, 5/25/25 on TNT. More info below!
April 10, 2025 – TNT will launch “The Librarians: The Next Chapter,” the spinoff of the acclaimed original television and film franchise which followed the adventures of the custodians of a magical repository of the world’s most powerful and dangerous supernatural artifacts, with a two-night premiere event starting on Sunday, May 25 following NBA Playoffs coverage. The next episode premieres on Monday, May 26 following NHL Playoffs coverage and subsequent episodes will continue to air on Monday nights.
Produced by Electric Entertainment, “The Librarians: The Next Chapter” centers on Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), a “Librarian” from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius, and a highly skilled Guardian, Vikram has only six months to clean up the mess he made.
Throughout the season, the team will embark on fantastical adventures, including a surprise reroute to a manor where Agatha Christie-styled murders take place, a time-travel back to the days of King Arthur at Camelot and even an encounter with the first-ever vampire.
“The original ‘Librarians’ was a top-rated series on TNT for four seasons and we are thrilled to bring ‘The Next Chapter’ home to our network, with all of the spellbinding adventures, legendary magic and mystique that fans love,” said Jason Sarlanis, President, Turner Networks. “This new entry in the beloved franchise reinforces our commitment to high quality scripted content that features the drama, adventure, and thrills our viewers expect from a TNT original.”
“The universe of The Librarians has expanded and we are so excited to present this exciting Season of The Next Chapter!” said Dean Devlin, Executive Producer and Director. “We’re confident the fans will fall in love with these new characters and that a whole new audience will be seduced into this wonderful and magical world.”
The 12-part series stars McGowan (Jamestown), Jessica Green (The Outpost), Olivia Morris (Hotel Portofino) and Bluey Robinson (Britannia). Caroline Loncq (Mammals) guest stars. Christian Kane will reprise his role as “Jacob Stone” in a Guest Starring role.
“The Librarians: The Next Chapter” is produced by Electric Entertainment. Dean Devlin serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. Noah Wyle serves as producer. Mark Franco of Electric Entertainment and Jonathan English of Balkanic Media also produce.
About TNT
TNT, a Warner Bros. Discovery brand, is watched by more people than any other cable network and known for big, lean-forward television that takes viewers on a thrill ride of electrifying stories, dynamic characters and premium events. TNT is home to some of television’s most popular sports franchises and scripted originals including “The Librarians: The Next Chapter.” TNT also presents primetime specials and sports coverage, including the NHL, NBA and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships. Website: www.tntdrama.com
About Electric Entertainment:
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Electric Entertainment is an independent film & TV studio headed by veteran producer Dean Devlin and his partners Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson.
Electric is most known for the fan-favorite franchises “Leverage” and “Librarians,” as well as the hit TV series “The Ark,” “Almost Paradise,” and “The Outpost.” In addition to serving as a domestic distributor in partnership with Amazon, SYFY, TNT and more, Electric also operates a worldwide sales arm for their original and acquired content. The company’s newest feature film “One Big Happy Family,” starring Linda Lavin, will debut in theaters this Fall.
Electric also runs its own premium streaming app and FAST channel, ElectricNOW, which features Electric’s original content and over a thousand hours of third-party films and TV series. ElectricNOW is also the home of the exclusive live broadcast of the annual Saturn Awards. The channel is available on over 38 platforms and OTT devices including Roku, Amazon Prime, Samsung TV Plus, Plex, and Xumo.
Dean Devlin has produced and co-written some of the most successful feature films of all time — Independence Day, Stargate, and Godzilla — which collectively grossed more than 1.4 billion dollars worldwide. In May of 2001, he founded Electric Entertainment, where he serves as chairman and CEO. The full-service film, television and worldwide sales and distribution company also houses Electric Post, a state-of-the-art digital effect and postproduction facility.
Electric is rapidly expanding under Devlin’s leadership. The company recently launched its OTT app and FAST channel, ElectricNOW, which is a one-stop shop for fans to enjoy all their favorite shows free, also available in a 24/7 live streaming broadcast. ElectricNOW hosts Electric’s newly launched podcast network, Electric Surge, and is available on numerous platforms including The Roku Channel, Plex, STIRR, Local Now, Sling TV, TiVo Plus, IMDb TV, Redbox, XUMO, Distro TV, and Select TV.
Electric Entertainment is in production with several highly anticipated films and TV series. Devlin recently served as executive producer, writer, and director on the smash hit reboot of “Leverage”, “Leverage: Redemption”, which is now streaming on Amazon’s IMDb TV. He also serves as co-showrunner, co-creator, and writer for “Almost Paradise,” starring Christian Kane, which aired on WGNA spring 2020 and is available on IMDb TV. He is executive producer of “The Outpost”, which aired its fourth season on The CW in July 2021.
Devlin executive-produced five seasons of the action-packed TNT series, “Leverage,” three “The Librarian” movies of the week for TNT, starring Noah Wyle, which led to four seasons of “The Librarians” series starring Wyle, Rebecca Romijn and John Larroquette. In 2005, he executive produced, along with Bryan Singer, the Emmy-winning SyFy project, “The Triangle”.
