Alexander Hodge is an accomplished actor that has appeared often on both the silver and small screen. Currently, he stars as Doug on the amazing new NBC series, Grosse Pointe Garden Society, and we had the honor of sitting down with Alexander recently to discuss his work on the show.
 
John Betancourt: First and foremost, what was it that attracted you to this project as an actor.
 
Alexander Hodge: I think it is… this project is what I believe network television is at its strongest. It is fun, it is exciting, it is playful. It is something that that feels scandalous in a way, where it's something that you look forward to talking about, and that's what to me, that's what network television is, it thrives in, is something that you look forward to finding out what happens next. Because these characters reflect some people in your life, whether you like them or not. It's really rewarding watching them go through what they're going through. And this is, I mean, I keep calling this a show that hearkens a bygone era of television when we would gather around in the living room after dinner, race to the bathroom in between commercial breaks and race back and see what's going on with our favorite characters and debate about who's right, who's wrong, who's a victim, who's the perpetrator. Because we all pick our favorites, and we all pick our enemies and we see, we weirdly see our ourselves reflected in this heightened world and this sort of hysterical responses that some of these people display, and I think that's what makes this show is so great. That's what I love.
 
John Betancourt: Now as an actor, you get to do so much as Doug. And I'm curious what it was about the role that just immediately called to you.
 
Alexander Hodge: I think it was, it was more so the people involved that called to me, you know, I'll be honest, there is so much progression in this story as we go episode to episode, week to week, that, you know, reading the pilot, I was left with way more questions than I had answers. You know, I was like, “So, what's what's going on? What's happening here? Where are we going? Where is this train taking us?” And so, I think reading the script, it was so intriguing. The world was set up very vividly, but I had so many questions, and so when I spoke to the creators, I spoke to Bill and Jenna, Bill Krebs and Jenna Bans, who created the show and with the casting team, it was more a conversation of real people and real stories in a heightened sense, in a heightened world, which is interesting, you know, it's, it's kind of like, surprisingly, a bit more nuanced than we would then we would be led to believe if we had just, you know, heard about it or watched a teaser. I think there is so much substance in it, which is delivered in a really fun, and a really playful way. And I love that. I love Birdie’s wrestle to try and become a mother that she was never told that she could be. And I love the idea of Doug and Alice really trying to toil through a hard part in their marriage in a way that's very real to a lot of people. You know, I think there are so many real-life stories that real people are going through, and we just get to explore it in a fun way, in a playful way that hits home, but is still a way that is endearing.
 
John Betancourt: I think what's cool too, is that everybody – this is also a series, I think, of want. Everybody's kind of searching for something, searching for some sort of meaning, which is also painfully relatable for all of us. And I'm curious, since you're so close to the character, what would you say ultimately, Doug is searching for in this story?
 
Alexander Hodge: John, great question, I think Doug is... Doug's a bloke who's spent his whole life trying to be what people tell him to be. You know, he's got very strong personalities in his parents, and he, as a result, is kind of interestingly, not flourished in his own identity as such, and I think as an artist, he's really trying to figure out his expression. He's really trying to figure out who he is and so his journey is really trying to understand that maybe, maybe all these people want what's best for him without knowing what he wants, and what really is best for him. So, his journey is really figuring out who the bloody hell Doug actually is. So, you know, I think, I think early on in the season, it creates more problems than answers. But I think hopefully as the show goes on, we start finding some answers.
 
John Betancourt: But I'm also curious too, since this is so relatable, and there is so much that we can just kind of pull from, what do you kind of ultimately hope audiences take away from this very realistic story in season one?
 
Alexander Hodge: I think audiences should take away self-reflection and understanding that our desires and our urges need to be reckoned with, whether or not we act on them, they can't be ignored. And so, I think, I think a bit of self-reflection, a bit of introspection on the things that we desire, the things that we want, and maybe understanding that we do have a little bit of chaos agent in all of us.
 
John Betancourt: That's very fair. We don't think about that stuff enough.
 
Alexander Hodge: We should also give ourselves credit for not burning everything down.
 
John Betancourt: Actually, that more so, yes. Especially since, there are those days.
 
Alexander Hodge: We definitely have them.
 
John Betancourt: Now every episode just keeps delivering something new and exciting for us to enjoy, and without any spoilers, can you give us a sample of what we can expect for Sunday’s (tonight’s) new episode?
 
Alexander Hodge: I keep calling Episode Four the husband episode so first three episodes, it's for the wives. It's the drama, it's the storyline, it's the sexy, it's the scandal. Episode Four is where consequences come home to roost, and Episode Four is where people cross a line and find out what happens. And I think Doug is a major component of finding out what happens when somebody crosses a line, and I think that's what's going to draw the husbands in. They might have seen this show on in the living room the past few Sundays. But when they see a certain decision made from a certain character, well, Doug, they'll… I think they'll probably start identifying a little bit more with some storylines at the show. A shorter version of that is, I think we open up a new dimension of the show where we don't offer the easy comedic relief suddenly anymore, it becomes a little more real.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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Patrick Sabongui is an accomplished actor that has appeared in some epic franchise in the past few years. Since he’s been part of the Godzilla universe and he’s even been part of the rich world of DC Comics during his time on The Flash. Currently, he stars as Jacob Hassani in the amazing new NBC series, The Hunting Party, and we had the honor of sitting down with Patrick to discuss his work on the show.
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what attracted you to this project as an actorl
 
Patrick Sabongui: A regular job on a network series was very attractive, if I'm going to be honest. So, I mean, yeah, that's always appealing, the notion of gainful employment. But creatively, I don't know, man, right from the beginning, soon as I was exposed to this thing, I felt like everything I had done in my career was pointing me towards a show like this and a role like this. It's, it's dynamic, it's action oriented, it's, it's intelligent. There's some smart, you know, unpacking of psychology, which I really love. And then there's gunplay, and there's fast moving cars, and there's chase scenes, and there's fight stuff. And my character, you know, he is a little bit of the strong arm of the government, but he's got a very human side, and he's a family man, and he mentions his kids, and, you know, he's got this kind of protector, caretaker characteristic. And so, the combination of those things was like, “Yeah. This is what I would love to spend my career doing.”
 
John Betancourt: You bring up something I want to talk about a lot today. That realism the show harbors in all things, including your character, Jacob. Because there’s a real honesty you bring to the role, and I’m curious how you found that.
 
Patrick Sabongui: Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. I think what grounds me is that there's so much narrative for me to sink my teeth into, and for Jacob to be balancing all the time. He always has multiple things to balance in his mind. There's the mission at hand, but then there's also all the secrets that he has to keep. There's also his, you know, he takes on the responsibility not only to accomplish the mission, but to protect the team. And then in the back of his mind, there's his kids at home, and are they okay? And is the family, okay? And how does catching this bad guy actually, you know, make it safer for the nation in terms of national security, but also safer for his own family. And so having enough story for me as an actor to like always be turning over in my mind, actually makes it easier to just be grounded in the scene.
 
John Betancourt: Something I also appreciate is the stark and realistic differences between the characters. There are some that are in the gray, some that lean into the opposite of that, like Jacob. And I'm curious, since you're so close to the character, what would you say drives that moral core for him?
 
Patrick Sabongui: Yeah, I think morality when you're engaged in warfare is a really complicated thing. And I think if you're going to be… I think morality and ethics are different. I think the notion of right and wrong, or the notion of justice is highly individualized, and for a guy in Jacob's position, sometimes you got to do a very wrong thing to try to do the right thing. It’s complicated, you know, like, it's not okay to shoot somebody in the head unless it's okay, unless you have to, you know? And I think that having to constantly weigh right and wrong and having to take action. I know it's just a fascinating area to consider, and I think the notion of right or wrong is highly individualized, and it's not for other people to judge.
 
John Betancourt: Now something I’ve heard from all of your fellow cast members and co-workers is that the vibe on this set is great, and it’s just a joy, and I’m curious what you have enjoyed the most about playing Jacob.
 
