Interview with Maria Russell

TV Interview!

 

Maria Russell played Inez in the hit reality comedy "Jury Duty" on Freevee. (photo from her Instagram)

Interview with Maria Russell of “Jury Duty” on Freevee by Suzanne 1/25/24

It was lovely to speak with Maria. I binge-watched the show, which I hadn’t really heard of, for some reason, even though it was a big hit last spring. I’m so glad I did because it’s hilarious and unique. I hope you can watch it if you haven’t already. I really hope that they find a way to have a second season, too.  Please watch and enjoy the video, too. This is an audio-only video, but I’ve made it into  a video slideshow of photos of Maria.

This transcript still needs more editing!

Maria: Hi, Suzanne.

Suzanne: Hi, uh, I watched the show last night. I somehow missed it last spring when everyone else was, I don’t know. So many shows to watch,

Maria: I know,

Suzanne: but it was great. I loved it. I enjoyed it. So unique and it’s funny.

Maria: So funny. Thank you so much. It was a wild ride.

Suzanne: I’ll bet. uh, when the, the press release I got said, uh, docu series, similar to the office. I’m like, uh, not at all like that. It’s way back. Yeah, exactly. It’s very unique indeed. And who would have known it would become part of pop culture. It’s. Really bizarre and amazing. It’s really, the only thing I could think of that was similar is there was a reality show years ago.  I don’t think it lasted more. And it wasn’t that successful called Joe Schmo where it was like a reality show. But the joke, I was the only one who didn’t know that everyone else was actors. But it wasn’t.

Maria: Yes. I, I heard of it. I never got to see it though.

Suzanne: Yes. I never saw it. I never saw it either. I just saw like the ads for it and I thought,

Maria: Oh, got it.

Suzanne: This is again, way better. So, so, uh, tell us about your character, uh, Inez.

Maria: Yes. Inez de Leon is fabulous. She’s this self-proclaimed boss babe with a real passion for fashion. And when she finds out that, that there’s a position for, foreperson, that’s her goal. She wants to be foreperson. and then she sadly loses that role to Ronald, no hard feelings, but then she ends up finding her new purpose in this courtroom, this jury and being the lunch-ordering queen, and also, the point-person to coordinate all of the outings like going to Margaritaville.

Suzanne: Right. And, uh, but you’re not, I mean, you’re playing the character, but….

Maria: Yes, that’s what’s weird about this show.  It’s like you’re playing the character, but then you’re really you. So it’s strange.

It is strange. And, and honestly, we have, I have this conversation many times that I always say that we’re all kind of like our characters in a way. And the beautiful thing about this show and even starting out with it is that the producers and directors and everybody involved really gave us carte blanche to really, create this, these, give us creative freedom to create these, these characters from the ground up.

Suzanne: Well, that’s good.

Maria: Yeah, no, it was wonderful because, one thing that they did say was that be careful of going way too far off because then we’re going to have to remember everything because, this went on for three and a half weeks. So what I, I had to, what I did was every night I would go home and write down everything that Ronald and Inez spoke about because I had to keep track of the lies. Or the not truth or what I told him, so I had to just be very wary of that because he caught on, he was really smart, he was really sharp, so he would remember a lot of things.  And I was, Inez and Ronald were very close, so I had to remember everything, like, on the show at the time I was married and in real life, Maria. And on the show, I was divorced, but I still had my wedding ring on because I, Maria couldn’t get it off because Maria gained weight during COVID. So I kind of use that as also as part of my, uh, part of my backstory.

Suzanne: Well, that’s cool. I noticed that in the last episode when they did a lot of flashbacks and talking about stuff that there were scenes we didn’t get to see in the show, and I hope that maybe they’ll do a DVD if they haven’t already, so that we can see a lot of the stuff that they cut out, because I’m sure there’s lots they cut out, because it’s a lot.

Maria: Oh my gosh. I think we were, yeah, I think we were saying it’s probably like more than 50 hours.

Suzanne: Yeah, when he wants to see the boring courtroom scenes that you had just to throw off the scent,

Maria: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

Suzanne: I read a good article yesterday. An interview with James Marsden.  So there was a lot of information there that I enjoyed reading. so was it, was it nerve wracking at all? Uh, I know you got to create your character and there was a lot of improv involved, right?

Maria: Oh, oh yeah. 90 percent of it was. Improvised because and then the rest of it, there were suggested lines or scenarios.  But again, we were, we were at the mercy of Ronald because we didn’t know what he was going to say or do. So, Ronald goes to the left, we have to go to the left, so a lot of it was the unknown.

Suzanne: Wow.

Maria: So. Yeah. It was, it was quite scary at moments because you didn’t want to be the one to, to blow them up.  Yes. To blow up the whole thing.

Suzanne: Oh my gosh. I can’t imagine what they would have done if you, if somebody had done that, it’s like, or what if Ronald had turned out not to be the, such a nice guy, that would have been all different.

Maria: Yes. Yes. I mean, literally at any given moment, the gig could have been up, the jig would be up.

Suzanne: Yeah. Well, you lucked out that it wasn’t. So had you done some improv before?

Maria: Yeah. So my, I’ve done a lot of, hidden camera shows. I did a lot of sketch. I had a Broadway show that it was, Thought of bright autobiographical called little Tina Christmas special. So I had improv in my background, but is as far as long form improv.  I didn’t, more of a comedic actress. That’s my, that’s my background really. But, sketch and creating characters.

Suzanne: Yes.

Maria: That’s my, that’s my, my, my space.

Suzanne: So, Are you all still keeping in touch? Good friends? You get together? What?

Maria: We do. I’m actually going to see Ronald over the weekend. Yeah. And, and Tricia, we’re going to go play pickleball.  So yes, we all very much love each other. We’re on different group text, uh, texting chains, and we all very much love and support one another. It’s, it’s like this little family. It’s like this little club too, because, doing the show. We had to have such a level of trust for one another and that we’re going to have each other’s back because it was scary.  Like, I think more than anything initially, it was scary because it was, everything was just the unknown and you really, the pressure of, of messing it up, of blowing it up, that was, scary, but at the same time there had to be. This, this part of yourself to surrender to the moment and just be in the moment.  And then that’s when the nerves would go away.

Suzanne: Oh, that’s, you sort of got lost in your character a little bit.

Maria: Yes, exactly. Exactly.

Suzanne: Yeah. You hear about all the time. Actors say, Oh, we were like a family. I don’t think it’s true most of the time, but you had such a unique experience that I think it probably is true.

Maria: Oh, it’s really true. Yeah, it’s like this club because this, we had to really have each other’s backs like completely and implicitly because like I said at any moment. Ronald would find out or, or, or be curious about something or question something. And so we were always, there for each other.  And yeah, that’s why, it’s a little bit different than any other show, because this one was like, we had to have this complete surrender to one another as well.

Suzanne: Yeah. Yeah, that’s it’d be kind of like making a movie, except you were on more and together more.

Maria: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

Suzanne: So, besides the sort of working without a net aspect, what was the hardest part of working, uh, making the show?

Maria: Wow. I think there’s a few things I think. as much as I, it was. really one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I think the most difficult part was, is that what you guys don’t get to see is that, is that after the show, after I’m sorry, not after the show, after each day, after we wrapped each day, it’s exhausting because our call time, we would have to show up at the Huntington Park court at around five or six Hair and makeup ready.   Okay camera ready So you couldn’t get ready there. We had to be ready, ready to rock and roll. And we would end around five or six, but it was, there was never a cut. There was never a break. So, not like in a regular show film where, there’s a break. Okay. Now you guys have, two hours for a break or whatever it is.  There’s no cuts. So it’s like you had to be completely present at all times. So I think that was the difficult time. Cause I remember I would be like. I don’t want to talk to anybody. I don’t want to see anybody and the weekends. I just want to go to sleep. I just want to like veg out because we would have to take notes.  What did Ronald say? Is there something important that we should know for the next day or we’re not, we’re no longer doing the scene because Ronald, Ronald. So we’re cutting this out and adding this. So it was literally, I mean, day to day, it would change.

Suzanne: That sounds very stressful and exhausting, but at least work paid off and you got a big successful show.  Very funny. And I don’t say that lightly because, although I do like to laugh, a lot of today’s comedies, I don’t find very funny. I’m older, so I like the old ones. I agree with you though. Very funny.

Maria: Thank you. I appreciate that.

Suzanne: So besides the fact that it was successful and you made these friends, what was the best part of making the show?

Maria: Oh gosh. I think the best part of it was, I mean, it’s going to sound so like Pollyanna. The friendships made. With all these wonderful actors and I think it, it shows because there was such chemistry with all of us and we didn’t test together either, by the way.

Suzanne: Wow.

Maria: We didn’t, we didn’t test. We met for the first time during rehearsal day one.   So it was, we, we all connected on so many levels and I think it’s, it’s such a rarity to have that, I mean, at least for me and I get along with everybody, but it’s just such, it’s such a deeper connection with, with your, with your cast mates just because of the nature of the show and, and it’s special.  So I would, and, and also I have to say with, with our producers and directors, they had our backs at all times. I mean, we were so lucky to have them so lucky to have them because we never felt like we were going to fall. whenever, I mean, we may not have known what we were doing at times. They’re like, do you know what you’re doing?  And they’re like, no, I’m like me too. I don’t know what, what are we doing? So, but we never felt like we weren’t taken care of. So that was really important. We didn’t feel alone.

Suzanne: Yeah. When they showed the people on behind the scenes, behind the cameras and everything, it looked like they were really had a tough job, but they were on the ball looked like,

Maria: Oh, 100%.  They were with us. 100%. So that was nice to know that there was. there. that you weren’t, you weren’t alone.

Suzanne: Yeah. Have you ever been in jury duty in real life?

Maria: No.

Suzanne: Wow.

Maria: I almost did. But then, so I got picked, but then they settled. Oh, so I never got to experience it.

Suzanne: Uh, yeah, you’re not missing much.

Maria: Yeah.

Suzanne: Well, I was unfortunately in a really bad experience. But the good thing about it is that now if they call me for jury duty, I just talk about how horrible it was. And they’re like, okay, you don’t have to. There you go. See, now you use my trauma.

Maria: Yes, I love it. I love it.

Suzanne: Do you think you might get a second season? You think they’ll be able to come up with something to do it?

Maria: Listen, the optimistic Maria says absolutely a hundred percent, but who knows, I know, part of me is like, yes, let’s do a second season. That would be amazing. And then the other side, the other part of me is like, We have something so special. I don’t know if we’d be able to recreate that again.  And I don’t know if I would want to, because it was so special. It was one of a kind and I don’t know.

Suzanne: Yeah. Yeah. It’s almost like I think in order to do a second season, they’d have to wait a while and then have a completely new group of people, because otherwise people would know.

Maria: And see, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t want that.  I wouldn’t want that. I would want it to be me. No second season if it’s not all the same cast. Forget about it.

Suzanne: Well, it’s like an anthology show. Let’s call it that.

Maria: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Suzanne: So, are you, are you still in, Tacoma FD and are you working on season five yet?

Maria: So we did the fourth season. It’s now available on Netflix, which is really cool cause it was just on true TV.  Um, so fourth season we did. And is now airing and I didn’t, I haven’t heard anything about a season five yet. So I’m hoping, I’m hoping, but, I don’t know, right. Fingers crossed.

Suzanne: Yes. Now that’s a funny show, too. I haven’t had time to watch it very much, but the little bit I’ve seen of it, it’s been very good.

Maria: Oh, my God. It’s so fun. And it’s, oh, my God. Those guys are hilarious. My Lord.

Suzanne: So do you have anything else coming out that you’d like to tell us about?

Maria: Well, I can’t talk about it per se, but I am going to be working on a film in March, which is very exciting, but I’m not able to talk about it.

Suzanne: Yeah. But yeah, that’s good. I’m glad you have more, more to do.

Maria: Yes, it’s exciting. And, with the strike over, it’s kind of, it pushed everything. It kind of, with the award season too, it’s been, it’s been very busy on that front. So things are starting to pick up a little bit more now too, which is great because, the whole year basically was like,

Suzanne: Yeah, I know.  I didn’t have a lot of interviews. Yeah, you guys were all on strike.

Maria: We couldn’t talk about anything.

Suzanne: Yeah, no, I was, I had like directors and, and, uh, producers, writers. I mean, it was interesting. Don’t get me wrong, but I have very many. So, yeah. Okay. I’ve had enough of you. No, it’s just, I like, actually, I wish I got to speak with more writers because they’re the ones that like create the show and they know more about the stuff going on.  But, but I like to talk to actors. So it’s hard.

Maria: I know. I know. I know.

Suzanne: Well, I really appreciate you talking to me today

Maria: and of course it was so nice talking to you, Suzanne.

MORE INFO: Official Site  Trailer

"Jury Duty" key artMaria Russell (Mexican/Lithuanian descent) stands out in the comedic realm, gaining prominence through her role as the self-proclaimed boss babe ‘Inez De Leon’ in the acclaimed series “Jury Duty” on Amazon Freevee/Amazon Prime. Vying for the role of foreperson, she sadly loses to Ronald, but finds her purpose as the lunch ordering queen and coordinating all the fun outings for the jury.

This documentary-style show, a runaway hit starring James Marsden, offers a behind-the-scenes look into the American jury trial system. The series has garnered significant acclaim, earning numerous award nominations, including recognition at the Golden Globes (Best Musical/Comedy Series), Emmys (4 nominations), Independent Spirit Awards (Best New Scripted Series), and the prestigious honor of Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series. Additionally, the AFI Awards have recognized “Jury Duty” by including it in their top 10 television series of 2023 and winner of a 2023 TV Critics Award.

Maria has built an illustrious career in both television and film, earning her international acclaim, while establishing a solid foundation in Hollywood. On the television front, her versatile talent has graced hit series such as MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” CBS’ “Criminal Minds,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and recurring roles in the award-winning soap operas “General Hospital” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” among others. Recently, Maria showcased her comedic prowess in HBO Max’s “Tacoma FD,” portraying the loveable, yet assertive ‘Lt. Salazar’

In the film realm, Maria is best known for her role in the Warner Bros. award-winning horror film “Lights Out,” produced by James Wan. In this chilling production, she shared the screen with acclaimed actors Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, and Maria Bello. Up next, Maria stars in the film “In Flight,” alongside Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso) and Tiffany Smith (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3). Additionally, she has left her mark in the independent film circuit.

Annually, Maria graces the stage in the Off Broadway sensation, “The Latina Christmas Special,” a production she co-wrote and stars in at The Soho Playhouse in New York. Her captivating performance and the show itself have garnered widespread acclaim, earning Critics Choice recognition from the Los Angeles Times for five consecutive years.

Maria showcases a diverse array of talents, highlighting an acting range that spans from lighthearted and unconventional comedy to fearless, unapologetic humor, as well as compelling and intense dramatic performances. Throughout her career, Maria has consistently aimed to forge connections with people. Looking ahead, she aspires to extend her impact by venturing into producing and directing, driven by a passion for crafting characters intricately woven into meaningful stories, with a particular emphasis on narratives centered around redemption.

With a foundation in classical ballet, Maria brings a wealth of professional dancing experience that spans various genres, including ballet, jazz, Latin/salsa, and hip hop. Beyond the dance floor, she passionately engages in diverse forms of fitness, such as kickboxing, Bar Method, and pickleball. An avid globetrotter, Maria is on a mission to explore the world, having already visited 16 countries. As a bilingual (Spanish/English) actress, she not only expresses her love for the performing arts but also extends her affection to animals.

Maria currently calls Los Angeles home, sharing her space with her beloved Maltipoo and Schnoodle, affectionately named Boris and Natasha.

 

Transcript by Descript and video by Clideo

Maria Russell played Inez in the hit reality comedy "Jury Duty" on Freevee. (photo from her Instagram)

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Interview with Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos and Maria Sten

TV Interview!

