Felix Wolfe is an accomplished actor that has appeared in such iconic franchises as Glee, and Bones. Currently, he stars as Ford on the magnificent new NBC series, Grosse Pointe Garden Society, and we had the honor of sitting down with Felix to discuss his fantastic work on the series.
​
John Betancourt: I Would love to start by getting to know today what it was that really attracted you to this project as an actor.
 
Felix Wolfe: it's a great question. I think, honestly, the creatives behind it, the team, you know, I think no one goes into a project, I think, you know, anticipating that it's going to be terrible. We always go in, I think, with hopeful ambition. But when you have great creatives and a great team behind it, that I think, give you faith in what they can really deliver with a project… that's a world of difference. And so, knowing that Jenna Bans, Bill Krebs were behind this, and obviously creating the show. And then you see the writing staff that's being brought in, and then you know, director’s week by week. And then obviously you top it off with an incredible crew that is the most veteran, and then the cast that is just top notch. I mean, where do I sign? You know, I felt incredibly honored to be a part of this.
 
So I think joining the project, I care less about genre, and even like, I love a great screenplay, but even a screenplay is less important than, I believe, than the creatives behind it, if people, if the minds behind it, always deliver, and are really pushing, I think, the ground floor, to deliver something original and fresh and trying to actively be different than what is out there. I think that's all you can ask for, for you know, kind of creative fulfillment as an artist. So, I would say, not only is the show great, and the concept sounded fantastic. And I never thought I was going to get the part, and then they offered it, and I was very excited. But not only did the project sound great, but it was mainly the creatives behind it, the team that I was like, “Okay, I really want to do this.” And then obviously it’s NBCUniversal, it doesn't get more iconic than that, so it was just a privilege to be, be a part of that.
 
John Betancourt: Now what was it, about the character of Ford, that called to you as a creative?
 
Felix Wolfe: I think Ford, for me, was, was just he felt extremely vulnerable, like he felt very open. It felt like a character that when they presented the character, you know, when you're kind of reading the audition, felt like a character that had insecurities and felt extremely imperfect, and you could -- it felt like he had his flaws. He wore his flaws on his sleeve, kind of a thing, you know, he was just so, I think just open to everything. And I think as an artist, you kind of look for those characters, because it, it reflects so much of me in real life, like I, I mean, who isn't, you know, insecure about one thing or another, or you know, dealing with not knowing how to deal with a lot of situations. So, I related to Ford immediately, and I gravitated to the fact that they were so willing to create a character that was like, he's young and he doesn't know what he's doing. And I was like, “Hey, I'm young and I don't know what I'm doing either.”
 
Certainly at 17, I didn't know what I was doing. So, I think just seeing that you kind of, as an artist, get really excited, because you go, “Well, I can bring something to this.” Because the creatives have created a character that is imperfect and that allows the artist behind it to kind of mold it, mold those imperfections, mold the earnest moments that will develop him over the course of a season. It gives you that opportunity out the gate to really define who that character is in the moment and who you eventually hope he can become. So yeah, it was, it was his kind of honest vulnerability and imperfections that made me go. “I really, really would love to play Ford.”
 
John Betancourt: So, looking at those insecurities, things we can relate to, and how badly you wanted to mold them. How did you then did you do that, and find that kind of realistic essence of Ford?
 
Felix Wolfe: Yeah. I mean, I think I reflected at what I was up to at 17 and where my life was at, at 17, and immediately, I was like, “Did I have everything figured out? Absolutely not. Did I know what the hell was going on in my life? Nine times out of 10?” No, I was just trying to keep it all together, and everything felt larger than life, and everything felt so, you know, abstract. It's such a pivotal time of adolescence where you know you're not really -- you're exiting being a kid, but you're not an adult. Yet it's a very transitional period, and I think that that opens up so much vulnerability. You just feel kind of, you know, affected by the whole world. And I, I just feel like, you know, when you when you see that, it allows you to kind of easily dive back into that, that place, and go, “Okay, what was I up to? What was I doing? Who was I hanging out with? What did I think? What did I say? What did I believe? What did I not believe?” I mean, I'm only 22, and I've got a long way to go, but I think, you know, I would argue I'm very different than I was at 17, and that's only the course of five years. So yeah, I think from an evolutionary state, it allows you to really go back and be like, “Oh yeah, I was really insecure about that, or I didn't have that answer at all. I didn't know what I was doing.” So, when you see a character like that, it just, I think, easily translates, and you can kind of, you know, dive back in to that headspace again.
 
John Betancourt: I think what I really like about this show the most is it, it has so much to say. I'm just curious, from your perspective, what you kind of hope audiences take away from season one of this show when they've had a chance to kind of digest it all?
 
Felix Wolfe: Oh, that's a great question. Yeah. Just from an overall show standpoint, I think, well, I can't tell any, one fan, what I hope -- or viewer. I can't tell them what I hope they take from it, but I can absolutely attest to what I took from it, just reading the scripts, and obviously I'm excited to see how it's delivered, because I haven't seen the whole season yet, they make us wait, but, I think what I took from it was that we all kind of live under façades. We all wear masks. We all kind of, I think, have this idea of what life, what being an adult, what being successful, what being put together looks like, but it's all a façade. It's all just a mask that we're wearing. And if we realize that both of us are wearing some form of mask, maybe it's a little bit easier to take those masks off and be honest and vulnerable and be like, “Hey, I don't have my shit together.” You know what I mean? Like, I feel like that's so much more refreshing. And I feel like this show is a clear insight of through that lens of being like, yeah, they may have money. They may not have money. They may dress well. They may not dress well. They may, you know, have their hair perfectly parted. They may look like they got bed head.
 
It doesn't matter where they're coming from. It's kind of two sides of the same coin, because at the end of the day, life does not care how many zeros you have in your bank account. Life does not care how organized your closet looks. Life doesn't care what car you drive, what job you have, you know, it doesn't matter if your family, you know, thinks that you're perfect or not. Life is relentless. Life is beautiful, but life is also brutal. And so, I think this show really does a great job at going, “Oh, if you think that you have to be one thing or another, you know, the journey that life will take you on will rip you out of that facade very quickly, will rip that mask off of you quite quickly.” And that's a that's a tough, tough lesson to kind of be in sometimes, but arguably for the better. You know, I think that's how we evolve as human beings, and how we that's real maturity is understanding that you need to take those masks off.
 
John Betancourt: That’s a great insight. I love the show's duality when it comes to kind of who we are, so you're spot on there. Obviously, I have to ask this particular question, and we don't want to spoil anything. But what are you kind of most excited for audiences to experience as the bigger mysteries unfold?
 
Felix Wolfe: Sure, yeah, I think I feel like, when I was reading the scripts, you know, even I had ideas of like, I'm pretty sure it's gonna go here. And this was months and months ago, you know, and while we're in the midst of filming, and yet, every time the script would come out and a new episode would be unveiled, like you would see, you'd be like… holy shit. You know, it goes in such different ways, so I'm excited to see fans more so -- I see so many people online be like, “Who is Quiche?” And that's such a great question, and it is important. But I do find that having kind of known where the road kind of goes… I find… why and how, and what happens to Quiche? Those questions, to me were, were far more fascinating having known the answer. So, I'm very excited for fans.
 
I know fans are, like, very intrigued to see, like, who is Quiche? And that is a valid question. But I actually think as time goes on, when you figure out why it happened and how it happened and who's really involved with all of that, the motivations behind it, I think that's really what's going to surprise fans and viewers, to be like, “Oh, okay,” I think that's where the writers and the creators did such a great job at just kind of spinning the narrative. Of going, hey, you know, dangling, who is Quiche, while actually secretly pulling the strings of I think, just insane storylines over here.
 
