Raymond S. Persi is an accomplished television director that has worked on some iconic franchises, such as The Simpsons, and Scott Barry Kaufman is a remarkable Cognitive Scientist and both of these professionals worked to assemble the Apple TV+ Peanuts Special, Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie. And we at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with both Raymond and Scott to discuss their roles in this special and its importance.
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John Betancourt: What attracted each of you to this project?

Raymond S. Persi: Well, I think what attracted me to this project is first, it was just fun to dive deeper into a character that doesn't, you know, we don't really focus on a lot, Marcie. It just was fun to really explore her personality and her character. She's a very interesting character. It's like, you know, she may be happy being seen in the background, but she's still a little bit feisty, and she'll jab you back if you poke at her. The other reason I thought it was really a fun episode or a special to work on, was, I think a lot of artists can relate to Marcie, you know, a lot of our crew related to her. The fact that she is happy to let her work speak for itself. She's not looking for the limelight, but she's still looking to do things that she can put out into the world.

Scott Barry Kaufman: Yeah, I'm just gonna, echo Raymond there. Everything he said, and just the opportunity to be able to dispel some misconceptions about introversion. And to even celebrate it, was a really exciting opportunity for me to be a part of that in any way.

John Betancourt: Why is this the right time to have this discussion through this show?

Scott Barry Kaufman: I think there's just becoming such a greater awareness of different forms of diversity and, and neurodiversity, in particular. I think that, you know, with the publication of my friend and colleague, Susan Kane's book, Quiet, showing -- I don't know if either you two read that book, but that response to that -- but showing the superpowers that introverts can have, really resonated with, like, half of the world's population, you know, so there’s a pretty large…  not everyone… you know, there's a sizable number of people that do not love being in the spotlight at all times, and do not get super turbocharged whenever they have to go to a networking event. And for those people, it's nice to show that they also can contribute to society in many, many, many valuable ways.

Raymond S. Persi: I think I agree with Scott on that. It's the sort of thing that… it's been kind of discussed a bit, you know, out in the zeitgeist. And I think that it’s great to kind of contribute to that conversation.

John Betancourt: How is this the right story to explore introversion?

Raymond S. Persi: So, Craig Schultz, and Bryan (Schulz) and “Neil” (Corneilus Uliano) wrote this, or came up with this story, focusing on Marcie, and you know, one of the things that Craig thought was a really great way to show someone who's happy not taking the limelight, is a caddy. So, in the special, you see that Peppermint Patty is a great golfer, but she is partially great, because she's got a really great caddy, who is happy to give the advice and, and help guide her and, you know, even calm her down when Peppermint Patty’s nervous. So, I think that that was a great way to show that part of it to show her strengths. The other thing was the fact that her being such a good person, and a person who loves to help a lot of times that good can be recognized with people saying “You should be our leader. You should be president.” And so, we got to show that, yes, she's awarded with that, and she doesn't want that. So, you know, which is kind of opposite of what you'd expect. So, I think having those two things in the story really helped tell her story.

Scotty Barry Kaufman: It really is because it highlights the multifaceted nature of a human as well, not just introversion. Marcie is a number of things. And we don't want to reduce anyone to just one trait. Marcie is Marcie. Marcie is quirky. She is… she's a bit socially anxious, which -- that's not the same thing as introversion, necessarily, but she's also compassionate. She's also a bit of a wiseass! (Laughs) You know? Which is which we love about her. So, it shows that, you know, introverts come in many different shapes and forms. And what is the unique -- this was a discussion we had quite a bit as the writers working on the script as well, what kind of introvert is Marcie? You know, and, and I think that this show really, really drew out a lot of her strengths as an introvert as well draw as a fuller picture of who she is, as a human.

Raymond S. Persi: What I thought was really cool, Scott, is you helped us kind of focus on the fact that introversion is a trait that a person can have, it's not a trait that a person is, you know, you're not defined by it.

Scott Barry Kaufman: That's right! You listened to me! (Laughter from all)

Raymond S. Persi: Oh yeah, highlighting things, everything.

Scott Barry Kaufman: That's, that's so beautifully put.

John Betancourt: Thank you for the education there, you are indeed correct, it’s not a definition. I do apologize. Now, this is a very Bold Peanuts project, what kinds of challenges went into putting together this story?