 

Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos and Maria Sten of "Reacher" on Prime Video

Press Panel

Interview with Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos and Maria Sten of “Reacher” on Prime Video by Suzanne 12/12/23

“Reacher” season two is even better, in my opinion, than season one, and the cast additions are part of the reason. Swan and Sipos are talented and able to handle action, drama and comedy equally with no obvious effort (as they’ve proven many times).  I believe the writing is also better, and it has a lot more humor than season one.  Sipos’ character is wise-cracking, but he’s certainly not the only one that has funny lines. Of course, you know with this kind of show that they try to put in humor to balance out the serious drama (and tragedy). I enjoyed speaking to these three actors. Swan was so great in “The Inhumans” and “Coroner,” and Sipos has been in many fine shows that I love, such as “Krypton,” “Dark Matter” and “The Vampire Diaries.” This was a roundtable, so there were other journalists. I was only able to ask one question, unfortunately. Watch the new season now!

MORE INFO: Trailer Official Site

Reacher key art

About

Reacher Season Two begins when veteran military police investigator Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) receives a coded message that the members of his former U.S. Army unit, the 110th MP Special Investigations, are being mysteriously and brutally murdered one by one. Pulled from his drifter lifestyle, Reacher reunites with three of his former teammates turned chosen family to investigate, including Frances Neagley (Maria Sten); Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), a forensic accountant for whom Reacher has long had a soft spot; and fast-talking, switchblade-wielding family man David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos). Together, they begin to connect the dots in a mystery where the stakes get higher at every turn, and brings about questions of who has betrayed them—and who will die next. Using his inimitable blend of smarts and size, Reacher will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and protect the members of his unit. If there’s one thing Reacher and his team know for certain, it’s that you do not mess with the Special Investigators. This season, get ready for Reacher and the 110th to hit back hard.

Based on Bad Luck and Trouble, the 11th book in Lee Child’s global best-selling series, Reacher Season Two stars Alan Ritchson in the title role of Jack Reacher, with Maria Sten, Serinda Swan, and Shaun Sipos as key members of the 110th MP Special Investigations Unit. Rounding out the cast are Ferdinand Kingsley as A.M., a mercenary that homeland security refers to as a “ghost;” Robert Patrick as Shane Langston, head of security for a private defense contractor with a questionable track record; and Domenick Lombardozzi as tough NYPD detective Guy Russo.

Reacher is produced by Amazon Studios, Skydance Television, and Paramount Television Studios. Based on the novels by Lee Child, who serves as an executive producer, the series is written for television by Emmy-nominated writer Nick Santora (Scorpion, Prison Break), who also executive produces and serves as showrunner. In addition to Santora and Child, the series is executive produced by Don Granger, Scott Sullivan, and Adam Higgs, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunell for Skydance.Scene from "Reacher" season 2. Credit: Brooke Palmer/Prime Video

Social Media
Country Availability

Worldwide

Executive Produced By

Nick Santora, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Lee Child, Scott Sullivan, Adam Higgs, Matt Thunell

Developed By

Nick Santora

Produced By

Amazon Studios, Skydance Television, Paramount Television Studios

Credits

Based on Lee Child’s 11th Jack Reacher novel Bad Luck and Trouble

Produced by
Amazon Studios, Skydance Television, Paramount Television Studios

Developed by
Nick Santora

Showrunner
Nick Santora

Executive Producers
Nick Santora
David Ellison
Dana Goldberg
Don Granger
Lee Child
Scott Sullivan
Adam Higgs
Matt Thunell

Cast
Alan Ritchson
Maria Sten
Serinda Swan
Shaun Sipos
Domenick Lombardozzi
Ferdinand Kingsley
Robert Patrick

Photo Credit: Alejandro DouekMaria Sten

Frances Neagley

Maria Sten most recently starred as Liz Tremayne in the cult hit series Swamp Thing opposite Crystal Reed, Jennifer Beals, Virginia Madsen, Will Patton and Andy Bean, executive produced by James Wan. She is also known for playing the lead role of Jillian Hope Hodgson on Syfy’s Channel Zero.

As an accomplished writer, Sten most recently wrote on ABC’s hit show Big Sky from David E. Kelley and has previously been selected for the 2017 The Black List / Women In Film Episodic Labs, as well as Christina Hodson and Margot Robbie’s Lucky Exports Pitch Program in 2019. Sten debuted her first short, When It Burns, which she wrote, directed, produced and starred in at Uptown Short Film Festival and LA Shorts Fest 2016.

A former professional dancer and model, the multi-lingual Danish/Swedish/Congolese beauty was born in Copenhagen and crowned Miss Denmark 2008.

She is represented by CAA, Grandview, and Granderson Des Rochers.

Serinda Swan plays Karla Dixon in "Reacher" on Prime Video. Photo Credit: Liz RosaSerinda Swan
Karla Dixon

Serinda Swan was born in Vancouver, Canada to a family of artists. Her father and step-mother are both in the theatre world. Father Scott Swan is an established theater director and has an acting studio in Vancouver and stepmother Cheryl Swan is a faculty emeritus who taught post-secondary theatre for over 35 years. Swan’s mother Alandra Napali Kai is a leader in the health and wellness world and runs women’s retreats all around the world.Swan was introduced to the television world with popular shows like Supernatural, Psych, and Hawaii Five-O. In 2009, she was cast as the iconic ‘Zatanna’ in the popular show Smallville.Feature films soon followed with Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief directed by Chris Columbus and Disney’s TRON: Legacy opposite Jeff Bridges. In 2011, Swan was cast as the female lead ‘Erica Reed’, in the series Breakout Kings. After the series’ two-year run, she was cast as a series regular in the hit show GRACELAND which ran until 2015.Swan’s work continued by playing the iconic Anne Bancroft, alongside Jessica Lange in Ryan Murphy’s show FEUD!. Swan was then cast opposite Dwayne Johnson to play his love interest on the hit series Ballers. Simultaneously working with ‘The Rock’, Swan was cast as the female lead in Marvel’s Inhumans opposite Anson Mount and Iwan Rheon. She portrayed the iconic character Medusa, the queen of the Inhumans. Swan is currently leading the cast of CBC’s primetime hit drama series, Coroner which has just completed production last year.On the philanthropic side, Swan is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Education technology company Deedly. Her goal is to give students a choice in the future they want to be a part of and give them the tools and information to achieve it at no cost to them, their teacher, the school or the charity highlighted. Her belief is that education should be free, and through their specific monthlong curriculum they educate students about world issues and the charities that strive to fix them. “Traditional education systems focus on harnessing the capacity of the mind, I want to harness the capacity of the heart.” Deedly will be in over 1000 schools by the end of the year.Swan has worked closely with the UN, staying in refugee camps at the border of south Sudan on an anti-Malaria mission, cycled across the entire country of Cambodia to bring awareness to anti-sex trafficking and has gone skydiving over 10 times at 18,000 feet (North America’s highest skydive) for her yearly fundraiser for anti sex trafficking and women’s equality.Swan was also invited to be one of the headline speakers at TEDXVancouver and recently spoke at the United Nations on International Women’s Day 2018 as well as a panel on how the media and entertainment industry can influence social change.To date, Swan has personally raised over $700,000 for charity and reached over 100 million people with her awareness campaigns.Shaun Sipos plays David O'Donnell in "Reacher" on Prime Video; photo from Amazon press siteShaun SiposDavid O’Donnell

Shaun Sipos (born October 30, 1981[1]) is a Canadian actor, known for playing Jack on the series Complete Savages, Eric Daniels on Life Unexpected, David Breck on series Melrose Place, Aaron Whitmore on The Vampire Diaries, and Adam Strange on Krypton.

Interview with “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson

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Scene from "Reacher" season 2. Credit: Brooke Palmer/Prime Video

 

Interview with “Jack Ryan” actors

TV Interview!

 

Actors from "Jack Ryan," Michael Peña, Louis Ozawa, Betty Gabriel and Abbie Cornish

Interview with Michael Peña, Louis Ozawa, Betty Gabriel and Abbie Cornish of “Jack Ryan” on Prime Video by Suzanne 6/16/23

These were two very short interviews for this show. I don’t watch the show regularly, but if you love lots of action and some political intrigue, this is the show for you. I think it does help to know who’s who and what’s going on if you watched the first three seasons, but it’s not impossible to enjoy this fourth season if you haven’t. It’s fairly self-contained. Betty Gabriel is a regular on the show. Abbie Cornish is returning to the show. Michael Peña and Louis Ozawa both play very interesting villains this season.

Jack Ryan Season 4 Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Abbie Cornish (Cathy Mueller)Jack Ryan Season 4 Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Betty Gabriel (Elizabeth Wright)

Jack Ryan Season 4Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Michael Peña (Domingo Chavez)

Jack Ryan Season 4Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Louis Ozawa (Chao Fah)

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"Jack Ryan" season 4 key art

About

The fourth and final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan finds the titular character on his most dangerous mission yet: facing an enemy both foreign and domestic. As the new CIA Acting Deputy Director, Jack Ryan is tasked with unearthing internal corruption, and in doing so, uncovers a series of suspicious black ops that could expose the vulnerability of the country. As Jack and the team investigate how deep the corruption runs, he discovers a far-worse reality—the convergence of a drug cartel with a terrorist organization—ultimately revealing a conspiracy much closer to home and testing our hero’s belief in the system he has always fought to protect.

The series stars John Krasinski as Jack Ryan, Wendell Pierce as James Greer, Michael Kelly as Mike November, and Betty Gabriel as CIA Acting Director Elizabeth Wright, with Abbie Cornish returning as Cathy Mueller. Joining the cast this season are Michael Peña as Domingo Chavez and Louis Ozawa as Chao Fah.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is co-produced by Amazon Studios, Paramount Television Studios, and Skydance Television, and executive produced by Allyson Seeger, Andrew Form, John Krasinski, Brad Fuller, Michael Bay, and John Kelly. Additionally, Tom Clancy and Skydance Television’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunell executive produce the fourth season, along with Vaun Wilmott, Mace Neufeld and Carlton Cuse.

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Jack Ryan Season 4 Credit: Jonny Cournoyer/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: John Krasinski (Jack Ryan), Betty Gabriel (Elizabeth Wright)

 

Interviews with Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub, Marin Hinkle, Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron and Alfie Fuller

TV Interviews!

 

Prime Video Celebrates Final Season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Shalhoub and Hinkle - Credit: Marion Curtis/Starpix for Prime Video Copyright: StarPix©2023 All others - Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Prime Video Copyright: 2023 Getty Images Description: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 11: Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub, Marin Hinkle, Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron and Alfie Fuller attend as Prime Video celebrates the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel at The High Line Room at The Standard Highline on April 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Prime Video)

Interview with Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub, Marin Hinkle, Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron and Alfie Fuller of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on Prime Video by Suzanne 4/10/23

It was thrilling to speak to these amazing actors, some of whom I’ve been watching for decades. This is a great show with lots of drama and comedy. They do a wonderful job of portraying the period, too (similar to “Mad Men.”). It’s sad that the show is ending after 5 seasons. I was especially excited to speak with Alex (because she plays Lois in “Family Guy“) and Tony Shalhoub (who is brilliant in everything, but especially “Monk”).

Alex also has a special coming out later this month, “Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits.” It’s off-beat, raunchy and hilarious. I was invited to a special press screening this week for the special in NYC, but sadly, I couldn’t go. I’m sure that would have been fantastic. Shalhoub is doing a “Monk” movie with the rest of the cast, on Peacock, so I can’t wait for that.  I was particularly delighted when Kevin Pollak did his William Shatner imitation for me! By the way, a few of the questions here came from fans in the Facebook group Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Group. Season 5 has some new incredible guest-stars that you’re sure to love.  Please enjoy season 5 and these videos!

Alex Borstein (Susie) and Alfie Fuller (Dinah)

Alex Borstein (Susie) and Alfie Fuller (Dinah) of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" on Amazon Prime

 

Kevin Pollak (Moishe) and Caroline Aaron (Shirley)

Kevin Pollak (Moishe) and Caroline Aaron (Shirley) of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" on Amazon Prime

 

Interview with Marin Hinkle (Rose) and Tony Shalhoub (Abe) of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on Amazon Prime

Marin Hinkle (Rose) and Tony Shalhoub (Abe) of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" on Amazon Prime

 

MORE INFO: Trailer

"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" key art - Amazon PrimeShow Description
In the fifth and final season, Midge finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover that closer than ever is still so far away.

Credits
Creator
Amy Sherman-PalladinoExecutive Producers, Writers, Directors, Music Supervisors
Amy Sherman-Palladino
Daniel PalladinoCo-Executive Producer
Dhana GilbertKey cast
Rachel Brosnahan – “Miriam “Midge” Maisel”
Tony Shalhoub – “Abe Weissman”
Alex Borstein – “Susie Myerson”
Marin Hinkle – “Rose Weissman”
Michael Zegen – “Joel Maisel”
Kevin Pollak – “Moishe Maisel”
Caroline Aaron – “Shirley Maisel”
Luke Kirby – “Lenny Bruce”
Reid Scott – “Gordon Ford”
Alfie Fuller – “Dinah Rutledge”
Jason Ralph – “Mike Carr”

MIDGE’S FINAL BOW – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Debuts Official Teaser and Key Art For Upcoming Fifth and Final Season, Premiering April 14 on Prime Video

Mar 02, 2023 Maisel goes “Tits up” with a seven-week series send-off

CULVER CITY, California—March 2, 2023—Today, the beloved and celebrated Prime Video series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel revealed the official teaser, key art, and premiere date for the groundbreaking series’ fifth and final season. The series, which has delighted fans for the past six years, will kick off on April 14, 2023 with a three-episode premiere and new episodes weekly.

After burning bridges and being cut from tour, Midge Maisel persisted through Season Four, rebuilding her career and reputation. The final moments of the season culminated with Midge leaving Carnegie Hall reinvigorated and ready to weather any blizzard. After an epiphany in front ofThe Gordon Ford Show’s snowy billboard, Midge is ready to “Go forward” and fight for her ascent to stardom—equipped with her quick wit and sharp tongue, and nothing else to lose.

In the fifth and final season, Midge finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover that closer than ever is still so far away.

Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and executive producer Daniel Palladino have “exactly” known the series’ “last images” and “last moment” since the Season Four finale last year.

An awards juggernaut, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has won 20 Primetime Emmy Awards,  including Outstanding Comedy Series; six Critics Choice Awards; four Screen Actors Guild Awards; three Golden Globe Awards; and more. The series has become one of the most acclaimed and beloved shows on television and changed the game of the streaming industry.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, from renowned creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and executive producerDaniel Palladino, is written and directed by Sherman-Palladino and Palladino, and stars Emmy winnerRachel Brosnahan, four-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub, three-time Emmy winner Alex Borstein, Emmy nominee Marin Hinkle, Michael Zegen, Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron, SAG Award winner Reid Scott, Alfie Fuller, and Jason Ralph.

MAISEL SEASON FIVE SYNOPSIS
In the fifth and final season, Midge finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover that closer than ever is still so far away.

SOCIAL HANDLES
Hashtag: #MrsMaisel
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @MaiselTV

Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits Musical Comedy Special to Premiere on Prime Video

Mar 03, 2023

Step right up and behold this new ringmaster of comedy in her special, premiering worldwide April 18

CULVER CITY, California— Alex Borstein, three-time Emmy winner and one of the stars of the hit series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is set to release her first Amazon Original comedy special, Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits. The special will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on April 18, 2023.

Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits is a deeply personal and wildly fictitious account of one woman’s attempt to f*** with perception. A night of comedy, music, and waxing rhapsodic.

A unique comedic special that will lead audiences into Alex Borstein’s mind through a marriage of humor and music,Corsets & Clown Suits is equal parts provocative and whimsical. Borstein’s self-penned performance showcases her captivating form of storytelling with the help of her muse and maestro, Barcelona-native musicians, Eric Mills and Salva Rey.

Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits was filmed at The Wolford Theatre—the fictional burlesque club from Season Four of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The special also tapped into the award-winning Mrs. Maisel crafts team: production designer Bill Groom, cinematographer M. David Mullen, music supervisor Robin Urdang, music consultant Stewart Lerman, set decorator Ellen Christiansen, sound editor Ron Bochar, sound mixer Mathew Price, and editors Tim Streeto and Zana Bochar.

Alex Borstein is a multi-hyphenate talent who acts, produces, voices the character Lois Griffin on FOX’s Family Guy, and wrote for Showtime’s long-running series Shameless. She also starred alongside Laurie Metcalf and Niecy Nash in HBO’s Getting On, where she brought the vulnerable character of Dawn Forchette to life. Getting On rose to critical acclaim during its three seasons, as it followed the daily lives of nurses and doctors struggling with the dark comedic realities of caring for the elderly in an overwhelmed health care system.