John Betancourt: Oh man, that makes the wait even worse.
 
Felix Wolfe: We’ll get there, John, we'll get there.
 
John Betancourt: Yes, we’re gonna get there together! So last question I have for you today, if you had to sum up these final episodes in season one with a single word, what would that word be?
 
Felix Wolfe: Oh, well, I better pick a good word. Um, the only word that comes to mind is like, chaotic. I think things just really get, yeah, chaotic for a lot of characters. If you think the story lines are already insane, I mean, you know, you kind of have that upward arc, and then the downward arc, which is just like, pedal the metal, insane. Yeah, there's just chaos everywhere. And I'm very excited for people to see that.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Melissa Roxburgh is a highly accomplished actress that has starred in such iconic franchises as Star Trek, and she’s well known for her work as Michaela Stone in Manifest. Currently she is wowing audiences as Agent Rebecca ‘Bex’ Henderson on the magnificent new NBC series, The Hunting Party, and we recently had the honor of sitting down with Melissa to discuss her work on the series.
​
John Betancourt: Would love to start by getting to know what it was that attracted you to the role of Bex.
 
Melissa Roxburgh: I love smart women. I love women who can psychoanalyze. You know, every serial killer that we've had in the episodes have been so unique and creative that I just think it's so fun to get into the minds of them. Like, I grew up watching Criminal Minds, even though I wanted to be a criminal profiler for a while, so went to school for that, and then, you know, didn't obviously, I'm an actress now, so this was kind of like a nice “I get to pretend I did that career instead”, and it's been so fun. I think psychoanalyzing the world's worst serial killers is fascinating.
 
John Betancourt: I happen to agree, and you all are exploring some amazing serial killers as it is, in fact, that brings me to my next question, because this is a show that's kind of reinventing the serial killer genre, if you will, with all the amazing things you guys are doing with the stories. And I'm curious what it means to you be part of such a refreshing and unique show.
 
Melissa Roxburgh Yeah. I mean, who doesn't love serial killers? I think there's so many podcasts, there's so many Docu-series that have come out. I think it's just, it's fascinating, because this is not a quest to figure out who has done the killings. It's a quest to figure out why they've done the killings and where they're going next with these killings, because they came into the Pit as one type of killer, and then their minds got messed with and they got tampered with and fed drugs. Now they've come out the other side… some better, although we haven't really met those ones yet. (Laughs)
 
John Betancourt: No, no, we haven't.
 
Melissa Roxburgh: They got worse. So, I think it's just like a fun ride for people to go on with the team of like Shane, Hassani and Bex, going to catch them. So yeah, I'm excited to see what comes next for the show.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, me too. Me too. That finale was just chef’s kiss, that's for sure. And something that I really enjoy, too about the series is just the realism that it's grounding with the characters. There's such there's such depth to all of the characters, especially Bex, and I'm curious what you would like to see, add to that depth down the line. 
 
Melissa Roxburgh: You know, I think it's interesting, because there's almost no time to delve into the personal lives, a lot of them. We get to touch on that with Shane, because his story is interconnected. But I actually would love to see more depth with them. I'd love to see them kind of get into the back stories, like we realize that Hassani, his wife, is dead. And so, we spent a whole season with him and his kids and, you know, the stuffed animal, and kind of imagining him as one thing, and then finding out that it's something completely different. And with Bex, you know, she has this whole secret that only Odell knows about how, how the murder of her friend actually went, and so I think season two would be, it would be awesome to kind of grapple with all of that a little bit more. 
 
John Betancourt: Now something that I love about Bex, is that she's very much like Jacob. There's a very hard moral core there that drives them to do the right thing. What would you say it is that drives Bex's moral core?
 
Melissa Roxburgh: I think, you know, she was 15 when her best friend got murdered, and then she also has a daughter. And so, I think myself, looking at Bex, there's a lot of empathy for the killers. Like I think her approach is through trying to genuinely understand what they want in the world and how they got there. So, I think the moral code is obviously catching them and putting them away but doing it in a way that treats them like humans. Because I feel like Hassani is the more like guns guy, and then Shane is the, you know, he's the muscle, and she's the empathy. She's the heart of the team. 
 
John Betancour: I love that. I really had not thought about that perspective for what the characters kind of stand for. So that actually adds even more to the story.
 
Melissa Roxburgh: She gets tough, and she gets mean. But as Melissa, reading the scenes and trying to kind of approach it a bit differently than the boys, it's, you know, I want her to, especially with like (Clayton) Jessup, he, all he wanted was love. And so, trying to understand the human in these killers, I think, is what helps her. 
 
John Betancourt: You all get to do a lot of great things this season. It's an amazing season of storytelling, and it wraps up in just such an epic manner. What are you most proud of when it comes to the work that you put forth in season one?
 
Melissa Roxburgh: I think it was just such a good group of people. And I know it's so cheesy and cliche, but it really was, like, we all bonded so well, and it's really rare and unique when that happens. And so, I think from the creators down to, you know, the PAs that were with us every single day, I think it was just, it's just nice to see that the show is doing well because of all the hard work we put into it. 
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

​One of the best aspects of the newboot of Night Court on NBC, is that television legends, pop up often on the show. In part through the primary cast itself, but also through the show’s guest stars. In fact, Julia Duffy, who has graced some incredible television franchises in her illustrious career, dropped by once more to play Susan and we had the chance to sit down with Julia to discuss her work on last night’s episode.
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know when you found out that there was going to be another opportunity to play, Susan.
 
Julia Duffy: Oh, when I found that out, I don't remember. It's been a busy year. I was kind of expecting it. I guess you already would see her again. I didn't know it was because they had Abby and Jake break up. I found that out on the day because, you know, it hadn't started airing at that point. They were just shooting, and I had been not there and then they had me come back, and I realized that, my having a party and inviting her and him, and Jake brings his girlfriend, was the whole setup. I thought it was just a great way to do it. I don't remember when I found that out. I mean, I don't remember the time frame exactly, but I was surprised that Ryan (Hansen) hadn't been there, that I didn't know that they'd broken up, because the show hadn't aired yet.
 
John Betancourt: Now the last time we talked, you spoke about a lot of joy that this role has brought you and that you had a great time working on the show every time that you're on set. So, what did it mean to you personally to be able to come back again and play Susan once more?
 
Julia Duffy: Well, I knew I got to do really broad comedy, because they do that. There you get a little bit of those vaudeville sketches and the things they do. I'd love to have a scene in the crazy courtroom, but I don't know if that will ever happen. Though, Susan could get called in for things… she can get, she's pretty wild. But anyway, I just love occasionally being able to do broader comedy like that. The characters are so strong and so different from each other. It's really fun.
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of that, you really get to just let loose in this tale and lean into what you love. What did it mean to you to be able to just lean into the comedy?
 
Julia Duffy: Well, it means, let's see… that I'm not too old for those parts anymore. I can play these over-the-top women, which is nice, because I don't know, there's just something so fun about somebody who doesn't have any idea that she's being too much. She just doesn't get it. She just lives her life. I think we'd all kind of like to be like that. So, it's very freeing.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, comedy is something that I mean, it's, it's a word you're synonymous with. It is what you do, where you thrive. And I'm just curious, what is it about comedy that continues to call to you as an actor?
 