Scott Barry Kaufman: I think there was a challenge of… there's such a rich history with Peanuts. And I wanted to come at this with full, full humility, you know, and not like, “Who am I to make some suggestions that change…” but there were some earlier drafts that were more focused on the social anxiety aspect of it. So, something that was challenging, was trying to stay within the context of the rich history, not change Marcie fundamentally, right, obviously, for her longtime fans, but also just make some notes here and there that kind of shifted things to highlight more of her superpower as being reflective, her superpower, in being able to deal with things behind the scenes. And you can do these sorts of things and not focus so much on the social anxiety aspect of it.

Raymond S. Persi: You know, I think it was coming up with the right ways to visualize her different states. One of the first things we did, working with our production designer, Pascal Campion was talking about how to show where she's comfortable. So, if you watch the special, you will see that oftentimes we will show her sitting in shadow. And it's not that she's hiding. That's kind of showing where she feels comfortable, you know, maybe set aside from people, not in the middle of the action, as an observer, you know, because that’s who she is, she is a person who observes a lot. We looked to films like Miyazaki films, where there's a lot of moments where you're just looking at landscapes, quiet moments, the moments in between the actions, and we tried to put a lot of that into this, to bring you into her state of mind. And then the other thing was, partly because of the fact that she isn't as eager to express her feelings. And the other is the fact that as a character, she doesn't really have a lot to emote with, you know, she's got those glasses on where you can't see her eyes. So, we really pushed to kind of visualize and show through her, like her rich imagination, what she was feeling so that you could you know. The whole thing in animation you want is to show don't tell, so it was our way to show what she's going through.

John Betancourt: What does it mean to each of you to be telling this important story in the Peanuts Universe?

Raymond S. Persi: I'm really proud. I mean, I've had a chance to direct… well, so far, three, and then I think a fourth one coming up next year. And it was so important to hold on to the legacy of what Charles Schultz had drawn and written, you know, in every instance, we would always go back to the strips to try to capture the character and keep it as authentic as possible. And the more we did that, the more we realized what you could tell with these characters. So, I'm in general proud of these specials. We really wanted to with these specials, tap into some of the, especially the older specials, that really had something to say, that were really trying to go a little deeper, because I think that's what Peanuts does best.

Scott Barry Kaufman: Well, man, well, what an honor to play any role in such an iconic show, as well as any opportunity that I can get, and I've been working with some writers from some other shows on Apple children's programming, to talk about the real science of neurodiversity. And, you know, to be this specific on introversion, there's so many myths, so many misconceptions of what it means to be an introvert. And to be able to contribute that I mean, I felt like I was in heaven, to work with this team.

John Betancourt: What ultimately, do you each hope audiences take away from this story?

Scott Barry Kaufman: You know, I want them to walk away feeling, for a lot of them, a greater sense of appreciation for their own introversion and for the superpowers and to feel a great sense of relief that you don't have to change who you are, you can accept who you are, and contribute wildly to others in the world, in your own style, and in your own way. To leave this feeling that kind of inspiration, I think would be a great thing.

Raymond S. Persi: You know, to add to that, for me, I think what's great is perhaps people watching it that maybe don't feel as introverted, that they can look to the people in their lives, and, you know, see, maybe see those traits as you know, not a weakness, but as something that makes that person special, and gives them specific strengths so that they can work together. That's kind of the other thing, I hope that people get out of this.

John Betancourt: Last question I have for you gentlemen toady, what are you each most proud of when it comes to this special?

Raymond S. Persi: I think I'm just proud of the fact that it all kind of comes together. You know, as a director, you're dealing with, you know, acting, you're dealing with the look of it, the animation, you know, working with composers to get the music, right. And I feel like working together, we made something authentic. So, I'm very proud of that.

Scott Barry Kaufman: Yeah, I… I completely echo that. Am I allowed to say “ditto?”

John Betancourt: Oh, yeah!

Scott Barry Kaufman: I've never done that in an interview before, but ditto. It rings… truly authentic. I think that was really well put, Raymond.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. This interview was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the television special being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Note: These interviews were conducted on June 21, 2023, before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike and during the WGA strike. Also, without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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Truly, the STARZ series, Heels, boasts one of the most incredible ensembles of actors out there. For this team of actors truly brings their A game to the table for the show and exude nothing but passion for their work. Something that was evident when we at NTG had the opportunity to sit down with Stephen Amell (Jack Spade), Alexander Ludwig (Ace Spade), Robby Ramos (Diego Cottonmouth), Allen Maldonando (Rooster Robbis), and Trek Tucker (Bobby Pin), and for proof… well here is what this talented troupe had to say about what this show and their characters means to them. 

