{"id":21130,"date":"2022-01-04T15:47:53","date_gmt":"2022-01-04T21:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tvmeg.com\/?p=21130"},"modified":"2023-03-02T02:40:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T08:40:24","slug":"auto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/04\/auto\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with the cast of &#8220;American Auto&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>TV Interview!<\/strong><\/h3>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- TVMEGBODY -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1056557952271337\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8801203268\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/autogroup.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21127\" src=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/small-autogroup.png\" alt=\"the cast of &quot;American Auto&quot; on NBC\" width=\"468\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/small-autogroup.png 468w, https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/small-autogroup-300x192.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong> Interview with the cast of &#8220;American Auto&#8221; on NBC by <a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/13\/biosuzanne\/\">Suzanne<\/a> 12\/9\/21<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is a pretty funny sitcom, and it was a lot of fun talking to the cast. This press panel had many journalists asking questions. You can see my one question a little more than halfway down the page. I wish I had gotten another question because I would have loved to have asked Harriet Dyer a question. I really loved her show &#8220;The InBetween&#8221; (2019).\u00a0 What an amazing actress she is! I didn&#8217;t even recognize her as the same person in this role.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NBCUNIVERSAL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>VIRTUAL PRESS TOUR<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>NBC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>American Auto<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Jon Barinholtz, Talent, \u201cWesley\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Harriet Dyer, Talent, \u201cSadie\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ana Gasteyer, Talent, \u201cKatherine\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Humphrey Ker, Talent, \u201cElliot\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>X Mayo, Talent, \u201cDori\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Michael B. Washington, Talent, \u201cCyrus\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tye White, Talent, \u201cJack\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Justin Spitzer, Creator\/Executive Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Virtual via Zoom<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>December 9, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 2021 NBCUniversal, Inc.\u00a0 All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>PAM BEER:\u00a0 Hi. \u00a0It&#8217;s Pam again, and I&#8217;m here to introduce the panel for our new comedy &#8220;American Auto,&#8221; which will be sneak\u2011previewed on Monday, December 13th at 10:00 and 10:30 p.m., before moving to its normal time slot on Tuesday, January 4th at 8 o&#8217;clock.<\/p>\n<p>From &#8220;Superstore&#8221; creator Justin Spitzer comes a new workplace comedy that takes the wheels off of the automobile industry.<\/p>\n<p>Set in Detroit, the corporate executives of Payne Motors are at a crossroads:\u00a0 Adapt to the changing times or be sent to the junkyard.<\/p>\n<p>Shaking things up as the new CEO, her leadership, experience, and savvy is only slightly offset by her complete lack of knowledge about cars.\u00a0 From the corporate to the factory floor, the crew of Payne Motors is driving home the laughs.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a look at the first season of &#8220;American Auto.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>(Clip shown.)<\/p>\n<p>PAM BEER:\u00a0 In the top row are executive producer Justin Spitzer, Ana Gasteyer, and Harriet Dyer.\u00a0 In the second row are Michael B. Washington, Jon Barinholtz, and Tye White.\u00a0 In the third row are Humphrey Ker and X Mayo.<\/p>\n<p>We are now ready for your questions.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Thank you, once again, Pam.\u00a0 And welcome to our panelists.<\/p>\n<p>Just a reminder to use the &#8220;raise hand&#8221; function if you want to ask a question.<\/p>\n<p>And our first question comes from Mike Hughes, and Jay Bobbin will be on deck.<\/p>\n<p>So, go ahead, Mike.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Yeah, for Ana.\u00a0 It seems like you&#8217;re in a really good streak right now.\u00a0 I saw &#8220;A Cl\u00fcsterf\u00fcnke Christmas,\u201d and I thought it was hilarious, and you co\u2011wrote it, and so forth.\u00a0 And so, I wanted to ask you what this time has been like for you?\u00a0 Because you got this show, apparently, pretty early last year, but then, had to wait for a long time, and now, this is coming up right after &#8220;Cl\u00fcsterf\u00fcnke.&#8221;\u00a0 Has this just been a really good \u2011\u2011 in other words, has the pandemic been pretty good for you?<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 The pandemic has been fantastic for me, yeah.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I mean, you know, besides all the millions of people that have died, it&#8217;s worked really well for me.\u00a0 Please don&#8217;t print that.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Okay.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 You know, I flew to L.A., and I had my fitting for the pilot, and we were getting ready to film it when the entire world went into shutdown, and it&#8217;s been \u2011\u2011 I mean, you know, it&#8217;s an overused word, but it really has been an incredible series with blessing on this because, honestly, we didn&#8217;t even know if it was going to go.\u00a0 I just assumed \u2011\u2011 I mean, I leaped at the opportunity.\u00a0 The script was fantastic.\u00a0 Justin is established, and smart, and human, and the perfect writer to, sort of, meet the times, I think, comedically, and that&#8217;s not an easy thing to do.\u00a0 And, yeah, we got lucky.\u00a0 We ended up making the pilot last October \u2013 2020 &#8212; and then, picked up, and started filming in 2021.\u00a0 So, it was a long, kind of, drawn\u2011out thing, but kind of nice, in a way, because you do these new television shows really, truly, in a bubble.\u00a0 We didn&#8217;t really interact with anyone because of COVID.\u00a0 We actually didn&#8217;t even really see Justin&#8217;s lower half of his face for a good couple of years.\u00a0 (Justin laughs.)\u00a0 And it was nice because, as a cast and a community, we, sort of, did that thing where we established a relationship via text, and over the months, kind of, checking in with one another, and by the time it came to filming, we were really friends, which was fantastic.