Riverdale‘s Camila Mendes teams up with Stranger Things‘ Maya Hawke to get revenge in Netflix’s Do Revenge which just released an official trailer, photos, and poster. The two-minute trailer shows Mendes and Hawke hatching a plan to take down their enemies that appears not to go as smoothly as they hoped it would.
The cast includes Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, Talia Ryder, Ava Capri, Jonathan Daviss, and Maia Reficco. Paris Berelc, Alisha Boe, and Sophie Turner also star.
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (the creator of Sweet/Vicious) directs and co-wrote the screenplay with Celeste Ballard. Kaytin Robinson also produces with Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron. Este Haim and Amanda Yamate handled the music, and Josh Bachove executive produced.
“Drea (Camila Mendes) is at the peak of her high school powers as the Alpha it-girl on campus when her entire life goes up in flames after her sex tape gets leaked to the whole school, seemingly by her boyfriend and king of the school, Max (Austin Abrams). Eleanor (Maya Hawke) is an awkward new transfer student who is angered to find out that she now has to go to school with her old bully, Carissa (Ava Capri) who started a nasty rumor about her in summer camp when they were 13. After a clandestine run-in at tennis camp, Drea and Eleanor form an unlikely and secret friendship to get revenge on each other’s tormentors.
Do Revenge, the sophomore film from director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is a subverted Hitchcock-ian dark comedy featuring the scariest protagonists of all: teenage girls.”
Justin Roiland, Mike McMahan, Josh Bycel and Danielle Uhlarik at the Comic-Con panel for Hulu’s ‘Solar Opposites’ (Photo by Frank Micelotta / PictureGroup for 20th Television)
What’s in store for season four of Hulu’s Solar Opposites? The new season, which won’t arrive until 2023, will pick up with Korvo (voiced by series co-creator Justin Roiland) and Terry (voiced by Thomas Middleditch) forced to work an office job just to give the teenage angsty Pupa some structure in his life.
During a roundtable interview at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, series co-creator/executive producer Mike McMahan and executive producers Josh Bycel and Danielle Uhlarik delved into what fans of the critically acclaimed animated series can expect when Korvo and Terry attempt to work a normal job. They also discussed the Halloween Special, The Wall storyline, Hululand, and getting to dip their toes in all sorts of different genres within the animated series.
In a separate roundtable interview, co-creator Justin Roiland provided some insight into the much anticipated “A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special” and why Korvo is terrified of that particular holiday.
Mike McMahan, Josh Bycel, and Danielle Uhlarik Interview
How would you describe the office environment in season four?
Josh Bycel: “I mean, for us as comedy writers we like to do things we never get to do. And usually, you’re given notes that are like, ‘Stay in your lane. Do what the show’s about,’ and on Solar Opposites we’re slipping dramas in there, we’re changing the tone of the show all the time. Because the leads are these aliens, we kind of let their naivete get to dictate what we’re going to do at any one season.
So, going into season four, we end season three by…it was kind of inspired by the last episode of the FX show The Shield where it was like be careful what you wish for. You’re safe but you’re stuck in this office environment. And so, at the beginning of season four, we’ve switched the genre of the format of the show from being a family comedy to being an office comedy. But our aliens are really bad at office stuff.”
Mike McMahan: “And of course being Solar Opposites, they work in the dumbest office ever.”
Josh Bycel: “It should feel like the worst episode of The Office in a funny way, basically.”
What will be happening with The Wall people?
Danielle Uhlarik: “So we’ve transitioned from a horror/monster sort of thing that we did in season three to a Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy kind of theme – very Cold War.”
Mike McMahan: “We end the last season on the rise of this theocracy…”
Danielle Uhlarik: “…with Sister Sisto, basically what religion has done inside The Wall. And then the thing that also got us really excited was we continue on with the SilverCops story in a really fun and surprising way. It’s got legs the same way The Wall did so we’re doing even more kind of drama spinoffs from that.”
Josh Bycel: “We’re doing as many spinoffs as we can. As Mike likes to say, it’s almost like we’re greenlighting our own mini-shows. We have our own Solar Opposites network.”
Mike McMahan: “Nobody would ever let us write a Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. We’re comedy writers; we’re idiots. Luckily if it’s little people who eat jellybeans and they’re doing it, it’s awesome. It’s just a dream to get to write that stuff. Plus, with 11 episodes we have more time to do alien stuff and extra weird drama stuff, so it’s never like the show isn’t what it was in the first place. It just keeps growing.”
Josh Bycel: “Once we got to 11 episodes, we were able to do one of my favorite episodes of season three, ‘99 Ships,’ which is where we get to see – we sort of extrapolate from the opening credits and we learn all this stuff about Schlorpians. That was when we got the extra episodes. Mike sort of had that in his back pocket for a while. So that’s what great about doing more episodes.”
A scene from ‘Solar Opposites’ Hululand episode (Courtesy of Hulu)
You have a lot of creative freedom.
Danielle Uhlarik: “There are so many times in the room where we’re like, ‘We can’t possibly do that,’ and then we’re like, ‘So let’s figure out how to do it!’ One season we were trying to figure out the best, craziest fight scene we could. We kept trying to top it and then someone just adds, ‘What if we put a post-it and say Hulu didn’t give us enough budget.’ We laughed and then we’re like, ‘Let’s f**king do that!’”
Josh Bycel: “And then we have an episode where we go to Hululand. Hulu has been amazing, and we make fun of them all time and they’re the best partners.”
Mike McMahan: “Hululand – I’m glad you brought up because thematically there’s this weird thing where our sense of humor is things feel like we were made to do it, but nobody asked us to do it. Hulu never asked us to bring them up all the time. We just loved when The Simpsons made fun of Fox.”
Josh Bycel: “So, we were like, ‘We’re going to be the only people ever to mention Hulu in a show.’ We have all these products we mention in the show. They’re not paying us to be mentioned in the show. We’re doing it because it’s funny to us that a show so vulgar would then reference KFC where some KFC executive would have a biscuit drop out of their mouth if they saw that episode.
We’re dying to sell out, but no one will let us!”
After three seasons, how do you describe the series?
Mike McMahan: “This show is TV nerds loving what they do, getting to do things with no rules that we’ve never gotten to do before. That’s why you can never predict what’s going to happen in the show.”
What can you tease about the Halloween Special?
Josh Bycel: “We bring back an amazing sort of classic Halloween-ey scary movie character that no one’s talked about in forever.”
Danielle Uhlarik: “And nobody cares about.”
Josh Bycel: “We actually got the same person to do the voice so it’s going to be so much fun. We already have one for next year that’s going to be so much fun. We love doing specials.”
Justin Roiland: (in a separate interview): “Korvo is absolutely f**king terrified of anything to do with Halloween. Like, candy corn, even if you get some cotton and start stretching it and it starts to look like a spiderweb, he’s [terrified]. So, that’s sort of what it’s about but then it just goes to all these insane places ultimately.
I don’t know what all to say…and then I could also say ‘crypt keeper,’ but you could make of that what you will. (Laughing) I don’t know – that might actually be a spoiler. But it’s really, really, really fun. We also kind of love the formula of 11 normal episodes and then a special. We’re kind of clicking into that as the Solar rhythm for each year.”
Will we learn why Korvo hates Halloween?
Justin Roiland: “Yes, essentially. Well…yeah, yeah, kind of. I mean, listen, whenever we do an episode where we’re not going to learn backstory, we at least have some funny hand-wavy thing that satiates that for the audience. Like, the why of it all. We have a good team and we’re really cognizant of that stuff. We all have good taste in comedy and the stuff that we like to watch. I feel like we all have a good bead on when something’s really good and when something’s not.”
The PodSquad race to save Liz (Jeanine Mason) after Shivani forced her to inhale the performance-enhancing alien solution on The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico season four episode nine. They’ve got Kyle on the phone and are doing their best to follow his instructions as Liz remains unconscious.
Kyle suggests a specific drug that could reverse the effects but it’s all just guesswork at this point. The injection doesn’t do the job and it’s decided they’ll tackle this like an alien problem, meaning Isobel (Lily Cowles) and Max (Nathan Dean) will jump into Liz’s mind to see what’s going on.
Once inside they discover Liz has cowboy bodyguards who drag Max away and shoot Isobel. (Liz’s mindscape is taking place in what looks like an old Western film.) Isobel is jerked out of the mindscape, and they’re shocked to see Max hasn’t come to. The gang figure out that now both Liz and Max are trapped inside her mind.
Liz stumbles around inside her own mind and is surprised to discover she’s in the middle of a 10-year anniversary celebration. It seems this version of Liz has been a sheriff for 10 years! She jokes that she’s the sheriff of her own mind and learns Max is out on his book tour for his third novel.
Liz attempts to wake up but can’t and confirms to herself that she’s in a mindscape.
News arrives that Max has been kidnapped and Isobel Evans has been murdered. Plus, in this mindscape, Liz learns her dad, Arturo, is a retired deputy who volunteers to help in the investigation. Rosa (Amber Midthunder) arrives and says she questioned the bartender. Isobel, who is a gunslinger, never got off a shot before being killed.
Liz puts together the pieces and knows she’s trapped in her own mindscape after inhaling the alien cure. This must mean she has something she needs to figure out.
They spot smoke and Rosa and Liz race to Liz’s place. The words “surrender sheriff or the real Max dies” are on fire in her front yard. Liz realizes this means Max came in after her and that she must be dying in the real world. If she dies before waking up, then Max dies too.
Isobel can’t get back inside Liz’s mind and Michael’s learned Shivani’s intelligence has increased to the point that she’s writing formulas on subjects she never studied. All this leads to Isobel, Maria, and Michael reaching the same conclusion as Liz – if she dies, Max dies.
Rosa slipped away and fetched Heath (Steven Krueger), who has apparently temporarily returned to Roswell. Heath’s not only a scientist but is back in med school, so he’s their best hope of helping Liz at this point. He administers steroids, believing it’s possible the mist is causing her body to attack itself. It sort of works but Heath needs to leave to concoct a different formula.
Because Liz is in the alien equivalent of a coma, it’s decided talking to her – like you would a coma patient – might help.
Maria (Heather Hemmens) sings and in her mindscape, Liz and Maria arrive at the bar where Maria is singing that same song. Rosa reminds her sister she’s raided this place multiple times and it’s usually filled with outlaws. If so, Liz thinks one of them might know who took Max.
Liz recognizes the song and knows Maria only sings it when something’s wrong. Liz and Rosa head upstairs to the poker room where Michael (Michael Vlamis) and his sidekick Sanders (Nicholas Ballas) are holding court. Heath’s the bartender and he gives Liz a drink she describes as tasting like medicine. She deduces that in reality, she’s overdosing.
The bad guy Liz is looking for is, of course, Clyde. She demands he tell her where Max is, and he suggests a bet. If she wins, he’ll reveal what’s up with Max. If he wins, he gets the engagement ring in her pocket. She’s stunned he knew it was there and Clyde says, “A little birdie told me. Said that’s what it’s all about for you.”
She doesn’t understand but has Michael play for her anyway. Clyde goes all in and Michael wins. But Clyde was bluffing and says Max isn’t his to give.
Rosa races off to get Kyle as Liz chases after a fleeing Clyde. Rosa returns with a horse and Liz is confused. Where’s Kyle? Kyle is the horse, of course.
Liz gives chase through the desert and past the drive-in theater’s marquee that announces Cowboys and Aliens (the 2011 film starring Daniel Craig) is screening. Liz draws her gun and Clyde explains Max will be okay if she makes the right choice. Liz’s evil doppelganger – who shall be referred to as Outlaw Liz for the remainder of this recap – rides up to explain the right choice is surrendering.
Liz is knocked off her horse and Outlaw Liz and Clyde ride off.
Back in the real world, Heath continues to try and figure out how to help Liz. Heath has just learned Dallas is missing and Rosa apologizes for not telling him over the phone. Heath thought it was okay to go to med school because Dallas now has the PodSquad watching his back, and he’s pissed at himself that Dallas has gone missing.
Michael arrives with coffee just as Heath and Rosa are hugging. Michael stalks off after tossing out that he can tell they’re busy, and Rosa follows him outside. Michael thinks Heath and Rosa are a couple and that she came with him to Roswell. R Rosa explains that actually they’re not dating, and he came to town yesterday after she called him.
Rosa confesses she’s been turning to Heath for months to help her figure out who she is. She didn’t want to admit to Liz, or anyone else, that she was feeling lost. Rosa blames herself for what’s going on now and feels helpless. Michael admits he feels exactly the same way.
Michael thinks he should cannonball into the sinkhole after Alex, but Rosa reminds him of his history of making rash decisions. She suggests instead that he step up and help Heath in the lab. Michael suddenly has an idea – reengineer Max’s blood to bolster the steroids.
Back in the mindscape, Liz turns to the old sheriff for help. And it turns out the old sheriff is…wait for it…Allie Meyers (Shiri Appleby, the original Liz on Roswell). Liz asks why there are two of her and Allie replies, “You really need to conjure me to tell you that in most big choices in life are of two minds?”
Liz admits that before this she was thinking about the alien cure and how it’s dangerous but could also accomplish so much. The other part of Liz created this scenario so that Liz could weigh her options and determine which path to take.
In order to escape, Liz needs to follow the path and find out what it is that she doesn’t want to confront.
Outlaw Liz returns to where Max has been left tied up, and he tells her she needs to wake up. She refuses, and Max realizes this isn’t his Liz. Outlaw Liz has been using Max as a pawn and now that Liz wants to meet, Outlaw Liz is hoping that means Liz has agreed to surrender.
Outlaw Liz and Liz meet, and Liz wants to parlay. Outlaw Liz doesn’t and both Liz and Rosa get the drop on her. Liz wants to take out her dark self and wake up, saving Max in the process. But Outlaw Liz explains that without her, Liz will always be just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Liz shoots but Outlaw Liz stops the bullet and deflects it. She sends Liz flying against the wall and promises a real High Noon showdown as she grabs Rosa and flees.
Isobel pleads with Max to wake up as Maria confirms Heath and Michael are busy mixing up an elixir. Isobel blames herself for getting Max into this situation and takes the blame for Kyle being out of town. Maria realizes Isobel slept with Kyle, and Isobel admits it was kind of “spectacular.” However, Isobel thinks she destroys everything she touches and warned Kyle away.
“Stop trying to convince yourself that you’re less than what you are, Isobel. You are a warrior,” says Maria.
Outlaw Liz and Max argue over Liz, and Max is certain Liz is stronger. Plus, he also knows even the Outlaw Liz loves him deep down. Outlaw Liz calls Max their biggest obstacle to greatness and claims he’s locked them into a life of mediocrity.
Michael arrives with info on Max’s location. He followed a trail to an old ghost town and thinks that might be where Outlaw Liz took Max. He volunteers to help her search and Liz realizes she’s been missing her squad.
She assembles the mindscape version of her normal gang – Arturo, Michael, Heath, Maria, and Sanders – and claims the ring in her pocket that Clyde wants actually represents her family. When she doesn’t lean on them, things go wrong. She’ll need her team to help her out of this situation.
They head outside and prepare for a shootout. Clyde meets Liz, backed by her gang, in the middle of town and although Sanders initially disarms Clyde, the alien uses his powers to retrieve his gun and take him out. Michael reacts by gunning down Clyde, proud of himself for taking out the threat.
Unfortunately, Clyde appears – alive – behind them and kills Heath and Michael before anyone can react. Maria gets the jump on Clyde, but Liz realizes he’ll be back. She hears her dad scream in anguish and finds him bent over Rosa’s dead body.
Liz shoots the next Clyde that appears and then Arturo kills the next one. Outlaw Liz grabs Maria and threatens to cut her throat as Liz screams for her dad to run. It’s too late and both Arturo and Maria are killed.
In reality, Liz is convulsing and Max’s heart is racing. Michael uses his powers to hold Liz still while Heath administers what he hopes is the antidote. As he presses the syringe, Heath says, “Hang tight, Liz. I’m sending in backup.”
In the mindscape, backup arrives in the form of Allie who shoots Outlaw Liz, grabs Liz, and pulls her into a lab. She orders Liz to think about what this all really means, and Liz goes through all the clues. Max…marriage…family…the other shoe… Liz figures it out and is ready to face herself in a final showdown.
Allie takes out Clyde by blowing up the lab.
Liz locates Max who is still tied up and under Outlaw Liz’s control. He explains Outlaw Liz has a weakness: she still believes in them, just like he does.
Outlaw Liz demands Liz explain the “other shoe.” Liz confesses she’s the other shoe; she’s afraid of herself. She’s afraid of failure and that she won’t be able to save her friends or Max next time. She turned down Max’s proposal because she was afraid of building a perfect life and then having it torn away.
Outlaw Liz suggests she surrender to the drug, but Liz says that will ultimately make them weak and destroy their mind and body. Liz has to make a decision about what to do with the one bullet left. She decides to rid herself of her other self.
Liz is healed but she doesn’t remember anything. Heath thinks her body stopped fighting itself, but she credits his steroid-alien concoction. Liz promises to find Dallas and Rosa joins them to reveal she and Heath have become friends in New York. He’s helping her control her powers, and she demonstrates how she can bend sound waves to basically cancel noise.
Michael and Maria drink beer by a fire, and he praises her for being the only one who didn’t fall apart today.
Max and Isobel also have a private chat and Max describes the final moments in the mindscape. Liz joins them and wishes she could remember what happened. Isobel leaves to check on Tezca and Max thinks it’s time for Liz to relax with wine and the cowboy of her dreams.
The final scene is a brief flashback that shows Liz firing into the air and allowing Outlaw Liz to take control.
Joe Keery as Gator Tillman in ‘Fargo’ season 5 (Photo CR: Michelle Faye/FX)
The cast of FX’s Fargo season five has expanded to include Stranger Things‘ Joe Keery, Woke‘s Lamorne Morris, and Never Have I Ever‘s Richa Moorjani. The just confirmed new season five cast members join Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, and Jennifer Jason Leigh who were previously announced to star.
FX’s casting announcement included a brief description of the upcoming, much-anticipated fifth season as well as who Keery, Morris, and Moorjani will be playing.
Per FX: “Fargo has traveled through decades, cities and families, and the fifth installment will be no different: Set in 2019, when is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours?”
Joe Keery will play Gator Tillman, Lamorne Morris will play Witt Farr, and Richa Moorjani is starring as Indira Olmstead.
Fargo is inspired by the award-winning film of the same name from Joel and Ethan Coen. Noah Hawley created the Emmy Award-winning series and serves as writer, director, and executive producer. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Kim Todd, Vincent Landay, Toluca Pictures’ Steve Star, and The Littlefield Company’s Warren Littlefield also executive produce.
The critically acclaimed series is produced by MGM Television and FX Productions.
Season one starring Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman, and Keith Carradine premiered in April 2014. Season two debuted in October 2015 with Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, and Jean Smart in starring roles. Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Thewlis, and Michael Stuhlbarg led the cast of season three which debuted in April 2017.
The most recent season arrived in September 2020 with Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, and Ben Whishaw heading up the cast.
(Updated with first photo of Joe Keery in Fargo season five.)
Kaley Cuoco as Ava and Chris Messina as Nathan in ‘Based on a True Story’ (Photo by: PEACOCK)
Based on a True Story piqued my interest with its short but exceedingly bizarre plot description. Adding The Flight Attendant‘s Kaley Cuoco to star is just the cherry on top of this darkly comedic thriller coming to Peacock.
According to Peacock, Based on a True Story is, in fact, inspired by a true event. The series follows “a realtor, a plumber, and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.”
There’s so much to explore in that synopsis but the “slow close toilet seat” stands out, doesn’t it?
The casting announcement didn’t provide any details on who the two-time Emmy Award-nominated Cuoco will be playing, only teasing that her name is Ava Bartlett and she’s married. Everything else about the character is being kept under wraps.
Emmy Award nominee Craig Rosenberg (The Boys) is guiding the series as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Aggregate Films’ Jason Bateman (Ozark, The Outsider) and Michael Costigan are on board as executive producers. The series is produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Cuoco earned two Emmy Award nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for The Flight Attendant. She also earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series as an executive producer. Additional credits include The Big Bang Theory, Harley Quinn (the animated series), and The Man from Toronto. Cuoco is currently working on the action-thriller Role Play with Connie Nielsen and recently wrapped up Meet Cute with Pete Davidson.
Season two of Roku Channel’s Murder House Flip, a home improvement series focusing on renovating homes where atrocious crimes have been committed, is set to premiere on Friday, August 12, 2022. The new trailer for the second season spotlights the homes that will be transformed this season including the house of Travis Alexander who was brutally murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias.
The goal of renovating these infamous locations is to change the space so it feels completely different from the house’s current occupants. The six-episode second season will feature:
Jodi Arias House
Golden State Killer House
Michael Jace House
Alfalfa House
Laura Purviance House
Pasadena Massacre House
Murder House Flip stars design expert Mikel Welch and builder Sarah Listi. Tom Forman, Jenny Daly, Jon Beyer, Brenton Metzler, Josh Berman, Chris King, and Katherine Ramsland serve as executive producers. The half-hour series is produced by Sony Pictures Television, Osprey Productions, and Critical Content.
Roku Channel describes the series as “a home renovation show with an unconventional twist: each episode takes on a house where some of the country’s most infamous murders were committed. Design expert Mikel Welch and builder Sarah Listi remove the stains of the past and take these homes from morbid to marvelous.”
Poster for season 2 of Roku Channel’s ‘Murder House Flip’
James McArdle as Gal Dove and Sarah Greene as Dee Dee Harrison in ‘Sexy Beast’ (Photo Credit: Sanne Gault/Paramount+)
Paramount+’s series prequel to the 2000 Oscar-nominated crime drama Sexy Beast has set its cast as filming gets underway in Liverpool. The prequel, also titled Sexy Beast, will star James McArdle (Mare of Easttown) as a younger version of Gal Dove, the character played by Ray Winstone in the critically acclaimed feature film.
The just announced cast also includes Emun Elliot (The Rig), Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Sarah Greene (Dublin Murders), and Tamsin Greig (Episodes).
“I feel so fortunate to be able to explore these beautifully crafted characters a decade before we met them in the original story,” said writer, showrunner, and executive producer Michael Caleo (The Sopranos). “This series has been a great passion of mine for many years and I cannot wait to see it come to life with this amazing cast.”
Additional season one casting includes Eliza Bennett (Dynasty), Clea Martin (Hanna), Nicholas Nunn (The Victim), John Dagleish (The Third Day), Robbie Gee (Motherland), and Paul Kaye (The Stranger). Lex Shrapnel (Infiniti), Cally Lawrence (Who Is Alice), David Kennedy (Hollyoaks), Nitin Ganatra (EastEnders), and Alice Bailey Johnson (This Is Going to Hurt) are also on board the drama.
Executive producer Daniel O’Hara (Brassic) directs the first episodes. James Levison is a producer, with Nicole Clemens and Chapter One Pictures’ Sophie Gardiner and Rupert Ryle-Hodges executive producing. The original film’s writers David Scinto and Louis Mellis are also involved as executive producers.
The series is a Chapter One Pictures, Anonymous Content, and VIS production.
Paramount+ offered this description of the characters and plot:
“The prequel series will explore Gal and Don’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s while falling in love with DeeDee.
James McArdle leads the cast as Gal Dove and Emun Elliott stars as Don Logan – the duo are best friends and small-town thieves, living the good life in ‘90s East London. Sarah Greene is Deedee, a captivating adult film star who has the potential to turn Gal’s whole life upside down. Stephen Moyer is Teddy Bass, a rising name in the gangster world, who Gal and Don are offered the chance to work with on a high-profile heist. Tamsin Greig is Don’s stern and formidable older sister, Cecilia.”
The creative minds behind Hulu’s upcoming animated series Koala Man conducted their first San Diego Comic-Con panel at the July 2022 event, even though the show won’t arrive until 2023. Creator Michael Cusack (who also voices the titular character) and co-showrunners Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit took part in a panel and then sat down for roundtable interviews to dive into the superhero series about an every day man who goes about attempting to make a difference in his community, albeit in a very usual way.
Hulu offers this description of Koala Man: “An animated family comedy where the patriarch lives a not-so-secret identity of Koala Man, an Australian suburban superhero with no powers but a burning passion to snuff out petty crime and bring order to the community.”
Cusack, Hernandez, and Samit discussed the show’s premise, snagging Hugh Jackman in a key role, and the recently announced casting of Succession‘s Sarah Snook and Australian comedienne Demi Lardner in season one. The interview’s embedded above in audio form for those who’d rather hear it than read the transcript.
Michael Cusack, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit Interview:
Where did the idea of Koala Man come from?
Michael Cusack: “So, I’ve been animating for a while, since my early 20s…I just learned by myself. I love doing little shorts about where I grew up and they seem to do well on the internet. And I got into superheroes late – when I was like 25 or something. I was like, ‘What would an Australian superhero be like?’ I thought they’d definitely have no superpowers. They wouldn’t be cool or interesting; they’d be kind of schlubby and be in a town that’s not cool – not a cool Gotham.
A superhero in a small suburban town seemed funny to me. What I realized is – and it’s a thing in America, too – people are very… Boomers, people like my dad and his friends, were always so particular about people littering on the street and the trash bins going out at a certain time, and all that kind of stuff. So, this superhero cares about that kind of stuff. Like, making sure the lawns are mowed properly. The stuff that the council wants done is done properly. That was just funny to me, and then it seemed naturally to work into an animated sitcom.”
Benji Samit: “Those little things are the things that caused him to become a superhero. But then of course being a big, fun show, things spiral out of control. We’ve got monsters and aliens and anything else that we can think about.
The stories often just start with he’s really just focused on – the mundane little thing.”
Dan Hernandez: “It always seems to spiral out of that one little thing that he is hyper-focused on and all of a sudden, he’s fighting a monster or a demon or something insane. That seems to be the formula that works for the show and so we really leaned into that combination of the very elevated and the very low stakes, banal, suburban life.”
Is he someone we’ll connect with? He’s not like a Karen, is he?
Michael Cusack: “He’s not a Karen, no. On the surface level, he is annoying but he’s so passionate in what he believes in that you can’t fault him for it. He just wants to live in a clean, nice town – a clean, nice suburb. You can’t really fault him but he’s a bit arrogant about it – a bit stubborn.”
Benji Samit: “And it all comes from a place of love. He loves his family, he loves his town, and he just wants the best for it. He doesn’t understand why everybody doesn’t love the town the way he does.”
Michael Cusack: “It’s almost like he’s like, ‘Look, if nobody else is going to do something about this, I am. I am going to be the savior of the town.’”
Benji Samit: “And he’s often not rewarded for that dedication.”
Dan Hernandez: “Heroes never are.”
Benji Samit: “And you learn more about him as the series goes along because it is serialized. It is a real superhero story that is getting told, although with all this funny, crazy stuff. I think that by the end of the season, I hope that people are almost surprised by how moved they are by his story and by the emotions that you’re feeling by the end.”
Will he always be a lone wolf?
Michael Cusack: “No, he does have allies who are just the people at the local bar. He’s got his best mates there who support him and even make gadgets for him too. He’s definitely got his supporters.”
Benji Samit: “He’s got a handful of friends who also believe in the cause.”
Dan Hernandez: “But at the same time, his family is often incredibly frustrated by his sort of commitment to this…until they need him. Every now and then it’s like, ‘Well, you know who would actually help me solve the problem we’re having is Koala Man. I hate to say it.’ So now he’s getting drawn in on some of these other stories that the family is having trouble dealing with.
There are also episodes where he’ll team up with his wife or he’ll team up with his daughter to go accomplish something. And it’s both the dynamic of the superhero persona but also their annoying dad. So, it’s always something that we come back to over and over because we try and find the truth in the family relationships as much as possible – the universal experiences of having annoying dads and moms who maybe feel stuck in their lives a little bit. Things like that. There’s always a true emotion underlying the events of the stories and where the stories start and where they end.”
Michael Cusack at the 2022 Comic-Con panel for Hulu’s ‘Koala Man” (Photo by Frank Micelotta / PictureGroup for 20th Television)
Is the family aware of his dual life?
Michael Cusack: “Yes. It took us a while to choose whether they should be. They do know and they’re embarrassed about it. It’s almost like he’s going through a midlife crisis and they’re just accepting it.”
Dan Hernandez: “Although, his son loves it.”
Benji Samit: “His son loves it; his daughter is like, ‘If any of my friends at school find out that you’re Koala Man I don’t know what I’m going to do.’”
Dan Hernandez: “So, there’s different levels to their relationship to Koala Man. Discovering the family should know his identity really unlocked a lot for us because it made the home life so much richer of his wife who still expects him to fix the broken table and do household chores but also trying to be accepting of, ‘Okay, Kevin’s going through something right now and it happens to be a koala phase.’”
How did you land Hugh Jackman as one of the voices?
Michael Cusack: “We don’t know. It was insanely easy. Like, way easier than we thought. We shot for the stars and wanted to get him. We wrote a character specifically for him, hoping we’d get him. And to our luck, he was interested in the show because I guess his kids thought it was funny. So, thank you Hugh Jackman’s kids!
I guess because it was an Australian show for American TV, I think it really piqued his interest, too. He knew about Dapto, the small town it’s set in. He’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, I know about Dapto! You’re making a show about Dapto?’”
Benji Samit: “It was honestly the easiest yes we got of our entire cast.”
Michael Cusack: “Super nice guy.”
Dan Hernandez: “He couldn’t have been nicer and more supportive of the show.”
Benji Samit: “His performance is so hilarious.”
Michael Cusack: “He killed it.”
Who is he playing?
Michael Cusack: “He’s like the stereotypical Australian man’s man. He’s everything Koala Man wishes he could be. He’s six inches taller than him. He’s buffer. He’s cooler. Everyone in the whole town loves him.”
Benji Samit: “His name is Big Greg. Big Greg used to host Australia’s third most popular fishing show – ‘Fishing Big with Big Greg.’ And now he’s the mayor of the town.
In Koala Man’s heart he’s jealous and envious of how other people see Big Greg but he can’t quite admit that to himself. They have this tension throughout the series of, really, if Big Greg said something nice to Koala Man it would be very meaningful for him, but he can never admit that. And so, they have this sort of rivalry or frenemy relationship.”
Michael Cusack: “Big Greg isn’t a bad guy. Koala Man just sees him as one because he’s so jealous of him.”
Benji Samit: “But he’s just the greatest guy in town who everybody loves.”
Michael Cusack: “And Hugh Jackman, obviously, plays that perfectly.”
Are you going to give him a musical number?
Dan Hernandez: “Oh yes, definitely.”
Benji Samit: “We weren’t going to cast Hugh Jackman and not give [him one]. We did find an occasion for Big Greg to sing, and hopefully, people will be seeing that soon. It was a very exciting day in the recording room.”
Dan Hernandez: “It was pretty awesome.”
Michael Cusack: “And he was going to do his musical after it. It was so insane. He’s doing that and then going to do Music Man.”
Benji Samit: “He was extremely, extremely generous with his time and his support of the show. And he gave it his all. We wrote him some crazy lines to say that were almost to the point where you’re like, ‘Okay, this is the line where Hugh’s going to be like I made a mistake.’ He was totally game, and he and Michael just had a connection right away. It was really a dream experience with him.”
Can you talk about your other recently announced cast?
Benji Samit: “There’s a really brilliant Australian comedienne named Demi Lardner who is Koala Man’s daughter, Alison. She’s absolutely astoundingly funny. One of the funniest performances I’ve ever heard of in an animated show. And Koala Man’s wife is played by Sarah Snook of Succession – Shiv Roy. She is absolutely unbelievably funny. Not everyone knows that she’s Australian, I think. And I think she similarly was excited to do an Australian show.
She’s Emmy nominated. She’s doing pretty good; she’s doing pretty well. But she really loved the show and [Michael] and Sarah connected. Again, someone that just wanted to be a part of it and was a pretty easy yes. In spite of the fact that she’s on top of the world right now, she just loved the show.”
Dan Hernandez: “The cast is a bit of a who’s who of Australian actors.”
Jamie Parker, Oliver Zetterström, Romola Garai, and Alicia von Rittberg in ‘Becoming Elizabeth’ episode 8 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz’s Becoming Elizabeth season one draws to a close with episode eight, “To Death We Must Stoop.” The season finale finds King Edward VI battling an illness and those around him maneuvering for positions of power in case the young Edward dies before naming an heir.
Episode eight opens two months after King Edward (Oliver Zetterström) displayed the first symptoms of an illness. Edward’s recuperating in bed as the episode begins, with doctors and attendees declaring he’ll be well soon. (They don’t actually believe that.)
John Dudley (Jamie Parker) fears Edward’s death is imminent and sends a letter to Princess Mary, hoping to mend their relationship to keep his own head should she succeed Edward on the throne.
While services are held offering prayers for King Edward, Princess Mary (Romola Garai) is greeted by an enthusiastic crowd as she arrives to be with her younger brother. John Dudley, who’s on his best behavior, greets her and requests three actions from him. One, release Bishop Gardiner from the Tower. Two, allow her to take a Catholic service. And three, “Get out of my f*cking way.”
King Edward cries as Mary strokes his face, upset that his work will be undone once she’s crowned. Mary begs him not to cry but will not promise to convert. Elizabeth (Alicia von Rittberg) watches and flees the room without speaking.
Princess Mary has the nerve to greet her sister, and Elizabeth reminds her she’s aware she sent letters to the Danish royals basically calling her a whore. Mary breaks down in tears and apologizes, torn up about the rift in their relationship and Edward’s condition.
Princess Elizabeth and John Dudley have a private chat, and he questions whether all the deaths and money spent have been worth it since a Catholic will rule soon. Neither is pleased about the prospect and it’s obvious Dudley would rather have Elizabeth crowned Queen.
Princess Mary arrives at Somerset House, the home of Edward Seymour (John Heffernan), and his children request battle stories from Sir Pedro (Ekow Quartey). While he entertains the children, Mary meets with Edward and reminds him of his previous promises. She doesn’t trust him, but she agrees with his vision of England. However, before she agrees to work with him, he must admit that he failed.
She lets bygones be bygones and suggests they “play from the same side” moving forward.
The council meets and Henry Grey (Leo Bill) warns John Dudley that nothing good will come from having allowed Edward Seymour back on the council. They both notice Edward now appears to have Princess Mary’s ear (and support).
John Dudley returns home and confronts his son, Robert (Jamie Blackley), who has announced he’s leaving court. John’s upset Robert was gone for five days before even sending a messenger with the news he’s taking a leave. Robert’s mother was worried that he died, and for that Robert apologizes. He’s now ready to return to court and John’s not only pleased, he’s also ready to allow Robert to marry Princess Elizabeth.
John’s had a change of heart since King Edward is dying and since he’s certain that when Princess Mary takes power, she’ll have him executed. He just hopes she won’t kill his sons, too. John’s resting his hope for their future on Robert marrying Elizabeth. If Robert doesn’t want to do that, he might be safer returning to wherever he’s been.
John leaves the room and notices Amy Robsart for the first time. He realizes his son has already made his decision on who to wed.
Robert and Elizabeth have a private chat and Robert confesses his father gave him permission to ask for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, it’s too late. Robert has already married Amy! Elizabeth is shocked and Robert assures her he loves Amy. Elizabeth suggests he couldn’t possibly love Amy if he truly loved her. Robert’s forced to insist he never loved Elizabeth if that’s the only way she’ll believe he now loves his wife, Amy.
Princess Mary, Edward Seymour, and Sir Pedro discuss what to do when King Edward passes. Edward points out that Mary is the rightful heir, and Sir Pedro reminds him the council doesn’t like him or Mary. Mary notes their two biggest threats are John Dudley and Elizabeth, and they decide to approach them to see where they stand separately.
Edward reminds John Dudley that Princess Mary is the rightful Tudor heir. He promises he can make Mary forget if John Dudley joins them in installing her as Queen. John refuses to accept the inevitable – unwilling to allow a Catholic to rule.
Romola Garai and Alicia von Rittberg in ‘Becoming Elizabeth’ episode 8 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Princess Elizabeth wakes to find Mary watching her, unable to sleep. Mary suggests a hunt to distract them, and Elizabeth goes along, although she appears leery of her sister’s motivations.
Mary and Elizabeth ride away from the group, and Elizabeth’s thrown from her horse when Mary comes to a sudden stop. Mary demands to know if anyone’s come for her and Elizabeth insists no one has. Mary reminds her God decides who sits on the throne, obviously convinced Elizabeth is a usurper.
“As long as you remember your place, sister, then all will be well. I swear it,” says Mary.
Princess Elizabeth turns to John Dudley after Mary leaves and reveals she would like to be Queen. She wants to be the master of her own destiny, and if she were to rule, she would protect him. However, she’s decided she will not make a move against her sister or actively seek to be named her brother’s heir to the throne.
John Dudley’s furious about Elizabeth’s decision, aware this will likely lead to his death.
Princess Mary gathers Edward Seymour, John Dudley, the council, and Princess Elizabeth as King Edward’s condition shows no signs of improvement. Mary wants to discuss the succession and Dudley points out it’s illegal to talk about it. He’s the only one who speaks up against the discussion. Princess Elizabeth states that their father’s will should be followed as if written by God himself. King Henry VIII’s will names Princess Mary as the heir to the throne in this circumstance.
Princess Mary agrees with Edward Seymour’s description of John Dudley as her enemy. Edward strips Dudley of his title as Lord Protector rather gleefully, just as Robert Dudley arrives to tell his father King Edward’s asking for him.
Mary, Elizabeth, Edward, and John race from the council chambers to find King Edward standing on his own and looking well, considering what he’s been through. John and Edward hug before the King reminds his sisters they’re not allowed in his bed chambers. They depart, leaving a very relieved John Dudley behind with the King.
John Dudley acts quickly after leaving the King’s side, ordering the guards to place Edward Seymour in the Tower. Edward goes without a fight. Princess Mary leaves next without saying a word, but John grabs Elizabeth’s arm as she’s departing. “Gambling on your brother’s death is a cursed hand indeed. You perhaps would have done better to keep me as a friend,” he growls.
Later that evening, John Dudley informs King Edward that Edward Seymour was conspiring against him while he was sick. Dudley wants Seymour executed tomorrow and King Edward agrees. Dudley adds that both Mary and Elizabeth were conspiring with Edward Seymour.
Princess Elizabeth visits Edward Seymour in the Tower at his request. He apologizes for how he acted toward his brother, Thomas, and Elizabeth. He’s aware his brother had the ability to make others lose control and seemed to relish bringing out the worst in people. Elizabeth suggests maybe Thomas was the only one who actually knew any of them.
Elizabeth reveals she’s become wise beyond her years and has figured out you can’t change the game you find yourself in, you can only play it. Edward’s shocked she learned that before he did and thinks this wisdom is why she’ll survive them all.
Romola Garai and Alicia von Rittberg in ‘Becoming Elizabeth’ episode 8 (Photo Credit: Starz)
A celebration is held with toasts to the King’s health. Even Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth are in attendance, and John Dudley appears to have a better time than anyone as an actor dressed as Edward Seymour is made fun of and dragged away to be beheaded.
The real Edward Seymour is greeted by a loving crowd on his way to be executed. They offer him their blessings and Edward appears touched by their kindness. Before the executioner strikes, he addresses those gathered. “Neither in thought or word or deed did I offend my King or this realm,” says Edward. He asks them to embrace the true faith of the country and the young King.
The executioner removes his head with one blow.
The celebration ends and King Edward speaks with his sisters, with just John and Robert Dudley in attendance. He swats away Princess Mary’s hand and she warns him not to trust John Dudley. King Edward doesn’t want to hear it and accuses them of betrayal. Edward also accuses them of not even loving him anymore.
He knows everything that went on while he was sick and orders his sisters to leave. He assures his sisters he can no longer stand the sight of either of them. After they’ve left, he asks John Dudley what he can do to stop this from happening again. Dudley reminds him there’s someone else at court with royal blood – Lady Jane Grey.
Lady Jane Grey (Bella Ramsey) arrives and passes Elizabeth and Mary on the stairs. They exchange looks but not words.
The relationship between Elizabeth and Mary is strained, and Mary accuses her sister of playing it smart by not taking sides. Mary believes Elizabeth hates her, but Elizabeth claims they love each other. Mary doesn’t agree.
“The truth that hits me, again and again, is that I have no love for you,” says Mary.
She asks how Elizabeth truly feels about her and Elizabeth speaks truthfully. “You make it very hard,” she says. Mary points out that though they both play different games, they both seem to share the same fate.
“While he rules, we do not matter,” says Princess Elizabeth. “Thank God,” replies Princess Mary. Elizabeth laughs as she agrees and adds her own, “Thank God.”
As they’re speaking on the stairs, King Edward is spitting up blood in front of John Dudley.
And that’s the end of Becoming Elizabeth season one. Starz has not announced if there be a season two.
Hamster & Gretel voice cast members Michael Cimino (Love, Victor) and Liza Koshy (Liza on Demand) teamed up to discuss Disney Channel’s animated series during roundtable interviews at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con. The show hosted its first panel at this year’s Con ahead of its August 12, 2022 premiere, discussing everything from the series’ inspiration to superheroes to, of course, hamsters.
Hamster & Gretel follows the adventures of Kevin (voiced by Michael Cimino), his younger sister Gretel (voiced by Meli Povenmire), and Gretel’s hamster named Hamster (voiced by Beck Bennett) after an encounter with aliens gives Gretel and her hamster superpowers. Liza Koshy voices Veronica Hill, a news reporter who investigates the strange happenings in their town.
Michael Cimino and Liza Koshy Interview:
Can you describe your characters?
Michael Cimino: “I’m playing Kevin in Hamster & Gretel which is basically like he wanted to be a superhero really bad but now he’s basically just driving his sister around and trying to make sure that she’s okay throughout all her superhero adventures.”
Liza Koshy: “I play Veronica Hill, she’s a reporter so method acting over here. Veronica Hill reports on a crime and if there’s not a problem at hand, she will cause a problem herself. She has a lot of love problems specifically in her life…sorry for the spoilers. But, yeah, Veronica Hill is always on the scene ready to cause a scene if needs to. Yeah, she reports all the things that Hamster and Gretel go through and Kevin, sometimes Kevin.”
Michael Cimino: “Yeah, Kevin is there sometimes.”
When you were preparing for the show and they told you that you were going to lose your superpowers to a hamster, how did that go?
Michael Cimino: “Yeah, I feel like the show is more than about being a superhero, it’s about the family dynamic. It’s about that. When I first got the show and I spoke to Dan [Povenmire], that was the thing that he really wanted to ring true about this whole story. I feel like that’s been the constant for me, to make sure it feels like a brother/sister duo, and it’s supposed to help young kids bond. That’s like the whole point. To me, that’s the thing that’s been a constant for me.”
Gretel, Hamster, Kevin, and Veronica Hill in ‘Hamster & Gretel’ (Disney)
How did this project come to you? Were you fans of Dan Povenmire or Phineas and Ferb?
Liza Koshy: (Breaks out into singing the Phineas and Ferb theme song) I like love Phineas and Ferb. I live for it. That is like my childhood so yes, the answer is yes. Massively inspired by it as a kid. Made my summers feel so much longer because of his work.
But yeah, it was kind of a blur a bit of a blackout. It was during the pandemic that it all happened. So, we all recorded individually and now we get to meet in person.”
Michael Cimino: “Yeah, this is the first time we all are meeting each other; it’s so crazy. For me it just kind of like came out of nowhere. I never knew who Dan was but I knew his work, obviously, right? And so, like then it was like, ‘Hey, Dan wants to work with you.’ I was like, ‘Wait, what?’
It was so cool to be part of it to this capacity. It’s been amazing.”
Does Dan’s vast experience voicing characters, including Dr. Doofenshmirtz, help you when you’re doing your recordings?
Michael Cimino: “Yeah, 100%. I feel like Dan is actually really good at communicating what kind of emotion he wants from you. He will make it very specific. He knows how to communicate in such a nice way. I feel like I’ve learned so much from working with him, to be honest. I’m still so new to voice-over work.”
Liza Koshy: “It doesn’t seem like that at all. You seem like a vet in this world. His voice is so buttery smooth. Kevin is so fun to listen to. Spoiler…episode one is really good. (Talking to Michael) I know you haven’t seen the episode.”
Michael Cimino: “Yeah, I haven’t seen any of the episodes.”
Liza Koshy: “And he sings in it, too. He wrote a song. (Talking to Michael) I’ll be your hype man this whole time. I got you.”
Michael Cimino: (Laughing) “I’m blushing right now.”
Liza Koshy: “But Dr. Doofenshmirtz that was an iconic piece of culture for the longest time. ‘Squirrels in My Pants,’ all the Phineas and Ferb theme songs, like that whole album – I think you’re going to get a lot of the same iconic bops in Hamster & Gretel too.
It’s a family show but also there are so many funny adult jokes that sneak in that kids will get years from now. It’s so brilliantly written. It’s so funny and witty and strong, and it just reflects family and friendship and those dynamics. I don’t relate to it – my sisters weren’t as nice to me as Kevin is to Gretel – but it’s cool. It’s a fun family show. You’re going to enjoy it.”
What song do you sing in the show?
Michael Cimino: “I’ve always had a passion for music so it’s cool to be able to combine two things that I really enjoy together because I’ve never had the chance to do that before this job. I always told Dan, ‘Dan, we got to write a song for the show together. We have to write a song for the show together.’
We wound up writing a song and he actually got COVID when we wrote the song. He didn’t even know! I didn’t wind up getting COVID. We were in his little office that he always records things in for like two, three hours and I left and never got it. I got so lucky. But yeah, it’s crazy how we were able to combine multiple things together. It was cool.”
Liza Koshy: “So the song wasn’t originally in the show? You manifested it?”
Michael Cimino: “Yeah, yeah. It’s crazy.”
