Julia Mayorga is a rising star in Hollywood, and she is quickly making her mark by way of her current role, as Lee English in the Prime Video series, American Rust: Broken Justice. And it just so happens that we had the distinct honor of sitting down with Julia to discuss the brand-new season of the show. 
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know to start off what it means to you, we'll be back for a second season.
 
Julia Mayorga: I'm super excited that we get to continue telling the stories for these characters with this business, you don't know if something's gonna get dropped, picked up. And so, I'm so glad that we got picked up with Prime (Video).
 
John Betancourt: So, speaking of the characters and their stories, I think what I noticed when I was going through season two, was that there's a lot of wanting this season for every single character. What would you ultimately say Lee’s searching for in season two?
 
Julia Mayorga: She's searching for truth, a lot. Her own truth, truth in her workplace as well, I think. I think she wants to be honest. And I think she wants to open up with the people that she loves. And that doesn't work out. I think she gravitates towards, like, her passion, her work and people, and relating to people.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is a series that is just jam packed with all kinds of moral conundrums and fascinating lessons about who we are right now. What do you ultimately hope kind of audiences take away from season two?
 
Julia Mayorga: The humanity of it, I think, I think sometimes it's easy to judge the characters or it's easy, or maybe it's just part of it, you know, you're just like, you feel like you would never, you would never, never do that. But the question always comes up, like, how far are you willing to go for the people that you love? And these people are put in extraordinary, crazy circumstances that keeps coming up. And they're flawed, but they're also… they want to be good people… want to do good things. So that push and pull, I hope, I hope they can see the humanity of that. 
 
John Betancourt: Now from a broader perspective, what are you most excited for audiences to experience in season two in general? 
 
Julia Mayorga: I hope they get shocked. I hope that… there's a lot -- because I was even just reading it -- I'm just shocked by what I'm reading. I'm like, “Oh, my.” I hope they don't see it coming. 
 
John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work over the past couple of seasons on this show?
 
Julia Mayorga: I made it. (Laughter) Um I am, I'm very proud to be working with such talented people. People that care about this project, from the writers to the crew, to the actors on the show, I'm proud of Lee as a character, her trajectory, her growth, her misses and just her faults and being able to play all of that, makes me grow as an actor, and as a person to understand. 
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you today. If you had to describe Season Two of the show in the single word, what would that word be? 
 
Julia Mayorga: Suspense. 
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Luna Lauren Velez and Rob Yang are a pair of accomplished actors who have graced our television screens often over the course of their wondrous careers. Currently, they star as Detective Angela Burgos and Steve Park in the Prime Video series, American Rust: Broken Justice, and we had the distinct honor of sitting with both of them to discuss year two of this wondrous show. 
 
John Betancourt: I’m very curious as to what you think each of your characters are searching for in season two, because this season is just grounded in want.
 
Luna Lauren Velez: That's interesting. It does have a lot of want, doesn't it? And since this is a introduction to Angela, I don't think we know that much about her. But definitely connection. You know, I feel that, you know, this woman in this typically male dominated world, arena, is looking for somebody that she can connect to. And she connects almost immediately to Del Harris, and feels like they they're simpatico, right, they have this unspoken connection. And then weird stuff starts to happen. That's like, “Oh, boy, are you one of us or are you one of them?” And I think the idea of her really looking, wanting, connection and to have to be on the right side of things is… yeah, that's her quest. 
 
Rob Yang: Yeah, there's a lot of the pursuit of like, “Look, I'm not crazy. This, I think this happened. And everyone's ignoring me.” You know, like that, that feeling? I think there's a real like, need to just be acknowledged. That's, that's driving Steve Park in this this second season.
 
John Betancourt: There are so many layers and themes to this season’s storylines, what are you hoping audiences latch onto this year? 
 
Rob Yang: Hopefully, they'll be able to see… I always like, conflicts that you can understand both sides of it, like why someone might be doing something that they shouldn't be doing. And I hope, I hope audiences really get that. You know, because, like, all these characters are trying to live and do the right thing, in a way, in their version of it. So that'd be a great thing for people to take away. That’s good storytelling, I think.
 
Luna Lauren Velez: Kind of to jump on that I think there's, you know, we have such an idea, such a linear idea of what is, the right, moral thing to do. And I think they're gonna walk away with the idea that that's not always true. It's not always a linear, you know, way that you're going to find the right thing to do, or the truth, sometimes there's different ways to go about it. And I think that's one of the most compelling aspects of this season.
 
John Betancourt: This is obviously a season of storytelling that fans of this show have been anxiously awaiting, what are you most excited for audiences to enjoy in season two in general? 
 
Luna Lauren Velez: That’s almost impossible. (Laughter) So, there's so much that happens. Truly, honestly, there's so much that happens that I'm even excited to revisit it. Because some of it I might have sort of buried away, like, I can't believe that had happened. But I think audiences are in for something, something really unique, something truly riveting, honestly, and really cool characters.
 
Rob Yang: Yeah, you know, when I read these scripts, as they were coming out, I couldn't wait to find out what happens. It was just so… you know, I think we do that justice. Like, people walk away with that, there's so much happening in the second season. It really takes off. Going back to revisit it, there’s just so much. I can't wait to watch it again. Because there's just too much that it touches on, you know?
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for each of you today, if you had to describe the season in one word, what would that one word be? 
 
Rob Yang: Determination. Determination.
 
Luna Lauren Velez: I'm going to use the word I’ve used before and say, it's explosive.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

Alex Neustaedter & Mark Pellegrino are a pair of accomplished actors that have appeared in many memorable stories throughout their illustrious careers. Currently they play Billy and Virgil Poe, respectively, in the Prime Video series, American Rust: Broken Justice, and as part of our celebration of season two’s arrival… we sat down with both of them to discuss year two of this dynamic show. 
John Betancourt: First and foremost, I'd like to star by learning what it means to each of you to be back for a second season.
 