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 And in the middle of that, when did you do &#8220;Cl\u00fcsterf\u00fcnke,&#8221; then?<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 So, we \u2011\u2011 by the way, thank you for honoring the umlauts and pronunciation.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>We had sold that in \u2011\u2011 Rachel and I sold it in 2019.\u00a0 And so, we wrote that script right when we went into the shutdown.\u00a0 So, we wrote it at the beginning, and then, the timing just worked out beautifully because we were able to film it directly prior to &#8220;American Auto,&#8221; and it just was, sort of, a confluence of good fortune that everything came out at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Well, thanks.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Our next question is from Jay Bobbin, and Valerie Malone is going to be on deck,<\/p>\n<p>Jay, go for it.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Thank you very much. \u00a0My question is for Harriet.<\/p>\n<p>Harriet, you&#8217;ve been doing a lot of heavy\u2011duty drama lately, and a certain scene at a restaurant with an invisible man certainly sticks in mind.\u00a0 Doing comedy at this point in time, is this, like, the possible best juncture for you to pivot from the drama you&#8217;ve been doing, to this?<\/p>\n<p>HARRIET DYER:\u00a0 I don&#8217;t know.\u00a0 I, kind of \u2011\u2011 when I got out of drama school in Sydney, I was doing both; whether it was theater, or TV, which, kind of, came later.\u00a0 I would just hope to, kind of, do both for as long as, you know, people will allow it.\u00a0 I think you can find both in both.\u00a0 And I mean \u2011\u2011 but this is a dream, to come to America and do a network comedy.\u00a0 That was something I never thought would happen.\u00a0 So, I mean, if I stayed in comedy now, you know, mostly, that would be very exciting to me, but I really do \u2011\u2011 really do love drama, too.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Our next question comes from Valeria Malone, and Jamie Sticker is on deck.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, Valerie.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Justin, can you talk about your decision to center the series around the corporate perspective, and your decision to make it a comedy, rather than an action or drama series, please?<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 I don&#8217;t know that I would know how to write an action or a drama series.\u00a0 I would love that challenge, but I think I&#8217;m in comedy for now.<\/p>\n<p>The genesis of this was, I pitched this show back in 2013.\u00a0 I&#8217;d been on &#8220;The Office&#8221; for a long time, and I thought I&#8217;d love to do a workplace show about the corporate world, you know?\u00a0 And in &#8220;The Office,&#8221; they refer to decisions made by corporate, occasionally, and I&#8217;d think, like, oh, what&#8217;s that show about, and how do those decisions get made?\u00a0 And then, the following year, I did &#8220;Superstore.&#8221;\u00a0 &#8220;American Auto&#8221; was in pilot at that point, so I took bits and pieces, and put them in &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; and then, every now and then, I would talk to Tracy Acosta\u00a0\u2011\u2011 who had been to the studio when we developed &#8220;American Auto&#8221; originally, and she moved over to the network, and she was always a fan of it \u2011\u2011 about if there was ever an opportunity to redevelop it.\u00a0 And so, then, when I left &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; it felt like an opportunity, and it felt like an even better time.\u00a0 You know, &#8220;Superstore&#8221; is so much a show about people whose lives are dictated by corporate, and they seem like antagonists all the time, and it seemed fun to get a peek on behind the scenes of how the decisions get made, you know?\u00a0 The people at corporate aren&#8217;t bad people; they&#8217;re good people doing their best to try to make the company work, and, sometimes, their decisions have bad effects on the employees, but I thought it would be fun to get to see why those decisions get made.\u00a0 So, yeah, that was, sort of, the reasoning about the corporate world.<\/p>\n<p>And then, the fact that it&#8217;s the auto industry, sort of, came later.\u00a0 I, sort of, just wanted it to be about a big multibillion\u2011dollar American industry.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 But you feel that diversity is important to you.\u00a0 Can you talk about, perhaps, how it plays out in different roles in the series?<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 You know, I think \u2013 it\u2019s always a hard thing to answer.\u00a0 I think, you know, we&#8217;re all trying to be more conscious of diversity.\u00a0 I think it allows you to do more kinds of stories, especially in a show like this, that deals with issues impacted by those things.\u00a0 You know, it&#8217;s a satire.\u00a0 You know, you guys have seen the first episode that deals with bias in tech.\u00a0 And so, it gives me those opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>You know, I don&#8217;t think of it so much as what can we do for social good?\u00a0 You know, my job is to make a show, and make it good, but I think diversity certainly helps with that.\u00a0 Maybe some of our other cast could speak to that if anyone would like to.<\/p>\n<p>MICHAEL B. WASHINGTON:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Well, one of the things that I was drawn to so much when I first read the script, and had the opportunity to read, NBC Universal has been very kind to many of us, and they&#8217;ve taken care \u2011\u2011 ready good care of us for many years, but they&#8217;ve always been looking for something for me to do in a more corporate structure; like, more authoritative roles.\u00a0 And that&#8217;s not something that a network lets you get to read for, as an African American gentleman, let alone two, three, four, you know, people of color in executive ranks.\u00a0 So, I was very drawn to the fact that Cyrus is a very smart, educated corporate executive who&#8217;s allowed to be the smartest one in the room, for good or for bad, whether he puts his foot in his mouth, or not, and all the comedy that ensues from it, and the beautiful thing about the place we&#8217;re in right now, with the world, and society, and cultural issues.\u00a0 Getting to represent that so that young Black boys, young Black girls, get to see somebody in a suit be smart is not still the norm.\u00a0 So, I&#8217;m very drawn to this show because of that, and getting to play with these incredible comedians, and keeping levity about it.\u00a0 It&#8217;s not always hard\u2011hitting; it&#8217;s light and fun.\u00a0 So, diversity can be a fun thing as well.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Very good.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Our next question is from Jamie Sticker, and Suzanne Lanoue is on deck.