Borstein has won two Primetime Emmys, two SAG Awards, and two Critics Choice Awards for her turn as Susie Myerson on Prime Video’s award-winning series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also took an Emmy home for her voice-over work as Lois Griffin on FOX’s long-running mega-hit, Family Guy.

In film, Borstein was seen in Love the Coopers with Alan Arkin and Diane Keaton. She also appeared in Seth MacFarlane’s A Million Ways to Die in The West and in MacFarlane’s feature film directorial debut, Ted. Previously, Borstein appeared opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Scott Frank’s The Lookout, in Bad Santa with Billy Bob Thornton, and in The Lizzie McGuire Movie with Hilary Duff. Not just a comedic actress, Borstein starred alongside George Clooney in the six-time Academy Award-nominated film Good Night, and Good Luck, which earned her a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in Motion Picture. The film was also nominated for multiple Golden Globe and BAFTA awards, and was awarded Movie of the Year by the American Film Institute.

Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits is produced by Amazon Studios. Borstein, Dhana Rivera Gilbert, and Scott Ellis serve as executive producers. Sal Carino and Matthew Shapiro are producers. Ellis directed the special.

About Prime Video
Prime Video offers customers a vast collection of movies, series, and sports
—all available to watch on hundreds of compatible devices.

  Included with Prime Video: Watch movies, series, and sports, including Thursday Night Football. Enjoy series and films including Emmy winners The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,Emmy-nominated satirical superhero drama The Boys, and the smash hits The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Shotgun Wedding, Samaritan, Thirteen Lives, The Tender Bar, Being the Ricardos, The Tomorrow War, Reacher, and Coming 2 America. Prime members also get access to licensed content.

  Prime Video Channels: Prime members can add channels like discovery+, Paramount+, BET+, MGM+, ViX+, PBS KIDS, NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, STARZ, and SHOWTIME—no extra apps to download, and no cable required. Only pay for the ones you want, and cancel anytime.  View the full list of channels available atamazon.com/channels.

  Rent or Buy: Enjoy new-release movies to rent or buy, entire seasons of current TV shows available to buy, and special deals just for Prime members.

  Instant access: Watch at home or on the go with your choice of hundreds of compatible devices. Stream from the web or using the Prime Video app on your smartphone, tablet, set-top box, game console, or select smart TV.

  Enhanced experiences: Make the most of every viewing with 4K Ultra HD- and High Dynamic Range (HDR)-compatible content. Go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows with exclusive X-Ray access powered by IMDb. Save it for later with select mobile downloads for offline viewing.

Prime Video is just one of many shopping, savings, and entertainment benefits included with a Prime membership, along with fast, free shipping on millions of Prime-eligible items at Amazon.com, grocery delivery and pickup, unlimited photo storage, exclusive deals and discounts, prescription savings, and access to ad-free music, books, and games. To sign up or start a 30-day free trial of Prime, visit: amazon.com/prime.

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Prime Video Celebrates Final Season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Credit: Marion Curtis/Starpix for Prime Video Copyright: StarPix©2023 Description: New York, NY - 4/11/23 - The Cast and Crew attends Prime Video’s Celebration of the Final Season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. PICTURED: The Cast and Crew . PHOTO by: Marion Curtis/Starpix for Prime Video. LOCATION: The High Line Room at The Standard

 

Interview with Kristos Andrews and Mike Manning

TV Interview!

Kristos Andrews of "The Bay"Mike Manning of "The Bay"

Interview with Kristos Andrew and Mike Manning of “The Bay” on Prime, Peacock and Tubi by Thane 3/9/23

It was great to interview Mike and Kristos from the show “The Bay.” They both have Emmys because of this series.

Mike’s audio was a bit patchy at times. He meant Edinburgh when talking about Scotland.

Regarding the crying scene he’s talking about in the shower – he didn’t know if his husband was dead or alive.

First, the interview with Kristos:

 

Caleb and Daniel's wedding on "The Bay"

Then, the interview with Mike:

 

MORE INFO:

Season 7 Trailer

Poster for "The Bay"

The  Emmy® Award-winning multi-camera serialized drama THE BAY follows the affluent, yet dysfunctional Bay City residents living in a town cursed by Red Garrett  (Golden Globe winner Bruce Davison), an ominous senator who was murdered by his socialite granddaughter, Sara Garrett (Emmy® winner Mary Beth Evans). Living in his shadow, Sara, her son Pete, (Emmy® winner Kristos Andrews) and those around them face a series of dilemmas involving rape, blackmail, sordid lovers, and vindictive arch rivals. Their lives riddled with forbidden love, malicious lies, and never-ending scandals, the town’s privileged tangle with those who confuse obsession for love, vengeance for justice, and power for success. THE BAY is available on Tubi, Popstar!TV, Peacock, Prime Video in the US, Channel 10’s 10Play in Australia, SABC in South Africa and MORE!

In a town cursed by the spirit of a dead Senator, the Bay City residents fight for redemption, true love and new beginnings in a town where murder, betrayal, heartbreak, and vengeance must be in the water.

Recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), THE BAY is a multiple Daytime Emmy® Award winning  series, with a total of 23 wins and 56 Daytime Emmy nominations.

Written and Directed by Daytime Emmy® winning showrunner and creator Gregori J. Martin. The Bay is also executive produced and co-written by Daytime Emmy® winning Executive Producer, Wendy Riche.

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Scene from "The Bay" with Adam and Vivian

Interview with Julian Bailey

TV Interview!

Julian Bailey of "Three Pines" on Prime

Interview with Julian Bailey of “Three Pines” on Prime by Suzanne 1/24/23

This was a very fun interview. I watched the show last week and really enjoyed it, so it was great to speak to one of the main actors in the show. Make sure to watch it!

 

MORE INFO:

Julian Bailey as Peter Morrow in "Three Pines" on Prime

JULIAN BAILEY (X-MEN : DARK PHOENIX, “FAR CRY 5”) plays Peter Morrow in Amazon Prime’s THREE PINES, currently one of the top 10 TV shows around globe.

THREE PINES

Now on Amazon Prime

A man investigates murders in Three Pines; he sees things that others do not: the light between the cracks, the mythic in the mundane, and discovers long-buried secrets and faces a few of his own ghosts.

Julian Bailey as Peter Morrow in "Three Pines" on Prime

JULIAN BAILEY – BIO

Julian Bailey is a film and television actor with theatre roots. During his youth in Montreal, Canada, Bailey performed with the National Theatre School of Canada, and was cast in a CBC TV movie, before going on to lend his voice to animated characters such as Pepito in the original Madeline specials for HBO, and Mowgli from the popular anime Jungle Book series.

After graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (West), in Pasadena, California, Bailey would move to Chicago, becoming involved in the local theatre scene and subsequently performing in a series of critically acclaimed productions. Managing to get his SAG card in Chicago, Bailey returned to the Los Angeles area, where after two years of auditioning without a booking, he landed a role on a Lifetime tv series with Lea Thompson (Back To The Future). When the show was cancelled after its first season, Bailey worked odd jobs in between appearances on shows like Judging Amy, Just Shoot Me, and JAG, among many others. A guest spot on the hit show, NCIS, earned Bailey fans around the world for his portrayal of a sociopathic young naval officer. The actor would go on to appear in many internationally syndicated programs, films, and video games, including Supernatural, Dark Phoenix, and Far Cry 5. Bailey is the lead voice (HQ) of the massive first person shooter juggernaut, Rainbow Six: Siege, one of Ubisoft’s most successful franchises ever, boasting more than 70 million registered players worldwide.

In 2021, Bailey voiced Netflix’s title character for the English version of the globally popular Korean series, Vincenzo.

Julian Bailey currently stars as enigmatic artist, Peter Morrow, in Amazon Prime Video’s hit television series, Three Pines, along with Alfred Molina and a dynamic ensemble cast.

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Julian Bailey of "Three Pines" on Prime

Best Back-to-School Streaming Devices and TVs

TV Article!

Netflix logo on TV

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Best back-to-school streaming devices and TVs by Jodi W. 1/10/23

The time to go back to school is fast-approaching. If you are one of the millions of students who do not know what to do in their free time, you may have been thinking about purchasing a streaming device. Small and portable, they can be attached to any TV and can help you produce HD or even 4K streaming services to your TV.

What Are Streaming Services?

These devices connect to streaming services. These services deliver video content on demand. Similar to YouTube, they provide a limited amount of content you can stream on-demand. As the content can be educational, it can help you study and do so in a fun way. All the content there is original or made by other companies, but private content is never allowed.

This is the biggest difference between any streaming website and a streaming service. Another big difference is that the content can be streamed to various devices, not just laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The TV or the streaming device should have an appropriate app installed, but most devices today support most of these apps and streaming services as it is.

Which Streaming Services Are the Best for Students?

Among these services are Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. These services are best suited for students and all others who are more curious in nature than others. This is thanks to the rich content of documentaries and other educational content. Netflix is definitely the number one since they offer the most content that is original and made by them.

Streaming services for students should always be educational and have the value that a book could offer. Although there is no exam that focuses on streaming services, these can significantly help by offering additional information and a chance to revise. They can also offer great ideas for research papers. Once the idea is there, you can check out writing service reviews and find the writing service that works for you. This way, professionals will help make your idea come to fruition.

Top Back-to-School Streaming Devices

Although Netflix is the golden standard for streaming services, others should also be considered. Still, most devices support the biggest streaming services, although not all of them may work in all countries. For this reason, you should always consider which device to buy, especially if you move a lot or go back home to another country for holidays. The devices we present here are devices that are designed for the US market. As such, they provide a certain level of quality that is expected from devices like this and are likely to provide many hours of content streaming.

Amazon Fire Stick Lite

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

The super-simple-to-use Fire TV Stick Lite offers everything that a student needs. It comes with a remote controller that also has built-in voice control. It offers most features compared to its price. It is inexpensive and can be delivered to your dorm room in less than 2 days.

Insignia Amazon Fire TV Edition

The Insignia Edition is one of the TVs out there with built-in support for streaming services. Amazon has its own – Prime Video. The entire TV is optimized for this type of service and will likely provide you with a lot of entertainment during those long winter nights. The screen is only 32 inches, so it should fit in most college-form rooms.

Roku Express

Roku Express HD

Roku Express HD features a streamlined design and a very fast response time. The stick is the cheapest on our list and offers streaming from many services. This cheaper Roku Express 4K Plus version is still a great option for HD streaming.

Roku Streambar

Streambar by Roku is two devices in one: a streaming service device and a soundbar. The combo is great for all who like to make parties and invite many friends over for a movie night. The bar can also double as an out-source when gaming for example. It augments the sound from the TV and provides a more enjoyable experience.

Final Considerations

Streaming services and devices are many on the market. Here, we explored different options and saw what could suit you. All the devices on the list are available in the US (most of them on Amazon) and are easy to use. As they are small and light, they will take up barely any space on the desktop.

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Dark photo of Netflix playing on a TV

Photo by Thibault Penin on Unsplash

Interview with Eric Kripke, Karl Urban, Chace Crawford, Claudia Doumit, Antony Starr and Erin Moriarty

TV Interview!

"The Boys" on Amazon Prime

Interview with Eric Kripke, Karl Urban, Chace Crawford, Claudia Doumit, Antony Starr and Erin Moriarty of “The Boys” on Prime Video by Suzanne 6/1/22

This is one of my favorite shows, even though it’s exceedingly violent and gory. I just love the characters, the story and the humor. I was very happy to be included in this year’s press day for the show. They didn’t allow us to record the video, unfortunately. Also, I was not able to ask Starr and Moriarity a question because the other journalists asked questions that were way too long. We were told to only ask one question, with no followup, but they didn’t follow the rules. We’re very limited in time. It’s such a shame, but I’ve included their questions here, at least. I heard that many journalists were asking some very bawdy questions about certain sex scenes in the show! It was pretty funny…You will understand more when you see the whole Season 3!

Showrunner Eric Kripke and star Karl Urban (Billy)

Suzanne: Oh, hi. Eric, one thing I’ve noticed with a lot of action shows is that it seems that they have to keep upping the ante every season on action and violence to keep the fans happy. Is this a pressure that you feel, or do you put pressure on yourself instead?

Eric: I actually don’t… we never tried to play the game of topping ourselves because I think it never leads to a really creatively, rich or fertile direction because you’re only thinking about steps and not about the characters. So what I always say in the [writers’] room is [that] the mandate is, “Don’t try to go bigger, try to go deeper.” And, “What’s a new aspect of all of these characters that we haven’t seen yet?” That every season has to get you even closer to the core of who they are. And that’s really challenging because you got to come up with new– you got to keep finding stuff that’s even deeper than the thing you did the season before. But if you… once you find that, then you say, okay, what’s the best way to dramatize that in this insane world that the show takes place in, and then that just kind of inevitably leads to these bananas moments. I really, swear to God, I don’t try to have it be bigger. I think the deeper you go into these characters and the more, you know, extreme their emotions are… just when you dramatize them, it just results in these, like, bat shit moments.

Suzanne: Like giving Karl’s character super powers?

Eric: Right. For example.

Karl: The explosive opening sequence was really born out of one of the worst allergy attacks, uh, you’ve ever had, right? [Laughs]

Eric: Right.

Suzanne: Well, thank you very much.

Karl: Thank you.

Henry: Thank you both for your time today. Amazing season. I love the show. I just want to start off by asking Eric, how long have you been waiting for Jensen Ackles to be available after you worked with him on “Supernatural?” It feels like this has been a placeholder character for him because of how you’ve worked with him in the past and how you know he’s going to do. And to Karl, we talked about going deeper and not bigger. What was it like to go find that the deeper you go into Billy Butcher, you sort of see a character that is getting… we started getting more comparisons to Homelander and how much of a threat and danger he is to those around him? And what have you felt about exposing that character in that way.

Karl: Okay. That was a great question. Um, yeah, I mean, in terms of elements about Homeland and Butcher, which have a similarity about them… in my opinion, the biggest similarity between them is the fact that they are both driven to destroy each other, and they are… neither of them are happy with the status quo. Uh, and on that issue alone, I think there is common ground, but fundamentally they’re quite different characters. And, uh, you know, think that, yes, Butcher has done some highly questionable things, and obviously Homelander has, too, but to my mind…I don’t even see that there are opposite sides of the same coin. I think they really both have so many different, wonderful shades with them, and then some of them overlap.

Eric: To answer your Jennson question. Uh, how long have I been waiting? About 15 years. Look, obviously, I love Jensen, and I’m not sure if you’ve heard or not, but I worked with him for a minute. So, when you do that many seasons of a TV show, you put them through every possible emotional permutation, you know, and one of the things I love about Jensen is how adept he is at every single thing you throw at him. He can be emotional, he can be scary, he can be funny, he can be charming, he can be sweet. Because of that, it allowed me to put all of those colors into Soldier Boy. Because [with] Soldier Boy, we needed him to be all of those things. And so it’s fun. It always takes you a minute as the writers and the actors are kind of feeling each other out to really start writing, like, “Oh, okay.” It starts to meld into one beautiful thing. I think that’s what we’re doing with all “The Boys” characters right now. So it was nice to have a new character show up, and for me to immediately be able to do that instead of having to go through that same process of discovery.

Monica: I’m going to just go right in. So, Karl, Butcher hates supes, obviously, but you’re slowly, you know, taking the temp V. So is he becoming something that he’s ultimately going to end up hating, or is he even aware of it as the season goes on? And then for Eric… music has been a huge part of the show. This will all come out later, but the musical episode was fantastic, so I wanted to ask about the constant use of Billy Joel. And if you have other musical things that you plan on doing, maybe a musical episode? And then, will Soldier Boy be back for next season?

Karl: Wow. A lot going on there.

Eric: Yeah.