John Betancourt: What does it mean to each of you to be back for a second season?
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Stephen Amell: Second season is the toughest season to get. Well, I guess, like actually getting something off the ground and getting to shoot it in the first place. Probably technically more challenging, but you know, bridging that gap from a first to a second season… you know, I don't know, it just… it seems to always be where the show takes off, where you have some time under your belt to see what works, you also have the real benefit of, of audience interaction and seeing what pops for people and what doesn't. So, you know, I've been very fortunate. This is the second time I've gotten a second season. And I hope that very shortly that we get a third.

Alexander Ludwig: Yeah, I mean, it's, it's very humbling. And it's, you know, when I first read the script, and I think I speak for Stephen as well, like, there's not a lot of shows like this. And there's not a lot of shows that are made like this. And that's what drew us to it is that we were like, “when will we ever get a chance to do something like this and tell this kind of a story for hopefully, you know, six years plus.” It's so far and few between, these are the kinds of, you know, back in the day, this would have been the kind of movie that would have made me want to be an actor, and now it's TV shows, right? And I just, I love everything about this. I love that it's flawed characters. I love that it's a world I'm not super familiar with, and that I've fallen in love with simultaneously.

John Betancourt: What are each of you most looking forward to audiences experiencing in season two?
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Allen Maldonaldo: Ah man, shout out to Mike O'Malley and the entire writing staff. The importance of storytelling in wrestling, I think that's what you're going to really see. Just what goes into behind the scenes and what goes into building these characters and building these worlds, building these you know, these leagues. I think you get a, you know, behind the scenes scope of what that is and what it takes in order to be a wrestler in order to be a part of a league even on an independent level.

Trey Tucker: I think the way that, you know, season one, we kind of got set up to understand the world of wrestling a little bit more, the behind the scenes, pull the curtain back a little bit. Now I think you walk fully through the curtain, and you get to see what this thing does to the lives of the people who are in it. And we get to go into a lot more nuance and detail about that. The effects of loving wrestling on each individual life and story and that's really fun. And yeah, shout out to (Mike) O'Malley and everybody in the writer’s room because they knocked it out of the park.

Robbie Ramos: Yeah, I think the family drama aspect too, of this whole thing, and, and having it relate to people that don't necessarily know much about wrestling. It might be like a fun show for like a super wrestling fanatic to watch with somebody who doesn't know much, and that they love you know, it's that kind of show where you can watch that kind of thing with somebody, so, for me it's that aspect, and it’s the family drama and kind of how it meshes into the world of wrestling.

John Betancourt: What is it you all enjoy the most about playing your respective characters?

Allen Maldonaldo: Man, Rooster’s just… big and fun, man. He gets to you know, express himself in such a colorful way in and around the ring, man, it’s such an emotional sort of roller coaster that you get to have with Rooster. From his pain, his joy, his desires, his passion. That's what I get excited for, you know, and then sharing the screen with these incredible actors. Everybody on the show… are dogs man, they love acting.

Robbie Ramos: Thank you, bro.

Allen Maldonaldo: So, when you get to set, you got to come ready to perform. It's just like, if we were all wrestlers, everybody's coming to bring their A-game and steel sharpens steel. So, that I think that's what you see on screen as well, is just a group of artists that are portraying wrestlers but are living that dream that they're pursuing in the show in real time.

Robbie Ramos: Hmm. Yeah, man, I think to like, you know, to get to say some of these lines that Diego gets to say From Mike O’Malley and from (Michael) Waldron and all the other writers, it's, it's fun, you know? Diego gets to be kind of the icebreaker at times, but then gets a little serious at times too. So, to kind of play that duality is kind of a is a great thing as an actor, you know? Trey?

Trey Tucker: I don't enjoy it. (Laughter from all) Kidding. I love it. Honestly, it's, I mean, I'm a bit of a renaissance guy like I, you know, my background. I'm a coder. I've been writing code for 15 years and I was a carpenter for a while and loads of other things. This is my favorite job. Because of these guys here, everybody who works on the show, this character is super fun to do because he's so… he's so positive. And I love getting to do that, and be somebody who's just excited to be there, supportive, and enthusiastic. It's really, it's fun to do man, and to deal with these other great actors and great team and… it's fantastic. It's my favorite thing I've gotten to do.

These interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Note: This interview was conducted on June 30, 2023, before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike and during the WGA strike. Also, without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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Alison Luff is a rising star in Hollywood and has made appearances in some wildly popular franchises in the past few years. Currently though, she is wowing audiences as Staci Spade in the STARZ series, Heels, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Alison to discuss her role and season two of the show.

John Betancourt: What was it that attracted you to the world of Heels?

Alison Luff: Well, what attracted me first was the scripts. I loved the fact that it was a, you know, Southern family drama, being from the south. And what I grew to love was the wrestling aspect. I come from the theater world. And so, I really grew this new profound appreciation for wrestling because it is so theatrical! And I didn't realize that and so now I've grown to really, really, love it and just the theatricality of it all.

John Betancourt: What attracted you to the role of Staci?

Alison Luff: You know… when I first read Stacey, I… I remember looking at my husband, and I told him immediately, this sounds so corny, but I was like, “This woman dwells inside of me, I know who this woman is, I understand her completely.” And I think it's because I saw so many of the women that mean so much to me in my life within her. You know, I saw bits of my best friend, I saw bits of what I assumed was my grandmother, when she was younger, I saw bits of my mom, I saw bits of myself and that's what drew me to her, I loved her… I loved her confidence, I loved her loyalty, I loved that the strength that she has within her comes from her maternal and nurturing instincts, but also her ability to speak her mind and stand by her conviction. She's a woman that is very, very strong, and her convictions, whatever they are, and I kind of call her the “queen of accountability,” because she's someone that will always hold the people around her accountable to being the best versions of themselves. And that's something that really drew me to her. I think she's a very well-rounded woman. And you can look at her at first and be like, “Oh, she's so pious” or, “Oh, she's just like this… simple, you know, woman.” And she's not. She's got a lot of grit to her.

John Betancourt: What have you enjoyed the most about playing Staci?

Alison Luff: I've just loved representing those kinds of women. I love representing the kind of woman that always puts her family first. Even when it's hard, I love representing and playing the kind of woman that doesn't back down from confrontation or conflict or discord, because I think that any relationship has a bit of healthy discord in it, and has that, you know, something that makes you loyal is holding people that you love accountable, while also showing them grace. And I think that's something that she learns to do a lot more of in season two, is having grace for the people that she loves and realizing that okay, well, sometimes they're not the best versions of themselves, because they're going through this, and having patience and having grace for those things. And I've also just loved playing the grittier side, you know, in season one, episode two when she shoots the squirrel. She's a no nonsense, very efficient woman, she gets done what she needs to get done. And she starts doing that a lot in season two, around the DWL. She takes matters into her own hands.

John Betancourt: What does it mean to you, professionally and personally, to be back for a second season?

Alison Luff: Oh, a dream. I mean, I hope we can do this for a really long time because I could play this woman for a really long time. And I love the people that I work with. I love everyone that's in the show. I love the crew. And it's a really, fun environment. The scripts are super dreamy. And I love working on them from an actor's standpoint. You know, they're beautiful scenes. Steven in episode two, season two has a great monologue. You know, that's all about “who am I?” and it's in the trailer, part of it's in the trailer, I mean, to be able to do a monologue about “who am I?” is so cool. So, it was a dream getting to do season two. And I hope we continue to get to tell the story, this story, and these people because I think there's a lot more to tell.

John Betancourt: Now, I’ve heard other members of this cast speak to how much everyone loves working with one another and how much they love working on this show. Which speaks to a unique dynamic and well, now I have to ask… what is it like on set? What’s a day in life on the set of Heels look like to produce that?

Alison Luff: Oh, it is fun. It depends on the day. So, the days that we're doing wrestling, we call them like the “Dome Days,” or “DWL Days.” And those tend to be really, really, long days. Because there's a lot of action involved. There's a lot of setups, there's a lot of people, there's a lot of choreography, there's a lot of extras, there's a lot that goes into those days. And those are very hard days for a lot of people physically, they're really fun days for me. (Laughs) because I get to sit and watch my friends kick ass, and all their hard work come to fruition and all their training come to fruition and get to admire their hard work, their athleticism. And so those are really fun days, and that those are days that we're usually all together, you know, because when you're filming something, you're not necessarily all together, you know, there'll be days that are like, “Okay, we're doing all the scenes with you for this episode with Jack and Staci at home.” So, then it's you know, just days with Steven and I, or Roxton, which is really fun. But those are different days energy wise, then, you know, “Dome Days” when everybody's there, which is really, really fun. It's a fantastic group. It's awesome. I mean, everyone really did bond really well and continues to bond really well. And I just love them all. I really do.

