Truly, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers on Disney+, boasts one of the most incredible casts out there. For not only does it feature Lauren Graham and Josh Duhamel, a pair of modern legends, but it also features a host of talented new faces. All of whom make up the Mighty Ducks, and we here at Nerds That Geek were lucky enough to sit down with the entire team, and a bonus cast member, to discuss the show.
​
So, without further ado, here is what Brady Noon (Evan Morrow), Naveen Paddock (Jace), Sway Bhatia (Sofi Hanson Bhatt), Maxwell Simkins (Nick Ganz), Luke Islam (Jaden “Koob13” Koobler), DJ Watts (Sam), and Taegan Burns (Maya) had to say about season two of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

John Betancourt: What does it mean to each of you, to be part of such a storied and important franchise?

Brady Noon: I think it's, it's super, super amazing to be part of such an amazing franchise that has been going on for so long. And to just continue the legacy with such an emphasis on the nostalgia part and the growing and now touching into this new generation with kids and just being able to attract all the different ages is just incredible.

Naveen Paddock: Yeah, I mean, you know, I grew up on this show, like, I remember, I spent a night at my grandparents’ house where me and my brothers like binge watched all the movies in one night. So, it's just it's such an honor to be a part of this, this amazing franchise.

Sway Bhatia: Yeah, just going off of what they said, I think it's such a special moment. And we're all honored to be part of this amazing legacy and be there for you know, the original fans who watch the show, and watched the movies in the 90s. And now introducing this amazing storyline to young kids I think is so important. The idea of bringing the underdogs to the championship is a really uplifting story.

Taegan Burns: It’s really special. I mean, I think being a part of this franchise and being able to be a part of this series. It's… it's incredible. And it's something that I can't really explain. But the word that just comes to mind is special.

Maxwell Simkins: I'd say the same thing. It's like this very nostalgic thing, like, very random example. But if someone made a new Thomas the Train, I was huge into Thomas the Train when I was little, I don't know, very random thing. I'm not old enough to be like, “Oh, back when I was little.” But to do something that people can relate to you on like a personal level. I think it means a lot.

DJ Watts: I agree with Maxwell and Taegan. So, it's really special. It’s special to me because this is something I never expected to like actually do, especially when it comes to like hockey? So that's, that's definitely special.

Luke Islam: Yeah, kind of piggybacking off of what everyone said, I think the movies mean a lot to people, especially in the fact that like, you can find yourself in any one of the Mighty Ducks, being kind of like the underdog kind of thing. So, I understand that it does mean a lot to people, having the responsibility of taking on the new series is definitely intense. But we all love it.

John Betancourt: What is the number one message you hope audiences take away from this season?

Sway Bhatia: I think the number one message is it's okay to be you and to try not to be anyone else. You know, going through that self-identity crisis, it's real. It's… we all go through it. I think that's what's really important about the season is taking away and seeing how relatable this is. And knowing that just it's okay to be different and to be unique. I think that's what a lot of kids will be able to relate to this season. And not just kids but teens and adults.

Naveen Paddock: I agree with Sway. I think that like really, this season is just about being yourself, and kind of figuring out who you want to be. I know that with Jace, towards the beginning of the season he's kind of conflicted about, you know, who he wants to be and through, you know, the Ducks, he's able to figure that out. And I think that, as a viewer, a lot of people will learn from that experience. At least that's what I hope.

Brady Noon: I mean they summed that up pretty well. I mean, I hope they get a good laugh out of it as well. I think there's more to the show, then just figuring about how you who you are and figuring out your own identity, which I think is a very important theme. But you know, there's a lot of heart in it. And there's a lot of comedy in it. And I hope they have a good laugh and a good time watching it.

Taegan Burns: Well, I would say that friendship is a really important thing. And I mean, we do see these kids come from Minnesota to California, and they're going through this kind of crazy experience together. So, I think it's just friendship and sticking together throughout this intense thing.

DJ Watts: For me, I guess you could say it's like, just kind of like the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Like, when we first came to the camp, nobody thought that we’d be back. Like we ended up becoming the team, you know, that earns the most respect. So, like, we all started off as like, “Who are these kids, they're just here?” They're just like random people that just showed up at the camp. So being able to do that and being able to, like actually show that message to like younger viewers. Any age viewers, actually, is special.