Devlin directed and produced Bad Samaritan, which stars David Tennant and Robert Sheehan, and was released on 2,000 screens through Electric’s distribution arm. Also, under the Electric banner, Devlin produced the upcoming full-length feature, The Deal, the dystopian drama directed by Orsi Nagypál.
Prior to forming Electric Entertainment, Devlin produced the Mel Gibson period drama, The Patriot, which was nominated for three Academy Awards® and earned Gibson a People’s Choice Award for Best Actor.
Olivia is a London based actor born in Kingston-upon-Thames. She trained with National Youth Theatre and went on to complete a BA Hons in Acting at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before landing her first professional job as the female lead in Oscar & Golden Globe-winning feature RRR for Netflix along side Alia Bhatt and Ray Stevenson. Olivia has since gone on to build a varied screen career.
Interview with director Freddy Macdonald and actor Calum Worthy of the film “Sew Torn” by Suzanne 4/30/25
Talking to these two was a lot of fun. Freddy is an amazing young guy directing the film he co-created and co-wrote with his dad. They made a short film first. It’s quite exciting to meet such a young talent who created this fantastic film, and I look forward to what else he’ll bring in the future. Don’t miss this movie, which premieres May 9th in theaters. Calum plays a small but important role in the film, so it was great to speak with him, too.
SUNRISE FILMS WILL RELEASE ‘SEW TORN’ IN THEATERS ON MAY 9
DIRECTED BY
Freddy Macdonald
WRITTEN BY
Freddy Macdonald & Fred Macdonald
PRODUCED BY
Fred Macdonald, Barry Navidi, Sebastian Klinger, Diamantis Zavitsanos, Socratis Zavitsanos
FEATURING
Eve Connolly, Calum Worthy, John Lynch, K Callan, Ron Cook, Thomas Douglas, Werner Biermeier, Caroline Goodall
Run Time: 95 min.
Genre: Thriller, Dark Comedy
SYNOPSIS
Barbara Duggen, ‘The Mobile Seamstress’, is struggling to keep her fabric shop alive. After a botched sewing appointment sets her on a quest to replace her client’s lost button, she unexpectedly stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad. Faced with two downed motorcyclists, guns, and a briefcase – Barbara is completely torn. She is forced to pick between three choices: commit the perfect crime, call the police, or drive away.
The narrative presents the repercussions of all three decisions, and the deadly confrontations that result from each as she gets entangled with the case’s owner. Using thread to free herself, Barbara stops at nothing to save her store.
FREDDY MACDONALD ON MAKING THE FILM
A film about the choices we make is my story to tell. I’ve always been drawn to narratives that explore decision making, and Sew Torn is the culmination of this interest; a layered feature that depicts how actions define your path, ultimately shaping you – for better or worse.
Set in and around a quaint Swiss town, Sew Torn is a thriller / dark comedy that takes place over the same afternoon, three separate times. It’s a film about loneliness and home. About grief and redemption. About revenge and love.
With twists and turns driven by an undercurrent of humor, the plot is all but impossible to predict. And with a dexterous seamstress protagonist, liberation from a tangled past is finally achieved… …with thread.
ABOUT THE CAST
EVE CONNOLLY | BARBARA
Eve plays the lead role in the indie feature Sew Torn. It premiered at SXSW to rave reviews, with Eve being described in the reviews as “undoubtedly a star”, a “captivating leading lady” and with “the gravitas of a younger Claire Danes!”
It’s releasing internationally this year.
She also plays one of the leads in Netflix/Universal’s The River Wild, starring opposite Adam Brody and Leighton Meester.
Her feature credits include Meet Me By The Sea opposite Charlotte Hope, Irish feature film The Other Lamb which premiered at TIFF, a series regular role in AMC/Netflix’s Into The Badlands and a great role in Vikings.
CALUM WORTHY | JOSHUA
Calum Worthy is an actor/writer (Hulu’s Golden Globe winner The Act, Disney’s Austin & Ally, Netflix’s Peabody winner American Vandal, Hulu’s Reboot). Beyond his work in entertainment, he is a passionate advocate for climate education and gender equity, with a particular focus on advancing women’s economic empowerment in developing countries. He will next be seen in Sew Torn and Cliff Dorfman’s 86.
He has collaborated closely with Vice President Al Gore and The Climate Reality Project, and for the past five years has partnered with the ONE Campaign to drive international investment to girls’ education and women-led economic initiatives in East Africa. His advocacy has also extended to working alongside the Gates Foundation to promote global gender equity.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS FREDDY MACDONALD | DIRECTOR, CO-WRITER, EDITOR
Freddy Macdonald is a Student Academy Award winner, and the youngest Directing Fellow ever accepted
to the AFI Conservatory. His feature film debut, Sew Torn, will premiere at SXSW 2024. Freddy’s AFI admission film, the Sew Torn proof of concept short, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. It received an Oscar-qualifying theatrical release nationwide alongside Ready Or Not. Freddy’s AFI thesis film, Shedding Angels, won a Student Academy Award and was shortlisted for a student BAFTA. Freddy also directed 4 music videos for 3x Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito (including his performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), and 3 viral documentaries following hardware hacker Joe Grand. Freddy is represented by UTA.