Alex Neustaedter: Yeah, it’s very exciting. I feel like we had a lot of storylines that were left unturned and not resolved. And I feel like we're just really excited to be able to, to resolve some storylines, and continue the story and continue living through these characters.
 
Mark Pellegrino: Same, it's great to have a new lease on life and to continue telling the story, I mean, for us as actors, and for the fans who wanted to know what the heck was going to happen, I think season two is going to leave them in the same boat, they're going to want to know what's going to happen in season three.
 
John Betancourt: There is a lot of want this season, everyone really is searching for something. What would you say you’re characters are searching for in season two?
 
Mark Pellegrino: It's funny, because I think we're running towards the future. But we're also confronting the past, you know, and oftentimes going into the future means dealing with and getting closure with your past. So, Virgil's, I think, moving into adulthood… rather late, but he's going into adulthood, learning to become a man, running his own business. And part of being able to do that successfully is mending bridges with his son, he was never a father to his son, really, in the most important ways, and now he's trying to be a father to his son in the most important ways.
 
Alex Neustaedter: I think Billy is really searching for his purpose and searching for what he's going to do in the future. I think it's also at the same time that Virgil is becoming a man I think Billy is equally becoming a man and really taking the next steps of responsibility. And I think he's really trying to come out of his shell at the end of the season and through the season and, and deal with his traumas, as best as he can.
 
John Betancourt: There are also so many themes and concepts for audiences to chew upon here, what are you hoping audiences take away from season two of the show?
 
Alex Neustaedter: Yeah, I think I hope audiences will take away that even though like the outside of a lot of these characters is kind of corroding away or seems like it's corroding way I think, deep down, they're all very strong, and caring people and they love each other. And I think that's something that is very relatable, even as flawed as these characters are, is that they will do anything they can for the people that they love.
 
Mark Pellegrino: I like the metaphor of the “rust” in American Rust. Once you scratch beneath the rust, you find iron, if it's very durable, and these people are durable and what makes them durable is their love, and still holding on to the idea that, you know, they can be better than Buell. And I think people will relate to them. 
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you gentlemen, today. If you had to describe Season Two in a single word, or started market this one, what would that word be? 
 
Mark Pellegrino: I’m thinking I'm going to steal something from Alex, but I think it would be, reconciliation.
 
Alex Neustaedter: I’ll say… vengeance.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Caution: This interview contains spoilers for the Season One Finale of ‘Constellation’.
 
After eight weeks of guessing and wondering, we finally know what happened to Jo in the hit Apple TV+ series, Constellation, and with season one now come to a close and answers in hand, we here at NTG had the honor of sitting down with the show’s Showrunner and Creator, Peter Harness to discuss the finale and so much more. 
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know to start off with what it means to you now to have that complete story as you envisioned out there.
 
Peter Harness: It's… it's very interesting it's very kind of, I mean, it having lived in my head for so many years, and, and it's taken a very long time to make it and, get it out there. It feels, it feels a bit surreal. And actually, it's, you know, it's always very, very stressful when something is kind of transmitting, because it's very hard to enjoy it. Because it's like kind of sending one of your children out off into the world. And you cannot really stop worrying about it for the whole time that it's happening. So, it’s very nice to have it out there. And also, I’m slightly trying to kind of keep off the internet and things. While things are going out. I know, I know that kind of, you know, as a professional I should. I should be taking the temperature of things but it's a bit scary and horrifying. 
 
But I'm aware that there's you know, there's a there's a huge kind of Reddit subgroup that I found out about over the weekend. And they've got so many theories, and they're making so many spreadsheets. And, they're really obviously having a really fun time, going back and watching all the episodes again and looking for all the Easter eggs and trying to work out how everything connects, I think that's lovely. It's very rewarding when people are engaging with it, and people are kind of, you know, giving it its own its own life in a way. Yeah, so, that's lovely. And I really hope that people continue engaging with it and, and trying to figure it out and, and kind of living the imaginative life with it in that way. That's really nice. 
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of that ending, what an ending that you put together, I was not prepared for this to be a story, so grounded in… I don't want to call them simpler concepts, but more endearing concepts, such as, you know, accepting the hands that we’re dealt, accepting the life that we lead, what went into the decision to use a multiverse concept to express those, those very downhome themes?
 
Peter Harness: I don't know. It's, it's, it's not… a kind of multiverse. It's… a kind of mirrored realities, really. Because I think that kind of the multiverse, which is very exciting, but it's very kind of open ended. And it felt like kind of… it was really an exploration of, what it was to be separated from somebody, and what it was to kind of come back together in a kind of imperfect way, maybe. And that, I think… well, I mean, I wish I wish my brain was organized enough to think of these things from the beginning. Because kind of this was a this was a kind of backstory in a framework to the series, which develops over quite a long time. But I think that just having two sets of characters who can maybe crossover with each other in certain circumstances, every now and again, that enables you to really focus on the emotional journey of that and kind of play, play the whole like, It's a Wonderful Life version of reality.
 
Which I think, you know, taking a mother out of the family and, and really watching how it goes for, for those who've lost her, and, and how it goes for a family which is trying to kind of reassemble itself after, after a series of traumatic events and having been apart for so long, I think I it lets you, it lets you kind of close enough doors, to really kind of bed down into those characters and, and their choices and how the kind of path we didn't take might have turned out. And its really just kind of telling that emotional story of, of the mother and the daughter and you know, her two daughters really. And, and grounding that was kind of what organizes everything and dictated the choices we made. Because it was, I think, more important to me than anything else that that we really told that emotional story of parent and child and that was the thing that you ended up caring about. And the thing that was moving about it, because I'm very, you know, I'm aware that sci fi can often be very conceptual, and a bit cold sometimes. And, and I really wanted this to have a lot of emotion in it.
 