Luke Islam: For me, I just think I really want, especially our young viewers, to take away that everybody is different. Everybody has different interests has different skill levels at things. And although it can be scary, and also there's you know, a little bit of insecurity in including people within your group, you know, everyone is much stronger together than alone. So just kind of be open and make everyone feel comfortable. That's what I want people to know.

John Betancourt: What are you most looking forward to audiences experiencing this season?

Brady Noon: Just like I've said pretty much a good laugh. I hope they; they enjoy it. I hope they… what I really want to see is I want to see everyone just binge watch it. I really like when I read comments about how they wait, wait, and let them all build up until they all come out. And then they binge watch it all with like a bunch of their friends and families. I think those moments are great. And just, hopefully just good reactions, which I'm sure we will get we have such an amazing cast and looking forward to the feedback.

Naveen Paddock: I gotta agree with Brady on this one. I think… I mean, I wasn't there for the first season. So, I don't really have those same experiences, but I'm so excited for it to come out and to hear the feedback. You know, I think we just have such a talented bunch here that you know, I'm really looking forward to see what people think.

Sway Bhatia: Yeah, I think the people should be able to experience that that feeling of being able to relate with the with the people, I think also something that the original fans should be able to relate is that nostalgic vibe that they felt when watching the first movies, I hope, I hope that's what they experienced. And also just, you know, I think what I said before about understanding all these characters and knowing that it's okay to be yourself I think it's also the experience of just sitting down and enjoying a show and being able to follow the storyline and follow these relationships and where the show takes us.

John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on the show?

Sway Bhatia: I think I'm really proud of what we filmed for sure. But the message that we're able to give to the fans. And the message that we're able to bring across… the idea of lifting people spirits is just really sweet. If you know, I hope that if someone's having, you know, a bad day, and they turn on the show, and just end up smiling because like Brady mentioned the comedy in the show, that's, that's sort of what I hope people are able to take away. And I'm really proud of the work that we've done, and the hard scenes and the intense days we've had, and I'm just really proud of, of the entire cast and the amazing connections that we've made.

Naveen Paddock: I gotta say, I'm really, really proud of the hockey stuff that we filmed, I think, you know, you never really realize how much time goes into all those little, you know, quick shots of, you know, passes or whatever. But, you know, I think I'm really proud of all that, because it really is kind of like a pretty tedious process.

Brady Noon: Oh yeah, I’m going with Naveen on this one. I feel like everyone put in a lot of hard work on the ice, especially and even on camera. And it's definitely going to be perceived well, when it translates onto camera. And I think that's, that's great. And I'm just super excited for everyone to see it.

Maxwell Simkins: I think the relationships I’ve built with everyone on the cast. I mean, it's like some shows you’ll be on, and you'll never see the people again, some shows you'll be in contact with, you know, like, shows I've done when I was six years old, some of them I've never seen some of them (the cast) I still talk to, to this day. So, I feel like I'm very blessed and happy that I can still hold a relationship and have contact with all these people because they’re so great and talented, it's great to great to keep in contact with them and know them personally. And I don't know that that means a lot to me.

DJ Watts: To piggyback off what Maxwell said, relationships that's a really big thing. Um, like he said a lot of films that I've worked on… never see the people again, certain films you keep in contact with them. Um, but this is actually like one film that I've actually worked on where like I still keep in contact with everybody on the show. And like we can still actually call each other friends we can still FaceTime each other, we don't have to take like months apart before we talk.

Luke Islam: I would say I’m most proud of everyone's commitment to the show, filming a 10-episode series, especially for two seasons can be very draining, and it takes a lot of work. And everyone here did such a good job of staying positive. And, you know, making sure that we did it. So, I would say that.

Taegan Burns: Yeah, like what everyone said, I think that especially during the first season through COVID and all, we all stuck by each other. And it was a lot of dedication to this project. I'm so proud of all the cast and crew, of all the hard work and I'm again, really glad that the relationships we've built off set, is something also really important to me.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Mark Coles Smith is an accomplished international actor that has appeared in both feature films and television shows. Currently, he stars as the younger iteration of Jay Swan in Mystery Road: Origin on Acorn TV, and we here at NTG were lucky to sit down with Mark to discuss the show and his approach to playing such an iconic character.
​
John Betancourt: What was it that attracted you to this role?