Monica: I threw it all out! (Laughs)

Karl: Yeah, So, the moral dilemma for Butcher this season is, “Are you willing to turn yourself into the monster in order to defeat the monster?” And in Butcher’s case, the frustration that he feels has become so palpable, the danger that he senses in terms of Homelander getting closer to discovering the location of Ryan, and his general frustration with the lack of traction that he’s getting in taking down The Seven in conventional ways means that he decides to take that step and the wonderful thing about the way that it’s written is that Butcher is actually quite self-aware along the way. And he has, you know, a wonderful conversation with M.M., where he is, you know, pretty candid about that. He’s under no illusions as to exactly who he is. And then, he also has a great conversation with somebody else where he discusses the nature of power and what it does to people. So I think that it’s very cleverly written, and Butcher is a hundred percent aware that he’s making a very morally bankrupt choice. But he decides to do it anyway. And in true, “Boys” fashion, when you make the right choice, you get rewarded. And when you make the wrong choice, you get punished. And you know, every character in the show this season is really kind of faced with a precipice, and they have to decide whether they’re going to leap or not.

Eric: Yeah, just to.. (and then I’ll talk about the music thing) One thing that’s interesting that Karl touched on that we all talk about is: for as crazy and cynical as “The Boys” is, we take a lot of care to make sure it takes place in a moral universe. And you can tell who will win or lose this season based on the decisions they’re making. And is it a morally solid decision, or is it a morally bankrupt decision? And you can go through almost every season, for sure, and when they make the wrong choice, they tend to lose the season. And when they make the right choice, they tend to win it.

Eric: Um, in terms of the music…

Karl: And we’ll say, that is why Butcher has never won a season

(Both laugh)

Eric: It’s hard for Butcher to win a season.

Karl: Yeah, yeah. In terms of the music…

Eric: He’ll win at the end. Um, you know, in terms of like where the Billy Joel came from… where it really came from was [this: in] season one, we really scored all the needle drops from Butcher’s point of view. So it was all, like, a lot of punk rock. And then [in] season two, we thought, just to mix it up, we would score all the needle drops from Huey’s point of view…and Huey really loves yacht rock; that’s his thing. So Billy Joel was kind of a perfect, uh, indicator. And then each Billy Joel song really represents the emotions that he was going through that season. So it became this bizarre rock opera of Huey steps that we really loved. And in terms of the musical number this season… I’m just a huge fan of Hollywood musicals. Like, I love them, like, they’re so brilliantly done, and I’ve just been hungry to get a number in. I don’t think we’ll be able to do a whole musical episode because “The Boys” is just not that stylized of a show. It takes pains to take place in our version of reality; but to be able to like, just have a completely candy-colored, innocent sweetness in the middle of our, you know, bloody little milkshake was just a treat. And you can’t watch that sequence without a big smile on your face.

Karl: Entire musical episodes usually happen in season eight or nine when the writers are completely dried up of ideas.

Eric: We hope to be long gone [by then]. That’s a wrap around when Butcher moves to Hawaii and adopts a precocious child, and we’re going to get out before that.

Sophia: Karl, Eric, it’s such a pleasure to speak with both of you. Thank you for taking the time. So I just want to ask both of you the same question, just phrased differently. Eric, obviously we have a season four, which I’m so excited for, but do you have any sort of end in mind? Not that I want it to end any time soon, but do you have anything for it? And then Carl, is there anything you’d like to do with your character before the show comes to an end?

Eric: Yes. We’re thinking about it all building towards a thing, but also, I was in many interviews saying that “Supernatural” wraps out in five years. Um, So, there’s literally no other person in television history, more wrong about the length of their show…

Karl: (Laughs)

Eric: Literally, like this isn’t even hyperbole, like… I’m the most wrong that anyone’s ever been about how long a show goes. So I have learned my lesson and I do not publicly say how long I think the show should go. We’ll see how it.

Karl: I, too, have learned my lesson never to articulate any desires about what my character should or shouldn’t do in a show.

Eric: (Laughs)

Karl: Because as soon as an actor articulates it, it will never happen.

Eric: Or it’ll happen in such a horrible way…

Karl: Exactly.

Eric: He’ll regret having ever brought up.

Karl: Even furthermore, ma’am, I will not tell Krip what I do not want to do because that is a hundred percent guaranteed to make it into the show.

Eric: Can I tell you something? Someone said to me, during one of these interviews today, “You know, I was just interviewing Erin, and she really pointed out she hasn’t been covered in blood yet.”

Karl: (Laughs)

Eric: And I was like, that was a mistake. Yeah.

(Both laugh)

Karl: Laz* made the same mistake.

Eric: Yeah, he really did.

[*Laz Alonso, who plays M.M.]

As we said our goodbyes, I not only thanked them for the interview but for including one of my favorite actors because he has a great small part this season. I can’t say who that is, sorry!

Chace Crawford (Kevin AKA The Deep) and Claudia Doumit (Victoria Neuman)

Moderator: Hello, everyone. Just a friendly reminder to keep your mics muted, unless you’re asking a question. And Suzanne, you can take the next one.

Suzanne: Hi! You both… your characters are not what we would really call “good people,” but you also, well… Chase, you have a lot of– you’re, sort of the comic relief a lot of times, but, um, you both make us feel sympathy for your character at times. And how do you go about that, and is it difficult?

Claudia: I mean, I think it’s really easy to say the word “villains” in places like, bad or good. And I think these characters… I’m just always wary of saying that because–

Chase: Right. Life isn’t like that. The world’s not like that.

Claudia: No, and these are people and they’re going through many different things. Um, what a vague answer, Claudia that you’re giving right now…

Suzanne: [Laughs]

Chace: [Laughs]

Claudia: I’m going to possibly, uh…

Chace: I’ll say it like it is, I mean, the characters don’t judge themselves. Right? So you have to see it from their point of view. But for the show in the writing, I feel like it’s in there. Like they allow us to do these really, uh, interesting, weird things… To me, for me it would be like… one of the things that season one, at the end, we sort of– Eric calls it the Britney moment where he like is drunk and breaks down and shaves his head. It is such a weird thing, but you see, and as an audience– he’s by himself, you see this like kind of breakdown moments…just really interesting ’cause that’s kind of how he really, really is. And he’s sort of sheds that veneer, but he’s also, you know, just very deeply, it’s.. (I keep doing it) DEEPly insecure–

Claudia: DEEPly!

Chace: And he needs to be validated. So, yeah. So, can you be both of those things? Can you be an asshole and assault someone like he did in one episode and also try to save a dolphin, and have, like, a weird romantic relationship. It’s like so bizarre. And like, they deal with the tonal shifts so well, but I don’t really think, you know, it’s all gray. It’s not really…

Claudia: And they really dive into the gray on this show, and I think that’s important because human beings. Aren’t just like that… they’re three dimensional characters, and it’s a character-driven show. Like, sure, there’s explosions, and giant dicks, Herogasm and everything. But, it’s also, these characters are so rich…the writer’s room are fantastic at really making sure that that is the case. And I think that’s what makes it so entertaining to watch, too.

Chace: Right.

Claudia: Yeah.

Chace: And people can, yeah. They sort of… I want to say they can relate to that. No, I mean, but like it does give it a more well-rounded human dynamic of just, like the normal superhero arc of like, do this. And they’re only showing one side, but, uh, it’s fun to play.

Claudia: Because that’s what people, also, human beings are like. They are just intricately rich. And I think we as humans live in that gray area, more so than just, like, black and white.

Chace: Right.

Claudia: Yeah.

Suzanne: Thank you!

I’ve deleted the rest of this and left out the audio due to spoilers. It will be put up later.

Antony Starr (Homelander) and Erin Moriarty (Annie AKA Starlight)

Here’s the transcript; I’m still editing it

Hi, welcome everyone. Thanks for Jane. Um, just reminders. You please keep yourself muted when it’s not your turn to ask a question, I’m going to quickly slate that this is for round table number four and Sophia, you can go ahead and start us off. Thanks. Hi Anthony. Aaron. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.

Uh, so you have soda with the nerds of color. Huge congrats on the new season. Thank you course. So first off I wanted to ask, you know, Homeland are definitely focuses on the far, right? And Starlight is more of the liberal front that they’re supposed to show this United front together. What can you tell me about the narrative that this story is trying to tell and basically make a parody over?

I mean, mine’s not difficult to figure out as Caroline, you know, isn’t, there’s always been an element. Uh, that guy in Homeland and Nevermore. So, I mean, never more so than a season three. I mean, we, we literally, we’re literally taking things that he’s said and, and seeing, you know, what would happen if I killed someone, you know, what would happen?

And, uh, it’s a. It’s a lot of fun and there’s a boardroom scene as well, like directly relates to a sick circle that we saw on the telly and that.

Oh, the one hand, I think it’s, I think it’s great that we can sort of parody it and, uh, lovingly poke fun at it. Uh, on the other hand, I think it’s tragic that. There’s so much material available at the moment to satirize and, um, and choose for, you know, we’re spoiled for choice, uh, at the moment. So as far as, especially as far as my side is concerned.

Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. And I think Starlight comes in and tries to shake things up because things are so corrupt in so many of the aspects of thought are so antiquated and. Sexist. And even the feminist press junket they had in the last season was so exhibitive and obligatory. So I think she tries to shake things up.

And I think the issue is, you know, again, another parallel which, um, draws from the real world is an antiquated system. How much can you change? Things get really locked into place and it’s so difficult and she tries her best, but. I, I think it reflects a lot of antiquated policies and things going on that we stopped that happened today and that we’ve not evolved.

Um, according to the times, so

Monica. Hi guys, how are you at my entertainment? And sounds onset podcasts check with you guys. Um, so you guys did a fantastic job this season. I’m going to ask them for the questions, but we’ll put it out later. Okay. So I want to ask for both of you the arcs. Yes. You guys are kind of on the opposite sides, but I don’t know if it was related and I’ll talk to Eric about it to the world in terms of.

Okay. I didn’t think that the boys could get any crazier and this is like next level crazy. So I wanted to know one, if. That that was influenced by like the world’s events to kind of heighten your characters up. And then second for, um, you know, Anthony for you. Um, a lot of your reassurance comes from yourself, like you’re your own character from Outlander.

So I wanted to know how you play off of that. And then Erin, you get a lot from your support team. So how you play off of that to get your strengths for each other. When you, sorry, go ahead. Well, I think I actually think in this season, I, I agree with you. I think this is, but this is something of an emancipation for Homeland or of like, you know, similarly the characters both find their voice in this season and realize that them speaking their truth will, will get them what they want in terms of fan base, uh, and the recognition and the attention that they want.

But homie’s always been basically a marketing. Packaged product. Uh, that’s always. Help sometimes literally by a mommy figure or someone supporting him or, you know, and he’s finally broken free of that. And it gets fed up and actually decides to take things on, on his own. And, um, you know, with that comes a lot more exposure.

So there’s no in cleaning up after or in front of him. And he makes a lot more mess for himself and he has to clean it up. He has to deal with it. So, uh, as to, as to. The show getting bigger and more expensive. I mean, you, I think it’s about on par, uh, I think right off the bat seeing, uh, Huey’s girlfriend explode in slow motion as a speeding bullet, man went through her.

Um, You know, I think that was a sign of things to come and I don’t think we’ve really done that much. I don’t think we deviated from that. Cause I just think it’s more of the same to me. Yeah. Yeah. And then, and then in terms of Starlights support team, sorry, will you ask that question again? Will you. Sure.

So like where does she, I would say where she gets her strength from and she has a support the report team. And are you talking about the Starlight kind of the Alliance that is building like, almost like a political team behind her, is that, and that’s where she seems to find her strength and where she, I mean, I think, I think.

I think she’s, she’s found her. I think the strength that she’s found has kind of been an intrinsic thing. I think it’s been intrinsically motivated through, um, what she’s been through and what she’s learned from, and the grit she’s developed. I think this support team, I think we might see more of, and I think it might be a source of.

Support and validation for her and help her in her effort to expose that. But I do think that that her, her growing strength, this season confidence, et cetera, her voice, um, and her ultimate decision to be honest is, is an intrinsically motivated evolution. That’s just been. Developed over the past couple of seasons and as a result of integrated lessons.

Thank you guys so much. Thank you.

Um, did you say my name? I, I almost heard it. I didn’t. Yes, Henry. Okay. Thank you. Sorry. Um, and to me, or lovely to chat with you today. Thank you for your time. Love the new season. Um, so my first question, uh, we’ll break it out like this. Um, so to Aaron, what was it? And to both of you, what was it like to be in the, the filming of the hero chasm episode, which was the most different?

It felt like out of any episode of the series, but also to Anthony. Um, it felt like home ender when he was shouting about how it’s safe to go outside and safe to go to the rallies. It almost like a surrogate for going outside, living your life during COVID. I was wondering when you’re filming a show, On set and it felt like the boy was one of the shows that was returning to the set.

What was it like for you both to have the sort of. Knowledge that you’re doing the safest things you possibly can. We, we, we assume and believe while you’re also having this character. Who’s like projecting like, oh, it’s safe outside. Don’t worry about, yeah. I mean, the irony wasn’t lost. Uh, we were in the longest lockdown in human history up in Toronto.

So, so it didn’t, it didn’t go unnoticed saying one thing, doing another in real life. But like, I mean, what if my guy is a. He’s never really doing the right thing is he he’s always doing the wrong thing. I never, I mean, according to himself, it’s always the right thing. There’s very few people or characters actually that do anything.

Um, because I think it’s the wrong thing is, you know, they, they they’re doing what they believe is the right thing. So it’s always fun to, to say. Do the stupid things that he says and does, um, as far as here, orgasm, I’m going to cough it over to my friend here because I didn’t have a lot to do with it.

And I can only say I’m very grateful not to have been there. Yeah. It was a lot of time spent in a space, in a house full of naked people, simulating various types of sex. Um, And in a house filled with sex toys and sex swings. And I learned a lot about different things and I saw a lot of things I can’t un-see, but I actually, I knew it was going to be insane.

So I just embraced it and laughed a lot and just kind of had a fun time. But on the fifth day I had filled my quota of naked bodies for the week. Um, and, um, I will not be joining nudist colonies, a nudist colony anytime soon, because that’s just, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s a little, it’s a lot of genitalia in five days.

It’s a lot of, you know, even there was even a butthole shot. So it just was all a lot. I saw a lot, I saw a lot, um, and it was hilarious, fun, excessive, uh, but it’s going to be a great idea.

Great. Thank you all so much for joining us. That’s all the time we have for this round table. Thank you. Thank you. That was biblical. On the fifth day, I reached my quota of naked a lie.

MORE INFO:

poster for "The Boys" season 3

About

It’s been a year of calm. Homelander’s subdued. Butcher works for the government, supervised by Hughie of all people. But both men itch to turn this peace and quiet into blood and bone. So when The Boys learn of a mysterious Anti-Supe weapon, it sends them crashing into the Seven, starting a war, and chasing the legend of the first Superhero: Soldier Boy.

The Boys is a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes—who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians, and as revered as gods—abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. Intent on stopping the corrupt superheroes, The Boys, a group of vigilantes, continue their heroic quest to expose the truth about The Seven and Vought—the multibillion-dollar conglomerate that manages the superheroes and covers up their dirty secrets. It’s the seemingly powerless against the super powerful.

Season Three of The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Jensen Ackles.

The Boys is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers, and developed by executive producer and showrunner Eric Kripke. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Phil Sgriccia, Craig Rosenberg, Ken F. Levin, Jason Netter, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Meredith Glynn, and Michaela Starr also serve as executive producers. The Boys is produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television Studios, with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures.

Executive Produced By

Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Craig Rosenberg, Phil Sgriccia, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Meredith Glynn, Ken F. Levin, Jason Netter, Ori Marmur, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Michaela Starr

Developed By

Eric Kripke

Directed By

Phil Sgriccia, Julian Holmes, Nelson Cragg, Sarah Boyd

Produced By

Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television Studios, with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures

Cast

Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Jensen Ackles

The Boys Are Back! Take a First Look at Season Three With a Mind-Blowing Teaser

Mar 12, 2022

The Emmy-nominated global hit drama series from Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television returns to Prime Video June 3

WATCH THE TRAILER

AUSTIN, Texas—March 12, 2022—Today, Prime Video revealed the first teaser from the highly anticipated third season of the Emmy-nominated drama The Boys during their panel at South by Southwest (SXSW). During the panel—moderated by Christian Slater, who voices a character in the animated anthology series The Boys Presents: Diabolical—cast members and showrunner Eric Kripke revealed details about the next installment of the fan-favorite superhero series.

The teaser showcases just some of the truly diabolical moments ahead, and offers a glimpse at all of the fan-favorite characters and fresh faces from the upcoming season of The Boys. It is also set to the song “Bones,” the first new music from Grammy-winning band Imagine Dragons’ forthcoming releaseMercury – Act 2 (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records).