Patrick Sabongui: I’ve enjoyed the most, I mean, on the production side of things, I love coming to work. I love hanging out with this cast. We really genuinely enjoy each other, make each other laugh, and, you know, they engage in the work. Like, this is Nerds That Geek and like, we're nerds, that geek, man, like, we love storytelling, and we love, you know, talking about the scene and the characters. And we, we love challenging each other, challenging the show runners. I don't know if you spoke to Jake (Coburn) and JJ (Bailey), but like, yeah, we're always coming to them with, like, with ideas and questions, and iit's not because there's a problem. It's because we really dig this shit. And for, I think, for everybody in the cast, we really care about the material, and we and we enjoy engaging with it. And that's, I think that is one of my favorite things, is that not only do we have fun and make each other laugh, but we actually enjoy engaging in the work.
 
John Betancourt: Now, there’s nothing like this on teleivison now, and I'm curious what it means to you as an actor, as a person, all around, to be part of such a refreshing and unique show.
 
Patrick Sabongui: It's refreshing and unique to be on a refreshing and unique show. (Laughter) Yeah, man, you never know how things are going to land. I understand this industry. Everything is risky about it, every new idea, every new type of show, you never know how it's going to land. And it's really exciting to see a concept that pulls in some of the things that are very prominent in the zeitgeist right now, like true crime is a huge interest, you know, in the culture right now, from the podcasts to the shows and the procedural model is, you know, highly successful people you know, make that a regular part of their routine. To check in on their procedural show. And then this one also has a serialized arc where we're talking about our families and the mystery of what happened in the Pit, and so it's just really satisfying to be part of something that pulls all of those popular cultural elements together into one place every week.
 
John Betancourt: I know also in talking to your cohorts, that’s there some big stuff coming up, and obviously we're not gonna spoil that portion of it. But what are you excited for audiences to get to experience in this back half of season one?
 
Patrick Sabongui: We uncover more about the about what happened at the Pit, what that whole conspiracy is. I mean, this is something, honestly, week to week when the scripts will come out. I couldn't wait. Like, yeah, I would do this scan of the script and be like, “Okay, this is circular. We made this a little action sequence. Okay, then we catch them here.” But like, “What the hell is Silo 12? What the hell is going on? Who is actually behind it? What does Odell actually know?” And you know, so there's that a lot of that gets revealed. Doesn't necessarily offer clarity. I think we're going to get exposed to a lot more questions about what really happened, and what that explosion was, and what the Pit was, and what Silo 12 was. And so, I'm excited about that. And then there's some trippy serial killer stuff too. Man like, we uphold that tradition of -- I love how when this becomes your show, you try to anticipate, and as soon as you meet the killer, you're like, “Oh, I bet it's this, this, this, this,” and then we throw you for a curve ball, and there's another loop, and it's not exactly what you thought it was. And so, there's still a lot of that.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Alfie Fuller is a rising star in Hollywood and has already made her mark by captivating audiences as Dinah Rutledge in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Currently she stars as Prairie in the Hulu series, Deli Boys, and we had the honor of sitting down with Alfie to discuss her work on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what it was that attracted you to this role as an actor.
 
Alfie Fuller: Sure, I had never read a script like this before, and I read a lot of scripts and it had me laughing in my apartment out loud, and I just knew that it was special and that I wanted to be a part of it.
 
John Betancourt: Laughing out loud is the appropriate response to this show for sure. But what I also love, is how grounded the show is, and something I’ve asked your co-stars today, is how you managed to ground Prairie.
 
Alfie Fuller: You know, I pulled a lot from my personal life. I know some Prairies, some very witchy, bushwick women. I've been a witchy woman, and probably will continue to be, and the rest was already on the page. I mean, the writers do an incredible job of making these characters three dimensional, and so it was really easy to step in and make them real, make her real.
 
John Betancourt: In talking to everyone today, there’s a real joy in what everyone has to say about their roles, and I hear it in your voice too, and I’m curious what you enjoyed the most about playing Prairie.
 
Alfie Fuller: Oh, I enjoy that Prairie really does not care what anyone thinks of her. She is locked into her own little world, and she just wants to have her orjica ball and her psychedelics and love Raj and just be at peace.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is a special show, and there's nothing like this at all on television, and I'm curious what it means to you, in every sense of that phrase, to be a part of refreshing an original project.
 
Alfie Fuller: Absolutely. I mean, it's a monumental show. It's like you said, it's like nothing we've seen before, which makes it historic. And the fact that these actors, myself included, get to play characters that we don't normally get to play is such an honor and a privilege, and I'm just ecstatic about being a part of it.
 
John Betancourt: What's great too, is there's so much to this. We've got this depth, comedy, messaging. We've got just great layers to it. What are you most excited for audiences to experience without any spoilers?
 
Alfie Fuller: Let's see. I am excited for viewers to be taken by surprise. I think they're gonna go into episode one thinking they know what's happening. That they know this story. And then by episode 10, they're gonna be like, “I didn't see any of that coming.” And so I'm just, I'm excited to hear, you know, the feedback.
 
John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on the show in season one?
 
Alfie Fuller: I think I'm just gonna echo myself again and say I'm just really proud to be a part of this cast and this story. I think we made something really magical, really funny, really entertaining and enjoyable. And I hope that we leave people wanting more.
 
John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today. If you had to describe season one in a single word, what would that word be?
 
Alfie Fuller: I'm gonna say, unexpected.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Brian George is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in a host of television shows and films over the course of his illustrious career. Currently, he stars as Ahmed on the new Hulu series, Deli Boys, and we had the honor of sitting down with Brian to discuss his work on the show.  
 
John Betancourt: I Would love to start by getting to know what it was that attracted you to this project.
 
Brian George: They offered it to me.
 
John Betancourt: Easy enough.
 
Brian George: They said, “Do you want to work?” I said, “Yeah.” They said, “Fine, here
you go.” (Laughter​) And, well, the plus side is, it’s also hilarious.
 
John Betancourt: One of the best parts about this show that I've enjoyed, is the comedy, first, but also the depth of the characters, including Ahmed, and I'm curious how you found his essence and his depth as an actor.
 
Brian George: You know you only know so much when you get a pilot. I can only fill in so many gaps. It's a pilot. And you hope to God that the thing that you guessed is on the right path. But then also the writers are seeing you and how you operate, and your way of expressing, and your way of interpreting, and so they're writing for you. So that helps. And then you get thrown, some curve balls, you know, you get some information four or five episodes in that is like, completely different. And you go, “How does that play with what I've done before? How do I have to adjust? How do I adjust?” So, yeah, there's all that you know so, but you know, because they're figuring it out as they're going along.
 
John Betancourt: You would have fooled me, because it seems like you’ve played him, forever.
 
Brian George: Well, thank you very much. Hopefully that's some experience paying off.
 
John Betancourt: I'm also curious what it means to this is a really refreshing and just unique project, and what it means to be part of it, be part of something that is so special.
 
Brian George: It means everything. So, look to go on a set, to go to work and look forward to it, and to go what fresh, not hell, but what fresh experience, what are we going to do today? Because this is too much fun. You know, it's like you go, “pinch me.” At this stage in my career, to have this kind of experience, absolutely wonderful.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously there is just so much to this first season, storytelling wise, I mean, you got all this wondrous comedy, you've got all these beautiful messages and all this incredible depth to it. What are you most excited as a whole, for audiences to experience when they get a chance to settle in and watch this.
 
Brian George: Just the sheer enjoyment of it. For one thing, just fall in love with it. Hopefully, you know, fall in love with the characters. Just, and hopefully the whole, you know, the South Asian thing becomes secondary. It just becomes like the color, literally and figuratively, the coloring of the story, not what it's about, even though we can deal with stuff about being immigrants, and deal with stuff like I love, as I said before, not to you, but the scene in the Indian restaurant, the whole Pakistani and Indian tension, I thought that was beautifully realized. I thought… there's enough said. It's dumb.
 
John Betancourt: You mentioned a minute ago, the challenges and kind of finding that pivot with your character, and obviously, you know, you relish in it, because you're such a great actor. But I'm curious what you enjoyed the most about playing your character.
 