<\/p>\n<p>Jamie, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 X, I have to say, those are some hilariously funny, funny scenes with you.\u00a0 How much of your work is improv?\u00a0 Like, the soap scene; you bring your own soap with you.\u00a0 How much of your time on &#8220;American Auto&#8221; is scripted, and how much of it is just improv?<\/p>\n<p>X MAYO:\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 I don&#8217;t say any lines that are written.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>No, I&#8217;m kidding.\u00a0 I&#8217;m kidding.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I love \u2011\u2011 first of all, this script is amazing.\u00a0 But let me tell you, as someone who is an actor and an improvisor, if the script isn&#8217;t good, I do not improvise because I don&#8217;t have a place to jump off of.\u00a0 There is no clear foundation. \u00a0I have nowhere to go.\u00a0 So, the fact that I do play so much speaks to the quality of the writing, and the fact that they are writers, when they write that episode, they&#8217;re on there, and they&#8217;re so open to collaborate.\u00a0 And I&#8217;m, like, &#8220;Hey, I wanted to try this,&#8221; and they&#8217;re, like, &#8220;Yes, go, do.\u00a0 Yeah, go do that.&#8221;\u00a0 And so, I really love that aspect of it.\u00a0 But yeah, I mean, a lot of those words that you hear are from the script, but I do like to, like, punch up and play.\u00a0 And, also, too, like, there are, like, so many amazing comedians on the show, like Humphs and JB.\u00a0 Like, I just love, like, pitching jokes to them, or if I can make one of them laugh, I&#8217;m, like, &#8220;Damn.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Sorry.\u00a0 Can I cuss?<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>But I just did, so &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, there&#8217;s a lot of that.\u00a0 There&#8217;s a lot of that where Justin always is checking, &#8220;Can X say &#8216;shit&#8217; or &#8216;damn&#8217;?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>So, I&#8217;m just, like, &#8220;Okay.&#8221;\u00a0 I&#8217;m, like, &#8220;Okay, I can do this.&#8221;\u00a0 So, yeah, a lot of it \u2011\u2011 I would say a lot of it I&#8217;ve played with, but most of what you see is, like, a mixture of me playing, and the amazing, wonderful script that we have combined.\u00a0 That&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll see a lot within the show.<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 We always like to think of, like, the jokes in the script are a safety net, you know?\u00a0 It won&#8217;t get worse than that line, and to whatever extent that the actors can improve it, I always want to encourage that.\u00a0 And that&#8217;s something that was very important to me, even in casting this.\u00a0 You know, I&#8217;ve worked with Jon on &#8220;Superstore&#8221;; I&#8217;ve worked with Humphrey years ago on another pilot.\u00a0 I knew they were amazing improvisers.\u00a0 Obviously, Ana was, from her years on \u201cSNL,\u201d and other things.\u00a0 And some of the other cast we&#8217;ve played with in the audition even a little, and I was aware of your guys&#8217; talent, too.\u00a0 So, you know, I love when the actors beat the jokes that are on the page; I love when the actors even rework the lines to make it natural in their mouth to make it the best joke, the best line.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 And then, Justin, we know that you&#8217;ve worked with Jon in &#8220;Superstore.&#8221;\u00a0 What was it about this role that made him right for &#8220;American Auto&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 I mean, obviously, I would work with Jon on anything.\u00a0 He&#8217;s, like, aside from being a delight to work with, just hilarious.\u00a0 You know, there were so many times on &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; you know, if there was a scene he was in, and it wasn&#8217;t working, and I didn&#8217;t know how to get out of it, I would say to the editor, like, &#8220;Just check through Jon&#8217;s improv, like, if he has an ad\u2011lib, we could, like, go in, and then, that&#8217;ll get us out of it.&#8221;\u00a0 So, I wasn&#8217;t writing the role specifically for him.\u00a0 It, actually, probably felt different from him on the page.<\/p>\n<p>And Jon, I think we were talking \u2011\u2011 I think it was the episode I directed of &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; and you had just recently reread the script\u00a0\u2011\u2011 that was the week it got picked up \u2011\u2011 and you said you liked it, and it was, like, &#8220;Oh, man, I would \u2011\u2011 if you could come aboard.&#8221;\u00a0 Then, I just felt bad about taking you away from &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; potentially, and had to have the big talk with the guys over there.\u00a0 But, yeah, I love Jon, and I think he&#8217;s amazing in this role.<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 That&#8217;s so nice of you to say.\u00a0 Yeah, I remember.\u00a0 I remember reading the script that week, and it was \u2011\u2011 it was amazing.\u00a0 And I think it was, like, maybe written for, like, a little bit older of a role, but, yeah, it was \u2011\u2011 I would jump at the opportunity\u00a0\u2011\u2011 right back at Justin \u2011\u2011 to work with him on anything.\u00a0 He&#8217;s just such a great writer, and really \u2011\u2011 really addresses the world honestly.\u00a0 And most importantly, he gives really good, wrap gifts, so&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m in it for the gifts.\u00a0 And the scripts are secondary, for me.<\/p>\n<p>HARRIET DYER:\u00a0 You guys all got a car, right?<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 I&#8217;ve got a bike.\u00a0 I don&#8217;t know how to drive.<\/p>\n<p>X MAYO:\u00a0 I&#8217;ve got a scooter; it&#8217;s got a little bell.<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 A funny little thing, also about Jon \u2011\u2011 and this was not intentional, but on &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; he played, like, the most down\u2011and\u2011out \u2011\u2011 like, the warehouse guy who\u00a0\u2011\u2011 like, whose car didn&#8217;t have doors, and he was homeless for a while, and now, we bring him over to this show where he is the most privileged and wealthy of all.<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 I mean, the difference \u2011\u2011 like, someone asked me, like, &#8220;What&#8217;s the difference between Marcus and Wesley?&#8221;\u00a0 And I think the answer is 58 million dollars.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Thank you all so much for your time.<\/p>\n<p>ALL PANELISTS:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 All right.\u00a0 We&#8217;re actually going to go to Steven Prusakowski next, and then, Suzanne, you will be on deck.<\/p>\n<p>So, Steven, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Hey, how are you doing?\u00a0 The show looks great.\u00a0 I can&#8217;t wait to watch.<\/p>\n<p>My question is for Ana.