FRED MACDONALD | PRODUCER, CO-WRITER
Fred Macdonald is a writer, producer, and founder of several entertainment and media companies. Over the years his companies have partnered with The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate / Summit Entertainment, and Viacom. Macdonald was CEO and Chairman of Olive Jar Studios, a film production company with studios in Los Angeles and Boston. While helming the company, Macdonald creative directed theme park media (The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios), and
television commercials (Levi Strauss & Co., Samsung Electronics, and a Coca-Cola CLIO Gold winner that Macdonald creative directed with Spike Jonze).
Cast
Barbara EVE CONNOLLY
Joshua CALUM WORTHY
Hudson JOHN LYNCH
Ms. Engel K CALLAN
Oskar RON COOK
Beck THOMAS DOUGLAS
Melvin WERNER BIERMEIER
Rosie VERONIKA HERREN-WENGER
Grace CAROLINE GOODALL
Mom / Young Barbara PETRA WRIGHT
Taxi Driver VIKTOR HOJAS
Dog Walker JUDITH PFISTER
Dog ZOEY MACDONALD
Diner Guests MARGRIT JENNI
ROMANO GEES
RITA JÄGER
HILDEGARD SPRECHER
MAX BUCHLI
Crew
Directed by FREDDY MACDONALD
Written by FREDDY MACDONALD, FRED MACDONALD
Produced by FRED MACDONALD
BARRY NAVIDI
SEBASTIAN KLINGER
DIAMANTIS ZAVITSANOS
SOCRATIS ZAVITSANOS
Co-Produced by TIMOTHY ROSS
ALEXANDER STRATIGENAS
Executive Produced by RONNIE LOTT
JOHN ZAVITSANOS
MICHAEL ZILKHA
BAIRD CRAFT
TRISTAN AUFIERO
ELENA KOURKOUMELIS
JOHN DILLON POWELL
AMY LIN
WILLIAM LIN
DIDI WONG
GARY MACDERMID
OLIVER KELLER
The characters and events depicted in this motion picture are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This motion picture is the property of Sew Torn, LLC and is protected under the copyright laws of the United states and other countries.
Unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
Filmed on location in Vättis and Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.
Interview with Rico Rodriguez of the movie “Sneaks” by Suzanne 4/14/25
I enjoyed this fun animated movie, and it was great to speak to Rico, who plays the sneaker name “Ice” in one memorable segment. You may remember that Rico played young Manny on “Modern Family,” where he grew up before our eyes. Sneakers (AKA tennis shoes, kicks, gym shoes, running shoes, etc.) have been very popular (particularly in the black community) with the advent of hip-hop music and celebrity endorsements by Michael Jordan and others, since the late 80s. This movie taps into those emotions and culture with its wonderful story and music. I think everyone should enjoy it because it has clever dialogue and well-crafted characters. It also boasts an all-star cast, including Anthony Mackie, Martin Lawrence, Laurence Fishburne, Keith David, Chloe Bailey and Macy Gray. It premieres tomorrow, April 18th in theaters nationwide.
Starring Anthony Mackie, Martin Lawrence, Swae Lee, Chloe Bailey, Macy Gray, Roddy Rich, Ella Mai, Quavo with Keith David, Chris Paul, and Laurence Fishburne
Additional Cast Include Young Miko, Amirah Hall, Kiana Ledé, Bobbito Garcia, Sam Jay, Jonathan Kite, Amari McCoy, Donovan Louise Bazemore, Sky Brown, Rayssa Leal, Rico Rodriguez, Will McCormack, Michael Govier, Andrew Hawkins
Synopsis: SNEAKS follows the adventures of Ty, a misguided designer sneaker who doesn’t know life outside the comforts of his velvet-lined shoe box. After his sister is stolen by a shady collector, Ty must venture into NYC to find and rescue her. In his adventure, Ty meets a rag-tag group of footwear friends from all walks of life who help him find the courage to step outside of his shoe box and find his “sole-mate.”