John Betancourt: Now getting into the structure of the show. What does it mean to you, to be part of a show that explores such powerful and inspiring concepts?

Alison Luff: I think that's what it's all about. It's so important. There's a lot of stuff on TV. And there's a lot of really, really, you know, entertainment is entertainment. And I think there's a place for most of it. And, and there's… it's all about the viewer, it's all about the recipient of the art. I think that sounds so like… blah, blah, blah, but however it resonates with the person watching it, is their interpretation of the art. And that's what's important. But I do think representation is important. And I like representing these characters. And I like representing these people that kind of have unresolved trauma and showing the consequences of that unresolved trauma because a lot of us do, in life and a lot of us don't know how to have healthy discord. And so, if that's how we learn by watching characters and hearing good writing on television, then I feel like that's a service in a way.

John Betancourt: So, I’ve always enjoyed the fact that the characters on this show are constantly searching for something in this show, and that it changes season to season.What would you say Staci is searching for in season two?

Alison Luff: Peace, I think. Peace within herself. Peace within her family. Peace within her marriage. And so, she's searching for that and, and peace within the people that are around her. She wants people to be happy. She wants people to, you know, not be just always treading water with their head above water, you know. So, I guess that's what I would say she's seeking is peace, and she's willing to maybe be… not so peaceful in order to get it.

John Betancourt: What are you most excited for audiences to experience regarding Staci’s journey in this new season?

Alison Luff: I think seeing that, you know, she's not just someone who sits on the sidelines, and commentates. She's someone that takes matters into her own hands. And she's someone that if she feels that there's a problem that needs to be fixed, she will always do it head on. And she will put herself where her mouth is, she'll put her money where her mouth is. And she will always put her family first as well. That's what she wants her husband to do. And she will always do that no matter the consequences. So, she has a bit of a mama bear that comes out in her. And that's what I'm most excited about. It's just for people to see her tenacity.

John Betancourt: What would you say, you are most excited for audiences for audiences to experience this season?

Alison Luff: Ooh, just kind of seeing these characters unfold more. You know, there's a lot of characters in this story and there's a lot of really awesome characters, and so season two just allowed us to dive deeper into those characters and dive deeper into the past and why these humans are the way that they are. And that's been really, really, cool. I can't wait for people to see that and get some answers as to why things happened and why people are the way that they are. And just to see more of Diego to see more of Bobby Pin, and Big Jim. To see more of these, you know, characters that that we fell in love with season one, but didn't necessarily have as much time to explore, because there's so many characters.

John Betancourt: Now depth and meaning and underlying context is something we’ve discussed often today. If there is one message you hope the audience takes away from season two, what would it be?

Alison Luff: That's a great question. I think it would be the importance of… or the reward that comes from consequences, the growth that can come from consequences, that all actions do have a cause and an effect, right? And all actions do have consequences, whether they're good or whether they're bad. But the growth that can come out of that even when they are bad, or even when you don't make the right choice, how there's always a way forward. You know, season one, we saw the horrific death of Tom and he felt like there was no way forward. And so, I think season two has a great way of showing that there is always a way forward. And I hope people take that away from it.

John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work on this show?

Alison Luff: I think just allowing myself to, to grow and, and show the ugly parts of Staci, and not just the not just the pretty parts, and not the parts that I like most about her, but really try and represent her as a well-rounded woman who doesn't necessarily always make the right choice or when she does make the right choice she has no problem having the confidence to stand by it. And I'm really proud of all the people I work with. I'm just proud that… I'm proud that we did it. I'm proud that we filmed season one in a pandemic. And I'm proud that we got to do it again. And I'm proud of everyone's hard work working out, in order to do this show and all the physical toll that it takes on everyone. And I'm proud of our writers, the writing is amazing. And it just continues to grow and be these stories that are so important for people to hear. So… that's what I'm most proud of.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.