\u00a0 I have one for Ana, and one for all.<\/p>\n<p>So, you were on \u201cSNL,\u201d and then, it seems like you&#8217;ve been working continuously since you left the series.<\/p>\n<p>What do you credit your success to, and what about &#8220;American Auto&#8221; attracted you to the series?<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 Gosh, I don&#8217;t know what to attribute my success to.\u00a0 I mean, obviously, \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d is an insane launching pad, as my mother would say.\u00a0 Meaning, you know, the visibility is just nuts.\u00a0 I mean, you get recognized pretty quickly just for being in that cast.\u00a0 And then, just, honestly, hustling a lot of different angles.\u00a0 I mean, I&#8217;ve worked on Broadway; I&#8217;ve worked on television; I&#8217;ve worked, you know, wherever I can work.\u00a0 And I like working, so I&#8217;ve kept my nose to the grindstone, if you will.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;American Auto&#8221; \u2011\u2011 you know, I&#8217;ve been waiting my entire career to be in my 50s.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve been waiting for this part since I was 30.\u00a0 So, you know\u00a0\u2011\u2011 and frankly, 10 years ago, this role wouldn&#8217;t have existed, I don&#8217;t think.\u00a0 And Justin \u2011\u2011 or I guess he said he wrote it 10 years ago, but, I mean, within that range.\u00a0 I think just the opportunity to play a female CEO was really exciting to me because I like characters who are, sort of, lost in moral dilemma, and Katherine definitely is, as Justin said.\u00a0 I think she definitely personifies the aspirations to do right by the company, but maybe not always \u2011\u2011 there can be a human sacrifice in that.\u00a0 And it&#8217;s just fun.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a fun gray area, comedically.<\/p>\n<p>My best friend \u2011\u2011 I told Justin this before\u00a0\u2011\u2011 has characterized the, sort of, ethos of the show as Americans being bad at being good, which I think is, kind of, really fun to play, you know?\u00a0 And, yeah, so, that&#8217;s \u2011\u2011 I think that&#8217;s \u2011\u2011 is that your question?<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 That&#8217;s my question.\u00a0 I have to say, I spoke to Kenan today, and now you, and as a big \u201cSNL\u201d fan, this is a dream come true.\u00a0 So, thank you so much for your time.<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 And I put in three different tapes for \u201cSNL.\u201d\u00a0 So, if you want to include someone associated with \u201cSNL\u201d that you&#8217;ve talked to.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Now, I have that connection, too.\u00a0 Thank you so much.<\/p>\n<p>And one more question real quick.\u00a0 Are any of you big car fans, or do you actually drive?<\/p>\n<p>X MAYO:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Or it depends on, yeah, your type of auto reliance.<\/p>\n<p>HUMPHREY KER:\u00a0 L.A. leaves little choice but to drive.\u00a0 There is no alternative.<\/p>\n<p>TYE WHITE:\u00a0 Well, I&#8217;m from Michigan.\u00a0 So, yeah, I&#8217;ve been driving since I was 12.<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 My grandfather was one of the first used car salesmen in Chicago, because used cars are, like, a newer thing.\u00a0 And then, my great, great, great grandfather on my mom&#8217;s side was Studebakers.<\/p>\n<p>X MAYO:\u00a0 Wow.<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 This is true:\u00a0 There are four Studebaker brothers, and Jacob was the one I&#8217;m a descendant of, and he was the one who thought cars weren&#8217;t going to take off, and he was, like, &#8220;I&#8217;m going to stick with farming.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>And I have the legacy of Studebakers.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 It was the slower Studebaker; is that what you&#8217;re saying?\u00a0 You&#8217;re a descendant of the slower Studebaker.\u00a0 Got it.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>I live in New York City, so I, pretty much, stopped it.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 All right.\u00a0 Our next question \u2011\u2011<\/p>\n<p>TYE WHITE:\u00a0 Cars aren&#8217;t going to work.\u00a0 I don&#8217;t see it.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Our next question comes from Suzanne Lanoue, and Bruce Miller on deck.<\/p>\n<p>So, go ahead, Suzanne.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Hi.\u00a0 Good morning.\u00a0 Jon, my question is for you.\u00a0 Your character is so unlikable.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 I&#8217;m sorry.<\/p>\n<p>UNIDENTIFIED PANELIST:\u00a0 In real life.\u00a0 In real life.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Will we get to see him change and grow a little more this season, or show us a nicer side?<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 I don&#8217;t want to give out any spoilers, but I think all the characters, as we go throughout the season, we see people exist together more and more, and it really \u2011\u2011 yeah, I think there is growth and change in everyone, but in that really, you know, pinpointed way, where we&#8217;re always able to reset and still be the same characters that you, kind of, you know, fell in love with, whether it&#8217;s fell in love with because of who they are, or fell in love to hate them, I think we all \u2011\u2011 we strut that line pretty well throughout the season.<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 I was just going to say, I think he will become more likable.\u00a0 I think, you know, as the episodes go on, you want to start people with an edge, you know, or at least I like to.\u00a0 You know, I would never want to create characters that are all soft, all immediately too easily likeable.\u00a0 There&#8217;s no place to go.\u00a0 But, you know, I think we&#8217;ll see \u2011\u2011 I can think of one or two, you know, moments of real vulnerability in Wesley, and when you see those moments, they give you little windows, and you empathize with them, and with all the characters, as we learn about them, we&#8217;ll grow to like all of them.<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 Yeah, I just want to change my answer to what Justin just said.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>So, put his voice to my mouth.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Sure, I can do that.\u00a0 I enjoyed the first two episodes a lot.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>PANELISTS:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Our next question comes from Bruce Miller, and Rick Hong will be on deck.<\/p>\n<p>So, Bruce, go for it.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 This is for Jon, too.\u00a0 Jon, when you&#8217;re on a big show like &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; what do you do when you&#8217;re not on camera?\u00a0 Are you trying to be seen so that you can get a bigger role, or what is that process like?