The series will debut on Prime Video with three episodes on Friday, June 3. New episodes will be available each Friday following, leading up to the epic season finale on July 8. The eight-episode season will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The Boys is a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes—who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians, and as revered as gods—abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. Intent on stopping the corrupt superheroes, The Boys, a group of vigilantes, continue their heroic quest to expose the truth about The Seven and Vought—the multibillion-dollar conglomerate that manages the superheroes and covers up their dirty secrets. It’s the seemingly powerless against the super powerful.

Season Three of The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Jensen Ackles.

The Boys is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers, and developed by executive producer and showrunner Eric Kripke. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Phil Sgriccia, Craig Rosenberg, Ken F. Levin, Jason Netter, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Meredith Glynn, and Michaela Starr also serve as executive producers. The Boys is produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television Studios, with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures.

It’s Time to Level the F***ing Playing Field: The Boys Unleashes the Official Season Three Trailer and Key Art

May 16, 2022

The Emmy-nominated global hit drama series from Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television
returns to Prime Video June 3

CULVER CITY, California—May 16, 2022—Today, Prime Video gave fans a look at the highly anticipated third season of The Boys, with the release of the head-poppingly diabolical official trailer and key art. The Emmy-nominated drama will return with three gripping new episodes on June 3, followed by one additional episode each subsequent Friday, and ending with a wicked season finale on Friday, July 8 . The eight-episode season will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

About The Boys
The Boys is a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes—who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians, and as revered as gods—abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. Intent on stopping the corrupt superheroes, The Boys, a group of vigilantes, continue their heroic quest to expose the truth about The Seven and Vought—the multibillion-dollar conglomerate that manages the superheroes and covers up their dirty secrets. It’s the seemingly powerless against the super-powerful.

Season Three of The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Jensen Ackles.

The Boys is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers, and developed by executive producer and showrunner Eric Kripke. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Phil Sgriccia, Craig Rosenberg, Ken F. Levin, Jason Netter, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Meredith Glynn, and Michaela Starr also serve as executive producers. The Boys is produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television Studios, with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures.

Follow THE BOYS:
Website: https://www.amazon.com/TheBoys
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @TheBoysTV
YouTube: Prime Video
#TheBoysTV

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Back to the Primetime Articles and Interviews Page

The Boys Season 3 Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), Karl Urban (Billy Butcher), Tomer Capone (Frenchie), Laz Alonso (Mother's Milk)

Interview with Hugh Thompson

TV Interview!

Actor Alan Thompson of "Reacher" on Amazon Prime

Interview with Alan Thompson of “Reacher” on Amazon Prime by Suzanne 2/2/22

This was such an interesting and fun chat with the actor who plays Sergeant Baker on the new show “Reacher.”  I hope you enjoy the interview (and the series) as much as I did.

Here is the video!

Suzanne: So, tell us about your audition for the role of Sergeant Baker on Reacher.

Hugh: You know, it came to me through my agency, and as soon as I read it, I thought “Oh, wow.” Actually, I read for a different role, initially. So, I looked at it, and immediately ran out and got the novel. I got the first novel I could get my hands on, because I really wasn’t that familiar with the series as a book. You see the movies and etc. So, I wanted to go back to the source material, and I picked up a novel called Blue Moon, and as soon as I started reading, I was like, “Oh, that’s what it’s about.” I finished the novel in like a day, because it’s such a great piece, such a great character, and such a great way of looking at the world. So, I read through it, and then, you know, with these things, sometimes you go, “Oh, I did my best, and it’s too bad.” I got a call, and the sides for Baker come in, the audition for Baker comes in, and I thought. “Okay, cool.” So, I went, and I read that, and there’s a bit more of an extensive scene, and so I thought, “Wow, this is going to be fun. This is going to be fun, because the the writing is so strong.” There were all kinds of things to play in it, where a lot of times you’ll get scripts, and it’s fairly murky as to what you’re actually doing, or what you’re going to do. This is just so clear and so crisp right off the start. So, I went and laid it down, and, yeah, all the stars aligned, and I was on a jet to Toronto for five months in the middle of COVID lockdown.

Suzanne: That must have been fun.

Hugh: Woohoo! Yeah, I got [unintelligible] work; I got sprung from my apartment. I was like, “Oh my God, I get to go and get to see people. Amazing!”

Suzanne: So, where was it filmed? And did it take all eight months to film it?

Hugh: They filmed over five months. I got to Toronto. So, what we did was we flew in to Toronto, I guess in April, in the beginning of April, and then that was all the lockdown stuff [where] you have to clear COVID restrictions, [etc]. We started filming, and we wrapped just in the beginning of August. So, a five months stretch, and they did eight episodes in about four months. So, it was a tight schedule, but we were actually filming in a converted onion field north of Toronto. [laughs] They built this amazing set up there. It’s just crazy. The carpenters and all this production. When I went there the first day, it was like, “This is nicer than my hometown. Bigger than my hometown.”

Suzanne: So, they built the whole town in that field?

Hugh: Yeah, it was crazy.

Suzanne: Wow.

Hugh: It was crazy, like there was a gas station, a cafe, the police station, and we filmed inside these things. I was like, “Oh.” I was talking to a friend of mine who’s on the show and became a friend of mine on the show, Jonathan, and I said, “Jonathan, you’ve got to go out and see this set before we get up there, because if you don’t, all you’re gonna be doing is being like, “Oh, this is awesome!” So, we went up and took a tour, and they paved streets and the whole thing, so it was really fun, really fun to play on something that was, I think, at that time, it was the biggest operating backlot in North America. It was just this massive production. So, yeah, it was fun. It was really fun to be a part of it.

Suzanne: And had you worked with any of the cast or crew before?

Hugh: I hadn’t. You know people by reputation; you know people by their work. I kind of make it a point not to IMDb people like crazy before I work like, “I saw you in that, and that’s not what you were doing before.” But as soon as you get there, you realize the level of the game is high. The people that were involved from the top down, obviously Alan is – and right from the beginning, you realize you’re there with someone who’s just got everything in hand, and he’s perfectly cast. I thought he was [great]. And obviously, people get into that physical thing, but the big thing about him is he is just such a good actor. He’s such a smart guy, and his timing, his sense of humor, his ability to capture that – it’s deadpan, but it’s also you understand there’s something going on behind that thought process Reacher has, in the books, because he’s an intelligent guy. He’s always figuring stuff out. He’s always looking. He sees a lot more than you think he sees. So, you know, it was really interesting watching the way that he works. And just you look at Willa and Malcolm and John, and I don’t IMDb people, but Bruce McGill plays the mayor.

Suzanne: Oh, love him. He’s awesome.

Hugh: He is an animal. He’s just so great to just to watch the way he goes through his day, having that much experience and just being such a good positive force on the set. I remember – the TV series, the original MacGyver, he was in that series. He played a character named Jack Dalton. I was in the Salvation Army one day, and I saw a DVD set of MacGyver, so I haul these things home and force my son to watch this. So, Jack Dalton was his favorite character, right? So, we’re sitting there, and I remember watching the show and going, “Oh, you see that guy, that guy that plays Jack Dalton? That guy knows what he’s doing. He’s a great actor.” Because it’s tough stuff. You know, as Bruce says, I’m an expert at exposition. So, much more than that. So, anyway, we finished watching the series, and then I looked at the cast list, and I checked out this thing in Deadline, and there’s my picture next to Jack Dalton. So, it was great. It was a great thing. So yeah, it’s always fun. We had fun, but everyone I worked with there was just, as a unit, they’ve been such a good team.

Suzanne: Yeah, Bruce had a great role on Rizzoli & Isles. He was awesome on that.

Hugh: He can do anything; he can do anything…Just to watch that level, the amount of experience and just how to get a day done, how to go through your day. I mean, I’m obviously an old fossil myself, but you’re constantly learning from good people like that, and he was really generous and really fun.

Suzanne: Yeah, as far as Reacher, you were saying he watches a lot. He reminds me of, he’s like one part Batman, one part Sherlock Holmes. There’re probably other parts in there. I watched all eight episodes, just so you know.

Hugh: Yeah, someone was talking – he’s like Clint Eastwood and Cary Grant, kind of like that. He’s got that physical assurance, because he doesn’t have to try to be a tough guy, doesn’t have to try to be anything. I don’t get that kind of energy from Alan as a person or [Reacher] as a character. I mean, if you do something that’s out of line, he’s going to adjust your dials and then just walks away and [doesn’t] look back. Yeah, it’s not a big deal for him, but that intelligence is something that you can’t fake it, right? He’s that guy.

Suzanne: Did the cast have anyone there to help them with the southern accents?

Hugh: Yeah, we did. We did have a dialect coach. And it’s always a tough thing I know – because…if you’re in that area, there’s a million different variations of what you hear and it’s just to try to put something together that doesn’t pull people out of the story as much as you possibly can, and it’s always a balance, a trade off. If you go for strict authenticity, it just becomes a little bit much.

Suzanne: If you can hear how people really talk here, no one would want characters to talk that way. They probably couldn’t understand them for one thing, and then they’d be going, “What?”

Hugh: It’s the same here. Like I did a show here years ago called Black Harbor, and it was an episodic, and I went down to the south shore of Nova Scotia, and I came back with the way that these people talked, and I came back to the producers with it, and they said, “No, no, that’s not gonna happen. Don’t start.” I was down there. I mean, I’m from here, and I could not understand what these guys were talking about. It’s completely different. And, you know, people say, “Okay, what’s the Nova Scotia [accent], what’s a Canadian accent? “And I’m like, “Which one? Which one of the forty do you want?”

Suzanne: Yeah, that’s an American conceit, like, there’s one Canadian accent. We have a thousand different accents and Canada has one.

Hugh: [speaks in an accent] It’s not the same. So, it’s pretty funny. It’s pretty funny. But, yeah, hopefully it comes out that there’s a sort of – but there is a variation between someone who’s raised in an urban environment and your age and your income level, all that kind of stuff really plays into it. So, yeah, I got to lean into it a little bit more, and, you know, hopefully, it all smooths out and looks like we’re all around from the –

Suzanne: General era, yeah. I found here that the older the person is, the less I can understand them. The lower in income or class or whatever, the less I can understand those, so it actually makes a big difference, but I actually thought your accent of all the people on the show, I thought yours was the best.

Hugh: Oh, that’s very kind of you.

Suzanne: I actually expected you to have a southern accent, when I got on the phone with you, because the others came and went, or they were too soft or whatever, but yours –

Hugh: It’s tough, because I actually used a model of a guy on YouTube where this guy – it’s just so hilarious. He’s fixing power saws or chainsaws…and it was so funny. And we had our dialect coaches going, “No, you can’t do that. [It’s] just way too much.” I mean, the people would go crazy. So, you do pedal it down. I mean, again, if you try to do what this guy was doing on on screen, it would be like, “No, no, it can’t happen,” because he’s just unintelligible at certain points. But yeah, the way that he presented things, the way that he latched on to things, was really interesting. The way he grouped words, and the way that his thought process worked was interesting. For Baker, I see him as someone who grew up there, and maybe didn’t have the best education, maybe didn’t have a lot of other options in life than to do what he was doing. So, you know, I really wanted to to try to bring that into the voice as much as possible.

Suzanne: Yeah, and I’ve lived in Georgia before too, but I’m not an expert on accents, even though I’ve lived all over the south. I can’t tell them all apart; it’s just when I hear it here I go, “Oh, yeah, that’s a little different than Alabama or whatever.

Hugh: Yeah, me too. It’s like…sometimes If you’re dealing with someone who actually lives in that community – like here, there’s urban Cape Breton. There are people there who if you’re talking to them, they could tell you what street you lived on. They know exactly. So, I have hopefully a decent ear, but I’m not like that; those people are like [unintelligible]. It’s pretty amazing.

Suzanne: Like the Professor Higgins on My Fair Lady, they can tell exactly what part of London you were from.

Hugh: Yeah, yeah.

Suzanne: So was there anyone there that you hung out with during the shooting or that was that impossible because of COVID?

Hugh: It was pretty tough. Again, Bruce was generous enough one day we just we got out – because you just didn’t want to be the guy that’s holed up with a case of COVID-19 and just deep six [a whole] two weeks of shooting, but we did get to get out at one point later on when things kind of in Toronto started to back off a little bit, and we did get to go out for an outdoor sort of meal. I got to hang out with Bruce for a night, which was really fun to talk to him, but that was a tough part of it too. The camaraderie that you usually get going, “Oh, let’s go out; let’s do something,” that just wasn’t happening. Or maybe it was happening and they just didn’t invite me. [laughs]

Suzanne: Right now I’ve been hearing that same thing when I’ve been talking to a lot of different actors for movies and TV shows, that they miss that camaraderie and getting together with the other people, especially you’re holed up together for months.

Hugh: Yeah, that’s it, like you would get out to set, and everybody would be bursting to tell you their stories, because we had nothing else going on, but it was really fun. I mean, being on set with that life was really kind of interesting, because I think people did get to open up a little bit more than a lot of times they do, because there was that sense that we’re kind of in a little spaceship and we’re all trying to get to August 1st or August 3rd or whatever the final day of shoot was, because it’s precarious to be in that environment where you needed to just be aware of it. You have a responsibility to kind of make sure that things stayed medically “okay.”

Suzanne: When they were making that town, they should have made the town bar a functioning bar and put outdoor seating for you guys, then you would have a place to hang out.

Hugh: I don’t know if you’ve seen [this, but] the little cafe where [Reacher]’s trying to eat [his pie] [unintelligible]. It’s way nicer than a lot of cafes I’ve had meals in, for sure.

Suzanne: Yeah, I really wanted a pie by the end of watching that!

Hugh: Me too.

Suzanne: I read that the books’ creator, Lee Child, the author, he’s also an executive producer. Was he on set at all? Did you get to meet him?

Hugh: Again, with COVID, it was really tough, because he was only able to get there…and even Nick Santora, the showrunner, he was kind of remote from LA a lot of times. So, a lot of the questions would go back and forth between at that time, because it was tough to travel. It’s tough. It’s tough to go there. And again, people were really, really conscious of anybody who would be going back and forth…Although all the vaccinations and all that kind of stuff were still underway at that point, but I think they just tried to keep it to a minimum. You can do this kind of stuff now where you can have a conversation with someone and not have to be in the same room, but it was disappointing too. You don’t get to meet [everyone]. It’s always nice to meet those people.

Suzanne: And what are you working on right now? Are you up there or are you at home?

Hugh: Yeah. Yeah, we were just about to begin a feature here called Dancing on the Elephant, and it’s based on a play that was produced here, and it’s about a guy – well, again, this is this the actor saying, “It’s about a guy who drops his mother off at an assisted living facility,” but it’s really not about a guy – [laughs] I [play] the guy who drops her off, but it’s not about me. That’s one of the things that it’s basically about; she she gets into this assisted care facility, and she doesn’t like it, so high jinks ensue.

Suzanne: So, it’s comedy?

Hugh: Yeah, and we were just about to go, and unfortunately, things got kind of wacky here with restrictions and COVID.

Suzanne: Omicron, yeah.

Hugh: Yeah, they’re going to push ahead with that now until the spring, but it may be October by the time we get going, so, you never know; you never know. I think, now, things are going to hopefully loosen up, and we just have to find a way to work and do that, but with a production, you’ve got to make sure that you can complete [it]. It’s tight.

Suzanne: Do you have any other things in the works?

Hugh: There’re a couple of things coming here to – I work on stage a lot, too. I work as a theater actor, so I’ve got a project coming up in October that I can’t really say too much about, because I haven’t really agreed to it yet, but I just came off stage, I try to do that. I try to stay acting on stage, because I just feel like it’s a really good grounding – Lee Child, he said, “There’re three rules in performance, and it’s the audience is always right, the audience is always right, and the audience is always right.” So, it’s just that I love doing that, because there’s no net, and you just stand up there, and it’s you and the writing and your fellow actors and your light. So, I am looking forward to that. And there’re a couple of big projects coming here in the summer. So, I’m back and forth to Toronto, basically, via Zoom and all the rest of it. So, something will turn up. Something will turn up.