John Betancourt: Ultimately, I think you’ve written nothing short of a sci fi epic, something people will continue to pour over. When all is said and done, what do you hope the legacy of this show will be? 
 
Peter Harness: I don't know. I mean, I hope we will get to, I hope we will get to carry on telling the story. I can't, it feels rather kind of vain to talk about the legacy of something that I've written, but I think that it was, it's really great to have gotten an original idea off the ground and made. I think I'm very, I'm very proud of that. And it's been a very, it's been hard work, because it is very hard work to get original things made. But I kind of decided a few years ago that it wasn't really kind of worth being a writer unless I was going to try and tell you know, original stories. So, I kind of hope that if it's a success, and if it goes well, that it says you know, it's okay to do things which are not kind of, you know, preexisting. And, because that's, that's where the surprises are really and stories need to keep on surprising us and taking us in, in unexpected directions. And I think, you know, like I said, I wanted to do, I don't really kind of think of myself as a sci fi writer, or kind of, you know, any specific kind of writer really. But I think it's important that these, these kind of high concept shows do have kind of heart. And what I really liked doing, I think is taking a weird situation, and a very kind of unusual situation. And, and really actually kind of digging down into what I think real people would do in it. 
 
Because I think often in in shows, and in films, the characters kind of know that they're in a story. You know, they've got an awareness that they're kind of -- that they've got a part to play in, in telling the story. And I like just to kind of, you know, stop that impulse a little bit and allow the characters just to kind of act as randomly or as irrationally, or as you know, unexpectedly as human beings do. Because I think if you let your characters do that, then that can take the story in all sorts of interesting directions, because they're kind of charging off with the story and taking it to a place that they want to go rather than the place where I've decided it's going because it's act three of a sci fi, um, blockbuster or whatever. But as far as legacy goes, I mean, you know, that's just the way that I do it. So, everybody does it in their own way. So, you know, I hope people will carry on watching it. And I hope that kind of people will be drawn to it by the kind of enthusiasm of the people who have, who have engaged with it, and that people carry on making their own theories and, you know, their own spreadsheets and pie charts and things. It's, you know, it's really lovely to see that.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season One Finale of ‘Constellation’. 
 
Noomi Rapace is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in a bevy of big franchises throughout her career, and currently she stars as Jo in the hit Apple TV+ series, Constellation, and to properly reflect upon the season one finale, we sat down with Noomi to discuss the finale and so much more.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know what it means to you, to have Jo’s journey complete and in front of the masses.
 
Noomi Rapace: Um, it feels amazing, you know, now it's out, she lived in me, and she took over my life for a certain amount of… I think it was eight months. And you know, I'm really excited to share the whole journey with all of you. So, I'm excited for people. Also, to hear what people think, like after the eighth episode, if it is what expected, if it wrapped things up, how it lands with people.
 
John Betancourt: It definitely took me by surprise in all the right ways, and speaking of surprise, a lot of what makes this show work, quite frankly, is your performance. Because we at times don't know, if Jo is having a severe PTSD break. Or if something is bigger going on. How did you as an actor, kind of build those beats and build that structure to keep fooling us every week?
 
Noomi Rapace: Thank you. I mean, Jo doesn't know what's going on. (Laughter) So, Jo-A is trapped in Jo-B's body, coming back to reality, that’s kind of like her own, but not, and like, constantly kind of asking herself and analyzing herself. “Am I going insane? No, I'm not, everything else is wrong.” And then knowing how she sounds like, “I do know, I sound crazy, but this is not my baby.” And also, you know, being a scientist, she knows she's analyzing yourself. She's like, like, kind of telling us “I'm looking at evidence, fiding proof,” and then the gut feeling, and all her senses think, something else. So, I had so many tools to work with, to, you know, just -- and also being just like the primal raw human that is like, “Okay, I'm trusting my instincts, instead of my brain.”
 
John Betancourt: Now let’s talk a little bit about that ending. Because you said yourself, you are kind of curious, the way audiences are going react to it, and there’s a lot to process when it comes down to it, such as accepting the hand we’re dealt, and I’m curious what you hope audiences take away from it.
 
Noomi Rapace: I mean, I love that it's not as like, a pure happy ending. It's so like, it you know, it is kind of acceptance and embracing life as it is. And just like, okay, I can never reach there, I can't, I can't reunite. My baby girl is trapped somewhere else, in another universe another reality. And I'm here, and there’s nothing I can do. I could go mad, and just like, start a war with everyone and everyone's gonna think I’m totally crazy, but that's not gonna lead anywhere. And it's like, accepting it. Start taking the pill. Like taking this this girl, this other Alice, to my heart and letting her kind of be my daughter. Like, it's, it's brutal and sad, but also beautiful. So, it has that like, double feeling that I think like the best endings of movies, and series always have, there’s like a bitter sweetness to it. But then you have a Jo-B, up on the ISS, who is like, not really dead, is she? Like, is she looking down at Jo-A living her life and like, having her daughter in her arms? How does that make her feel? You know? So like, I really love that last shot. 
 
John Betancourt: Oh, that’s up there. I was not expecting that at all. Now, I am curious, because I think we all take something away from the stories we enjoy, or work on and I’m curious… what did take away from Jo’s journey in season one? 
 