<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 Wait.\u00a0 What do you \u2011\u2011 do you mean, like\u00a0\u2011\u2011 in what way do you mean?\u00a0 Do you mean, like, literally, like, off the camera, but still in the scene, or is it, like, I&#8217;m just, like, hanging out in my trailer?<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Because on &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; you guys were around a lot; you could see you in the background and doing things.\u00a0 And would you just try to, like, &#8220;I&#8217;ll be a little more active here, so, then, they&#8217;ll pick me to be in more scenes&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 I would show up on days when I wasn&#8217;t even scheduled to come in, and I would come in in uniform.\u00a0 No.<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 You&#8217;re background for the first season, right?<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 I just yell things.\u00a0 I steal a mic and put it on me.\u00a0 No, I think I know what you mean.\u00a0 It&#8217;s in these big, like, ensemble shows with workplaces, I think the best thing you could do is just, kind of, exist there.\u00a0 And, like &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; I think this is a world that when we were all there, we felt very much of this world.\u00a0 We were in this office; we were people who worked there.\u00a0 And just a testament to how good, really, everyone on the screen is, and our BG&amp;R show is so great, and it allows a sense of \u2011\u2011 the looseness allows a sense of play, and us to, you know, kind of, take things wherever we think they may go, as long as it&#8217;s in a place of \u2011\u2011 coming from a place of honesty.\u00a0 So, I guess, that just the long way of saying that as long as we&#8217;re playing it real, there&#8217;s no, like, fudging your way in to, like, get more lines, or anything like that, but I think there&#8217;s always an opportunity to toss a little extra something in, and, again, it&#8217;s because, like X said, that&#8217;s how good the writing is here, that it&#8217;s such a strong foundation of us to, kind of, jump off and play in.\u00a0 Whether you have one line in the scene, or thirty lines in the scene, it really \u2011\u2011 it gives that safety net.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 And for sure \u2011\u2011 I&#8217;m going to jump in.\u00a0 It&#8217;s not my question, but just to say that, especially NBC has developed these really \u2011\u2011 this ethos of a workplace comedy as the sense of the ensemble and the workplace being the star, but for me, that was part of the attraction.\u00a0 Like, not having to carry something so much all by myself.\u00a0 I love working with other people.\u00a0 So many of us come from improvisation and, you know, ensemble backgrounds, that it&#8217;s critical that you work as a team.\u00a0 That&#8217;s actually what ends up being the most fun.<\/p>\n<p>And I remember \u2011\u2011 actually, not being gross and, like, mention my last credit, but I did this show called &#8220;People of Earth,&#8221; and there were these group therapy sessions.\u00a0 And every year, like, the showrunner would be, like, &#8220;We&#8217;re going to try to not have as many group therapy sessions.\u00a0 I know they&#8217;re long days,&#8221; and I was, like, &#8220;But that&#8217;s the best part of show.&#8221;\u00a0 Like, the best part of the show is when you&#8217;re hanging with your colleagues and all improvising together.\u00a0 To me, that&#8217;s, you know \u2011\u2011 sorry.\u00a0 Did I kill the fun?<\/p>\n<p>X MAYO:\u00a0 No.<\/p>\n<p>TYE WHITE:\u00a0 Never.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 That&#8217;s what my theater games taught me.<\/p>\n<p>HARRIET DYER:\u00a0 Never, Ana.<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 No, but it&#8217;s true.\u00a0 When you have, like\u00a0\u2011\u2011 like, on &#8220;Superstore,&#8221; I wasn&#8217;t a regular, but you had this cast of regulars that were amazing, and would allow for play to happen.\u00a0 I think like \u2011\u2011 I feel we have the same thing on our show, where we had people come in, and it would just \u2011\u2011 they may have, like, one or two lines in the scene, but there was always the opportunity to play, and we got so much more out of ourselves, and so much more out of these people who would come in and be these phenomenal guests on our show.\u00a0 So, there&#8217;s more of that that goes along with that, you know?<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Our next question is from Rick Hong, and then, our final question will be from Francine Brokaw.<\/p>\n<p>So, Rick, go for it.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Hello, everybody.\u00a0 Well, Jon, since you brought up Chicago, I just want to say, &#8220;Whazzup?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>JON BARINHOLTZ:\u00a0 Whazzup?<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 So, actually, for everybody.\u00a0 What was it like seeing the Ponderosa from script in your mind, to going to set and seeing the thing actually built?\u00a0 What is it made of?<\/p>\n<p>HUMPRHEY KER:\u00a0 Many different cars.<\/p>\n<p>TYE WHITE:\u00a0 Yeah, it was, like, a smorgasbord of different car pieces put together.\u00a0 And I remember the first time I saw it, I just busted out laughing because you just have to \u2011\u2011 when you see it, there&#8217;s no choice but to laugh.\u00a0 Like, how did they assemble this vehicle?\u00a0 Like, literally.\u00a0 Not just in terms of the show, but in real life, what made them grab these different pieces to put this car together?\u00a0 So, I just laughed, like, uncontrollably.\u00a0 And the color.\u00a0 The color, too.\u00a0 Like, it&#8217;s such a bright red that, like, it&#8217;s usually reserved for, like, Ferraris, and things like that.\u00a0 It was, like, it&#8217;s so obnoxious to put that red on that car.\u00a0 Yeah, it&#8217;s so good.\u00a0 It&#8217;s red.<\/p>\n<p>JUSTIN SPITZER:\u00a0 It was a very difficult needle to thread, that one.\u00a0 I mean, on the page you&#8217;re, like, &#8220;Oh, they put together something,&#8221; and then, there&#8217;s a reveal, and it looks, like, crazy.\u00a0 And then, you do it, and then, it&#8217;s got to be crazy enough to be a bad idea, and for the comedy to play, but, like, these are smart, sensible, competent people who&#8217;ve worked at a car company, or who know cars.\u00a0 So, it&#8217;s true crazy, you know?\u00a0 Currently, there&#8217;s acknowledgement that it&#8217;s bad, but, like, at a certain level, you&#8217;d be, like, this is insane.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>So, it was hard to find that level of grounded, but still funny.\u00a0 And, yeah, the set is amazing.\u00a0 The guys were constructing it, and we&#8217;d go down and try to give notes.\u00a0 And I know nothing about cars, so I&#8217;d be, like, &#8220;Yeah, something like that.&#8221;\u00a0 And I&#8217;d look on my phone for, like, pictures, and \u2011\u2011 I don&#8217;t know.