Suzanne: Okay, good, good. Your character’s kind of interesting, because I was watching it, knowing that I was going to be interviewing you. So, I was watching for you, and your character’s always there somewhere. It’s like, you don’t really notice him big time until the end of the [season], but he’s always there, and they refer to him several times. So, it’s funny, because he’s kind of there, but…he’s just one of the guys until later.

Hugh: It’s interesting, because you look at the series as a whole, and that’s what the books do. I mean, in some ways there’ll be a certain thing that you should have noticed, or you should have sort of…there’s clues to what actually unfolds, and it’s interesting trying to play that too, because we’re all part of a unit. Everyone’s trying to tell a story, and it’s just there’re so many elements going on at that one time. You just have to make sure that you’re in your own lane, kind of making sure that you’re fulfilling what’s asked of you. Yeah, I don’t want to – I’ll get my Amazon subscription canceled if I go too far.

Suzanne: No spoilers, no spoilers, no, but yeah, there’re a lot of characters too. So, it’s hard to keep track and kind of figure out who’s who.

Hugh: Right. It’s just a massive show. There’re just so many things going on. I was sitting there going, “That’s wild.” like that. And I love – I mean, when you look at the first couple episodes, just I think they did a great job of just trying to – you know, you’ve got this cliffhanger, this cliffhanger; there’s a way that you can jump forward and go through them. So, hopefully the audience agrees.

Suzanne: Yeah, I think they will. I mean, especially anyone – I mean, I haven’t read the books, but from what I can tell, they stick pretty close to the book, so I think anyone who’s found the books will like them at the very least, but I think other people who like those type of shows, you know, action, that kind of thing and mysteries, I guess it’s kind of a mystery, but it’s, I think, a bit more of an action show than a mystery show or a cop show.

Hugh: Yeah, there’re a lot of people who like these books. Yeah, it’s crazy. Like I was out mowing the lawn just before I left…and my neighbor stops over, and I’m going, ‘Well, I’m just going to go up to do this…” She asked me what I was doing. I said, “I’m gonna go up to do this,” and she starts jumping up and down. She’s screaming; she’s pounding on my back going, “That’s awesome!” I thought, “Okay.” So, it was interesting, and then when you read the books, you understand that there’s that sense of a person who just has his own sort of code and sticks to the code, no matter what. It’s an appealing way to look at the world…It’s not always that simple in real life, and so I think there’s a real way that you can attach to that kind of narrative, but, again, it comes back to your real life. It does make you think about what you would defend and what you would do if you see something wrong. And Reacher, when he sees something wrong, [laughs] it doesn’t go well for the wrongdoers.

Suzanne: The rest of us might go, “Well, maybe I should call the police, or maybe I shouldn’t get involved.” He acts. He’s like Batman. I mean, that’s what Batman would do, right? Or any hero. That’s what he is. He’s a hero.

Hugh: Yeah. Alan, that’s the thing about it, he just carries that with him…as a person, he’s just, “Okay, if you’re gonna do that, then I’m going to do this, and I’m not going to get attached to it too much. I’m just going to actually get it done and sort of walk away, because that’s what has to happen here.” So, I think that’s a fun part of it.

Suzanne: Oh, and I was so glad that – let’s put it in a spoiler free way – no animals were killed. It looked like that was going to happen, but it didn’t, because I get so mad when they do that on shows, and I’m, “I’m never watching the show again.” It’s kept me from watching some good shows.

Hugh: Yeah, that whole thing – yeah, it’s funny, because there’re certain things – I was in a series called Chapelwaite. It’s Stephen King. It is still on Epix. So, you go into that, and I’m the worst. Like, I go into the stuff, the vampire stuff, all that scary stuff. I can’t stand [it] [laughs] I can’t watch this.

Suzanne: The scary stuff, or like, the more romantic stuff like Vampire Diaries?

Hugh: It’s pretty scary vampire stuff. So, I was in the series, and I took my son to set, and we were sitting there, and even though we’re shooting this thing, I’m sitting there going, “This is creepy.” It’s like there’s all these dead people all over the place. So, I really have a hard time watching stuff that’s like that, but it’s fun to play it.

Suzanne: I’m that way about zombies. I can’t take all the zombie shows. They creep me out.

Hugh: Yeah, and that’s like every second show.

Suzanne: I know. Believe me, I know.

Hugh: Yeah. Chapelwaite may not be for you then, because it’s kind of one of those. It’s a little bit on the line, but again, that’s another thing where, you know, Adrian Brody was the lead in that. And this guy, he’s one of the leaders, same thing. They’re workers; they’re actors. They’re there to do the work, and it’s not like – so it really was fun to work with him, and Alan’s the same way. It’s the same sort of – they’re just about getting the best of the scene.

Suzanne: In your experience, are most actors that way?

Hugh: To be honest, it varies. I mean, the great thing about Alan was that you went through, and you know there were days he had to be just dead tired, just the scheduling in that thing was crazy. And I think [laughs] everyone starts out that way, but you get tired, and it was remarkable to watch it just on set and off set. He was just a leader, always ready with a go forward attitude, and that’s tough to maintain over close to five months of shooting, where he’s [in almost all the shots].

Suzanne: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that’s good. You don’t want to hear about people who are the opposite and full of themselves, who can’t take the work.

Hugh: I guess everyone has their days…but it just makes fun to do. I think, as I get older, it’s like I just want to do things that are fun, and because you just do better work. You just do better work. There’s no question about it. I mean, when it’s fun, you can be involved in something that’s pretty heavy duty, and then, when they call “cut,” and someone tells a joke, and it’s like, okay, cool…And the set was loose; it was really fun, and we kept it loose. It’’s a fun thing to watch.

Suzanne: Yeah, there’s a lot of humor in it.

Hugh: Yeah. [laughs] I mean, just some of the stuff, you’re sitting around and talking about stuff, he’s a funny guy. He’s a funny guy. So, that that really helps.

Suzanne: Okay, well, I think I’ve taken up enough of your morning, and I appreciate your meeting up here with me and giving me a little perspective into the world of Reacher and into your world.

Hugh: Yeah, absolutely. No problem. It’s a pleasure.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Hugh ThompsonTrailers:

REACHER SEASON 1

CHAPELWAITE

Canadian muti-faceted actor, Hugh Thompson (Chapelwaite) is making his return to the small screen alongside Alan Ritchson in the upcoming Amazon original series, REACHER, premiering Friday February 4th. The 8-episode series is based on Jack Reacher, the main character from Lee Child’s international bestselling books. Hugh was most recently seen as George Dennison on the Epix 10-part limited series CHAPELWAITE, adapted from Stephen King’s short story, ‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ alongside Adrien Brody and Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek).  "Reacher" poster

Ritchson stars as the title character in the series, produced by Amazon, Skydance Television and Paramount Television Studios. The first season, written, exec produced and showrun by Nick Santora, is based on the first Jack Reacher novel, The Killing Floor, which is set in Georgia. Thompson will play Baker, the head cop of Margrave, described as a man that enjoys his position of power but hates Detective Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin).

In addition to his work in film and television, Hugh has appeared in just about every major theatre in Canada including Toronto`s Royal Alex, Montreal’s Centaur Theatre, The Citadel Theatre, The Grand Theatre, and Festival Antigonish. He won a Gemini Award for his work in the TV movie Blessed Stranger and a 2013 Merritt Award for his performance in Whale Riding Weather, from playwright Bryden MacDonald directed by Thom Fitzgerald. He’s also had heavy recurring roles on Canadian productions, Diggstown and Pure.

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Hugh Thompson as Sgt. Baker in "Reacher" on Amazon Prime

Interview with Zoë Robins and Madeleine Madden

TV Interview!

Madeleine Madden and Zoë Robins of "Wheel of Time" on Amazon Prime

Interview with Zoë Robins and Madeleine Madden of “Wheel of Time” on Amazon Prime by Suzanne 10/6/21

These press interviews with the Wheel of Time cast were short but a lot of fun. The series is exciting. I’ve only seen a few episodes so far, but I really enjoyed them.

Suzanne: Zoë, you do a lot of swimming in the first two episodes that I saw. What was the weather like in Prague when you were doing that, and was it cold?

Zoë: The swimming that I did, I did a bit in episode three, and that was actually in the studio. So, thank goodness, it was warm; they heated the pool. They really did take good care of us. So, I was okay. I was okay.

Suzanne: Good and had either of you done any sword fighting or any physical stuff before this show?

Madeleine: I’ve done stunts before on jobs, but nothing to this level, I think, with horse riding and sword fighting, and it was a completely different beast on this one. We had a month of prep to do some horse riding sessions with our movement coach and stunts. So, no, for me personally, nothing on this level.

Zoë: Same with me. I also had a little bit of stunt experience, particularly with a TV show called Power Rangers; stunts were kind of a given. But on this level [it’s] like nothing I’ve ever done before. We had an intensive boot camp to get us up to speed, and even still, we’re still training with with the amazing stunt team. So yeah, we all had a lot to learn.

Question: Egwene is getting initiated into the women’s circle. So, I was wondering if there was any traditions, within your family, to like say, “Hey, I’m a woman now,” or any kind of conversations that you’ve had with your moms, or even women in your family, that are similar to what the women’s circle did in the episode?

Madeleine: Yeah, thank you. That’s such a wonderful question. I’m Aboriginal, so I’m a First Nations’ person of Australia, and there definitely are initiation ceremonies that both men and women do to welcome women or men that are of age in a community. So, that was very special seeing that this was part of a tradition and culture in the Two Rivers. Absolutely, I definitely [grew] up in a very matriarchal family. So, there’ve always been conversations about when you’re coming of age, and also, I really look up to the women in my family. They’re all such pillars of strength, and that’s something that we see in this show, as well. So, I feel like my life and my heritage was a wonderful preparation for what I would find in in this series.

Question: That was for Zoë too.

Zoë: Oh, sorry. Similar to me, I have some incredible women in my family. I do remember some very deep and meaningful and raw and honest conversations I had with my mum as a teenager that got me up to speed with with real life and what to expect, but I can’t say anything similar to pushing someone off a cliff like Nynaeve does to Egwene. So, yeah, my conversations were a little bit more [laughs] tame.

Madeleine: Using words, I guess, more than force.

Zoë: Yeah.

Question: You make it look like the most fun job in the world, and sometimes it can be, but some of these things look like they were kind of difficult to do. I’m curious to know, what kind of headspace do you have to put yourself in, or is there something you have to tell yourself to sort of keep on the right path and keep in the right mindset to do everything that you do?

Zoë: Yeah, I think it’s really important to know – I mean, for me, [for] my process, I like to know where my character has just been and also where she’s going. So, that’s really helpful to stay present in the moment. I think we’ve all had a lot of experiences of really traumatic scenes, emotionally and physically, and it becomes very draining. So, learning how to prepare yourself before then, and being kind to yourself and resting and loving on yourself was really important. But I think a lot of us just immerse ourselves completely. I don’t know if that’s the best way to do it in terms of looking after ourselves, but, I mean, I look around at the the work that everyone’s putting in, and everyone just gives their absolute all to some very hard requirements.

Madeleine Madden and Zoë Robins of "Wheel of Time" on Amazon PrimeMadeleine: Yeah, absolutely. I think there’s something that you said there, which was, just completely immersing ourselves. I think it is an art form of trying to get in that character’s headspace and just completely staying there in the scene, which can be difficult, but when you have a group of actors that you trust, writers, directors that you can trust, to care for you and your craft, you feel safe enough to kind of push those boundaries, whether that’s physically or emotionally. But it’s been amazing to lose ourselves with these characters and just what they go through.

Question: What’s the relationship like, from each of your perspectives, [between] Nynaeve and Egwene on the series?

Zoë: Nynaeve and Egwene’s relationship is really special. It’s definitely like a sisterly bond, but it’s much more than that. I don’t know, I think we haven’t seen a relationship like this on screen. I think it’s a really beautiful relationship to explore, this purely platonic, sisterly love. I mean, for Nynaeve, she will do absolutely anything for Egwene, and she thinks the world of her. She sees her potential and just wants nothing but the best for Egwene, and I think that’s a really beautiful thing that our show was doing is really highlighting how important these real and truthful relationships are, especially when they want each other to succeed and do well. I think it’s nice to to celebrate those types of relationships.

Madeleine: Yeah, absolutely, I think Egwene really looks up to Nynaeve as a mentor and as like a big sister. They really support each other and champion each other. And I think, like Zoë said, wanting the other to succeed and do well is what gets them through. A lot of the time they survive to make sure the other one lives, which is really wonderful. They’ll do anything for each other, and it’s such a wonderful bond. Yeah, like Zoë said, I think [that’s something that] sometimes, particularly in this genre, that we might not necessarily see.

Question: What’s your favorite part about of this world that The Wheel of Time takes place in? What stands out to you about it and makes you excited about the show and being in it?

Zoë: I think, for me, the level of specificity and detail Robert has obviously put into the world, but in particular, the characters. I mean, for me, it hasn’t been much of a struggle to try and access Nynaeve, because there’s so much on the page already. There’s so much to work with. There’re obviously so many resources. There’re 14 books, as we all know, so, when in doubt, we can search for anything that we’re not sure of, but Rafe has also been an incredible expert and help [to] us. So, yeah, definitely the characters. I’ve never played a character so fleshed out and just real. I think what makes them so beautiful is that they’re so relatable but real humans with complexities and flaws, and they’re not the greatest at times, and you question a lot of their motives and their actions. But yeah, I think that’s what makes them so great.

Madeleine: Yeah, absolutely. They’re just real people in a very fantastical, epic world. I think that’s what makes them such lovable characters is that we can all find a bit of them in ourselves and then relate to them, and exactly like Zoë said, the detail that Robert Jordan has given us with his work is – I remember the first day we walked onto the set of the Two Rivers, and it was exactly how I pictured it from reading the books. So, I think reading the story, and then seeing it come to life, and seeing another artist’s interpretations and their collaborations on the characters or the worlds, has been amazing to just see and be immersed in it.

Question: You’ve got gotten to live with these characters now for a while. What’s one thing that you hope that the audience takes away about your character that maybe they don’t see quite on the screen?

Zoë: That’s a great question.

Madeleine: Yeah. Thank you. I think with Egwene, [I’ve] certainly grown with her. She has this sort of sense of self and determination, and she knows her self worth, which I’ve definitely learned a lot a lot about from playing her. I really hope that audiences can also picture themselves in this world and also relate to our heroes and what they go through.

Zoë: Yeah, and for Nynaeve, I hope people can can understand her motivations and why she acts the way she does. [It’s] often because of her deep, intense love for the people that she’s with. She will do anything for the Two Rivers kids in particular. And oftentimes, I think book readers question whether they are aligned with what Nynaeve does and how she thinks and her as a character, but I, personally, get her and love her. So, yeah, I’d love for people to understand all the complexities and the nuances that our characters have underneath.

Here’s the video!

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

The main cast of heroes of "Wheel of Time" on Amazon Prime

MORE INFO:

Zoë Robins was born on February 19, 1993 in Wellington, New Zealand. She is an actress, known for Power Rangers Ninja Steel (2017) and Black Christmas (2019).

Madeleine Madden (born 29 January 1997) is an Australian actress. In 2010, at age 13, Madden became the first teenager in Australia to deliver an address to the nation, when she delivered a two-minute speech on the future of Indigenous Australians. It was broadcast to 6 million viewers on every free-to-air television network in Australia.  Madden has starred in short films by Deborah Mailman, and Meryl Tankard and co-starred with Christina Ricci and Jack Thompson in Around the Block.[8][10] Her first film acting job was at 8 years old. She aims to become a director in the future. When she was 21, Madden made her big Hollywood debut as Sammy in the 2019 Nickelodeon film Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

More info about the show on our other interview

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Madeleine Madden and Zoë Robins of "Wheel of Time" on Amazon Prime

Interview with Josha Stradowski and Marcus Rutherford

TV Interview!

Josha Stradowski and Marcus Rutherford of "Wheel of Time" on Amazon

Interview with Josha Stradowski and Marcus Rutherford of “Wheel of Time” on Amazon Prime by Suzanne 10/6/21

This was a fun interview with these young men. I had watched a few of the episodes the previous night, so it was great to meet them and two of the other actors who star in the show. We only had a brief interview with them, and there were other journalists asking questions as well.

Josha: It looks tropical over there, more tropical than here in Prague.

