December 9, 2024 • 48 mins
Have you ever felt like a background character in your own life? Join Kyle McMahon as he explore this intriguing concept with the stars of Hulu's "Interior Chinatown," Executive producer Taika Waititi, author Charles Yu and stars Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Chloe Bennet, Sullivan Jones, Lisa Gilroy, Archie Kao and Tzi Ma, who all speak with Kyle with candid insights into the groundbreaking series. Based on Charles Yu's novel, these discussions reveal how it humorously challenges Hollywood stereotypes and conventions, while also resonating deeply with personal experiences of identity and representation.
Switching gears, the episode also highlights a refreshing take on love and vulnerability through the lens of the new romantic comedy "Sidelined: The QB and Me." Grammy nominated Deborah Cox discusses her inspiring role in the film and Siena Agudong and Noah Beck open up about their creative process and the courage needed to express unconditional love. We discuss the inspiration behind their roles and how personal significance fuels their passion projects.
From the layered storytelling of "Interior Chinatown" to the heartfelt narrative of "Sidelined: The QB and Me," this episode promises to captivate listeners with fresh perspectives and engaging conversations. So, whether you're a fan of thought-provoking television or charming romantic comedies, there's something here for everyone.
Kyle McMahon's Death, Grief & Other Sh*t We Don't Discuss is now streaming: https://www.deathandgrief.show/Chapter-One-The-Diagnosis-AKA-WTF/
---------------
Get all the Pop Culture Weekly podcast info you could want including extra content, uncut interviews, photos, videos & transcripts at: https://podcast.popcultureweekly.com
Watch celebrity interviews at: https://www.facebook.com/realkylemcmahon/videos
or Kyle McMahon YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/officialkylemcmahon
Read the latest at http://www.PopCultureWeekly.com
Follow Kyle on:
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@popcultureweekly
Website: http://www.kylemcmahon.me
Switching gears, the episode also highlights a refreshing take on love and vulnerability through the lens of the new romantic comedy "Sidelined: The QB and Me." Grammy nominated Deborah Cox discusses her inspiring role in the film and Siena Agudong and Noah Beck open up about their creative process and the courage needed to express unconditional love. We discuss the inspiration behind their roles and how personal significance fuels their passion projects.
From the layered storytelling of "Interior Chinatown" to the heartfelt narrative of "Sidelined: The QB and Me," this episode promises to captivate listeners with fresh perspectives and engaging conversations. So, whether you're a fan of thought-provoking television or charming romantic comedies, there's something here for everyone.
Kyle McMahon's Death, Grief & Other Sh*t We Don't Discuss is now streaming: https://www.deathandgrief.show/Chapter-One-The-Diagnosis-AKA-WTF/
---------------
Get all the Pop Culture Weekly podcast info you could want including extra content, uncut interviews, photos, videos & transcripts at: https://podcast.popcultureweekly.com
Watch celebrity interviews at: https://www.facebook.com/realkylemcmahon/videos
or Kyle McMahon YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/officialkylemcmahon
Read the latest at http://www.PopCultureWeekly.com
Follow Kyle on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/realkylemcmahon
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kmacmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@popcultureweekly
Website: http://www.kylemcmahon.me
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this week's episode of pop Culture Weekly, I talk
with the cast of Hulu's Interior Chinatown, including the amazing
taykow Bit TD, who I love so much. And I
talk with the cast of Sideline to QB and Me,
including Deborah Cox and Noah Beck.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Let's go Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon
from my Heart Radio, your pop culture news, views, reviews
and celebrity interviews on all the movies, TV, music and
pop culture U Crab Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
No no, no, no, no, no, no no it Hello and welcome
to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon. I of course
am Kyle McMahon, and I thank you so much for
hanging with me for another episode of pop Culture Weekly.
So in this episode, it's all about the series Interior
Chinatown on Hulu and the new film Sideline the QB
(00:54):
and Me starring Noah Beck. These are two great projects,
two different projects, but great projects, and I think you'll
enjoy them both. We're gonna start off with Interior China.
Tound So imagine a world, if you will, for a
moment where your life feels like a script and every
(01:14):
day you're playing a role that someone else has written
for you. Well, welcome to Interior Chinatound, a really groundbreaking
TV series that blends sharp social commentary with humor, drama,
and you know, a touch of the absurd.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You know. I love that.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
It's based on Charles U's award winning novel and it
explores the life of Willis Wu, a Taiwanese American actor
stuck in Hollywood's endless loop of stereotypical roles like quote
generic Asian man unquote and quote Kung Fu guy quote
end quote.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
But this is more than a showbiz satire.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
It's actually a deeply person exploration of identity and family
and the invisible systems that shape how we see ourselves
and other people. So as Willis begins to question this
script that society has essentially handed him, the series takes
(02:21):
viewers on a journey of self discovery that is equal
parts heart.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Wrenching and really really hilarious.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It's got a unique storytelling format, a stellar cast, and
it really just challenges conventions and invites us to rethink
the narratives that we live by, which is really important
to me and I think to all of you. So basically,
Willis Wu He's a background character stuck in a police
procedural drama.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
That's called Black and White.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And then one day he accidentally witnesses a crime and
as he investigates, he starts to uncover family secrets and
this whole Chinatown criminal underground while learning how it feels
to be in the spotlight himself.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
It's really really great. I love the show.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's funny and Taika, I mean what like, I love him?
So in any event, uh, let's start off with the
interviews from Interior China Town. We're gonna start with Ronnie
Chang and Chloe Bennett. Ronnie plays Fatty, who is Willis's
(03:30):
best friend and co worker at the Golden Palace, which
is like the restaurant he works at. And then Chloe
is Detective Lana Lee, who is a detective who recruits
Willis to investigate the disappearance of his brother. So let's
talk with Ronnie Chang and Chloe Bennett. Thank you both
for joining me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I hate radio. There you go. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
So, first of all, congratulations to Bow. The view on
the project. Interior or Chinatown is so awesome. It's so
funny and layered and smart, and I wonder what.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Drew you to the project.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Both of you, Well, there was just for some reason,
I just got sent the book.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
I think because I'm Asian.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
They were just like find it to the Asian.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
I did, just like get the book at my doorstep
literally in twenty twenty, and I it had really good packaging.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
There was like little treats in there.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
So I read it and I immediately, I think, anyone
you know, it was an extremely It felt like someone
had dug out the inside of my brain and was
able to really organize and in a much more intelligent
way kind of regurgitate thoughts that have been kind of
like stagnant in my brain since I can remember.
Speaker 6 (04:54):
And that was Charlie you and.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I actually to stop reading it because I thought, but
I remember because obviously it's in script format, the novel,
and I thought, man, if they're going to make this
into a show eventually, and if I don't get cast
in this, I have to quit acting. Because if I
can't play this character, then I can't then I should
I shouldn't do anything.
Speaker 7 (05:17):
And so the.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Stakes, for some reason, I made them very high for
myself right away, and so it immediately spoke to me,
and I guess that's what drew me to it.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I love that. And how about for you, Ronnie, what
drew me to it? Yeah?
Speaker 8 (05:31):
Yeah, the book is it's very uniquely written to my
ignorant brain. It doesn't follow traditional story structure, which is
very interesting to me. And you know, it starts as
a screenplay and speaking to actors. So when I read
it as someone who I get, I'm lucky to get
small roles in stuff in show business in America, so
(05:54):
obviously it spoke to me as someone who was kind
of in the background of stuff, you know. And I
read it and I was kind of the opposite of Chlobe.
I was like, there's no way they can make this
into a show. It's too cock you know. Yeah, So
I wasn't even thinking about the TV show. I was like, man,
this book is really cool, you know. I wish I
wish more people.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Could read it. So, yeah, that's super interesting. And have
you ever felt in your lives like a background character
in your own life?
Speaker 9 (06:22):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Hell yeah, man, do you want to go?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I mean, yeah, for for me, it's a lot of
the themes that you know, I think I struggle with
in my life or something and that we mirror on
the show with Lana is uh, you know, mixed race identity,
which we play a lot with in the show, very literally,
also not so literally, but being mixed uh. And I
(06:46):
think a lot of being a woman, you know. Uh,
even even as I'm introduced in the show, it's it's
all through the male gaze.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
It's where it's it's put out.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
She's put on this pedestal.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
And she's assumed.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
There's a lot assumed about her because of something intentionally, Yeah, intentionally,
which we're all very aware of on the show. And
I think that's a beautiful metaphor for a lot of
the ways that you know, I've I've had to navigate
my career because at the end of the day, you know,
I've been working for like fifteen years and I've never
been the lead of something. I've always been the female lead.
(07:21):
So there's it's a different it's a different thing. So
there's always that kind of element as a woman.
Speaker 8 (07:28):
Yeah, I think sometimes even in society, I mean, forget
show business. Sometimes in society I think this Asian people,
Native American people. I'm sure Latinos feel that way. I
don't speak for them. Pacific Islanders. You know, I like
you sometimes feel like you are a back out character
in the movie of America in real life, sometimes like
(07:51):
your voice doesn't matter. Nobody cares what you think about anything.
No one's like looking out for you in a way.
So in that sense, yeah, you know, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
That's that's so powerful. It's thank you both for speaking
with me.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I can't wait for everybody to see Interior China down
exclusively on Hulu.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Thank you both.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Thanks to us, of course, Ronnie Chang and Chloe Bennett.
All right, moving right along. Next up, we have Lisa
Gilroy and Sullivan Jones. So Lisa plays Sarah Green, who's
a detective who leads the investigation of several crimes in
Port Harbor, along with Sullivan Jones, who plays Miles Turner,
(08:31):
who you know works right along with her. This is
a fun group and I can't wait for you to
hear my interview with them.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Lisa Gilroy and Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Jones, Hi, thanks for having us.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Of course. So first of all, congratulations on the series.
It's it's uh, it's it's.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
So cool that the how I love how layered it is,
and I love how meta it is in many ways.