\u00a0 But, yeah, it turned out good.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Congrats to you all.\u00a0 Thank you so much.<\/p>\n<p>PANELISTS:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 And our final question comes from Francine Brokaw.\u00a0 Francine, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Can you hear me?<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON: \u00a0Yes.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 This has happened twice.\u00a0 You&#8217;ve called on Francine, but you&#8217;ve unmuted me, and I&#8217;m Luaine Lee.\u00a0 So, I&#8217;m going to go ahead and ask my question.<\/p>\n<p>So, Ana, is it true you don&#8217;t know how to drive?<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 My character doesn&#8217;t know how to drive.\u00a0 I do drive, but I live in New York City, so I don&#8217;t do it a lot, and my family doesn&#8217;t like it when I do it.\u00a0 Let me just say that.\u00a0 And I didn&#8217;t learn to \u2011\u2011 actually, this is even worse.\u00a0 I learned to ride a bike in \u2011\u2011 I grew up, like, in the city\u2011city, in Washington D.C., and I wasn&#8217;t allowed to cross the street on my bike.\u00a0 So, I learned to ride a bike.\u00a0 And then, I&#8217;m the one example that the adage is not true.\u00a0 I forgot.\u00a0 I forgot how to ride a bike.\u00a0 And my husband didn&#8217;t believe me, and I got on one, and I immediately ran into a mailbox and hurt myself badly.\u00a0 And then, later, I took bike\u2011riding classes.\u00a0 So, I&#8217;m not very comfortable with things on wheels, is what I&#8217;m trying to say.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Well, my question is, how did you learn to drive?\u00a0 Who taught you, and what was that like?<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 In real life?<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Yes.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 My mother taught me.\u00a0 I grew up on Capitol Hill in D.C., and she taught me in rush\u2011hour traffic, with a clutch car, going uphill.\u00a0 So, that might be why I don&#8217;t like to drive.\u00a0 Let me say, she&#8217;s not great under stress.<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 I have the same question for Michael.\u00a0 How did you learn to drive, Michael?\u00a0 What was it like?<\/p>\n<p>MICHAEL B. WASHINGTON:\u00a0 I learned to drive \u2011\u2011 my parents were reared in Louisiana in backwoods dirt roads.\u00a0 So, when I was 10\u00a0\u2011\u2011 this is, like, right after my 10th birthday.\u00a0 We went down to my grandparents&#8217; house, and my dad put me on his lap and just said, &#8220;Start steering,&#8221; and then, he slid out from under me \u2011\u2011 because I was, kind of, tall, so my foot hit the pedal, and I just started \u2011\u2011 and he got terrified.\u00a0 I mean, because it&#8217;s dirt roads, but there still are trees and things.\u00a0 Because &#8220;Dukes of Hazard&#8221; was my favorite TV show.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>And I asked him, like, &#8220;Can I just please get in the car through the window, like the Duke boys?&#8221;\u00a0 And he&#8217;s, like, &#8220;No.\u00a0 No, you&#8217;ll ruin the paint.&#8221;\u00a0 So, I learned to drive after, you know, my 10th birthday.<\/p>\n<p>HUMPRHEY KER:\u00a0 Is that why you still have a Confederate flag in your trailer?<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>MICHAEL B. WASHINGTON:\u00a0 Oh, that&#8217;s what we call British humor.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 That&#8217;s British humor.<\/p>\n<p>MICHAEL B. WASHINGTON:\u00a0 And I deal with that 13 hours a day.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 It means something different over there.\u00a0 It means something different.<\/p>\n<p>HUMPRHEY KER:\u00a0 It&#8217;s very different.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a very different \u2011\u2011<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 It&#8217;s a popular pub sign.\u00a0 That&#8217;s it, right?<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>HUMPRHEY KER:\u00a0 I saw Michael&#8217;s trailer door open, and there it was.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>QUESTION:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 If Francine wants to ask a question\u00a0\u2011\u2011 I feel bad.<\/p>\n<p>ANA GASTEYER:\u00a0 Francine, Francine, Francine.<\/p>\n<p>HARRIET DYER:\u00a0 Francine.<\/p>\n<p>MATTHEW LIFSON:\u00a0 We&#8217;ll have to get to the bottom of that on our end.\u00a0 But thank you to our panelists.\u00a0 That concludes our session for &#8220;American Auto.&#8221;\u00a0 We&#8217;ll take a short break, and get back up at 11:30 with SYFY&#8217;s &#8220;Astrid &amp; Lilly Save the World.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Here is the <a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/royale.mp3\">audio<\/a> version of it.<\/p>\n<p>Interview Transcribed by Jamie of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scifivision.com\/\">http:\/\/www.scifivision.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>MORE INFO:<\/p>\n<div class=\"network-title\">\n<div class=\"title\">\n<h2 class=\"show-title\">American Auto<\/h2>\n<h4 class=\"airdate\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-21128 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/aa.png\" alt=\"&quot;American Auto&quot; cast\" width=\"350\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/aa.png 531w, https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/aa-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/>Previews: Monday, Dec. 13 on NBC (10-10:30 and 10:30-11 p.m. ET); Moves to Tuesdays (8-8:30 p.m. ET) beginning Jan. 4<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hero-description\">\n<div class=\"description\">\n<div class=\"show-description show-description--full\">\n<div>\n<p>From the creator of\u00a0\u201cSuperstore\u201d\u00a0comes a new workplace comedy that takes the wheels off the automobile industry. Set in Detroit, the corporate executives of Payne Motors are at a crossroads: adapt to the changing times or be sent to the junkyard. Shaking things up is the new CEO, whose leadership, experience and savvy is only slightly offset by her complete lack of knowledge about cars. Luckily, her team has some of the best minds in the business \u2013\u00a0when they aren\u2019t fighting or trying to outwit each other. From the corporate office to the factory floor, the crew of Payne Motors is driving home the laughs.<\/p>\n<p>The cast includes\u00a0Ana Gasteyer, Harriet Dyer, Jon Barinholtz, Humphrey Ker, Michael B. Washington, Tye White and X Mayo.<\/p>\n<p>Justin Spitzer (\u201cSuperstore\u201d) will write and executive produce. Jeff Blitz will direct and executive produce the pilot episode. Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor will executive produce.