Noomi Rapace: I really started to look at myself, my own life in a different way. Just like taking a moment to step out of yourself. Look down on yourself, like how does Noomi live her life? What kind of person is she? Is she a good mother? Is she respectful towards people? Is she fun? Am I living the life I want to live? And if I had a different reality, if I could do different choices, what would I do? And that's really just opened up for a different way of looking at things. And it gave me some space in my head like to start exploring different perspectives. And I've been talking to friends about it like, “What if there was a different reality and a different version of you? How would she be? How would he be?”
 
John Betancourt: So, I think it’s safe to say this show is quickly becoming something of a cult classic since people are pouring over the details and the clues and I’m curious what it is like personally to be part of something like that? 
 
Noomi Rapace: Oh, thank you so much. This show is so close to my heart, it’s really one of my, um, I kind of had this feeling with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo way back then. It's like a character I love and she's very close to me. And I carry her with me. And I love the show. I love everyone involved. Like the actors are amazing. The three directors, working with Apple TV Plus, like everyone, the executives, the producers, it was really like, a project with so many great forces. And I'm really proud of it. So, makes me very, and it was very emotional for me. And it was hard, it was a brutal shoot. Because, you know, I just went to places in myself, that was really challenging. And shooting in Morocco is extremely hot, shooting wirework, floating, very, very intense for the body. And then going up to northern Finland, which was like minus 20. So, we really kind of went to the extremes. So, I mean, I'm very, I feel so blessed and honored by the reactions. 
 
John Betancourt: We’ve definitely talked at length about your relationship to Jo and how deeply intertwined she is to you, and I’m curious what you love about the character so much?
 
Noomi Rapace: Um, I mean, I'm talking about Jo-A. (Laughter) Because Jo-B…
 
John Betancourt: Oh yeah, there’s nothing to like about Jo-B’s path. (More laughter)
 
Noomi Rapace: So, Jo-A is… she's a very hard working, passionate, driven woman. She's a real woman, she's not a superhero. She's not perfect. She's struggling. She's not… she's not a perfect mother, but she does her best. And I love flaws. I love cracks in personalities. And I mean, she's been working so hard to become an astronaut, she’s gone on this mission. She's prepped for this, for the EVA walk, you know, it took years and years. And then this accident happens, and she’s brought back to something that looks like her life, but it's not. It just feels like it was the perfect way to explore a character in a kind of slightly twisted reality. And she’s so, I mean, her being a scientist with a scientific mind, reading every situation from that angle, and looking for evidence, looking for proof, being someone will look to facts and then your heart, your body is telling you something else. It's like, friction inside, which is like a great gift to be given as an actress to have that whole, like, buffet of characteristic tools to play with.
 
John Betancourt: I’ve heard a lot of passion in your voice today about your work here, and I’m also curious as to what you enjoyed the most about working on season one in general? 
 
Noomi Rapace: Working with Michelle McLaren was for me, one of the highlights. She's so incredible. She's so passionate. She's a perfectionist. And she works really so close with the actors she's so in it with you. And there's like, when we shot all the scenes, when I'm in the Soyuz, where it's like I'm kind of trapped, and there's no space, I’m in this so-called suit. And I had an earpiece, no one could come in, and sometimes we had to block shoot scenes. Because I'm shooting five scenes at the same time with like, with the camera from one angle side, So I had to keep so much in my head. And then I had Michelle on an earpiece in my ear, and I was just like getting her directions, like straight into my brain. And she kind of felt like, you know, it’s like God is speaking to me. But we had such a strong bond and such a strong connection. And you know, and I'm a perfectionist, I see everything, I have like eyes in my neck. And then I was like, sometimes I was like, “Oh, we need to—" and then she like, she was on it already. So, we just worked, it was like a beautiful dance working with that. 
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work here? 
 
Noomi Rapace: Wow, um, that this series has been made. That Apple TV Plus took a shot on something that is quite complex. This doesn't really – it’s its own genre. It's sci fi, drama, horror. It's a family drama, it's about motherhood. But it's, the setting is really like cinematic and, you know, powerful, but it's also intimate. It just… a lot of people took risks. And then it turned out to be something that I'm like, I'm really proud of it. And I'm really grateful because I don't think any algorithm would kind of point in the direction that this should work for everyone. Like I think everyone has worked on this, really believed in it and really kind of been fighting for it, and the whole team… I'm just proud of being part of this. I feel really blessed and honored. And like everyone from the you know, the publicity team at Apple, my team, the actors, the executives, the producers in France, the producers in in Germany, it’s a bunch of people with like souls on fire for this, so it just feels very… it's a big moment for me, and it's… I really feel like this is one of them… a project I've been waiting for probably throughout my career and it came, and it came out. 
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 
​

Dan Futterman and Adam Rapp are a pair of accomplished writers and producers, who currently serve as executive producers and writers for American Rust: Broken Justice on Prime Video. And we here at NTG had the pleasure of sitting down with both of them to discuss season two of this dynamic series. 
 
John Betancourt: What does it mean to each of you to be back for a second season? 
 
Dan Futterman: Oh, it's such a thrill. You know, we both love the novel, Philipp Meyer’s novel, American Rust. And we departed somewhat from it in the first season, but the characters were created by him, and the world was, and with a second season, we got to jump off from there, and just take a take a huge dive into the unknown. And that was really exciting. And we made a conscious decision. And it's a new chapter, it has a different title, Broken Justice. And we made a conscious decision, let's rev this up. Let's get this narrative rolling, we know the characters now. Let's throw them into very, very different situations, jeopardy, new relationships, jealousies, what would it be like, for instance, for Grace to have money for the first time in her life? That was, you know, things like that, and putting Del Harris in different, dangerous situation. All of it was exciting to do. And then to watch, because there's such good actors. 
 