Genre: Family/Animation
Directed by: Rob Edwards and Chris Jenkins
Written by: Rob Edwards
Cast: Anthony Mackie, Martin Lawrence, Swae Lee, Chloe Bailey, Macy Gray, Ella Mai, Mustard, Roddy Rich, Quavo, Young Miko, Amirah Hall, Kiana Ledé, Bobbito Garcia, Sam Jay, Jonathan Kite, Amari McCoy, Donovan Louise Bazemore, Sky Brown Rayssa Leal, Rico Rodriguez, Will McCormack, Michael Govier, Andrew Hawkins with Keith David, Chris Paul, and Laurence Fishburne
Produced by: Len Hartman, Gil Cloyd, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, Robyn Klein, Jeremy Ross, Meko Yohannes
Executive Music Producer: Mustard
Distributed by: Briarcliff Entertainment
Release Date: April 18, 2025 in theaters nationwide
Interview with Titus Welliver of “Bosch: Legacy” on Prime Video by Suzanne 4/10/25
“Bosch” and “Bosch: Legacy” are wonderful shows that I’ve always loved. I read the books about Harry Bosch (by Michael Connelly) years ago and devoured them. They did an excellent job of transferring the stories from the books to the TV, and they couldn’t have done any better than Titus Welliver for playing Bosch. Everyone who’s connected to the show or watches it regularly is sad that the show is ending. It’s such a shame because there are more Bosch stories to tell.
This is a roundtable interview, which means there are 5 of us on the interview. We each had at least 2 questions for Titus, and he answered them in great detail. I’m very honored to have been included. He’s an amazing actor, and not just because of his work with “Bosch.” The series finale for “Bosch: Legacy” airs today. It’s two episodes that not only finish the series but introduce Maggie Q, who will star as Rene Ballard in the new spinoff series “Ballard.”
Unfortunately, Bosch will only make a couple of cameos in the new series. Please enjoy this video roundtable interview and the series finale!
Season Three of Bosch: Legacy is based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels Desert Star (2022) and The Black Ice (1993). The murder investigation of Kurt Dockweiler brings dangerous secrets to light and threatens to ruin the lives of our three principal characters. The disappearance of a family haunts Harry Bosch and forces him to confront the limits of justice. In a hotly contested race, Honey “Money” Chandler is poised to become the next District Attorney of Los Angeles. And Maddie Bosch gets entangled in a series of violent follow-home robberies.
Titus Welliver
Harry Bosch
Titus Welliver is a veteran of film, television, and theater. The son of a famous landscape artist Neil Welliver and fashion illustrator Norma Cripps, Welliver originally pursued painting at art school but eventually fell in love with acting and the theater. Welliver’s theater credits include David Mamet’s production of American Buffalo, as well as performances in Naked at the Coast Theater and Shakespeare’s Henry IV. Welliver has also appeared in Riff Raff, written and directed by Laurence Fishburne, which was performed at Circle in the Square Downtown in New York City.
Welliver has also enjoyed a successful collaboration with legendary television producer David Milch, appearing in several of Milch’s shows, including the critically acclaimed HBO episodic, Deadwood. Some fans will always connect Welliver with his portrayal of The Man in Black in the cult favorite ABC series Lost. Welliver also notably played the part of Glenn Childs, Julianne Marguiles’ foil in The Good Wife, and the very dangerous Jimmy O’Phelan in Sons of Anarchy. Welliver’s other television credits are too numerous to list but include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Suits, The Last Ship, The Mentalist and Chicago PD.
Welliver may now be most identified by his iconic performance as Harry Bosch, the lead character in the hit Amazon Original series Bosch. The show is based on Michael Connelly’s immensely successful book series, currently numbering 21, soon to be 22 novels, about a relentlessly dogged Los Angeles homicide detective.
In addition to Bosch, Welliver has been in every one of actor/director Ben Affleck’s big-screen, directorial outings, including Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Live By Night and Argo. In addition, he has given extremely memorable performances in Michael Bay’s Transformers 4: Age of Existence and opposite Frances McDormand as her love interest in Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land. Welliver will next be seen in the reboot of the 1970’s action classic, Shaft, opposite Samuel L. Jackson.
Credits
Executive Produced By
Michael Connelly
Eric Overmyer
Tom Bernardo
Henrik Bastin
Pieter Jan Brugge
Titus Welliver
Interview with Arielle Prepetit (Naomi) of “Beyond the Gates” on CBS by Suzanne 4/11/25
I had a fun chat with Arielle, who seems very sweet and full of joy. She plays Naomi on BTG, and she’s been great on the new series. It’s a soap, so there’s a lot of drama. Naomi is Dani and Bill’s daughter, and Bill cheated on her mom with her best friend, Hayley, and then he divorced her mom and married Hayley. She disowned her dad for that. Now Naomi is suing Bill’s law firm and his slimy partner for sexual harassment. She is a force to be reckoned with, and Arielle shows that strength and fire every day on the show. Arielle is also an amazing singer and dancer. Watch her on YouTube.
Watch “Beyond the Gates” Monday through Friday on CBS every week and later on Paramount+. Check your local listings to see when it airs. It usually airs sometime after “Bold and Beautiful.”
BEYOND THE GATES is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those who live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.
Arielle Prepetit is a passionate dancer, actor and theater performer. She currently stars as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne in BEYOND THE GATES.
Her television credits include the Starz crime drama “BMF” and the NBC procedural drama “Found.”
Her film credits include “Bull Street,” written and directed by Lynn Dow and starring Loretta Devine and Amy Madigan; “The System,” opposite Tyrese Gibson and Terrence Howard; and “About My Father,” with Robert DeNiro and Kim Cattrall.