Mark Coles Smith: I think there was so much to like about this undertaking. I think the first thing that attracted me to the project was the fact that I was a fan of a franchise already and good friends with Aaron and, and just really inspired by the work that he had done in establishing the role and character of Jay Swan and that whole world in both the films and the two TV seasons. And so, when Dylan and Bunya Productions came to me and said, “Hey, we want to do a prequel.” I kind of… sort of my brain exploded a little bit. And I was kind of like, “Well, I can't… I can't do that. That's, that's too much to like, to sort of take on.” And I spent some time with Dylan, and we were sort of, we discussed what we wanted to do with an Origin franchise. And what part of Jay’s story we wanted to tell. So, I mean, that, I think, to answer your question, what attracted me was the opportunity to tell a part of Jay’s story that had never been told before, and to go to a part of his life that had never been seen before, and to finally kind of gain a bit of an understanding about who he was, and who he becomes. And to see those first formative experiences that start to lead him down the mysterious road of becoming the stoic, you know, Regal detective, you know, sunburned detective of the Australian Outback, you know, the journey of how he started to head in the direction of becoming, you know, the iconic Aussie character that we know and love.

John Betancourt: Which leads me to my next question. Because you talked about the iconic nature of Jay, and I’d love to know what attracted you as an actor to this part of Jay’s life?

Mark Coles Smith: I love that there was going to be a chance to, to see him with less of his armor, to see him as a younger man, perhaps more naïve. To see him as someone that has all the natural gifts and capacity for becoming a good detective and a member of law enforcement. But also, morally, you know, and philosophically, the attempt to become a man of high degree, while sort of balancing two worlds, the cultural landscape of… of sort of modern Australia with the cultural expectations of, of indigenous law and customs, and, and colonialism. And so, all of that sort of super complicated and, and politically charged and socially fraught, but when it's distilled down to the individual and emotional level it's really interesting stuff. So to see Jay meeting Mary for the first time, the beginning of the love story, to see him returning home after being away and learning a little bit perhaps, of why he left and that you know, in some ways, he kind of ran away from home and when this, when Origin picks up, he's returning home and he's trying to rebuild the relationships that he ran away from. And so, the thing that attracted me in particular to telling this part of Jay’s story was we're gonna get to see his vulnerability a bit more, we're gonna we're going to get to see his naivety and his uncertainty.

And so, I think I was really excited with the balancing act of him, on his way into sort of superhero status as this kind of, you know, dominant, capable, masculine man, but also as someone that's hurting. He still has a longing in his heart for, for his family and for his father and for his brother and for his mother. There were vulnerabilities possible I think with a younger Jay, that just start to get maybe harder or harder to express as he becomes the traumatized and, and cynical, you know, older man that he ends up.

John Betancourt: Which brings up another good point from an acting standpoint. In that, how did you as an actor get into the mindset to play a guy whose endgame we’ve already seen? And second to that, how did you bring forth that naivety but also that drive that he harbors?

Mark Coles Smith: Yeah, yeah, it's a little bit of sorcery. You're kind of reverse engineering. So, it has, in some ways, it's really useful. Because you know where you're going, and you know, what qualities, you know what direction you're heading. As far as the quality and the nature of who he is, as a person, you know where you're going, and you know what's emerging. And I think the vulnerability, it's interesting, it's like, the older Jay is my destination. And the younger Jay… is actually me. The younger Jay… is me. That was like, in a way, in my head, like, my way of kind of giving something to that role. I just put my heart into young Jay and let everything that I felt for him with what he was going through, similar under the surface, yeah. So, I tried to add, yeah, I tried to make it as personal as possible, and to really, really care about him. As we went on that journey, which was a grueling shoot, you know, 13 weeks in total in Calgary, super remote part of Australia. And just my first time, six days a week, 13-hour days, like bang, bang, bang, you know, it's just, it's just a whole other thing. Once you’re… once you're number one on the call sheet.