Suzanne: Yeah, yeah, this is a fake background. Where are you guys?

Marcus: We’re in Prague at the moment.

Suzanne: Still there. Are you still filming the first season?

Marcus: Season Two.

Suzanne: Oh, you started on season two already? Oh, that’s great. That was one of my questions. So, had you read the books before you started filming?

Marcus: I hadn’t. I hadn’t heard of the books, but as soon as I kind of got the part, I was blown away that I actually hadn’t, because it’s so highly regarded, and there’re so many copies; like ninety million copies have been sold. So, yeah, I quickly started reading The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt before we did season [one].

Josha: Yes, same. When I got the part, I started reading the next day. I haven’t finished it yet. I’m on book eleven now. I’m climbing that mountain. I’m not at the top yet, but the view from up here’s pretty good around.

Marcus: [laughs] Sound bite.

Suzanne: And as a follow up, do you know how closely the series follow the books?

Josha: Well, it’s not a one on one adaption, but I’m sure that it does the book justice. It takes the fundamentals, the essentials of the book, 100%.

Suzanne: Okay, great. I’ll let someone else have a chance.

Question: [For] Perrin, I guess, Marcus, you mentioned that you haven’t really read the books, but Perrin’s an axe wielder himself. Rand, in the early episodes, uses a bow often and then moves more to be a sword master. So, what was it like training with those weapons? Is that something you’ve ever done before, or was it completely new to you?

Marcus: Yeah, it was pretty new to me, but I think, when we started, we had quite an intense sort of stunts workshop. I think in that first episode, it kind of kicks off quite a lot. So, we all had those fight scenes to work with, but yeah, it was really cool to kind of work with an axe. I think, obviously, it’s something that Perrin has a particular relationship with, as we kind of move forward, but from the offset, to kind of work with that particular weapon, was really, really cool.

Josha: I had some sword fighting in drama school, but it didn’t feel like was very useful, because this kind of sword fighting we did was definitely more vicious. But, I guess, like you said, first round [he’s] more familiar with the bow and arrow, so I had archery training, and later on, when we all started, we all had sword-fighting training.

Question: How long did it take for you guys to shoot the Trolloc attack in the Two Rivers?

Josha: I mean, I think the bit of Daniel only took a week on itself.

Marcus: Yeah.

Josha: It took really long.

Marcus: Yeah, Daniel and Rosamund had a lot. They had like the bad short straw in terms of like how many nights shoots they had. I think, overall, I don’t know how many, but it was weeks.

Josha: Yeah, a couple of weeks, I think.

Marcus: A couple of weeks or like three weeks. It was lots of different kind of battles all kind of like merging into one. So, when you kind of see it – we saw episode one – it’s amazing how they jump in between. But I remember walking around Prague, having days off, [being] like, “Who’s filming now?” and it was Rosamund and Daniel [who] were still doing that battle. So, yeah, they did amazing.

Question: Whether you’ve read the books or not, I think it maybe doesn’t even matter, this does a great job of explaining it, but like some of the best sci-fi, even though it’s a fantastical world, there are things that we can learn or things that we can get out of this that are parallel to our lives. So, what is it that you suppose people will will sort of think about or take away that’s relevant to us as well?

Marcus: I do think the aspect of like – within the magical system of The Wheel of Time, kind of that male superiority is kind of flipped with the fact that only certain women are allowed to access magic. I think that is just something that’s quite cool to see on screen and something to think about, you know, if that power dynamic had been altered in that way. What would a world look like, if men were, to put it, the underdogs, essentially. So, I think that’s something that you can kind of think about in a contemporary aspect as well.

Josha: Yeah, and on top of that, I guess, because the world of The Wheel of Time is so, so big in so many different groups of people, cultures, different beliefs, and it’s just as hyper polarized and divided as our world is. I guess, the whole show of The Wheel of Time is about finding finding that balance. I think that nowadays, in this time, that is something that will be interesting to see, for people.

Question: I want to ask you both, you both, especially Perrin, is carrying some baggage and some other feelings, but Rand is also carrying some things as well. Talk about that layer of your character. And I will say, speaking to Robert Jordan in 94, that he said a little bit of King Arthur is in Rand, by the way.

Josha: That’s nice.

Marcus: Yeah. Just a little bit.

Josha: The Messias, yeah.

Marcus: Yeah, I think in terms of that baggage or what they kind of take with them, I think, for Perrin, especially, from from the start he has a particular relationship with violence, and it’s kind of brought to him in quite an ugly way early on, and I think it’s something that he carries throughout season one. It’s something that kind of is on his mind a lot and something that he’s very deeply affected by, and he has a lot of feelings of guilt surrounding [him]. Violence seems to keep on coming into his world, and he has realize, does he embrace kind of this animalistic side to him or is there a civilized way that he can maneuver through this world that Moiraine’s kind of dragged them into.

Josha: I think with Rand throughout this story, you know, this bag will become heavier and heavier; more weight is being added throughout this story. And I hope you will see what it costs not only Rand, but of all these characters, and I guess, all of these characters have to sacrifice bits and pieces of who they were in order to do what’s right. But, at first, it starts in the Two Rivers, and, yeah, that’s where we have to start first, before we go on this great arc.

Question: There’re a lot of fantasy adaptations coming out right now, as streamers build up their libraries and are looking for things to jump on to, and that means there’s a lot of options for people to watch fantasy now. So, if I’m someone coming from this, and I watched three back to back trailers for fantasy shows with sweeping vistas and gorgeous magic and special effects, what makes The Wheel of Time stand out for that person? Why is this one special, both for you, and in fantasy in general?

Josha: The Wheel of Time is such a rich world with so much complexity, and the books are known for that. It’s not for no reason that ninety million copies have been sold. Apparently, there’s something in it that people can relate to that touches them. And what that is, for me, is besides that in this world of The Wheel of Time, women are the ones who are in control, if men use the One Power, they abuse it, or the fact that it’s not simply black and white, good against evil. It’s all shades of grey in between. Now, for me, what really makes this stand out, is the characters and that you start to care for these characters and that they’re real. They’re no heroes; they have to go on this mission they never sign up for. You can see their failures and their fears and what it costs of them, the sacrifice they have to make. I think that’s what makes The Wheel of Time special, for me, at least.

Marcus: And that global cast, man, I think being able to see that they’ve been able to cast people from every corner of the planet, really experienced actors, new actors, exciting actors who’ve worked in all different fields coming together on one show like this, I think is very, very special and I think reflects how expansive the world is in the books as well, which is really, really cool.

Question: The action scenes are so amazing in the series; talk about a scene that was the most difficult for you to achieve and what it was and how you dealt with that kind of scale and size of the production that you’ve got here and how you dealt with those issues.

Marcus: In terms of like, I mean, there wasn’t too too many bumps in the road, but I think, that first episode, it was just so new to us, everything. So, I think to have a first episode where you’ve got a lot of stunts, and all the characters are involved, you’ve got a lot of background artists, supporting artists, a whole village needs to be built, and then you’ve got a big action scene on top of that, as well. And you’re very new to finding out these characters, and you’ve got very key moments that kind of lay the foundations for these characters. It’s a weird kind of amalgamation of a lot of things happening at once. So, I think that was quite daunting, but I think it was probably the best way to start the show, because it kind of set the tone…The audience will realize in that first episode that it all kind of kicks off quite quickly. And I think for actors on that film in that first episode, it meant that we had to get a grasp of those characters, their trajectories, and what they’re really like, in the books as well.

Question: You, Josha?

Josha: I couldn’t have said it better.

Here is the video!

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Josha Stradowski is a Dutch actor. He is known for his role as ‘Joris’ in the Dutch film Gewoon Vrienden (2018) and ‘Rand Al’ Thor’ the American television series The Wheel of Time (2021). He started acting as a kid in musicals like The Sound of Music and Ciske de Rat and began playing roles in television as a teenager. He graduated from the AHK theatre school in Amsterdam and worked on multiple plays such as Oedipus directed by Robert Icke at Ivo van Hove’s theater company ITA in 2018. He recently completed filming on a new series. He also played the lead role in an indie feature film, Just Friends, for which he and the film received a number of awards on the international film festival circuit.

Marcus Rutherford is an actor, known for County Lines (2019) and Obey (2018). He is an English actor who will portray Perrin Aybara on Prime Video‘s The Wheel of Time. Rutherford’s casting was announced on August 14, 2019.[1] Showrunner Rafe Judkins stated his character was the hardest to write.

"Wheel of Time" posterThe Wheel of Time is one of the most popular and enduring fantasy series of all time, with more than 90 million books sold. Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.

Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy novels, The Wheel of Time was adapted for television by executive producer/showrunner Rafe Judkins. Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of iwot productions, Mike Weber, Ted Field of Radar Pictures, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz will also serve as executive producers, with Briesewitz set to direct the first two episodes. Rosamund Pike will serve as producer and Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson as consulting producers. The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television.

Executive Produced By

Rafe Judkins, Larry Mondragon, Rick Selvage, Mike Weber, Ted Field, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz

Developed By

Rafe Judkins

Directed By

Uta Briesewitz, Wayne Che Yip, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Ciaran Donnelly

Produced By

Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television

Cast

Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Zoë Robins, Barney Harris

  • Credits

    Directed By
    Uta Briesewitz, Wayne Che Yip, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Ciaran Donnelly

    Produced By
    Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television

    Cast
    Rosamund Pike – Moiraine Damodred
    Daniel Henney – Lan Mondragoran
    Josha Stradowski – Rand al’Thor
    Madeleine Madden – Egwene al’Vere
    Marcus Rutherford – Perrin Aybara
    Zoë Robins – Nynaeve al’Meara
    Barney Harris – Mat Cauthon

    Executive Producers
    Rafe Judkins, Larry Mondragon, Rick Selvage, Mike Weber, Ted Field, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz

    Developed By
    Rafe Judkins

Prime Video Debuts Official Trailer for The Wheel of Time ​​With First-of-Its-Kind YouTube Experience

Oct 27, 2021

Utilizing YouTube’s 360 player and spatial audio surround sound, The Wheel of Time trailer offers fans an immersive experience that allows them to view the traditional 2-D trailer in a virtual, three-dimensional “wheel”

The world-building fantasy series from Sony Pictures Television will premiere globally
November 19 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide

Watch Official Trailer HERE

CULVER CITY, California—October 27, 2021—Prime Video today released the official trailer for upcoming fantasy series The Wheel of Time, based on the best-selling book series. The first three episodes of Season One will premiere Friday, November 19, with new episodes available each Friday following, leading up to the season finale on December 24.

Utilizing YouTube’s 360 player and spatial audio surround sound, Prime Video debuted the official trailer for The Wheel of Time in a first-of-its-kind immersive experience that allows fans to view the traditional 2-D trailer in a virtual three-dimensional “wheel.” When fans arrive at the YouTube page to watch the trailer, a quick scan to the left or right will reveal there is much more to experience. To the left of the screen, they’ll discover Moiraine’s (Rosamund Pike) powerful “One Power” channeling—featuring her voice and faces, artifacts, and symbols hidden amongst the energy weaves. On the right, the corruption of the Dark One represents a dissention into madness. The trailer also features spatial audio that gives fans a more immersive experience as objects appear from either side of the “wheel.” The result is a unique utilization of existing technology that creates a trailer experience unlike any other—one that offers multiple viewing experiences for fans of the series.

About The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is one of the most popular and enduring fantasy series of all time, with more than 90 million books sold. Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.

Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy novels, The Wheel of Time was adapted for television by executive producer/showrunner Rafe Judkins. Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of iwot productions, Mike Weber, Ted Field of Radar Pictures, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz will also serve as executive producers, with Briesewitz set to direct the first two episodes. Rosamund Pike will serve as producer and Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson as consulting producers. The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television.

About Prime Video
Prime Video offers customers a vast collection of movies, series, and sports—all available to watch on hundreds of compatible devices.

  • Included with Prime Video: Watch movies, series and sports, including Thursday Night Football. Enjoy series and films including the newly released Cinderella, the Emmy Award-nominated satirical superhero drama The Boys, limited series The Underground Railroad, and the films Sylvie’s Love and Uncle Frank; and the smash hits Coming 2 America, Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, The Tomorrow War, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Upload, and My Spy, as well as Emmy- and Golden Globe-winners Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Golden Globe-winner Small Axe, Academy Award-winner Sound of Metal, Golden Globe-winner and Academy Award-nominee Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and Academy Award-nominees One Night in Miami… and Time. Prime members also get access to licensed content.
  • Prime Video Channels: Prime members can add channels like discovery+, Paramount+, BET+, EPIX, Noggin, NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, STARZ, and SHOWTIME—no extra apps to download, and no cable required. Only pay for the ones you want, and cancel anytime.  View the full list of channels available at amazon.com/channels.
  • Rent or Buy: Enjoy new-release movies to rent or buy, entire seasons of current TV shows available to buy, and special deals just for Prime members.
  • Instant access: Watch at home or on the go with your choice of hundreds of compatible devices. Stream from the web or using the Prime Video app on your smartphone, tablet, set-top box, game console, or select smart TV.
  • Enhanced experiences: Make the most of every viewing with 4K Ultra HD- and High Dynamic Range (HDR)-compatible content. Go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows with exclusive X-Ray access, powered by IMDb. Save it for later with select mobile downloads for offline viewing.

Prime Video is just one of many shopping and entertainment benefits included with a Prime membership, along with fast, free shipping on millions of Prime-eligible items at Amazon.com, unlimited photo storage, exclusive deals and discounts, and access to ad-free music and Kindle eBooks. To sign up or start a 30-day free trial of Prime, visit: amazon.com/prime.

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.

Social Handles
Instagram: @TheWheelOfTime
Twitter: @TheWheelOfTime
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWheelOfTimeOfficial

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Back to the Primetime Articles and Interviews Page

Josha Stradowski and Marcus Rutherford of "Wheel of Time" on Amazon

Interview with Dean Devlin and Kate Rorick

TV Interview!

 

 

Dean Devlin and Kate Rorick of "Leverage: Redemption" on IMDb TV

Interview with Executive Producers Dean Devlin and Kate Rorick of “Leverage: Redemption” on IMDb TV by Suzanne 9/29/21

This was a wonderful interview with the showrunner/producer/writer of the show, Dean, and the main writer, producer Kate. I’ve interviewed Dean before, but Kate was a pleasant addition. They were both fun to have on Zoom and gave great answers. I just love this show, and I was very happy to watch the series last 8 episodes of the first season. I hope it gets a second season. I was a huge fan of the original series that ran on TNT as well.

Suzanne:   How are you guys doing?

Kate:   Good. How are you?

Suzanne:   I’m pretty good. Can’t complain. I’m on the beach, as you see.

Dean:   Nice.

Suzanne:   So Dean, it’s nice to see you again, and it’s nice to meet you, Kate.

Kate:   Nice to meet you too.

Suzanne:   So, I finished watching all the Leverage episodes last night from the new season. I would have watched them sooner, but TCA happened… but I really love the show. I liked the first one, too. So, I’m a big, long-time fan.

So, why was the season broken up into two parts?

Dean:   I think that was just a decision by IMDb TV to give us two jolts, so that it wasn’t just one shot in the arm.

Suzanne:   Okay, and another question just occurred to me. I know that back when you were doing Almost Paradise, you kept trying to shop it to other networks. Were you trying to get a Leverage reboot done all this time, or was it a more recent thing?

Dean:   Oh, no, no. I originally started talking to IMDb about doing Leverage almost two and a half years ago. So, yeah, it was a long time in the in the making. They’ve been spectacular partners and incredible support. Not only did they step up to bring the show back but then held our hands during a global pandemic and eight hurricanes that knocked us out. I mean, you can’t get a more supportive, better partner than than IMDb TV. And, of course, now they’re running Almost Paradise.

Suzanne:   Oh, any chance for more episodes of those in the future?

Dean:   Well, I think that the reality is that if these back eight of Leverage do as well as the first eight, or hopefully better, and people continue to keep watching Almost Paradise on IMDB TV, I think we have a really good shot of second seasons on both of them. So, my fingers are crossed. Hopefully they go up in big numbers.

Suzanne:   Oh, good. When I interviewed you and Christian Kane in March 2020, that was my first Zoom interview

Dean:  

Oh, my gosh.

Suzanne:   Because I had done only phone interviews up until then.