What is that what attracted you to the project or
what attracted you to the project?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 10 (09:05):
I think on the front, especially for us, it kind
of presents as like, you know, this cop procedural, which
is very fun, especially for someone like me who is
a comedian. It doesn't ever get to say serious things
or touch a gun. No one has ever allowed that
before in the history of time, So that's very fun.
But then when you look closer at the story, there's
so many different stories going on and there it's not
always what you think. So I think that's really that's
(09:26):
titillating if I'm allowed to say.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Tits so you can, how about for you he Sullivan.
Speaker 9 (09:32):
Aside from being titillating, which doesn't have the word tits
in it.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
But it's titillating.
Speaker 9 (09:37):
Yeah, aside from being no I read it the first
time and I was like, wait, what is happening? And
then I had to read it again, and I feel
like that's usually typically a good thing, when you're like,
let me read this again to find out exactly what's
being rendered. And yeah, and Taiko was involved, Yeah, Lias
(09:58):
is involved involved.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Involved. Now you implicate.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Me in a in a meta way, I guess I
come that so and then for you, for you both
and Sullivan, we can start with you and then we'll
go back because apparently I'm really bad in going it
in order.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
But uh, did you as an actor are like?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Do you get the same joy reading it as like
a viewer does from watching these things unfold, especially because
there's some some unexpected turns and that sort of thing.
Or do you view it as from a lens of okay,
this is who I would be and or or do
you kind of get to fanboy over it too?
Speaker 9 (10:44):
I think you fat you totally fanboy over it, and
then once you decide to help make it, then you
kind of drop into like, all right, what's what's my
role and how do I participate? But I think the
fan boying is is like what draws you in in
the first place?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
M hm? And how about for you?
Speaker 10 (11:01):
Is it?
Speaker 8 (11:02):
Well?
Speaker 10 (11:02):
For me, I get a script, you know, I read
just my lines and nothing else.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Then yeah, okay, No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 10 (11:12):
That's the temptation because you just want to be like,
what do I get to say?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Actually reads the lines to her. She looked at the
script the.
Speaker 10 (11:19):
Whole time, really hard not to just get too excited
about the things that you get to say, but the
whole story is so juicy and delicious, and I feel
like on set we would get you know, we'd get
the scripts ahead of time before shooting the episodes, and
we would come to set and it would be like
we had all just watched an episode of our favorite
show the night before, Like.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Can you believe that happened?
Speaker 10 (11:35):
Or you said this, or you did this, or so
and so is pregnant that never happened.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Energy whoa, whoa, yeah, yeah, And and finally, have you
ever felt like a background character in your own life.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Right now, right now?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Stop?
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah, I definitely have.
Speaker 10 (12:04):
I feel like, especially because I came up in comedy
and it sometimes in the early days, we kind of
feel like the boys got to mostly be the main
characters and and women were more supporting, you know, especially
in improv. I don't know, sometimes I how could I
keep ending up as the wife.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Or the dog at every scene?
Speaker 10 (12:24):
So maybe like supporting character I feel like is big
for women, but definitely been there.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
And how about for you, Sullivan.
Speaker 9 (12:32):
I feel like in certain family dynamics, I'm like, guys,
what about me? Just because I'm the youngest.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
And I get some respect. Please. You're not going to
call anybody out, but you know who you are.
Speaker 10 (12:44):
That's why he grew so tall to get attention.
Speaker 9 (12:46):
Yeah, imagine that was my comeback, was to be six
foot four and be like, yeah, now I can dunk
on you in the backyard basketball game and.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
See I'm five to seven in an Eli child. So
it all tracks, you know what I mean? Nice? Really? Yes?
Speaker 10 (13:02):
Yeah, because everyone's set their heads now and I.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Felt left out.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I love this.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Thank you both so much for speaking with me. I
can't wait for everybody to see exclusively on Hulu. You
guys are awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you as well.
Have a great day, Lisa Gilroy and Sullivan Jones. All right,
moving right along with the Interior Chinatown cast, we have
(13:30):
Archie cal and ziem So. Joe Wu is Archie's father
and he's appeared in shows like The Man in the
High Castle, twenty four films like Rush Hour, Rush Hour three,
The Farewell, Kung Fu on the CW and UH and
(13:51):
Archie has been in Chicago, PD, Power Rangers, Lost Galaxy,
and CSI. So let's talk with Archie, Cow and ziem
Let go.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So, first of all, congratulations on the series.
Speaker 9 (14:06):
It is.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
It's so much fun. It's it's layered, it's funny. What
drew you both to to the project.
Speaker 7 (14:17):
It's such a thoughtful project, such.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
A you know, when I've said this earlier, it's I
don't I don't think.
Speaker 11 (14:25):
The fundamental premise of it is simply just that they're
Asian in Chinatown. Like it's you know, it's an expression
of their larger humanity and how it feels to be
a background player in your life and maybe not seen
in all the ways that you want to be seen
or feel like you would be it would be a
contributor to your society at large. And when I saw
(14:49):
the way that, you know, it was just so well
expressed in the novel, I just couldn't. I read it
in one sitting, just I think, like a lot of people,
I couldn't resist it. In I made my mission to
hopefully be part of it. And I'm delighted me sitting
here talking to you about it right now.
Speaker 12 (15:05):
Yeah, the book attracted me. I read the book first.
A friend of mine sent it to me from New York.
He said, man, dude, you gotta check out this book.
I said, okay, fine, So I got the book and
I said, damn, this is good man. And then then
our hear said, oh, guess what they want to do
a series? I said, really, okay, I wonder how.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
They're going to do it.
Speaker 12 (15:23):
I was intrigued, Yeah, because okay, how do you translate
this beautiful book onto the screen?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Right?
Speaker 12 (15:30):
And then I started looking at the team that's putting
this together. I said, all right, I think we got
a chance. But you never know, right, we commit ourselves
to projects, sometimes we scratch.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Our head and go, damn, what the hell happened?
Speaker 12 (15:42):
You know what I'm saying. And now you know you
kind of go, wow, okay, whatever happened happened?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Right? Yeah, I'm very proud of it, very proud as
you should be.
Speaker 9 (15:52):
It is.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
It is so well done and and no, you know,
and with the both of you contributing greatly to that. So, uh,
did you you know as you're doing a project like this,
as in particularly this one, it's so meta, you know,
there's so many kind of tongue in cheek things that
(16:15):
are obviously what they're smartly and for a reason. Uh,
did you feel that as you were doing it, like
it was almost like you're it's I feel like being
an actor in this project, it's almost like double meta
because you're an actor playing uh, these characters.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
In a you know what I mean is that is that?
Is it that way for you when you were doing this?
Speaker 11 (16:40):
It certainly was for me like I was trying to
play detective work called I think.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
And you know what you really love about is with
the team like they were.
Speaker 11 (16:50):
Charlie and the producer is very open to like, let's well,
let's let's talk about that, you know, let's see how
this and you know, and and because it's a it
was it's a bold approach, right to take. It's not
as simple as the world of Black and White, the
Parci Traumise, which I mean I spend a great deal
of my career in that world as well, so I
(17:10):
feel very familiar with it.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
But this whole like world within a world, I just
love that approach to it and.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
My my my particular character.
Speaker 11 (17:21):
I know that the media only got episodes one through five,
but I hope that you'll endure and see like it'll
all into something more.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
And my character doesn't just yell at people.
Speaker 12 (17:32):
So in my experiences, I never try to get ahead
of myself, you know, I get into a project, I
stay in a moment and I continue to explore, you know,
as we go, because I don't think that it's event.
The advantage of not jumping the gun. I think, you know,
(17:52):
it helps me stay in a moment and we're discovering
all of these processes together, you know, with all the characters,
me as dad, me as seafool, and me as friend,
you know, and as husband is the spouse. So all
of those things are really helpful not to jump the
gun and take the moment to moment as it comes.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Hi, Archie, thank you so much for speaking with me.
I can't wait for everybody to see Interior Chinatown exclusively
on Hulu.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
Thank you, thank you, Archie cowen Zie Ma.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Love those guys and don't forget. You can watch the
video interviews. The video versions of these interviews on my
Socials pop Culture Weekly Socials. So hit the show links
and you can find them. Next up, I'm so excited.
Taika why TD and Charles yu So. Taika is a
(18:53):
New Zealand filmmaker. He's an actor, He's a comedian. He
is best known probably direct for direct quirky comedy films
and He's received numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a
BEAFTA Award, a Grammy Award. He was named by Time
as one of the one hundred most influential.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
People in the World just two years ago.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
He's written and directed Boy, Thor Ragnarok which I Love,
Thor Love and Thunder, Hunt for the Wilder People, Jojo Rabbit,
What We Do in the Shadows Next Goal Wins. He's
amazing and Charles U is an American writer who wrote
the original novel Interior Chinatown that this is based on.
(19:37):
He's also written How to Live Safely in a Science
fictional Universe, and in two thousand and seven he was
named as a five Under thirty five honoree by the
National Book Foundation and Interior Chinatown. The novel won the
National Book Award for Fiction in twenty twenty two. In
(19:57):
twenty twenty upon its release, So let's talk with Charles.
You and Tai Why t.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Thank you both for speaking with me. I really appreciate it. Carl.
Speaker 13 (20:07):
It's a pleasure just to hear your voice. That is
a radio voice, and that is a beautiful voice you've got.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Thank you. You sound like my parents. They always said,
I had a voice for radio.
Speaker 14 (20:16):
So.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
No, I'm not doing that. I didn't ask to be born.
I was like, I want to be a model, and
they were like, no, you should do radio. So but
but first of all, congratulations to both of you for this.
This is it's so fun and great and layered and
it's it really is a great project.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Charles, if I may start with you, you are you
know this was your conception from the stark What first
of all inspired you to write the book?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
And then what made you decide, hey, I want to
take this, you know, to the screen.