Adam Rapp: I also want to say, like Isaac’s story, and him exploring his love life, and what that means to him to be a character who's out and to come and bring that to actual home to Pittsburgh. What does that mean, personally, physically, emotionally, and then to have him get involved with who he gets involved with, was really fun to figure out how to, like, you know, play with the audience's expectations, how to manage the storylines, there, and like, what his relationship to Billy and their friendship, what that would do to them, and would their friendship is be challenged by that, would it be enriched in some way. And then I also have to say, like, you know, bringing a lot of the story to Pittsburgh, to the city, and not relying on doing it so much on the outskirts of the town, was a pleasure. It was, in some ways easier, because we were closer to our base camp where we kept all our trucks and it was easier just to shoot, we had more hours of the day to shoot. But it was also just cool, because you can point the camera anywhere in Pittsburgh and get something interesting, bridges and bluffs and valleys and rivers and, you know, just the feeling of that town. And that texture is really cool to shoot.
 
John Betancourt: Something I’ve enjoyed about season two, is just the moral conundrums that float around in this universe and all the questions that it asks, What are you hoping audiences take away from some of that underlying commentary? In season two, almost all of them?
 
Adam Rapp: You know, I think the Del, Grace relationship comes front to me when you ask that question, I think about all the things that he did for her in season one, what he sacrificed like how he allowed his soul to like, maybe get tarnished a bit, the line he crossed, and then the thing he's trying to correct within himself by what he does in season two, and what she's trying to correct, and what she's trying to pay back to him, which ultimately gets paid back in some ways at the end. You know, those are really, really fun things to think about morally like, can we, correct, our wrongdoings? You know, it's that old Raskolnikov question, about do good deeds offset bad deeds, you know? And that's something that we talked about a lot in the writer’s room, like, what is the moral compass there?
 
Dan Futterman: I have no idea who Raskolnikov is. (Laughter from all)
 
Adam Rapp: “Crime and Punishment!”
 
Dan Futterman: Yeah, I mean, you know, Jeff (Daniels), Del Harris is trying to pay penance for what he did in the first season, Grace does not see that as something that requires paying penance. So immediately you have this conflict between the two of them. Billy is trying to recover from what happened to him in the first season, Isaac is trying to live an open life in a town that that may or may not be quite ready for living that life. Everybody comes into this season with different challenges and different conflicts. And, and then to see them go through this and you know, in some way, it's weird when you're writing a second season, because you're both writing it and creating that and then also kind of watching them go through this because they have to react in a way that we all understand, is how they have to react. And letting yourself play into that and letting the characters play that out… is such a thrill.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney are a pair of highly decorated and accomplished actors that have appeared in countless films and shows that are near and dear to our hearts. Currently, they star as Del Harris and Grace Poe on American Rust: Broken Justice, on Prime Video and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss season two of this magnificent show. 
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start off by knowing what it means to each of you. And we'll start with Jeff here to be back for a second season.
 
Jeff Daniels: Well, it's nice. I mean, we were at Showtime, and we got canceled. So, I thought, we thought that was the end of it. And then Prime Video picked it up and it was all, “Oh! Okay.” And, you know, I remember going back into The Newsroom, the second season, you already know the character, you don't have to discover, you don't have to find your way into him. He's there already. And so now, with season two, we can take all these people that, those you know, who watched season one, you know them, and we can just take off from the get-go. And that's what we do. Season two… it starts off and it just takes off. And so that's fun. I it was fun to see what Danny Futterman and Adam Rapp had planned, once we set up all the characters that you needed to care about.
 
Maura Tierney: Again, with Jeff, it was kind of unexpected, because the show was cancelled by Showtime. So, it was a surprise to me that we were going to go again. And I think for me, which I didn't really know, in advance, but I did talk to the writers before, I think that there's a shift with Grace, because she really couldn't catch a break at all last season. And this season, she's catching some breaks. And I think it's hard. It's just as much of a challenge for the character to deal with having some good fortune in her life. Because you know, someone who believes they deserve nothing, who starts to get something has to figure that out. So, it was a completely different challenge with the character this season, which was fun. 
 
John Betancourt: That’s something that I noticed this season, that there is a lot of a lot of want for everyone. And I'm very curious to hear what you think your characters are ultimately searching for in season two?
 
Maura Tierney: Well, ultimately, the character is searching for everyone to do exactly what she wants all the time, when she wants it. I mean, I think, but realistically, I think she wants, you know, she wants a healthy and content relationship with Del, she wants a healthy and more intimate relationship with her son. I mean, I think even more intimacy in both relationships. And I think there is a desire in her to kind of exert some independence, aside from mother and girlfriend, but that's at the bottom of the list. I think.
 
Jeff Daniels: Well, Del comes into season two with some baggage from what happened at the end of season one. So, he's, you know, he's searching for peace. He's also searching for, you know, there's some atonement for something that happened in season one that was kind of his fault. And now someone's dead. And he's trying to atone for that by going after the core of what caused that. So, he's on a mission to kind of right that wrong, even though he's got to commit about four other wrongs to get to it. But that and ending up with Grace with the sun coming up, you know, every morning, that's kind of -- he wants the peace of just, that's his American Dream is to be in his cabin with Grace and live the rest of their lives together in peace. That's kind of what he's shooting for.
 
Maura Tierney: Literally. (Laughter)
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for each of you today, without spoiling, what are you most excited for audiences to experience in this new season?
 
Jeff Daniels: The unpredictability of the story turns in season two, that's the whole battle of storytelling is, and I do this with scripts. I don't know Maura, if you do this, but it's, you get 10 pages in, and you stop and you go, “All right, what happens next?” And if I guess right, that's probably a reason not to do it. But I think the guys have done a really good job of, you know, whatever you think is about to happen, something else happens, and it's unpredictable and plausible at the same time. And that's, you know, good storytelling. 
 
Maura Tierney: And there's a bunch of new characters. 
 
Jeff Daniels: Yeah.
 
Maura Tierney: Which is nice. That story expands out. Which I think is going to be good.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Skeet Ulrich is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in countless beloved franchises through his illustrious career. Currently he stars as Colin in the new AMC/AMC+ series, Parish, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Skeet to discuss his new role.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know what it was that attracted you to Colin, and this story as a whole.
 
Skeet Ulrich: You know, it was the first reading of it. You know, they had “Yellow Moon” by the Neville Brothers in it, and when I played that, and was reading along, and then the next jazz piece and then next piece. It had an, I don't know, it just had a flavor to it, I had never read, and in terms of Colin, you know, and I think as a whole the story you know, it's about family and it's about you know, the lengths we will go to for family and what defines family and I think that was what was really interesting to me is what does “Brother” mean, in this context? What does, you know, what is this world and then there was this whole element of you know, Giancarlo (Esposito) and Gracián Parish, they carry so much bass notes with the grief that he's dealing with the loss of his son, his relationships falling apart, his business falling apart. And there's so much weight to it, that I wanted this sort of staccato to go along with it so that he could revel in the bass notes. But somebody else is just moving it along.
 
Like if I, if Colin, sat in bass notes as well, we don't really have much going on. So, it was just a thing I heard in my head and was really interested in experimenting with and letting fly. And I think it worked. I mean, I think, you know, I think the two together are, it's really so complimentary. It can't help but think of them as long-lost friends or, you know, people with a massive history together. So yeah, it was it was all kinds of different elements from Giancarlo and the script and the character and New Orleans and all of it.
 
John Betancourt: One of the things that I noticed is there's a lot of want in this story from pretty much every character, they're all kind of searching for something. What would you ultimately say, Colin is deeply searching for?
 
Skeet Ulrich: I think as, you know, for me, it feels like and I and I'm including Colin in this, but I think it's I think there's a real element of loneliness, you know, in all the characters that they're battling against. And I think that's very human. I battle it, I don't know about you, but I think you know, there's a lot of us that are really searching for connection, you know, and in so many different ways that you wonder sometimes if you'll ever get it and so that to me -- and you're right, there is a lot of want from everybody. But I think that's for me that's at the heart of it is this, this desire to end loneliness or to fulfill yourself, in some way connect to somebody in some way that's meaningful. You know, it's an obvious in Gracián, in Giancarlo’s character, you know, that with the world falling apart around him his own world of his own creation, falling apart, this deep, intrinsic loneliness, this everyman quality, and god, the shit he gets involved in as an everyman… and, I mean, it is, it's, it's an extraordinary story.
 
John Betancourt: It really is, and I think that's a good point of loneliness. I mean, I've had my bouts with it, too, and I think that's what I love about this show, is it's not quite a crime drama. Because there's so much depth and so much meaning to it. And I'm curious, you know, since we talked about several themes, ultimately, kind of what do you hope the audience takes away from this on a more underlying theme?
 
Skeet Ulrich: You know, I don't know, I hope they certainly have a blast, I hope they’re moved. But I think it's that for me. I just hope they really get in meshed in it and fall in love with it. And I think there's I think there's a bit for everybody. I think there's a lot for, like I said, for the everyman. I think there's, you know, there's a lot for outsiders to grasp onto there's, you know, a look at what is crime and what isn't, and, you know, when you look at the Horse and what he's doing, and the similarities to what Gracián is doing, how are they really that far apart? One has means the other doesn't have means, but aren't they doing the same thing? Obviously, Gracián is not doing what the Horse is doing. That's not what I mean. But I mean, in terms of how they're trying to be fathers You know, trying to navigate their business. You know, we never even talked about the Horse’s wife, Luke's mom or any of that, so you know, where's is his -- oh, there's so many things that I think that speak to the common man. So, I guess I hope they feel seen and sighted at the same time.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today. What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on this show?
 
Skeet Ulrich: I think the relationship that Giancarlo and I developed between the two characters, you know, excited me from the first moment, and I was fortunate to have a scene partner who was game to just go. You know, it's funny because I look back on Riverdale and if you were to ask me the same question, I would say meeting Cole (Sprouse), you know, he's become one of my dear friends. He's such a great human being. I'm blessed to know him and to get to know him more and more. And I feel the same with Giancarlo. So, I think that yeah, I think just those relationships that have evolved out of out of work.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Eddie Schmidt is a highly accomplished producer and director that has given life to some fascinating documentaries throughout the years. His current project, Good One: A Show About Jokes, is available to watch now on Peacock and we here at NTG had the wonderful honor of sitting down with Eddie to discuss how this fascinating docu-series came to life.
 
John Betancourt: I have to know as an executive director, what it was it inspired the creation of a special.
 
Eddie Schmidt: Well, I'm a big fan of comedy. And I really loved the Good One podcast that Jesse David Fox has been doing for Vulture. And so, when a producer with Vulture came to me with the opportunity to adapt it, I was very excited by the prospect. And I brought it to Universal Television, Alternative Studios. And they we teamed up with Seth Meyers and his company and set out to make, you know, something that really showed the process of comedy how, you know, comedy is crafted.
 
John Betancourt: As kind of a follow up on that. You said that you love comedy a lot? What is it about comedy that you enjoy so much that you had to share this process with the masses?
 