Brian George: Oh, he's just so petulant and childish. He's just so needy. He's a needy gangster. Wannabe gangster, but he actually is a gangster. He's just such a child. It's just like it's so much fun to play the, what he does, versus how he feels, you know, which is so needy.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today, if you had to describe the series in a single word. What would that word be?
 
Brian George: Lord, a single word. Well, I can't do a single word, but, you know, The Sopranos meets Keystone Cops is the best I can come up with.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh are a pair of talented actors that have appeared in some big franchises over the year, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Currently, they start as Mir and Raj Dar in the new Hulu series, Deli Boys, and we had the honor of speaking with both of them regarding this magnificent new show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know, how you as actors made this all feel so real, since you both act as though you are family.
 
Asif Ali: A lot of it is, you know, like, chance of, you know, you get all this group of people together, and you just hope that they have chemistry. And I think that, you know, we got very lucky, and that we actually get along with each other. But, you know, Saagar is a naturally, extremely outgoing person. So, he was like, taking the reins of, like, “Let’s go. Let's go play ping pong. Let's go do karaoke. Let's go just hang out.” You know, we do rehearsals and stuff and, and I think it was a nice surprise for us to find out that we had so much in common, yeah.
 
Saagar Shaikh: And Asif had previously lived in Chicago, like, during college, and so he kind of knew all the good restaurants and the good places to go. So, I would just ask him, like, “Hey, where can we do this?” He’d be like, “Come on, let's go and, like, we'd go do it. And, and it was a great time. We just had this, like organic, you know…
 
Asif Ali: Vibe.
 
Saagar Shaikh: Yeah, I was gonna say organic chemistry, but that sounded too --
 
Asif Ali: Educational like?
 
Saagar Shaikh: Yeah, yeah.
 
John Betancourt: Oh man, and we’re even getting that dynamic in this interview, because there you are finishing each other sentences. (Laughter from everyone.) So, yeah, obviously this is a this is a great comedy. It's refreshing. It's original. It's not like anything else on television right now. I’m curious what it means to each of you be part of a show that is so refreshing and original.
 
Saagar Shaikh: I mean, I think I can speak for the both of us when I'm like… it means the world. I don't think either of us ever imagined, there was a possibility that we can lead a show together, especially a show you know, in the vein of, you know, as funny as The Righteous Gemstones, as you know, gangster as The Sopranos. And it's kind of, it's kind of got all the best elements of the best shows out there.
 
Asif Ali: Yeah, it kind of feels like being on a show where you're like, “Wouldn't it be cool? But it'll never happen.” And then now we're in it, which is so amazing, and that speaks to what you're saying, of like, you know, I've never seen a show like this. You've never seen a show like this. So to be on a show that we have never seen before, that there's no prototype that we're kind of copying in that way, just like a great one, and then for people like us to be the forefront of a story like this, is such a such a special thing, and it's something that's not lost on us, because we would constantly, you know, as actors and stuff, you know, we're always just the only person, like, I was the only one on WandaVision. He was -- you know what I mean, like, it, or you were on, Ms. Marvel.
 
But like, I found a lot of my career being like, the only one guy on things, and, you know, a lot of times they pit us against each other, you know, just in general, like, because there's only one job, and so to be on a show where it's like… it's crazy. It's action, mob, it's drugs, and it's all of these people, and then there's other people. There's a Vietnamese mob, there's a Peruvian mob, there's an Italian Mob, there's Indian, Pakistani. It just felt like, wow, this is a special thing, and we gotta, we gotta make sure that we give 200% because this is not normal.
 
Saagar Shaikh: Totally, yeah. And we were so, like, you know, tunnel vision, so focused, hyper fixated, on making this show the best it could possibly be. And we, you know, did 10 episodes, and we had three months to do it, and everybody gave it 150% of what they had, and, you know, we're just really blessed to have been working with all the great people that we did and that everybody was so passionate about the project. And it turned out the way it did.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for both of you today, if you had to describe Deli Boys in a single word, what would that word be?
 
Asif Ali: Crazy.
 
Saagar Shaikh: Nuts.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Josh McKenzie is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in a host of television shows, including the beloved NBC series, La Brea. Currently Josh plays Shane Florence on the amazing new NBC series, The Hunting Party, and we had the honor of sitting down with Josh to discuss his work on the show.
 
John Betancourt: Would love to start by getting to know what it was that attracted you to this project as an actor.
 
Josh McKenzie: So, at the time there was, I was doing a lot of auditioning, getting a lot of scripts sent, and there's not so often you read sides, and you kind of don't really have to learn the lines, you know, you just kind of go, “Yeah. I'd say that,” you know, it was very close to, at least on a surface level, how I would be. It was, it felt very effortless. And then reading the script, I picked up on a few things that I was like, “Oh, shoot, there's like, something else going on here with this dude” that wasn't on the page, but it was between the lines, if that makes sense. And I kind of… during one of the casting processes, the show runners, they asked me, “Why'd you play it that way?” And I said, “Oh, because of this.” And they’re like, “What?” (Laughter) I ended up kind of spoiling his storyline a little bit just from reading the pilot, and they couldn't work out kind of how I pieced it together. But it just, it was a sense, I guess. And every now and again, you just have a sense about something, and maybe it's because you want it to be that way and sometimes that aligns with what the writers want for the character.
 
So that was probably that, and also the boldness of the of the script, you know, it opened, originally opened with, like, a guy being burnt alive, you know, which is crazy. That's still in the pilot. It's not as up front and center, but, I was like, “Oh, well, I've not seen that.” And, you know, it's the usual kind of, you know, network stuff that you're reading. And I was like, “This is, this is ambitious.” And then as the story unfolded, I was like, “Okay, there's, there's a lot going on here.” They put a lot into the pilot, and that excited me. Yeah, so there's combination of those things, and I mean, the team, oh yeah. The team, Thor Freudenthal, who directed, set up, director and supervising producer. You know, I've worked with him before, and, you know, the line producer is another guy I've worked with, and I never worked with JJ (Bailey) and  Jake (Coburn), but they were awesome people to chat with, even in the early stages when I wasn't properly cast. So, all those things, I was like, “This is this is going to be cool. This is going to be special.”
 
John Betancourt: So, you bring up something that I want to talk about a lot today. Because I do love the fact that Shane is… there's a little more to him than just, you know, the clean cut, you know, standard soldier, if you will. He's got a little grey to him. He's got little secrets. Now, since you had that kind of bead on it well in advance, how much did that impact your performance going forward, when you started actually filming and getting into the story?
 
Josh McKenzie: Um, not a huge amount. I mean, the nature of this show, it's a procedural at its core, like, functionally. So, every episode, you know, it's case of the week. And in our case, it's the serial killer of the week. So, and being a military guy, Shane's very task oriented. He's very -- he can come compartmentalized. So, it wasn't hard to just, like, focus. You know, the thing I had to get right from the get-go was like, what's motivating this guy? Like, because every decision he makes is hinging on that. Every interaction is hinging on that core motivation. Like, “What do I want? What is he looking for? What is he trying to do here?” Is it more than just, like, “I want to help out.” You know, “What's going on here?” Why does he, in that first episode, say, “Hey, I'm going to come with you.” Like, you know, “I've been pulling bodies out of this rubble. I want to help.” Like, what's the reason behind that? Obviously, in episode four there's somewhat of a revelation, and there will be many more. So, it wasn't hard to like -- because he didn't have to hide it in the in the beginning, because there's so there's so much going on.
 
It's so propulsive, this show, that, like, things move quick. We move on. We move on. We don't sit with him, you know, like if there was more scenes with him, if it was written that way, then, then we might have seen a little bit more. But thankfully, the writing was just like, let's smash out these serial killers. Let's catch them. Let's catch them. We don't see Shane go home afterwards, you know, we don't see what he gets up to between the cases in the first half of the season. So, yeah, I wouldn't say it was hard, the difficulty, and this is in every role, is the preparation. That where it's hard. If you prepare well, you know, you answer all the questions. You come up with the questions you need to answer, and you have the questions you can't answer yet. You have all of that locked away, then you can kind of turn up and do what you need to do, you know, and be a good soldier.
 
