Interview with Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee

Posted on April 22, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" on NBC

Interview with Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee of “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

This was a day full of many NBC and Syfy interviews, but this was the most fun and relaxed of all of them. These two are great and funny. We had a good time. I hope you enjoy it! This is a fabulous show. It’s so funny that Andrew used to be a computer programmer and engineer, when he’s one of the few characters on the show who’s NOT one of those! That’s hilarious.

Suzanne: Do we get to see you singing and dancing a lot more in the rest of the season?

Andrew: Yeah, we do. We get to see a little bit in seven. We get to see a little bit in episode eight. So, seven is coming up this weekend, then eight we have a little bit, and then in nine. This one (Alice)’s got some really sweet stuff, and in ten we both have some fun stuff.

Alice: Yeah. We definitely sing and dance in more.

Suzanne: Are you allowed to tell us any of the songs?

Andrew: Well, I guess. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think it really matters.

Alice: Does it? I don’t know.

Andrew: I don’t think it matters, actually – for the next episode, anyway.

Alice: Yeah, yeah, do the next one.

Andrew: I sing the song “Drift Away” in the next episode. Yeah, and then after that, I don’t think we can say.

Alice: There’re some throwbacks in there.

Andrew: Yeah. There’s some really good stuff.

Alice: Yeah. Yeah.

Andrew: We all get to sing some cool stuff for sure.

Suzanne: Yeah, that’s what’s great about the show; you get all different kinds of songs, recent, old, and all of that.

Andrew: How often – do you do you always recognize the songs, or are you like, “I don’t know that one.”

Suzanne: I’m older than I look, so I don’t recognize all the new ones so much. I know all the old ones.

Question: …[This] may be a hard question, but free to answer [how] you feel, but in the spirit of the events of this past week, the Asian American community, you’ve been active for a while and worked. What’s your thoughts on Asian American stories? You know, in terms of the prejudice that’s faced, because we don’t see that as much on screen I feel as much as we see…This is a reality in which eyes are opening now. So, any words on that, and how’s your experience been?

Alice: Yeah, totally. I mean, I think it’s very complex, because, yeah, there’s obviously a lot more. I mean, obviously, Asian stories are important, that’s the bottom line. I feel like our stories need to be told, and it’s a lot better. I think things have gotten a lot better in Hollywood and stuff, but I do still feel like there’s a lot more room for growth and more room for other stories, but I think it’s important that we’re being seen, and we have visibility and the more we can, [the better]. I always think there’s room for more. So, yeah.

Question: …[You] left computer engineering…Can you talk a little bit about that transition? I’m sure you’ve been asked a lot, but I’m always curious to hear that in person from a person like you. How is that transition and what does it mean for you to be on this show? This is a huge, huge thing for you.

Andrew: Yeah, well, I started acting as a kid, and then, when I went to college, I don’t really know what I was thinking exactly, except that I was like, “Oh, I think programming is fun.” I think I was actually fairly good at that part of computer science; the rest of the parts were really difficult for me. I don’t think I had quite the quite the brain for it, but the programming I was good at, and I enjoyed that.

I did that, and then I actually got a job at Adobe. The guy hired me and told me that he was going to hire me, but he was certain that I would go to LA and pursue an acting career, because he could tell based on my resume from before that. He hired me, and I was like, “No, no, no, I’m gonna come work for Adobe.” Then, I did exactly what he thought I would do and did not take the job and went to LA to continue acting.

So, I don’t think it was ever really anything that I was really seriously going to pursue. I just really liked it. I still think it was a good thing in terms of training my brain to think in a certain way, or explore how to think in a certain way.

Then, doing the show has been, for me, just really wonderful and exciting, because it’s the combination of a lot of things that I’ve done that I love to do, which is, musicals and singing and dancing and acting, and getting to do that all together on camera is kind of an amazing thing, and getting to be around all these incredibly talented people in this way. It’s just been so, so fun and satisfying, and like getting to watch her do her numbers, it’s just awesome. It’s just awesome. I feel so appreciative for getting to do this.

Question: This is such a unique genre for television. We haven’t seen this in a long time, a show that combines narrative and singing and dancing, and I’m just curious, as actors, do you find that you put more work into your character when they’re speaking or when they’re singing and dancing?

Alice: Yeah, I feel like it’s probably different for everyone, because I –

Andrew: She can roll out of bed and sound amazing. That’s true.

Alice: No, that’s not true. Singing and dancing for me, yeah, that’s definitely my comfort [zone]. In those areas, I’m like, “Okay.” It’s more acting sometimes where I’m like, “What’s my character really doing and stuff?”

Andrew: I probably should put more energy into the acting, [laughs] but I’d say I put more energy into the singing and dancing, just because it’s always a challenge. It’s always a song that’s harder for me than something that I’ve never done before, a style of music that I’ve never sung before. It’s always a style of dancing that I don’t know how to do, and it always just takes a lot more.

We get together sometimes on the weekends and rehearse if we’re doing it. Like, we’re working on a dance a dance right now. It’s like, we have to get together outside of work to figure out how to do it and help each other, basically.

So, I’d say, definitely – and also, when you’re doing the dance numbers, a lot of them are done in one take. So, if I mess up a scene, they can cut around it; we do another take. But with the dance numbers, if you don’t get it right the whole way through, you’re done. So, the pressure is a lot more, is a lot higher, I’d say, on the musical numbers.

Alice: The dancing is like, for sure – like having Mandy Moore, it’s so cool.

Andrew: Yeah.

Alice: Those rehearsals are so fun, but they are challenging. We’re doing stuff that we normally wouldn’t, but it’s so fun.

Andrew: It’s also just really fun, so maybe that’s why we all feel this way and spend a lot of time. It’s almost sad when you only get to do like three takes if it actually goes really well. They’re like, “Okay, we got it,” and you’re like, “But I just worked for weeks trying to get this great. I want to do more. I want to do more.”

Here’s the video!

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

MORE INFO:

In its second season, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” continues to explore the feelings we keep buried on the inside, the human impulse for connection and the undeniable healing power of music and dance. Following a tragedy, Zoey (Jane Levy) and the Clarke family begin to recalibrate and navigate their new normal. As she finds herself in a new dynamic at work and in her love life, Zoey’s musical powers will continue to both awkwardly complicate and inform her worldview as she attempts to rediscover joy and connect with those around her.

The series stars Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar and Mary Steenburgen.

Featuring inventive musical performances set to hit records from a variety of genres and time periods, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming in its freshman season.

Austin Winsberg writes and executive produces. Kim Tannenbaum and Eric Tannenbaum, Paul Feig, David Blackman, Daniel Inkeles and Sam Laybourne also serve as executive producers. Dan Magnante, Jason Wang, Samantha McIntyre, Emily Fox and Robert Sudduth serve as co-executive producers with Michele Greco and Mandy Moore serving as producers.

“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” is produced by Lionsgate and Universal Television (a division of Universal Studio Group) in association with the Tannenbaum Company, Feigco Entertainment, Universal Music Group’s Polygram Entertainment and Zihuatenejo Productions.

Andrew Leeds

David, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”

Andrew Leeds stars as David on NBC’s “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

Leeds can most recently be seen opposite Reese Witherspoon in Apple’s “The Morning Show” and opposite Bill Hader in HBO’s “Barry.” Prior to that, he recurred for two seasons on Epix’s “Get Shorty” and starred in the film “Office Christmas Party.”

Other television includes a series regular role on the ABC sitcom “Cristela,” a four-season arc on “Bones” and guest starring on “Veep,” “Silicon Valley,” “Modern Family,” “Shamless” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

As a writer, he has written pilots for various networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, USA and Showtime.

Leeds first appeared on Broadway in the musical “Teddy & Alice” and soon after appeared as Gavroche in “Les Miserables.” He next starred on Broadway in the musical “Falsettos.”

A member of the main company for the Groundlings, Leeds graduated from Stanford University with a degree in computer science. He splits his time between Los Angeles and New York.

Alice Lee

Emily, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”

Alice Lee stars as Emily on NBC’s “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

In film, Lee was most recently seen sharing the screen with Jillian Bell in Amazon’s “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Other films on her resume include Netflix’s “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, “Wish Upon,” Jack, Jules, Esther & Me” and the upcoming “Dream Years.”