John Betancourt: Now that’s amazing, I’ll have to go back and watch this again since that adds news depth to this. Now to shift gears a bit and get a touch more personal, what does it mean to you to be such an important part of this iconic franchise?

Mark Coles Smith: It's an honor, it's a privilege. All I cared about was doing it properly. And I didn't know whether we had until I saw it, and I knew in the first 15 minutes. It was so weird, but I was like, in the first 15 minutes of episode one I went, “We did it.” This belongs to the franchise. And it's also its own thing. There's this kind of distinct at times even like, like a subtle quirkiness to Origin which is really like of the 90s for remote rural Australia and there's sort of the paint peeling off the walls and you know, there's a framed picture of, of Prime Minister John Howard over on the police wall and stuff, like there's really, there's all these really kind of cute sort of tongue in cheek absurdities to everything bubbling under the surface. Which makes the town of Jardine I think really rich and, and Dylan and I, Dylan, our director, we worked very closely together and we were we were constantly alive in the process of reinventing and re-contextualizing the tone of scenes but also the dialogue even as we were moving through. Like there's stuff that happens, there's a lot of stuff that happens in Mystery Road: Origin that was literally just like it came out of being there on the day. And it was really to do with the town of Jardine and having locals on board as extras and you know, like, there was a scene where I turned up and there's a lead up through and it's in the first two weeks, I think of shooting episode one. And I turned up and there’s this local extra there. And he hadn't been told that he had lines. And all he has to do is walk me to my motel room and, and he's got some lines and he's stressing out and he's chain smoking.

And, you know, he's telling me he's been in cavalry for 50 years. And I just said, “Look, don't stress, like we've got a bit of time just to work, 20 minutes, whatever”. And so, “We'll just, we'll just keep running, we’ll feel it out. And you'll get it, it'll be fine.” And he just, he just was chasing his tail and running himself into a spiral. And I said, “Well just take a breather”, and he takes us breather. And he sits back. And he starts telling me about this pub next door that has the best bacon and egg rolls he's ever had. And I leaned in, I said, “Tell me that story. As you take me to the motel room.” He's like, “About the bacon and egg? “Yes, it's perfect. Just tell me that story. It's a true story.” And so, Origin is full of that sort of stuff all the way through where it's, yeah, there's the language and culture of Kalgoorlie and that region coming through in the script and in the filmmaking process, which is just such a joy to watch, you know, when you're sitting back, and you get to see it all.

John Betancourt: What are you hoping audiences take away from this season when the dust has settled?

Mark Coles Smith: What I'd love is for an audience to take away a greater understanding of Jay and a deeper connection to both Jay and Mary, at the end of the season, I think the best thing for audiences is is to go on this journey and to strengthen their connection to the world of Mystery Road, and to the characters inside. Particularly Jay and Mary, and to hope for the best for those characters. Because, yeah, it's sort of like, we end on so much hope and so much possibility. And so, the question now becomes, what happens? And not only what happens, but what happened? Because we've seen it. We've seen those films, and we've seen where their relationship is. And we've seen the level of vulnerability and tragedy that is unspoken in the air that hangs between those two characters. And in the full story of Jay and Mary, we've yet to reveal what all of that really is.

John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on season one?

Mark Coles Smith: What am I most proud of? Oh I'm, I'm proud of everyone that I worked with. I'm most proud of my colleagues and the team. The crew that I've worked with were the legacy. Two thirds of the whole crew on set were legacy from the previous two seasons. And so, they'd all worked with Aaron on the TV shows. And in the first week, I was pretty nervous in the first week, coming into big boots to fill, all of that stuff. But in the first week, I came onto set. And I think on the second or third day there were already whispers going around in the crew department going, “It's Jay. It's young Jay.” And then that got back to me. Okay, cool. Cool. I'm in the pocket. I'm in the ballpark. We're good, good. Just keep going now. And what I ended up becoming really proud of is, yeah, Dylan River, our director, Tyson Perkins, our DOP, match video camera operator, and then the rest of the cast, like incredibly potent female ensemble cast, that we just knocked it out of the park and really set the bar you know? Not a weak link. It was really, really a joy to work on this project. And like I said, like, there's so much that can go wrong, trying to make a TV show or movie, you know, you got so little time and you've got so much vision and you've got so much ambition for what might be possible. And there's all these creative constraints and it's… so many ways that it can go wrong. And when it doesn't, in the end… it becomes the sum of all its parts. I think that's the thing that's worth being proud about.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Lauren Graham and Josh Duhamel are nothing short of modern acting icons, courtesy of their work in multiple iconic franchises, including the one they are currently starring in. For Lauren and Josh play Alex Morrow and Gavin Cole in The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Lauren and Josh to talk about season two of the show. 
​
John Betancourt: I’m curious, as to what it means to both of you to be a part of such an iconic franchise.