John Betancourt: Now something I genuinely appreciate about the show is how it features such a big concept, but is so incredibly grounded, especially via the characters, and I’m very curious how you as an actor have managed to ground Shane in such a realistic manner.
 
Josh McKenzie: I mean, that's the goal. So, that's the up to the audience, to interpret, and if that's how it's interpreted, then I've done my job, you know. But it is, it is super grounded. And you know, I've never served in the military, you know. But you know, I know people who have. I know people who work in social work and police officers and people who chase bad guys, who help bad guys. I mean, that's such a subjective thing, but you know, deal with criminals, deal with death, deal with, you know, mental illness, and you know that it's not something that they you know… it grinds them down over time, but in the moment they're not, you know, it's an invisible burden. And there's a lot of humor which grounds them, like gallows humor in a lot of cases, like, dark humor that no one else could get away with, you know.
 
And that kind of is the panacea, in a sense, for dealing with that step, you know. So, I think that's what keeps Shane grounded, this idea that he's like, he makes the jokes. He's not looking at everything constantly going like, getting all emotional about it, like, I don't think we as humans, we don't, we don't demonstrate that as much as, like we see on TV. So that was a big thing, a big balance to get right, because then it's a TV show, you know? And, yeah, but I like the fact that Shane is very --- he provides a lot of liberty, and I think that's needed for a show this dark.
 
John Betancourt: What does it mean to you as both just a person and as an actor to be a part of such a unique and refreshing show.
 
Josh McKenzie: I mean, I'm so I feel so lucky, you know. And so, you know, people talk about luck in this industry a lot, and you know, some people don't believe in it. Some people do, like whatever your belief system is. But I do, I do. I feel so, so grateful, you know. And I love it. You know, my partner, she's an actress, too, and she's on another kind of procedural. And we both, you know, pinch ourselves every, every day. You know that we get to go to work and do this and play and on a show like The Hunting Party, where it is a lot, you know, and it's NBC, so it's big, it's splashy. It's shot beautifully. It's, you know, they can afford all the things. And I love indie filmmaking. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love that. That's my, like, I cut my teeth on that.
 
But this is, like, everything's laid out for you to go and play. And I think that's one of the coolest things about being part of The Hunting Party. And prior to this, doing La Brea as well, the stage is set, man, you just, you just need to go on and do your thing. You know, you're not like, you know, sometimes you're acting to a tennis ball or a green screen, but a lot of the time, there's physical, tangible things around you and, in our case, for The Hunting Party, the murders and the crime scene and everything. It's very visceral. So, you just have to go back and play make believe, I guess. And, you know, it's a theme park, to some extent, a horrible theme park. No, a haunted house.
 
John Betancourt: Probably better to call it that. I don’t think a Murder theme park would go over well. (Laughter from John and Josh.)  The last question that I have for you, relates to how we talked a little bit about, obviously, revelations to come. And in talking to Sara (Garcia) and JJ (Bailey) they too have mentioned that the back half of this season is going to be big. So, if you have one word to describe the back half of season one with no spoilers, what would that word be?
 
Josh McKenzie: Revelatory.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.  

JJ Bailey is an accomplished writer and producer, who just so happened to find the inspiration to create the new NBC crime procedural, The Hunting Party, and we had the honor of sitting down with JJ to discuss this fascinating new show.

John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what it was that inspired you to create just such a unique and refreshing story.
 
JJ Bailey: Oh, first of all, thank you for calling it that, you know, I typically tell the story, you know, Jake Coburn, who, of course, couldn't be here today. He and I were set up sort of on this blind date by our studio, you know, we both created something for NBCUniversal before, and they thought we'd get along, and we sat down for like this half hour, Zoom, that turned into two hours. Oh, by the end of it, we were just like, “We've got to do something together. Man, we just like, we like all the same things. We speak the same language.” And over the course that meeting, it was very clear we both really wanted to do a procedural that felt a little bit different, and we wanted to do something that sort of broke out of the procedural genre a little bit. We loved serial killer stories, so we knew we were going to do something in that vein, and we wanted to do something that had elements of a conspiracy thriller. And, you know, from there, it just really snowballed into sort of what it was, or what it is. And I will say, Jake is a really brilliant creative partner and bouncing ideas off each other was such a fun experience. And this came together in a really sort of natural way for us, which was refreshing and fantastic.
 
John Betancourt: It shows on the screen too, because everything just flows so well, and it's also wonderfully complex. And I also am very curious about, speaking of that complexity, what went into the decision to create stories that just have so much for the audience to enjoy.
 
JJ Bailey: Yeah, well, you know, we really, like I said, we really wanted to do something that serves a lot of different things, right? We wanted to do the procedural. We wanted to do a serial killer storyline. We wanted to do, you know, a larger conspiracy thriller. And we really wanted to get under the hood of our characters. And when you try to do all that, it's going to involve several storylines. And the thing for me, that I was so excited about, is, in the creation process of the story, we fell in love with every character, and we found ourselves with these really exciting storylines for every single character, and the sort of embarrassment of riches of, well, you know, we can't do all of them, because there's only, you know, 41 minutes or something, we have, and then also getting the cast that we got, which I'm just, I absolutely adore everybody in the cast and how fantastic they are on screen. You just want to give them more. You keep wanting to do more as a creative behind it. So, yeah, it really, really was an embarrassment of riches in that way.
 
John Betancourt: Now, in creating something this wonderfully well woven together, what kind of challenge did you guys’ encounter? Because you go into so much detail of just having to find out the serial killer origins and their motives and then keep that conspiracy fresh. So yeah, how tough was it to assemble all that?
 
JJ Bailey: You know, it's definitely tough. We approach it from the perspective of, you know, we're, it's not a who-done-it. It's more like, why-done-it and why-doing-it again type thing. Because, you know, a typical procedural, there's a crime and you're trying to figure out who is behind this. You’re piecing it together without knowing the killer. With our show, the challenge, and hopefully part of the enjoyable thing is, you know who the killer is right out of the gate. Which means we have to break free from certain structural dynamics that you typically have in a procedural, you know, because we already know who the killer is right out of the gate. And so, we have to provide additional wrinkles in the storyline, and we always want to be able to find a surprising turn where you know, even though we know who the killer is and we know why they did what they did in the past, why are they doing what they're doing now? And sort of piece it together that way. And it's been a challenge. You sort of have to break two motives for the same killer in order to have something feel sort of fresh in its in its telling.
 
John Betancourt: That brings me to my next question. Obviously, every episode is getting bigger and bolder, which I love. I watched episode four before this interview, which is just insanely good, and it gets into so many cool ideas. But, without spoiling, what you are most excited from a standpoint of getting bigger and bolder for audiences to experience down the road here,
 
JJ Bailey: Yeah, what a great question. I will say what you just saw, Episode Four is one of my favorites. Make a side note. Kevin Corrigan. Unbelievable.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
 
JJ Bailey: But you know, I think we found ourselves with the freedom to sort of break out of a structure that we were in, later in the season, which allowed for sort of bigger storytelling and the ability to do some more dynamic things. And you know, I know everybody probably talks about doing a big finale, but we were able to do a really big thing in our finale that I'm really excited for people to see that was super fun. And episode eight is another one that I'm really excited about. It's got a very dynamic killer that breaks out of that structure again, but also has some really -- elements of like Seven and things like that that we wove into that, that are really fun. So, I hopefully people really do feel like things are growing every episode until the ‘till the end.
 
John Betancourt: Oh, then I cannot wait to see eight and the finale. That’ll be worth the wait. Now, this is obviously a passion project. I hear it in your voice. I hear the joy and see the smile on your face. What does it mean to you now to have this, this labor of love out to the masses on a regular basis?
 
JJ Bailey: It's surreal. I will say, you know, just for me personally, I've worked for quite a while to try to get something on the air. Having something on the air is, it's incredibly special. But probably the most special part of that is, you know, is my, I've shot a couple pilots before. I've done that, but seeing what goes into getting a series, 10 episodes on the air. How many people contribute in meaningful ways, and how many people pour -- they don't just contribute like I mean; we had an incredible team behind us that wasn't just showing up to work and doing their job. I mean, we have people just pouring their passion into this. And seeing that is an incredibly humbling experience, and makes you just, I'll speak for myself, it makes me just want the show to be successful so much more, because I see what other people put into this thing, and that's been a huge joy for me, to see the level of passion other people came to the table with and really put into this. It was, it was incredibly special.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to what you've assembled here in season one?
 
