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

Barry L. Levy is a highly accomplished writer that’s crafted some memorable stores on the silver and small screen, such as Vantage Point and episodes of StartUp. Currently he serves as the creator and showrunner of the upcoming Apple TV+ series, Me, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Barry to discuss the genesis of this show and more.
 
John Betancourt: I would like to start by learning what inspired you to create such an ambitious show.
 
Barry L. Levy: I have identical twin daughters with my wife, and two years later, we had a son who was tall right out of the gate, and therefore always looked like a triplet, and couldn't quite be a triplet, despite his desire to be one. And so, for him, the question became a bedtime story, and it became, then the story of the show, which is a boy named Ben. Who do you want to be, if you could be anyone in the world? And so that became the sort of impetus and the starting point, and the writing just came from there. And, you know, for us, you know, in our house, anyways, I talk about this as a love letter to them, and to being able to sort of capture their relationships. You know, for posterity, forever. So, this has been… truly a dream come true.
 
John Betancourt: Well, how lovely of an answer is that? Your kids get to say, “Yeah, my dad wrote this about me.” That's pretty amazing. Well, with that in mind, you said the writing came pretty quick. But were there any challenges that came into crafting this? I mean, because it's such a complex and emotional story.
 
Barry L. Levy: No. (Laughter from Barry and John.)
 
John Betancourt: All right, easy enough.
 
Barry L. Levy: Just kidding. You know, the challenges were never in the writing. It was also in the producing of what was being written. Because we designed the show to be written, to be shot as a, essentially a, what a five-hour movie, and then we had to sort of recognize that from a production point of view, that's a brutal way to shoot. How do we organize these scenes? How do we sort of tailor what we're writing so that it makes more sense from a production point of view? That was the biggest hurdle. And I mean, I think we, you know, I feel thrilled to have great collaborators where it worked out, but those were the questions that we were asking ourselves from the start.
 
John Betancourt: I will say that I'm noticing more and more. Especially, seems like in the last year or so, we're seeing a lot of family stories that go deeper into topics like this, stuff that I know that when I was kid, no TV shows went into. Like there was “a very special episode,” and that was pretty much it. I'm curious, why do you think now is the right time to see these kinds of shows on the air?
 
Barry L. Levy: Oh, wow. You know, I'm, I'm not sure. I will say that one of the key lessons of show running was being authentic about when you don't know the answer, telling you I don't know the answer. I do think that we have trended for decades, though, towards authenticity and grounded-ness and realism. If you think back to those old black and white movies where performances were always broad and you know, they're sort of shouted at you, and then by the 70s, it was sort of real and grounded. And now it makes sense that it trickles down to even the performers of all ages. I mean, I think those are trends.
 
John Betancourt: Wow. Well, that is quite the insightful answer.
 
Barry L. Levy: Top of my head!
 
John Betancourt: So, let's talk about some of those themes. Because the show covers so many and it is so authentic in doing so, and I’m curious how you brought forth that authenticity.
 
Barry L. Levy: So that started with the casting, and it started with the hiring of a director. I knew from the start that I sort of had a leadership philosophy of going… I want to bring in people, and I want them to elevate what we've done so that I'm not the pinnacle. I'm the bottom of the heap, of the pyramid. And in that regard, Michael really brought a real cinematic style to it. Michael Dowse, and I brought in Joshua Einsohn, who I'd known forever, who cast, This is Us and Love, Victor, and a lot of other sort of awards-y shows. And I wanted to find kids who could really reach the levels that we wanted in terms of performance, that it was going to feel real, that it wasn't going to feel like anything else that I had seen on television, and so that we could hit those marks. And when we saw river Lucien-River (Chauhan), but we call him Riv, he, he just, he nailed it with his eyes. He could do a lot of things that we didn't have to put on the page.
 
In terms of dialogue, you felt it with him. You know, casting Abby (Pniowsky) meant we needed someone, because the role always demanded that she was every bit his equal and then some, but also that she could be a sister to him, and so who played best off of him, and those two, the minute that we saw them at a camera read, the first time, it was so obvious that those two were siblings, and it just was like, “Yes, please.” Um. And from moving off from there, Josh had seen Amanda Reid, had met her in Dallas at some place, and seen her perform. And he was like, months before we ever saw her. He's like, “I know who Carter is. I know who Carter is.” And he kept saying it and saying it. And then it just took me a minute to get my head around and go. I think Josh might be right. And so, you know, that's how we that's how we got them.
 
John Betancourt: I couldn't help but notice too, that there's a very, cinematic spark to the story, and a superhero feel, which I also like. Were there any influences that you wanted intentionally in this show from that genre or in general?
 
Barry L. Levy: So, when I first met Michael Dowse, I brought one, and he brought one, and it was so clear, you know, that there was touchstones for us. Stand By Me, was a touchstone which was about children, but it wasn't for children. It was for everyone. E.T., that there were layers to the sort of the culture of knowing that if you were a parent watching it, you would find different things. Like I didn't know until I showed it to my kids that Elliot's father had run off with a flight attendant to Mexico. And it was so, so specific. And it was like, I just somehow it never passed -- it just passed right over me. But then Michael also brought, I guess, with him, Super 8 was a touchstone for him, which was sort of paid homage to those other ones, you know. And I think those films really sort of set us up of going, this is what we are aspiring to. It'll feel cinematic, but it'll feel real, and you'll almost forget the fact that in, you know, five years’ time, we should be so fortunate as to be looking at the superheroes of this show, because today, we're just telling the story of a someday superhero.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously the show is loaded with all kinds of amazing messaging and stuff that parents and kids can talk about after watching the show. If there's one particular message that you hope really everybody carries with them as they walk away from this first season, what would that message be?
 