Speaker 15 (20:57):
My parents inspired me. They wanted me to be a
doctor and I failed at that, so I wrote a
book instead. And you know, I think the idea of
getting it do it for screen was just a dream
come true. And then Tyker signed on and they said,
let's let's make a show. So it was kind of
that's it. That's the whole story, that's how it works.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah, just like that. Just years, yeah, yeah, just a
very quick twelve years.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
And for you, Tike, you know you obviously you have
your hand in so many things, which I love all
of them, by the way, but how uh, why did
you say, you know, this is a project that I
want to EP I want to be involved in.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
I want to help bring this to the world.
Speaker 13 (21:43):
I always like to get involved with. I'm as attracted
to things that make me really nervous. That made me
feel like I could ruin this for everyone I'm qualified
for this year. That's I felt like, oh, that's not
that's like an interesting challenge. And I just loved, you know,
I love the idea behind it. And coming from New
Zealand and feeling often that I come from a culture
(22:05):
and people who are considered on the outskirts of the
conversation and in the margins, Yeah, this spoke to me greatly.
So I've really wanted to participate and basically I felt
like I wanted just to help in the And now
I'm reading the rewards.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Have you ever felt like a background character in your
own life?
Speaker 13 (22:29):
You know, interestingly, I always felt I was a bit
like the Truman Show. I always felt like everyone was
put on earth for my entertainment. But then and then
I would find out in reality through just you know,
I started off and doing various things before as a
director of acting, and so it was through acting that
I realized, oh, yeah, yeah, this is my destiny. To
(22:49):
be a background character, just to be like the best
friend character, or just to be somewhere who kind of
comes in now and then and was never at the front.
So yeah, I felt that all my life as an artist.
Speaker 15 (23:00):
And how about for you, Charles, Yeah, I think, you know,
going back to sort of my parents is sort of
as they immigrated to the US, and I think watching
them try to assimilate and learn the rules of basically
a new world, that's what I watched growing up, you know,
is getting you seeing through their eyes sort of what
(23:21):
it looks like when you're sort of not seeing I guess.
And I think that just informed a lot of the
things that I'm attracted to, and including Tika's films. I mean,
starting with Boy, I think just this kind of innocence
and there's this just amazing ability to have empathy and
heart in his films, and so I think working with
(23:41):
him was really inspiring, and that's just something I'm always
looking for in my own writing, is that kind of perspective.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I love that. Thank you both. You're both a joy
to talk to and you have the joy to talk to.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I very much appreciate it.
Speaker 13 (23:57):
I can't say goodbye, type it and it does time.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yeah, goodbye, goodbye, Thank you, Thank you both.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
I can't wait for everybody to see Inside Chinatown exclusively
on Hulu. Thank you, Take care, Charles U and Taika
White TD. I can't believe I talked to Taika White
TD and Charles you. But Taika is just I'm a
huge fan of his work and him and he.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Said, my voice is sexy and amazing. Taika, Taika White TD,
Taika Tika Okay, thank you so much, Jimmy for speaking
with me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Thank you, thank you for coming through of course.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
So first of all, congrats on Interior Chinatown. I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
It is so layered and so funny and uh and
much deeper than it seems on the surface.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
What attracted you to the role and the project?
Speaker 6 (24:58):
The script?
Speaker 16 (24:59):
When I first got the it was amazing and I
read the book in like one day. I'm usually not
the fastest book reader, so I really resonated with the story.
Being an Asian American and oftentimes feeling a lot of
the things that you know Willis felt in his kind
of weird world, but at the same time, it's exactly
what you're saying it's all unexpected stuff. I love surprising
(25:20):
my audience, whether it's things that they don't think I
can do right, like doing drama, you know, or doing
a rom com or you know, doing some martial arts.
But at the same time, also I also love being funny,
you know, so I get to kind of do all
of that and go through a whole gamut of work
on the show. I get to be funny on Tuesday,
(25:42):
kick some ass on Wednesday, be sore on Thursday, and
then I have to cry in a scene on Friday.
So that was quite a challenge, but you know, very
rewarding for me, and that was something that I really
was excited to take on.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
And did you you know we're as you're reading the
script and and the book, are you able to I'm
always interested in if an actor is able to kind
of fanboy over, like do you get the enjoyment when
you're reading it the first time as I do, or
another viewer might watching it the first time, or do
(26:16):
you look at it from a lens of like, Okay,
this is potential work, this is potentially my character, that
sort of thing.
Speaker 6 (26:23):
Yeah, I think that's a great question. I do two reads.
Speaker 16 (26:28):
I try to read it as just an audience, a
fan first, and if I find it entertaining and if
it resonates with me, and that read it again putting
myself in the shoes of the character that I might play.
And this one, it was kind of it all hit
me at once because it was such a good story
(26:49):
and a good book and a good script. And at
the same time, I was like, man, this willis character
it might have been based on me, you know, it was,
that's how much I related to him.
Speaker 6 (26:58):
He started off stuck in.
Speaker 16 (26:59):
The back, and it got bit parts and it became
the tech guy, which is what he was allowed to do,
which is what I what I.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
Did on Silicon Valley for many years and then leading
up to now.
Speaker 16 (27:09):
I'm not going to give too much away, but I
just absolutely resonated to it as an actor, as an
Asian American, and also just as a fan.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
You know, there's mystery, there is aware procedural inner center
of it. There's beautiful family drama.
Speaker 16 (27:28):
There's almost like a well day won't day thing, and
there's action and comedy.
Speaker 6 (27:33):
So how could I not love it?
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (27:35):
I love how meta it is, you know what I mean?
It's very self aware, but not but smart, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Yeah, like not hitting you over the head with it, right.
Speaker 16 (27:48):
It's not like a scholarly essay, although that message is
in there somewhere, But first and foremost, it's just entertaining
and like very different in a way, like I hope
it's something that it's unlike anything anyone has seen before.
Speaker 10 (28:03):
It is.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I think everybody's gonna love it. I absolutely love it,
Interior Chinatown. Thank you so much, Jimmy for speaking with me.
I can't wait for everybody to see it exclusively on Hulu.
Speaker 6 (28:14):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Appreciate you, Thank you, sir so.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
In any event, Interior Chinatown is available exclusively on Hulu
right now. I highly suggest you watch it, and I
want to know what you think about it. Hit me
up on socials or if you're using the free iHeartRadio app,
you can hit the talkback button and it's free. It
sends me a voicemail with whatever you want to say
and I just might feature you on the show. Or
(28:39):
if you go to podcast dot popcultureweekly dot com, there's
a button there that you can do it as well.
All right, we're gonna take a quick break and pay
the bills from our amazing sponsors before we come back
and talk to the cast of.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
A sideline The QB and Me in Court, including.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Deborah Cox, Cna Agadung, and the one and knownly Noah
Beck will be back in sixty Welcome back. Thank you
for supporting Pop Culture Weekly and our sponsors that make
the show what it is that make the show possible,
(29:19):
that make us You help us to continue to grow
every single week with you.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
I love you.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Thank you for hanging out with me. All right, So sidelined.
Sidelined The QB and Me is exclusively This film is
exclusively available on two B. It is a heartwarming sports
drama that combines the thrill of football with the deep
emotional resonance of personal growth and connection at its core.
(29:48):
Sideline The QB and Me is a film about overcoming challenges,
forging unlikely friendships, and rediscovering one's purpose. It stars Gramming
dominated singer and actress Deborah Cox, whose magnetic presence anchors
the film, as coach Olivia Green, a former athlete turned
(30:09):
high school coach with a knack for inspiring those around her,
and she is joined by Sienna Agadong playing Lucy Rivera,
a fiercely determined student whose love for football shakes up the.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Traditional team dynamics if you Will.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
And then completing this cast is social media superstar Noah Beck,
who has stepped into the role of Jason Carter, the
charismatic quarterback whose journey from ego driven to maybe team
oriented provides some emotion to the film. It is funny,
(30:48):
it's got heart and drama. It's not just a story
about sports, honestly, it's a celebration of resilience and teamwork
and the power of believing in yourself and others. So
we're gonna start with the one and only Deborah Cox singer, songwriter, producer, actor.
(31:11):
She has been in show business since age twelve and
signed to Arista Records under Clive Davis. And she had
that amazingly huge song Nobody's supposed to be here?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Hell did you gety? Nobody's supposed to be anyway.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Deborah Cox is so awesome and let's just jump right
into it. She's been in films like Love, Come Down, Influence,
Love On Layaway. She's been in on TV, Nash Bridges,
First Wives, Club Station eleven, and now is starring in
(31:55):
the new two be film sidelined The QB and me.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Let's talk to are debrah cos.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
Nice to meet you.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Nice to meet you. So, first of all, tell me
what drew you to the role of Miss Alicia.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
What drew me to the role of Miss Alicia.
Speaker 17 (32:13):
I was thrilled about playing the role of a dance teacher,
someone who is a mentor.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
I loved the characters. I really wanted to work with
director Justin Wu. I loved the script. There were so
many things to love about it. And uh, and I
just dove in.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Were you familiar with the Watt pad at all?
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I was not?
Speaker 5 (32:37):
No, I was I wasn't. I wasn't familiar with it
at first.
Speaker 17 (32:41):
And then I did sort of a deep dive on
you know, the book and and and read the script
and kind of checked out the differences and how things
were interpreted.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
Uh.
Speaker 17 (32:52):
And I just loved the storytelling. I love that it
was this this heartwarming love story between these two you know,
passionate you know, kids who love you know, dance in
the sports world and those worlds colliding and romance mixed
in it all and stuff. It was just like the
perfect combination of like all things that I actually love
(33:14):
and I want to see it.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
And for you, as you're reading, you know, a script,
are you reading it through the lens of I am
miss Alicia, or are you reading it like first as
let me read the script and see how the story
plays out, Like, how does that process work for you?
Speaker 9 (33:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 17 (33:32):
I read it as a fan of a romantic drama,
and I read it from that lens. I love all
the layers in it, the complexities of these relationships, Noah
and his father, you know, Sienna and her and her
brother and then her you know, just all of the
(33:52):
tug of war that goes along with the story. As
you read more and more, and then you kind of
under stand why all of these characters are the way
they are. So Yeah, that part of me was really intriguing.