Prepetit discovered her love of dance at 5 years old. During childhood, she appeared in local productions and commercials, including performances at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. At 17, she began studying acting with a focus on scene study and the Meisner technique, and later moved to Atlanta to pursue acting.
Prepetit is a first generation Haitian American, born and raised in Orlando, Fla. Her birthday is April 2. Follow her on social media @arielleprepetit.
The series will premiere on Monday, Feb. 24 on the CBS Television Network, and is available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
CREATOR/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/SHOWRUNNER
Michele Val Jean
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Robert Guza Jr., Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.
Interview with Felix Wolfe of “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” on NBC by Suzanne 4/9/25
I really enjoyed speaking to Felix about his role as Ford on this fun show. He’s young, but he’s been working since he was 2 years old! Now, we’re only allowed to use the audio for this one, but I hope you can enjoy it, anyway. Near the end of our chat, I noticed that he had a large mannequin with a Robin suit (as in Batman and Robin!), so I had to ask him about that, too. You can see the photo below in the “video.” Don’t forget to watch the next episode of the series tonight! He has some juicy story in it.
Here’s the transcript, generated with Descript, but it hasn’t been fully proofread yet. I hope to do that soon.
Suzanne: How are you doing, Felix?
Felix: I’m wonderful. Suzanne, now that I’m with you, how are you?
Suzanne: Pretty good. Pretty good.
Felix: Good.
Suzanne: Suzanne: So, uh, I read on IMDB that you were born in San Diego. Did you grow up there too?
Felix: I, thanks for checking that out. That’s awesome. Uh, I did, I was born in San Diego. No, I, I really, all my fundamental years was, was la I moved to LA when I was like three.
Suzanne: Okay.
Felix: MFelix: y dad’s from la so, so it was like a. Cultural. It was an easy shift, but born and raised. SoCal? Yes, but not. ‘
Suzanne: okay. Well, I’m the opposite because I was born up in Northern California and grew up in San Diego, so that’s why I asked.
Oh, fantastic. Okay. Then you know how good the fish tacos are?
Suzanne: Oh yeah. Although actually they didn’t really have those back when I was growing up. Uh. It’s a more recent, like last 20, 30 years. I’m, I’m a lot older than I looked.
Felix: What you 23, 24?
Suzanne: Yeah. Right, exactly.
Felix: Yeah.
Suzanne: Yeah. Add about 40 years.
Felix: Good on you. You look fantastic.
Suzanne: Yeah. It’s funny. All the Mexican food, we didn’t have much Mexican food when I was growing up there. There weren’t like avocados everywhere, at least in my part of San Diego, but
Felix: Sure, sure. We, they shifted. They’re with us Up and up and up.
Suzanne: Yeah. So what’s it been like working on the show with Melissa Fumero and others?
Felix: I mean, it’s, it’s been fantastic. I mean, Melissa’s the a, a dream to work with. I don’t think it gets better than that. She’s just not only such a well-versed and extremely talented artist, that feels just so wonderful to get to, to play around with on screen. But, but, arguably in even more incredible human being and just such a wonderful, wonderful. I think personality to have on set. She makes everyone, you could just see it. She makes everyone feel so much better and smile and. She has this comforting warmth about her that I feel is so, nice, grateful to be around. So yeah, I feel very grateful. And obviously the rest of the cast is like, yeah.
Suzanne: But you worked with her more than, than anyone.
Felix: I did. Yeah. Yeah, I worked with her the most.
Suzanne: And you, uh, not to have any spoilers, but you have, in this upcoming episode, you have a very emotional scene with her. Was that, uh, challenging?
Felix: It was surprisingly easy, I think because we had spent so much time together and, and, and. Fo Foster. Such an honest, real, I think real life, uh, you know, kind of bond that I, I, I think it just, it translated so easily on screen it in so many ways. The words that I say in those scenes very much stem from a place of like imagining if I was really talking to just her and, um. You know? Yeah. How much I, I, I adore her. And so those sentiments, I think the emotions are stemming from a very real place and I think that makes it extremely easy just because she’s so wonderful.
Suzanne: Well, I’m sure her ears are burning. so your character’s been training to be a pitcher, and had you pitched or played baseball much before this?
Felix: Yeah, I grew up playing baseball. and it was something that when the writers found out, they were very excited about
Suzanne: Oh, good.
Felix: …Easily incorporated into the character. Yeah, I, I, I played baseball the way through high school and, uh, we were a pretty good team and I got to be captain and it was really fun. And Pitcher was one of the positions I, I primarily, primarily was shortstop and pitcher and, so pitching was, was something I grew up doing and, and
Suzanne: Oh, that’s nice.
Felix: It’s convenient. It worked out. It worked out.
Suzanne: Yeah. You didn’t have to work with somebody to look like you knew what you were doing or anything. You already did.
Felix: Yeah. Thank, thankfully, I was like, I don’t want to be on any of those, those edits. I please. So, no, that’s right. Tried my best. I don’t know how it turned out.