Barry L. Levy: Oh, wow. I mean, I do think it's challenging to find the just one, for me personally, the finding who you are and accepting who you are. You know, those are sort of part and parcel of becoming yourself. You know, when we talked about season one with Apple from the start, it was always, this is a boy who can be anyone in the world. Who does he want to be? Well, by the end of season one, he knows the answer. It's our title. I want to be, me. And that idea was always there from the start.
 
John Betancourt: Since you talked some of the personal aspects of what the show has meant, what does it mean to you now to know that you're just so close to having this important project come to life on the screen.
 
Barry L. Levy: I mean, I will say having been here with movies as well as TV, it always is sort of a powerless feeling of going “it's there.” And I don't know how the world will accept it, but I will say that versus any other experience in my life, I'm sort of, I'm excited to share it, and I'm so proud of what we did, and I know that the people in this family are, so the audience of three, I've already got that seal of approval, you know, I'm good. I'm playing with house money at this point.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you, speaking of that pride, what are you most proud of when it comes to this project?
 
Barry L. Levy: Oh, my God, I think it's those the performances that are captured on film. Because I think that that's actually a deeper issue than simply a performer, because the way it's shot, is so much a credit to Mike and Bella Gonzalez, our DP, the way that those scenes are cut together. I don't know who's seen how much of the series, but Episode Seven with Abby, with Max in the dressing room is a scene that I will always hold on to as being so special, the birthday dinner of Episode Five. I mean, those are real moments of such emotional depth that, you know, Episode Eight, in the exploring of Carter and her father's relationship. I mean, we went to places that I was so proud of going, I know we're doing, we're hitting above our, our weight. We're punching above our weight in this regard. And I just, I was so thrilled that the performers, that the crew and the cast, you know, delivered, and then some. And, of course, the writers as well.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
 

The hit STARZ series, The Serpent Queen, returns to the airwaves on Friday, July 12, 2024, and to celebrate its return, we here at NTG sat down with the show’s creator/showrunner and its executive producer, Justin Haythe and Erwin Stoff, respectively, to discuss the season ahead.
​
John Betancourt: Gentlemen, congratulations on a second season, and thank you for your time today. First and foremost, would love to start with getting to know what went into the decision to make an already bold show even bolder and bigger in season two.
 
Justin Haythe: Look the tone. The show is all about the tone, right? And I think tone is one of those the most important things when you're telling a story and often not talked about because it's a way to angle the show. And I think that working on a season one, you learn a language, you develop collaborations, and you test the concept, and when you see this tone works, when you see the humor can coexist with the blood and the pathos. You're obligation free, you can push it farther. And it's always about pushing as far as you can go before, before it goes too far.
 
Erwin Stoff: I mean, you have to go bigger and bolder, otherwise, why bother doing a second season?
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, there have to be some challenges that come into play when you're assembling a season that's so much more ambitious. I'm curious as to what kind of challenges each of you ran into in doing so.
 
Erwin Stoff: The challenges are, it's funny. The challenge is, on the one hand, you want to give the audience what they liked last year, but then you don't want to repeat what you did last year. So, you sort of go with the story, which is okay, they loved Catherine, they loved that character, etc. Now in, sort of in, taking the story forward. what were all of the additional complications in her life? Well, she had children. Well, the religious wars were, you know, were beginning to happen and so on. So that's what causes it to, you know, to sort of AMP up further.
 
Justin Haythe: Well, I think, you know, the genre of television, you come back to feel a little bit like you felt last week, but if you feel exactly the way you felt last week, there's no point right to Erwin's point. But I would say the same thing about any character, a non-growing, non-developing character isn't interesting. And Catherine is the character who's changing. So, when season two, you come back to see who she was, what made her she was, but you also see where she's going and the new line, she's willing to cross. And in that sense, what remains interesting is what remains interesting about the characters.
 
John Betancourt: It could be said that this isn’t a hard philosophical show, because it's just telling history, so we can't really pull philosophy from that, but I will say that it is definitely about the human condition and a lot of the choices that we make. And I'm curious what kind of the underlying theme you hope the audience takes away in season two?
 
Justin Haythe: I mean, I would disagree with you slightly. I think you can take a philosophy by the frame you look at history through, and me, if there's a theme to this show, it's about the impact of arbitrary power systems, meaning you don't win this game by being the smartest, the best person, the kindest. That's not how you win this game. You win this game by being closest to who we've decided God picked to be king. So, under that system, Anything's fair game, right? It's not a fair system. So, you can lie and cheat and steal to win. And the question is, how often do we live under systems like that? When do people still lose faith in the system today? When are people feeling that way, and it's delicious to watch people behave where there are no rules. That's also pretty scary.
 
John Betancourt: Then I stand corrected. We can find philosophy here. Last question I have for you today, what has the response to the series meant to each of you?
 
Erwin Stoff: It's highly gratifying. Justin and I enjoyed the show. Justin and I have been friends and have worked together for well over 20 years. So, we actually had the greatest time. It was hard work, but we had the best time. So, to see other to see audiences having the response to it that they do, is obviously incredibly gratifying.
 
Justin Haythe: I couldn't agree with Erwin more. I mean, look, you wouldn't want to be in a foxhole with anybody else. Erwin, and I have known each other so long, anything that goes wrong, we've been there, and we've seen worse. But the real pleasure of it is to see that what amuses us, right, amuses other people as well.
 
