Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel are a pair of accomplished actors that we’ve seen often on our television screens over the past few years. Currently they star as Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley in the new Prime Video series, My Lady Jane, and we here at NTG were able to sit down with them to discuss their new dynamic new show.
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John Betancourt: I’d like to start by knowing what it means to each of you to be part of such a dynamic and unique show?

Emily Bader: Oh, it's amazing. I mean, it's so rare that something like this even really exists, and it's so accessible to so many different types of people, and I think especially to play a character like Jane, that is so layered and full is just amazing.

Edward Bluemel: Yeah, I think it's such a unique show, and I'm so excited for people to see it, and it was such like pleasure to be a part of it. It's a period drama, but a little bit different, with slightly looser boundaries than some period dramas. And I think it was just such an amazing world to live in.

John Betancourt: I’m also curious to know, what you enjoyed the most about being able to approach a role without the pressure of having to be historically accurate.

Emily Bader: So fun. When you show up on set every day and there's this atmosphere of collaboration and just, you know, you discover new things about the characters, and the scene while you're shooting it. We could improvise. We could bring ideas to our brilliant writers, and they were always so responsive. So yeah, it was great.

Edward Bluemel: Yeah. They really created an environment where it didn't feel scary to suggest something yourself, you know, be it a piece of blocking or even a line or a joke, or maybe to ask, you know, can we improvise a little bit here? And I think that as an actor that is what you're always looking for. It's like a safe space with which to have fun. And I really feel like we got that on this job.

John Betancourt: Now without firing off any spoilers, what you each more excited for audiences to experience when they settle in to watch the show?

Emily Bader: My favorite thing about this show is the element of fantasy, that is not only in the way that we are sort of bending the true history, but also the actual fantastical elements to this world, which is, sort of, without saying too much, a massive element, and I think will be kind of a really fun surprise for people.

Edward Bluemel: Yeah, I think also it's like, it's the comedy we are surrounded by, like incredibly experienced actors, comedic actors, who I think have managed to create such brilliant, interesting, at times… horrible characters that are just so fun to watch, they're so exciting to watch, you never know what they're going to do next. And again, going back, like all of them, felt like they could improvise and put their own stamp on the plot and on, on the dialogue. And I think it really comes through.

John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, if you could describe this series in one word, what would that word be?

Emily Bader: Are you going to say “romanta-cy?”

Edward Bluemel: I’m going to say romanta-cy, which is two words, but it's portmanteau. So hey, I'm allowed.

Emily Bader: All-encompassing.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Volker Bruch is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in many notable projects across the silver and small screen. Currently he stars as Inspector Gereon Rath in the highly beloved television series, Babylon Berlin, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Volker to discuss his experiences working on the show, and season four.  
 
John Betancourt: I would like to start by getting to know what it was that attracted you to this role in the first place.
 
Volker Bruch: Well, I mean, first, first of all, it was the huge budget, and it was, it was clear that this is something, this is something special. But Tom Tykwer and Hank Handloegten were in the lead, it had so much tension. It was so promising from the beginning, even before I read the scripts, to be honest, and when I read them, it was, it was clear that this character is so it's, I could identify immediately with him because it was someone who it is so important to stay true to himself, and which was so hard for him to do in this new environment. He's new in Berlin, and he's just trying to figure stuff out. And yeah, it would become impossible. And yeah, it was just a thrill to read, and it was not so easy. Because when I had the casting, it was not so easy in the beginning, because they wanted me to do this so badly, and I wanted it so badly that we were kind of stuck in this… “We all want this,” but it didn't really, you know, it didn't flow. So, we were all disappointed after the first meeting. And after a few weeks, they called me and said, like, “What's going on?” And I said, “I don't know. Let's meet again. Let's do it again.” And then we met again, and Liv (Lisa Fries) was on board then, and we, we were, we were playing together, Liv and me, and this was, like, the relief, because it was like, “Okay, that's it. That's really, that's what we are looking for.” And it was so much fun. And Liv, is so great that, you know, it just felt so natural. And, yeah, then we started.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously every actor out there wants to get you know that that definitive, amazing role that they can really sink their teeth into. And it seems like this is that one for you, if I may be so bold. But I'm also very curious to what it means as an actor to be able to play this enriching character for so many seasons now.
 
Volker Bruch: It's interesting, because, you know, they're different things that add up on this character, which I mean, obviously the scripts, which I was so excited every time to read them and to see what, the writers have thought for him to experience and I mean, this is something, and the time and all the other characters. But then, of course, it's also what I experienced, you know, while not shooting and while not being on set. And I mean it's been years. Now, it's been eight years we've been shooting so, and this is so interesting, because it's after, I remember starting to shoot the second season was like, was so strange, because it, it's when we had, you know, costume fitting and everything. And Babylon Berlin has been big already from the first season. So my view on Babylon was very on, on Gereon Rath, was really like an outside perspective, like of this guy from this show, you know, which had not much to do with me, because it's been two years and I've been watching it, and people were talking with me about it, so that was really, I felt like, stealing the costume of Gereon Rath when I was putting it on. So, it was really strange. I looked in the mirror and was like, Carnival, you know, like me being in this costume, and it didn't feel right, but I'm, yeah, I'm very, very thankful that when we started shooting this, I mean, it just disappeared, and we were so focused on the work, and it, it all, it all ran away again. So, this is really something that's like, step by step by step. The big thing is, like, if you, if you look at everything now, it's very complex. But it's, of course, it's little steps and day by day and scene by scene and everything. And it really adds up to this complex puzzle, which I don't even understand. You know, I played it.
 
John Betancourt: From an acting standpoint, there's got to be some challenges that accompany the work that you've done, because Rath goes on such a crazy journey in every single season, and obviously Season Four has some immediate surprises for audiences to enjoy. I'm very curious, as an actor, how tough that is to sometimes reconcile, because what you do is so authentic. I mean, everything we see from Rath feels so real. What kind of challenges are into in creating some of that authenticity?
 
Volker Bruch: It's really the most dramatic scenes and the most difficult scenes are the most important scenes, of course, to make this, to make this this gap, or make this complexity, you know, to make it happen. So, when I read the scripts and I'm like, “Wow, this is good,” you know, because if he falls on the floor, and he goes through hell, this is something, of course, you want, because you can only rise from there and, I think the only thing that I try to stay true to, is that I don't want to know what's going to happen when I play my scenes, you know, it's always just the scene, and it's nothing more. It's not, it's not the before, it's not the after, it's just the scene. And this, this really worked out so good. Because you only work on one, one puzzle piece at a moment, you know? And thanks to the to the great authors and script writers, they you know, it adds up to something much bigger and much more beautiful that you could imagine and that you could play. Because if you try to play this, you're lost. You have no chance. It's going to be everything and nothing. And it's not going to work out, it's not going to be sharp, and it's not going to be precise, and it has to be bigger than, than yourself.
 
John Betancourt: That explains a lot then, because we are then enjoying a raw moment, which is perfect. And speaking of that, I mean obviously, I hear passion in your voice, all the excitement. What have you enjoyed the most so far about being able to play Rath?
 
Volker Bruch: Well, it's the mixtures of things we're doing, because if you know, I like the very intense dialogues that we have, but then we have these dancing scenes, which are so much fun, and are just, you know, it's just the bodies being thrown around and then, we have these, these moments where there's no dialogue at all, and which are also great, because it's just, you just trust your body to do the right thing, and you throw yourself into the moments. And I mean, we have these, the sets we walk on in the morning. It's crazy. It's like, you can't believe what you what you seeing. And this is also helpful, because you just, you don't have to play anymore. You just put on your suit, and you're just being thrown in, and you just trust on the work of everybody else. And you're just curious and see what happens. Well, the fighting scenes, they're so, I mean, I love those fights, because it's just, it's also like a dance, where you have your partner, and you, just rumble and have this scenarios where you, where you fight yourself through and it's exhausting, and I love these sweaty things, and where the emotions are… you don't have to produce anything, because it's, it's all just there, and it's all just, yeah, very powerful.
 
John Betancourt: Now this is a show that really has resonated with audiences. I mean, like you said yourself, people were all about season one, all over it. I'm late to the party, but again, I've been watching and binging, and I cannot get enough of this. I'm very curious, just from your perspective, since you do kind of have some of that internal but also you mentioned yourself, kind of that outside view of it, why do you think this show resonates so well with fans around the world?
 