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmerican Auto\u201d\u00a0is produced by\u00a0Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group,\u00a0in association with\u00a0Spitzer Holding Company, Kapital Entertainment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content bios__content\">\n<h3>Ana\u00a0Gasteyer<\/h3>\n<h4>Katherine, \u201cAmerican Auto<\/h4>\n<div class=\"bios__wrapper\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"photo\">\n<div class=\"photo__image\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"a2070ad9-6fce-417c-8553-bab79bd784a7\" class=\"photo__asset alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/lightbox-thumbnails.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/NUP_195487\/a2070ad9-6fce-417c-8553-bab79bd784a7\/NUP_195487_01501.jpg\" alt=\"AMERICAN AUTO -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Ana Gasteyer as Katherine Hastings -- (Photo by: Chris Haston\/NBC)\" width=\"165\" height=\"220\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"photo__buttons\">Ana Gasteyer plays Katherine on the new NBC comedy \u201cAmerican Auto.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>During her six years on \u201cSaturday Night Live,\u201d Gasteyer created several iconic characters, including middle school music teacher Bobbie Moughan-Culp, NPR radio host Margaret Jo, Lilith Fair poetess Cinder Calhoun, as well as spot-on impressions of Martha Stewart, Celine Dion and Hillary Clinton.<\/p>\n<p>This holiday season Comedy Central will premiere \u201cA Cl\u00fcsterf\u00fcnke Christmas,\u201d which Gasteyer and fellow \u201cSNL\u201d alum Rachel Dratch wrote, executive produced and star. The special is a parody of the corny and ubiquitous traditional holiday TV movie. Previous TV credits include \u201cThe Goldbergs,\u201d \u201cLady Dynamite, \u201cPeople of Earth,\u201d \u201cSuburgatory and \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On stage, Gasteyer has starred on Broadway in \u201cWicked\u201d \u201cThe Rocky Horror Picture Show,\u201d \u201cThe Royal Family\u201d and \u201cThree Penny Opera.\u201d Other stage credits include \u201cFunny Girl\u201d and \u201cPassion\u201d at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, which earned her a Jefferson Award nomination. At the Hollywood Bowl, she played Miss Hannigan in the musical \u201cAnnie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gasteyer is also a highly accomplished singer and songwriter. This winter she\u2019ll embark on a Christmas tour in support of \u201cSugar and Booze,\u201d her recent album of seasonal favorites and holiday originals.<\/p>\n<p>Gasteyer attended Northwestern University and honed her comedy skills at the Groundlings in Los Angeles. She resides on the East Coast with her husband, children and rescue pup, Gloria.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content bios__content\">\n<h3>Harriet\u00a0Dyer<\/h3>\n<h4>Sadie, \u201cAmerican Auto\u201d<\/h4>\n<div class=\"bios__wrapper\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"photo\">\n<div class=\"photo__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"7642bb49-334d-47c7-b74c-2ce2f62755c3\" class=\"photo__asset alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/lightbox-thumbnails.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/NUP_195487\/7642bb49-334d-47c7-b74c-2ce2f62755c3\/NUP_195487_01062.jpg\" alt=\"AMERICAN AUTO -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Harriet Dyer as Sadie -- (Photo by: Chris Haston\/NBC)\" width=\"178\" height=\"237\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"photo__buttons\">Harriet Dyer stars as Sadie on the new NBC comedy \u201dAmerican Auto.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Dyer most recently starred in the NBC drama series \u201cThe Inbetween,\u201d appeared in the sec-ond season of the CBS\u2019 All Access comedy \u201cNo Activity\u201d and co-starred in the feature film \u201cThe Invisible Man,\u201d opposite Elizabeth Moss.<\/p>\n<p>A native of Australia, Dyer\u2019s other television credits include local series \u201cThe Other Guy,\u201d \u201cNo Activity,\u201d \u201cThe Letdown,\u201d \u201cKiki &amp; Kitty,\u201d \u201cBlack Comedy,\u201d \u201cRake,\u201d \u201cJanet King\u201d and \u201cLove Child.\u201d She\u2019s earned her a Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Supporting Actress and two 2015 Logie Award nominations as well as the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Out-standing Newcomer and the Most Popular New Talent Award. Dyer has also received an AACTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama.<\/p>\n<p>Dyer\u2019s film credits include \u201cKilling Ground,\u201d which premiered at the 2016 Melbourne Interna-tional Film Festival and screened at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival; \u201cDown Under,\u201d which premiered at the 2016 Sydney Film Festival; and \u201cRuben Guthrie,\u201d which opened the 2015 Sydney Film Festival.<\/p>\n<p>Harriet has also appeared on stage in \u201cA Flea in Her Ear,\u201d \u201cHay Fever,\u201d \u201cTravelling North,\u201d \u201cMachinal\u201d and \u201cPygmalion\u201d for the Sydney Theatre Company; \u201cBrisbane\u201d for the Queens-land Theatre Company; \u201cPeter Pan\u201d for Belvoir; \u201cTime Stands Still\u201d for the Darlinghurst Thea-tre; \u201cSuddenly Last Summer\u201d for the National Art School; and \u201cThe School for Wives\u201d for the Bell Shakespeare Company. In 2013, she made her Broadway debut in \u201cPeter Pan\u201d at New York\u2019s New Victory Theatre.<\/p>\n<p>Dyer received the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Main-stage Production for her performance in \u201cMachinal\u201d with the Sydney Theatre Company, and was nominated for the same award for her role in \u201cThe School for Wives\u201d for the Bell Shake-speare Company.<\/p>\n<p>She graduated from the Actors Centre Australia in 2011.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content bios__content\">\n<h3>Michael Benjamin\u00a0Washington<\/h3>\n<h4>Cyrus, \u201cAmerican Auto\u201d<\/h4>\n<div class=\"bios__wrapper\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"photo\">\n<div class=\"photo__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"e22992d1-922b-4a76-b833-84f02008abaa\" class=\"photo__asset alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/lightbox-thumbnails.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/NUP_195487\/e22992d1-922b-4a76-b833-84f02008abaa\/NUP_195487_01772.jpg\" alt=\"AMERICAN AUTO -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Michael Benjamin Washington as Cyrus -- (Photo by: Chris Haston\/NBC)\" width=\"147\" height=\"196\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"photo__buttons\">Michael Benjamin Washington stars as Cyrus on the new NBC comedy \u201cAmerican Auto.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Washington most recently reprised his role of Bernard from the Tony Award-winning revival of \u201cThe Boys in the Band\u201d in Netflix\u2019s feature adaptation. He can previously be seen opposite Cynthia Nixon in Ryan Murphy\u2019s \u201cRatched\u201d and has had roles in \u201c30 Rock\u201d and \u201cUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On stage, Washington wowed audiences and critics in 2019 with a tour-de-force performance playing 25 different characters in the revival of Anna Deavere Smith\u2019s landmark 1992 one-person show, \u201cFires in the Mirror.