Suzanne: So you’re 23, but you’re playing a teen. Was that, uh, did that just come easily? ’cause you’ve been a teen or was, did you have to think about What was I like back then or,
Felix: Yeah. Uh, I mean, I. I mean, I’m, I’m 22 years old, but I feel very, I think I still feel very adolescent in so many ways. I think, I think I, I don’t feel understand people are disconnected from that. I wish I was like, oh, back then. But no, I think I’m in a lot of ways still very, very, rambunctious and, and very much, uh, but I think I’ve always just been a bit. Me, like, I don’t know. You know, I, I, even when I was little, I feel like the verse, whoever that kid was at, like eight years old, 17 years old now, 22, it’s kind of always been the same guy. Right? So same. Yeah.
Suzanne: So, but you’ve been in front of the camera since you were pretty young, right? Like five or six or something?
Felix: Uh, yeah. I, I booked my first part technically when I was two, and then I became. When I was six. and yeah, so I’ve been doing it a long, long time, that’s for sure. It’s been ingrained in my life.
Suzanne: That’s amazing.
Felix: Thank you.
Suzanne: I’m always surprised when I hear about some actor, actress that I’ve seen in the movies, and I go and I look at their, their history and go, oh my gosh, she’s been a child actor. Just like, I don’t know. It just always, it is like, why don’t I know that? It’s like I should all know that.
Felix: No, it’s, it’s, it’s totally understandable.
Suzanne: I’m always surprised if somebody does know that. I’m like, oh, wow.
Felix: Thanks.
Suzanne: So, anything, uh, that you can tell us about the, uh, upcoming episodes at all that you’re allowed to tell us?
Felix: Well, I’m very excited about it. I’ve heard great things, from, from people behind the curtain. They seem very excited about it. I remember when we shot it, it was, yeah, I think you kind of touched on it. It reaches some, some emotional places that I think are incredibly powerful. And I meant, I, when I first read it, and then obviously when we shot it, it meant so much for me as an actor to see that the, the creators and the writers were willing to let the character. go there. And I think let those, those relationships reach those kinds of places, for better or worse. So I, I, I’m extremely excited for fans to kind of see, the emotional depth that these characters will reach, especially forward. And I think it’s a big turning point. I think episode eight’s a, a big turning point for him, and, and I remember really enjoying,
Suzanne: And are you gonna, are you gonna have some emotional scenes with your, the foster parents as well?
Felix: Maybe who knows? Maybe can’t tell.
Suzanne: Okay. And, uh, do you have any other projects coming out or that you, or that you’re working on or anything you tell us about?
Felix: Nothing I can say right now. We, well, hopefully soon I can, but, but yeah, I’m, I’m, I will say this, I’m very excited for the future. I feel very honored. And this show is. It’s been wonderful to work on and, and, and, has introduced me to so many incredible new faces and new people. So I’m, I feel extremely fulfilled, uh, as an, as an artist and as a, as a human being. So, yeah, I’m, I’m excited to see what the rest of 2025,
Suzanne: yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I, I am just keeping my fingers crossed for season two. I don’t know if that’s a possibility or not, but. That’s your business. I know, but I’d like to think possibility.
Felix: If you believe in it. I believe in it.
Suzanne: Okay. Okay. Okay. Uh, I just wanna see some kind of closure for the characters if, if it doesn’t have a season two, and I don’t think I want to get that.
Felix: So maybe, I mean, I feel satisfied with, with the, the ending of season one, but that does not mean that I’m not exci incredibly eager for season two.
Suzanne: Right. Right, right. Well, it’s been a good dramatic show for you. You’ve done a lot of sitcoms and things. I know you’ve done some drama, but would you say this was more drama than you normally deal with in new shows?
Felix: Yeah, I would say that it’s, it’s the, the prolonged, I think the overarching storyline, you know, for, for a character. Uh, my characters had a substantial amount of time to really grow within a dramatic space. So I feel very, um. Grateful for that. Yeah. ’cause usually the more dramatic stuff has been more, you know, episodic or, or, you know, momentary kind of wrapped up in an hour or 30 minutes or less kind of a thing.
Suzanne: Right.
Felix: So this opportunity has, has allowed, you know, for me, for months to perform and then obviously over an entire season I character to really grow and reach a lot of different places within, within himself. And that’s been really fun to, to kind of get, to dig deeper within that. So yeah, it’s been, it’s been great.
Suzanne: Okay. Well, thank you for talking to me. I appreciate it.
Felix: Thank you, Susanna. I really appreciate it.
Suzanne: Which Superhero, is that behind you? Is that Robin?
Felix: That, that’s Robin, yeah. It gray. Okay. Yeah, I wanna be, uh, I’m, I’m aiming for, I know James Gunn’s cooking something up at d dc in the DCU, so I want be Dick Rayon, so we’ll see.
Suzanne: That would be great. I would love to see that.
Felix: I built, I built that. That’s mine.
Suzanne: Oh, wow. What is, I mean. Suit.