Volker Bruch: Well, it's an interesting time where the story is set. It's, obviously… there's a lot of pressure, and I think it's good, it's good soil for good stories, because it's so intense, and you don't know what's gonna happen. You know, it's not the perspective we have now where we know where this leads to, I mean, this is something that maybe it gets our interest, but that's not something that is, that's important for the characters, because they don't know. They just, you know, try to make the best of their situation. And I think this is what these this series takes very seriously that they don't, you know, don't try to make the people believe that they know what's going to happen. That's very important to take the characters for what they are and what they know at this moment, and, yeah, that's brilliantly done. But the tension, of course, I mean, it’s everything. It's the… wild west in Berlin.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, Season Four has some, again, some big twists and turns. We're not going to spoil them here, because that would be, that'd be cruel. But I kind of feel like Season Four is perhaps a very relevant piece of work, especially now more than ever since we all kind of have our concerns about the world, what do you ultimately hope audiences’ kind of take away from this particular season of storytelling?
 
Volker Bruch: I don't know… that's very personal, and that's, I think something that is going to be very personal for the viewer as well, because it might be too easy to make conclusions, you know, and just try to take them and put them like, put them on today, and say it's the same thing, because it's never exactly the same. But what I learned from it, or what I try to take with me personally, is that I try to stay true to myself, you know, and try to say what's on my mind, and not to be intimidated by, you know, powers that, that I think are bigger than me. Because if you stay true to your heart and yourself, uh, no one can hurt you, and this is so important and so profound, and so, I mean, this sounds romantic, but I think this is really, really important.
 
John Betancourt: And then obviously, just from a more global perspective, because it's always a big, sweeping season, and always a beautiful season, what are you excited for audiences to experience in general, when they get to watch season four?
 
Volker Bruch: I mean, it is good entertainment, you know, I mean, and that's what I like on when I watch something, I don't want to be taught anything. I don't want to be, you know, if I learn something from it. That's something very different, you know. But I don't want, you know, if I… see intention or feel intention of someone trying to put something on me, I'm off, you know. I don't want to be bothered. So, and I think this is really just good entertainment. And its very deep characters, who, who all make sense, and who, and I always like conflicts the most when I have characters that I understand all of them, and still, there's massive conflict. You know? I mean, if you because, if you have the bad guys where you say, “Oh, these are the fucking idiots, they don't get anything,” and then you have the good guys who you identify with, and you fight against evil, that's so boring. And it's not true. I mean, it's not true, there are no bad guys, if you want. There are only guys who fight what they think are right, you know? And the perspective makes something good or bad. So that's what I like here, that everyone is authentic for what they think is the most important thing in life. And they smash, they smash on each other. And what happens is, is just, you know, it's very interesting to watch.
 
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?
 
Volker Bruch: Well, I think it's something that I could not have imagined at the beginning, that this character, would become so complex, because this is really something you cannot... it's really something I can only look at from this perspective now and say, “Wow, this is like, how did this add up, you know, how did this add up to be a picture that is so, so complex,” and it's really, of course, the work of the screenwriters who, like, put this stuff all in. But of course, also it's like being in this moment where we were talking before, you know, these small puzzle pieces, you know, with where every day and every scene that we shot was like, “Okay, this is this, and this is that, and this is that,” and to see that something becomes bigger, bigger than yourself, like, because so many people work on it, and everyone has a different vision, but that it ends up to be something beautiful, is just really… yeah… that’s amazing.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Thus far our journey through New Zealand via the hit USA Network series, Race to Survive: New Zealand, has only seen one team be sent home for outright finishing last. For every other elimination has come forth via a tap out due to injury. But that changed last night, because despite battling a major injury and finishing a brutal leg of the race, Rhandi and Ashley were sent home for being the last team in, and well, with their exit now at hand we here at NTG were able to sit down with them and discuss their time on the show.  
 
John Betancourt: I’d like to start off by getting to know, how hard it was to finish this race.
 
Ashley: It was inch by inch on those boulders, that was crazy, and the maze. It was a slow process that required, I'm sure, all of Rhandi's patience, all of my like, you know, grit, to just like, push through on this bogged ankle. But it was also so rewarding to finish it and not have been like, “Okay, we're just going to stop.” But to be able to actually put our hands on that crate one last time and be able to do this together, it was seriously… it was so incredible.
 
John Betancourt: Rhandi, since you were Ashley’s emotional support during this, and her physical support, how hard was this for you?
 
Rhandi: I think the hardest part about it was watching Ashley, who I love, admire, respect, look up to in so many ways. Um, watching her suffer for us, you know, because that's not fun to see, and Ashley is so unbelievably fast and athletic, and so to watch your partner not be able to do what she's capable of, it was hard to watch. Not hard because I was mad at her, not hard because I was frustrated, but because to try to put myself in her shoes and to imagine what she was going through, it was hard to watch, and I just… my hope and my prayer was that I was there for her in the best way that I could be. I mean, we're about the same size, so I tried so hard to help her, but there's not a ton you can do when you're both about the same height and the same weight. But I was hopefully there for her in the best way that I could, both physically and emotionally.
 
John Betancourt: Now something I definitely want to expand upon here, is the finish. Because I would love to know what it meant to finish this race.
 
Ashley: To finish this race, to finish it, it's just, it's one thing that, like, I really am excited for my kids to see that, like, even though times were so hard, and hopefully other people can get this feeling too, times were so hard. They were not going our way. It was not how we had envisioned it, Rhandi for sure, could have been there hours, if not a day before, and you stick through with each other, and you finish what you start. And you know hard work is… it doesn't always mean that it's going to be the best outcome, but you learn and grow from those experiences. And we did. We learned and grew so much through that time.
 
Rhandi: The ability to be able to show up at that third crate, hand in hand, and slap our hands down together and know that we persevered, and we made it. I will cherish that moment forever. And you know, Ashley and I, like, we're both coaches. Like, it's our job to help and teach and inspire others to finish what they started. So, for us to be able to find that grit, to find that teamwork, to push through and finish what we started together as a team, hand in hand, is something I'll always cherish.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, you two really wanted to see this thing to the absolute end. With that in mind, what are each of you going to miss about this competition?
 
Ashley: Oh gosh, I miss so much of it. I miss the connection with the other teammates. I miss my time with my wilderness wife under our little tarp, you know, munching on our little almonds or whatever we might have had. It was such an incredible experience to be out there with zero social media, like no distractions. It's just our surroundings. And there's times just like, gosh, wow, did I really like see it for everything it was worth. Now that I'm away from it, maybe I should have, like, taken advantage of this more or whatever, but I think that was really special time. And I miss not having other distractions, just being able to, like, go out and focus and be in the wild and do something crazy.
 
Rhandi: Yeah, it was really a privilege to live in a way, in such simplicity. Circling back to… we never had a roof over our head. We didn't have social media. We didn't have a job. There were no distractions. It was the rawness of connecting with Ashley, connecting with the cast mates, and then pushing our bodies and our minds in a way that we haven't done before. And I will miss… I miss Ashley. I miss the way that we were able to connect and laugh and joke and I mean, I hope that it shows despite the hard things, like I think we had more fun than any other team. I'll go ahead and say it like we embraced, we loved every moment of it. So, I will miss just like the real rawness of the way that Ashley and I connected, the way that we connected with our other castmates, um, the beauty of New Zealand, and seeing it and experiencing it in a way that that most don't have the opportunity to do. I don't take that lightly, and it almost feels like a dream like, when you watch Lord of the Rings, and it's like this misty… this misty dream. Did that really happen? Did we really live that? We really did.
 
John Betancourt: Now it goes without saying, that this race pushes people to their limits. I’m curious as to what being pushed that hard taught you about yourself that you didn’t know before?
 
Ashley: There's always a little bit more to give. There's always a little bit more to give. You think you've got nothing left, and there's still just a smidgen. And so, you know, don't give up on yourself so easy. And we all have a tendency to just be like, “Ah, I'm uncomfortable. I'm done.” But we can always push just a little bit further.
 