Eddie Schmidt: Well, I think I've just grown-up loving comedy, first of all, and I think comedians are able to get to a lot of truths by using humor. And I've been fortunate to work with some very funny people in documentary context, Chelsea Handler, you know, for one, Jason Sudeikis, Harry Shearer. But I hadn't made something that was about the process of making comedy. And so, I know how hard funny people work at what they do. And the meticulousness and the level of detail. And so, I thought, well, “It will be a really fascinating journey to show that process” because it's also very personal, you know, the material is personal. And so, I thought it would be this great intersection of process and personal.
 
John Betancourt: What was it that motivated you to make Mike Birbiglia and his work the focus of this documentary?
 
Eddie Schmidt: You know, Mike has been on the Good One podcast. And Mike is, first of all, an exceptional comedian. He's also very upfront about process. He has his own podcast, you know, about the craft of comedy. So, he's willing to be open about it. And that frankness, that directness, and of course, his skill level, made him ideal. Here's somebody who is a pro, who's willing to say, “Hey, you know, this is where the building blocks come from” that really, that was a great opportunity for us.
 
John Betancourt: I'm very curious as to what kind of challenges you and your team ran into in assembling this journey.
 
Eddie Schmidt: I think the challenge really was, we're creating something new in a sense, which is that the podcast is a conversation. And this is a more immersive, you know, documentary experience, where the comedian, Mike, is leading you, the audience, on this journey. So, there was, you know, a lot of thought involved of, how do we do that in a way that feels authentic and feels natural and is fun. And then also, I think the production challenge was, “Hey, we need to be able to, like, shoot his shows, and shoot with him,” you know, behind the scenes and in his life, and be able to balance all that, you know, that requires a lot of planning, and a great crew. We had a great crew.
 
John Betancourt:  Now, I have to ask you, because I'll be remiss to not ask this question, how much stuff didn't make final cut?
 
Eddie Schmidt: I think, well, it's interesting. You know, we filmed more of Mike's shows, right? So, there's certainly other jokes and routines, but we were balancing, you know, that you need to see the performance, and the performance and the material dovetails with, you know, his life. And so those were the sweet spots for us. So, there were, you know, things that we filmed, different jokes, different routines that were very funny, but they just sort of didn't fit into kind of where the story was, was leading us.
 
John Betancourt: That makes total sense. Because he does focus a lot on “what's the show gonna be about?” and then on those specific jokes, I get that completely.
 
Eddie Schmidt: Yeah, so, there's bonus jokes, floating around. Maybe some of them will float around social media at some point, some of our bonus jokes.
 
John Betancourt: Well, that would be great! Now this is an unprecedented look into just the creation of comedy in general. What does it mean to you to be able to create something this unique and this pioneering?
 
Eddie Schmidt: Well, thank you for saying that, I think, so first of all, I love verité. Filming verité, like filming things as they happen, multi camera and really trying to capture something as it unfolds. And so many documentaries, and particularly documentaries about comedy, or comedians, are looking in the rearview mirror, right? They’re historic, they look back on something that already happened. So, I think the exciting part for us was “No, no, we want to document pivot points as they happen.”
 
John Betancourt: Now, outside of the actual process, what else do your audiences take away from this behind the scenes look at comedy?
 
Eddie Schmidt: Well, I hope that audiences, first of all, have a great appreciation for Mike. He has a brilliant mind and is really exceptional at what he does. And then I hope that the insights they get from something like this extend to all comedians, but really to artists in general, I think what was cool for me is, you know, having documented many people in you know, many worlds, whether you're a musician, whether you're a chef, whether you're a comic, how hard people work, how much they prepare, how much they care about what they do, it's really impressive. And so, I think people, you know, will see this, and think, “Oh, I didn't realize, comedians, you know, work this hard.”
 
John Betancourt: Now this is the beginning of a new series on Peacock? Where we see more of this with other comedians?
 
Eddie Schmidt: We loved making Good One. And we would love to make more. So hopefully, people will enjoy it, appreciate seeing, you know, this window into Mike's process and his world. And it is absolutely something that we can do again, with other comedians. And I think I think there are other comedians who will be interested in telling their stories, too.
 
John Betancourt: Now as a fan of the craft, what did you take away from this experience?
 
Eddie Schmidt: I took away again, the dedication, I guess, that's what I took away was dedication. In other words, I myself, I always say that I work hard, right? And I don't, you know, I've come to this point in my career, but I still work as hard. Interestingly enough, in getting to know, Mike, I guess my first thought was, “Oh, well, he's, he's the top of his game. He's great.” But he works hard. So, I think that was really interesting for me to see like, “Oh yeah, you know, if you really believe in what you do your own bar is high for yourself.” And so, you're gonna work hard, you know, when you stop working hard, you maybe… you don't, you know, you don't care anymore. So, I think if you're working hard at what you what you love, that's a good thing.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today. What are you most proud of when it comes to this documentary?
 
Eddie Schmidt: I am proud that this documentary is funny. (Laughter) In other words, I think it's revealing, its immersive. But I think if you didn't get to appreciate who Mike is and what he does, through his comedy, you know, that wouldn't work. So, I am glad that people can also laugh along with this documentary.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Rhys Darby is an accomplished actor and comedian that has graced many a popular and iconic franchise with his many skills in both arenas, and this week… he graced another. For Rhys played Alistair, the refined love of one Donna ‘Gurgs’ Gurganous on this week’s episode of Night Court on NBC, and we had the distinct honor of sitting down with Rhys to discuss all things, Night Court.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start off by getting to know what it was that attracted you to the character of Alistair?
 
Rhys Darby: Well, I know the show, Night Court, watched it as a kid with my mum, have fond memories, and she passed a while ago. So, I felt like “I've got to do this, I want to do this for mum, because we used to watch the show together back in the day.” And the character, I can easily fit into those shoes. It's someone who's a posh Duke, that is a little bit clueless, looks down their nose at people but needs to try to fit in and needs to learn how to be bit more human. So those are all those kinds of traits that I like playing, I find the comedy that comes from that character is well within my wheelhouse. So, I decided to do it.
 