\u201d He also wrote and starred in \u201cBlueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin,\u201d which premiered regionally at La Jolla Playhouse and KC Rep in 2015.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content bios__content\">\n<h3>X \u00a0Mayo<\/h3>\n<h4>Dori, \u201cAmerican Auto\u201d<\/h4>\n<div class=\"bios__wrapper\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"photo\">\n<div class=\"photo__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"c01543b0-af50-4797-81e0-1b5c79ecdd19\" class=\"photo__asset alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/lightbox-thumbnails.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/NUP_195487\/c01543b0-af50-4797-81e0-1b5c79ecdd19\/NUP_195487_00767.jpg\" alt=\"AMERICAN AUTO -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: X Mayo as Dori -- (Photo by: Chris Haston\/NBC)\" width=\"181\" height=\"241\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"photo__buttons\">X Mayo stars as Dori on the new NBC comedy \u201cAmerican Auto.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>She is an Emmy Award-nominated actor, writer, producer and comedian known for her work on \u201cThe Daily Show with Trevor Noah.\u201d Her other credits include supporting roles in Amazon\u2019s \u201cYearly Departed\u201d and the dramatic feature \u201cThe Farewell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mayo is also the creator and host of \u201cWho Made the Potato Salad?,\u201d a sketch comedy show\/party starring BIPOC creatives and talent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"content bios__content\">\n<h3>Jon\u00a0Barinholtz<\/h3>\n<h4>Wesley, \u201cAmerican Auto\u201d<\/h4>\n<div class=\"bios__wrapper\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"photo\">\n<div class=\"photo__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"ee931776-63b8-40d1-b922-e0b942f24a9b\" class=\"photo__asset alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/lightbox-thumbnails.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/NUP_195487\/ee931776-63b8-40d1-b922-e0b942f24a9b\/NUP_195487_00454.jpg\" alt=\"AMERICAN AUTO -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Jon Barinholtz as Wesley -- (Photo by: Chris Haston\/NBC)\" width=\"179\" height=\"239\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"photo__buttons\">Jon Barinholtz plays Wesley on the new NBC comedy \u201cAmerican Auto.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Barinholtz is an actor and improvisor born and raised in Chicago, and a proud alum of the Second City Conservatory, iO, the Annoyance Theater and Steppenwolf Theater.<\/p>\n<p>He is the creator, writer and voice on Netflix&#8217;s animated series \u201cChicago Party Aunt.\u201d Previously, he was in the cast of NBC&#8217;s \u201cSuperstore.\u201d Other credits include \u201cVeep,\u201d \u201cWith Bob and David,\u201d \u201cThe Mindy Project,\u201d \u201cKey and Peele,\u201d \u201cNew Girl,\u201d \u201cParks and Recreation,\u201d \u201cHappy Endings\u201d and the indie feature \u201cThe Oath,\u201d co-starring Tiffany Haddish, John Cho, Meredith Hagner and Ike Barinholtz.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content bios__content\">\n<h3>Tye\u00a0White<\/h3>\n<h4>Jack, \u201cAmerican Auto\u201d<\/h4>\n<div class=\"bios__wrapper\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"photo\">\n<div class=\"photo__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"210e88bd-a22d-4ea3-b7e0-831a7003b078\" class=\"photo__asset alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/lightbox-thumbnails.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/NUP_195487\/210e88bd-a22d-4ea3-b7e0-831a7003b078\/NUP_195487_02272.jpg\" alt=\"AMERICAN AUTO -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Tye White as Jack -- (Photo by: Chris Haston\/NBC)\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"photo__buttons\">Tye White stars as Jack in the new NBC upcoming comedy \u201cAmerican Auto.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>White is best known for his role as Kevin Satterlee on OWN\u2019s hit series \u201cGreeneleaf.\u201d Other TV credits include \u201cNCIS: Los Angeles,\u201d \u201cChicago Fire\u201d and \u201cAmerican Crime Story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hails from Detroit and resides in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"content bios__content\">\n<h3>Justin\u00a0Spitzer<\/h3>\n<h4>Executive Producer, &#8220;American Auto&#8221;<\/h4>\n<div class=\"bios__wrapper\">\n<div>\n<p>Justin Spitzer is the creator and executive producer of the NBC comedy series \u201cAmerican Auto.\u201d Prior to that, he created and executive produced \u201cSuperstore,\u201d which ran on NBC for six seasons, wrapping in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>His other credits include seven seasons writing for and producing the NBC comedy \u201cThe Office,\u201d as well as stints on \u201cScrubs,\u201d \u201cCommitted,\u201d \u201cCourting Alex\u201d and \u201cMulaney.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Jenna Bans, and daughters Lucy and Phoebe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Proofread and Edited by <a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/20\/biobrenda\/\">Brenda<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/interviews\/\">Back to the Primetime Articles and Interviews Page<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21136\" src=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/aa2.png\" alt=\"scene from &quot;American Auto&quot; on NBC\" width=\"364\" height=\"243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/aa2.png 449w, https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/aa2-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 364px) 100vw, 364px\" \/><\/p>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- TVMEGBODY -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1056557952271337\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8801203268\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TV Interview! Interview with the cast of &#8220;American Auto&#8221; on NBC by Suzanne 12\/9\/21 This is a pretty funny sitcom, and it was a lot of fun talking to the cast. This press panel had many journalists asking questions. You can see my one question a little more than halfway down the page. I wish [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[984,79,21,89,346,450,46,447],"class_list":["post-21130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-primetime","tag-american-auto","tag-article","tag-cast","tag-comedy","tag-interview","tag-nbc","tag-questions","tag-sitcom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21130"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39395,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21130\/revisions\/39395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}