Lauren Graham: These are movies I treasured, growing up and a tone and a style that I think are classics for a reason. Because they're not of a certain time, it's… it's always worth telling a story about character and heart. And, you know, what's kind of the most important part of being a good person and through the lens of sports, we kind of have another classic, which is, what is the importance of winning, you know? How do you take a loss and move on? You know, where does fun belong in it all? And, and I just think those are issues that families relate to, because they are so universal. And they're issues that kids relate to, because it's, you know, those first heartbreaks of winning, or losing or wanting something and not getting it… that's like, what builds a person, you know? And so, it means a lot to me to be part of something that has such enduring appeal.

Josh Duhamel: Well, I think, you know, having grown up in North Dakota, rooting for the Minnesota North Stars, anything, Minnesota was what we root for over here. And so, the Mighty Ducks, you know, were formed in Minnesota, and I played a lot of hockey growing up. So, it was always something that's pretty close to my heart, and I loved the movies growing up, and I loved the first season of the show. And so, was a really fun opportunity for me to be a part of something that had been so successful, for so long, a little intimidating, because Emilio did such a beautiful job for all those years. And I knew that I was gonna be compared to that. But this character was different enough that I could sort of make my own way. And so, it was just a really fun opportunity to sort of reimagine some of these themes that Lauren just talked about, and you know, this guy really does represent how to win. It's all about “Win-Win-Win”, be the best you can be excellence, excellence. And, you know, it's not always just about that.

It's about, you know, fully forming as a human, it's about losing, it's about like, building character. And, for my character, especially, it's about becoming a better father. He doesn't realize what he's doing to his son until she sort of shines a light on that. And I think that there's a lot that he sort of has to… his pride is challenged by her and in a good way, because he needed it, he needed somebody like her to come in and sort of slap them out of it. And I think that's what makes it a really fun sort of conflict between the two of us, I don't agree with her philosophy on things. And she definitely doesn't agree with mine. But we find this fun sort of happy middle place towards the end of the season that makes it really, really sort of interesting.

John Betancourt: There are a lot of messages present in the story this season, what is the number one message you hope audiences take away from season two?

Josh Duhamel: Well, I think that… you know, for me, I agree with a lot of the things that my character believes in, because I am, I was always in sports, I love competing, you know? It's a very competitive world out there. So, you got to know how to win, but you also got to know how to lose, because you're definitely going to take “L’s” too, and you'll take a lot more of those probably than you will wins. But, you know, for me, it was really, what I think the overriding theme is that you know, you can have both. You can excel at something, but you can still be humane about it, and you can evolve and be happy outside of what it is that you're trying to excel in. And I think that's really what, you know, my character learns from this, and I think that’s what Lauren and her Mighty Ducks sort of teach me and my institute… is that you know, there are other things in life than just winning and being excellent at something, you know? You have to be a human. At the end of the day.

Lauren Graham: I think the show is really about team spirit this year, it’s about being a part of something. Being a good team player, you know, and realizing that… your individual accomplishment, of course, feels fantastic, but it's also… a person of character is there for their teammate, for their friend, for their mom, for their dad, you know, for whatever. I think I think that's one of the themes that is sort of amplified this year.

This interview has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity.

Justin Haythe is an accomplished screenwriter and producer who has worked on such films as Bohemian Rhapsody and Red Sparrow and Erwin Stoff is has been an Executive Producer for some of our favorite films such as The Matrix and I Am Legend (2007). Currently Justin handled writing duties for the upcoming STARZ series, The Serpent Queen, and he serves as an Executive Producer with Erwin on the show and we here at NTG were lucky enough to sit down with both gentlemen to discuss their work on this series.
​
John Betancourt: So, I would love to know, what motivated the two of you to team up and explore the life and times of Catherine de’ Medici. 