Erwin Stoff: Yeah, that’s absolutely right.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Last night’s episode of Race to Survive: New Zealand, saw not one, but two teams head home for varying reasons. Corry and Oliver left due to disqualification, while Ryan and Bronsen tapped out for health reasons and we here at NTG were fortunate enough to sit down with Ryan and Bronsen as well, to discuss their experiences during the race and their tough call.
 
John Betancourt: First and foremost, Ryan, how are you feeling? 
 
Ryan: Feeling good. It's kind of… knowing this episode's going to air tonight. It's kind of one of those give you a little kind of gut punch, you know. It just sucks having to watch yourself. We wanted to go at least to the end, you know. So, yeah, it kind of hurt a little bit, you know, all the episodes were fun, except for this one. 
 
John Betancourt: So, this will be a bit of a two-part question, the first is for Ryan. I’d love to know how hard it was to push through those injuries. Because I’m a guy with a bad knee, I felt for you, and I don’t know how you did it. 
 
Ryan: I mean, yeah, it happened early on in the second race. I fell and hurt, but then I fell into a really good tumble, and I don't think it ever was ever shown, but that's when I stood up and you could feel, that's when I first started feeling like more of a burning sensation, I guess it would have been. And so, I mean, all I could do is push through it. You know what? Even the doctor said, it probably started out as a small tear and worked its way to a larger tear. And so, I tried to focus on other things than the knee. And it was kind of funny, it would only hurt generally if weight was on my back, because the LCL acts as, I guess, is a weight bearing ligament, and so it's when that weight was on and going downhill or side hill or, you know, it just, I mean, it was I wanted to push through to, you know, to get the money for Bronsen, you know, and for myself, and just to finish it. So, it really stuck in that last leg. It just we, we got out of these rafts and got down the river, and it just didn't want to go. And it just kept locking up. It was weird. It would lock up. Then I’d go for like, 10 feet, and then it would lock up again. I’d go 10 feet, lock up. It just… it was bad.
 
John Betancourt: Now the second part, is for Bronsen. How hard was it to watch him go through that? 
 
Bronsen: Yeah, I know Ryan's a tough guy. Um, it was, I mean, not necessarily, like, way hard for me. I felt really bad for him, because I know he wanted to just keep pushing and keep going. But like, it got to the point to where, like, he literally couldn't or, I mean, we were walking five steps, and then we'd have a little five-minute break, and then five more steps, another five-minute break. I wouldn’t say I was bummed or anything, just had to support him.
 
John Betancourt: Now, obviously this was a decision that you guys didn't come to very quickly. You took a little time to get there. How hard was it to come to the decision to tap out?
 
Ryan: It was hard. It was really hard. Yeah, it was very, very, very difficult. But we just kind of had to think about, you know, we didn't know what was going on with the knee at the time, you know, at all. And, I mean, I still kind of go against it, but the doctor even said, if you kept pushing it, you probably would have eventually ripped all the way through, you know, and it would have been a, it would have been a complete tear where you would have had to have surgery, it would have been that, but I don't know, in my mind, I kind of feel like I should have just kept… maybe I should have made crutches. Or, you know what I mean, you kind of look back on it now, but at the same time, this is 10 months ago, so it's really hard to really understand the pain. You know what I mean? So, it's really hard. I put myself now, like, I should have done this, I should have done that, a lot of shoulders, but in the moment, you're thinking of like, I gotta go back home and work, you know what I mean, I gotta go back home and get back to regular life where I, you know, I make money and stuff and so, having that, ligament… it was 90% torn. Yeah, I don't know if I could have made it the 10% I, I feel like I could've now, (Laughs) but I don't know. I mean, it would have been pretty brutal. I don't know if we could, the last race would have been probably really, really hard to have probably done. 
 
So that was kind of our decision is like, is it worth the injury, the risk? Because I have a landscaping business as well as the guiding. So… how far do you permanently damage this thing? You know what I mean? That’s kind of where Bronson started talking sense into me on some of this stuff, because I did, I wanted to keep going. And he did. He's like, “Dude, you gotta, when you get home, you still gotta have a living,” you know what I mean. And it all kind of made sense. And so, I think we just kind of thought, well, you know, we had a good time there. We saved the leg enough that I hope, I hope we get to do something else, cool again. I mean, you know, I really do, my leg feels a lot better. I'll bet it's about 90%-95% and I'll just do, I think I do a lot more stretching next time. You know, as you get older, you don't stretch that body. Yeah, I think it would have prevented the injury, to be honest, I really do. I just, I work out and stuff. I don't do enough stretching. 
 
John Betancourt: Bronsen, anything to add?
 
Bronsen: Like Ryan said, it came down, like he just wanted to keep going, pushing through and like he said, I'm like, kind of talking sense into him, like, “Dude, life doesn't work for when you get back, you're just going to be a bum on the couch.”
 
Ryan: Yeah, yeah, it sucked I think the hardest part is, as well as kind of pride myself, I wanted to get all the way, and the next thing was letting Bronson down. You know, you kind of feel like you're letting him down. And I still have a hard time with it. I really do. I feel like I let us get down when we should have went, at least there to the end. But, I mean, life is life, you know, sucks. 
 
John Betancourt: Now that you’ve had time to reflect on the journey, what are you each going to miss about being out there?
 