JJ Bailey: I gotta say the cast, man. I mean, the show, the show is super fun, but it wouldn't be the show without the cast, you know, and casting is really tricky. You know, you need chemistry between everybody, you know, one, one sort of misstep that doesn't quite feel natural, doesn't feel right, and it can kind of break the vibe. And I will say, from top to bottom, we got such a special cast. And if I step away from the TV of it all, just watching these people has been so fun. You know, in between takes and offset, they're just really great people who enjoy being in each other's company. Melissa (Roxburgh) being the number one on the call sheet, she sets an incredible tone. She's so welcoming and warm and fun to be around that I think you know, the set, for as dark as the show can be, the set was an incredibly fun and lighthearted place where just you could tell everybody was having fun being there. And so I would say the cast, and honestly, the crew too, which, you know, we have, Jeff Rafner helped put together a lot of the people that we worked with behind the scenes, and he worked magic, putting together just the right, right people, so that that's probably the biggest thing I'm most proud of, is the team behind the show.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

It is absolutely safe to say that Mo Collins is a comedy legend. For her work on Mad TV was downright revolutionary, and she has continued to grow that work through various feature film and television roles Recently, she played Starla on this week’s episode of Night Court, and we here at NTG had the distinct honor of sitting down with Mo to discuss all things Starla and comedy.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, you are nothing short of a comedy legend, and it’s been such a huge part of your career. I’d like to start by getting to know what is about comedy that continues to energize you.
 
Mo Collins: Oh gosh, it's like therapy for me. It's my BFF. You know? It's helped me through everything. It's helped me. Comedy is my survival tool. You know it really is, like, I use it in hard times. I use it in other people's hard times to try and help them. Yeah, comedy is very, very important to me, and I grew up in a funny family. I mean, I don't know if they knew they were funny, but, you know, we were silly. You know, my family was silly, and, like, my mother had a very sharp, you know, wit, and so I was around it. It's a place of comfort for me. It’s also a sign of intelligence, John, so, I can’t help it. (Laughter from Mo and John.)
 
John Betancourt: Makes you “Mo the Magnificent”. I’m also curious, how you managed to come aboard as Starla on Night Court?
Mo Collins: They called me. Isn't that nice?
 
John Betancourt: It absolutely is.
 
Mo Collins: They took a look at that role and said, “That's got Mo Collins’ name on it, doesn't it?” And they called me, which is so nice in this business. Let me just tell you to get that call. And that's so great, because, you know, this is a business of trying all the time, so to just get that call was absolutely delightful.
 
John Betancourt: Now, you’ve done it all acting wise, and that’s important to this next question because every single guest star on Night Court has been deeply fleshed out and real in many ways, despite the zany stuff they do. And I’m curious how you, and your experience, helped to flesh out Starla.
 
Mo Collins: I love this question. Um, it's very important for me, and always has been, even in some of the craziest characters that I've played, I really have to ground them. It's very important to me to keep them grounded. And that means that I need them to really feel and see the moments that they're in, to just be there in the moment with them and embody that. That's very important to me, to ground my crazy people. But I mean, if you think about it, you know, and you go about in the world, and you consider the people in the world, and you look and you go, “That person just seems so crazy.” And then you kind of consider them for a bit, and you go, “No, they're grounded in themselves in a way that is very unique.” And that's really what it is, that's character building, it’s just considering the person on the page, the script, consider them as a human being and how they really feel and react and respond. And it's just important to me to keep my crazy grounded.
 
John Betancourt: Well that certainly worked since you know who she is and what she’s about in the story. Now, this is also a rare opportunity to talk to someone that has helped to shape modern comedy, and helped to shape the modern multi-cam and I’m very curious how you prepare for that kind of work since you know it all so well.
 
Mo Collins: Yeah, I gotta tell you, John, I had not done multi cam in like, a decade. So, to be honest, it wasn't exactly like riding a bike. It wasn't, which stunned me and scared me, like my first take in front of the live audience. And it wasn't the audience that scared me. It's this. It's that working in single cam so much over the past two decades, you know you have to with multi cam, you gotta know the scene memorized top to bottom, which I always memorize my scenes, you know? But this is, it's more theater, right? Like doing a play where you don't get to stop and go, “Oh, let me start again,” right? It's different. You're playing the scene, and that really struck me in the first, the first scene that I did, and I was a little uncomfortable, because I'm like, “Oh, my God. Mo, have you… what have you lost a couple steps here?” But then I got back into it. I was like, “No, you know what you're doing. Mo, you know what you're doing.” But that first one was, I was scared. I was nervous, you know, I'm like, “Oh my gosh,” you start to think, like, “Do I know my lines?” Like you're right in the middle of the scene. But then I was right back to it, yeah, but it took a minute, and it's like, “Oh my gosh,” it's been so long since I'd done it that there was… there were nerves, John, there were nerves.
 
John Betancourt: That’s amazing, we’d never know that, and I appreciate that. I think everyone always assumes, me included, you just go out there and it clicks. But as a follow up to that, I do have to ask, what was it that finally allows for everything to come together for you.
 
Mo Collins: I remembered who I am.
 
John Betancourt: I love that. And obviously, I can hear the joy in your voice in talking about the experience, and there’s a real devilish delight that shows on screen in your performance. So, what did you enjoy the most about playing Starla?
 
Mo Collins: I love a good, broken woman. (Laughter) I mean, I do. Not even just broken, but like she's multifaceted and I enjoy that, like she has highs, she has lows. And that's depth to me. You know, as seemingly, this woman that doesn't have depth. She does. We all do. You know, so it was fun to be -- it's always so fun to be inside of somebody that, by outward appearances, is so outlandish, but to them… just hold like the seriousness of them inside. I like holding on to my characters like that. If that makes any sense to you at all, I tend to hold my characters very dear to my heart. I love them. I've even… and this is going to sound, well, nerdy. I've written letters to my characters. You know?
 
John Betancourt: Nerdy is perfect and that does make sense, and that’s amazing. Gives them real meaning. So, the last question I have for you today, is a simple, and nerdy one… did you get to keep that awesome cape? Because the ‘Starla’ on the back was too cool.
 
Mo Collins: I know! That cape! When that came out, I was like, “No way!” And no, I did not get to keep I didn't keep it. But I look forward to people dressing like that as Halloween
 
John Betancourt: There you go. Get a line out, and an authentic replica for you.
 
Mo Collins: Exactly, it'd be a great costume.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

It is definitely safe to say, that the new motion picture, Las Tres Sisters, is quite the important feature. For not only does it express optimism and hope in these dark times (read our review here), but it also features representation and so much more. In fact, to properly explore the breadth of this incredible movie, we sat down with its cast, Marta Méndez Cross (Maria), Valeria Maldonaldo (Lucia), Virginia Novello (Sofia), and Cristo Fernández (Kin) to further break down this groundbreaking story.
John Betancourt: First off, thank you all so much for you time today. This is a beautiful film, and I’m so looking forward to learning about how you put it together, and I would like to start by getting to know what inspired the creation of this feature.
 
Marta Méndez Cross: It started with the theme of forgiveness, really, you know, that's something that can be really hard just as a human being. So, it started from a very organic place. With Virginia and Valeria, they came together to write a scene about a theme that both of them were dealing with. And it was a two-page scene that was for their actors’ reel, and I was very pregnant and not auditioning anymore as an actress. In that moment, I was about to pop, and they asked me to come on as a director for that short, two-page scene that we developed into a short film that ended up, after that, becoming a feature. And we've just been following a spark of a story that needed to be told, really, to share, you know, a human story about forgiveness. But through the window of like these three Latina women, which we feel like, you know, is also something that we don't get to see much, even as actresses, when we're reading screenplays and pilots and seeing how Hollywood or other folks have written us through their lens, we felt like taking it into our own hands. So, it's been a journey, to say the least.
 