Justin Haythe: Well, Erwin and I are a team, we've known each other and worked together for 20 odd years, good friends. And this material came to me through Erwin and Francis Lawrence, another producer on the show. And I wasn't looking for a royal show, I wasn't looking for a period show. What I was looking for was an anti-hero show. And I thought when I read this, I thought this is a uniquely modern character. This is an anti-hero, like a Corleone, or a Soprano or Walter White, who happens to be a woman, and happens to be a woman in 16th century France, where there are some frightening parallels to our own times. So, that just seemed incredibly unique. I couldn't think of a female character like this. So that's what attracted me to it.

Erwin Stoff: The way I initially got involved, is that about, I think it's now probably 15-16 years ago, Francis Lawrence sent me a review of the book, from Vogue magazine, and I had the review, I thought it was really interesting. We both read the book. We were intrigued by it. We both got busy doing other things. But we sort of never really forgot about it. And then a couple of years ago, it came up again, we call Justin, Justin had some time, read it, and decided he wanted to do it. So then after 15 or 16 years, we said, “Okay, let's go.” And we sold the show to STARZ.

John Betancourt: That’s an incredible journey for certain. Now, what went into the decision to make this series a parable that flips back and forth between the past and the present?

Erwin Stoff: There were a couple of things that sort of informed that decision. You need to understand how Catherine got to France. And you need to understand Catherine as a young woman, and the trials and tribulations that she faced. On the other hand, you kind of go okay, we have Samantha Morton, you can't just you know, do three episodes. And you know, fourth episode, you drop Samantha Morton in. So, we had to find a way of weaving those two stories together. And then we sort of also thought, okay, the whole idea of just telling a story chronologically, is kind of expected, not interesting, and so on. So, Justin, I thought really ingeniously found a way and a reason for Samantha Morton, to tell the story of her life to someone. And clearly, if you watch the show through, it had a purpose. I mean, she had a purpose for telling the story to this young woman.

Justin Haythe: Well, you know, as everyone said, there's an inherent challenge the fact that you want to dramatize her as a very young woman being plucked out of her life dropped in France, I mean, to consummate her marriage in front of a roomful of strangers, that's essential, right? And then what's also essential is seeing how long she ruled, how she outmaneuvered people for so long. And so, one actor can't do that. But as Erwin said, you know, when you when an audience bonds with an actor, and then you abruptly change it, oftentimes the audience can feel or I can feel well, I bonded with that actor. So, we needed Samantha to be on the screen early. But at the same time, that was the practical reason for devising that structure. At the same time, having never had an ambition to do royal show and say, “Well, why do you want to now?” I've always wanted to have a villain address us and say, “Let me tell you why I did what I did. You guys think I'm a villain, right? I'm terrible. I'm something, but this is why I did what I did. And you guys would have done the same thing, or you would never have heard of me, right?”

So, and I wanted her to also say and I thought what was unique about Catherine was, she's such an outsider. She's not considered pretty, not royal, her dowry is gone. I wanted her to talk to somebody who says, “you don't think the story has anything to do with you? Well, it does.” Right? So, to take somebody who's the ultimate outsider, you know, a servant girl and say, “Hey, I'm just like’ -- that first scene -- She says, “I'm just like, you.” And she’s just like, “Yeah, right. Okay, you're the queen, whatever.” And so, the direct address becomes not to the audience, but to her. And it's an act of manipulation, because this is a world where everything's an act of manipulation. And she's slowly moving Rahima down the board to do something she needs her to do later on. So, those are the challenges, but that came with huge opportunity. I also liked the idea of indirect address, it has been around since the ancient Greeks and Shakespeare, but I liked the idea of her -- I couldn't think of one where we know who she's addressing. I liked the idea of having Samantha's voice and the voiceover in the same scene we're Liv is turning to the camera and talking and finishing Catherine’s sentences. I just thought it really blended them together, it made memory, soup and active invention. And at the same time, when you transitioned all the way to Samantha, you were also bonded with her.