On the small screen, Lee had a season-long arc on Facebook’s “Real Bros. of Simi Valley,” “Take Two” and Hulu’s “Gap Year.” She recurred on the award-winning web series “Control Alt Delete,” the YouTube Red series “Sideswiped,” Freeform’s “Switched at Birth,” MTV’s “Faking It” and Disney Channel’s “K.C. Undercover.” Guest appearances include Amazon’s anthology series “Electric Dreams” “Splitting Up Together,” “Two Broke Girls,” “Grandfathered,” “Son of Zorn” and “The Mindy Project.”

Lee, a Chicago native, attended an open call while she was a student at NYU and was immediately cast in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of “Spring Awakening.” She then went on to be in the original company of Julie Taymor’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” and starred as Heather Duke in the cult-classic Off-Broadway musical “Heathers.”

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" on NBC

B&B Short Recap Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Posted on April 22, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Suzanne

Bill and Liam are driving in Liam’s car. Liam thinks that he and Hope can get back together. Suddenly, the car hits something. Liam is in shock. He and Bill get out of the car. They find Vinny, dying. Liam recognizes him and then faints. Bill puts Liam in the car and gets rid of all of the evidence. Meanwhile, Hope and Brooke are at home, talking about Hope and Liam’s kiss. Hope is hopeful for the first time in a while. She thinks maybe she can forgive Liam at some point. Brooke is all for that idea.

Quinn and Zoe are in Quinn’s office. Zoe feels guilty for putting the medicine in Paris’ smoothie to make her stomach gurgle. Quinn assures her that it’s just a prank and won’t hurt Paris. Meanwhile, Zende and Paris are the Forrester Mansion. He’s order Parisian food for them. Paris’ stomach starts to make horrible sounds. Zende tries to ignore it. She’s very embarrassed.

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Interview with Olli Haaskivi

Posted on April 21, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Olli Haaskivi

Interview with Olli Haaskivi of “Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+ by Suzanne 4/14/21

This was a very fun Zoom interview! Olli is very personable and easy-going. He’s done a lot of different shows, so we had much to talk about.

Suzanne: So, tell us about your audition process for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Olli: Yeah, it was, it was pretty straightforward. I made an audition tape in my apartment in New York City, right where I’m sitting right now, with a sort of fake audition scene that had no identifying details; there were no specifics to it. It was a version of what you ended up seeing in the series, but very generalized.

So, I made the tape, and I, for some reason, was in a bit of a time crunch making the tape. I don’t know if it was due immediately or what. Maybe I had something else going on, but I sent it off pretty quickly and really didn’t feel great about it. I sort of felt like – I remember waking up the next morning thinking, “You know, that was a really good opportunity, and I don’t know that what you said was good enough.”

I didn’t hear anything for about a month or so; it took a little while, which is kind of uncommon. Usually you hear within a couple of days that there’s maybe some interest, or maybe you’re in the last two people they’re considering or something like that. There’s usually some sort of medium step between auditioning and getting the job, and this was just radio silence for about a month.

Then, out of the blue, I got an email saying that I got the job and that I was going to have to go shoot pretty quickly after that.

Also, I didn’t know what the job was when the audition came in. It just said it was for Untitled Marvel Project Number Five or something like that. So, when I got the offer, it wasn’t an offer for the Falcon and the Winter Soldier; it was an offer for Untitled Marvel Project Number Five, and it took a little while before anyone told me what I had gotten myself into.

Suzanne: Well, I assume you knew by the time that you shot it.

Olli: I didn’t. The person who sent me the script pages, the official script pages, I emailed them back and said, “Is there anything you can tell me about?” I didn’t know if it was a film; I didn’t know if it was a TV project, and they very graciously filled it a little bit.

Suzanne: Oh, that’s good. Do they say, “Don’t tell anyone or we’ll send someone to kill you?”

Olli: Yeah, truly, they’re not. I’m used to that with some projects that I’ve been a part of, but Marvel is obviously a whole other level of security.

Suzanne: So, when you generally audition, do you usually feel like you did a good job, and then you get the part? Or how is it usually?

Olli: I mean, there’s no one formula, which is freeing in a lot of ways, but it’s also can be maddening. I’ve auditioned for things and felt like I really nailed it, and sometimes people clap and cheer in the audition room, and that doesn’t mean you’re going to get the job. Then, this Marvel job also feels like an example that you can feel terrible about what you did and still end up with a job. I think that it’s so easy for actors to want to micromanage every second of their audition and get very sort of detail obsessed, and I certainly am guilty of that often. But, usually, the thing that gets you a job is something totally out of your control. It’s just some sort of intrinsic part of your essence, or just your face is the kind of face that the writer had in mind while they were writing that part or something. I think, usually, the thing that seals the deal is not in your control, as much as you might want to think it is.

Suzanne: Yeah, I guess you would have to just after a while just start to say, “Oh, well, next project; let it go. Don’t worry about it.

Olli: You’re always doing your best, and you don’t always have a lot of time sometimes. It can be 6pm and you get eleven pages that need to be taped by noon the next day. So, I’m always doing the best that I can in the time that I have, but sometimes it’s frustrating to feel like, “If I only had one or two more days, that really could have settled into something.” But hopefully there’s another audition a couple days later. Then, you dust yourself off and continue hoping for the best.

Suzanne: Yeah, I don’t know how you guys do this. I mean, the closest thing a non-actor can relate to is a job interview, and you’re just constantly interviewing for jobs over and over. I understand. So, what was the actual shooting like? Tell us about that.

Olli: It was such a blast, especially, because it was my last big job before the pandemic shutdown, and I’m so thankful that my last job before that was such a phenomenal experience. It’s such a warm and wonderful experience and also a gigantic experience. I think it might be a little while before we have massive sets like that with everyone able to co-mingle and not have to stay far apart wearing face shields. It was really wonderful.

You never totally know what you’re getting yourself into when you show up for a couple days of shooting something, because you really can feel like a guest in the house. I’ve said this analogy before, but it always sort of feels to me like you’re trying to jump on board a moving train but not attract attention and not stick out for not knowing where you are or what you’re doing. I’ve mostly had really great experiences guest starring on a lot of shows and recurring on a lot of shows, but you still never know. You can show up on a day where everyone is tense for some reason, and you still have to figure out how to perform your best, even though you don’t know anybody, and you’ve never been there before.

So, I definitely always show up wondering what the mood will be, what the style will be, and this at every single turn was so welcoming and so inclusive. I think everybody on the set was so excited about the show they were making. And what’s even more remarkable than that is that they were excited to include a new person in that excitement. Because if you think about it too, my sequence is me and the stars of the show. It’s me and Anthony (Mackie) and Sebastian (Stan) and Daniel (Brühl) and Emily (VanCamp). They could have very easily sort of been in their little group over there and then [been] sort of like, “It’s cute that you’re here, but this is sort of our thing,” which happens sometimes, and that’s fine, but they really brought me into their circle. These are people that have been working together for a decade now in a lot of cases, and they made me feel like I had been there with them the whole time. I can’t say enough about how much I love those guys.

Suzanne: Yeah, nice. Anything you can tell us in particular about shooting your your part? I mean, fun things or interesting things.

Olli: Yeah, I mean, it links back to the previous question, but the thing I think about a lot is that right before we started shooting, we’d had a rehearsal day, which is almost completely unheard of. So, we had time, a full day, before we started shooting. We had time to sort of talk it out and walk through some blocking ideas and really sort of calmly and methodically talk through it, which is unbelievably rare. Usually, you’re trying to rehearse something as fast as you can; shoot it as fast as you can.

Then, I showed up to shoot the next morning, and before we started shooting, Anthony and Sebastian came over to me. They said, “You have the harder job in this sequence Do you want your close ups to be first or last?” which was mind blowing to me, because that recognition, first of all, that you have the heavy lifting here, “How can we help you?” is gigantic. It also means they had a conversation prior where they coordinated with one another, that they were going to do that. They probably ran it by Kari (Skogland), the director. It was just a level of kindness and a level of them sort of being good hosts. That was really phenomenal, and I don’t think I’ve ever – I’ve worked with a lot of great directors; I’ve worked with a lot of amazing actors, and I’m 99% sure that’s the first time anyone has extended that kind of generosity. I think that’s really, really special.