Virginia Novello: So, Marta had worked with Youssef Delara, our other writer, previously, and there’s another person that came in, which is Ruiz de Velasco Gonzalo, and he is a producer that he believed in this project from the beginning. He's the one that was like, “This needs to be a feature. And we were like, really, we weren't thinking about it. And he's like, “No, really, this needs to be a feature,” and we didn't know how to write a feature. And one of the things that I give us props for is that when we don't know something, we don't pretend that we know. We ask for help. So, we are like, we know how to write dialogue, we know story, but we didn't know structure. And so, then Youssef came in, and he wrote a beautiful, structured script. Now, he did the first two drafts, and then we came in, and then we just went with it in a very different way. And we got deeper, because we wrote this for six years. And so, it developed as we developed, you know, as we got deeper into our lives, we put that into the script. As we were growing in our relationships, in our lives. We kept putting it in there. So, the script got deeper and deeper, but we never moved that structure. So, Yousef definitely came in and created a beautiful structure that we could work with and move the script however we wanted.
 
John Betancourt: Now, Cristo, what attracted you to take on the role of Kin in this feature?
 
Cristo Fernández: Well, it was back in 2021, and I was in Guadalajara, and that's where we met, and I just wanted to do more things in my hometown in Mexico. But back then I was away for like, six seven years. I born and raised in Guadalajara, but away for six seven years, and I thought, “it's enough.” I need to go back and have some and eat proper Mexican food with my family, my friends, and I met Virginia, Marta, Valeria, our director, Mar Novo, and our producer, Denisse Prieto. And I just love the story, and I love that it was gonna be in Guadalajara, and it involved different locations, towns that some I knew, some I didn't. But more than anything, I love just the message of the film, and, of course, my character, it was a different way of doing something different. But also, I just love the message of the film, which, to me, it's all about the journey, the miracle is a journey, and it's not -- sometimes we just focus. And I tend to be that kind of guy that... I just want this, and I focus myself in that. I wanted just to be a soccer player and nothing else in my life. And that's cool, but there's other things around it. And I, as you know, I ended up in Ted Lasso. But I would never even have imagined that 10 years before that, when I had my injuries and my life was destroyed, but then 10 years later on, ended up being the best to me, and I think for these sisters, somehow, it's a good reminder that sometimes tragedies in the long run can be, a good thing, as long as you work hard, push yourself, surround yourself with the family, both that you choose, that you're born with, and the one that you choose.
 
John Betancourt: Now there are so many beautiful messages and themes present in this story, and I’m wondering what you ultimately hope audiences take away from this film when they settle in to watch it.
 
Valeria Maldonaldo: You know, yes, I think there's so there are so many messages in this film that we very, very purposely put in there. As we were experiencing things in life and healing our own wounds. We wanted to put it into the script so that hopefully people could also have a cathartic experience while they were watching it. And I mean, what Cristo just said, for me, that's like, one of the biggest things, right, is that sometimes -- I actually, I did the Camino de Santiago many, many years ago, which is the pilgrimage. And I remember that I was walking because I wanted this one thing. I was walking, and I ended up getting all of the other answers that I was not looking for, and all of, like, the healing and all of these other things, and that question wasn't even, like relevant. So, I think that's one of, like, the biggest things that we have in the film. But I think for me, one of the biggest things about this film is the message is about unity. Because, you know, we have three sisters that are very different, that have different belief systems, that have different lifestyles, that have different… everything, and that also don't agree in a lot of things. And then we also have then Cristo’s character, that is, you know, he's in a completely different world than these, like Americanized, at least two of the Americanized sisters, but they find a language. And even actually, like Kin and Lucia, they don't even speak the actual same language, right? They're like communicating in English and in Spanish to each other, but they find a way to connect and to communicate, and in moments like the ones that we're living right now, for me, finding that, that connection with people, and finding a bridge between people, so that it's not just forgiveness, but it's connection, and being able to coexist so that, I think, for me, would be like one of the most, most important things that this film, I hope, teaches people.
 
Virginia Novello: No, yeah, I think, like you said, there were so many messages and so many reasons why we did this. And I think one of the other ones is Mexico, you know, we wanted to just showcase Mexico in a beautiful, amazing way. I think it's… the media, what it usually shows. It shows about, you know, the violence that the country has, and a lot of Latino American countries, but barely rarely, we see also the beautifulness. You know, and every country has everything, right? Every country has the good and the bad and the ugly and the beautiful. But in media and mainstream media, we really don't get to see Mexico in this way. So, for us, it was really important. We said that Mexico is the fourth sister because we really wanted to showcase Mexico and its people, how kind the people are, how even when they don't have anything, they will give it to you, you know, like there were a couple of instances where we did that, you know, of like they will give you their shoes, you know, they will offer you food, they will welcome you to their homes. And there's this kindness that our people have, and the beautiful pueblos mágico that we get to find. So that's another message of, you know, just how one country is not one thing only and there's a beautiful just colors to it. And we wanted to showcase that as well. That was part of also the message for us.
Marta Méndez Cross: They said it so beautifully. I'm just sitting here like a proud older sister. But you know, one thing that keeps coming up that we want people to get from this, and this is more personal and relating to me as my experience as a Latina woman, a Latin American. I'm half Latina and half Irish American. My dad was military and one of the things that keeps coming up at our screenings is Latinos who don't speak the language, and a lot of people feel afraid to get connected to their roots when they have grown up in the US. They feel Latinos feel ashamed to say, “I'm a proud Latino” if they don't speak Spanish and like, can't speak Spanish to their family members. And it's the same for universally, you know you're to embrace your roots. You feel like you have to be those roots, but it's in your blood.
 
And part of me, you know, in this journey, was getting embraced by my Virginia, and Valeria through the whole process. They're like you are… a Latina woman. And we've had a lot of people come up to us after screenings who said, “I hadn't seen myself that way in a movie,” when they show a Latin American or they show a Latino story, it's like, not the American Latino stories offer. And I just, I appreciate that. And one of the interviewers the other day said to us, he's like, “I want to talk to my grandmother. I want to pick up Spanish. I want to try it. I was embarrassed to try it, but I think I'm going to try it.” Because, you know, my character specifically speaks unapologetically, you know, throughout the film, which is part of the comedy, but, you know, it's a real thing. It's a real thing. I've shed real tears about not feeling like I could consider myself Latina because I didn't speak the language, or I didn't know my country as well. So, I hope that people get that, that they it's great to go visit their roots and to embrace themselves and all parts of themselves about that too.
 
John Betancourt: Now Cristo, you spoke to the power of the journey being an important message. But is there anything else you want to add?
 
Cristo Fernández: I mean, yeah, I think when it comes to our film is, as Marta is saying, embracing your roots, embracing, being proud of us as Latino and but also if you're not Latino, it's about embracing who you are and where you've come from, and that, yeah, we can all be different, but we're the same. And I love that message. I personally can tell you that my superpower, and what's given me opportunities is that I'm very Mexican, and I just unapologetically, I thank with a tequila and bring them mazapanes. And I just do that, and by doing that, I share my culture and, yeah, sometimes I know there's still so much to be done in terms of how us as Latinos have to be represented in the cinema, in the movies, and we need more Latinos and Latinas behind the scenes, cast, crew, but also the conversation sometimes tends to go into the I am a victim but we want people to feel empowered with our film. And again, you don't have to only be a Latino. You can be from any other culture but embrace your culture. Embrace who you are as a person, because that’s what makes you unique and special, and just my character, I love Kin, that he randomly ends up helping these three ladies, and what could have been just a random encounter ended up changing his life, because then when he sees them again, he’s helping them more, and then by doing that, he helps himself. So, I think another message is helping others helps you. And helping others is good.
 
John Betancourt: So, something I really want to dive into today… I'm Mexican American myself. As a journalist, I'm only covering one television show right now that is focused on Latinx individuals. So, this is a huge deal, because it's an important project. And I agree with -- I can't think of a project that shows Mexico like this in the slightest, but I want to know for each of you, what it means to you person and be putting forth a project that is so important from representation standpoint.
 