That part of the story, to me was most intriguing.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
So you're able to kind of fanboy fangirl out and
read it.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
As as somebody who enjoys you know, like you said,
watching romantic comedy or whatever.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
Okay, Yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Love love stories. I love romantic traumas, I love drama.
Speaker 17 (34:31):
I love human behavior, you know, I love watching people
figure out.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
And navigating complex relationships.
Speaker 17 (34:46):
Those kind of things, you know, when you see them
on screen and it's done well, that kind of stuff
I love.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Awesome. And was there a miss Alicia for you in
your life?
Speaker 10 (34:57):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 17 (34:59):
My mother has been that person, that anchor, that person
that was really exuded a lot of tough love and
and hard work and discipline and instilled in me that
if there's something that I'm passionate about is something that
I want for my life, I got to go go
(35:21):
after it and go get it. No one else is
going to be able to do that for me but me.
So I came up with that kind of hard you know,
hard work, you know, attitude, very very ambitious and I
think you know, when you when you are really passionate
about something, it can be difficult to find romance and
(35:45):
relationship because you're dedicating so much of your time and
so much of your heart into the craft, you know,
to just get better.
Speaker 5 (35:52):
But then you know you have to find ways to
navigate around that.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Yeah, I've I've heard Stevie Nick similarly say in interviews
that she feels, especially as a woman, that she almost
had to make a choice between a career and a
traditional you know life, and for.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Her it was her career obviously, you know.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's very very true.
Speaker 17 (36:17):
I mean in my early early days, I fell in
love before I became you know, a celebrity and became
a recording artist, So I had the opportunity to really
commit to making my relationship and my marriage work, before kids,
before all of that, and then it became our journey
together as you know, a married couple. But it was
(36:40):
very difficult to like navigate. There were some days where
I didn't want to be the artist. I wanted to
just be you know, Deborah the person and to find
that balance. And you know, experience is the best teacher.
Like it's not until you actually go through that you
know how.
Speaker 5 (36:55):
To handle it, you know. So yeah, there are many
in many ways I could relate to this story.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
That's awesome. And then finally, what what's next for you?
We're getting another more music? Are we getting another project?
Speaker 18 (37:11):
What?
Speaker 7 (37:12):
What?
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Where are you? Where? Where can we expect for?
Speaker 5 (37:14):
For Yeah, I've been I've been doing you know a
lot of musical theater these these days.
Speaker 13 (37:21):
And then.
Speaker 17 (37:23):
I'm going to revisit them my music again and get
back into the studio right after my vacation, you know,
Broadway was a lot.
Speaker 5 (37:32):
Eight shows a week was no joke.
Speaker 17 (37:35):
But I really just loved being on stage and having
the Broadway you know look. And then I got nominated
for a Grammy, so I got to, you know, celebrate that.
But I love, uh focusing on my wine business. I
have a rose business as well, because I soon named
after my three kids, and so I've been putting a
(37:56):
lot of energy and emphasis into that.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
Awesome.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
But back in the studio top of next.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Year, sweet and then come back on the show. I
can't wait for everybody to see Sidelined.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Exclusively on to B Thank you so much, Yes, thank you.
I have a great day, you too, Thank you.
Speaker 6 (38:13):
Take care.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Deborah Coggs.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Love her, Love that I got to talk to her.
Love her in Sidelined. She's really great in Sidelined, She's
really great and everything she does. But but love her
role and her her in Sideline. So all right, Next up,
we're talking to Sianna Agadong and Noah Back.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Sienna is best known for her role on the Nick.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
Series, Nickelodeon series Star Falls and the next the Netflix
series No Good Nick and Resident Evil. She also was
recently in the Kevin Smith I Love Kevin Smith. She
was recently in the Kevin Smith film, The four thirty Movie.
And then there is Noah Beck. Noah is a t
faceted talent who has captured the heart of literally tens
(39:03):
of millions as a social media sensation. He is an
actor and he rose to fame through TikTok, becoming one
of TikTok's most recognizable figures, and he's earned a massive
following from that. So let's talk with Sianna Agadung and
Noah Beck. All right, first of all, thank you no
(39:25):
on Sienna for speaking with me on Pop Culture Weekly
at iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
How you guys doing great.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
I'm doing well. Thank you so much. First of all,
congratulations on the film. Tell me what drew you to Sidelined?
Speaker 7 (39:43):
Yeah, I can take it.
Speaker 18 (39:45):
I think this project first came to me about a
little over two years ago, which is crazy to think.
Speaker 7 (39:50):
It's been quite a process.
Speaker 18 (39:52):
But when I first read the script, I fell in
love like immediately, and then I saw that it was
adapted from a book, and so I was like, I
need to read book now and do a little a
little bit of cross examination here.
Speaker 7 (40:03):
And so after reading both, I was like, I want
to be a part of this what do I gotta do?
And yeah, it was just an immediate like love at
first sight.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
And how about for you, Sienna, I think.
Speaker 14 (40:16):
It's I've never done anything like this, so of course
there's always that excitement of doing something new and then
growing from it. But obviously it's it's an adorable rom
com and it's based on Tay Miley's book lot Pad Sensation,
so it's an honor to be a part of and
even being considered. But after when of you, I was
(40:37):
so excited to do something new, and then also just
to train and dance.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
And and work with not of course, and for for you,
when as you both of you, as you're reading the script,
are you doing it through the lens of like I
will be this character in here? Are you reading it
like as a fanboy or fan or you know, like
a work and you're just consuming the work and then
(41:02):
you go back later and you're like, okay, now let
me redo it, Like what's your process for that?
Speaker 14 (41:07):
That is such a cool question. I've never been asked that.
I think that I have always never thought through that,
but I believe I always read the script as myself already,
Like that's interesting, like that person that the role that
I'm playing, it's never outside of myself at that point.
If I get the script and I know which character
I'm playing, then it's it's me at that point, Like
(41:30):
I'm reading it and like I'm embodying it and I'm
like living that whole storyline beginning to end. Yeah, I
don't know, I feel like that.
Speaker 18 (41:39):
Yeah, that's a great question. And I kind of piggyback
off Sanda here. I was trying to think of that
as well, Like when I first read the script, obviously
I knew the part that I was going for, and
I knew the part that I was being considered for,
And so I think some subconsciously you.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Try to.
Speaker 18 (41:55):
You try to kind of go into it not really
being too biased, of being like, I didn't want to
read this story and be like, Okay, well how's my part.
You know, I wanted to read this story in and
of its entirety and be like, is this just a
good script and is it a good book and is
it something that I want to be a part of
despite who.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Like my guy is.
Speaker 7 (42:19):
And so yeah, that's that's a good question.
Speaker 18 (42:22):
But I think at first kind of like what Cianna
was saying, I read it knowing my role and being like,
I think I automatically just placed myself there, but try
to keep just like an open mind and keep it broad.
Speaker 7 (42:37):
And being like, is it a good story before?
Speaker 3 (42:40):
Is it a good role? If you will? Yeah, yeah,
I always Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
I asked that a lot to people because it's interesting
because everybody kind of has a different process. Some people
that I've talked to or like, you know, I read
it like dry first, just as a read through, and
then I'll read it again as my character, and other
people are like, you know, I read it from the start,
So it's always interesting to me to see.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
Yeah, for sure, you know creators or how they approach it.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
What's the craziest thing that you guys have done for love?
If you know what you feel comfortable telling.
Speaker 14 (43:18):
Oh boy love?
Speaker 7 (43:21):
Yeah, that's crazy itself right there.
Speaker 14 (43:26):
I might I might not. I might not answer that one.
Speaker 18 (43:28):
Yeah, I'm drawing blanks, but but I will say, like,
I think that's a great answer. I think offering someone
love and sometimes even can be unconditional love like that
in and of itself is terrifying, and that and of
itself is like, yeah, that that can be identified as
crazy as well.
Speaker 7 (43:49):
So yeah, that that kind of falls into a lot.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
There's a book by Brene Brown called The Power of Vulnerability,
and yeah, it's so dope. It's such a dope book
and it's scary to like be vulnerable and be like
I love you or whatever.
Speaker 7 (44:04):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Finally for you guys, you know, you both have been
in various projects in you know, all in entertainment.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
But but what is something that you.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
Have been able to like kind of look back and say,
this is something that I would give up nothing for,
you know what I'm saying, like like a sport or
a career path or whatever. You know, what's something that
you've like kind of drawn a boundary for.
Speaker 14 (44:39):
Family? Can I what can you put everything into that
you would not?
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Absolutely yes, I understand.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Yeah, I'm trying to be as spoiler free as possible
as I say it, So I understand that's kind of
like a weird way that I ended up saying about it.
But basically, like, is there something in your life that
you were like, like, for instance, family, like there you know,
I will never waiver with family.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Family always comes first.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Blah blah blah, or football or you know whatever it is, right, Okay,
then I'm.
Speaker 14 (45:11):
Gonna stick with I'm gonna family. I'm gonna stick with
like the two things that sort of are who I am.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
I don't this you take that out.
Speaker 14 (45:20):
I think I'm just a blank, blake canvas. Yeah, that
is just what I'm built off of. Nothing more humbling
than that.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
I love that. How about for you? Noah?
Speaker 7 (45:31):
Yeah, following that, I feel shallow. Yeah, exactly exactly. I
mean shallow as it may sound.
Speaker 18 (45:44):
Soccer was the most important thing in my life, like
before acting, to be honest, and this entertainment space that
I've kind of been thrust it into. And I think
I think acting, I mean not to get too far
with family. Of course for me, I'm a huge family guy,
so that obviously is we'll do anything for And I
(46:05):
think that.
Speaker 7 (46:08):
Is my answer.
Speaker 18 (46:09):
But going back to something a little bit more of,
you know, honing in on one thing, I think.
Speaker 7 (46:17):
I will say acting has become something that is a very.
Speaker 18 (46:23):
It is a very close second to my passion for soccer,
which is what I did like my whole life and
kind of with the pandemic and everything kind of got
like stripped away from me. I had the pivot, and
then the pivot ended up becoming a new lifestyle and
worked out, and now we're here. And I think having
this been my first time on a set and answering
(46:45):
all the questions about acting that I had going into it,
I will say that acting has become a very just
exciting new thing in my life that I've become very
passionate about. And I'm if the industry will have me.
I'm stoked to be here and I want to continue
to do more projects.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Awesome, Thank you both so much. I can't wait for
everybody to see Sidelined exclusively on to B. Thank you guys, right,
thank you, appreciate it. Have a good day.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Likewise, thank you, Cienagadog and Noah Back really really really
loves speaking with them. You can see them right now
in the to be exclusive film Sidelined the QB and me.
Speaker 3 (47:30):
It's really great. Check it out. You won't regret it
and let me know what you think.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Hit me up on socials or email me, or use
the talkback button on the free iHeartRadio app or the
talkback button on podcasts dot Popcultureweekly dot com, and you
just might hear yourself on the show. That's our episode
for today. Now that's our episode. Here's the end of
our episode. Whatever, And I'm looking forward to seeing you
(47:57):
next week where we have a Sebastian mana scalp Go
return for his series Bookies and so much more so,
I will see you for the next episode. I love you,
See you next week.
Speaker 2 (48:10):
Well, thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. Here
all the latest at popcultureweekly dot com.
Speaker 3 (48:23):
Oh good you Getty. Nobody's supposed to be I try
to learne it for the last time. My heard says no, no,
(48:44):
nobody's supposed to be.
In this week's episode of pop Culture Weekly, I talk
with the cast of Hulu's Interior Chinatown, including the amazing
taykow Bit TD, who I love so much. And I
talk with the cast of Sideline to QB and Me,
including Deborah Cox and Noah Beck.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Let's go Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon
from my Heart Radio, your pop culture news, views, reviews
and celebrity interviews on all the movies, TV, music and
pop culture U Crab Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
No no, no, no, no, no, no no it Hello and welcome
to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon. I of course
am Kyle McMahon, and I thank you so much for
hanging with me for another episode of pop Culture Weekly.
So in this episode, it's all about the series Interior
Chinatown on Hulu and the new film Sideline the QB
(00:54):
and Me starring Noah Beck. These are two great projects,
two different projects, but great projects, and I think you'll
enjoy them both. We're gonna start off with Interior China.
Tound So imagine a world, if you will, for a
moment where your life feels like a script and every
(01:14):
day you're playing a role that someone else has written
for you. Well, welcome to Interior Chinatound, a really groundbreaking
TV series that blends sharp social commentary with humor, drama,
and you know, a touch of the absurd.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You know. I love that.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
It's based on Charles U's award winning novel and it
explores the life of Willis Wu, a Taiwanese American actor
stuck in Hollywood's endless loop of stereotypical roles like quote
generic Asian man unquote and quote Kung Fu guy quote
end quote.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
But this is more than a showbiz satire.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
It's actually a deeply person exploration of identity and family
and the invisible systems that shape how we see ourselves
and other people. So as Willis begins to question this
script that society has essentially handed him, the series takes
(02:21):
viewers on a journey of self discovery that is equal
parts heart.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Wrenching and really really hilarious.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It's got a unique storytelling format, a stellar cast, and
it really just challenges conventions and invites us to rethink
the narratives that we live by, which is really important
to me and I think to all of you. So basically,
Willis Wu He's a background character stuck in a police
procedural drama.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
That's called Black and White.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And then one day he accidentally witnesses a crime and
as he investigates, he starts to uncover family secrets and
this whole Chinatown criminal underground while learning how it feels
to be in the spotlight himself.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
It's really really great. I love the show.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's funny and Taika, I mean what like, I love him?
So in any event, uh, let's start off with the
interviews from Interior China Town. We're gonna start with Ronnie
Chang and Chloe Bennett. Ronnie plays Fatty, who is Willis's
(03:30):
best friend and co worker at the Golden Palace, which
is like the restaurant he works at. And then Chloe
is Detective Lana Lee, who is a detective who recruits
Willis to investigate the disappearance of his brother. So let's
talk with Ronnie Chang and Chloe Bennett. Thank you both
for joining me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I hate radio. There you go. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
So, first of all, congratulations to Bow. The view on
the project. Interior or Chinatown is so awesome. It's so
funny and layered and smart, and I wonder what.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Drew you to the project.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Both of you, Well, there was just for some reason,
I just got sent the book.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
I think because I'm Asian.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
They were just like find it to the Asian.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
I did, just like get the book at my doorstep
literally in twenty twenty, and I it had really good packaging.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
There was like little treats in there.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
So I read it and I immediately, I think, anyone
you know, it was an extremely It felt like someone
had dug out the inside of my brain and was
able to really organize and in a much more intelligent
way kind of regurgitate thoughts that have been kind of
like stagnant in my brain since I can remember.
Speaker 6 (04:54):
And that was Charlie you and.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I actually to stop reading it because I thought, but
I remember because obviously it's in script format, the novel,
and I thought, man, if they're going to make this
into a show eventually, and if I don't get cast
in this, I have to quit acting. Because if I
can't play this character, then I can't then I should
I shouldn't do anything.
Speaker 7 (05:17):
And so the.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Stakes, for some reason, I made them very high for
myself right away, and so it immediately spoke to me,
and I guess that's what drew me to it.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I love that. And how about for you, Ronnie, what
drew me to it? Yeah?
Speaker 8 (05:31):
Yeah, the book is it's very uniquely written to my
ignorant brain. It doesn't follow traditional story structure, which is
very interesting to me. And you know, it starts as
a screenplay and speaking to actors. So when I read
it as someone who I get, I'm lucky to get
small roles in stuff in show business in America, so
(05:54):
obviously it spoke to me as someone who was kind
of in the background of stuff, you know. And I
read it and I was kind of the opposite of Chlobe.
I was like, there's no way they can make this
into a show. It's too cock you know. Yeah, So
I wasn't even thinking about the TV show. I was like, man,
this book is really cool, you know. I wish I
wish more people.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Could read it. So, yeah, that's super interesting. And have
you ever felt in your lives like a background character
in your own life?
Speaker 9 (06:22):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Hell yeah, man, do you want to go?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I mean, yeah, for for me, it's a lot of
the themes that you know, I think I struggle with
in my life or something and that we mirror on
the show with Lana is uh, you know, mixed race identity,
which we play a lot with in the show, very literally,
also not so literally, but being mixed uh. And I
(06:46):
think a lot of being a woman, you know. Uh,
even even as I'm introduced in the show, it's it's
all through the male gaze.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
It's where it's it's put out.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
She's put on this pedestal.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
And she's assumed.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
There's a lot assumed about her because of something intentionally, Yeah, intentionally,
which we're all very aware of on the show. And
I think that's a beautiful metaphor for a lot of
the ways that you know, I've I've had to navigate
my career because at the end of the day, you know,
I've been working for like fifteen years and I've never
been the lead of something. I've always been the female lead.
(07:21):
So there's it's a different it's a different thing. So
there's always that kind of element as a woman.
Speaker 8 (07:28):
Yeah, I think sometimes even in society, I mean, forget
show business. Sometimes in society I think this Asian people,
Native American people. I'm sure Latinos feel that way. I
don't speak for them. Pacific Islanders. You know, I like
you sometimes feel like you are a back out character
in the movie of America in real life, sometimes like
(07:51):
your voice doesn't matter. Nobody cares what you think about anything.
No one's like looking out for you in a way.
So in that sense, yeah, you know, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
That's that's so powerful. It's thank you both for speaking
with me.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I can't wait for everybody to see Interior China down
exclusively on Hulu.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Thank you both.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Thanks to us, of course, Ronnie Chang and Chloe Bennett.
All right, moving right along. Next up, we have Lisa
Gilroy and Sullivan Jones. So Lisa plays Sarah Green, who's
a detective who leads the investigation of several crimes in
Port Harbor, along with Sullivan Jones, who plays Miles Turner,
(08:31):
who you know works right along with her. This is
a fun group and I can't wait for you to
hear my interview with them.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Lisa Gilroy and Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Jones, Hi, thanks for having us.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Of course. So first of all, congratulations on the series.
It's it's uh, it's it's.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
So cool that the how I love how layered it is,
and I love how meta it is in many ways.
What is that what attracted you to the project or
what attracted you to the project?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 10 (09:05):
I think on the front, especially for us, it kind
of presents as like, you know, this cop procedural, which
is very fun, especially for someone like me who is
a comedian. It doesn't ever get to say serious things
or touch a gun. No one has ever allowed that
before in the history of time, So that's very fun.
But then when you look closer at the story, there's
so many different stories going on and there it's not
always what you think. So I think that's really that's
(09:26):
titillating if I'm allowed to say.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Tits so you can, how about for you he Sullivan.
Speaker 9 (09:32):
Aside from being titillating, which doesn't have the word tits
in it.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
But it's titillating.
Speaker 9 (09:37):
Yeah, aside from being no I read it the first
time and I was like, wait, what is happening? And
then I had to read it again, and I feel
like that's usually typically a good thing, when you're like,
let me read this again to find out exactly what's
being rendered. And yeah, and Taiko was involved, Yeah, Lias
(09:58):
is involved involved.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Involved. Now you implicate.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Me in a in a meta way, I guess I
come that so and then for you, for you both
and Sullivan, we can start with you and then we'll
go back because apparently I'm really bad in going it
in order.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
But uh, did you as an actor are like?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Do you get the same joy reading it as like
a viewer does from watching these things unfold, especially because
there's some some unexpected turns and that sort of thing.
Or do you view it as from a lens of okay,
this is who I would be and or or do
you kind of get to fanboy over it too?
Speaker 9 (10:44):
I think you fat you totally fanboy over it, and
then once you decide to help make it, then you
kind of drop into like, all right, what's what's my
role and how do I participate? But I think the
fan boying is is like what draws you in in
the first place?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
M hm? And how about for you?
Speaker 10 (11:01):
Is it?
Speaker 8 (11:02):
Well?
Speaker 10 (11:02):
For me, I get a script, you know, I read
just my lines and nothing else.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Then yeah, okay, No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 10 (11:12):
That's the temptation because you just want to be like,
what do I get to say?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Actually reads the lines to her. She looked at the
script the.
Speaker 10 (11:19):
Whole time, really hard not to just get too excited
about the things that you get to say, but the
whole story is so juicy and delicious, and I feel
like on set we would get you know, we'd get
the scripts ahead of time before shooting the episodes, and
we would come to set and it would be like
we had all just watched an episode of our favorite
show the night before, Like.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Can you believe that happened?
Speaker 10 (11:35):
Or you said this, or you did this, or so
and so is pregnant that never happened.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Energy whoa, whoa, yeah, yeah, And and finally, have you
ever felt like a background character in your own life.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Right now, right now?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Stop?
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah, I definitely have.
Speaker 10 (12:04):
I feel like, especially because I came up in comedy
and it sometimes in the early days, we kind of
feel like the boys got to mostly be the main
characters and and women were more supporting, you know, especially
in improv. I don't know, sometimes I how could I
keep ending up as the wife.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Or the dog at every scene?
Speaker 10 (12:24):
So maybe like supporting character I feel like is big
for women, but definitely been there.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
And how about for you, Sullivan.
Speaker 9 (12:32):
I feel like in certain family dynamics, I'm like, guys,
what about me? Just because I'm the youngest.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
And I get some respect. Please. You're not going to
call anybody out, but you know who you are.
Speaker 10 (12:44):
That's why he grew so tall to get attention.
Speaker 9 (12:46):
Yeah, imagine that was my comeback, was to be six
foot four and be like, yeah, now I can dunk
on you in the backyard basketball game and.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
See I'm five to seven in an Eli child. So
it all tracks, you know what I mean? Nice? Really? Yes?
Speaker 10 (13:02):
Yeah, because everyone's set their heads now and I.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Felt left out.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I love this.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Thank you both so much for speaking with me. I
can't wait for everybody to see exclusively on Hulu. You
guys are awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you as well.
Have a great day, Lisa Gilroy and Sullivan Jones. All right,
moving right along with the Interior Chinatown cast, we have
(13:30):
Archie cal and ziem So. Joe Wu is Archie's father
and he's appeared in shows like The Man in the
High Castle, twenty four films like Rush Hour, Rush Hour three,
The Farewell, Kung Fu on the CW and UH and
(13:51):
Archie has been in Chicago, PD, Power Rangers, Lost Galaxy,
and CSI. So let's talk with Archie, Cow and ziem
Let go.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So, first of all, congratulations on the series.
Speaker 9 (14:06):
It is.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
It's so much fun. It's it's layered, it's funny. What
drew you both to to the project.
Speaker 7 (14:17):
It's such a thoughtful project, such.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
A you know, when I've said this earlier, it's I
don't I don't think.
Speaker 11 (14:25):
The fundamental premise of it is simply just that they're
Asian in Chinatown. Like it's you know, it's an expression
of their larger humanity and how it feels to be
a background player in your life and maybe not seen
in all the ways that you want to be seen
or feel like you would be it would be a
contributor to your society at large. And when I saw
(14:49):
the way that, you know, it was just so well
expressed in the novel, I just couldn't. I read it
in one sitting, just I think, like a lot of people,
I couldn't resist it. In I made my mission to
hopefully be part of it. And I'm delighted me sitting
here talking to you about it right now.
Speaker 12 (15:05):
Yeah, the book attracted me. I read the book first.
A friend of mine sent it to me from New York.
He said, man, dude, you gotta check out this book.
I said, okay, fine, So I got the book and
I said, damn, this is good man. And then then
our hear said, oh, guess what they want to do
a series? I said, really, okay, I wonder how.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
They're going to do it.
Speaker 12 (15:23):
I was intrigued, Yeah, because okay, how do you translate
this beautiful book onto the screen?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Right?
Speaker 12 (15:30):
And then I started looking at the team that's putting
this together. I said, all right, I think we got
a chance. But you never know, right, we commit ourselves
to projects, sometimes we scratch.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Our head and go, damn, what the hell happened?
Speaker 12 (15:42):
You know what I'm saying. And now you know you
kind of go, wow, okay, whatever happened happened?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Right? Yeah, I'm very proud of it, very proud as
you should be.
Speaker 9 (15:52):
It is.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
It is so well done and and no, you know,
and with the both of you contributing greatly to that. So, uh,
did you you know as you're doing a project like this,
as in particularly this one, it's so meta, you know,
there's so many kind of tongue in cheek things that
(16:15):
are obviously what they're smartly and for a reason. Uh,
did you feel that as you were doing it, like
it was almost like you're it's I feel like being
an actor in this project, it's almost like double meta
because you're an actor playing uh, these characters.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
In a you know what I mean is that is that?
Is it that way for you when you were doing this?
Speaker 11 (16:40):
It certainly was for me like I was trying to
play detective work called I think.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
And you know what you really love about is with
the team like they were.
Speaker 11 (16:50):
Charlie and the producer is very open to like, let's well,
let's let's talk about that, you know, let's see how
this and you know, and and because it's a it
was it's a bold approach, right to take. It's not
as simple as the world of Black and White, the
Parci Traumise, which I mean I spend a great deal
of my career in that world as well, so I
(17:10):
feel very familiar with it.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
But this whole like world within a world, I just
love that approach to it and.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
My my my particular character.
Speaker 11 (17:21):
I know that the media only got episodes one through five,
but I hope that you'll endure and see like it'll
all into something more.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
And my character doesn't just yell at people.
Speaker 12 (17:32):
So in my experiences, I never try to get ahead
of myself, you know, I get into a project, I
stay in a moment and I continue to explore, you know,
as we go, because I don't think that it's event.
The advantage of not jumping the gun. I think, you know,
(17:52):
it helps me stay in a moment and we're discovering
all of these processes together, you know, with all the characters,
me as dad, me as seafool, and me as friend,
you know, and as husband is the spouse. So all
of those things are really helpful not to jump the
gun and take the moment to moment as it comes.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Hi, Archie, thank you so much for speaking with me.
I can't wait for everybody to see Interior Chinatown exclusively
on Hulu.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
Thank you, thank you, Archie cowen Zie Ma.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Love those guys and don't forget. You can watch the
video interviews. The video versions of these interviews on my
Socials pop Culture Weekly Socials. So hit the show links
and you can find them. Next up, I'm so excited.
Taika why TD and Charles yu So. Taika is a
(18:53):
New Zealand filmmaker. He's an actor, He's a comedian. He
is best known probably direct for direct quirky comedy films
and He's received numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a
BEAFTA Award, a Grammy Award. He was named by Time
as one of the one hundred most influential.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
People in the World just two years ago.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
He's written and directed Boy, Thor Ragnarok which I Love,
Thor Love and Thunder, Hunt for the Wilder People, Jojo Rabbit,
What We Do in the Shadows Next Goal Wins. He's
amazing and Charles U is an American writer who wrote
the original novel Interior Chinatown that this is based on.
(19:37):
He's also written How to Live Safely in a Science
fictional Universe, and in two thousand and seven he was
named as a five Under thirty five honoree by the
National Book Foundation and Interior Chinatown. The novel won the
National Book Award for Fiction in twenty twenty two. In
(19:57):
twenty twenty upon its release, So let's talk with Charles.
You and Tai Why t.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Thank you both for speaking with me. I really appreciate it. Carl.
Speaker 13 (20:07):
It's a pleasure just to hear your voice. That is
a radio voice, and that is a beautiful voice you've got.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Thank you. You sound like my parents. They always said,
I had a voice for radio.
Speaker 14 (20:16):
So.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
No, I'm not doing that. I didn't ask to be born.
I was like, I want to be a model, and
they were like, no, you should do radio. So but
but first of all, congratulations to both of you for this.
This is it's so fun and great and layered and
it's it really is a great project.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Charles, if I may start with you, you are you
know this was your conception from the stark What first
of all inspired you to write the book?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
And then what made you decide, hey, I want to
take this, you know, to the screen.
Speaker 15 (20:57):
My parents inspired me. They wanted me to be a
doctor and I failed at that, so I wrote a
book instead. And you know, I think the idea of
getting it do it for screen was just a dream
come true. And then Tyker signed on and they said,
let's let's make a show. So it was kind of
that's it. That's the whole story, that's how it works.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah, just like that. Just years, yeah, yeah, just a
very quick twelve years.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
And for you, Tike, you know you obviously you have
your hand in so many things, which I love all
of them, by the way, but how uh, why did
you say, you know, this is a project that I
want to EP I want to be involved in.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
I want to help bring this to the world.
Speaker 13 (21:43):
I always like to get involved with. I'm as attracted
to things that make me really nervous. That made me
feel like I could ruin this for everyone I'm qualified
for this year. That's I felt like, oh, that's not
that's like an interesting challenge. And I just loved, you know,
I love the idea behind it. And coming from New
Zealand and feeling often that I come from a culture
(22:05):
and people who are considered on the outskirts of the
conversation and in the margins, Yeah, this spoke to me greatly.
So I've really wanted to participate and basically I felt
like I wanted just to help in the And now
I'm reading the rewards.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Have you ever felt like a background character in your
own life?
Speaker 13 (22:29):
You know, interestingly, I always felt I was a bit
like the Truman Show. I always felt like everyone was
put on earth for my entertainment. But then and then
I would find out in reality through just you know,
I started off and doing various things before as a
director of acting, and so it was through acting that
I realized, oh, yeah, yeah, this is my destiny. To
(22:49):
be a background character, just to be like the best
friend character, or just to be somewhere who kind of
comes in now and then and was never at the front.
So yeah, I felt that all my life as an artist.
Speaker 15 (23:00):
And how about for you, Charles, Yeah, I think, you know,
going back to sort of my parents is sort of
as they immigrated to the US, and I think watching
them try to assimilate and learn the rules of basically
a new world, that's what I watched growing up, you know,
is getting you seeing through their eyes sort of what
(23:21):
it looks like when you're sort of not seeing I guess.
And I think that just informed a lot of the
things that I'm attracted to, and including Tika's films. I mean,
starting with Boy, I think just this kind of innocence
and there's this just amazing ability to have empathy and
heart in his films, and so I think working with
(23:41):
him was really inspiring, and that's just something I'm always
looking for in my own writing, is that kind of perspective.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I love that. Thank you both. You're both a joy
to talk to and you have the joy to talk to.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I very much appreciate it.
Speaker 13 (23:57):
I can't say goodbye, type it and it does time.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yeah, goodbye, goodbye, Thank you, Thank you both.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
I can't wait for everybody to see Inside Chinatown exclusively
on Hulu. Thank you, Take care, Charles U and Taika
White TD. I can't believe I talked to Taika White
TD and Charles you. But Taika is just I'm a
huge fan of his work and him and he.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Said, my voice is sexy and amazing. Taika, Taika White TD,
Taika Tika Okay, thank you so much, Jimmy for speaking
with me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Thank you, thank you for coming through of course.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
So first of all, congrats on Interior Chinatown. I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
It is so layered and so funny and uh and
much deeper than it seems on the surface.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
What attracted you to the role and the project?
Speaker 6 (24:58):
The script?
Speaker 16 (24:59):
When I first got the it was amazing and I
read the book in like one day. I'm usually not
the fastest book reader, so I really resonated with the story.
Being an Asian American and oftentimes feeling a lot of
the things that you know Willis felt in his kind
of weird world, but at the same time, it's exactly
what you're saying it's all unexpected stuff. I love surprising
(25:20):
my audience, whether it's things that they don't think I
can do right, like doing drama, you know, or doing
a rom com or you know, doing some martial arts.
But at the same time, also I also love being funny,
you know, so I get to kind of do all
of that and go through a whole gamut of work
on the show. I get to be funny on Tuesday,
(25:42):
kick some ass on Wednesday, be sore on Thursday, and
then I have to cry in a scene on Friday.
So that was quite a challenge, but you know, very
rewarding for me, and that was something that I really
was excited to take on.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
And did you you know we're as you're reading the
script and and the book, are you able to I'm
always interested in if an actor is able to kind
of fanboy over, like do you get the enjoyment when
you're reading it the first time as I do, or
another viewer might watching it the first time, or do
(26:16):
you look at it from a lens of like, Okay,
this is potential work, this is potentially my character, that
sort of thing.
Speaker 6 (26:23):
Yeah, I think that's a great question. I do two reads.
Speaker 16 (26:28):
I try to read it as just an audience, a
fan first, and if I find it entertaining and if
it resonates with me, and that read it again putting
myself in the shoes of the character that I might play.
And this one, it was kind of it all hit
me at once because it was such a good story
(26:49):
and a good book and a good script. And at
the same time, I was like, man, this willis character
it might have been based on me, you know, it was,
that's how much I related to him.
Speaker 6 (26:58):
He started off stuck in.
Speaker 16 (26:59):
The back, and it got bit parts and it became
the tech guy, which is what he was allowed to do,
which is what I what I.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
Did on Silicon Valley for many years and then leading
up to now.
Speaker 16 (27:09):
I'm not going to give too much away, but I
just absolutely resonated to it as an actor, as an
Asian American, and also just as a fan.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
You know, there's mystery, there is aware procedural inner center
of it. There's beautiful family drama.
Speaker 16 (27:28):
There's almost like a well day won't day thing, and
there's action and comedy.
Speaker 6 (27:33):
So how could I not love it?
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (27:35):
I love how meta it is, you know what I mean?
It's very self aware, but not but smart, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 6 (27:45):
Yeah, like not hitting you over the head with it, right.
Speaker 16 (27:48):
It's not like a scholarly essay, although that message is
in there somewhere, But first and foremost, it's just entertaining
and like very different in a way, like I hope
it's something that it's unlike anything anyone has seen before.
Speaker 10 (28:03):
It is.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I think everybody's gonna love it. I absolutely love it,
Interior Chinatown. Thank you so much, Jimmy for speaking with me.
I can't wait for everybody to see it exclusively on Hulu.
Speaker 6 (28:14):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Appreciate you, Thank you, sir so.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
In any event, Interior Chinatown is available exclusively on Hulu
right now. I highly suggest you watch it, and I
want to know what you think about it. Hit me
up on socials or if you're using the free iHeartRadio app,
you can hit the talkback button and it's free. It
sends me a voicemail with whatever you want to say
and I just might feature you on the show. Or
(28:39):
if you go to podcast dot popcultureweekly dot com, there's
a button there that you can do it as well.
All right, we're gonna take a quick break and pay
the bills from our amazing sponsors before we come back
and talk to the cast of.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
A sideline The QB and Me in Court, including.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Deborah Cox, Cna Agadung, and the one and knownly Noah
Beck will be back in sixty Welcome back. Thank you
for supporting Pop Culture Weekly and our sponsors that make
the show what it is that make the show possible,
(29:19):
that make us You help us to continue to grow
every single week with you.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
I love you.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Thank you for hanging out with me. All right, So sidelined.
Sidelined The QB and Me is exclusively This film is
exclusively available on two B. It is a heartwarming sports
drama that combines the thrill of football with the deep
emotional resonance of personal growth and connection at its core.
(29:48):
Sideline The QB and Me is a film about overcoming challenges,
forging unlikely friendships, and rediscovering one's purpose. It stars Gramming
dominated singer and actress Deborah Cox, whose magnetic presence anchors
the film, as coach Olivia Green, a former athlete turned
(30:09):
high school coach with a knack for inspiring those around her,
and she is joined by Sienna Agadong playing Lucy Rivera,
a fiercely determined student whose love for football shakes up the.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Traditional team dynamics if you Will.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
And then completing this cast is social media superstar Noah Beck,
who has stepped into the role of Jason Carter, the
charismatic quarterback whose journey from ego driven to maybe team
oriented provides some emotion to the film. It is funny,
(30:48):
it's got heart and drama. It's not just a story
about sports, honestly, it's a celebration of resilience and teamwork
and the power of believing in yourself and others. So
we're gonna start with the one and only Deborah Cox singer, songwriter, producer, actor.
(31:11):
She has been in show business since age twelve and
signed to Arista Records under Clive Davis. And she had
that amazingly huge song Nobody's supposed to be here?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Hell did you gety? Nobody's supposed to be anyway.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Deborah Cox is so awesome and let's just jump right
into it. She's been in films like Love, Come Down, Influence,
Love On Layaway. She's been in on TV, Nash Bridges,
First Wives, Club Station eleven, and now is starring in
(31:55):
the new two be film sidelined The QB and me.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Let's talk to are debrah cos.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
Nice to meet you.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Nice to meet you. So, first of all, tell me
what drew you to the role of Miss Alicia.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
What drew me to the role of Miss Alicia.
Speaker 17 (32:13):
I was thrilled about playing the role of a dance teacher,
someone who is a mentor.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
I loved the characters. I really wanted to work with
director Justin Wu. I loved the script. There were so
many things to love about it. And uh, and I
just dove in.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Were you familiar with the Watt pad at all?
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I was not?
Speaker 5 (32:37):
No, I was I wasn't. I wasn't familiar with it
at first.
Speaker 17 (32:41):
And then I did sort of a deep dive on
you know, the book and and and read the script
and kind of checked out the differences and how things
were interpreted.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
Uh.
Speaker 17 (32:52):
And I just loved the storytelling. I love that it
was this this heartwarming love story between these two you know,
passionate you know, kids who love you know, dance in
the sports world and those worlds colliding and romance mixed
in it all and stuff. It was just like the
perfect combination of like all things that I actually love
(33:14):
and I want to see it.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
And for you, as you're reading, you know, a script,
are you reading it through the lens of I am
miss Alicia, or are you reading it like first as
let me read the script and see how the story
plays out, Like, how does that process work for you?
Speaker 9 (33:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 17 (33:32):
I read it as a fan of a romantic drama,
and I read it from that lens. I love all
the layers in it, the complexities of these relationships, Noah
and his father, you know, Sienna and her and her
brother and then her you know, just all of the
(33:52):
tug of war that goes along with the story. As
you read more and more, and then you kind of
under stand why all of these characters are the way
they are. So Yeah, that part of me was really intriguing.
That part of the story, to me was most intriguing.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
So you're able to kind of fanboy fangirl out and
read it.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
As as somebody who enjoys you know, like you said,
watching romantic comedy or whatever.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
Okay, Yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Love love stories. I love romantic traumas, I love drama.
Speaker 17 (34:31):
I love human behavior, you know, I love watching people
figure out.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
And navigating complex relationships.
Speaker 17 (34:46):
Those kind of things, you know, when you see them
on screen and it's done well, that kind of stuff
I love.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Awesome. And was there a miss Alicia for you in
your life?
Speaker 10 (34:57):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 17 (34:59):
My mother has been that person, that anchor, that person
that was really exuded a lot of tough love and
and hard work and discipline and instilled in me that
if there's something that I'm passionate about is something that
I want for my life, I got to go go
(35:21):
after it and go get it. No one else is
going to be able to do that for me but me.
So I came up with that kind of hard you know,
hard work, you know, attitude, very very ambitious and I
think you know, when you when you are really passionate
about something, it can be difficult to find romance and
(35:45):
relationship because you're dedicating so much of your time and
so much of your heart into the craft, you know,
to just get better.
Speaker 5 (35:52):
But then you know you have to find ways to
navigate around that.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Yeah, I've I've heard Stevie Nick similarly say in interviews
that she feels, especially as a woman, that she almost
had to make a choice between a career and a
traditional you know life, and for.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Her it was her career obviously, you know.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's very very true.
Speaker 17 (36:17):
I mean in my early early days, I fell in
love before I became you know, a celebrity and became
a recording artist, So I had the opportunity to really
commit to making my relationship and my marriage work, before kids,
before all of that, and then it became our journey
together as you know, a married couple. But it was
(36:40):
very difficult to like navigate. There were some days where
I didn't want to be the artist. I wanted to
just be you know, Deborah the person and to find
that balance. And you know, experience is the best teacher.
Like it's not until you actually go through that you
know how.
Speaker 5 (36:55):
To handle it, you know. So yeah, there are many
in many ways I could relate to this story.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
That's awesome. And then finally, what what's next for you?
We're getting another more music? Are we getting another project?
Speaker 18 (37:11):
What?
Speaker 7 (37:12):
What?
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Where are you? Where? Where can we expect for?
Speaker 5 (37:14):
For Yeah, I've been I've been doing you know a
lot of musical theater these these days.
Speaker 13 (37:21):
And then.
Speaker 17 (37:23):
I'm going to revisit them my music again and get
back into the studio right after my vacation, you know,
Broadway was a lot.
Speaker 5 (37:32):
Eight shows a week was no joke.
Speaker 17 (37:35):
But I really just loved being on stage and having
the Broadway you know look. And then I got nominated
for a Grammy, so I got to, you know, celebrate that.
But I love, uh focusing on my wine business. I
have a rose business as well, because I soon named
after my three kids, and so I've been putting a
(37:56):
lot of energy and emphasis into that.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
Awesome.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
But back in the studio top of next.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Year, sweet and then come back on the show. I
can't wait for everybody to see Sidelined.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Exclusively on to B Thank you so much, Yes, thank you.
I have a great day, you too, Thank you.
Speaker 6 (38:13):
Take care.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Deborah Coggs.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Love her, Love that I got to talk to her.
Love her in Sidelined. She's really great in Sidelined, She's
really great and everything she does. But but love her
role and her her in Sideline. So all right, Next up,
we're talking to Sianna Agadong and Noah Back.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Sienna is best known for her role on the Nick.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
Series, Nickelodeon series Star Falls and the next the Netflix
series No Good Nick and Resident Evil. She also was
recently in the Kevin Smith I Love Kevin Smith. She
was recently in the Kevin Smith film, The four thirty Movie.
And then there is Noah Beck. Noah is a t
faceted talent who has captured the heart of literally tens
(39:03):
of millions as a social media sensation. He is an
actor and he rose to fame through TikTok, becoming one
of TikTok's most recognizable figures, and he's earned a massive
following from that. So let's talk with Sianna Agadung and
Noah Beck. All right, first of all, thank you no
(39:25):
on Sienna for speaking with me on Pop Culture Weekly
at iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
How you guys doing great.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
I'm doing well. Thank you so much. First of all,
congratulations on the film. Tell me what drew you to Sidelined?
Speaker 7 (39:43):
Yeah, I can take it.
Speaker 18 (39:45):
I think this project first came to me about a
little over two years ago, which is crazy to think.
Speaker 7 (39:50):
It's been quite a process.
Speaker 18 (39:52):
But when I first read the script, I fell in
love like immediately, and then I saw that it was
adapted from a book, and so I was like, I
need to read book now and do a little a
little bit of cross examination here.
Speaker 7 (40:03):
And so after reading both, I was like, I want
to be a part of this what do I gotta do?
And yeah, it was just an immediate like love at
first sight.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
And how about for you, Sienna, I think.
Speaker 14 (40:16):
It's I've never done anything like this, so of course
there's always that excitement of doing something new and then
growing from it. But obviously it's it's an adorable rom
com and it's based on Tay Miley's book lot Pad Sensation,
so it's an honor to be a part of and
even being considered. But after when of you, I was
(40:37):
so excited to do something new, and then also just
to train and dance.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
And and work with not of course, and for for you,
when as you both of you, as you're reading the script,
are you doing it through the lens of like I
will be this character in here? Are you reading it
like as a fanboy or fan or you know, like
a work and you're just consuming the work and then
(41:02):
you go back later and you're like, okay, now let
me redo it, Like what's your process for that?
Speaker 14 (41:07):
That is such a cool question. I've never been asked that.
I think that I have always never thought through that,
but I believe I always read the script as myself already,
Like that's interesting, like that person that the role that
I'm playing, it's never outside of myself at that point.
If I get the script and I know which character
I'm playing, then it's it's me at that point, Like
(41:30):
I'm reading it and like I'm embodying it and I'm
like living that whole storyline beginning to end. Yeah, I
don't know, I feel like that.
Speaker 18 (41:39):
Yeah, that's a great question. And I kind of piggyback
off Sanda here. I was trying to think of that
as well, Like when I first read the script, obviously
I knew the part that I was going for, and
I knew the part that I was being considered for,
And so I think some subconsciously you.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Try to.
Speaker 18 (41:55):
You try to kind of go into it not really
being too biased, of being like, I didn't want to
read this story and be like, Okay, well how's my part.
You know, I wanted to read this story in and
of its entirety and be like, is this just a
good script and is it a good book and is
it something that I want to be a part of
despite who.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Like my guy is.
Speaker 7 (42:19):
And so yeah, that's that's a good question.
Speaker 18 (42:22):
But I think at first kind of like what Cianna
was saying, I read it knowing my role and being like,
I think I automatically just placed myself there, but try
to keep just like an open mind and keep it broad.
Speaker 7 (42:37):
And being like, is it a good story before?
Speaker 3 (42:40):
Is it a good role? If you will? Yeah, yeah,
I always Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
I asked that a lot to people because it's interesting
because everybody kind of has a different process. Some people
that I've talked to or like, you know, I read
it like dry first, just as a read through, and
then I'll read it again as my character, and other
people are like, you know, I read it from the start,
So it's always interesting to me to see.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
Yeah, for sure, you know creators or how they approach it.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
What's the craziest thing that you guys have done for love?
If you know what you feel comfortable telling.
Speaker 14 (43:18):
Oh boy love?
Speaker 7 (43:21):
Yeah, that's crazy itself right there.
Speaker 14 (43:26):
I might I might not. I might not answer that one.
Speaker 18 (43:28):
Yeah, I'm drawing blanks, but but I will say, like,
I think that's a great answer. I think offering someone
love and sometimes even can be unconditional love like that
in and of itself is terrifying, and that and of
itself is like, yeah, that that can be identified as
crazy as well.
Speaker 7 (43:49):
So yeah, that that kind of falls into a lot.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
There's a book by Brene Brown called The Power of Vulnerability,
and yeah, it's so dope. It's such a dope book
and it's scary to like be vulnerable and be like
I love you or whatever.
Speaker 7 (44:04):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Finally for you guys, you know, you both have been
in various projects in you know, all in entertainment.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
But but what is something that you.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
Have been able to like kind of look back and say,
this is something that I would give up nothing for,
you know what I'm saying, like like a sport or
a career path or whatever. You know, what's something that
you've like kind of drawn a boundary for.
Speaker 14 (44:39):
Family? Can I what can you put everything into that
you would not?
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Absolutely yes, I understand.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Yeah, I'm trying to be as spoiler free as possible
as I say it, So I understand that's kind of
like a weird way that I ended up saying about it.
But basically, like, is there something in your life that
you were like, like, for instance, family, like there you know,
I will never waiver with family.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Family always comes first.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Blah blah blah, or football or you know whatever it is, right, Okay,
then I'm.
Speaker 14 (45:11):
Gonna stick with I'm gonna family. I'm gonna stick with
like the two things that sort of are who I am.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
I don't this you take that out.
Speaker 14 (45:20):
I think I'm just a blank, blake canvas. Yeah, that
is just what I'm built off of. Nothing more humbling
than that.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
I love that. How about for you? Noah?
Speaker 7 (45:31):
Yeah, following that, I feel shallow. Yeah, exactly exactly. I
mean shallow as it may sound.
Speaker 18 (45:44):
Soccer was the most important thing in my life, like
before acting, to be honest, and this entertainment space that
I've kind of been thrust it into. And I think
I think acting, I mean not to get too far
with family. Of course for me, I'm a huge family guy,
so that obviously is we'll do anything for And I
(46:05):
think that.
Speaker 7 (46:08):
Is my answer.
Speaker 18 (46:09):
But going back to something a little bit more of,
you know, honing in on one thing, I think.
Speaker 7 (46:17):
I will say acting has become something that is a very.
Speaker 18 (46:23):
It is a very close second to my passion for soccer,
which is what I did like my whole life and
kind of with the pandemic and everything kind of got
like stripped away from me. I had the pivot, and
then the pivot ended up becoming a new lifestyle and
worked out, and now we're here. And I think having
this been my first time on a set and answering
(46:45):
all the questions about acting that I had going into it,
I will say that acting has become a very just
exciting new thing in my life that I've become very
passionate about. And I'm if the industry will have me.
I'm stoked to be here and I want to continue
to do more projects.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Awesome, Thank you both so much. I can't wait for
everybody to see Sidelined exclusively on to B. Thank you guys, right,
thank you, appreciate it. Have a good day.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Likewise, thank you, Cienagadog and Noah Back really really really
loves speaking with them. You can see them right now
in the to be exclusive film Sidelined the QB and me.
Speaker 3 (47:30):
It's really great. Check it out. You won't regret it
and let me know what you think.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Hit me up on socials or email me, or use
the talkback button on the free iHeartRadio app or the
talkback button on podcasts dot Popcultureweekly dot com, and you
just might hear yourself on the show. That's our episode
for today. Now that's our episode. Here's the end of
our episode. Whatever, And I'm looking forward to seeing you
(47:57):
next week where we have a Sebastian mana scalp Go
return for his series Bookies and so much more so,
I will see you for the next episode. I love you,
See you next week.
Speaker 2 (48:10):
Well, thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. Here
all the latest at popcultureweekly dot com.
Speaker 3 (48:23):
Oh good you Getty. Nobody's supposed to be I try
to learne it for the last time. My heard says no, no,
(48:44):
nobody's supposed to be.
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