Suzanne: How long did it take to shoot your scenes?

Olli: I don’t fully remember. I think we shot for three days, but the final day was basically just devoted to the gunshot and the explosion. So, we had a day or a day and a half where we shot the bulk of it and then came back the next day for the special effects stuff.

Suzanne: And you said it was right before the pandemic, or was it in 2019?

Olli: It was… it was right before Christmas. 2019. I mean, it was really only almost a year and a half ago now, but it also feels like, you know, four decades ago at this point.

Suzanne: Yeah. I imagine all the special effects and all the stuff they have to do afterwards takes a long time.

Olli: Yeah, I mean, that show looks stunning. It’s so beautiful. I’m really in awe of those editors and those special effects people. What they do is extraordinary.

Suzanne: Oh, it’s amazing. I’m sure by now that they must have it down to a fine science they’ve done so many of these things. Were you a fan of Marvel movies, comics, or TV shows before this?

Olli: I was a fan from afar. I had so much respect for what they’re able to accomplish, like we’re saying, especially in the effects department. I had seen a couple of the films, but I was not a person that like ran out to see the new one every single time, but the ones I did see – you know…your hair is blown back just sitting there just going, “How in the world did they do that?” But I saw Black Panther, and I believe I saw the last Avengers film, but I’m not completely sure, to be honest.

Suzanne: You must have been confused if you only saw the last one.

Olli: Yeah, and I think that’s kind of why I hadn’t seen that many of them, because I was sort of intimidated by how much history there is and how much to keep straight. So, when I would see something and kind of jumping in the middle, I would go, “This is so amazing. I have almost no idea who these people are or what’s happening.” So, I also really had felt intimidated showing up to shoot, because I did as much research as I could, and there’s a lot in that scene that, you know, the scene told me almost everything I needed to know, but I didn’t want to reveal the depth of my complete lack of knowledge.

Suzanne: Now did you go back and watch the movies after this?

Olli: I haven’t. No. I know that so many people during their sort of lockdown quarantine watched all of them in order, but I think I was busy watching things that I’ve already seen and loved that I knew would just be comforting.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Olli: Yeah, not require too much thought.

Suzanne: Well, you definitely saw the best one when you watched Black Panther. That’s probably the best superhero movie ever. I mean, they did such a fantastic job with that one, and it’s closer to the comics. I mean, just everything.

Olli: Oh, interesting.

Suzanne: It’s just fantastic, but also, actually, the ones that relate to your show, the Captain America movies, are really good. Then later they sort of segue into the Avengers movie. So, if you just watched the Captain America and Avengers movies, you probably do have all of the background that you would have needed for this show.

Olli: Now, I mean, having first hand experience with how amazing those people are and how hard they work, I just want to go watch my friends now.

Suzanne: Yeah, I can understand that, but I don’t think there’s really a bad Marvel movie, at least in the in the recent ones, the ones from the last decade, but they vary, but it depends on who you ask. I kind of like these things, but I grew up reading comics.

Olli: Oh, cool.

Suzanne: I have three older brothers, so that’s why.

Olli: Amazing. You didn’t have much of a choice.

Suzanne: They’re all total geeks, and I’m not saying anything that they wouldn’t say themselves. And you were on Manifest for a while too, right?

Olli: I was, yeah.

Suzanne: Do you still watch that or keep in touch with those people?

Olli: I do keep in touch with some of those people. Melissa (Roxburgh), who’s the lead of that show, left in New York City the same day that I arrived back, and so we were sort of hoping that we’d be able to see each other, but we literally just missed each other, but I talk to Melissa pretty regularly.

Jared Grimes, who I did a lot of things on that show with, who plays Adrian, he and I are in touch.

I’m in touch with some of those writers. Some of the writers reached out watching The Falcon in the Winter Soldier, which was really sweet.

Suzanne: Oh, that’s nice.

Olli: Yeah, it was so nice to hear from them. There are so many great people that work on that show, and that in particular is a great crew. So, I’m excited. I haven’t watched anything from their new season yet, but I am excited to.

Suzanne: Yeah, I think they’ve only had a couple episodes so far.

Olli: I think so. Yeah, I think they’ve only had two.

Suzanne: Yeah, I interviewed some of them a few weeks ago, so, yeah, they seem very nice.

Olli: Oh, nice. Who did you talk to you?

Suzanne: Well, we had two separate ones. One was Melissa, and Matt.

Olli: Yeah, Matt’s so great.

Suzanne: …So, you have a certain amount of loyalty to the shows that you’re on. even though you’ve left them? And, you know, the people on them, would you say?

Olli: Yeah, and I think it’s the knowing the people that creates the loyalty, because, you want to see what they’re up to, and you want to see how the story continues to unfold and all of that. Yeah, a good set run by good people makes you feel like you’re part of the gang forever, and so, yeah, there are definitely things that I’m now just a fan of, even though I was a part of it for a period of time.

Suzanne: That’s good. You gotta find a show that where they’re not going to kill you off so quickly.

Olli: I agree with you. I would love [that]. I am on the market for that exact thing.

Suzanne: And you said you watched some of your favorites during the pandemic. Can you tell us what some of your favorites are?

Olli: Sure. I mean, I’m still in the middle. I’m very slowly working my way through Veep again, which is just the best. Every single person on that is phenomenal. I found Better Things to be really comforting during this period of time, Pamela Adlon’s show. And there are some new things I’ve watched. I mean, I thought I May Destroy You was unbelievable. One of my best friends is the lead of High Town, so I was thrilled to watch all of that as fast as I could. But yeah, something about this time has – you know, we’re all sort of limited – at least I feel like I’m limited in the amount of new things that I can take on. I just want to watch something comforting.

Suzanne: Well, actually, one thing I forgot to mention, we were talking about all the Marvel stuff. A really great show that came before yours was Wandavision.

Olli: I watched that.

Suzanne: Oh, you did watch that? Because that one you don’t really have to have seen the movies much.

Did you read any of the background stuff about the shows like the Easter eggs they put in for fans and stuff like that?

Olli: A little bit. And I’m sure you know, there are so many amazing videos on YouTube where people do just deep dives into that stuff, and I think Marvel and Disney Plus did such a good job. I can’t remember what the series is called, but but they put out such nice little sort of background videos for –

Suzanne: Right, yeah.

Olli: They did for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier too.

Suzanne: “Legends,” I think it’s called.

Olli: Yes, yes, yes. And that’s so smart of them, and they’re so well done. And I’m a longtime diehard Kathryn Hahn fan, so I watch whatever she decides is worth her time. I’m happy to watch. So, I would have watched Wandavision, no matter what.

Suzanne: Yeah, she was great in that. And the thing about her was that, from the beginning, you know that something that’s going to be with her [is going to be good], because she wouldn’t have done it to just have this little bit part.

…Do you have anything else coming out that we should watch for?

Olli: No, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was sort of my finish line. I did an episode of Social Distance, Jenji Kohan’s quarantine series that came out at the end of last year, which I loved. So, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Social Distance were sort of the two things that were hovering around.

And I just got back to New York yesterday, and I’m enthusiastically auditioning for whatever the next job may be. I’m excited to find out.

Suzanne: I read that your father was a soccer star and that your grandfather was also a player. Did you ever play?

Olli: I did play a little bit. I suffered from the expectations of having a father like that. I mean, I really enjoyed playing, like in the backyard with my dad. That was really fun, but anytime it was more organized than that, there was always some sort of like, “I bet you’re really good at this” or something like that from a coach, which made it much less fun. You know, when you’re in second and third grade, that’s not what you want to hear. I mean, tennis was a little bit more the sport that I played a little more seriously for a while, but, yeah, I mean, I couldn’t deal with that weird sort of expectation when playing soccer, because my dad is and was phenomenal at it. So, yeah, very few people can measure up to that much less, you know, a third grader.

Suzanne: Well, thank you, and I hope you book some more things we can see you in.

Olli: Thank you. I hope so too.

Here is the video version of it.