John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you gentlemen today, what is it you are most proud of when it comes to this show?

Justin Haythe: Well, you know, I think that we accomplished the tone we set out to do. But most importantly, I think that we accomplished it… under incredible pressures. We were shooting in the middle of COVID. And it really meant that everybody rose to the occasion. This was an incredible crew, French crew, and the French crews are tough, like you have to win their respect. And they did an extraordinary job, worked unbelievably hard for us. We had an incredible series of artisans making these costumes, which are all bespoke, shooting in these locations, building sets, and creating an environment with this cast, which I think it's a truly incredible cast, it feels like a theater ensemble. And all of these parts elevated the show, I think, like far beyond the challenges and the unique challenges of shooting it during that time. And under those pressures made us all better. And so, to stand back now and say, “Wow, that tone when I first read the book, when I said I want to do something funny and absurd and dangerous. All of those things at the same time, it seems an unusual tone.” I stand back now and say, “You know, we did better than that.” Because of this collective effort.

Erwin Stoff: Having done it. (Laughter from all.) No, what I'm really proud of, frankly, is sort of, I don't know, what I'm proud of, I guess is defying expectations. One of the journalists that we talked to earlier said, well, “Wow, the show really took me by surprise in terms of how much I liked it.” And what I'm proud of is defying what the expectations of a historical quote unquote costume drama are and of creating something that feels fun, engaging, contemporary, et cetera. Yet, never anachronistic yet you do feel like you were in that period. But you don't feel like you just got a history lesson. What I'm proud of is that the show is thoroughly entertaining. That it offers a good time to people. That's what I'm really proud of.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Liv Hill is a rising star in Hollywood, who is quickly racking up credits of note and currently… she plays a younger version of future Queen Catherine de’ Medici in The Serpent Queen on STARZ, and we here at NTG were lucky enough to sit down with Liv to discuss her new role as the once and future queen.
​
John Betancourt: What was it that attracted you to this role?

Liv Hill: Well, reading it, I thought what a gift of a character to play. She is totally multi-dimensional. She's very conflicting, which is what I think all of us are. She's both good and bad. She--she's vulnerable, and yet also detached from emotion. She's strong and weak, at times, very intelligent, but also very emotionally immature in other ways. So, the idea to play her, felt like a great challenge, and also to work with, you know, people at the top of their game in every department, I would have been really stupid to say no to something like that.

John Betancourt: Now you just mentioned how she is a bit all over the place in life, because of that… what do you think she is searching for?

Liv Hill: Well, that's a good question. I think what her main objective in her life, is survival. She from a young age, she has been emotionally, physically abused, belittled, degraded. And yet, she's still retained to that sort of self-esteem, which is quite remarkable, really, but it's what keeps her alive. And she's always alert and watchful. When we meet Catherine, her objective is to secure herself in French court by producing an heir and that proves difficult. But I also think just from a less, less adult, objective, she also as a teenager is falling in love for the first time, and being rejected romantically for the first time. And I think the perils of you know, the intense highs and lows of love is also what she's trying to figure out and in this very adult world in which we find her.

John Betancourt: So, to backtrack for a moment. You mentioned working with folks at the “top of their game” and the complexities of this character. Was there any kind of pressure that you ran into as an actor when it comes that kind of situation as a whole and in playing someone so iconic and complex?

Liv Hill: Yes. Yes, definitely. Because I think because she's notoriously known as, you know, the serpent queen, manipulation, corruption, evil. What the show debunks and explores is how she got there. And we see her very vulnerable, but also very detached, devoid of emotion at times in order to make some ruthless decisions. And I think having that balance, knowing when to play her vulnerable, and when to play her like… Samantha Morton, the older Catherine, I definitely took a lot of guidance from Stacie, our director, and I think in the show, you see her slowly, slowly and certainly ascend into obtaining this, this reputation that she has of being notoriously evil.

John Betancourt: Now, how did you get into the mindset of playing someone that is just surrounded by chaos?