Kate:   It’s weird how quickly it became normal.

Suzanne:   I know, right? Weird. So, can you tell me, if it’s not going back too far, why was Nathan killed off rather than just went missing or recast?

Dean:   Well, I think the thing is, the first Leverage series was really centered around a story of vengeance, you know, a man who lost his son, and it destroyed his life and his marriage, and he was set out for revenge. Over the course of 77 episodes, he found peace, and he found love again, and it really was a completion of an arc, and rather than just get him pissed off about something else again and launch the next show, I think what really made this work was by having a brand new engine and a new tone instead of a story that was about vengeance. This was a story about redemption. That really gave us an energy to put the show back together and to give it relevancy of why you should watch the new version.

Suzanne:   And is there any remote chance that he would come back in the future, figure out that he’s not really dead or whatever?

Dean:   You know, I never say never to anything.

Suzanne:   I love the Easter eggs in the show like having LeVar Burton playing a librarian, and the episode when Noah Wyle goes in the hospital and pretends to be a doctor, and I’m not gonna put any spoilers here, but I heard and saw a few. That was great. Are there more that I didn’t notice?

Kate:   Well, we try to feed in easter eggs whenever we can, because we know that we have a very passionate fan base who likes those things, but also, we as writers like those things. They tickle us when they make it through. As for the Noah Wyle in the doctor’s coat thing, we hadn’t originally planned on it, but the opportunity presented itself, and we said to ourselves, “Alright, we get we can do this once. We can do this once. So, let’s just do it now.”

Dean:   Also, I think so much now within the streaming world you have shows that are serialized, and sometimes multiple shows that are serialized and interconnected, and it really demands a lot of the viewer that the viewer has to watch every single episode and remember everything from every show. Our show is episodic; you can you can jump in at any point. You don’t have to have seen previous episodes, and you can enjoy the show. But for us, the Easter eggs are a present for those who have stuck with us. You don’t need to have watched every episode, but if you have, you’re going to get a couple extra treats that everyone else won’t get

Suzanne:   I watched them all, but I have a terrible memory, and I’m not all that observant, so if it’s obvious, I could see it, but I know I always have to find a video or something where somebody says, “Okay, here’s all the Easter eggs in that movie” or whatever.

Dean:   You can always watch the official Leverage After Show on Electric Now, and we break down the Easter eggs of every episode.

Suzanne:   I’ll definitely have to do that, then.

Can you tell us about the guest stars this half of the season? I didn’t have a list, but I recognized faces.

Kate:   We have so many amazing guest stars in this season. LeVar Burton, you mentioned, is one of them. Joanna Cassidy shows up in a role that I absolutely adored, and she knocked it out of the park. James Marsters shows up to come play with his former Angel costar Christian Kane, and I love watching them go head to head against each other. Drew Powell in the same episode showed up. So, it was an embarrassment of riches the back half.

Suzanne:   Cool. There was a woman, I think it was in the second episode that I recognized. She ended up working in like a drugstore somewhere. They put in witness protection at the end. I didn’t recognize her name.

Kate:   I’m so sorry. I’m blanking. I know exactly who you are talking about on who you’re talking about, but I’m blanking [on her name].

Suzanne:   Okay, I’ll ask IMDb. So, the series was primarily set in New Orleans, but where was it actually filmed?

Kate:   It was filmed in New Orleans.

Suzanne:   Oh, okay.

Kate:   Honestly, I don’t think New Orleans can be doubled anywhere else except for possibly that one little square in Disneyland, but it is such a vibrant city, and it becomes a vibrant character that when you go to New Orleans, you shoot New Orleans.

Suzanne:   Right, right. No, I understand. Actually, we were in Vicksburg not too long ago, and their their downtown area looks a lot like New Orleans, and they do the whole touristy thing there with the daiquiris and everything like they’re trying to imitate.

Dean:   I love it.

Suzanne:   Eliot went through a lot of personal stuff this season, more than Parker of Brianna. Can you tell us what went into that thinking of doing that for him?

Kate:   Well, I think we wanted to give Eliot a relationship and a grown up relationship that has him thinking ahead to the idea that maybe, “My job is incredibly important to me. Leverage is the most important thing I’m going to do, but I also want to share my life with somebody.” So, I think that when we get through these back eight episodes, that’s sort of where Eliot’s mind has has landed, and he needs to find a way to balance.

Suzanne:   And without giving away any spoilers, there was a possible meeting up with someone in his family, do you think that might continue in another season?

Dean:   Absolutely. It’s something that we had actually been planning on in the original Leverage had there been a season six then. We had it on the drawing board to really go farther in it. So, we decided to release it in season one, and if, knock wood, we get to season two, we will definitely go farther down that road.

Suzanne:   Okay, and was shooting the second half of the season easier for you, even though you had COVID restrictions during filming? I mean, did it get easier over time?

Kate:   From my perspective, it did get easier over time, just because we’d sort of you figured out what you were going to stumble over as you went along, but to that point, it still wasn’t easy.

Dean:   There was no break when we shot them. We shot all sixteen back to back, so we were still in the height of it.

Suzanne:   And was it fun to incorporate two newer characters this season, Harry and Brianna, into the show with the rest of the Leverage team

Kate:   It was honestly, and I’m so gratified and relieved at the reception that they’ve received from the fans, because it’s hard to join a very established show and to be somebody new on it, but they do. They bring new perspectives; they bring new new skills to the table, and I think that they breathe a lot of – they created a good engine for the show.

Suzanne:   And when you have these ideas for the show, each episode where there’s some character or person or entity that they have to help, are those ideas taken from the headlines, or where do they come from?

Kate:   We have like just files of the history of bad guys, things that have happened in the world. It’s like there is no dearth of bad guys for us to draw from. And in general, they are always worse than what we manage to put on screen.

Suzanne:   I believe it. I liked that episode where Harry was going through the the files in his old legal office. He said, “And they did that, and they did that.” Just always terrible things.

Dean:   There was one moment where we were looking at a line that one of our bad guys says in one of the episodes, and there were some question about whether it was too over the top, and then somebody showed the video of the guy we were kind of basing it on, and it was word for word what he said.

Suzanne:   Well, they say truth is stranger than fiction, worse than fiction, apparently.

There’s a lot of comedy in the show, which I enjoy, especially with Parker. Is there ever a time when you think, ”No, that’s too much comedy; this is a drama we’ve got to cut that that back.”

Kate:   I don’t know if we’ve ever actually gone too far. We try very hard to strike a balance between the comedy and the pathos of the story, but as Dean has said several times, if you stripped the comedy out of the show, Leverage is an incredibly dark show. Comedy is what makes it palatable, so chances are the worst thing that somebody has done, the funnier we’re going to try to be at some point, just to make it balanced.

Dean:   And I think we live in a world now with a lot of very dark and serialized shows, and I think one of the things that makes this stand out is for an hour you get to escape. You get to have a good time, you get to be hopeful, you get to be positive, and at the same time, you get to punch in the neck some really bad people.

Suzanne:   Yeah. I love that little sound; I don’t know if there’s a name for it, whenever Parker does something really fast, there’s a sound.

Dean:   We call it the whoosh.

Suzanne:   I’m surprised nobody’s made a video on YouTube of just all those little bits put together with the whoosh sound.

Kate:   Well, they will now.

Dean:   I’m sure somebody’s got a ringtone with it.

Suzanne:   I don’t have the time to put it together, or I would.

The end of the season doesn’t seem to be an ending for the team. Did you write it with the idea that the show will hopefully probably continue?

Kate:   We are cautiously optimistic that there will be a season two, knock on wood, all the wood you can find, but that said, we wanted to make sure that if there wasn’t going to be a season two that we ended season one on a satisfactory note. Everybody feels satisfied at the end of season one, so that was our goal as we went forward.

Dean:   Yeah, if you really if you look back on Leverage, it was really one of the style choices that we always ended the season with a [conclusion]. We never did a big cliffhanger at the end of the season. We always wanted it to be a complete meal. Instead of making you want to come back on a cliffhanger, we wanted to make you come back because you had such a good time.

Suzanne:   And I always wanted to ask this, and I never remembered before, but when you were younger, did you grow up watching things like It Takes a Thief and I Spy and Wild Wild West and Man from U.N.C.L.E.?

Dean:   All three of those shows you mentioned my mother guest starred on, so I have to include them, but I [would] say if you were really going to pull where we pulled from, it would really probably be more Rockford Files, A-Team, Mission Impossible. I think those were probably more the predecessors.

Suzanne:   Well, the coolness factor definitely reminds me of those old 60s shows.

And if Harry returns for the next season, would there be a possible romantic relationship between him and Sophie?

Kate:   Never say never; don’t want to rule anything out. Yeah, never say never.

Dean:   I think the thing is, what’s really great about their relationship is that Harry is the only person on the team who exclusively knows Sophie as who she is today, when everyone else has the memories of who she used to be. So, he’s able to bring [a] perspective that no one else on the team can, and that respect and that friendship is so important that for us it’s more important than a romantic relationship. If we made the decision to go down that road, it would be interesting, but to us, what’s really more interesting is how these people are relating on a different level than any of the other teammates relate on.

Suzanne:   Okay, well, I’ll take your word for that, but I did notice that what she did after … at the last episode, and that seemed to indicate that there was some kind of … there, but I won’t spoil it.

Thanks so much. I really appreciate it.

Dean:   Thank you. So nice to talk to you.

Kate:   Thank you.

Suzanne:   I’ll talk to you again sometime.

Dean:   Bye.

Here’s the video!

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Please visit our Leverage Page!

Preview

In this new iteration, and new world, the Leverage crew have watched as the rich and powerful continue to take what they want without consequence. Grifter Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf), hitter Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), and hacker Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) have watched the world change over the last eight years. Since their last job, it’s become easier–and sometimes legal–for the rich to become richer and the powerful to squash anyone who gets in their way.  To address the changes in the world around them, the team finds new blood in Harry Wilson (Noah Wyle), a corporate lawyer who is looking for redemption after realizing he’d been sitting on the wrong side of the table for his entire career, and Breanna Casey (Aleyse Shannon), Hardison’s foster sister who has a knack for computers, robotics, and getting into trouble.

Executive Produced By

Dean Devlin, Marc Roskin, Rachel Olschan-Wilson and Kate Rorick. John Rogers and Chris Downey serve as consulting producers.

Directed By

Dean Devlin, Marc Roskin, Noah Wyle, Francis Dela Torre, Jonathan Frakes

Produced By

Electric Entertainment for IMDb TV

Cast

Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, Aleyse Shannon, and Noah Wyle, Special Guest Star Aldis Hodge

Catch Eight New Episodes of the IMDb TV Original Series Leverage: Redemption on October 8

Aug 26, 2021

CATCH EIGHT NEW EPISODES OF THE IMDb TV ORIGINAL SERIES LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION 
ON OCTOBER 8

 

WATCH NEW TEASER HERE
SCREENERS OF NEW EPISODES AVAILABLE NOW ON
SCREENERS.COM

REVIEWS EMBARGOED UNTIL MONDAY, OCTOBER 4 AT 6:00AM PT/9:00AM ET

“Let’s go steal…eight new episodes of Leverage: Redemption.” In an all-new con, the Leverage crew surprised and delighted their fans by teasing the fall premiere of Leverage: Redemption in an exclusive video that dropped on IMDb TV socials today. The teaser video confirms that the IMDb TV Original series Leverage: Redemption will return this fall with eight additional season one episodes premiering October 8. In the brand-new episodes, the Leverage team finds itself up against a rival organization that embodies the system the team works so hard to take down.

Joining the cast in these additional episodes are guest stars Drew Powell (reprising his role as Jack Hurley from the original Leverage series), Ben Thompson, Joanna Cassidy, Jon Fletcher, and Brianna Brown, in addition to the previously announced guest stars James Marsters, LeVar Burton, and Andrea Navedo (continuing her role as Maria Shipp), as the Leverage team must aid a small town librarian, discredit a lifestyle and wellness guru, explore the failing memory of a legendary grifter, and more. Screeners for the new episodes are available now on Screeners.com. The remaining episodes of season one of Leverage: Redemption will premiere on October 8 on IMDb TV, Amazon’s free streaming service.

The first eight episodes of season one of Leverage: Redemption and all seasons of the original Leverage series are available to stream now on IMDb TV.

The rich and powerful take what they want, and the Leverage team is back to take them down. Sophie Devereaux (The Grifter), Parker (The Thief), Eliot Spencer (The Hitter), and Alec Hardison (The Hacker) have watched the world change over the last eight years. It’s become easier, and sometimes legal, for the rich to become richer and the powerful to squash anyone who gets in their way. The Leverage team finds new blood in Harry Wilson, a corporate lawyer who is looking for redemption after realizing he’s been sitting on the wrong side of the table for his entire career, and Breanna Casey, Hardison’s foster sister who has a knack for computers, robotics, and getting into trouble. In this new world, the team will use their collective skills to defeat a new kind of villain – from the man who created an opioid crisis from the comfort of his boardroom, to the couple who prefers to deport workers instead of paying them, to the shadowy security firm that helps hide dangerous secrets for a price. When someone needs help, they provide…Leverage.

Leverage: Redemption stars Gina Bellman as Sophie Devereaux, Beth Riesgraf as Parker, Christian Kane as Eliot Spencer, Aldis Hodge as Alec Hardison, Noah Wyle as Harry Wilson, and Aleyse Shannon as Breanna Casey. Kate Rorick is the co-showrunner and an executive producer alongside Dean Devlin, and executive producers Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. John Rogers and Chris Downey are consulting producers.

IMDb TV uniquely offers premium Originals on a free streaming service including the upcoming dramedy Pretty Hard Cases, premiering September 10. Spanning drama and comedy, scripted and unscripted, additional IMDb TV Originals include the Untitled Judge Judy Sheindlin Project, a Bosch spinoff; the comedy series Sprung; the Untitled Jeff Lewis Project – a new home design series; On Call from executive producer Dick Wolf; and second seasons of Alex Rider and Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers.

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Dean Devlin and Kate Rorick, Executive Producer and Writer of "Leverage: Redemption" on IMDbTV

Primetime TV Review: “Tandav”

TV Review!

Indian drama "Tandav" on Netflix

“Tandav” on Amazon Prime Review by Suzanne 1/16/21

This is a TV series from India, so if you don’t speak the language, you’ll need to read the subtitles like I do.  This is a political drama, but it has a lot of violence as well.  Some of it is hard to watch. I don’t know much about India or its politics, so some parts were a little confusing to me. I do know that they have a pretty corrupt country. Out of 198 countries, they’re ranked 138 on the Global Corruption Index. That’s not good.

With shows like this, I sometimes have trouble telling the characters apart, at least for a while…especially when they introduce so many characters in the first episode, like this one does.  The series takes place in the large city of New Delhi.  There is political unrest between the government and the farms. The students are also protesting with the farms.  According to what one character said, the government, working with the corporations, wants to use the farm land to build chemical plants.  The police and the government in the show are very corrupt. The police shoot or beat up the protestors.  The beginning of the show has two amiable-seeming police offers sharing a drink during the protest. Things turn ugly really quickly.

The current Prime Minister, Devki Nandan Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia), who’s about to be re-elected, doesn’t get along very well with his son, Samar Pratap (Saif Ali Khan).  Samar is obviously the villain of the series.  He keeps doing what his father tells him not to do, and the shocking ending tells us just how much the son hates the fathers. Another villain is Gurpal (Sunil Grover), who does some of Samar’s dirty work.

The writers put way too much into the first episode. I hope that they explain things a little better as the show goes on, and I hope that they show more about the other characters. I don’t like what I’ve seen so far, though. It’s too confusing, dark and violent for me.

MORE INFORMATION:

Tandav is the coming together of different worlds under the gamut of politics. It is a dramatic take of the powerplay between people at the high level to secure their position. Youth plays a significant role in the story as we see where their future is headed in this dark abyss of politics. Catch Tandav in Tamil & Telugu, Feb 12 onwards.

drama thriller series – India

Created by Sudip Sharma (writer of NH 10 & Udta Punjab) and produced by Clean Slate Films, this new Indian Prime Original series is an investigative thriller that also acts as a scathing commentary of modern day Indian society and politics. The series will go into production in February 2019 before being released on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

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The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

Indian drama "Tandav" on Amazon Prime