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

MORE INFO:

Olli Haaskivi Olli Hasskivi appears in the latest episode of “Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Olli plays the name on everyone’s lips this week, Dr. Wilfred Nagel. He is the doctor responsible for the super soldier serum, having reverse-engineered Dr. Abraham Erskine’s (Stanley Tucci’s character in the franchise) serum. This was a pivotal episode and character for the series as the hunt for the super soldier serum is in full force, and Dr. Nagel comes face-to-face with Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Daniel Brühl (Zemo), Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter) and Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier) in his lab, who all want to know the truth. Olli Haaskivi and Dr. Nagel

For reference, Olli is a very talented “actors actor” based in NYC. He is chameleon who can truly play any role he feels passionately about (including teachers, a doctor, a villain, a waiter, etc. – you name it!) His film and TV credits include: “The Deuce”, “The Sinner”, “Manifest”, and “Oh Jerome, No,” plus the films Motherless Brooklyn directed by Edward Norton, The Miseducation of Bindu directed by Prarthana Mohan, and Nancy directed by Christina Choe. Olli has appeared in the off-Broadway premieres of Bella: An American Tall Tale (Playwrights Horizons), Who’s Your Baghdaddy? Or How I Started The Iraq War (Actors Temple), and The Rafa Play (Flea Theatre).

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Olli Haaskivi

Interview with “Van Helsing” stars

Posted on April 21, 2021April 21, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Nicole Muñoz, Jonathan Scarfe and Tricia Helfer

Interview with Nicole Muñoz, Jonathan Scarfe and Tricia Helfer of “Van Helsing” on Syfy by Suzanne 4/12/21

This was a very fun Zoom call with the actors of this Syfy show. I’ve enjoyed watching them on “Van Helsing” and in their other shows as well. It was great to chat with them. This last season of the show is very exciting. I hope you can watch it and enjoy it as well!

Question: How do you relate to Jack as a person? How do you get into that character and follow her through, I guess, season four and into season five?

Nicole: I was just saying before, I have some similarities. I think Jack has really helped me grow as a person, and in terms of offering me some inner strength and some confidence, Jack’s stubbornness and tenacity are things that I think come decently naturally to me.

So, at least a fun thing about Jack this season is we kind of get to see a bit more of her humor, which, you know, it kind of is coming out just because of the circumstances. And I do think that I kind of get to put a little bit more of my personality into Jack, this season. And she’s a little bit less on edge. She’s kind of come into a bit more of “this is the reality that we’re dealing with, and now we’re gonna go forth and push on.”

Jonathan: Oh, I was just saying that Jack has to like find her alpha this year, big time. So, that was, I think, pretty fun for Nicole.

Nicole: Yeah, and Jonathan helped me with that, immensely. Yeah. It was a lot of “what would Jonathan do?” “What would Axel do?”

Question: I posed it to Nicole how she relates to her character Jack, and it was sort of open to everybody, how they relate to their character. So, Trisha, how you relate to Dracula, but also how you relate to Jack and how you relate to Nicole, on and off set.

Tricia: It was definitely a lot of fun getting to work more. I mean, I was only in two episodes last season. In the first episode, Jack and, well, Keeya (King) – I keep saying your names wrong – Violet…were basically knocked out the whole time. So, it was a real treat to get to kind of work with everybody more.

I can’t say I necessarily relate to Dracula myself, but similar to what Nicole said…I do play a lot of very strong characters, and in person, I’m a little bit of an introverted goof. I can come off as cold, because I’m shy quite often. So, it allows me to really kind of just be something that I’m not in my own life. So, sort of learning – I can’t really say I learned much useful from Dracula that would be legal in our society, but certainly playing her does give you a sense of confidence and just sort of a take charge mentality that hopefully I can kind of take that into my own life at some point. Lost our voices a few times, though didn’t we, Nicole? Van Helsing poster season 5

Nicole: A few, yeah. Thanks Jon.

Tricia: It’s Jonathan’s fault.

Question: I’m going to alter my question a little bit so Jonathan can add to it too, but my question was, we don’t really even know if what the Dark One said to them about Vanessa not being their mother is true. I’m kind of still wondering that, but this season, at least at the beginning, you too definitely, I’d say, [since last season] have different interactions and relationships since they’re not, you know, [in the same place] as where they were last season. So, can you kind of talk about how that relationship between the two of you is going to continue this season and change? And then Jonathan, your relationship with – well, you probably don’t really have one with Dracula, but maybe with Jack.

Jonathan: Yeah.

Nicole: Wanna try to work around spoilers.

Question: Just kind of how those relationships will evolve this season.

Nicole: How my relationship with Dracula evolves this season?

Question: Yeah.

Nicole: Is that kind of the question? I would think definitely –

Jonathan: No [unintelligible] for COVID protocols, it starts there.

Nicole: Yeah, I think we definitely get to know each other, maybe more than we would have wanted to this season, our characters. I think spoiler-wise, I’m gonna stay very far away from this question, but I do think that Jack gets some answers. Some she likes; some she definitely doesn’t. It’s kind of the feeling of the floor coming out under you, or the rug coming out under you.

Tricia: For me, Dracula didn’t really know much about anything going on. She’d been in the Dark Realm. So, she’s kind of at the end of the season coming into the world, and she definitely has her confidence shaken a little bit. I mean, she maybe had a little bit too much of an ego, and again, not giving away spoilers, but she starts to question who she can trust and things like that along the way. And throughout her relationships – interactions, not relationships – interactions with the Van Helsings and the other characters in the show – It’s hard to say without spoilers – She comes to realize they’re more of a formidable foe than she maybe gave them credit for. So, if anything, I could say there’s maybe a little bit of a more of a respect for them than she would have thought at the end of season four. Did that give away too much, Jonathan?

Jonathan: No, I mean, I think that – we were talking about this earlier – I think the writers did an amazing job, but it was, I mean, to not spoil things, but to try and pique some curiosity for the fans, is that, you know, a couple other things you get to discover this season is not just the origin stories of Dracula, which are totally unique to the show; they’ve completely invented their own version of what that would be, but also the origins of the Van Helsings, where they came from, how they evolved, and like how intertwined the two are in a particular way. So, that’s all fully revealed by the end of the season, and I think it’s like the most fun thing about the season, personally, so I’m really excited for fans to check that out and see how they respond to it.

Question: …Let me just congratulate you all, I mean, five seasons finally coming to an end, which is like, hard to believe. So, let me just ask you all a pretty generic question, Nicole, I’ll start with you, then, we’ll go to Jonathan and Trisha. It’s been five seasons; it’s coming to an end. So, first up, how excited are you that these final episodes are coming out and we get to see the Van Helsings and the Dark One come head to head? Then, of course, how are you feeling? A little nostalgic given the fact that the shows come to an end?

Nicole: I’m excited to see the reaction of the viewers once they get to watch the final few episodes. I also think the first few episodes of this season are going to be pretty revealing and very exciting to watch the reactions. I will definitely be looking on Twitter this year and reading what everybody has to say about this season, because, I mean, if I’m this excited, everybody’s gonna be even more so when they watch, because I already know what’s about to happen. But just reading the scripts even was a very fun thing to do, and I like rifle through them so quickly. I can only imagine what that feeling would be like for you, Jonathan, being in this thing for five years, because I only hopped on in season four. What do you think?

Jonathan: Yeah, well, you know, it’s like all things, like this show, you bring it; you’re grinding it out, and there’re ups and downs and the challenges that you kind of face, and then you turn around and five years have gone by, and the thing’s coming to a close. Yeah, you do get definitely a little bit nostalgic thinking, “Oh, gee whiz, this is it. This is goodbye to all these people that have become kind of family and his character that’s kind of become a second skin.” So, yeah, it definitely had a little melancholy to it, for sure, when we came to a close.

Question: Right and Trisha, let me ask you the same question. What should fans expect on this final season?

Tricia: Well, knowing that it was the final season, we had the liberty of being able to follow the mythology from the four seasons prior and really give a conclusion to it. So, we faced a lot this year, like the entire world did, so some alterations were made along the way but not affecting the story, which is great. I think with the first three episodes with the origin story of Dracula and how the Van Helsings meet this character, I think is really going to set it up for the rest of the season, because stuff that happens there and stuff the audience will come to learn is really what drives a lot of the rest of the season to its ultimate conclusion, which I think leading up, I think it the last couple of episodes also really ramp up to this, you know, something’s gonna go down. And, you know, being part of it for really only one season, just briefly introduced in season four, of course, it would have been fun to play longer for me, but I understand what Jonathan’s saying then, it’s a little melancholy when you’ve been on a show for five years or something, and it’s like your second skin. When you’re first playing a character, you’re figuring it out and whatever, and then, by season five, you can just go on set and know who the character is. You almost answer in the character’s voice without even thinking about it. I didn’t necessarily have that with Dracula with only being in the one season, but, boy, did I get some fun stuff to play with.

Question: …You were doing a series that, although it was a supernatural pandemic, it was still a virus like pandemic kind of thing, and you’re doing that for, well, I guess three and a half seasons, four seasons, and then all of a sudden, you’re living through a real pandemic. Did that change your perspective in any way in your characters, in your performance? Did you have maybe more understanding of people who are like hiding inside? So, how did COVID affect your characters is what, I guess, I’m trying to say.

Jonathan: Well, I mean, yeah, I’d had all kinds of resonance in terms of that, you know, what isolation feels like, and we had just come back from shooting the first three episodes before the initial shutdown happened, and then there was a big question mark as to whether we’re gonna be able to get back to work. Then, we were lucky enough to be able to do that. I think we were one of the first shows back in Vancouver working with all the new COVID protocols. The company did an incredible job setting those up, and there’s a lot of pressure on them being the first show back not to screw it up. So, we’re happy that we didn’t, but…other than the stress that might have been visible in everyone’s eyeballs, I don’t know how much it impacted performance, but it certainly resonated.

Tricia: I mean, I don’t think it necessarily affected my character per se.

Jonathan: They didn’t care.

Tricia: I mean, it did affect shooting for me, because, like Jonathan said, we did the episodes in Slovakia, and then literally all flew home just before the lockdown happened. So, there was a lot of stress for everybody. I really give credit to the production team and studio and network and everything, for getting back up and running as quickly as they did. For me, it really only altered filming in terms of changing schedules. I mean, so many things had to be changed, because you want to have less people on set at a time and less interaction and things like that. So, all my stuff that I had left was consolidated into the very end of the shooting. So, you guys all started shooting way early, and I was down in Los Angeles. So, they all started shooting way earlier, and then, when I came in, it was quarantine, obviously, government quarantine, and then fast and furious shooting everything I had for the rest of the season all in, you know –

Jonathan: All in a row. Exactly.

Tricia: All in a row. So, it was –

Jonathan: Like episodes three through thirteen, all your scenes, all the time, nothing but for the final three weeks of shooting.

Tricia: It was like a lot to do in the Slovakia episodes, and then nothing, and just sitting there twiddling my thumbs in LA going, “They’re shooting; they’re shooting.” I’m like, I felt so left out of it, but I’m so proud of them for getting back and then just being fast and furious at the end. But, I mean, Dracula is sort of like an enigma. I don’t know she’s – I’m babbling, but it sort of did, without giving away too much, Dracula was sort of feeling a little bit on edge toward the end. So, there was maybe a little isolated that we haven’t seen of her aside from being locked in the Dark Realm. I guess she was locked in the Dark Realm for a long time. That would have been very isolating. Maybe I could have related to that a little bit. I didn’t put too much into it at the time, though, because just everything so new with you just trying to do a good job trying to keep everybody safe and have fun with the character at the same time.

Tricia: Trying to remember to take your mask off when they say, “Rolling.”

Question: That happened?

Jonathan: Oh, yeah.

Nicole: Sometimes it did, yeah.

Tricia: Yeah, it happened more than once, because everybody’s in masks. It’s like the first time you put on a mask, you feel really bizarre, but then when everybody around you has a mask on, and you take your mask off, you actually feel bizarre.

Nicole: And we even incorporated masks into some of our costumes for a little bit there. I think, character-wise, yeah, it may be a little bit of a stretch, but it must have had some sort of impact just having been isolated. I also came back from Slovakia, and then we isolated for a while, and then they started filming. It was like that feeling of, “I miss everybody, and I can’t wait to see everybody.” Then, once we started filming again, it made those scenes of reunion or scenes with some intimacy in it just that much more important and impactful. And that like yearning for it was more already at the surface and more accessible, I guess, as an actor.

Tricia: I don’t think Dracula gets to hug anyone, but it was like, if you got to hug anybody on set, you’re like, “I’m not letting go!”

Nicole: Yeah. It’s like, “Jack, don’t let go.”

Suzanne: I really enjoyed the three episodes they let us watch… that was great. Without spoilers, obviously, do you think that fans will enjoy the ending?

Tricia: I do. I was the most excited I’ve been about the show in ages was when I read those first three skip scripts for this season. I thought “Wow.” I had no idea how the writers were going to try and figure out a way to bring the thing to a conclusion, and I think they exceeded all expectations and in terms of what they came up with. So, I’m really excited to see the fan reaction to it.

Nicole: Yeah, the first three episodes play out of like a mini movie, and, yeah, I think it’s going to be very satisfying for everybody to watch, and it’s going to be quite the launching board for the rest of the season.

Tricia: That’s exactly what I was just gonna say, Nicole. It’s a launching board for the rest of the season. So, even though they are like a little mini movie and set in Transylvania, where the rest of the season isn’t, it really does set up what the characters are going through, and knowledge and experience and questions to figure things out. But the following episodes are really where all the mythology from the first four seasons really gets layered into the very end, and there’s a nugget at the very end in the finale that I just think is so fun…that I think is just going to have some fans drop their chins to the floor.

Question: This is for the entire cast. How would you describe season five in three words?

Jonathan: Season five in three words, wow. “Big questions answered.”

Nicole: “The final season.”

Tricia: …I want to look up my notes for the other day. What did I say?

Nicole: Had I done my press homework, I would have actually had the answer to this.

Tricia: Family is one of my words. Family, [resilience], and teamwork? I’m trying to stay away from like bloody and gashy and death.

Jonathan: Jaw freaking dropping.

Here is the video version of it.

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

MORE INFO:

Van Helsing is set in the near future, where vampires have risen and taken control. Vanessa Van Helsing is humanity’s last hope, as her unique blood composition gives her the ability to turn vampires human. With this secret weapon, Vanessa becomes a prime target for the vampires. Van Helsing comes from the producers of Fargo and Hell on Wheels. Jonathan Lloyd Walker serves as showrunner.

In the fifth and final season of “Van Helsing,” Vanessa, Violet, and Jack will risk it all to finally bring an end to the Dark One once and for all. The Van Helsings must figure out ways to escape and evade the various obstacles in their path to prevent them from their mission, leading to an epic final showdown between the Van Helsings and the Dark One. Who will win the battle between light and dark?

Jonathan Scarfe

Axel, “Van Helsing”

Multiple award-winning actor Jonathan Scarfe stars as Axel, a Marine ordered to guard the body of Vanessa Van Helsing.

Scarfe, a seasoned actor, producer, director and writer with over 20 years of experience, has been nominated six times for the Gemini Awards (the Canadian Emmys) and won twice for his work in “The Sheldon Kennedy Story” and the mini-series “Above and Beyond.” He is also the recipient of two Leo Awards for his work on “Hell on Wheels” and “Love on the Air.” As a director, he wrote and shot the multiple award-winning short film “Speak” with his wife Suki Kaiser.

In 2012, Scarfe embarked on a two-and-a-half-year sailing odyssey, entirely off the grid, with his wife and two children. The trip would ultimately encompass a circumnavigation of the North and South Pacific oceans and over 18,000 sea miles.

Nicole Muñoz was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She began her acting career at the age of four. With over fifteen years experience Nicole has garnered over 40 credits including beloved shows such as Once Upon A Time, Supernatural, The 100, Defiance and a lead role in SYFY’s Van Helsing.

Tricia Helfer is a Canadian cover girl model-turned-actress who has developed her resume beyond the catwalk to include many diverse roles highlighting her versatile and natural screen presence. Best known as the face of the series, and for her Leo award-winning lead performance as the humanoid, Cylon ‘Number Six’ in the critically acclaimed Syfy series, Battlestar Galactica (2004), Helfer has since gone on to book leading roles on a wide variety of networks. Tricia currently stars in FOX’s “Lucifer”, switching gears from the role as Lucifer’s mother Charlotte, to an attorney by the same name.