Rhandi: I think that there were moments in certain challenges, some of which you saw, some of which didn't make it, where I truly wondered, like, “How are we going to get through this?” And you usually can always problem solve your way out of a hard situation. When you feel like there's no way out there, there's a way out, you just have to dig into it and keep holding out. And so that's certainly a huge theme, and it goes back to what Ashley said, there's always a little more to give. There's always a way to solve the problem. And also, I do way better on no calories than I thought I did.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I want to ask for each of you today. I know that you mentioned teaching is an important part of this, and obviously that you all found some deeper meaning from this race. I would love to know what you want others to take away from your journey on this show.
 
Ashley: That you can be the support for somebody. Like Rhandi was this like… she was so strong and fast out there. She got me through that. Be that person for somebody else, um, cheer them on, despite like them, like I was slowing her down so much and just to have her there by my side and being like, “It's okay. Things didn't go our way how we'd seen it, but that's okay,” and we can all be that person to somebody at some point in our life or their life. We all need a Rhandi in our life.
 
Rhandi: I think another big takeaway that I hope people can learn from our journey is get outside of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to do something that's scary. It's okay to step into the unknown. It's okay to know that you're going to challenge yourself in a way where you might not have the answers and you might not be the best, and you might not do the best. If you have a dream and you want to take a challenge on, and do something new, don't be limited by your abilities or by your gender. Us being the all-female team like, go for it anyways, get out there and see what you can do with hard work and grit and in a really amazing partner that you can put your trust in, really, you can accomplish just about anything. And so, I hope that those who are wondering, “Can I do it? Should I, do it? Should I try it?” Yes. Try it. Do it like you have nothing to lose, Ashley and I didn't finish the way that we wanted to finish, and we regret nothing, and it was such a special experience. So, I hope that people will take away that they can get out of their comfort zone and go after those things that they dream of doing.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Anna Fishko is a highly accomplished writer and producer that has worked on some iconic shows, such as Fear the Walking Dead and Tyrant. Currently, she serves as the Creator and Showrunner of the upcoming AMC Networks series, Orphan Black: Echoes, and in anticipation of the show’s arrival, we sat down with Anna to discuss the next chapter in this epic franchise.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what inspired the creation of this next chapter in the Orphan Black universe.
 
Anna Fishko: I think the producers really felt like the original show had such a loving, kind of devoted core fan group, the Clone Club, and they had such a great time making the original show that they felt like there was opportunity there to continue telling the story.
 
John Betancourt: I always loved the fact that the original show was so loaded with commentary on science and the human condition, and I’m definitely seeing that depth in this series as well. If there's one particular theme or message that you hope the audience takes away from season one, what do you hope that message is?
 
Anna Fishko: That's a good question. Um, I think it's that there are a lot of different things that make us who we are. So, it's not any one particular thing. It's not the way we look, or, you know, the memories that we have, or the relationships that we have. It's kind of some difficult calculation of all of those things.
 
John Betancourt: What kinds of challenges went into creating this particular sequel? Since I’m sure with you had find that balance between tribute and forging a new path.
 
Anna Fishko: Yes, so it was, it was an exciting challenge to try and thread that needle, to try and find a way to give the audience that was coming to us, having loved the original show, the things they were looking for, but also not make it so kind of steeped in the mythology of the original show that someone who was coming fresh and new to the new show would feel lost. I really didn't want the new audience to feel like they had to have seen all five seasons of the original Orphan Black in order to enjoy the new show. And that was a complicated balance to find.
 
John Betancourt: I'm also always curious, when it comes to shows like this, how much research do you put into the base of what you're working on?
 
Anna Fishko: Yeah, we did a lot of research about human tissue printing, which is a kind of current science. And so, we spoke to the man who's the head of the bioprinting lab at Wake Forest, it's in North Carolina, and he was so helpful and very, very interesting, and just in terms of the printing process that we were talking about, and he really felt like we were on the right track, which was awesome. And he gave us some information about how many cell types there are in the human body and what you would need in order to make a machine that might plausibly work the way ours does.
 
John Betancourt: All depth aside, you’ve also assembled a grand and sweeping story, and I’m curious as to what you’re most excited for audiences to experience in general when they tune in.
 
Anna Fishko: I think it's a fun, thrill ride. I think there's a fun mystery in there. I think there's some good surprises. I think there are some wonderful performances that I hope people get to enjoy. I was very lucky to have such a talented cast, and so I'm excited for them to go on the ride with us.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to what you’ve assembled in season one?
 
Anna Fishko: I think I'm proud to have, I mean, it was a difficult time to make a TV show because we actually shot it during Covid, and so there were a lot of production challenges. And so it was, it was tricky to make happen in a lot of different ways. And so, I'm glad that we'reat this point where people are finally going to get to experience it, because a lot of people worked very, very hard on it, including me, but a lot of people worked very hard and it was challenging.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Normally when people go home on a television that is grounded in competition, they do so… because they lost. Or they didn’t reach whatever qualifier would allow for them to head to the next round, and that is such a standard, that we expect nothing less and that is why Race to Survive: New Zealand on USA Network continues to surprise us. Because it does not abide by that rule, in fact, this season we’ve now seen two teams tap out and go home in the name of safety and health, and it just so happens that we here at NTG sat down with Coree Woltering and Daniel ‘Jeff’ Watterson, who left the show last night when Coree sustained an injury, to discuss their difficult decision and their time on the show.
 
John Betancourt: So first I have to ask, Coree, are you okay?
 
Coree Woltering: I'm okay.
 
John Betancourt: That's good, because that was very scary, I think, for obviously, for you and for all of us at home as well, and regarding your injury, I'm very curious as to what each of you were emotionally experiencing throughout that day.
 
Coree Woltering: Man, emotionally that day, that was a rough day. It was a rough couple days actually, just trying to decide, like, how bad the concussion is, how my body is actually feeling. And when you're doing something this long, you almost have to take emotion out of it, and you just have to just focus on getting from point A to point B and doing the tasks along the way. And so, when you have to do that, and then still remember, “Oh, wait, I am a human. I'm a person. I have a partner in this thing as well.” Like, there's a lot that goes into that, and it was just kind of an overwhelming moment.
 
John Betancourt:  Jeff, what was it like for you? Because obviously you were, you know, the observer here, and tried to do your best to make sure that Coree was taken care of.
 
Daniel ‘Jeff’ Watterson: So, for me, it was, you know, it was rough to see Coree in that situation, you know, he got quiet in those couple days leading up to that, you know. I knew there was things going on, and I knew that he was struggling with this internal battle of, you know, how much farther can I push? So, for me, you know, like you said, as the observer, I'm noticing a physical change in Coree’s attitude and how he's performing. So, I have to just kind of set back and be like, “Okay, what does he need?” So, you know, it's rough when you're taking care of yourself as well. And not that I was upset, you know, I was worried about Coree, and worried about myself. It just, it was tasking on all of us, on both of us, you know, he's dealing with his stuff I'm dealing with, you know, getting us through the day and then making sure he's okay. So, it was a tiring few days leading up to, you know, leading up to the end.
 
John Betancourt: Now, I would be remiss not to ask, how hard was it to come to the decision in question. Because you guys really kept pushing hard.
 
Coree Woltering: Yeah, it definitely wasn't an easy decision. It was one that I had kind of been trying to play over and over in my head of how, how it would go down. And I didn't even want to say anything to Jeff for a while. And finally, I was just like, “Dude, like, here's what's going on” and he's like, “Yeah, I support you, 100% whatever you need,” which made me feel better. And then we still continued to walk for a little bit longer, because I just really wasn't ready to go. But finally, it's just like, this is not going to get any better, and we were just getting farther and farther into the backcountry. And finally, it's like, you know, if something goes wrong out here, it's not going to be a quick exit.
 
Daniel ‘Jeff’ Watterson: Yeah. So, the decision was, was a hard one, but I supported him 100% we had talked about that, you know, I said, “I am with you 100% if you want to push, we will push. If we need to be done, we'll be done.” But my decision is, I am with you 100% there is no second guessing this at all. I want you to be healthy, so I am with you 100% you know, we talked, and I was like, you know, I obviously want to go as far as I can go, but when you say it's time, it's time because I can't, I can't make that decision for you. I think that's maybe even in a soundbite. I can't make that decision. But whatever decision is made, I am behind 100% and I stand to that today.
 
John Betancourt: I think we, as audience members, we kind of find a bit of inspiration in what people do when they do incredible races like these. I'm very curious what each of you hope, audiences take away from your journey?
 
Daniel ‘Jeff’ Watterson: So for me, and I've said from the beginning that, like I want people be inspired to do something, I've always said, “Just be passionate about something.” And I was coaching some of my cross-country girls last week, and I think, you know, this pertains a lot. Just last week, we were coaching somebody, and the girls were sitting down, we were talking, we were all done. Just got done with our run. And one of the girls said, “You know, every time I think about not wanting to go that extra mile, I think Jeff did this in New Zealand. I can't, you know, I can't let him down”, and not that they were letting me down, but you know, “if Jeff can do this, then I can push that extra five minutes.” So that's all I want. I want to see people being passionate about something at whatever age. You know I'm 46, years old, and I want people to realize that it that they can do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to start it. That's, that's my take on all of this.
 
Coree Woltering: I didn't start basically, training, running, ultra-running anything like that, ‘till I was 24 years old. And I just didn't even know that it was, didn't even really know that it was a sport. And so doing something like this, I just hope that it inspires people to get out and be active in whatever form they enjoy. But, you know, I hope that there's some kids sitting at home watching this that's like, “Oh, wow, there's some dude that looks like me on TV that's doing this.” And I didn't know it was a thing, but now it's a thing. So that's what I want to do, you know? Because I think that when you get put in a position like this, where you can have a platform. It is, you know, like it is your responsibility to be a role model, and, you know, inspire people to get out and do awesome things.
 
Daniel ‘Jeff’ Watterson: To kind of piggyback on Coree real quick. You know, for us, we're the unlikely couple, you know, we're the odd couple out there. You know, we have a husband, father, you know, partnering with, you know, a gay black man. So, you know, it's like, I want that to be in the forefront of… just whoever your friends are, be friends with them. You know, that's kind of the message we wanted, and not that, you know, we went out to set that message, but it was like, just go out and be friends and have fun.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, you guys had and have a passion for this, and it took a lot to really come to the decision to leave, what are each of you going to miss the most about this competition?
 
Coree Woltering: Um, so one thing that I miss is just like, honestly, the other contestants, I really do miss them, because it was fun getting to meet all of them, learn their backstories, and we're all still friends today. But I actually miss camping under a tarp. As wild as that sounds, I was not a camper before this thing. Like, I actually hated camping, and would 100% pick a hotel over a tent any day. So then to be out there under a tarp without even a tent, like, “Oh, like, this should be interesting. “And I loved it. Um, I slept like nine hours straight through the night. The first night I was out there. Absolutely loved it. And I'm just like, we need to do this more. So, I actually miss that.
 
Daniel ‘Jeff’ Watterson: Yeah, and I'll agree with that 100% like you kind of… two parts here. One morning, we woke up in Survival Camp, and I was normally the fire starter. And I woke up and I said, “Well, I'm gonna get the fire started.” And Coree said, “I've already got it taken care of.” So, you know, to see Coree start the fire and be excited about sleeping under a tent that was, you know, to see that transition in him, like, “Okay, this isn't so bad.” And for me, I agree 100% within the first week of me being home, I pitched my tarp in the backyard and slept outside for the weekend because I missed that aspect of being out there.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have you gentlemen, today, we'll start with Jeff here, what are you each most proud of when it comes to what you accomplished on the show?
 
Daniel ‘Jeff’ Watterson: So, for me, what I'm most proud of, I really feel like it captured my nature of helping people, you know. And it sounds self-supporting there, but I really like that. That's what I'm really proud of, is that it kind of showed, it kind of shined in the show that I want to be able to help people, you know?
 
Coree Woltering: I would say that. I think I'm most proud of just the decision to advocate for ourselves, you know, like, sure we were medically clear. I was medically cleared to continue, even though there was a concussion and Jeff's ankle and all that. But it's like, when you know there's something wrong with your body, like, don't be afraid to speak up, and don't be afraid to say it. And I think that you know, even as a professional athlete, at times, you know, you're still expected to push through injuries or just get through this or whatever. And sometimes you just have to be like, “No.” Like, this is not good for my physical or mental health, and like this is not something I should be doing. And so, I'm just happy that we made the decision we made, and it was like it was a unified decision of, okay, this is not a good choice. Like This needs to stop. And here we go.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Cesar Millan is a true fixture in the world of modern pop culture. Courtesy of the fact that he has been in our homes via television for the past twenty years. In fact, his new show, Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog is now in its fourth season and Cesar continues to work to impact the lives of pet owners, as evidenced by new venture, Halo Collar. Recently, we had the opportunity and honor to sit down with Cesar to discuss his new venture and his career.
 
John Betancourt: I'd love to know, what keeps you so passionate about your work?
 
Cesar Millan: Well, there's a need of knowledge, right? So, when I talk to networks, you know, obviously, they focus on entertainment. And I focus on education and enlightenment, right? Because I see that humans still need the educational aspects so they can become enlightened, right, which enlightenment to me, means you're happy from your spirit. And then your nature part is you're using your instincts. And then that way you know when to love, right? And that way, you can say I'm smart, right? So, I'm a happy and healthy, loving person who does smart behavior, especially with a dog. And because I know, you know that the world is definitely a very smart world, but at the same time, they forget about the natural, simple, profound of things in a dog.
 
Because you know, with a dog, you don't have to have money, fame and power to you, for you to have a dog, I come from a third world country, my family comes from low income family, but we never had a bad relationship with a dog until I came to America, I saw the dogs will develop aggression, develop fear, develop avoidance, fight/flight avoidance, to people who love them very much. So, you know, this is what I love, I love you know that I can make a difference in the world. And I'm a father. So, you have to lead by example. You know, what makes you a good dad is to have the right energy, the right philosophy, the right actions, so that way my kids can’t fight, avoid me, when I say we have to do the right thing.
 
John Betancourt: I'm curious how that passion and that same mantra, how did that translate into the creation and the mission statement of Halo Collar?
 
Cesar Millan: Well, because like I said, humans need help, humans need the help through a book, through a TV show, or through technology, you know, so the more and more the world goes into the future, the more they rely on technology. So I said, “Well, we have to create a tool that can help people with the trust, respect, love, and follow, and play, explore with rules, boundaries, limitations,” you know, so everything that I said in the show, we have to create some kind of tool that people maintain this, this discipline, right, because I'm helping the world to become disciplined to do the right thing. But in the meantime, as you know, people take longer to do the right thing.
 
We're the only species that follows unstable leaders. And so therefore, unfortunately, that's going to trigger you know, all the way to the pack, which is us, the wrong energy, the wrong philosophy, the wrong actions. So, we have to create something that can give people at least, a good connection, good communication, good relationship with a dog, right. So, the back of the pack needs to make a difference to the front of the pack. It should be leaders that tell us “Do the right energy, do the right philosophy, do the right actions.” Because that way you become a good human, and your home is going to feel good, your family is going to feel good. And your dogs are going to feel good. That's it. It should be… natural, simple profound, right? But they don't tell you that, so for me, let's create a tool that reminds you to live a natural simple profound life.
 
John Betancourt: What are you most excited for people to gain out of Halo Collar?
 
Cesar Millan: That they feel safe and at peace, you know, my clients are dog lovers. But the reason why they call me is because they don't feel safe and peaceful. They don't have trust and respect, right? So again, my clients are dog lovers, but what they're missing is the understanding of energy, the understanding of the philosophy, right, so if you're missing those two, you're not going to be able to create trust. You're not going to be able to create respect, trust, respect, love. So, with without trust, respect, you don't have anything, you just have an idea. A story. You know, you don't have reality and so my goal is to create the reality that everybody wants. Everybody wants to have an off-leash experience with the dog, everybody wants to go to the beach, and enjoy the beach with their dog, you know, they want to go to the park. So, that way you can go anywhere in the world and have trust, respect, love, follow, play, explore, rules that has limitations because the tool is already programmed to help you achieve that.
 
John Betancourt:  What are you most excited for audiences to experience in this new season of your show, without any spoilers of course.
 
Cesar Millan: You know, obviously, the older I get, the more precise I become, you know, the more I teach about energy, you know, the more it’s easier to say, this is how you practice energy, you know, with silence calmness, confidence, love, joy, you know, this is the philosophy. Dogs are nose, eyes, ears. This is the activities, exercise, discipline, affection. So now people are gonna say, “Yeah, yes, whatever Cesar says, we’ve got to do.” And the older you get, of course, the more you believe in what you do, and then obviously, is the proof is in the pudding. Right? The more people learn, begin to execute the plan. But it took 20 years to get here. Right? The Dog Whisperer really helped me to learn, you know, this idea that I train humans, rehabilitate dogs. Now when people sees me everywhere, “It’s me, Cesar, I know that it’s me. I just don't know how to how to change my energy, how to change the way I think. But thanks to your show, it reminds me every single time.” So, you know, humans are the smartest species in the world, but the one that takes the longest for rehab.
 
John Betancourt Now you just talked about some of the impact of folks who've spoken to when they when they meet you on the street and get a chance to chat with you. What does it mean to you to have been able to help and inspire so many people?
 
Cesar Millan: I think, you know, I thank God my parents are alive. And that was my dream when I was 13 years old, when I told my mom, “Mom, I think I can be the best dog trainer in the world.” So, for them to see that my dream became bigger than what I thought is the greatest feeling. And now that I'm a father, obviously, you know, to lead by example, you know, how you don't just come to this Earth to make money, fame and power. You come into this Earth to make this world better, or to help the world become better. Right? So, to be able to be that kind of role model, and to be able to show my parents that their time and their sacrifice was worth it. It makes me have some, you know, tears in my eyes right now, because I'm very proud. And they're very proud and we are all very happy, here. We did it. We did it as a pack.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
​

David Henry Hwang is a highly accomplished playwright, and writer and he’s also a theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. His current project is Yellow Face, an Audible Original that is also an adaptation of the play of the same name that David wrote and produced in 2007, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with David to discuss this important story.
 
John Betancourt: I would like to start by getting to know what inspired you to want to adapt this as an Audible Original.
 
David Henry Hwang: Well, the impetus in a sort of “producorial” sense, came initially through Daniel Dae Kim, and the Director, Leigh Silverman, because Daniel’s company, 3AD has a deal with Audible. And in conjunction with sort of Leigh Silverman suggesting it, they decided to make Yellow Face their first project together. But when they brought the idea to me, I was incredibly interested in this possibility. Because of course, it's always… I love finding new ways and new forms, to share these stories with the world. But this seemed like a particularly good play for an audio format. Given that there are, you know, roughly 50 characters or so. Which in the stage version gets played by a company of six or seven actors. Whereas in this version, we could actually have that many voices, we could bring in cameos by the real-life people who are portrayed in in the play, and really realize this kind of Docu-drama, or mockumentary format that I had envisioned in a much more in a much more exciting fashion.
 
John Betancourt: Now this is a play. There's a novel version of this, what kind of challenges did you encounter in assembling this story in a broader format?
 
David Henry Hwang: I just want to say that the novel, although it has the same title, it's a totally different story, by different authors.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, my goodness, my mistake. As I look at my notes, I saw the published version of the play as a novel.
 
David Henry Hwang: No, that's fine. And in terms of the adaptation, I think like, I was saying earlier, because there were, there are, so many characters, and because also the scenes kind of clip along in the play, there wasn't really a lot of work that I had to do in adapting the play into the audio format, it seemed to happen quite naturally, there are sort of tweaks and things that I've excised, and, you know, cuts that I've made. But by and large, the play, lend lends itself very well, to this format.
 
John Betancourt:  Why do you believe that the story continues to have such longevity?
 
David Henry Hwang: It's been kind of gratifying and very satisfying that Yellow Face as a play has seemed to grow in its kind of influence and reach since we originally did it in 2007. And I think that the issues that are at its core have become more relevant, more understood, more discussed in society at large, for instance, this notion of representation and who gets to play who, in 2007, that was, you know, still relatively an obscure issue, where it's now, most people are very familiar with this. And the kind of debates back and forth, which we found when we started, we did a table read of the script, when we began this process for the audio play, and felt that actually, this is funnier than it was in 2007. The reason being, that we are more familiar with these issues. And so, the humor that comes from someone, for instance, you know, DHH, my character trying to pretend or cover up the fact that he accidentally cast a white guy as an Asian in his own play. That is funnier now than it was then.
 
John Betancourt: And obviously you mentioned there's some gratification there. To expand on that further, what does it mean to you, though, to be able to have a story that has had this kind of endurance and this kind of attention to it?
 
David Henry Hwang: I'm still absorbing that, which, you know, because this Audible version has now dropped, and we're doing it on Broadway this fall. So Yellow Face is kind of having a mainstream moment that it hadn't had before. And I'm still, yes, enjoying it, but also trying to understand it myself. You know, because I am fortunate to have a couple of things, plays that continue to have life, M. Butterfly, of course, being another one of them. It's… you don't know when you write them, and you don't know when they're first performed; is this going to continue to be relevant and is it going to speak to an audience. And so, I, in the best possible interpretation of this longevity, it means that the play and I guess, therefore me, the play was able to anticipate things that have continued to happen and become even more central to the culture.
 
John Betancourt: Let’s talk a bit about how layered the story is, that's what impressed me the most, was just how much was in this. And since you have such global topics as representation, but also some very personal pieces on identity, what went into the decision to begin with, to create a story this deep, quite frankly.
 
David Henry Hwang: Um, I mean, I don't know that I knew when I started writing it that I was going for something deep, per se, I think that I wanted to explore in the play, in the play within a play, Face Value, which was my big Broadway flop in ‘93, I wanted to explore this idea of a comedy of mistaken racial identity. And that show was, you know, one of the biggest flops in Broadway history. But I continued to think it was this idea of mistaken racial identity was a good one. And so when I hit on this mockumentary format, with a character that I named after myself, in the center, I felt there was some relationship between that real life event, the protesting of the casting of Jonathan Pryce as the Eurasian Pimp in the original version of Miss Saigon, there's a relationship between that real life event and the real life event, which ends the play, which is the charges leveled against my father by the New York Times for allegedly laundering money for China, which happened in the late 90s. And it felt there was a relationship between those two things, and I wrote the play to figure out what that relationship was.
 
John Betancourt: That makes total sense now, because there’s earnestness to this, and that kind of understanding of just who we are, and I really appreciated that. But with that in mind, obviously now with, this story being available to people in so many ways, what are you hoping audiences take away from the story in 2024?
 
David Henry Hwang: Yeah, I think one of the things that I'm interested in saying in 2024, is that DHH, the character named after me, is, in some ways, the dumbest character in the show. I mean, he's the one who's making all the mistakes, who's trying to cover up his tracks out of vanity out of, you know, to protect his reputation as an Asian American role model. And eventually, he has to admit that and then in 2024, it might be useful to say, you know, it's okay to make a mistake. That we all… just because we're human, sometimes with the best of intentions, are going to do something that's bad. And if we face it, and admit it and apologize for it, which DHH eventually does in the play after lots of contortions, then we can continue and try to live our best lives again.
 
John Betancourt: Now we've kind of touched on it a bit, but this is probably more relevant than it has ever been before in so many ways, not that it wasn't a relevant story to begin with, because I think you're right, there was a lot of important pieces that were there in 2007. But now it seems like it's just the right time to release it. Why do you believe this is probably the right time to bring the story back to life.
 
David Henry Hwang: Um, we're in at a moment in our country's history where there's a lot of debate about around issues of representation, and, and a lot of division and the opportunity to hear a story like this, which also makes you laugh, I think hopefully can help us feel more open towards one another. Also, there is in the story of how my father got accused of allegedly laundering money for China. There is the truth that the lives of Asian Americans, historically have always been a function of America’s relationship with a root culture, Asian country, whether it's the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II or hate against Muslims and South Asians after 9/11. And what we saw just recently, in the pandemic was another example of this. The pandemic being characterized as the “China virus,” and then attacks on AAPIs spiking. So that dynamic is very present and relevant today. And is part of Yellow Face.
 
John Betancourt: I do have to ask, because maybe, I guess I have framed this story a bit as super serious, when it isn't all serious. How did you as a writer, integrate comedy into such a serious topic?
 
David Henry Hwang: I think naming the character after myself, gave me license to be more comic, to portray him more absurdly, because the best comedy comes out of things that are real. And when we talk about some of the excesses of your surrounding the sort of birth of multiculturalism, it was, I think, easier to name the character after myself so that I was only making fun of me and not somebody else.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to this particular piece of work?
 
David Henry Hwang: I'm proud that I had the courage to write something that was really personal. And try to create what I think was a new form, which is this kind of stage mockumentary, now an audio played mockumentary. And that something that I thought was very personal and would only appeal to the Asian American community actually demonstrates this notion that the specific is the universal and now is able to speak to a wide audience to make them laugh and to be produced on Broadway.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Adam Nimoy is a highly accomplished writer and director who has worked behind the camera on multiple iconic television shows, and he’s penned several books. His most recent work, The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy, chronicles his strained relationship with his father and offers some incredible insight into how Adam healed from the difficulties that accompany that, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Adam to discuss his book and his life. 
 
John Betancourt:  I'm very curious to start off with learning what inspired you want to open up and tell your story like this?
 
Adam Nimoy: Well, there were a number of factors that came into play. You know, I love writing, I wanted to publish something, I wanted to write a memoir, I published a memoir, in ‘08, this is, you know, more of the same, only different. And I was writing a lot about being a sober person in recovery, divorce, single dad, I was writing a lot about my kids, about my relationships with my mom, my ex-wife. And I was going to stay away from my dad for a while, I thought I had done enough. I mean, I written some stuff about him for the Boston Globe a few years ago. And he shows up in For the Love of Spock, I talked about my relationship with him, I contributed a short story for, To Me, He Was Just Dad, a compilation of celebrity kids and their fathers. I felt like maybe had done enough on that score. So, I just kind of like, decided to maybe go on another route for a while. And, and the problem was that he, you know, every time I wrote stuff he kept, he was in my mind. And he kept coming back. And I thought, okay, this is silly, I'm just resisting this, because he is the key relationship in my life, I'm writing about all these relationships I'm having. And the defining relationship was my, you know, it was my dad for better and for worse, and for better. So, I kept coming back to him, he kept popping up in my mind. 
 
The other thing was that, you know, John, I'm a guy in recovery, I got to, I still go to meetings and stuff, I'm sober, 20 years, and when I would share the story of the reconciliation with my dad, after we had been really estranged from each other, for a couple of years, I would share about it anonymously at these meetings, no one knows who I'm related to. I mean, you know, I just don't, I don't care for people to know, and they don't really care, mostly to know. But you know, people were inspired by the story of, you know, a lot of people have families with some dysfunction in it, you know, whether it's a parent or a sibling, and they were like, “Oh, man, that was an inspiring story that you were, you know, had so much trouble with your dad and, and then you used some of the tools of the program to reach out to him. And then you guys had a great life together the last few years of his life, that's inspiring to me, I'm going to try to see that might work with my parent or siblings.” So, it just seemed like I should, you know, delve into it one more time and really explore it and really tell the story of what happened. And, and, and hopefully it will resonate with other people.
 
John Betancourt: So, I’m very curious as to what kind of challenges emotionally did you run into in being so open, and so honest? Because I mean, you bear your soul in this book, completely.
 
Adam Nimoy: Well, the challenge is, you know, what to tell and what to leave on the cutting room floor. That's the challenge, and that's why I hired an independent editor to help guide me about, you know, because it's like, how much blood do we spill? It is not a tell all, it is not Mommy Dearest. I don't go through the entire litany, of all the ups and downs with my dad, I just didn't do it. There was no point in doing it. I did, you know, there were some episodes that I thought were sort of, you know, symbolic of things that happened with him, of the way, you know, that we interacted that were unfortunate, those I told, and then, you know, as even handedly as possible. And the rest, you know, I told a couple of episodes, two or three episodes of the conflict with him. But there were a number of things that I simply did not need to mention in the book. So that was number one. The other thing was that it was clear to me because he has so many fans all over the world. That I gotta be very careful with the way I deal with this material because most people don't want to, you know, hear a book about somebody trashing Leonard Nimoy. He's the hero for so many people. I mean, come on, you know, that's just a fact. And, and so I was always careful to say that I was very proud of the work he had done and what he had accomplished in his life. 
 
That was number one. And the other thing was, I gave him a lot of leeway for being raised by two immigrant parents from Ukraine. Who were not that loving, connected, emotional. They were very withholding. I mean, no one knew what my grandfather, his father was thinking, no one knew, he was the very, you know, very kind of a timid, quiet introverted guy, of few words. And his mother was tough, and she could be very withholding as well, which is what she was when he said, “Hey, I want to go to I want to go to LA and study acting.” And she's like, “No, you're not.” “Yes, I am. And I'm leaving on a train, you know, I’m eighteen and I'm going.” That’s where he came from. That's what he knew. So, I kind of cut him quite a lot of slack, that he really didn't have great modeling to begin with. You know, I’ll tell you, John, there's something that just comes to mind, I gotta share with you. And that is that we were raising money for the documentary For the Love of Spock, I got a I got a message from a woman who had read my earlier memoir about some of the trouble with my dad. And she said, “You know, I love Leonard Nimoy. And I'm not sure I want you making this film. Because I don't want to see, you know, I don't want to see a dark side of Leonard Nimoy. I don't want to see a critique of him. I love the guy.” And I wrote back saying, “Well, the fact is that memoir, ended it in a way and, and subsequently, a lot of things happened with my dad, to the point where we were really close and, and tight. Those last seven years, everything has changed, you know?” And she said, “Okay, all right, then I'm gonna go with, you know, I'll go with that. I'll take that on faith. And here's 100 bucks for your movie.” (Laughter)
 
John Betancourt: What did you learn going back through all of your experiences, that you didn't know before about yourself and your father, really everything in general?
 
Adam Nimoy: You know, okay, there's a number of things. Number one, you know, it's okay, to… I learned a lot in recovery. And, you know, in my recovery, and in processing all the stuff that I was writing about my dad, it's that… certain things did happen. And they were very difficult for me, and they were very hurtful. And that is absolutely okay. You know, it's just, that's real, those are real emotions, as it were. The way we respond to that stuff is where I had to really grow up with my dad and really rethink how to approach him. That's what I really, that's what I'm trying to emphasize is that I found out as I was growing more emotionally, while I was sober, because you know, when you're drinking and using, you're not really growing emotionally, it's just you're in “Arrested Development” for the most part. And I say that in the book, you know, that woman at the at the AA bookstore that said to me, “Honey, you got the emotional development of a 17-year-old boy, which was how old you were when you started smoking pot every day, for the next 30 years.” So, I discovered with my dad that I really, and I had help, I mean, I had a lot of people who told me how to handle him. That way to deal with him was not to take him on because he was simply too difficult, too powerful. My dad was a street kid from Boston. And he admitted this himself, he was a tough kid and don't fuck with him, you know, or you're going to -- and he knocked heads with a lot of people during his career, not the least of which was Gene Roddenberry and Bill Shatner, you know, from the get-go. 
 
So, what I really discovered and what I'm really trying to emphasize in the book, the lesson, I think, is that sometimes we have to take a different approach to dealing with these things. I what I figured out finally, what I was told was, I could be right about my dad, and I am right about my dad, I know my dad, I know his foibles. I, I “have his number” as he would say, that's his terminology, “I've got your number,” he'd say, and I had his number. I mean, I know him, I knew him pretty well. And I knew his shortcomings and his character weaknesses. That's okay. But if I wanted to be happy, I had to move on from a lot of that and, and it's okay to be again to have feelings about it. It's not okay to counteract that or to strike back out at him, to criticize him to come at him, to try to prove to him once I figured out that I did not have to prove to my dad that he was wrong. Everything was fine between us. 
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, I think all of us writers can agree that when we put words to paper in any capacity, there's a level of catharsis and a level of purge, if you will, but on a more personal kind of meaningful level in being able to tell the story now, what does it mean to you now to be able to have that complete picture kind of out there about your life and about your relationship with your father?
 
Adam Nimoy: Well, you know, it is cathartic. It was a great way of processing that. I mean, you know, my dad is no different than a lot of other dads, he just happens to be, you know, his alter ego happens to be beloved by, and dad, loved by fans, millions of fans all over the world. You know, it's a very human story of family dynamics. It's very, it's very symbolic of a lot of other people who go through the same experience. It's out there, and I'm just hoping it resonates with people, a lot of, you know, a big part of recovery is giving back and sharing our stories so that other people will be inspired. Or, a lot of times we hear these, you know, the newcomers who come to the meetings, you just have gratitude for where you're at in your life, because some people are struggling with life and death situations. I'm a board member of Beit T’Shuvah. It's a Jewish congregation, and it's basically a residential Addiction Treatment Center. We’ve got 100 people over there. And those people, many of them are in a life and death struggle to stay sober, because there's fentanyl everywhere. You know, and you really get a sense of gratitude just for where you're at in the world. And I don't have that obsession to drink or use anymore, and I'm just trying to be helpful to anybody. 
 
You know, it's really just a matter of, I hope this helps somebody that is out there. And I don't you know, I don't mind telling the story, I think it's a good story, it has a happy ending, you know, I, you know, you gotta be a little bit vulnerable. It is specific in that respect, but it's only by being specific and being vulnerable, that people can relate to it. I mean, that's the thing about Spock, really, people relate to him, because he's very specific about who he is, and how he functioned on the Enterprise. And, you know, everybody's like, you know, like, I resonate with Spock, because I'm the outsider like him. I'm the oddball, you know, you see the only alien on the bridge of the Enterprise. He's struggles with his human emotions. He's an outsider, you know, all that stuff. It's very specific, what he did with the character, and so is my story. It's very specific about what happened. And that, how my dad, you know, once we reconciled, it gave him the space to be the dad, I needed him to be when I had this personal tragedy with my second wife, Martha. Dad had the space. And the time. And the focus. This was the whole other thing was that he -- his priorities changed. Just plain and simple. His priorities were more about family. He was slowing down, semi-retired, not doing as much as he used to. I mean, when I was younger, he was all about career and working, and generating money and family was a far distant third to all that.
 
John Betancourt That brings me right to my next question, as well, because I think what I appreciate the most about this book is the fact that, you are talking about a topic that I think we're just now approaching as a society, in respect of, you know, men being in touch with their emotions, and the need to be in touch with our emotions. That's something that I've had to learn in the past few years myself. If there's any advice that you had to offer that isn't present in the book, for folks that are going to pick this up and find that spark of openness, what would that advice be about having to open up?
 
Adam Nimoy: Well, it would be I don't really, I'm not sure I even say… I’m trying to remember if I say this in this book, it is this… and that is that you do not need to be an alcoholic or an addict to be in recovery. Everybody's recovering from something, everybody, some traumatic experience, something that, you know, it may not be addiction, but it could be career loss, family dynamics, divorce, you know, it could be anything. There are a lot of things to recover from, and… I just think that the tools of recovery are available for everybody. I think they work; they've been very helpful to me. I was just your run of the mill pothead. I'm not even a classic alcoholic. And I was never an opioid addict, ever, really. I'm just a run of the mill pothead. And the situation now is it's not…. I don't worry too much about ever taking a drink or having a drug. It's just not really on my list of things to think about anymore. I just don't have that obsession. What I do think about, where I do have relapse is critical, for me is emotional relapse, where I don't use the tools and a lot of the tools, John, quite frankly, for me are, you know, here's the basis of it. This is what I do want to share. And I do talk a little bit about this in the book, but I want to emphasize this. When people piss me off, my first thought is almost always… F-You.
 
Because I'm an addict in recovery, and I have, there's an immaturity in my brain that's just wired that way. My first response is F-You, I’m just like angry, I want to come back at them, you know, that is my first response, what the program has done for me, and what I think it can do for many people is to give people the pause to wait and calm down, before they do stuff before they react to things, negatively. And that's what happened with my dad, I just didn't react to his stuff anymore. So we have a lot of mantras in the in recovery, Count to 10, Count to 20, Contrary Action, do it the opposite of what your impulse is to do, Restraint of a Pen and Tongue, don't just do something, sit there, let go and let God -- you know, all this stuff for me is to create this space between the negative impulse and my next reaction. I'm responsible for my second thought, which is hopefully more mature, than my first action and, you know, that's just a part of life, man. 
 
I mean, you know, somebody cuts me off on the 405, it pisses me off. I accept that about myself. And people should accept, you know, their own failings. That’s the other thing, forgiveness is so important, which is a lot of what this book is about. But forgiving yourself is of primary importance. And I do screw up all the time. And I have to forgive myself. I do have emotional relapses all the time. You know, relapse in addiction is a part of recovery. I've discovered being a board member of Beit T’Shuvah, we have people relapse all the time, and they go out there out of the house, they're not living there anymore. And they're out there, you know, using and drinking. And many of them come back in and we bring them back in, we give them another chance. Because people relapse. Well, it's the same thing with emotional relapse, where sometimes I you know, my kids will say something to me, and I'll be right away, I'll fly off the handle. It happens, you know?
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to what you've accomplished with this novel?
 
Adam Nimoy: Well, I think it's well balanced. I think it's… I'm really proud of the way that I was able to change the dynamic and the relationships, you know, that is the most, you know, that I was able to not only accept my dad, I mean, you have to know that the book is structured. So, I have to deal with my ex-wife, my Jewish mother, and my two teenage kids. And those guys really prepared me for what I had to do with my dad, what I had to do, to finally deal with my issue with my dad. And I think I'm really, I just think that I'm really grateful that I was able to make some changes in my own life, that you can change yourself, it is possible, it's never too late. I think I convey that in there, effectively, I hope. I'm just proud of the fact that I have really good relationships with people who are very challenging to me, sometimes, you know, and then I'm really grateful for those people. I mean, that really is the key. I know, this is weird recovery speak too, but the people who challenge you the most in your life give you the most opportunity for personal growth. And that's what, that's what I think that the book is really about. 
 
Even by writing it and putting it all together, it really forced me to see that I've come a long way, I still have a long way to go. But I finally figured out how to develop a good relationship with my mother, with my ex-wife, whom I'm still very close to, with my kids who still, you know, occasionally, who love to press my buttons, you know, they have my number, as my dad would say, you know, it's just, it's just about… everyone should get along, you know, we live in such a fractured world now. It's so unfortunate. I mean, it's just polarized everywhere. And it's just unfortunate that we can't reach out, you know, to people and try to understand them from where they're coming from. And just have some patience, tolerance and acceptance for other people. And, you know, my book is an attempt to, to heal, for people to heal, you know, and, and reconnect with one another because we're… to the pandemic and the political situation and, and the World Affairs now, it’s a really difficult time for humanity. And I think my, you know, my dad and my story together, is a story of hope, for reconciliation and repair. And that's what I think I'm most proud of in putting that book out there. 
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

Steffen Jean-Pierre and Mikhail Martin shocked the television world last night at the end of Race to Survive: New Zealand on USA Network. For despite braving ten days without food and working their hardest to pace themselves and stay in the race, they made the brave call to call it quits over safety and health concerns, and well, now that their exit from the show is public knowledge, we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss their experiences and their difficult decision.
 
John Betancourt: Definitely want to start by asking the million-dollar question, how hard was it to make the decision to step away from this competition?
 
Mikhail Martin: Oh, you’re starting with the easy ones?
 
John Betancourt: I figured we would ease into it!
 
Mikhail Martin: No, I mean, what can I say like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And like $500,000 would change all of our lives. And we were really looking forward to doing that. And yeah, it was extremely difficult, extremely difficult. I mean, I… if you know me, you know, I love to win a competition. And I love to take on any challenge head on, and to have to leave the competition this way, just was really heart wrenching. And like, I really felt like I was letting down, like everybody at home, you know, Steffen, I know, he's worked so hard to, you know, be ready for this. And, you know, to have us go out that way, it's just not a good feeling. But, um, you know, there's always takeaways from it.
 
Steffen Jean-Pierre: Well I just wanted to add that we, we literally went into this race with the mindset that we're not going to quit, we said, we're gonna go to the end. Whatever happens, we're just not going to quit. So, to be presented with that situation, where we have to make that choice of safety versus quit. It made sense that, you know, we -- I didn't want to risk Mikhail injuring himself anymore. I know, Mikhail didn't want to, he wanted to make sure he was able to go back home to his family, and his partner in one piece. So, you know, that it was the right decision. But it was… it was so hard to make.
 
Mikhail Martin: It may be hard to see on TV, but the terrain is extremely dangerous. And you know, where we were, you know, it could be life or death. And, you know, we want to you know, we love adventure. And we love doing that. And we're trying to do it as long as we can. So, we made the decision.
 
John Betancourt: Now obviously the decision and your farewell, is slightly edited for run time on the show, and I think this is a great opportunity to really break down how it happened for the fans. So, could you each walk us through how the decision came to be?
 
Steffen Jean-Pierre: So, I don't know how the decision to leave was portrayed. But I'll tell how it happened. We, you know, Mikhail did injure himself. And we said, let's keep on going until, you know, let's just see how your knee is feeling, let’s just keep on going. So, we proceeded to go for a bit more down the path. And it was one point where we were going, we were just climbing out of a riverbank, which should have been pretty routine, and I saw Mikhail struggling, there was actually a big, huge boulder that just started rolling down and it nearly missed him. And this is something that it should have been pretty routine, you know, like, I shouldn't have been worried about an injury and stuff, but to see him almost hurt himself, doing something pretty simple. And knowing that we had so much more miles to go cover. When he came to me and said, “I think I'm gonna need to bow out,” I you know, remember that, that incident and that made it easier for me to just, you know, let it go. But yeah, it was not an easy decision for us, and I let Mikhail expand on that.
 
Mikhail Martin: So, you know, we were getting down to the food cache. And, you know, we probably had about 20 minutes to go until we got there. And, you know, that's when the injury happened. And I felt it… and I heard like a cracking and a pop. And, you know, that's just something I've never experienced before. And I know, that's never good. And, you know, I guess with the adrenaline, I told Steffen, you know, this doesn't feel good. And, you know, we may have to go but you know, we came in not with that attitude. And we decided, you know, we're just going to keep going, maybe we can walk it off. We thought maybe grabbing some food would make it feel better. And so, we got to the food cache. And you know, we finally got our first bites, in you know, who knows how many days it was, and we decided to continue. And yeah, that's when what Steffen said happened. We you know, we were climbing out of the bank, and it all happened so fast, it was like a flash and you know, just see rocks falling down towards us. And then it just really hit me like, you know, this is, this is bigger than a race like this is life or death now, and, you know, we definitely love living (Laughs), and we want to be able to continue to do this time and time again. And, you know, definitely thought about, like all the messages our family at home, you know, told us like, “make sure you come back in one piece,” you know, “we're going to be proud of you no matter what.” And, you know, I think, you know, I may have said it before, I may have said it already, but you know, the best competitors know when to bail out and then move on to fight another day.
 
John Betancourt: Now, you guys went 10 days without food, you keep fighting hard through and through to the very end. Which is amazing, I don’t think I would have made it past the first hour. But to push yourself like that, leads me to wonder, what you learned about yourself during this competition that you didn’t know before.
 
Steffen Jean-Pierre: I learned that can go 10 days without eating (Laughter from all) No, I'd say my biggest takeaway from the experience was just my ability to deal with challenges, I think, you know, the way Mikhail and I worked together, I think, it wasn't something I like, I had never been through that sort of challenge with someone and just like, you know, it's such a unique experience to experience with one other person. And, and I think the way that we able to kind of to make decisions with each other, and not turn on each other, I didn't know that I had that in me. So, you know, I learned that I can work with, you know, that my relationship with Mikhail can go through something like that and come out a lot better.
 
Mikhail Martin: I think, you know, you have amazing friends, but you don't really get to see how amazing they are until you go on such a big adventure like this. Like, I already knew Steffen was strong, I knew he had all the skills, but when you see it, and when you see it in action, it's just super inspiring, like Steffen was literally running up these mountains. And, you know, meanwhile, I'm looking like, wow, like, humans can do that. So, I think it's just amazing and super inspiring to see your friends like being their best self. And, you know, like, we didn't argue or fight throughout this entire thing, which is also amazing to just to show that, like, two people can come together, and do something very hard. And do a good job. Right. And I think finally, the last point is, you don't really know what you're capable of, until you're thrown into a situation I think, you know, we as humans are able to adapt to many challenges.
 
You know, I never expected to go 10 days without eating. And we did it. And we were doing a lot of other things that I did for the first time, like whether it was rafting in a canoe, or, you know, summiting some mountain and, and going down with an ice axe, right, like, a lot of these things were very, were first time for me, and just knowing that there's always more in the tank. And that, you know, with a strong mind, you know, you can push forward and do some of the things that may seem impossible. So, yeah, super inspired, and again, inspired me to sign up for an ultramarathon. I never thought about doing it. But after that race, you know, the sky's the limit. And, you know, I've already started training, and in September, I'll be running 70 miles. So, it's gonna be great.
 
John Betancourt: What are you each going to miss most about this competition?
 
Steffen Jean-Pierre: For me, it was definitely the views that we were getting in New Zealand and just to experience that wilderness, that I don't think, outside of doing another similar show, I don't think we'll ever have the opportunity to, like, be dropped into another country and just, you know, go into like, the most rugged areas and do some of the most heinous things that we did. So that part of the adventure I'm, you know, the minute we tapped out I started missing it. You know, it's it was like, just a lot of top-tier fun. So, yeah, you know, I'm longing to go back. And you know, with some food this time, and yes, experience more that New Zealand has to offer.
 
Mikhail Martin: So, one of the things, you know, we spent a lot of time in the water. And there's one time when we were going down the chasm and you just get water all over your face and whatever, and you drink the water, New Zealand's water tastes amazing. Like, unlike any water I've ever tasted before. And that may be one thing I miss, but, you know, like, just the beautiful landscapes of everything. The trees are very distinct. And, and I think just having that connection, to travel to a place and having to learn about all of its like, nature. And, like, it's very interesting to travel to a country and, and come in with that perspective. Like, how can I live off this land? How can I become one with this land, and I'm really gonna miss that. But I hope I don't have to miss it. Because like, going forward, I would love to bring that into my practice of traveling, you know, getting a deeper understanding of the nature of the place. I'm going to and, and yeah, just having that lens as, as opposed to, you know, like a regular vacation.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you both today. What are you most proud of when it comes to what you accomplished here?
 
Mikhail Martin: You know, I think I'm just super proud. Like I said, we did something very little people are able to do, and we did it without fighting at all. And I think, you know, especially in this time in the world, you know, I think people can learn something about learning to work together. And, and that sort of thing. I think I'm most proud of just, you know, only giving up because I had to, not because I wanted to, or just because I thought it was too hard. Like I really had no other choice but to give up because I couldn't walk anymore through that terrain. And yeah, just super proud to be from New York City, not this natural landscape. I work as a software engineer, so I don't do this every day, but still be able to get out there and compete and, and just be that that role model for people out there just to let them know, “Hey, you may not do this every day, this may not be something normal for you. But it doesn't mean you can't do it, and that you should get out there try it anyway.” And who knows, you may be pretty good.
 
Steffen Jean-Pierre: Yeah, I'm just going to kind of kind of echo Mikhail’s statement. Definitely just the being able to be go there and compete. I think, you know, Mikhail, as he said, that it was his first time doing a lot of a lot of those activities. But I think with a few different decisions, we could have been very competitive in the race, and I'm proud of how we represented ourselves out there. You know, I don't have to worry about like, my mom watching it and watching me, you know, break down or be you know, a big a-hole on TV. So, you know, I am proud, I am proud of what we left out there.
 
Mikhail Martin: Yeah, there was something else you had said Steffen, like when, you know, when we had left the race and, you know, back to like, our parents, like our parents made huge sacrifices to, to come to the United States. And, you know, they had to work very hard for us to be able to actually get out there and enjoy our lives. And, you know, I'm very proud that we were able to kind of live out that dream for them. You know, they growing up, they didn't have opportunities like this, they didn't have the chance to even to do half of this. And, you know, here they are, they work very hard their whole life. And, you know, they get to see their sons on TV. Like being very happy. And you know, some of it was challenging, you know to watch, but, you know, they knew that we were very happy. And what more can you ask for?
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.