Ryan: I loved all the challenges. I loved the simple life. To be honest. I love having no phones, no connection, being very isolated, um, kind of one with nature. Just kind of, it was simple. It showed you so much, I guess, in life, of how you don't need the materialistic things. Because all we cared about was food, water and shelter, and that was it. And we were happy. There was nothing to, you know, look at somebody else and say, “Oh, they have this. I have this.” You know, nowhere to be like that. So, I'll miss that. I even… coming back. I had a hard time with that. Of just engaging back into the real life, you know, the phone going, and then the messages and the stress of real life coming on to you. It was so simple out there. I really miss the simplicity of how life was out there.
 
Bronsen: I really just missed, like, the adventures and stuff we did, looking back, like in the moment, like you didn't notice because you're hungry, or whatever you like, thought it sucked, but watching the episodes, it's actually really cool. We did a lot of cool things, and we were in a really cool place, so I'll miss that. And also, like Ryan said, and I'm sure everybody else felt out there, just how much like, yeah, just how simple life needs to be like, you don't need to always be like, wanting the next big thing, I guess, like Ryan said, it's shelter, food, water and family. Miss family a lot out there. 
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for each of you today, what did you learn about yourself that you didn’t know before? 
 
Ryan: I'm getting older. (Laughter from all) Yeah, you know, I didn't realize that, yeah, I just, I'm getting older. I mean, it's a hard thing to know my body's getting older. I guess. You know. I guess it's aging. It's… I’ve come to realize, because, to go against 20-year-olds and 25-year-olds. And, you know, just, I remember just being so prime in those days of just going, going, going, and now I'm 43, I never was sore. Like, that's what it was. I wasn't crazy sore. Wasn't crazy anything. But I just, I don't know, it was just weird, not going, like, I used to go, like, so full throttle, you know what I mean, kind of like the youngins, Corry and Oliver. It was just, it really ticked me off, actually, and it's actually made me want to work harder, physically, like, as far as stretching and getting simpler that way, it's really important, really, you know, because I just didn't realize that, because I played sports my whole life, and I just didn't realize that the body was getting a little old on me. 
 
Bronsen: Just how much family actually meant to me. Probably. Like just, you take a lot of things for granted when you're providing and working. So yeah, just life is simple, and family is everything.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

It is definitely safe to say that this week’s episode of Race to Survive: New Zealand on USA Network was shocking in nature. For two teams went home, one of which for a rule violation. Since Corry and Oliver unfortunately succumbed to hunger and shattered a rule in the process, disqualifying them from further competition and we here at NTG had the honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss this unfortunate end to their time on the show. 
 
John Betancourt: So, gentlemen, we will get right into it, I simply have to ask, how bad was the hunger? 
 
Corry: Yeah, I mean, totally the hunger was super real. I think honestly, it's, it's hard to fully portray that and fully show what that experience is like for a lot of us out there on the ground, but yeah, the was super real. Yeah, we’d often sit around the fire and just talk about food at survival camp for hours with the other teams. 
 
Oliver: I think that's what made the survival camp the hardest, right? While we were racing, we didn't actually think about the hunger. But then, you know, while we were actually out there sitting around like being hungry, really, actually took away from the overall experience, right? All we could think about was how hungry we were. And I think, at the end there, I don't know if this will make the final cut, but I basically said something along lines of, like, the best way that you can that -- like anyone else that's watching could really understand what we were going through is like, if someone tells you to hold your breath and, like, if you hold it long enough, you can win half a million dollars… as those seconds tick on that half a million dollars becomes a lot less important. And that's where we were at. We didn't even care about the money because we were so hungry.
 
John Betancourt: Now it was very obvious at the end of this episode that it was tough news and a tough reality to work with for both of you. How hard was it to mentally bid farewell to this race? 
 
Corry: It was, it was super upsetting, to be totally honest, there's, there's a lot of things that are part of this story that you know, I'm totally not sure how everything's going to come out in the episode. I haven't seen it, but yeah, it was super, super frustrating, super upsetting. It's been something that's really kind of got under my skin, honestly.
 
Oliver: I think, truth be told, like it, yeah. It was upsetting. It felt like we had let a lot of people down. You know? It felt like we had let our community down. It felt like we let production down, these people that we had become really close with. But I'll be honest, like part of me was, like, a little bit relieved, because I knew we were going to get to get food again. You know, it's like, once we're done, we get food again. And that made it sting a little bit less, if I'm being honest.
 
John Betancourt: Now it wasn’t all sour grapes for this race, you guys accomplished a lot, and I’m also curious about what you learned about yourself in this competition you didn’t know before?
 
Oliver: You know, I think, and this also, like Corry mentioned at some point during the show like he wanted, like they asked us a question, like, why do you want to win this for your partner? I think he said, for me, like he wanted for me to see what I'm actually capable of. And I never really considered myself an athlete before this experience, but going up against some, like, pretty incredible individuals and doing really well against them, like I 100% would identify as an athlete now, which, which is super cool.
 
Corry: I came in, I think knowing, like we came in, knowing that we would be competitors on the physical side and be able to race really well. And if you know something, maybe two things, like, I really, was really proud of how navigation went for me. I feel like I was one of the stronger navigators in the competition, as far as mapping and compasses. And really didn't make almost any mistakes on the navigation side. And I'm really proud of that. Another thing I probably learned was the, you know, just how real the hunger is and what that component actually feels like, right? Like, that's not something you get to test out and really go toe to toe with in a lot of other experiences. And this was very unique in that way.
 
John Betancourt: Now this was, a very amazing opportunity in general, and I’m wondering what each of you are going to miss the most about being out there?
 
Oliver: I think, like going in, we were both kind of on the same page about just wanting to experience the entire thing, right? Like, I think from the beginning, like the money wasn't the motivating factor, it was just to stay competitive enough to make it to the last race. And that's kind of what hurts, I think, more than the loss of the money. It's just like the fact that we didn't get to experience every single aspect of this overall race.
 