Prior to “Lucifer,” Tricia was recurring in season two of the Playstation & Sony Picture TV series, “Powers.” Just before that, Helfer also played the lead of the Syfy channel’s original miniseries “Ascension” co-starring Brian Van Holt. In early 2014, Helfer starred as the lead of the ABC series, “Killer Women”. The Sofia Vergara-produced series followed beautiful badass Molly Parker (Helfer), in the notorious Texas Rangers frontier patrol, as she pursued justice despite being embroiled in a continuous fight for her peers’ respect.

Born in Donalda, Alberta, Canada, Helfer launched her modeling career at age 17, and erupted into an international superstar after winning the Ford Models’ Supermodel of the World Contest in 1992. Her modeling credits include appearances in high-end ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Givenchy, and Dolce & Gabbana as well as covers for national publications such as ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Flare and Vogue.

In 2002, Helfer turned her focus to acting, moving to Los Angeles and quickly earning a guest star spot on the second season finale of “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation.” The following year she earned her break with “Battlestar Galactica,” achieving a remarkably fast and successful transition into acting. During her hiatus from “Battlestar Galactica,” Helfer portrayed the legendary Farrah Fawcett in NBC’s film, “Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie’s Angels.” She furthered expanded her portfolio by starring as ‘Stephanie Jacobs’ opposite Dennis Hopper and Billy Zane in the independent feature “Memory,” and later starred alongside LeeLee Sobieski in another independent, “Walk All Over Me,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Helfer returned to the small-screen in 2008, joining the cast of the USA Network’s hit series, “Burn Notice” for a multi-episode arc. The next year she filmed recurring guest spots on the award-winning CBS comedy, “Two and a Half Men,” while appearing on Fox’s crime shows “Chuck,” and “Lie to Me.” In 2010, Helfer booked a series regular role on the ten-episode arc of Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Dark Blue,” starring opposite Dylan McDermott and went on to do a variety of terrific roles on series such as “Suits,” on USA Network, “Key and Peale,” “The Librarians,” “Community,” “Chuck,” “Jeremiah” and “Franklin & Bash,” among others.

In addition to her vast array of television roles, Tricia starred in the film, “A Beginner’s Guide to Endings,” with Harvey Keitel, Scott Caan, and JK Simmons and ;ater, went on to star in “Authors Anonymous” with Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. Next up, is another lead role in thriller, “Isolation” co-starring Luke Malby, a film that will portray the true events of a couple vacationing in the Bahamas. The getaway quickly spirals out of control, forcing the couple into survival mode.

Adding to her impressive resume, Helfer has done prolific voiceover work in mega-hit video game franchises including, playing the roles of Commander Veronica Dare in Halo: ODST, EDI in Mass Effect 2 and 3, Sarah Kerrigan in Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, for which she won the 2010 VGA for Best Performance by a Human Female, as well as in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. She also showcased her voice talent in animated productions, “Green Lantern: First Flight,” a Cartoon Network TV movie, on Disney XD’s “The Spectacular Spiderman”, and on Disney XD’s TRON: Uprising.

In addition to acting, Helfer continues to support as many causes as she can, as she strongly believes in giving back. Tricia supports the Humane Society of United States, Best Friends Animal Society, AmFAR, PETA, Kitten Rescue and Richmond Animal Protection Society.

Tricia, who has dual citizenship in the US and Canada, and resides in Los Angeles.

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Nicole Muñoz, Jonathan Scarfe and Tricia Helfer

Interview with “Young Rock” actors

Posted on April 21, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Stacey Leilua and Ana Tuisila

Interview with actors of “Young Rock” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

There are two short interviews here with the actors from “Young Rock.” One is with Stacey Leilua, who plays Ata; and with Ana Tuisila, who plays her mother, Lia. The other is with Joseph Lee Anderson, who plays Ata’s husband, Rocky, and with Matt Willig, who plays Andre the Giant. This is a fun little show, and I enjoy watching it.

Here’s the first interview, with the women.

Suzanne: My first question is for Stacy: what has the fan reaction been like so far that you’ve seen?

Stacey: It’s mostly just been, I guess, in the way of messages through social media, because it’s not screening in New Zealand yet. So, I get messages from people – like the stuff I love is Pacific Islanders around the world saying how awesome it is to turn the TV’s on and see, you know, their mums and the grandmas sort of represented, their uncles. So, they’re seeing their culture on primetime US TV, and they’re loving it. So, that’s awesome for me to be able to be a part of that representation.

Suzanne: Yeah, that’s great about the show. I didn’t even realize that he had lived in Hawaii, and I spent three years in Honolulu, and I miss it so much. I was happy to see that. And, Anna, are you on social media at all?

Ana: Yes, I am.

Suzanne: What is the reaction that you’ve gotten?

Ana: Well, like Stacey, my family in New Zealand hasn’t seen the series at all, and so they’re putting on these promotions and “watch this,” and they are coming back to me sort of, “Watch what? We haven’t haven’t seen [it].” So, it’s a bit disappointing that they’re not keeping up with the excitement that I’m feeling as well. But we’re really lucky that I’ve got a link that was sent, so I’m able to watch it at the same time, but for the rest of New Zealand and Australia, it’s a shame that they’re not feeling the same as we all are.

Suzanne: Yeah. It’s too bad you can’t get a copy to send to your family at least.

Stacey: It’s coming soon, I think.

Suzanne: Oh, good. I can’t imagine.

Question: This is a male fronted comedy, but what I really like about it is that the women are a really big part of it, and you guys get to not just be background players; you’re really in the narrative of it. I was just curious how you feel about that, and how you feel about this show? It’s a success. Did you feel more pressure before it was a success, or do you feel more pressure now to keep it a success?

Stacey: I think when you get the original audition, and you can see who’s attached to it, and you see Dwayne Johnson, that already is an indication of the success of what it [is] most likely going to be like. It’s pretty hard to imagine that something that he’s attached to is…not going to work or whatever. He’s just incredible like that. So, he finds a way to make everything work.

And I was excited about the fact that he will very often and publicly speak about his mother and his grandmother and the influence that these women had on his life. I mean, to this day, his mother, I think she she lives with him, or she’s pretty close to physically where he is. So, it’s kind of like at the end of this long journey that they’ve been through and the ups and downs. It’s the two of them still there looking after each other.

I quite often say that playing a real character, a real person, Ata Johnson, I don’t like to think of it as pressure, because I feel like that sort of has negative connotations. I think there’s definitely a huge responsibility in there.

I guess, if we’re talking about the success of a show, for me, what I really cared about the most was that I was going to do this character justice and that Dwayne and Ata were going to be watching this and going, “Yes,” and that has happened.

So, for me, I think, like, we talk about the ratings or more seasons and things like that, and I’m like, as long as I’m bringing this truth to that character – Just, I think in light of what a life they’ve had, and, you know, like we were saying, the ups and downs, we only see a sort of snippet of it in the show. It was so important to me; that was the priority for me, really being able to do the family justice and make them proud of the representation on the screen, for me, anyway.

Ana, do you want to speak to that?

Ana: You ask about being the only woman in a very male dominated cast. Well, you know, it just helped me play the role even more diligently, because, Lia, the grandmother, is obviously a very strong character, and being the only woman and in with the wrestlers and the football team, it just makes – you know, I’m even sitting up straight now just thinking about it. It just makes the role that I play so much more physical [and] mentally and emotionally more dominant to just get there and make sure that I play this character the way it should be. So, being in a very male dominated, as you say, cast, and the storyline, it just just helps me portray this character even better.

There isn’t much known about it, but after listening to Dwayne and Ata describe her, I thought, “Oh, that’s great.” It’s just great putting the women up here. So, it wasn’t too difficult. I guess, as Stacey said, the pressure was ensuring that the character and the role was played with integrity and honesty, and making sure that I play the role the way it should be.

Question: …What role did your mothers and grandmother play in your life?…Was there something that you brought on from your mother and grandmothers on to this show?

Stacey: Yeah, I think I’ve mentioned before in interviews, my grandfather was actually a boxing champion here in New Zealand, and he held the light heavyweight title in, I want to say, early 1960s, I think. So [it] was my grandmother at home looking after the babies and holding the fort while her athlete sort of superstar husband, as much as he could be back then in New Zealand, was out traveling and on the road and everything that came with that. So, for me, in the early portrayals of Ata, that was something that was on my mind as well, and just kind of channeling a little bit of that and what that might have been like.

