TV Interview!
Interviews with Lucian-River Chauhan, Abigail Pniowsky and Barry L. Levy of “Me” on Apple TV+ by Suzanne 6/26/24 and 6/27/24
This is a fun superhero series with some teenage angst that is very realistic and honest. The actors do a phenomenal job (both young and old). I was glad to interview both the two lead actors, as well as creator/executive producer Barry L. Levy. I hope you can check out this cool new show that premieres July 12th!
Barry L. Levy
Suzanne: How did you come up with the idea for this show?
Barry: Absolutely. So I have three kids. I have a son named Ben, just like the lead in the show.
Suzanne: Okay.
Barry: And my oldest are identical twin daughters…
Suzanne: Oh!
Barry: And then, a couple of years younger, is my son. And so he was always a little tall for his age, and it looked like triplets. but it was never quite triplets, right?
Suzanne: Right.
Barry: And he could never figure out who he was supposed to be, because he couldn’t be them. And so it became a conversation… It became a bedtime story. And then it became the story we started working on as a family of, “Who does Ben want… if he could be anyone, who would he want to be in that, if he could be anyone transformed into… {by] shapeshifting?” And that’s really where it came from. And then this series, it’s not traditionally the kind of work that I do, but it was something that I could do as a love letter to my family, and really capture their lives.
I’m glad that you looked down at a pet because I swear to God, mine is going to drive me nuts. [Laughs]
Suzanne: Oh, mine has the “zoomies” at the moment. I forgot to give her allergy medicine this morning, I just realized…
Barry: That’s funny.
Suzanne: So that’s great. And your son doesn’t mind that he’s, sort of, the subject of your show?
Barry: I think he’s gone through the whole roller coaster (of emotions), but once he got to meet River, when we were shooting, I think he felt like he was in great hands. And it just changed everything. It really sort of put it to life, and I think (he felt that) it ceased to be him, and it started to become the character that River had created, and that really was freeing for everyone.
Suzanne: Oh, that’s great. Yeah, the casting is great. The kids are awesome. And the adults… it’s just all really, really great.
Barry: Thank you.
Suzanne: And I think it’s the kind of story that anyone can relate to, no matter what their age, because we all were that age at one point, right?
Barry: Yep. Well, we tried to find ways to sort of bring in a show that would be for the whole family, so that there are elements for parents, and there are things that are nostalgic, but there are also other elements of it that are really contemporary and speak to another generation.
Suzanne: Good. Yeah. Well, I think it worked. Are you the sole writer of the series, or are there other people who work on it with you?
Barry: So, I wrote four episodes. The rest of the episodes were written by the staff. So what had happened was that I was hired to write a pilot. They liked it. They wanted some more, so I wrote a second. And then, while we were building the room, I wrote a third to kind of get us going. And then we actually went back over those first three and made sure that we were really happy with what they were and built it all the way through ten (episodes), together in a room. So that was great.
Suzanne: I haven’t finished watching them yet because I’m moving (as I mentioned), but I like what I see so far. Are you already planning ahead for season two?
Barry: I mean, I certainly planned for season two well before we had a season one. So, we’ll have to see how audiences receive it, but I’m hopeful, and I’m excited for it. I would love the opportunity.
Suzanne: Yeah, I hope so. You know, it struck me as funny that it’s on Apple. To me, it seems like something that would have been on the old ABC Family Network (struggles to remember the new network’s name) because it’s so kid-friendly, family-friendly, and science fiction. They had a lot of shows like that in the past.
Barry: Yeah. Interesting. Freeform, right? Freeform.
Suzanne: Yes. That’s the name. Yes. Is this your first time as showrunner?
Barry: It is, it is. I had run the writer’s room on another series, a few years back, and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t expect that I would enjoy it and find it as rewarding, but it was (working with) a really gifted showrunner, in that regard. [I realized] “Ooh, this is, this is really exciting. I’d love to do this.” And so here, here I am.
Suzanne: Well, that’s good. Were there any challenges in shooting the first season that you didn’t foresee?
Barry: I mean, there are always challenges. I think for us, trying tounderstand what everyone could do…because, the truth is, we recognized from the table reads the weeks before production that this cast was so much more on the ball than we ever could have imagined, and that we had to go back and write a lot of new material and sort of deepen things. Ultimately, it paid [off in] dividends. But the challenge was making sure that we could give everyone their just desserts, and what it felt like, what’s going to make the show go.
Suzanne: Right. And I was impressed by River, especially, at such a young age. I mean, how old was he when you started?
Barry: I think he was 13.
Suzanne: Yeah.
Barry: Something like that.
Suzanne: Yeah. It’s amazing. He seems like he’s got everything down.
Barry: Yeah. It’s also his personality. He’s so emotionally generous, and friendly. I gather you, you may see that for yourself if you get to talk to him, that he seems like an old soul. And I think we saw that (before we started). When I watched the movie he did with Riz Ahmed, Encounter, it was so clear that there was this sort of depth to him, and in his eyes, that we just knew [that] “This kid is incredible. We have to work with that.”
Suzanne: And, before you cast him, were you always looking for a particular, ethnicity, or did it not matter? Or were you going to cast whomever you thought was great?
Barry: It was entirely open. The casting director is a near and dear friend, Josh Einstein. He had done, “This Is Us,” “Love Victor,” and a lot of different shows. We said we needed performers who could carry a real emotional depth. And I think, even in the pilot, you see that, and what we found was extraordinary. And then the question, once we found River, was, who really felt like they could be the sibling to him? And Abby was just incredible.
Suzanne: Yeah. She’s great, too.
Barry: Yeah. So we were really blessed there.
Suzanne: Good. Well, I hope it’s a big success. I love it when the show is– well, I love science fiction, anyway, but I love it when a show is fun, and it’s got a great cast and interesting characters. That’s… so, you accomplished that.
Barry: Thank you. Thank you so much.
Lucian-River Chauhan and Abigail Pniowsky
Suzanne: All right. How are you two this morning?
River: We’re doing well, Suzanne.
Abby: Good, how are you?
River: Nice to meet you.
Suzanne: Good. Nice to meet you, too. Uh, I love talking about me! (laughs) Bad joke…bad joke. I’m sorry.
River: No, I love it.
Suzanne: I was talking to Barry yesterday, and he raved about you guys… just raved about both of you, so he seems nice.
River: I have to say, “Thank you for the kind words, Barry.. If you’re watching.”
Abby: Thank you, Barry!
Suzanne: Well, I was raving about you, too, cause I watched a lot of the episode, but you guys did a great job. Definitely. especially, and I’m sure it sounds condescending, “for your age.” So. Hey, enough compliments. So, what did you each enjoy most about filming?
River: I think for me, personally, I had never done a show with a bunch of kids that were my age. And so, that was, that was really interesting, to get a chance to experience… because, from the other shows, it’s a different atmosphere, and, with kids, you get a chance to play around a lot more and have fun. And it doesn’t always have to be so intense all the time. And I think that’s something that was really, really fun for me to experience. I think because I’m actually the only child. I have never had any sort of a brother-sister experience before, and so I was sort of able to build that and learn about that with Abby.
Suzanne: Oh, that’s great. Abby. What about you?
Abby: Yeah, I have to say, I completely agree with Riv. It was really fun bonding with all the kids on set, and especially bonding with Riv. Creating that dynamic… It was really cool, and I feel like at the end of the day, you, sort of, went home tired, but with a smile on your face. There was a lot of laughter on set.
Suzanne: That’s good Yeah, I’m sure you’ve heard the saying before: it’s not work if you love it.
River: Exactly. Yep.
Suzanne: And what would you say was the most challenging part of doing the show?
River: Ooh. I think, because we were filming in the middle of COVID 19. I think that was probably the most challenging. We sort of had to take all the precautions necessary, like testing every day, and wearing masks all the time, which definitely got annoying. But in hindsight, I’m kind of glad that we did do that because it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Suzanne: Abby?
Abby: I would say, probably, that we filmed by location (rather than in sequence), so we were kind of jumping between different episodes. So I think really staying present in the episode [and] understanding how I’m feeling between each episode, especially with the dynamic with Max and Ben, was really…it was a little difficult for me, but it was a nice challenge. I liked it.
Suzanne: Okay. And before you filmed this, were you a fan of superheroes, and comic books, and that kind of thing?
River: Oh, yeah.
Abby: …A fan. .