Corry: I mean, yeah, that's definitely a thing that that bites a little bit, is we came out of this thing feeling strong, hungry, but strong. We weren't injured. There were other teams that continued past where we got out that were not physically sound, that had injuries, and we, we didn't, and to leave that experience like knowing that we still had a pretty good, competitive foot in front of us, and I think we could have, you know, gone a lot farther, and been able to go through to the end, and to see that not come to fruition is definitely super upsetting. I miss the companionship at survival camps we had with the other teams. There was definitely a kind of tribal bond that formed that doesn't get a lot of attention in the show, but it was very real. Being out there and being in the situation together.
 
John Betancourt: Folks have obviously been following your journey here closely, what do you hope they take away from it? 
 
Corry: Don't underestimate the river guides. 
 
John Betancourt: I like that, watch for the river guides. 
 
Corry: Yeah, watch out for the river guides, They're not out here, just all drinking beer. 
 
John Betancourt: Now I know hindsight is 2020 but I am very curious as to if you if you had to do anything differently regarding to the lead up point, what would you guys have done differently in this race? 
 
Corry: There's some teams I maybe wouldn't have trusted. 
 
Oliver: I think Corey and I are, like, we're very outgoing, friendly individuals, and, you know, I think we were the ones that kind of got the ball rolling in terms of that, like, tribal mentality, where, like, at survival camp, we all kind of come together, you know, there are these communal fires, and you see that on the show. Occasionally, you'll see us all sitting around one fire, and we saw these people as friends, you know, and this is like a… we maybe saw it more as a bonding experience. And I think Corry’s spot on, like there's maybe too much trust in these people and, yeah, it wasn't like that, that tribal-ness and that friendliness wasn't maybe reciprocated, because that's what led to all of this.
 
John Betancourt: That’s so very interesting. I’ve not heard that before, so that’s very intriguing. Now, if you ever get the chance to come back to the show and do this again, would you? 
 
Oliver: You know, that's a question that I got asked a lot, and for the longest time I was saying yes, but honestly, it's one of those things where I think, like, after the fact, like, I'm going to be honest, like it kind of profoundly affected our relationship and our friendship and…. maybe I don't think that was exactly worth it to be honest.
 
Corry: Yeah, my answer would be maybe a little different. If Oliver would have me back as a partner, and it wasn't in New Zealand. Yeah, I'd probably do it again, because I know we could win it. Simple as that.
 
Oliver: We could totally win it. 
 
Corry: We should have won this one. 
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, mistakes aside, what are you most proud of when it comes to this race?
 
Oliver: We were composed.
 
Corry: There's a lot that I'm proud of. 
 
Oliver: Yeah, I think for me, the if I could pick one thing, I would say our attitudes throughout the whole thing, we were easily the most composed team out there. And I think it really shows, you know, there wasn't any drama we, there isn't any scenes of us like talking poorly about other teams, like we came out there with the intention to race our own race, and we did just that, and never deviated from it. 
 
Corry: Yeah, I think definitely like coming out there, and, you know, we kind of, we said this a lot, but if we're going to win, we're going to win it in the way that, you know, that we are like, we're going to be friendly, we're going to have probably way too much fun. And that's, I think, how we raced, really, through the first two races. And I'm really proud of how we performed in all of those and even when things were obnoxious and rules around survival were not what we thought, and things with dark zones were not what we thought, and we got kind of… some of these obstacles that seemed strange. We still… we raced through them, and we won three in a to. Second team to ever take home a win in Race to Survive.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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Máiréad Tyers is an accomplished actor that has appeared in multiple projects on the silver and small screen. Currently, she stars as Susannah in the Prime Video series, My Lady Jane, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Máiréad, to discuss her experiences on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know what it means to you as an actor, to be part of such a dynamic and just so supremely unique show.
 
Máiréad Tyers: Yeah. I mean, that description is bang on, like, I think there's so many elements of the show that are really original and unique, as you say. And I think, like, there's so much kind of shows out there nowadays to watch. And I think if I was sitting at home and wasn't involved in the show, and I saw the trailer, I’d be like, “Oh my God, I want to watch that.” And so, to be part of something that I would really love to actually watch is very exciting. And also, like, you know, there's such an amazing team behind it. When I saw the list of names of creatives, you know, like the execs and directors and everything, when I, you know, look back on the work that has influenced me, a lot of their names are attached to those films and TV shows. So yeah, I feel like exceptionally proud to be part of this.
 
John Betancourt: As you should be, and what’s really interesting, is your character is relatively new to this universe, since there isn’t really any Susannah’s in the Tudor world. So, what did you enjoy the most as an actor, having the freedom that you did to create your character?
 
Máiréad Tyers: I think, like, if you told me I was going to be doing, like, a period piece that was set in Tudor times, and I'd be playing a maid, in my head, I'd be like, “Okay, so I'll wear a corset and a uniform and a little hat and be responsible for bringing in the tea and taking it away when they're done.” Like, I thought that that would be the extent of my character. And then, you know, reading the scripts, I'm like, “Oh my God.” Like, this character's got such a big secret, and the evolution of her and her journey from the first episode to the eighth, like, she goes on such a journey. And I think there was such freedom and joy to be found in playing, you know her, I guess, repression at the start, and her being forced to keep the secret and hide who she is, and then you see her being released into the world in a way that you know she didn't particularly want, but had to go along with what Jane wanted.
 