Liv Hill: Yes, I mean, to put it in simple terms, survival, survival, survival, that was my main mindset going into every single scene, and I kind of just dialed it up and down, depending on what the scene required. And I think what I remember most is using my eyes, just in terms of like, she was very sort of reserved, but also very watchful, very alert, always in a state of, watchful alertness, reading into people's body language into their facial expressions, “Can I trust them? Can they trust me?” And that's really interesting, as an actor to play. Also, I relate to that so much. I think most of us relate into reading into people, but that is what I think made her more intelligent than all the rest of them. And she was able to outsmart everyone because she was actually aware of other people's feelings, which a lot of the men weren't.

John Betancourt: What kind of research did you conduct to prepare to play someone this iconic?

Liv Hill: Yeah, I mean, it's quite hard, I guess. Not hard, but I mean, it's… I always find it a little bit “oh” because it's a real person. She's dead, which makes it easier because you're not playing someone who's still alive. But also, when you refer to history, I always refer to it from what I read in school. And it's very factual. And it's not much, you don't really empathize with those people, or I didn't… you're just doing it for a test. So, I wanted to play her not as a typical period, drama, would present themselves to be, you know, like very reserved and sort of like, devoid of emotion. Not that all drama shows are like that at all. But it's very easy to play her multifaceted because of Justin's writing. And so, I read Leonie Frieda’s book, which helped me, but I think Samantha and I both just sort of discovered the intentions and motivations were the same with each other and, and then trusted in the rest.

John Betancourt: What are you hoping audiences take away from your portrayal of Catherine?

Liv Hill: I hope that they take away some compassion and empathy. I think not based on my portrayal but based on the story, it’s quite easy to do that. Decisions, you know, she sometimes made were quite ruthless and brutal, but they're from a place of survival and instinct. And I think, if we were placed in that unforgiving and brutal world in which we find her, we might not do anything too differently. So, I hope people take away some empathy and also some inspiration of her resilience and maybe bring it into their own lives. She was totally the underdog, and yet she still managed to outwit everyone.

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

Liv Hill: What I take away is the friendships from it. But having watched it now, I'm so proud of everyone's work in each department. I think it was quite marvelous being on set surrounded by that much talent and passion. And I think that's translated on screen through costumes, through the direction, through… everything, the acting, so I'm proud to just be amongst these great talents.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

A.G. Riddle has a new book out entitled Lost in Time, and we here at NTG were lucky enough to sit down with A.G. to discuss his new novel and the craft of creative writing.  

Nerds That Geek: What inspired you to write this grand story?

A.G. Riddle: I've always loved time travel stories. And thinking about advanced technology and what the future might look like.

Lost in Time was an opportunity to combine the two.
​
I think it's also a story about family and families reuniting and rebuilding their life after these big challenges. I think to some degree COVID inspired that. I think we’re all living in this world where we feel like things have changed and we’re trying to figure it out.

NTG: What are you most excited for your readers to experience with this book?

A.G. Riddle: The twists.

For me it's always exciting to see reader reactions to the big surprises in the books.
I'm someone who outlines, and I always look forward to writing those scenes where there's a big reveal or twist. I'm very excited to see what readers think.

NTG:  What was it about creative writing that just called to you?

A.G. Riddle: Before I was a novelist, I was a software developer. I've always really enjoyed either reading or quiet time alone building something. As a kid, LEGOS were my hobby.

So writing is a natural fit for me. I love the work and I love researching the topics in the books. I also find it very fulfilling to create something that others get to enjoy.

NTG: What does it mean to you, to be living the dream and writing books that people love?

A.G. Riddle: Even after doing this for 10 years, it's still very surreal. Writing is a very challenging and fulfilling career. It's something that I'm always trying to get better at, and I think that’s part of the allure of writing.

NTG: Is there a unique story that you haven't written yet that you would love to tackle?

A.G. Riddle: That's a good question.

I think all of my stories are about ideas. But as I've progressed more in my career, I've really tried to work more on creating characters that are unique and compelling and that I get excited about writing. So, I think that that's an area where I always look for new challenges – different types of characters that are different from anything I’ve written before.

NTG: What's next for you after the release of this book?

A.G. Riddle: I have a new book coming out in March that I actually wrote before Lost in Time. The title is Quantum Radio and it'll be the first of the new series.