River: Oh yeah, . Uh, I’m a, I’m a big superhero guy. I mean , a personal superhero that I really look up to is “The Flash.” I love all things Flash , and his superpower is also really cool. So that would be a superpower [that] if I were to get one… that would be the one that I want. But no, I’m a big fan of watching superhero shows, and origin stories. But I think, with this one, it’s a little bit different because you get a chance to see it from a kid’s perspective, and not only just [with] the superhero aspect, but also something much deeper, like the relationship between Ben and Max.
Suzanne: What about you, Abby? Were you a fan of that kind of thing before?
Abby: Yeah, I think that superheroes are really cool. My personal favorite is Spider-Man. Uh, love him. Love the guy. Um, but I agree with Riv. I think that this one is a little bit different… that the superpowers are a big point in the story, but they’re not the only plot point.
Suzanne: Sounds like we got a little Marvel-DC competition going on here, though. (Laughs)
Have you heard anything about whether they would maybe make this into a real life comic book?
River: No, but now that you mention it, that Is like, like just, that just blew my mind, actually. Wow. That would be so cool.
Suzanne: They’ve done it with a few other shows. I can’t think of most of them [off the top of my head]. I know they did it with the character Nia from the “Supergirl” TV show. And I think she wrote part of it as well. She has her own comic now. So yeah, it can happen. Definitely.
River: Yeah, we’ll see. You never know what’s going to happen.
Suzanne: That’s true. We’ll put that out. I thought of that when I was talking to Barry. He could probably get it done.
River: Hey, you never know. You never know. I think it would be interesting to write it too. I’ve never actually written anything before. but it would be pretty interesting to get a chance to learn from, from Barry if he’s, if he’s up to that.
Abby: That’s what I was thinking.
Suzanne: All right. Okay. Well, thank you guys so much.
MORE INFO: Official Site Trailer
“Me” follows a 12-year-old kid named Ben who is in the throes of middle school (complete with bullies, crushes and school dances!) as he adjusts to a newly blended family AND the realization that he has super powers. Throughout the 10-episode season, Ben goes on a journey of self-discovery and learns what having super powers truly means. He finds an ally in his stepsister, Max, who helps him harness these powers and uncover the secrets behind the mysteries and tragedies of his community … all while he tries to come to terms with what it means to be Ben.
Cast & Crew
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Lucian-River Chauhanas Ben Vasani
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Abigail Pniowskyas Max Davis
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Dilshad Vadsariaas Elizabeth Vasani
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Amanda Reidas Carter Kennedy
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Barry L. Levy
Executive Producer
Writer
Story By
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Michael Dowse
Executive Producer
Director
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Amy Welsh-Hanning
Executive Producer
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Eben Russell
Executive Producer
LUCIAN-RIVER CHAUHAN
‘Ben’
Lucian-River Chauhan can currently be seen in the recurring role of Teo in the Netflix series AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER based off the hugely successful graphic novel of the same name. He will also next star as the title role in the Apple+ series ME which follows his character Ben as he navigates the complexities of 6th grade. The series will premiere this year. River was named a “must see performance” by EW for his lead role opposite Riz Ahmed in the Amazon feature ENCOUNTER from director Michael Pearce which premiered last year at Telluride and TIFF to rave reviews. The Hollywood Reporter also highlighted his performance in the film saying, “the astonishingly good Lucian-River Chauhan, who plays Malik’s adolescent son, Jay” and Screen International said “Both of the boys cast as Malik’s sons are impressive, but Chauhan, who plays the older Jay, is quietly remarkable.” Previously he recurred on the hit CBC series HEARTLAND for two seasons. He is also fluent in French.
ABIGAIL PNIOWSKY
‘Max’
Abigail Pniowsky is sixteen years old and has already built an impressive body of work. She will next be seen as the female lead of Apple TV’s first YA series, ME. She recently shot the lead role in the independent feature, AMERICAN BABY. Abby began her TV career as a lead in the Universal / Syfy show CHANNEL ZERO alongside Fiona Shaw and Paul Schneider. She appeared as a series regular opposite Kyra Sedgwick in the ABC series, TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY. On the big screen, Abby played opposite Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar winning ARRIVAL, for which Abby attended both the Venice Film Festival and TIFF. She also starred opposite Yvonne Strahovki in the feature HE’S OUT THERE and opposite Heather Graham in THE REST OF US, which had its premiere at TIFF as well.
Proofread and Edited by Brenda