And then by being freed into the world, she actually, I think, found the people who she should have been with all along. And then you gladly see her relationship with Jane forming back together. And while there's a lot of tests in their relationship that they have to kind of figure out, and chats they need to have that have been needed to be had for years, I think it's really satisfying, as an actor playing that part, to finally be able to say all the things that you imagine she has had to hold in for years.
 
John Betancourt: What are you more excited for audiences to see, without any spoilers, just as a whole, for the show?
 
Máiréad Tyers: I think I'm really excited for people to see the costumes. Mainly, I think the costumes are incredible, like they're so well made, and the team who are working exceptionally hard day in day out, like, you know, get these deadlines and these dresses made and beautiful artwork and everything that's the production -- there's so many like, well crafted elements to this piece, as well as the music. Like, the music is really inventive and new and thoughtful. I think, like, yeah… there's loads. But also, to be honest, I'm really excited people just to see Emily Bader's performance. I think she's marvel, and I'm excited for them to learn that she's actually American and not English, when they hear her accent.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Anna Chancellor and Rob Brydon are a pair of highly accomplished actors that have appeared in iconic stories on the silver and small screen. Such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Barbie, respectively. Currently they star as Lady Frances Grey and Lord Dudley in the Prime Video series, My Lady Jane, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of speaking with them about their experiences on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start, learning what it means to each of you to be part of a show that is so refreshingly dynamic and unique.
 
Rob Brydon: It's great, isn't it? I mean, you know, you do a lot of shows, a lot of things, you don't know how they're going to go. And then when you start to, I don't tempt fate, but you start to get a feel from all the journalists we're speaking to today, that they really like it and what I've seen, I haven't seen finished episodes yet, but you start to get excited. You start to go, “Oh, I think this looks like it's really good.” That's a great feeling.
 
Anna Chancellor: I think also our cast was very diverse. We had very different people, and we would just all sit around chatting. And it had a sense of real fun. It was fun to be with these people. We were obviously the older guys. We’ve had much more experience. And it was fun to be with young, fresh people who hadn't been in costume dramas, who didn't sort of know this world. And it was, very refreshing to be part of this project,
 
Rob Brydon: As Anna says, we were the older people, and yet still with the freshness and the vibrancy that belied our advanced years. (Laughter from all)
 
John Betancourt: Fun is something I’ve heard from your peers often now, and I am sure that relates to the freedom you had as actors, and I’m curious how did you as actors, approach the creation of your loosely based version of these historical characters.
 
Anna Chancellor: I actually think in a show like this, it's not that you come with many, many pre decided decisions as to, as to how you're going to play it. I mean, maybe you, you know that you've got a facility, but really, it's like, what happens when you get there And, it's more, I think, for me, is how open minded can I be on the day? So, the ideas are coming literally as you are there, as you're setting up a scene. I'm actually not very good at imagining things before they happen. Are you?
 
Rob Brydon: No, I think that sometimes a lot of it happens much more in the moment than you might think. I'd love to sit here and tell you that I went away and became a lord and wore the clothes for six months. Reality is, you read the script, you think, yes, I know. I know where I could take me, and there's the character, and we join in the middle, and then you try and be very relaxed. And you know, we had a wonderful script with wonderful witty lines and remarkable situations. I mean, how often do you get to play things, and say “there are dark forces conspiring against the king?” I've never said things like that before, and the challenge is to make those sound believable, because it's not a line that most people will say nowadays. And you get to play such high stakes. You know, people are being poisoned, somebody's trying to kill somebody else. An invasion. There's an invasion coming. There are this many troops to the east and all that sort of stuff. I've never done that before. So that's really, that's really stimulating. Especially because we were shooting on wonderful sets and on wonderful locations. So, with the great costumes, you really felt like you were there.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for each of you today, without any spoilers, what are you most excited for audiences to experience when they tune in?
 
Anna Chancellor: Well, I think there should be a liberation there for the young women watching it. I think it could feel like it was speaking to them. I hope it does. And for other people, older, younger, whatever, I think there's just a, like, a farcical freedom to the whole thing. It should be fun, right? It’s an escape.
 
Rob Brydo: I just hope people want to, want to get on the ride, because it is a ride. You know, you start off at the beginning and it goes (Rob makes a wooshing noise and gestures to the sky), it's quite a visceral show.
 
This interview has been lightly interviewed and condensed for clarity.

Kate O’Flynn and Jordan Peters are a pair of accomplished actors that have appeared on the silver and small screen often, in some important franchises. Such as Bridget Jones’ Baby and Gangs of London, respectively. Currently they star as Mary and King Edward in the Prime Video series, My Lady Jane, and we here at NTG had the wonderful honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss their new show.
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John Betancourt: I would love to know what it means to each of you to be part of such a dynamic and unique new show?
 
Jordan Peters: Oh, absolute joy. Yeah, absolute joy. I've never done anything like this before in my life, so being a part of it, it just means so much to me and also just the opportunity to play such a historical figure, but not basing it on the historical facts, just making our own in this My My Jane world, it's just been so much fun. And just the whole team and the cast, has just been… it's been really great.
 
Kate O’Flynn: Yeah. I would second that and just say it was a rollicking good time to film and hopefully to watch.
 
John Betancourt: Jordan, you lead me right to my next question, because I’m very curious as to how much each of you enjoyed having so much freedom to craft your characters, since you weren’t locked into history.
 
Kate O’Flynn: Well, I think we were both thinking the same thing, is that the script comes first. So, who are the characters in this world of My Lady Jane and going from there? So, for me, it was finding the tone of her, finding how the character of Mary -- like, what instrument am I playing in the orchestra? And Mary is the villain. So just going all out for that, really, that was my approach, my way in.
 