Julia Duffy: Well, it's just as much emotional underpinning. At least it is for me most of the time. I usually play quite emotional characters, and to add in the comedy and the comic timing with it, I dunno, it sort of feels like you get to do it all.
 
John Betancourt: Now, your talents go to every corner of acting as it is. Something that I really enjoyed about this episode was that even though Susan, you know, plays this little trick and does all these things, there's a real beautiful, kind of endearing moment that she shares in that with Jake, because she's trying to really get him back with Abby, and really kind of connect two people that have that spark. And I'm just curious, as an actor, how you found that authenticity, because that really felt like a beautiful motherly moment that I think a lot of us have endured in some capacity.
 
Julia Duffy: Well, I think if you do any kind of a scene like that with Ryan, you're going to easily have that feeling, because he's an extremely, I don't know how you could say… he's an extremely available person, very open hearted, just very, very sweet, really, one of the sweetest people I've ever worked with. He’s just kind of a ray of sunshine all the time, and just so kind and interested in everybody. So, that was just so easy to do that with him, to be that way with him, to be his mother, was so easy. Because, of course, you can't help but love him.
 
John Betancourt: Well, that’s so sweet and so lovely, and that does make sense when it comes to Ryan. I’ve spoken with him a few times now, and he is indeed always so gracious. And another great piece about you playing this role, is you mentioned last time, that there was a little bit of some improv in the hospital scene. And I'm curious here, what kind of freedom did you get to kind of really just lean into Susan a bit more, and her wild nature.
 
Julia Duffy: Well, it was just so fun to be playing somebody for Abby to react to that's, you know, more unrestrained than the people she's usually around with. I mean, she sees the crazy people in the courtroom, but now she has to, like, deal with one that she has sort of a relationship with. And I just really enjoyed being someone who didn't have any kind of a filter. She just goes through life the way she goes through life. And I think I have plenty of filters. So, it's very freeing to play someone like that, and then to give her (Abby) something to react to.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, it's wonderful. Again. I appreciate these insights. It's so incredible to learn them. And I mean, obviously we talk a lot about, you know, the joy of Susan in general. What is it that you've enjoyed the most about playing this character over these past few episodes?
 
Julia Duffy: Well, I guess just the freedom, because she's so unselfconscious. And I mean, I would love to be like that, quite frankly, that's the most enjoyable part.
 
John Betancourt: You've turned in some great work here. I mean, every single episode that Susan has been in has been impactful, has been moving, has been just so wonderfully beautiful and funny. What are you most proud of when it comes to what you put into this character?
 
Julia Duffy: Probably the second slap in the hospital scene in the first episode, because Melissa (Rauch) and I said to each other, first of all, the audience, we had a wild, wonderful audience, and you just wanted to give them something more. So, when we did another take, she and I kind of said to each other, “You know what? Since I'm supposed to be so hopped up on post-surgery drugs and everything, I think another slap should just come out of nowhere.” And it took everyone by surprise in the second take, everyone on the floor, everyone in the audience, and it was, I mean, we were just waiting and waiting for the laughter to stop. It was very gratifying.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today, again, you get to do so many wonderful, freeing things in this episode. There are so many hilarious moments. What was your favorite moment from this particular episode?
 
Julia Duffy: I think I just remember when I had the scene with Abby in her office, and the fact that, you know, I made her uncomfortable and then invited her to my party, and all of that. I don't know. It's just kind of generally fun to be the one who was deciding how the conversation would go and what we were going to do. And it's just that being unrestrained, which is not me, but it was really fun being her.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Aram Tafreshian is an accomplished actor that is currently wowing audiences as Dr. Dominik Kohn in the magnificent new Apple TV+ series, Berlin ER, and we had the chance to talk with Aram about his incredible work in this series.
 
John Betancourt: Love to start by getting to know what it was that attracted you to this project as an actor.
 
Aram Tafreshian: Um, my sister, she is a doctor. She works in Berlin, in an emergency room, actually, right now. So, she told me so many stories about her work, and, of course, I saw what went into becoming a doctor for her. Like, she studied for, I don't know, eight, nine, ten, years until she even started working with patients, like there is so much that's happening before you become a doctor, and then you are there, and then you experience… every day those crazy things that happen, that that are not visible in the rest of the society, usually, like illness, mental illness, death. Usually, we don't have that in our in our day to day lives. It's everything is brought directly to the hospital, but there are people who experience that every day, for weeks, months, years. So, I always was interested in playing something like this, and then the treatment and the books for this show came, and it was like exactly what I had been hearing from my sister and her friends and everything. So, I was really intrigued and really wanted to be part of that, yeah, because it's exactly that. So, I directly called her, and I directly asked her to read the scenes with me and to talk about it, and to see what is realistic, what could be even more realistic, and everything.
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of finding that realism, everybody feels so real and feels like somebody that you would know in everyday life in this show. And I'm curious, especially for Dom, since he's such a different type of character, how you found that essence and that realism of him.
 
Aram Tafreshian: I mean, it was from the beginning what I loved about the show that it's kind of, I think it's so brave, or like, so brave in a way that it's every character, everything, actually, there, is so complex and so contradictory, and they don't decide between good and evil. They just let those people be people. And with Dom especially, I was also very interested in looking into this kind of contradictory reality of someone who can be very manipulative, and who can be in a way, like, very, very evil, but actually is a good person and wants to do good things. And he's nice, and he's kind, and he really, it's not fake. He really believes in this, and he really wants to be a good doctor, and he really believes that this is also part of being a good doctor. He has a private life, unlike all the other doctors, because he really also likes being with people and everything, and at the same time, he's so controlled by his fears, that he's going into these different directions and making those fatal decisions for himself. And this was something that interested me about this character especially.
 
John Betancourt: Now to expand upon Dom further, since you talked about his duality, and since you’re so close to him, what do you think is driving that behavior?
 
Aram Tafreshian: I think he is controlled by fear and controlled by a certain image that he has of himself, like he has an image of how he is supposed to be, and how he should be, and he is following this image instead of being true to himself. And I think it's also something that, I think it also tells a story about how the medical system, at least here, works, where people are kind of like young assistant doctors, are kind of thrown into work, and a lot depends on them, when and how they ask for help, that they say, “I never did this before. Can you please help me?” And it's also a lot about like, a mistake culture that that actually should exist in a hospital like that, people are able to say, I did something wrong or I don't know something. But instead, it's the opposite, right? It's, you have to be brilliant, and you have to know everything as a doctor. And you're, shamed if you, if you make a mistake, or if there's something.
 
So, it depends on people's characters to stay true and to ask for help. And I think that is the moment where Dom kind of takes one and then a lot of wrong turns, because he's too afraid to say, even on his first day, to say, “Okay, this is something I never did before. I need help right now,” and he's trying to fake it. And then from this point, it's getting worse and worse. And I think this is also something, probably all of us, at least I, can relate to right, as an actor, as an artist, you always have also this kind of imposter syndrome, always have the feeling that you're not enough. And there are many moments that instead of asking for help or instead of admitting it, you kind of try to fake it through. But of course, as an actor, much less harm is done. (Laughter)
 
John Betancourt: What’s been the most difficult aspect of being in a show that is so intense at times?
 
Aram Tafreshian: I mean the intense parts. For me, personally, I think actors are different there. The intense parts are, of course, more the fun parts, because that's something that you want to, like, that's the places you want to go as an actor, right? At least, I do. Like the extreme moments, the very emotional moments where it gets really existential for me, are much more challenging. Or I think at least for me, took much more tryouts and preparation was those lying and manipulative moments. Because it's very… it's a thin line, because I really wanted it to feel authentic, and I really also wanted it to be that Dom is someone you could meet daily, that is not this kind of, you know, this kind of, there is also very often, this kind of sexiness and brilliance to those gaslighting people.
 