Virginia Novello: It's everything. that's the reason why we started doing this in the first place. You know that we’ve all had different experiences about representation, and all the experiences are valid. You know, like my experience was kind of different from maybe Valeria, or Marta, just because I wasn't getting cast as a Latina, just because I have blue eyes, and they just could not, they could not bear that a Latina had blue eyes, not part of the deal. So, and then I felt so like, oh, a shunned from the movies and the industry as a Latina, because it's like, you cannot play this who you are. You cannot play this of what your essence is. And I was so just very taken aback, you know, which that's why I started writing like, I started writing a short film like, way back when. And then it's so important that people see themselves represented in the screen, which is why we had the three sisters have three different experiences of what a Latina is. You know, they have three very different experiences with languages, even when you grow in the same family, you do, they have very different experiences of their connection to their country, their connection to their motherland, their connection to the country that they were born into, their connection to their grandmother, their connection to their mother, you know? And so, because that's what happens, right?
 
Just because you were born in one family doesn't mean that you all go into one path. And so, we get to represent three different experiences of what is Latina. You know, it's like for Lucia. She doesn't want to speak Spanish because she doesn't want to speak it until it's perfect. You know, she's a perfectionist, and she doesn't feel very Mexican herself. She's battling with like, am I? Am I not? Like she because of the environment that she has to be in, which is, she's a lawyer. She has been like very; I would say word… whitewashed. You know, she had to really assimilate into that world in order to become a very successful lawyer. You know, Maria is somebody that, like, really idolizes, like the idea the fantasize of Mexico, right? So, she has this movie fantasy of Mexico. It's like, she's like, “Viva Mexico!”, and she does all these things that are so extremely funny, but that is like a fantasized version of what Mexico is.
 
And then finally, when she steps into it, right? It's a whole other experience for her being a fish out of water, and for Sofia, she kind of did the opposite, where when she was 18, she moved back to Mexico, and so she really embraced her Mexican-ness, and she kind of shunned her American-ness side, because that involved her family. So she kind of like pushed away her family, and she was like, “No, I'm Mexican”, and I live here now, and you guys are gringas, and I speak Spanish more than many of you, and I know better than any of you about this country, you know, and so, and she feels more Mexican to herself, and she feels more comfortable in Mexico, and she there's a lot of like, battle of, also, of the cultures between them, of like, I'm Chicana, I'm Mexican, I'm this, I'm that. And so, we wanted to just point out that there's so many experiences that being Latino is not a monolith that, like it can cover all different types of skin color, eye color, experiences, languages and all that. And so that was so important to us, that we could get to people, get to watch it and be like, “Oh, I relate to this. Oh, I relate to that. I relate to that.” And it's just not one blanket statement.
 
Marta Méndez Cross: I mean, I started crying when you said you were Mexican American and that you're covering one show, and I cry easily. So sorry right now, because we're in celebration mode. We're finally bringing this, and people are talking about it, and we're talking to someone who's actually experienced this movie, but it's also that you review so many and you're a fan of movies. So, someone like you who's a fan of movies and is getting all the messages and says, how much you love this film. It's just like my wildest dreams; our wildest dreams are coming true. It's wild. But then you touch on very human element of what this film is, and you're like, “I'm Mexican American in this industry, and I'm covering one show even portrays in this way.” And “I've never seen Mexico,” which was intentional to make Mexico, you know, a character in the film. You know love story, a letter to Mexico. But I just… it's wild to me, like we really, we're hitting a nerve that's been there for a long time, but it's, its time, it's timely, because people are open to seeing, like, “Oh, this is how we're not being represented.”
 
Because the representation, that topic’s been talked about so much, but it's like, what? How? What do we do? Like, what does this mean? Like, how do we show representation? Other people are like, we are representing, you know, it's like, really and truly, just allowing the industry to buy films that are varied stories, that are all sorts of stories, because, you know, they're buying the same story over and over. It's not that Latinos aren't writing it. It's not that the stories aren't being written and trying t get made. It's that what's getting bought is the same story over and over. So, then we, as a, you know, with Espectro Mx Films, which is Christo’s production company, executive produced, and, you know, our executive producers in production, we had to work extremely hard to get to this point. Like we wouldn't give up, because we knew that no one else was going to do it. So, I forgot what the question was, though I was so stuck on the fact that you said you were a Mexican American, and I'm still there, in my feelings.
 
John Betancourt: No, you answered it perfectly, and it is a big deal to feature Latinos in popular culture, so please, get your feelings on.
 
Marta Méndez Cross: Thank you so much. No, really, and it's it, I know Susie Mendoza (writer of Dick Bunny) had introduced us, but I mean, the fact that you said yes, you know the fact that you said yes, because I know that you're so incredibly busy. But you saying yes is part of the solution. You as a reviewer, a movie reviewer, we had the same conversation with South by Southwest. Didn't show our film, but we asked the programmer, because I'm from Texas, and it was like something that I dreamed about. I went to UT and, you know, rode through the festival on my bike, like… one day I will show here. So, it was a big one for me to get a “no” from. And we asked the programmer, who was in charge of like, Latino content to have a meeting with us so we can understand why.
 
And he took it, and we told him in the meeting, we're like we looked at your program, and you don't have -- barely any Latinos on your program. The one Latino film is, you know, directed by, you know, white director, white production. You are supposed to be our -- you're a white Welsh man in charge of the Latino section of South by Southwest. But you are an ally. You have to say yes to more films, even if you feel like they don't, you know, whatever in your programming, you have to say yes, as long as it's a good enough film. You have to say yes. Because he said, “Well, we're just a film festival,” and we're like, no. Hollywood. The people buying our film is asking what festival you're playing at to decide if they buy it. I was like, you are part of the system. You are part of this whole thing where in representation, and that's where us on this journey have seen what the problem is with representation. It's that it takes people, it takes allies like you to do the coverage, to actually take the time to watch and to, you know, put it out there.
 
John Betancourt: It was a no-brainer for me, and a big enough deal that I was nervous about this interview, nervous about the review because I want to get it right. It’s that big of a deal. So, I thank you for the opportunity. I do think though, Valeria, you had something to say on this as well.
 
Valeria Maldonaldo: Yes, this is just also beautiful. So, I'm just over here, like, with my popcorn, being like, yeah, I love this cinema. I'm gonna try to keep it short. I just think, you know, I think that there's a reason why this is coming out now. It's, it's taken us nine years to get here, and the movie has kind of chosen itself. It has its own spirit, like what it's going to do, and it's coming out right now. And I think that, in itself is a miracle, because I think right now, specifically, we need to see our Latino community represented in a beautiful way, which is the truth. It's the truth. We're not, we're not lying. And I'm not saying that the other side, which has, you know, like violence and crime that also exists, because in any society, both exist, right? We have like, we'll have people that are criminals, and we'll have people that are, you know, creating a beautiful life for themselves.
 
And so, I think just giving, since our spotlight has been on the crime side, it's now time to put the spotlight on the other beautiful, authentic side of us. And I think now more than ever, we need to put that spotlight. And we are here in this movie, just representing a whole community of so many different countries and so many different variants, like Virginia was saying, the ones that are in states, the ones that are in like in their countries, ones that speak English, but I think, like today, that's what's important. And I had, for example, I was talking to someone that was sharing her story about being undocumented and she was not being able to get medical care. She got hit by a car, literally hit by a car, and couldn't get medical care because she was scared right now to, you know, do anything about it. And it might be, you know, like stupid, but at the end of our conversation afterwards, like, I showed her the trailer for the movie, and she got so excited. And like, I could, like, you know, she had like, tears in her eyes, and she was laughing, and in that moment, I was like, “Oh, this is why. Oh, this is why.” Because, you know, right now, we might not be able to go and change other big things, but we can show those people that we're seeing them, that we are them, and that the world can see them in a very beautiful light. So, I think the timing for me, specifically in my in my like, the way I feel it's perfect, it's perfect. It's what we need.
 
John Betancourt: It really is. Cristo, I’ll let you close us out today with your thoughts.
 