Felix: It’s a suit that you built.
Suzanne: Okay. Yeah.
Felix: Yeah. It’s like an armored suit. It’s like all the pieces are separate and everything. Wow. So, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I, I designed that and then I hired some people to be like, can we put this together? And then we’re that
Suzanne: neat. I like that. Do you go to Comic-Con.
Felix: I’ve been once once. Isn’t that crazy? Yeah. And I dress with Spider-Man ’cause he is my favorite.
Suzanne: Oh, okay.
Felix: Yeah, I haven’t busted this one out yet.
Suzanne: I have three older brothers and they were on the first San Diego Comic-Con, uh, committee, so I used to go a lot when I was a kid. I haven’t been in a long time though, because I don’t live there any more.. That’s Well, hopefully. Hopefully I’ll, hopefully I’ll be there. Honestly, I’d love to go for like. Roll if I’m doing, you know?
Felix: Yeah, that’d be great. Thank, hopefully I see you.
Suzanne: Thank you so much, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you to play, Robin.
Felix: Oh, thank you, Suzanne. I appreciate it.
Suzanne: And from season two of this show.
Felix: Thanks
Suzanne: both of them.
Felix: Let’s do it. I appreciate, I hope to see you at the Comic-Con.
Felix Wolfe plays Ford on the new NBC drama “Grosse Pointe Garden Society.”
Wolfe booked his first role at the age of 2 with a gradual climb up the talent pool of young Hollywood. Since then he has honed his craft with roles in Ridley Scott and Michael Fassbender’s “Zero” as well as Disney’s “Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything” and “Raven’s Home.”
Other TV roles on Wolfe’s resume include “Bones,” “The Mentalist” and “House” as well as voiceover for “The Land Before Time – Journey of the Brave” and the Emmy Award-winning children’s series “Pete the Cat” on Amazon Prime.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society
Series Premiere Feb 23 on NBC (10pm ET/PT)
“Grosse Pointe Garden Society” follows four members of a suburban garden club who find their lives intertwined by scandal, mischief and a shared secret – a murder no one wants to talk about. As dark truths begin to rot their lives under the surface, they struggle to remain as perfect as the flowers blooming in their garden above.
The cast includes Melissa Fumero, Aja Naomi King, Ben Rappaport, AnnaSophia Robb, Matthew Davis, Alexander Hodge, Nancy Travis and Felix Wolfe.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society is written and created by Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs. They serve co-showrunners and executive producers alongside Casey Kyber.
This week:
The garden clubbers wake to a perilous frost. Catherine hosts an unexpected guest. Alice vies with Patty for Doug’s favor. Connor’s support of Brett’s car business comes with strings. Birdie backs Ford’s baseball dreams, but faces heat from his mom.
Interview with Melissa Roxburgh of “The Hunting Party” on NBC by Suzanne 4/3/25
I loved speaking to Melissa, even though it was only for about 6 minutes. We had a nice chat, and she answered all of my questions in a very thoughtful way. All of the cast and crew I’ve interviewed this season have been fun to interview. I really hope this show gets a second season because I so enjoy its many twists and turns. The finale is quite shocking, with tons of cliffhangers. I hope we get to see them resolved!
A high-concept crime procedural about a small team of investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers our country has ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist.
The cast includes Melissa Roxburgh, Nick Wechsler, Patrick Sabongui, Josh McKenzie and Sara Garcia.
Co-showrunners JJ Bailey (creator) and Jake Coburn are writers and executive producers. Thor Freudenthal is director and executive producer. Keto Shimizu is writer and executive producer.
“The Hunting Party” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Melissa Roxburgh
Rebecca ‘Bex’ Henderson, “The Hunting Party”
Melissa Roxburgh stars as Rebecca ‘Bex’ Henderson, a shrewd ex-FBI agent and savvy profiler on the NBC drama “The Hunting Party.”
She’s best known for her starring role on the NBC and Netflix hit series “Manifest.”
Among her film credits, Roxburgh recently co-starred in “Mindcage,” opposite John Malkovich and Martin Lawrence. She also starred in “I Still Believe,” which featured KJ Apa, Britt Robertson and Shania Twain.
Interview with George Olson, creator/writer/showrunner of “SurrealEstate” on Syfy by Suzanne 4/1/25
This was my second interview with George, and he is always a joy to meet with on Zoom. I love his show, so it’s great to pick his brain and chat about this wonderful series. Don’t miss it, tomorrow, April 3, on Syfy; you can also watch it on Disney+ and HULU. Enjoy!
Thursdays on SYFY (10-11pm ET/PT); Season Premiere: April 3
“SurrealEstate” tells the story of real estate agents Luke Roman and Susan Ireland and an elite team of specialists that handle the cases no one else can: haunted and possessed houses that literally scare would-be buyers away. Researching, investigating and “fixing” the things that go bump in the night, the team works to create closure – and closings – even as they struggle with demons of their own. The series stars Tim Rozon, Sarah Levy, Maurice Dean Wint and Elena Juatco.