Liza Koshy: “I’m asking for a song next season. Yep, I’m going to sing. […] My song would be called ‘One Mic Two Voices Reporting and Singing’ so I’m going to plant that for next season for sure.”
Michael Cimino: (Looks up the title of his song on his phone) “I got it. It’s called ‘I Could Be Bad.’ I didn’t know what the final title was, but it’s called ‘I Could be Bad.’”
Liza, how did you get to see an episode when Michael hasn’t?
Liza Koshy: “I threatened Dan and I got what I wanted, which is exactly how I’m going to approach the song next season. No, I saw an episode because I begged for it. It’s so brilliantly put together. It’s so nostalgic for me too because it’s very Phineas and Ferb-like but it’s not. It’s completely different but they’re in the same universe. So, we’re living in Dan’s world. Danverse – I don’t know. It’s a working title.”
Michael Cimino: “So, there’s one episode that takes place in Vegas and I’m from Vegas so that was one episode where I was like, ’Dan, you’ve got to show me.’ And it was before they had all the animation done so he was just showing me all the storyboards for that one. That was really cool.
But other than that, no, I haven’t really seen any of the episodes or anything. I’m really excited to go and watch it. I really want to see it with my nephew. He’s like four years old; that’s going to be so cool.”
Kevin, Hamster, and Gretel in ‘Hamster & Gretel’ (Disney)
You just wrapped the final season of Love, Victor. Was there overlap with this? Were you doing this at night while you were doing Love, Victor during the day?
Michael Cimino: “Oh, yeah. So, it was like on my days off of Love, Victor I’d go into the studio. Sometimes I’d go in on the weekend and just record some stuff. That’s kind of how it’s been for the whole thing. Dan is so amazing. He always makes it work. So, we always figure out times and we go and do it. It’s been awesome.”
What is your character’s relationship as a reporter with the superhero duo?
Liza Koshy: “I feel like she comes from the lens of herself. She always puts herself into her work. Whether or not she wants to be in journalism or she’s like, ‘I refuse to do the weather. I went to school for this.’ She owns where she’s at. She also projects onto the news a little bit coming from her own perspective. Like, she did date some of the villains that she’s reporting on. So, she’s a little messy queen, but we love it.”
She just likes a bad boy. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Liza Koshy: “She loves a bad boy, but she’s trying to break out of that pattern. But she’s reporting on it so that her audience can hold her accountable.”
Michael Cimino: “Do you like bad boys in real life?”
Liza Koshy: “Yes.”
Knowing Dan’s work and his sense of humor, what’s the most shocking line to come your way?
Michael Cimino: “There’s a sequence that we just recently recorded where it’s just like an overly drawn-out pie gag – that’s literally all it is. He’s like, ‘All right, I’m just going to play it, and then you just do a whole bunch of weird noises.’ That’s so fun because you’re screaming and yelling, so that’s probably my favorite.”
Liza Koshy: “I’ve gotten lucky. I’ve gotten to voice some other characters, like a Southern woman, recently. […] I am from Texas, so I got to actually own my roots. I’m not always proud of Texas but in this case, I am.”
Can you talk about any of the other characters you voiced?
Liza Koshy: “Yeah, I think it was ‘Distressed Woman.’ Like a damsel in distress, I can do pretty well. Who else was there? There was like another woman screaming about her iPhone. Well, we couldn’t say iPhone but phone. It’s fun. Dan allows for creative collaboration. If you want to bring something to the table, he’s more than open to that. He just lets you play and have fun and go.”
Has there been anything about Hamster & Gretel that surprised you? Did it morph into something you didn’t expect along the way?
Michael Cimino: “For me, I feel like it’s the amount of freedom we have. Dan is not somebody who is married to the words or anything like that. So, it’s like if you’re like, ‘Oh, I have this idea. Are you down to try this,” and he likes it, he’s like, ‘Yeah, I love it. Let’s keep it.’
He’s so collaborative. I feel like that’s what makes the show really good is the collaboration between artists and he’s great about that.”
How early on in the process did you get to see the character design? Did that influence how you voice the character?
Michael Cimino: “I mean, I feel like Kevin is just a normal-looking dude so for me it was like, yeah, I’ll just do my normal voice for the most part.”
Liza Koshy: “I’m glad I didn’t see Veronica because I think she’s significantly cuter than I am so it would have been intimidating had I known what she looked like before I did her voice. No, he just let me have inflection in my voice like crazy because I’m a reporter who takes her job so seriously. I’m just like, ‘Reporting live.’ It’s like sing-songy almost so it’s fun. He encouraged that.”
How long does it take Kevin to get over the fact that he didn’t get superpowers but yet a hamster did?
Michael Cimino: “You know I don’t think he ever gets over it, to be honest with you. It’s like one of those things where he’s always a little salty about it. I think deep down Kevin really still wants to have superpowers and really wants to be a superhero. Also, I feel like that’s why he always wants to be involved in everything because that’s what he wants to do too.”
Have either of you held a hamster in real life?
Liza Koshy: “They have pooped in my hands so many times. Those little dwarf hamsters…they’re so sweet. They’re so small but they get terrified of being in such a large beings’ hands that they just crap in the palm of your hands. So that’s my experience with hamsters.”
Michael Cimino: “I had a hamster. His name was Milo. Hamsters don’t live very long, which is kind of sad. I would just always put my hamster in the hamster ball and let it run around the house. He was great. He’d keep me up at night on his wheel.”
What can you tell us about the villains Gretel and the hamster face?
Michael Cimino: “I’m trying to think spoiler-free. Okay, I would say that every villain is unique and it has a weird, different kind of different power and different kind of storyline. I would say it’s not a formulaic show where every character falls into a certain kind of archetype. Every character is very different, and I feel like that’s really refreshing to see – especially with it being a kids’ show. I feel like sometimes kids’ shows can fall into some formulaic type of thing. This show is so not that.”
Liza Koshy: “Big Baby is the name of a character. Spoiler here it comes. We talked about it earlier and Dan talked about it so I’m like, ‘This is the coupon. It’s okay.’ Big Baby is one of the villains that I dated. Veronica dated, not myself, but I would. Veronica and Big Baby dated so there’s a whole scene between them and like a blast from the past moment. That was actually voiced by Brock (Powell). He did an amazing OG Kool-Aid man also.”
Michael Cimino: “I also just found out he went to the same high school as I did in Vegas. We are both from Vegas. I just found that out. It’s so weird.”
Would you say some of the powers for these villains are maybe a bit different from what we’ve seen before?
Michael Cimino: “So, there are characters that are supposed to be directly the opposite of Hamster and Gretel. They have the same powers but just like different sets of morals, right? But then there’s also a whole bunch of… There’s a lady that can speak to onions. There are a whole bunch of special weird, wacky powers. It’s so funny; it’s so great.”