Like Ata, my grandmother is a very… strong matriarch of the family and really led with love and care for her children. I think that that was really, [and] after speaking with Dwayne and Ata, we’ve been saying sort of the character is really the heart and soul of the storytelling, and she brings that love and the nurturing. I mean, she’s a fighter, and she’s fierce, but it’s always done with the integrity and love for her son first and foremost, and then the family that wraps around him and guides him through his life journey. So, I was really holding on to, I guess, a lot of those aspects that I had seen myself in my grandmother growing up. Yeah, on a personal note for me.

Ana: I didn’t know my maternal and paternal grandparents, grandmothers, but when I read the script, that was just truly my mother, my own mother, and, I guess, for myself, as well. She was also the matriarch of the eldest of 13 children. So, even though we had high chiefs, and there were five girls and eight boys, she just dominated. Whatever she says, goes.

When I read the script, I thought, “It sounds just like my mother,” and, I guess, it’s just passed down to the way I have parented. So, it was quite easy for me to step into Lia’s shoes, and even more so that Lia’s Samoan, and I’m Samoan. I guess, the connection there was really easy, and the cultural terms.

So, you asked, were my mother and my grandmother, or people who I knew – Yes, they were great inspiration, and it’s just passed down to how we are. Women are very strong. Even though they talk about the patriarchal system in Samoan, the [unintelligible], it’s the women that run the household. So, they are very strong, and, I guess, for Lia, which is different being in a white male’s institutional sport, that would have been [unintelligible]. Yes. So, the inspiration for me was my mother, which made it easy for me to play the character.

You can see the video here!

Joseph Lee Anderson and Matt Willig

Here’s the transcript of the call with the two men.

Question: Hey, guys, thank you so much for taking the time and congratulations on on this fantastic journey. So, let me just ask, and I’m sure you’ve been asked, but I’m really curious, what was the biggest challenge for both of you in portraying your characters, especially because they’re based on real people? And what’s the most surprising thing you think you learned in the process of preparing for the characters?

Joseph: Yeah, the biggest thing for me was the weight. I was at about 220 pounds when I first got the role, and then got a call and said they wanted me to be about 250 pounds. So, I had about two months to put all that weight on and make it as much muscle as possible…The opposite of what Matt did.

…And I was shocked to learn that Rocky, he fell so far from grace. He worked so hard to get to that moment, and he was on top of the world, and it just didn’t end the way I’m sure he wanted it to end.

Matthew: Yeah, a lot like Joseph, you know, it starts with the weight. I knew I needed to have a certain look, and I normally kind of am more much more diligent about my diet and exercise and stuff. So, I just ate whatever I wanted for a couple months, and I gained about 35 pounds myself, but it was bad weight. So, it was fun for a while, and then it got old after a little bit, but that was important to kind of have that feel of having that girth that André had. I knew I wasn’t gonna be 7’4’’ or, you know, a seven footer, but I could have the dimensions that would be important. So, that was the first thing, and then, getting the sort of the Frenchisms and the French accent down was important [and] not easy. So, just kind of working with a French dialect coach first and then sort of making it my own sort of mumbled André speak was important to have. I had to be very careful about making it understandable for television so that people can understand me, but at the same time, sort of keeping authentic to André in the way that he spoke. So, that was hard.

And the surprising stuff, I guess, it’s just the fact that he was so close to Rocky, their family, and Dwayne. I wasn’t aware of that. So, that was a big revelation and sort of immediately sort of made my character André of all these crazy wrestlers, specifically having André in his life as uncle Andre, so that was pretty cool.

Suzanne: Hi, guys. For Matt, what research have you done? What did you do before you got the role playing André the Giant?

Matthew: Well, it started with watching documentaries and going from the documentaries to interviews, listening to him speak, trying to do as much research as possible. What else? You know, like I said, getting the speak down, his accent. Things like that were important, because I knew that when you’re dealing with someone that’s a real person, there is a sense of being true to him. You have to do a lot of work to get to that point before you even put your own spin on it. So, that was important. …Just watching him, watching his videos, watching his interviews was really important. Again, speaking to Dwayne and getting his take on it and finding out what was real in his life, in that relationship, how it was real, and what was going to be explored sort of for the show, as opposed to being in real life. Like I said, it was really nice to hear that that was a real relationship that was really, really important to him. So, that kind of made it nice so that we could be talking to Dwayne and getting the history of where André came into their lives with Peter Maivia, his grandfather, and kind of working into to being uncle André with him as a kid and beyond.

Suzanne: Okay, great. And Joseph, I watched the four episodes last night on demand. You have such great energy on there. Have you gotten a lot of fan feedback so far?

Joseph: Yeah, everyone’s been very kind saying they love what I’m doing with Rocky. People that have met him have been awesome with the feedback. So, that was great. Then, most importantly, Dwayne is beyond happy.

Suzanne: Oh, that’s good.

Joseph: That’s really the person I wanted to make happy.

Question: …Joseph, I’ll start with you…Talk to us a little bit about how involved – and Matthew, you can also speak to this – how involved has Dwayne been throughout this process of helping you guys create and build on these characters who are real characters and real people that he lived with? [unintelligible] Like with Joseph, you play his dad. Talk to us a little bit about how involved Dwayne has been throughout this process.

Joseph: He was insanely involved. Anytime there was a question, anything, it was a text away. He made himself open to me at any time. Anything I needed, it was just, he was there, and that was amazing since we were in different countries. So, yeah, hopefully, once COVID is over, we can all get in the same set, same room. It’d be nice to talk.

Question: Definitely. Matthew, what about you?

Matthew: Yeah, you know, it’s obviously a little different being that I’m not playing his dad. So, I come and go, but I think the biggest thing was just, number one, Dwayne being accessible. Like Joe said, from the first zoom call that we had on the first table read, he said, “Anytime any of you want to get with me -“ You know, he kind of apologized for not being able to be with us, but, “Anytime you guys want any information, have any questions, ask us.” And I did. So, him giving me a really detailed, honest account of his relationship with André and what he meant…He actually kind of commented what I think he meant, to me, but he really felt like André had a sense of being uncle André with him, and that was really important to him, especially early on in his life. So, Dwayne was really, really detailed about that relationship, and so, that was really cool. And again, he kind of left with, “If you ever need anything, any questions about anything, please let me know.” So, he’s been great.

Question: Definitely. Joe, let me ask you this. You play Rocky, Dwayne’s father. Did you study him before Dwayne was assessable in helping you with the character, but did you study him on your own to learn a different side of him than what Dwayne told you? Did you study him and research him yourself?

Joseph: Well, I think my research on Rocky was a lot of watching matches, a lot of trying to emulate how he moves in the ring and his signature moves, because Dwayne, he really gets the, you know, I’m not gonna learn about the man better than from Dwayne, so that was great. Yeah, I watched any interview I could find, every match I could find. There was a lot of that.

Question: Why do you think people love the show so much? I mean, the fans are on Twitter; they’re in the comments on Instagram. People love the show. I think it gets better each week. It’s like, “Okay, oh, it was cute.” Then, each week it gets better, and then, you get an inside look into Dwayne’s life. Why do you think viewers love the show so much?

Joseph: It’s such a heartwarming show. It’s nice; it’s loving. It’s a loving show. It’s about family. There’s so much that this show brings. We go in the 80s with the wrestlers, as, you know, the older generation loves wrestlers. And people who love Dwayne get more of an inside look at Dwayne that they probably would have never known if he wouldn’t have done this. There’s a lot that this show brings.

Question: Definitely. Matthew, why do you think [that]?

Matthew: Yeah, I think, just to piggyback Joe a little bit, it is that sense of – it appeals to many different audiences. People that want to see the wrestling and those iconic wrestlers are getting that. People that want to see more about Dwayne’s life are getting that. In today’s age where you can stream any sort of violence and sex and drugs and all that stuff, I think just to have a good heartwarming family type story, where you can sit down with your kids and know that for at least a half hour, they’re not going to be overwhelmed with some sort of sex or violence, it’s kind of a nice change. And I think that people are responding to that and really appreciate [it]. And, again, you’re really getting like four different stories in one show, which is pretty amazing that we’re able to do that. So, people come in and out, and they enjoy different aspects of it. So that’s, I think, contributing to the popularity of it all.

Here is the video of this call!

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

MORE INFO:

“Young Rock” focuses on different chapters of Dwayne Johnson’s life. From growing up in a strong and resilient family, to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family, to playing football at the University of Miami, the show will explore the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he’s met along the way.

Dwayne Johnson, Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu, Ana Tuisila, Fasitua Amosa and John Tui star.

Nahnatchka Khan, Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Chiang, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz and Jennifer Carreras serve as executive producers.

“Young Rock” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Seven Bucks Productions and Fierce Baby Productions.

Stacey Leilua

Ata Johnson, “Young Rock”

Stacey Leilua plays Ata Johnson on the new NBC comedy “Young Rock.” Leilua is of Samoan, Maori and English heritage and based in New Zealand. She graduated from one of New Zealand’s leading drama schools: UNITEC School of Performing & Screen Arts, where she majored in acting. Leilua has worked on a variety of productions, including New Zealand’s longest-running series, Shortland Street.” Other credits of note are the UK/NZ feature film ”Love Birds” and the highly acclaimed web series “The Factory,” which she also co-executive produced alongside Kila Kokonut Krew under the mentorship of Robin Scholes, one of New Zealand’s most well-known producers. Leilua has also worked as a presenter (“Homai Te Paki Paki”) and director with the South Auckland-based theatre company Kila Kokonut Krew. Most recently she performed in Tusiata Avia’s ”Wild Dogs Under My Skirt,” which won Production of the Year at the 2018 Wellington Theatre Awards. The production was picked up for a season at the Soho Playhouse in New York in January 2020 where it played to full houses every night.

Ana Tuisila

Lia Maivia, “Young Rock”

Ana Tuisila stars as Lia Maivia on NBC’s new comedy “Young Rock.” Tuisila’s career spans over two decades in film, television and theater. Her most memorable performance is in “The Songmaker’s Chair,” a stage production written by esteemed international author, poet and playwright Albert Wendt, and directed by Nathaniel Lees and Nancy Brunning. Following a successful season, the show later participated in the International Arts Festival at Te Papa Museum in New Zealand. Tuisila has starred in two short films on location in Samoa, Vai and Liliu, which have both been recognized throughout film festivals globally. She speaks fluent Samoan as well as having familiarity with other Pacific languages.

Joseph Lee Anderson

Rocky Johnson, “Young Rock”

Joseph Lee Anderson plays Rocky Johnson in the NBC comedy series “Young Rock.” Anderson has appeared in the Oscar-nominated film “Harriet,” recurred on “S.W.A.T.” and has guest starred on “Timeless,” “American Soul” and others. He also directed and starred in the critically acclaimed short film “The Jog,” which premiered at South By Southwest. Anderson is a Kansas City native currently living in Los Angeles.

Matthew Willig retired from the NFL after 14 seasons. He played for 6 teams (New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers). He went to 2 Super Bowls, winning 1 and losing the other. He is steadily rising up the acting ladder and receiving acclaim as his roles get bigger and better.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Young Rock cast members

B&B Short Recap Thursday, April 15, 2021

Posted on April 18, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

B&B logo

Recap written by Suzanne

Detective Baker questions Thomas about Vinny’s death. Thomas resents it when he thinks Baker is implying that he had anything to do with his friend’s death. He wants the murderer found and punished. Baker wants to know who might have wanted Vinny dead, so Thomas tells him that Vinny was a drug dealer and also explains why he thought he was doing him a favor by switching the paternity test results. Hope arrives and Baker leaves. Thomas thinks that Baker might already know who killed Vinny and just needs proof. Meanwhile, at Bill’s place, Liam is very agitated and upset after hallucinating Vinny yesterday. Bill tries to get Liam to calm down and realize that he needs to be practical and think of his family. They argue a lot. Liam doesn’t know how he’s going to be able to pull himself together, like Bill insists. Hope phones again and asks Liam to come by her office so they can work out the children’s schedules, and also so they can talk about them. She hints that she might be open to working on forgiving him. Vinny’s death has given her new perspective about life. Liam comes by but sees Baker standing outside the office, so he hides around the corner. After Baker leaves, he walks back to the office. He hears a voice from behind, telling him to hold it right there and that he has him. Liam slowly raises his hands.

Quinn visits Carter in his office so that she can work on him forgiving Zoe. Carter doesn’t want to discuss it. Eric arrives and is cold to Quinn. Quinn tries to get him to go out to a romantic dinner, but he tells her that he has a meeting that he can’t reschedule. Later, Quinn visits Carter at his house to work on him some more. Zoe and Paris chat at Forrester. Quinn comes by and tells Zoe that she couldn’t get Carter to listen to her yet. Zoe tells Paris that she and Quinn have become friends. Quinn is a big fan of second chances.

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B&B cast animated GIF

B&B Short Recap Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Posted on April 18, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

B&B logo

Recap written by Suzanne

At the cottage, Thomas and Hope talk about Vinny’s death and how he had to identify his body. He’s very angry and sad about his friend being the victim of a hit-and-run in Bel Air (of all places). Hope wonders if someone that Vinny worked with in his drug dealings might have done it deliberately, but Thomas doesn’t think Vinny acted like someone was after him. Meanwhile, at Bill’s house, Liam and Bill argue about lying to everyone about the hit-and-run, especially Wyatt. Liam really doesn’t want to keep lying, but Bill insists that he do it. Bill gives every reason that Liam should keep his mouth shut and not risk his future. Liam resents everything Bill has done. Hope phones to let Liam know about Vinny. He has a hard time keeping his composure, and she can tell that something is wrong.

At Forrester, Quinn chats with Zoe about Paris and Zende’s romantic evening, which they ruined with the smoothie that made Paris sick. Zoe says that it didn’t make Zende any less into Paris, and she feels very guilty about what they did. Paris and Flo come by. Zoe tells Paris that she supports her and Zende’s happiness. Paris is glad to hear it. Flo also thinks they make a cute couple. Meanwhile, Zende and Carter have just finished working out, so they’re changing their shirts. Zende thinks Carter should give Zoe another chance.

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B&B cast animated GIF

Week of 4/18/21 Primetime News and Schedule

Posted on April 17, 2021April 22, 2021 by TvMegasite Admin

Primetime TV News

TV Networks
MOST OF THESE POSTS BELOW are just the main part of each bit of news. For the rest of the news, video clips, photos, and links, go to our Primetime Forum!

Scripted Shows
Non-Fiction Shows
Reruns
Other

This Week’s News by Angie and Suzanne!

NOTE: This schedule is always subject to change…

SCRIPTED SHOWS

ABC The Rookie: New Blood (4/18) Show More

TV Interview!

Andrew Leeds

David, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”

Alice Lee

Emily, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”

TV Interview!

TV Interview!

Jonathan Scarfe

Axel, “Van Helsing”

TV Interview!

Stacey Leilua

Ata Johnson, “Young Rock”

Ana Tuisila

Lia Maivia, “Young Rock”

Joseph Lee Anderson

Rocky Johnson, “Young Rock”

Primetime TV News

TV Interview!

Melanie Scrofano

Wynonna Earp, “Wynonna Earp”

Tim Rozon

Doc Holliday, “Wynonna Earp”

TV Interview!

TV Interview!

NBC’S ‘LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME’ HITS THE STREETS THURSDAY, APRIL 1 AS PART OF HISTORIC CROSSOVER WITH ‘LAW & ORDER: SVU’

Christopher Meloni

Elliot Stabler, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

Dick Wolf

Ilene Chaiken

Executive Producer, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

Primetime TV News

TV Interview!

Primetime TV News

TV Interview!

TV Opinion Article!

Television and its Adverse Impact on Youth Development

Is there any Contribution of Television in a Youth’s Life?

Positive Impacts of Television on Youth

By Serving Educational Content

Most-Accessed Entertainment Medium

Helps to Acknowledge about Different Cultures

How has Television Affected the Lives of the Youth?

Reduces the Physical Activities

Constraint on the Brain Development

Exposure to Violence

TV Interview!

Primetime TV News

TV Interview!