An Interview with Lucian-River Chauhan & Abigail Pniowsky from ‘Me’

Abigail Pniowsky and Lucian-River Chauhan in "Me," now streaming on Apple TV+.

Lucian-River Chauhan and Abigail Pniowsky are a pair of rising stars on the silver and small screen, that have already appeared in some major projects, such as Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender and Arrival, respectively. Currently they start as Ben and Abby in the new Apple TV+ series, Me, and we had the honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss their new roles and new show.
 
John Betancourt: I'd like to start by getting to know as actors, what it was that attracted you to the characters that you play.
 
Lucian-River Chauhan: I think the most important thing that attracted me to the series was the brilliant writing from creator Barry L. Levy, you know, he's sort of the brains behind this production, you know, this is his vision. And so, I really love the way he was able to develop characters and, you know, go into their lives and explore them a lot more than another show.
 
Abigail Pniowsky: Yeah, I completely agree. I think that the writing was amazing. I was completely attracted to my character, Max. I felt like I connected with her a lot. And I also loved that the whole season, the whole show, has a lot of different layers, a lot of different plot points that I feel like shows in this sort of age range don't usually gear towards. So, I really liked that difference. And I thought it was really special.
 
John Betancourt: Now, both of your characters, both Ben and both Max, are just so… unbelievably believable, I guess is the best way to put it. And I'm very curious how you as actors brought that authenticity to each of these roles.
 
Lucian-River Chauhan: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, me and Abby can both talk about all the stuff that we did on set. I mean, we can. We could just talk and talk. I mean, we did a lot, you know, we would have lots of arm-wrestling competitions. We would play Uno, we would play double, oh, seven. You know, sometimes we would just hang out even, like, not on set, just like, in our trailers, that's sort of the way that we would bond and form that relationship. I remember this one time we went to Jonathan Bergman's House, who plays Owen, and he has this really amazing pool at his house, and so, well, we just sort of had a pool party there. And that was, that was that was a lot of fun, and brought us closer as people and as actors.
 
Abigail Pniowsky: I think that what Riv said was amazing, and definitely Barry was a big help in the process of getting to understand our characters. This was his vision. So, we really wanted to make sure that we brought it to life.
 
John Betancourt: I have noticed in talking to Barry and obviously talking to the two of you, just the joy that it's in everyone's voice when they talk about this show, and I'm very curious what each of you enjoyed working or what you enjoyed the most about working on Season One of the show.
 
Lucian-River Chauhan: I mean, there are so many things that I loved about working on the show. I mean, I could talk to you about, you know, the characters, and getting a chance to talk with Barry about the show, you know. But I think the coolest part about the show, you know, was that I also sort of learned from the show. As much as Ben was learning, I was also learning, you know, I'm actually an only child, and so I don't have any siblings. And so, as Ben was learning how to be a brother, so was I with Abby. And I think that was that was really unique in terms of in the show.
 
Abigail Pniowsky: Yeah, I totally agree with Riv. I think that that dynamic made it really special. I think that being with other kids our age was a new experience for both of us. I've never done a shoot with a lot of other kids, and so it kind of felt like they were kind of like a built-in friend group, like almost our own family. And it was really fun doing scenes with them, especially when there would be a lot of laughter on set. It was just such an amazing time.
 
John Betancourt: So, I have to ask now, because you both kind of brought it up that you had a lot of great sit downs with Barry. I don't want to get into, obviously, every single thing you talked about, but could you kind of walk us through what you guys talked about with Barry to kind of help build your characters?
 
Lucian-River Chauhan: Yeah, 100% I think, you know, there are a couple points that I think Barry wanted us to really understand. I think the one that is pretty general was that you know, Me, is more than just a superhero story. You know, we talk about really important themes that that everyone in the world can learn from it and can hear and I think something that's more specific that we talked about was that Ben will be a legend… one day… and today is not that day. (Laughter)
 
Abigail Pniowsky: Yeah, Barry definitely wanted to -- he wanted us to remember that this isn't a superhero show. It is a show about learning, how to find yourself, coming of age, it has so many different plot points. And for Max especially, I think that he just wanted me to remember that well, one, she's allergic to apologies. She doesn't ever say sorry, which I feel like it's very different from me. I'm always saying sorry, but she, well, I like to use the metaphor she's a “Burnt Marshmallow,” because they are tough and hard on the outside, but in reality, on the inside, they're gooey. And I think that even though she was tough and witty and hard on the outside, she really did care for the people around her, especially for Ben.
 
John Betancourt: Now this is a special project, and unlike anything else on television right now, on a personal level, what does it mean to each of you be part of a project that is this special and is this unique?
 
Abigail Pniowsky: I think that what makes this project special to me is what I took away from Max's overall character development and her journey. I think that… keep the people who are close to you, close to you and learn to grow with them, as opposed to trying to do everything on your own. You know, trying not to let the pressure get to you is easier when you have other people to help you.
 
Lucian-River Chauhan: I think the reason why this, this show, is really special for me, is that, you know, obviously I learned, I learned quite a bit from my character, about forgiveness and, you know, empathy. But I think also, the thing is that anyone can relate to the show, and I think that's why it's not only special to me, but it will be special for everyone who gets a chance to see it. Because, you know, at one point you can see yourself on the screen, and, you know, you can learn from that and relate to it in a certain way.
 
John Betancourt: The last question I have for each of you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work on this show?
 
Abigail Pniowsky: Um, I think that I am most proud of how I could bring Max to life. Um, I kind of knew what was riding on this, especially for Barry, this was a really special project to him, and I wanted to make sure that I could make him proud and help him create such an amazing project. And I think that I really understood my character and her feelings towards each and every other character, especially Ben and her family. I think that I grew with her, and each new scene was a new challenge, a new a new opportunity to kind of bring her to life,
 
Lucian-River Chauhan: I think what I'm most proud of is what I what I've learned, and how I've grown from… from being the Lucian-River or the Riv, that I was before the show, and then the one after. The show is, is really important, because, you know, it transforms you. And I think that's sort of what happened to me. And I'm really proud of my transformation. Because, you know, I learned about friendships and family, like our sibling relationship, Abby and, you know, I learned that support can be, can be in places you least expect it to be, and that's what I'm really proud of.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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