Cristo Fernández: I think we've covered everything. I think we've expressed it beautifully. I'm just grateful to be in this journey with Las Tres Sisters and all the beautiful, talented women in this project. I'm just a lucky dude surrounded by talented women and yeah, just to not repeat myself, I just want to anyone out there that is going to listen to our conversation, that when they come and ask, “What do I have to do to be an actor? What do I have to do to be a writer? What do I have to do to be a photographer? What does it take? It takes nine years to get your film out there, like we did with Las Tres Sisters. And I always say I met my biggest hero, Guillermo Del Toro, from Guadalajara, and he told me that Pinocchio took him 15 years. So, achieving your dreams, building your dreams, making your dreams come true, takes time, takes effort, takes people, takes time, takes patience, takes discipline.
 
Of course, if you want to be one in a million that walks down the street and suddenly you are everything, well, then aim for that. But that's just one in a million. But all of us who don't come from, who are not in the industry or what, when we started, it takes time. So just a reminder that to everyone out there that is going to go and watch, please our film 21st February, in cinemas, and it's important for us to support our film, because that's the only way they're going to be more indie films and more Latino representation, but also more stories that are different, that are not in the general and I just look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts. We are looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts when they go to the cinema and buy the popcorn, and sodas, and nachos, and watch the film in the big screen.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Eden Sher is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in a host of notable comedies throughout the years. Such as, The Middle, Superstore, and Lopez vs Lopez, and this week she dropped by Night Court as Madison. A strait-laced assistant that goes the extra mile for Dan and the team, and we had the honor of sitting down with Eden to discuss her time on the show.
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John Betancourt: I’d like to start by getting to know, what attracted you to the role of Madison.
 
Eden Sher: I mean, the truth is, my agents were like, “Do you want to do an episode of Night Court?” And I was like, “Yeah!” And then they sent me this script. I was like, let me read the script, though, to make sure. I was like, I knew it had a precedent. I knew it was going to be adorable. But then I was like, let me just make sure. And I read it, and I was like, “Yes, this is this is me.” I don't want to say I could do this in my sleep, because that makes it sound like I don't work very hard. But it was just to say that I well, I don't, who knows, maybe I don't work very hard. (Laughs) But I was like, “Yes, I love it. This is… I identify with this type of person.” I don't know. I just thought it was fun. I don't know, why did I want to do it? It was fun. It was fun.
 
John Betancourt: I want to talk a lot about the fun side of it today, because your role is very unique, and I appreciate that it's almost kind of in contrast to season three’s zaniness, because Madison's kind of that strait-laced, deadpan humor, in a world where, you know, Flobert is wearing wigs in the weirdest, weirdest of situations. And I'm kind of curious, um, if it was difficult to pull off that strait-laced vibe.
 
Eden Sher: Well, I don't know that I did pull it off John. But yes, it was, I was like, there were a lot of times I was like, “Oh, my God, I'm straight-manning right now. Like, I'm straight-manning John Laroquette, or anyone, or Flobert. Like, I am the least broad person in the room right now. And I've never experienced that in my life. And so. I was like, “Oh, God, I didn't really nail that joke.” And its sort of like, wait, actually, I didn't have really have a joke there. Like, I need to be there to, like, set up someone else's joke. And I was like, I was trying to get in contact with my like, if there is a deadpan side of me, there's like, not really, I tried to go as far as I could go. But it is. It was a totally, it was like, simultaneously, not a stretch. I love the like assistant, on it, yes, yes, yes part. But just kind of, I was like, I gotta get in touch with my dry side.
 
John Betancourt: Well, I think you nailed it. 110%
 
Eden Sher: Good. Great. They fix everything in editing. (Laughter)
 
John Betancourt: What’s also really intriguing about this season is, or the show in general. Is that, even though there's so much zany, sometimes there's a real grounding of realism with all these characters, even with the guest stars, Madison has a real, real depth, to her, and I'm curious how you found that depth.
 
Eden Sher: Um, you're treating me like I'm a real actor. (Laughter from Eden and John). Um, no, I think it is just, um, I didn't like, really try to find any sort of depth. It's more like with every single, every role I do, no matter how broad or dry or whatever. Just like, try to find like, not without sacrificing the comedy or the actual music of the jokes, just to like, at the end of the day, how would a human person react in this situation? And so even if the way, like my human person would react a little differently or if it's like, not a little different, if it's like, opposite and in like, complete contrast to what I'm physically doing. I can't remember there's any line in this, or any part where that happened.
 
I don't think there was, but it's almost, it almost becomes more interesting then to be like, “Okay, I'm gonna commit to this joke, this bit, or whatever, but I have to play it” -- it's like, if it's like, I'm going to be really, if the reaction is supposed to be, you know, angry, but really, I would be like, I would be devastated. The real human person would be really devastated. I think that's where a lot of the funny comes in, where it's like, “I'm going to say the words, I'm going to say them in the angry, but I know on the inside, I'm gonna be really sad,” and that's where, sort of, like, the depth is, where the comedy comes in. So how do I find the depth? I don't know. I just go to, like, how would I be a person? And sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not. (Laughter)
 
John Betancourt. Obviously, you’re no stranger to multi-cam and comedy, and I'm just curious. I've heard time and time again that the energy of the audience is a huge deal in kind of influencing your performance and making it work. What does it do for you when you get out there on stage and that audience is there?
 
Eden Sher: I mean, it really, I think what it really does is help you find jokes that you maybe didn't know were there before. Because even though, you know multi camera is a little different than performing well, different than performing live, where you truly don't know where they're going to laugh. I mean, because I perform live, and it's like I have jokes written and I know that sometimes they will laugh, I have places where there’s tried and true laughter, but like each audience is a little bit different, and you never know if they're going to find something that you didn't have before. And so, like, it's a little bit more contrived with multi cam. I think I can say that, because they're sort of guided. They're really guided when to laugh. But it is still a live audience.
 
So, if they pick up on something, and you have writers, you have a team of writers at like, crowded around this one, you know, this one monitor. And so like, if they do, if the audience picked up on some things that maybe the writers and the actors did not pick up on, they immediately, they come in, and I had a line like that where they changed it, where they're like, “Wait a second, actually, pause” and that got a laugh. “Pause after the first part. And then we're gonna add on to it.” And they'll just like, (Eden makes a rapid typing motion) and they’re like, re-memorize. Like, here's another joke to add on. So, like the live audience. It does. It does. It's, like, I don’t want to say this, it’s going to sound really egotistical, but like, “They're a third, they're another character.” But, like, they kind of are in the like, form of the script. They are their own character.
 
John Betancourt: Now, this is Night Court. It's one of the biggest franchises to ever be around in sitcoms and comedy in general. I'm just curious what it means to you personally now to be a part of the lexicon of this franchise.
 
Eden Sher: Honestly, I don't think I realized how big of a deal it was until my mom. Like my until my mom started freaking out, and then when I saw her on set, because I brought her, it's like, “You have to come and you have to meet John, like, you gotta come on. And so like, seeing her this, like 65-year-old, staunch like, she does not have a sense of, like whimsy or like wonder about her. Seeing her have this sense of the complete wonder, like, just like astonishment. On set. I was like, “Oh, this is kind of a big deal.” This is, like, very cool. I'm like, “Yeah, I'm part of the canon. I'm in the canon now. I'm in the Night Court. MC -- I'm in the Night Court CU.”
 
John Betancourt: The Night Court CU. We need that. And actually, now I have to ask a follow-up if it's okay. What was that like, seeing your mom meet John Larroquette?
 
Eden Sher: Oh, it was, honestly, it was hilarious. It was amazing, because she never doesn't have something to say. Like, that woman can just like talk and talk and talk. And she met him, and she was silent. She was like, “nice to meet you.” And I was like, “Mom,” and also John. I think, I think John likes me. Because I was like, “Listen, Mom, he might not want to, he might not like, he might need to go home. He might just need to go home.” And he was so sweet. He was like, “Where's your mom? Where's your mom?” He loved them. He knows how to deal with moms. And he was like, “Let me, let me meet your mom.” And he was so wonderful. But he was really trying to get some conversation out of her. She just couldn't, couldn't fathom, it was amazing, amazing.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.