And on the other hand, it would have been too easy to just show someone who is incompetent or something, because that's not, I think that's not the point with him, but it's somewhere in between. And what I was hoping to achieve there, of course, is that at the same that you really don't know what to think of this person, you’re really always trying to grasp him and to say, “Do I like him? Do I hate him? What's happening with this?” I personally liked already when I read the character, the first character description where I thought, that's an amazing character to play, because there is so much secret also, and so much that you will probably never grasp about him, because there is so much underneath.
 
John Betancourt: Now this is a chance to showcase the medical profession in a very different light, and I’m wondering what you hope the audience takes away from the world of medicine when they tune in.
 
Aram Tafreshian: What I would hope, what is perhaps different, is that I think we all know that the medical system is like, it's struggling, it can be broken. The healthcare sector has a lot of problems. We all know that, but we don't feel it in our hearts. We don't feel in our bodies how it is to work there, how it is to experience this every day, this fragility of human life, these extreme existential moments, the -- I mean, the fact that there are people who are really sacrificing their souls to keep this thing running. And we should, like society should treat them like royalty, right? But instead, society is like, I mean, I don't know if you say that in English too, throwing stones in the way of them.
 
You say that in German, like they’re kind of treated not in a good way. You make it even harder for them. And I think this is something, what I would hope is something that you in this show, you don't understand with your mind, but you really feel it with your body, right? Because you are kind of part of the system. And you also understand that the system is not something that is implemented by some evil people somewhere. It's also, if we go on like this, we all are part of the system. That's what you can see. I think in all of those characters, that's why they are also all flawed, good and bad at the same time, because the system is more than just a few good and evil people.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Şafak Şengül is a rising star in the industry, as evidenced by her incredible work as Dr. Emina Ertan in the new Apple TV+ series, Berlin ER, and we had the honor of sitting down with Şafak to discuss her work on the series.
 
John Betancourt:  I want to start today by getting to know what it was that attracted you to this project as an actor.
 
Şafak Şengül: Um, I would say I have different professions in one profession, I feel like that is one of the most fun parts about acting. And I feel like playing a surgeon that is very convinced that she's one of the best is something that is very tempting. Because as actors, just as many other people in different jobs, we tend to self-doubt every once in a while. So, playing a character that is that confident can be a relief. Sometimes.
 
John Betancourt: Now you and the rest of the cast, bring a real essence of realism to this story. These feel like people that we could actually know. At times it feels like a documentary. And I'm curious how you found that essence of realism for Emina.
 
Şafak Şengül: So, the first step was actually doing an internship in in an actual ER. That was pretty difficult to get, but it did work out, because I promised that I would be very, very invisible. So that worked out fine. And I was introduced to the basics of the medical profession, but I was mainly there to see people doing their work. So, I was not there to see the patients. I was there to see the doctors. They were my case of study. So, I would watch them as they would do surgery. And there were big opposites in how they how they do their profession. One surgeon was playing “Drop It Like It’s Hot’ while they were doing the surgery. And the other surgeon didn't want anyone to make any noise, you know? And that's how different people do their job best, right? So that was very interesting to see. I would watch their physicality, the way, the way they talk to each other, and I would just put that together to give myself a frame in a way. And then we also had the preparation with the production that they did, where we did the difficult surgeries that we were actually supposed to do on the show, and we did them again and again and again until we were pretty, pretty fluent in what we were doing.
 
John Betancourt: That’s amazing, and one of the big draws of the show too, is the fact that you guys as a collective whole, really bring about a very intense and very gritty, ER room in this particular piece, I'm curious, especially for Emina, especially in episode five, you have a lot you have to do when it comes from an emotional standpoint. And I'm curious how difficult it's been playing some of the darker aspects of the show.
 
Şafak Şengül: It is, in a way, super important to distance yourself when you do these very, very emotional scenes, but also be immersive. So, it is a big contrast. It is a very, very difficult approach, and it's very individualistic for everyone. So, everyone has their own way and their own method, in a way, but I feel like it was kind of a catharsis in a way, because that is part of the acting experience, the fact that you can actually honestly let out everything that you would feel as that character. So, in a way, it wasn't just difficult, but also very rewarding and cleansing in a way. And I feel like everything that we have built up with Emina so far is her covering her emotions and putting them to the side to actually do a good job, and then she's confronted with a specific situation where she cannot cover those anymore. And that's actually one of the most interesting twists that I saw in a character that I was very excited to play.
 
John Betancourt: I can see why, because it was just so powerful, very moving, by the way, brought me to absolute tears, because you did amazing job. But I do want to talk about that for a minute. Break that down a little further. I am curious, like, I mean Emina’s pain, that felt so raw, so visceral, so moving. How did you get into that, that mindset, because that that didn't feel like acting.
 
Şafak Şengül: In a way, it isn't, because I'm often asked if acting is just being a good liar. And I feel like you might have heard that sentence before. I feel like the job of acting is kind of stereotyped from the outside, if you don't actually know what's happening, because it does feel weird, right? You see someone and you're like, “Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you crying? Why are you fighting, and how do you do it?” But in a way, it is actually making yourself disappear in that moment to give space for a different person that has actually experienced something like this. And I feel like this is our responsibility as filmmakers to portray those biographies that are actually something people resonate with, or something that people must see, because those are important stories to tell, and the trauma that women like Emina carry around with them is something that is very close to my heart. So, it was very important for me to actually put my best work into it and to actually portray it as authentically as I can. And I feel like we can all resonate with negative experiences when we read them or when we see them, that it's actually kind of, kind of, I wouldn't say, easy to do, but it does make sense when you put yourself in her shoes.
 
John Betancourt: That’s very insightful. I always love learning the process from actors.
 
Şafak Şengül: It's always so fast I can't even explain it. 100% I'm going to be honest; I feel like 20% of the process is magic. I don't really know what's happening. I just do my thing.
 
John Betancourt: That is why you're an actor and I'm a reporter, because you know how to do that, and I don't. (Laughter from Şafak and John.) Now you mentioned there's, there's a level of catharsis that comes with this too, and I'm curious how rewarding it has been then to go through this experience as an actor.
 
Şafak Şengül: Very much, because I had half a year to actually work on a character, and that is a very luxurious position, right? So, it was even longer than half a year, because I did my preparations before we even started shooting. So, it was more than six months, definitely. And I feel like it was such a great job for me to do, because at the time, I've only had experiences where I was on set for a few weeks, maybe, but never that long. So I just graduated from acting school, and I got that job offer, and I was so excited to do it right, because it feels like a very, very big opportunity, but I didn't really grasp at the time what it was about, what it's going to be, how it's going to be perceived, and how people were going to give us that much positive feedback. So, I feel like I've been thankful along the way, even before we started, and I'm still feeling the same way.
 
John Betancourt: Now there’s a lot of depth to this show, and it showcases a lot of amazing aspects of what doctors go through. What do you hope audiences learn about the profession when they tune in?
 
Şafak Şengül: I feel like it is a job that is very much respected, in a way, because it's such a such an ancient profession, right? So, everyone knows what a doctor does. It's not a big mystery. But at the same time, there are so many downsides to the profession as well that are being ignored, or maybe people don't really know what it's all about. So, I very much hope, after having the experiences with the doctors that I talked to and doing this project, that people appreciate what the doctors do, and not only the doctors, but also the nurses and everyone that works at a hospital, the fact that they actually put a lot of their own to the side to help people in emergencies. And I very much hope that people can appreciate that they work sometimes against a system that is that is rigged, right? So, it is a matter of answers as any other, any other profession. So, I hope that people can maybe, maybe influential people in politics can take away that this is something to be funded maybe, maybe that is something we could invest in, that is something that I very much hope for when it comes to the medical system.
 
John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work in season one of this series?
 
Şafak Şengül: I would say the climate on set, because I feel like everyone put in the effort to show up every day with a positive attitude, and I feel like everyone was just a part of that whole atmosphere that we had. And I also, of course, tried to come in fresh faced. Every time I did a big crying and fighting scene, as I usually do, so, I would try to leave that behind for the day. And, you know, have a fresh start. And I feel like everyone was just so supportive of that general idea of having a good time, although we handle such rough subjects, and I feel like that is my most valuable takeaway that I want to bring into any other workspace I enter.
 
John Betancourt: Last question, we still have a few weeks left of the first season, and I'm just curious that you had to sum up the remainder of season one in a single word. What would that word be?
 
Şafak Şengül: I would say… animalistic.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

It is definitely safe to say, that Brent Spiner is a living legend in Hollywood. Simply because he is well-known for his ability to morph into the characters he plays and he’s made a major impact on several iconic franchises, such as Star Trek, and Night Court on NBC. In fact, the latter is of note today, because Brent continues to keep audiences in stitches, courtesy of the revival of his character, Bob Wheeler, and we had the incredible honor of sitting down with Brent to discuss his now, multi-season return to the show.
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what it was that kind of brought forth this whole reunion of the Wheelers and Night Court.
 
Brent Spiner: Well, you know what? I think. I'm not sure whose idea was, but I'm happy they thought of it. Whoever it was. It may have been Melissa (Rauch), I don't know, but it was fortuitous for me and for Annie (O’Donnell) and for Kate (Micucci), that we're all happy to be doing it. Yeah.
 
John Betancourt: Well, the fans are glad too, since everyone was wondering where the Wheelers were in season one. Now, I'm curious too, was it difficult at all to slip back into the kind of mind and world of Bob Wheeler?
 
Brent Spiner: No. You know, really, I'm putting on now. I'm actually exactly like Bob Wheeler, and I'm pretending to be a… normal sort of guy right now talking to you. (Laughter from John.) I actually, I've been doing Bob Wheeler since I was a kid. And the first time I auditioned for the original series, I thought, “I wonder if I could do my character that I've been doing for this part,” and so I gave it a shot, and they cast me, and I've been happy ever since.
 
John Betancourt: Well, that’s just incredible, that you get to play something from your childhood. Now, it’s a huge deal that the Wheelers are back, that this series is back, and I have to know what it was like or been like, to walk back into that courtroom over the past couple of seasons.
 
Brent Spiner: Well, it was kind of wonderful. You know, it's identical to the original sets. I mean, the sets are just perfect. And I keep having this experience, you know, because I had sort of a similar experience on the Picard series of walking back onto the Enterprise-D set, and it was identical. And then I go over to do Night Court again, and I'm walking on that set again, and it's identical. So, it's really amazing that these guys can pull it off so perfectly. I love it, and it's a great set.
 
John Betancourt: I’m with you there, I was blown away by how they perfectly replicated it. Now, this really is a great opportunity for me, to talk to a living legend in the industry and pick your brain about the craft. Because you have this innate ability to be… just be a chameleon and instantly transform into your characters. And I'm curious how you're able to do that with such ease and with such incredible believability.
 
Brent Spiner: You know what? I don't know. Honestly, I… think, really, it's just a matter of, you know, I'm always up for a challenge, and if I can just let go and relax and go for it, generally, I can find my way in, and I've been lucky. I’ve had some really wonderful roles to play, including Bob, yeah, who knows. It's, you know, acting is, is a really bizarre, ephemeral thing, and sometimes you hit lightning, and sometimes you completely strike out. But I've been lucky. I've had pretty good batting average.
 
John Betancourt: Now, obviously, you've done it all. You'v done film, you've done television, you've done single cam, you've done multi cam. How do you prepare for a show like Night Court as an actor?
 
Brent Spiner: Well, I learn my lines (Laughs) which I think is really important. Some people don't do that. I do. I want to make sure I know what I'm doing, I make choices just like any actor. I mean, it's a role, like any role, and then you show up, and then if you know your stuff already, and you've thought about what you want to do with it, then you're available for anything they throw at you that can change because you're already in the character. And one of the wonderful things about Night Court is the fact that they do continually change things while you're shooting, you know, you'll do one take, and they come up and give you a completely different line, or an added different set of lines, and, and it's a really fun process. It's almost like, you know, improv, except for they give you the dialogue.
 
John Betancourt: Well, thank you for those insights. It's so cool to get to know your process. Now, obviously, you've been a part of just one iconic franchise after another, and you’re just beloved actor through and through. What does it mean to you to be part of so many important franchises and stories.
 
Brent Spiner: Well, you know, I love it, and I love the fact that I've had these, you know, just lucked into these wonderful projects that have had legs and have had, I mean, you know, with Night Court, I've been with -- the first episode of Night Court we did was 40 years ago, and just bizarre. And, you know, the same with Next Generation, when we did Picard, it was, I don't know, 35 years later, and trying to find these same characters only, who they would be now. And I don't think the Wheelers have actually changed much since the old days. I think that's the beauty of the Wheelers, is they never change. But you know, so it's been good. It's been just great.
 
John Betancourt: The last question I have for you, today, Brent, since you've been so much a part of Night Court’s fabric and you're so close to it. Why do you think it resonates so with audiences and has maintained such longevity?
 
Brent Spiner: Well, I think it's unique. I think Night Court is surreal, and I think that's the best thing about it. I mean, it does have an occasional moment of reality, of real reality, and real feelings and that kind of thing. But I think it's at its best when it's off the wall, zany, surreal, which is, what it's always been. And I don't think anything else quite on television in the comedy area, does that sort of thing.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

We are in the midst of the third season of the highly celebrated newboot of Night Court on NBC. And to properly pay tribute to the work the cast puts forth on this series, we sat down once more with Lacretta, to talk about her performance as Gurgs, and more.
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what it means to you, to be back for a third season.
 
Lacretta: Oh, God, I'm honored. I'm honored to be back. Um, it's a dream come true. And, yeah, every episode is a blessing.
 
John Betancourt: You get to do some really amazing stuff this year, the comedy has always been good in this show, but this year, it is just next level, top tier, and you are absolutely killing it with the comedy this year. And I'm curious, as an actor, what it means to you to be able to let loose in the way that you have from a comedy standpoint.
 
Lacretta: I always take the approach that I'm a vessel, and I'm allowing these words on a page to get to have a life in the flesh. And so, it makes it a very reverent moment for me, more like a religious experience, as opposed to, you know, “This is what I'm doing.” And da-da-da-da-da. Like, no, I want Gurgs to have her life and respond and to listen and to interact with her co-stars, and so it's not about what I would do. It's just giving her the chance to do her thang.
 
John Betancourt: Let's break that down a little more if we could, because I always love getting a chance to talk to actors and uncover the incredible things you do with your craft. So how then have you, as an actor, found the essence of Gurgs.
 
Lacretta: Oh gosh. I mean, there's so much that's in the script, and then I don't have to do so much work, like they, they made it very clear that this is where she lives, and there's some of the things that she's done, like she's written novels, and she's been on game shows. She used to travel extensively when she was eight. So, it's like all those things kind of inform the kind of Renaissance woman that she is. And it's nice to not to have to make up anything. And then the beautiful part on top of that is that we've got these living writers. You know, when you're doing things on stage, you often are doing things where anyone attached to that project is already passed on, so you can't ask them the specifics of your character, but we've got 20 folks, maybe 20 plus, that are in that room that know the character even more than you do, better than you do. So, you can always ask them, “What was her motivation like? Why is she here and what is it that fulfills her from this role and from this job, being a bailiff. Why that? Why couldn't she be the clerk?” You know? So, yeah, it's just nice to have a day one source that you can go to for answers if you have them.
 
John Betancourt: That's pretty incredible. I didn't know they had that much depth ready for you to go when it comes to the characters, that's amazing. And speaking of that too, something that I've always been intrigued by is the relationship actors have with their characters. Some step away from them entirely, some are deeply intertwined, And I'm curious just how much of yourself you’ve injected into Gurgs, if at all.
 
Lacretta: Yeah, oh, she definitely has my joy. That joy is an undercurrent to a lot of the roles that I take on. But she -- what I like about her is that she lives in the moment, and at that moment, that is the truth. And I surprised myself like watching the episode where she has the interview to become chief bailiff. There was something that I did, that I didn't even realize I had done until I watched it back, and it was just like this -- It was so fleeting, but it was so magical at the same time, because there was a give and a pull back that made total sense, but I just didn't have a recollection of, so I'm just, I'm grateful to our editing team, because they capture those honest moments and make sure that everyone gets their feature in a balanced way.
 
John Betancourt: May I ask what part it was? Because now,I gotta know.
 
Lacretta: Okay, so she's sitting at the table with Dan, and he was like, you know, “Yeah Words are important, but you also have to rest in the silence.” And so, he, he was like, ask me a question. She asked him a question. And so, there's that back and forth between the two of them. And then all of a sudden, she was like, “Take my wallet!”
 
John Betancourt: I know exactly where that is, that's so cool. Now it explains why that was such a great natural moment. Now, obviously, you as an actor care about your character, and want to nurture them, see them grow. What does it mean to you to see Gurgs grow in the manner she has? Since she’s now the head bailiff.
 
Lacretta: Yeah. I didn't even know that that was such a thing. And so, it's nice that we see them making their accomplishments. There's going to be more accomplishments that happen through the rest of the season, and that's what you want. You want to see them grow. You want to see what it's like for them at home. You want to see these things. Well, we hope that you do because you love these characters so much. And for people who watch us every week and stream us and binge us. It's nice for them to come on that journey with us, so that it's just not one note. You know, that's what gets boring.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, few more episodes left in season two. What are you most excited for everybody to experience in those stories.
 
Lacretta: Oh, there's some wackiness coming up, which I wholeheartedly welcome. You know, comedy is just, it's so vast. You've got your door slamming comedy, you've got your pratfalls, you've got, you know, restoration comedy, I mean, there's just so many ways that you can do it. And I love that we are able to do varying kinds of comedy in one show.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work in season three so far?
 
Lacretta: Wow, I'm most proud of the moments of vulnerability for her, because we see so much joy in Gurgs, it's nice to see those more tender moments from her.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity

Keto Shimizu is an accomplished producer that has worked on some big franchises in her career, such as DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow. Currently she serves as a writer and executive producer on NBC’s epic new series, The Hunting Party, and we recently sat down with Keto to discuss her work on the show, and this week’s amazing episode!
​
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know how you came to involved with this series.
 
Keto Shimizu: Oh, sure. Well, what really brought me to it was my good friend, Jake Coburn. We worked on Arrow together, you know, years ago, and have remained friends and have developed projects together, and in the wake of all of that. And, yeah, he brought me on. And he, you know, I think he just wanted someone who was, you know, good at breaking story, at running a room if necessary, and who, who had some experience with dark material. You know, so much I love horror and dabbling in the you know, the shadows of people's psychoses. So it was, it was a really good match, and it's been a lot of fun.
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of those horror elements, this is a great opportunity, to talk to a writer that's in the writer's room. So, I'm very curious how you, and the room built out all of these amazingly dark and amazingly complex characters.
 
Keto Shimizu: Oh, goodness. Well, I would say a lot of it comes from our own fears. You know, those anxieties that tickle the backs of our minds whenever we're putting ourselves in any sort of vulnerable situation. I think both Jake and JJ (Bailey), our co-showrunners are really interested in how we can sort of play on everyday fears and everyday situations that could very quickly turn violent and deadly, should somebody mismanage that sort of trust that we put into sort of social norms and social contracts of like, you know, “I'm gonna get in this Uber and it's gonna be okay,” you know, stuff like that, where it's like, actually putting yourself in a vulnerable situation, should the wrong person be, you know, behind the wheel there. So situations like that are often where the sort of original kill concept kind of comes in, like, who was this person, way back when, you know, back in the 90s, back in the 80s, you know, or back in the turn of the century, where it was like, you know, maybe even more so these kinds of vulnerabilities would pop up in the general population, and people could ease more easily take advantage of that. We have slightly more wary people now.
 
But then the idea, of course, of like, how did the Pit change them? How has the ante been upped? You know, what was done to them in the Pit warped them even more so, so that they're even more dangerous and more unhinged and more unpredictable, because Bex and Oliver and the team are really working off of the information that is on record from their past. But of course, now they're behaving differently because of what was done to them, you know, in this in this clandestine facility. So, yeah, I think a lot of it comes just from, like, what are what are we afraid of? What are we afraid of as writers, and then you again, you ratchet it up, you know, tenfold, to dramatize it for this show.
 
John Betancourt: I appreciate those amazing insights. Because you and the team put together such wonderfully complex characters and stories. Speaking of that, what a great episode this week as well. It's so complex. There's so many cool twists and turns, and since you helped to write it, what kind of challenges did you run into in putting together such a wonderfully complex tale.
 
Keto Shimizu: Oh, thank you. It was, it was kind of a challenge to kind of get the concept in place initially, because we were in the development room, you know, like a year and a half before the show actually got picked up, there was just a few of us who were batting around ideas for killers and blue skying ideas. And the idea of an artist killer is something that we were all very excited about right away in those early, early stages of development, but we couldn't quite crack it. We just didn't have like that, that methodology or something that that really took the idea of an artist killer and made it feel like something we could really run with in terms of story. And it was later on, when we were in the proper room, after we'd been green lit. And we, you know, everything was growing, and as a huge Greek mythology nerd, I was just sort of like, what about the muses? Again, we're talking about an artist, you know, like, what if we deal with Greek muses? There's nine of them, nine kills like that. Feels like a good number, at least for what this artist had intended to do. But you know, this artist didn't get to complete their work. So, you know now their protege is out there doing it for them. And what a cool concept that was.
 
But also, the idea of Muses really gives the story momentum, that it had sort of been lacking when we were just sort of like an artist killer, you know, they do cooler things. Suddenly it was like, “Oh,” now we're like, we're sort of paying homage to Greek statues, and we're honoring these different forms of art. This artist is getting inspired by other artists and then murdering them to sort of immortalize them in this way that's, like, really twisted, but also, like loving. It's all a mess of sort of beauty and death, and again, something that you want to look away from because it's so grizzly and horrific, and yet you just can't look away, because it's kind of gorgeous, too. So, yeah, you know, the whole concept really kind of solidified at that point. And then, of course, adding all these wonderful twists and turns, like JJ and Jake are so good at that stuff, you know, like really taking a break and saying, “Well, what if we had this element to it? Oh, we need more twists. We need something to be harder here,” you know, and really pushing us as writers to get the best flow of story that we possibly can.
 
John Betancourt: Something else that I noticed that I thought was kind of neat, is that in the last couple of weeks is there's been a little bit of DNA from Silence of the Lambs kind of snuck into these episodes, and has that been a large influence over the show in general?
 
Keto Shimizu: 100% I mean, again, I think we like to raise a toast to all the greats in terms of this genre of, sort of serial killers, and, again, sort of these heightened scenarios and these heightened types of murderers and again, like, who else to emulate, but the best? Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, you know, like, these are all things that we just we're all huge fans of, and particularly in this episode as, kind of a love letter to Se7en is like, you know, who else? Who else would you emulate?
 
John Betancourt: Now for a writer and producer, this is a chance to work on such a unique show. And I'm just curious what it means to you be taking part in something that's kind of refreshing and revitalizing the genre.
 
Keto Shimizu: Oh, for me, it's been just an honor and a delight, really, to get to work in this in this space. You know, I've worked a lot in comic books and some horror, and I develop a lot of horror in my own work, and this allows me to play in a sandbox that's familiar and also a delightful challenge. You know, it's sort of, this is probably the most grounded show I've ever worked on, and yet it is also really a heightened thriller. And there's the conspiracy element. And there's, you know, these killers are also fascinating, but they stem, you know, largely from a real space. You know, we try to be emotionally true to who these people could be in in the real world, and yet we also want to be a departure from the real world, because we don't want to just tell true crime. That's not what the show is. This is like… what is kind of the strangest, weirdest, creepiest kind of killer we could create, that isn't real, that hasn't happened, or maybe it's inspired by something that happened, but like, again, just elevating it and heightening it to make it as cool and compelling as possible.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, without spoilers, what are you most excited for audiences to enjoy in these closing episodes of season one?
 
Keto Shimizu: Oh my gosh, there's so much great stuff coming up. I mean, the killers are getting wackier and more sinister. I feel like, as these episodes go on, the last few killers in our season are so chilling and terrifying. And again, just, just really, really cool puzzle boxes themselves. And again, what's going on with our characters and their interpersonal dynamics is going to get so much richer in these last few and the conspiracy element, there's a huge twist coming up at the end of the season that I'm hoping is going to really like leave people's jaws on the floors. I just think it's, it's a season I'm really proud of, and I can't wait for everyone to see it.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Jocko Sims is an accomplished actor of the silver and small screen that has been a part of a bevy of beloved franchises. Such as New Amsterdam and The Last Ship. Currently, he stars as Tucker in the magnificent new NBC series, Grosse Pointe Garden Society, and we had the honor of sitting down with Jocko to discuss his work on the show, and his wondrous career.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start getting to know today what it was that attracted you to this project.
 
Jocko Sims: Oh my gosh. It was a few things. One, to be able to return to my network, home of recent years, NBC was great. I love everybody there, and I've had the chance to work with Bill (Krebs) and Jenna (Bans) before, the show runners. And I just like, I can get emotional talking about them, because they're just so loving and fantastic and open to collaboration, and they appreciate good artists and work, and they work hard, and they write very well. So that was enough in itself. But then after we shot the pilot, and I talked to the two of them and asked them, kind of where this was going and where Tucker was going and what would happen, and particularly that scene where Catherine, you know, tells him what happens, and he just reacts in the way that he did. I was like, “Sign me up.”
 
John Betancourt: That brings me right to I want to talk about a lot today, because what I love about the work you're doing on the show, your coworkers as well, is that everybody's finding a very special essence of every character. And I'm curious how you found that essence of Tucker's kind of even keel nature, because he, he does take that moment, with an absolute grain of salt.
 
Jocko Sims: Yeah, you know what was interesting about this particular job. And actually, most TV shows, they kind of have a general idea where they want to go with the characters, with everything. And so, you have a little bit of an idea, but generally, as the weeks progress, sort of more ideas flow. But this show… everything's a secret, you know, so, it’s interesting to approach it in a way that would make the performance interesting in these first few episodes. But also, kind of not tip your hand too much, to lean this way or that way. You know, is Tucker, you know, a potential suspect with the group? Is he a victim? Is he in the garden? Does he have an affair of his own happening? These are all these interesting things that I found as an actor, it would be fun to navigate and figure it out and just walk that fine line. And, yeah, it's just been great.
 
John Betancourt: You bring up another good point too. Something that I really love about this series is that it is such a series of want. Everybody's searching for something, searching for something they need. And I'm curious, since you're so close to Tucker, what do you believe Tucker is searching for in this story?
 
Jocko Sims: I think Tucker is very much in love with his work and the idea of success, and I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
 
John Betancourt: I think that answers a fairly good number of questions there. Now, you’re back working with Bill and Jenna, back to work at NBC, what have you enjoyed the most about playing such a complex character?
 
Jocko Sims: I like not kind of knowing where we're going week to week. I mean, there was a period of time in the first couple of episodes where the core cast didn't even know who they buried in the garden.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, wow.
 
Jocko Sims: Yeah. How fun is that? Talk about walking a fine line, just trying not to lean either way. So, that’s fun. And I will say, also working with this cast. They are so talented. I mean, I actually worked with Aja (Naomi King) before on a show called Emily Owens. We were in Vancouver, and we had such a good time. And she was so great on that. And of course, she was great on How to Get Away with Murder. And I just watched AnnaSophia Robb in Rebel Ridge, and I was just thinking about how great her performance was. And here I am on the set, on the show with her shortly thereafter. And Ben (Rappaport) is great, and all the other guest stars are great, Saamer (Usmani), who plays Gary. Everybody's just so lovely and so talented. And that's really the best part of being on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I love that there's so much to take away from the show. I mean, we’ve got so many themes on relationships and just on… kind of life in general, all those things, what are you kind of ultimately hoping audiences take away from season one of the series?
 
Jocko Sims: You know, with a question like that. I always love for people to just have a good time. I love a good murder mystery. I'm a big fan of, like, horror movie franchises like Scream, like the who done it. But I guess in this case, it's not so much who done it. It's like, “Who is it?” So, it's like, this sort of reverse thing. So, just have a good time. And I think we really, really need that right now. And this show does a good job of having you escape to this amazing town of Grosse Pointe. And Grosse Pointe is a real place that Bill Krebs grew up in, and he talks about how you have these people, these elite who are kind of mixed in with the common folk in this community, and I think they're doing a damn good job of portraying some version of that, and every time I tune into the show myself, I feel like it is an escape. I feel like I get to step into this world, you know, and it's a lot of fun. So, what I want audiences to take is that this is a show that you tune in to when you want to have a good time, escape and have a guessing game, drinking guessing game, whatever you want to do. (Laughter from Jocko and John)
 
John Betancourt: Now, I'd be remiss to not ask without spoiling of course, there's so much going on, so much happening. What are you most excited for audiences to experience in the coming weeks?
 
Jocko Sims: I'm excited for audiences to get some big payoffs. I'm excited for them to find out a lot more what's going on. Much more about all of the characters will be revealed. I think of the metaphor of, you know, everybody in this town kind of wants to have this image of looking beautiful, like flowers. But flowers that come out of the ground, you look at them on the surface, they're great, but at the roots, there's always dirt, right? And so, I'm looking forward to a lot of things being revealed.
 
John Betancourt: Now you have been part of some amazing stories over the years, and I’d love to know… what you’re most proud of when it comes to what you’ve accomplished in your career.
 
Jocko Sims: Oh, I love that. I got to go recently, last month, actually, to the Middle East, spent time in Saudi Arabia and Dubai. And it's my first time in that region. The amount of fans that particularly they, love New Amsterdam, you know, the NBC show, that came up to me, just warmed my heart, stuff like that. And then I have people who contact me since I was on New Amsterdam, and after that, telling me that their kids want to be doctors now, because of Dr. Reynolds, that's not something I expected. And the first time I experienced something like that was actually on The Last Ship. We worked directly with the Navy on The Last Ship on the time that I was on that show, our poster was up at the Pentagon. I got to go to the Pentagon. I'm still friends with the Secretary of the Navy. So, we got all of these sort of analytics and this information, and when they saw my character, Lieutenant Burke, they saw an uptick in the number of African Americans who wanted to become officers in the Navy. And I'm just like, “I just wanted to be an actor.” So, these are the residual effects that I didn't think of. And when you ask a question like that, that's what comes to mind. Just it's amazing to be able to touch people in that way.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Also, Also, enjoy a sample of Jocko’s work as Tucker on ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society’, courtesy of this clip from NBC from this week’s episode of the show, ‘Pollination’.

Matthew Davis is an accomplished actors that has graced both the silver and small screen, and some iconic stories along the way. Such as The Vampire Diaries, and Legally Blonde. Currently he stars as Joel in the amazing new NBC series, Grosse Pointe Garden Society, and we sat down with Matthew to discuss his work on the show.

John Betancourt: Let’s start today by talking about what attracted you to this particular project as an actor.
 
Matthew Davis: What attracted me right away was just the quality of the writing. You could tell by the sides that they'd sent for the audition that it was something special. There was just something about him that resonated with me right away. I just connected with him right away on a very visceral level, like, unlike anything I've experienced, and I could see immediately this interesting sort of, like, dynamic between Joel and Birdie and there was just something kind of ephemeral about it that was really engaging. And I knew it was special. I sent my auditions off, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. And then about two weeks later, I got, I got the offer. And I really wasn't surprised. I really wasn't surprised. I felt so connected to Joel right away. You know, I've been going through a lot. Personally, I was on the other side of, like, some big, transformative stuff, and I think it had really shaped my view about the world and about, you know, men and women and relationships, and I thought a lot of it seemed super relevant to Joel's perspective.
 
So, he's got a very interesting perspective that seemed to really align with at least where I was and so when I booked it, I was obviously thrilled, but I was not surprised, because I felt like it was mine. The minute I read it, I was like, I just fell in love with Joel and Birdie. I fell in love with Grosse Pointe Garden Society. I just fell in love with the whole vibe and the tone of it. Right away, it was super clear. And then, you know, we shot the pilot. I didn't know much about what was going to happen between Joel and Birdie and the Grosse Pointe Garden Society, generally speaking. And we shot the pilot. I'm in one scene. I've got two lines at the end, but then they gave us Episode Two and Three towards the end of shooting, or right after we shot. And then that's when you start to get really key in on, at least the Joel and Birdie aspect of it. You know that last scene is so shocking in episode two, you're like, “What is she doing? She's running to this cop. She's gonna rat out her friends. What's happening?” And then when he turns to her, you know, he closes the blinds and turns to her, and she's like, “Are you still mad at me?” And then he kisses her, and you're like, “Oh shit,” there. Like, yeah, when I read that, I was like, “Oh my god, this is –" I did not see it coming. I did not see it coming. And that, to me, that sums up their relationship, like the fact that she runs to him into the police station where he works, confesses his murder to him in his office, and then he helps her cover it up, because you realize they have a relationship.
 
What’s cool about the show is like we now go back in time and catch the audience up to how their relationship began, how it grows, and how it gets to where it is now. So, you have this relationship, you have this dynamic between two people, this man and this woman, and she comes to him to help her cover up a murder, and he does. And I love that about them. I love that about them, and I love that about the show. I don't know that I've seen something like that told from this kind of perspective before, and so to play the guy who helps you cover up the murder because of his love and loyalty to you. It's just like, so cool to me. I love that guy.
 
John Betancourt: It’s also amazing that there's so much want in this show, like everyone's searching for something, everyone's desperate to find something. Since you're so close to Joel and you've got such amazing ties to him, what would you say he's searching for in this series?
 
Matthew Davis: Life, authenticity, passion? I mean, I think he's been… his marriage is stagnant. You know, he's not connecting with his wife. They're not connecting at all apart from their son. And I think it's… it's kind of hit that sort of rut. And I think life for him has become kind of predictable. And I think he's somewhat, he's become unimpressed by wealth. He's become unimpressed by the system. I think he sees, I just think he sees the world through the eyes of this, you know, like he says to her in episode two, he's like, you know, “I've seen all kinds of things. People get shot, stabbed, whatever. I saw a guy hit by a truck and exploded on the freeways. Ribs are like a…” you know.
 
And there's another line that comes down the road in this coming episode. I don't want to spoil it, but it's a good line that really kind of keys into, like, his perspective on justice and so I think when Birdie comes around, he's just immediately, like, keys in on this woman who's unlike any person he's ever met before, unlike any woman he's met before, she's so dynamic and chaotic and full of life and just like this fresh air in his life, and he's just immediately captivated by her. And he just sees something about her super special and unique and he kind of begins to pursue her.
 
John Betancourt: Now, you said something a minute ago that actually kind of resonated with with me, in regard to how the show connected with you on a very fundamental level. I've been noticing this show has a lot of interesting themes that reflect just a lot of our world right now, that connect to us. And I'm curious with so many layers and messages to this show, what you kind of hope audiences take away from season one, from a deeper standpoint,
 
Matthew Davis: Well, I want them to be entertained. I want them to be drawn in. I want them to be invested in these characters. I want them to… I want them to relate. I think on one level, the show is very much kind of like a dark exploration of marriage. And marriages in various different states of decline, or passion, or divorce, whatever the case may be, but all the characters share a marriage. It's in some shape or form, or in a different state right now. And that's why I love this show, and how it explores it and teases it out, and, like, I love the Catherine and Tucker storyline, where it sets up for, like, it's also an exploration of infidelities, right? And so, and how people in marriage, respond to those infidelities. And that's what I love about the Catherine and Tucker storyline. Because you're like, you see him respond to her in ways you don't think that -- you think it's going to go one way; it goes a different way.
 
Same thing with Joel and Birdie. You think it's going to go one way. It goes a different way. You know, same thing with Brett and Alice. Like, it's a lot of mis-directions within the realm of, like, where are we in our marriage? Like, what happens when you have desires outside of your marriage? Like, where does this? How does this all weave together? And Bill (Krebs) and Jenna (Bans) have just done such a superb job at fleshing out these really interesting characters that are relatable in their toil, relatable in their frustrations, you know, relatable in like their desires for something beyond what they can grasp right now. And there's that beautiful tension in all of these relationships, and it's explored through these really fresh twists and dynamics that I don't think I've seen on television. And again, that's why I'm -- I mean, obviously I'm partial to Joel and Birdie, but I love their dynamic, because I just don't think you've seen anything necessarily like it.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Also, a bonus, enjoy a sample of Matthew’s work as Joel on ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society’, courtesy of this clip from NBC from this week’s episode of the show, ‘Pollination’.