Jordan Peters: Yeah, it's just like you said, there was so much license to play, and also with the showrunners being there every day, and if we had a moment of like improv in rehearsals they would add it to the script, or they have an idea that they could use to put later on in the episode that they will use that. It was just so nice to have such a collaboration with the actors and the showrunners, which was so, so beautiful, that whole experience, because it was months of filming. So, it was nice that they weren't just so locked into what was on the script, that just gave us more freedom and license to play.
 
John Betancourt: Now, without offering any spoilers, I would love to know you're most excited for audiences to experience when they watch.
 
Kate O’Flynn: I'm excited for people to see the chemistry between Emily (Bader) and Edward (Bluemel) playing Jane and Guildford, because I think that really, really works. Really, it's just… it's electric. So, I'm excited, but I think people will love that.
 
Jordan Peters: Also, the fantastical moments within the show. There's a lot of fantasy that, you know, people should be looking forward to.
 
Kate O’Flynn: Yeah, there’s a lot of surprises.
 
Jordan Peters: A LOT of surprises.
 
John Betancourt: What are you each most proud of when it comes to work on this show?
 
Jordan Peters: You know what? I'm proud of my fighting skills. Yeah, I'm proud of my fighting skills because I trained hard. I trained for three years at Lambeau, and now I can put it into practice. I'm like, yes, yes, it was worth the money.
 
Kate O’Flynn: Yeah. I think for me, I'm most proud -- I think I’m proud, but I really loved… I haven't played a royal before, so on screen, so getting to play that, and we're obsessed with class in the UK, and getting to play someone at the top tier and getting away with it. You know, I love that.
 
John Betancourt: The last question I have for you today, if you could describe this series in one word, what would that word be?
 
Jordan Peters: Romanta-cy.
 
Kate O’Flynn: I’ll use two. Rompy Pompy.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Gemma Burgess and Meredith Glynn are a pair of talented writers that helped to bring to life the new sensation series, My Lady Jane, on Prime Video and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting with both of them to discuss the genesis of this series and so much more.  
 
John Betancourt: I'd love to start by learning what inspired each of you to want to bring this book to the small screen.
 
Gemma Burgess: The book itself. I fell in love with it as a fan, and then thought, this has to be on television.
 
Meredith Glynn: You were riding the subway, yeah?
 
Gemma Burgess: Yeah!
 
Meredith Glynn: And you saw a young woman reading it close to her face, and if a young woman is so involved in something, then it has to be incredible.
 
Gemma Burgess: That's right. So, I bought it and read it just for me, and didn't know anything about it, and fell completely in love.
 
Meredith Glynn: And I read Gemma's pilot. She was looking for a partner, and I fell in completely in love with her pilot and with her, with herself and with the book when I read it shortly thereafter, but what really drew us to it, honestly, is that when we started talking about the show, we were both obsessed with Lady Jane Grey when we were teenagers.
 
Gemma Burgess: That's right. So, you know the Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes movie, Lady Jane, which tells us true story. It's beautiful and super depressing, and there's a Delaroche painting, and I had the poster on my wall when I was 13, and we were both just very romantic early teenagers who loved Lady Jane Grey.
 
Meredith Glynn: When you’re that age, you're drawn to the beautiful and super depressing perhaps? (Laughter from all) And then you reevaluate it when you're a little bit older, and you're like, “No, wait, that was really messed up.” She was this incredibly educated woman who was made queen, but still was a pawn and still was beheaded.
 
Gemma Burgess: And then we just thought, if we can make a show that retells her story, where she has a happy ending, and then also make it feel like The Princess Bride and, Black Adder, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and A Knight's Tale, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
 
Meredith Glynn: All these things that we love.
 
Gemma Burges: Then we could do it.
 
John Betancourt: What kind of challenges went into creating this positive and unique adaptation?
 
Gemma Burgess: The challenges are mostly the English weather.
 
Meredith Glynn: Yes, we built a massive set piece at Dover Castle, standing in for the Tower of London. And Dover is iconic and beautiful and so cool, but we happened to be shooting in the middle of November at night. So, the winds were not with us those nights, let's just say. And thankfully, our production designer, the brilliant Will Hughes-Jones, mapped every inch of that castle, and recreated it. We all recreated it on a sound stage in Pinewood three months later.
 
Gemma Burgess: Yeah, that was a challenge that just became, like, just awe inspiring about what can be done.
 
Meredith Glynn: And how incredible our team is, and we always knew it, but just watching that was astonishing.
 
John Betancourt: What are you each most excited for audiences to experience when they settle in to watch this?
 
Meredith Glynn: The love story between Jane and Guildford?
 
Gemma Burgess: Oh yeah, the love story. All the love stories. Some of the love stories are quite shocking.
 
Meredith Glynn: Yeah, but no spoiling.
 
Gemma Burgess: Yeah, we can’t do that.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, if you could describe the series in one word, what would that word be?
 
Gemma Burgess: Swashbuckling.
 
Meredith Glynn: Romanta-cy.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Nicco Annan is a highly accomplished actor that has received critical acclaim for his work as Uncle Clifford on the hit STARZ series, P-Valley. Shoshana Guy is a highly accomplished showrunner that has brought to life several acclaimed documentary series, such as The 1619 Protect. Now, this duo has teamed up to bring us Down in the Valley on STARZ, a powerhouse documentary that debuts on the network on Friday and we had the distinct honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss this incredible new docu-series.
 