George R. Olson
Creator, Showrunner, and Executive producer
George R. Olson is a recovering advertising executive, having spent most of his career as writer/producer and chief creative officer at one of Colorado’s largest ad agencies. Recognized with over 300 creative awards, George turned to writing for film and television. One of his first original screenplays, a bio-pic of Nikola Tesla, attracted the attention of filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld, with whom he developed the script. George developed another award-winning original feature WHITEFISH with actor/director John Turturro, and the Jesse Owens Olympic saga MASTER RACE with Anthony Mackie attached to star. In television, George has developed several original pilots including BITTERROOT at USA Network, POISON COUNTY and GODSPEED with MGM Television, THE NATURE OF YOUR EMERGENCY with Keshet Studios, and RUTHLESS with the CW Network. George is just completing his third season as creator, executive producer and showrunner of SURREALESTATE on SYFY.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
MORE INFO: Official Site Trailer
Logline: A teenage girl and a terrifying alien form a powerful bond after a chance encounter in the desert, sending them on an adventure that questions the nature of good and evil.
she uncovers a secret that could change the fate of both their worlds.
with friends. He splits his time between Atlanta and Los Angeles.
FAMILY STATEMENT
Roberto Clemente, Jr., eldest son of Roberto Clemente, is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, former broadcaster, and professional baseball player. Roberto Sr. used his platform and immense athletic gift to serve others and devote his short life to helping make the world a better place, something Roberto Jr. has sought to emulate. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the first seven years of Roberto Jr.’s life were spent between Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh, PA. After his father’s untimely death in a 1972 plane crash, while taking relief supplies to Nicaragua earthquake victims, Roberto Jr. became his father’s voice and the spokesperson for the family. He went on to establish the Roberto Clemente Foundation, an organization committed to aiding at-risk youth, disaster relief, and promoting global service leadership. Throughout the last 30 years of the foundation’s existence, Roberto Jr. and the team have helped thousands of children and their families.
ABOUT VANTAGE PICTURES
Suzanne: Claire, and Amelia, who plays Victoria, the love of Cole’s life.
Suzanne: And how long have you been doing the dog fostering and rescue?
JEP: So what I’m trying to do now is, I’m trying to do fundraising. I’m trying to expand more on the education of people throughout my entire area and things. We have a lot of folks in Los Angeles that are from all over the world, and folks from all over the world have different cultures, and different cultures that the way in which they view spaying and neutering and things of that nature. So there’s an educational campaign, that I really think that we need to do. And I’m working with that. I’m working with raising money, particularly for my shelter here in Santa Clarita. I did a fundraiser here about four months ago that, thankfully, I had some really nice people that did the heavy lifting.
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
EVERETT BLUNCK 
OWEN TEAGUE
MELANIE LYNSKEY
Louise: Yes, he is. And so, I mean, we got on very well, even on “Star Trek.” There’s a picture in my book that I – You know, you have to put some pictures in. So, there’s a picture of me dancing with Bill, because we did a waltz or something. And I just put a notation under that saying, “Excuse me, what did you say?” That’s sort of our relationship. He’s 90-something now. I haven’t seen him in a long time.
Suzanne: You were on “One Life to Live” as a judge, And “Port Charles”…
produced by Corday Productions Inc. in association with Sony Pictures Television. (From the NBC/Uni site)
MORE INFO: 
Brandon James Routh (pronounced like “south”) was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and grew up in nearby Norwalk. He is the son of Catherine (Lear), a teacher, and Ronald Routh, a carpenter. He has English, Scottish, and German ancestry. Brandon attended the University of Iowa and starred in many productions at the Norwalk Theater of Performing Arts. His first professional acting role was in the ABC television series 
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
Kendyl Berna studied Environmental Science with an emphasis in Ecology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While in college, she took a semester off to work at Discovery Channel and realized that she loved the media side of environmental science and the outreach that it could have. From here, she began her career in documentary filmmaking, particularly specializing in nature, marine, adventure and wildlife and producing shows for networks such as Netflix, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, A&E and others.
Paul de Gelder, a former Australian Navy diver, is a shark conservation advocate and motivational speaker recognized for surviving a 2009 bull shark attack in Sydney Harbour, which led to the amputation of his right leg and part of his right arm. He educates the public about sharks and advocates for their conservation, primarily regarding overfishing and shark finning. Since 2013, de Gelder has frequently appeared in Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” specials , engages in motivational speaking, and authored the book “Shark: Why We Need to Save the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator”. 
with 
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
NBC
MORE INFO: 
Outside of producing, Koontz is also an award-winning writer and director, creating “The Pale Door,” “Camera Obscura” and is the creative force behind the “Scare Package” franchise for Shudder.
MORE INFO: 
Tudyk grew up in Plano, Texas and currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife.
She is a founding member of SOCIETY Theatre Company in New York City.
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
MORE INFO: 
Garden Society.”
MORE INFO: 
Melissa Roxburgh
MORE INFO: 