John Betancourt: Something I’ve noticed about Night Court that I think is wonderful, is how the quirks of every guest star are fully fleshed out in every episode. How did you as an actor bring those to life and make them feel so real?
 
Rhys Darby: I think that's the key with comedy is, make it look realistic. Because as soon as -- you can kind of over accentuate things to a degree, but it's got to be believable. And when you go past that line of believability, you don't relate. And I think it's finding that right line and kind of swaying and playing on that line. And that's where you get the physical comedy. You know, people in general don't necessarily, aren't necessarily hilarious when they're doing something physical. Unless well, certainly when, unless it's done by accident, in which case you do that thing where you laugh at someone and then you go, “Oh, I shouldn't have.” But you know, it's one of the reasons America's Funniest Home Videos was such a huge hit. But it's kind of like trying to find a grounded, slightly grounded character that is also an open buffoon. And you've got to fit the tone right of the show. And once I started working with the cast, I’d already seen some episodes of the new Night Court. So, I knew what the what the vibe was. And it's always been silly. So, it's always been like, a touch out of touch of reality. And that's my favorite type of comedy. So, it was it was easy to fit in.
 
John Betancourt: Now you’ve spent a lot of your career working in single camera shows, but you have done multi-cam. What do you have to do as an actor to prepare for that kind of shift?
 
Rhys Darby: Yeah, I forgot a little bit because I've done multi-cam a few years ago, I forgot how many times the script changes. So, I’d turn up at the beginning of the week, and like, start learning the lines. And then the next day, it's changed, the next day it’s changed again. So, by halfway through the week, I was like “Right, forget the lines. Just concentrate on being funny.” (Laughter) And the other, the other part of it so yeah, so prep isn't a big one. It's really kind of like, the fun of nailing the two different parts of it, which are the prerecorded pieces, which I had fun, I was able to do some improv in, so the subway scene. And then, and then there was a couple of other scenes, but there's that side of it. And then there's the completely opposite side where you've got an audience and you're performing in front of a crowd.
 
So, it's the best of both worlds. And I kind of kind of forgot, I think I kind of forgot that some stuff is recorded. And I was like, “Okay, we've got to learn this like a play.” And you don't. So, on the night, you also get a few takes, you know, and the crowd loves it when you guys change it up, when the writers come in and go “Try this line. Try that line.” So, yeah there’s fun to be had. And I can see why multi-cams are still a thing because it's a real coming together of all of these different kinds of features, to including the audience, that are that are participating in and helping create the final product and making this classic American art form. So, I think it's cool.
 
John Betancourt: So, I have to ask, how much of that improv stayed in the final cut?
 
Rhys Darby: There were some pieces, yeah. There were some… I have to have another look at it. But definitely in the subway scene when I took my coat off, and it fell on the ground. And then I just said something about “That's gone, we have to burn it.” That was all made up. There was probably another little piece that I had with Dave Foley, when we're having the dinner table all sorted, we're having little cups of tea, when he came in. And then stylistically I just chose how I was going to walk and how I was going to look, give my looks to the actors. And I changed that up every time as well. So, there was for, for a show that you know, for multi-cam, that definitely don't allow too much improv, there was certainly… the director was open to letting me have a few, do a few extra “Darby Takes,” shall we say?
 
John Betancourt: Now something that has come up often in discussions with the Night Court cast, is how the live audience just offers a vibe or energy. I’m curious as to what it does for you as an actor?
 
Rhys Darby: Well, as a stand up, you know, I'm used to having an audience laugh at me. It helps with the timing, it helps… give you a slightly raised performance, because you can hear a whole bunch of people laughing. So, you're not… you're doing.. you're matching the right tone that is required for that show. So, you're not, you know, subtleties aren't really going to play. So, yeah, I think it's just fun to do. It's fun for anyone who hasn't done that kind of thing. It's a good discipline to have down, at least give them a try.
 
John Betancourt: So, I can hear it in your voice now, just how much you relished this experience, what did you enjoy the most about working on this episode?
 
Rhys Darby: I think just working with the cast, I think, you know, meeting John (Larroquette) and the rest of them and having them be a real sweet family and welcoming me as a guest onto the show, working with Dave Foley again, because I haven't worked with him for a long time. So, catching up with him. And just being on a show, that's a bit of an institution. You know, I think those are the those are all the highlights, and the fact that it was just filming down the road from my house. So very easy.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, I bet the short walk made it amazing.
 
Rhys Darby: I don't often, I don't often get that. Because I'm always, like, having to fly somewhere or go stay somewhere for a couple of months or whatever. So that convenience, plays a lot into actors, jobs, it doesn't always happen.
 
John Betancourt: Now, regarding the legacy of the show, why do you think Night Court continues to endure?
 
Rhys Darby: Well, a number of things, the writing, you know, John Larroquette’s performance. And I think that just the nature of the show. How every week, you're gonna get a different situation of people that are in court, for some reason, for the most stupid idea, stupid reasons. And the interplay between the characters and their lives. It's just simply said, it's just a really good setting for a sitcom.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, what does it mean to you personally to now be part of this franchise?
 
Rhys Darby: It means a lot. Because I've done a lot of stuff in my career. And I've been lucky enough to be part of some pretty big franchises, some pretty cool legacies. And when it comes to comedy, this was one of them. So that's why it was a no brainer to take. And yeah, and seeing the final result, seeing how funny it was, I was like, “Good, nailed it! Next!” (Laughter)
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.