John Betancourt: I'd love to start by getting to know what inspired each of you to want to come together and tell these stories.
 
Nicco Annan: I mean, it was like a force. Ironically, we did not know one another, but we actually have threads in our community of people that we do know separately, but coming together as artists has been… just… it's been a joy. It's been one of the best things that you know has happened from this process. I think working with Shoshana and her background and who she is as a person has been amazing. You know, I think that the world of P-Valley can be very intimidating for a lot of people to kind of say, let's come on in. And she's been able to handle it with such a dignity, a love, and a respect and open to all the creativity of it. So, it was just like we were good Mama and Papa, you know, getting it together.
 
Shoshana Guy: Yeah. I mean, ditto. You know, it was such an opportunity to be able to work with Nico (Annan) and Katori (Hall) and be able to expand on their vision for the flagship show and sort of translate it into the world that I come from, which is ultimately a journalistic background, in its birth and, yeah, be able to bring together an amazing team of people to create this really nuanced, I think, tender and fun look at our lives as black people in the south.
 
John Betancourt: I'm also very curious… what it means to each of you to be giving life to a documentary that really is unlike any other on television, because I can't think of one that I've ever seen like this before.
 
Shoshana Guy: Oh, thank you for that. Because, yeah, I do feel like it's very fresh in its effort, in the same kind of way that the P-Valley show is very fresh in its effort. And, you know, just being able to tell the breadth of stories that we don't often get to see. You know, just diving into ideas around, like, black female pleasure and like, breaking down the barriers of shame that have existed for so long, you know, getting into, you know, queer black life and like, what that looks like, what it means, you know, people's experiences -- the outside of what we see versus what's actually happening on the inside. And so, I think there's a lot of kind of, like, what's underneath that this show is able to kind of unearth. And so that, to me, is very fresh and exciting in a way that, like, you know, my secret favorite, well, not so secret now, because I've been telling everyone, but the “The Hoodoo” episode, which is just, I feel like, maybe our most unique effort in the sense of, like, really looking at how African ritual continues to show up, and how it has always been a part of the fabric of our lives, that there's nothing to be afraid of, that it's been, you know, sort of, stigmatized, but that it belongs to us, and it shows up anyway. It's here.
 
Nicco Annan: And it also was just a beautiful opportunity to be able to use all of our creativity and artistry in telling those stories and incorporating the dance, the lighting, the cinematography, the music, you know, the music really coming from people from the south. The music being a part of like, we're in Mississippi and we're listening to Mississippi Blues that's done by Silas or done by this artist, there's just so many people that layered in this, this the world and making this, whether in production, pre-production, in production and in the post of it all that helped us to be able to articulate these stories in this docuseries in such an elevated way. I feel like in a lot of ways, it would we have just as much care as one would in a scripted series.
 
John Betancourt: That leads me right to my next question, speaking of assembly. In that, what kind of challenges did you each encounter in putting together something this ambitious.
 
Nicco Annan: You know, you never have enough days, you know, to be there to do the thing. Time, you know, and doing it. But I will say this, it was a wonderful journey, working with Zero Point Zero, the production company who, you know, did Boudain’s show and Nomad, and all of that, coming into this world where there was a level of artistry that was already understood. And I think that my own as a creative mind, I will say, I don't want to say madness, but I'll say my mission. (Laughter from all) It was embraced, you know? But I think that when you have space to be able to say, I'm dreaming, and this is what I see, and just different ideas that, you know, would come up in our meetings and conversation, and being able to have directors and a producing team that could go forth and make it happen. We had that.
 
Shoshana Guy: Yeah, the challenge of time, I think, as a showrunner, was just really, you know, like trying to cram a lot into a short production period, and then really making sure that as we unraveled the stories and as we put them together, that the integrity really stayed intact in terms of, like, what it is that we were trying to illustrate. And that can be tricky sometimes, you know, for various reasons. And so, I'm very proud of that, in all of our efforts of really, you know, sticking to our guns in a lot of ways, and saying, like, “No, this is actually what we're going for, and we're not going to compromise it.”
 
John Betancourt: I think what I was most surprised about with this documentary series was the fact that, you know, these stories have obviously been out there forever. I don't know why they weren't told sooner, but finally, they're being told. And I'm very curious as to why each of you think now is that right moment to just bring these stories into the spotlight?
 
Nicco Annan: To your point, I think that it always was the right time. You know, I think that maybe someone didn't have the courage, maybe the space was not there. But what I do know is that working on the flagship show, on P-Valley, has opened up so many doors, and I'm walking through them. You know what I mean? You know, there's no need to -- I don't play soft. We coming in hot. We coming in hot. And that's the point, I think, that there's so much content that's out there right now that we didn't want to create something that was not true. We didn't want to create something that didn't have an amplified reverberation of heart. So, I think that that's what we did, that was the intention, and wanted to have fun. Wanted to celebrate. It's summertime. We have been through pandemic. We have been through strikes. We have been through strife. There's world wars going on, but there's… there's a reason still to be.
 
Shoshana Guy: Yeah, and I think when someone like Katori opens up the door in terms of, like, the vision that she had for this show, it's the right time to continue to build on that. So, you know, she, sort of opened this door. Then Nicco comes in and has this idea, like, “Hey, let's expand it in this way.” And then he and I have this merging of minds. So, you know, I always believe that everybody kind of comes together in the right time, in just the right moment, to create the things that they create.
 
John Betancourt: So, there it is, plainly said: this is the moment.
 
Nicco Annan: Yeah! It is what it is, baby!
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity