July 2017

In our new column Deep Focus, TrunkSpace is going behind the camera to talk with the directors, writers, and producers who infuse our world with that perennial pop culture goodness that we can’t get enough of.

This time out we’re chatting with Kulap Vilaysack, creator and showrunner for Seeso’s “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$” starring Paul F. Tompkins and Mandell Maughan. We recently sat down with Vilaysack to discuss her upcoming documentary “Origin Story,” how she became a showrunner, and what it’s like working in an environment that nurtures improvisation.

TrunkSpace: We know that networks and execs love working with showrunners that they trust and have an established track record so we’re curious how you broke into the position?
Vilaysack: I think Seeso is the unusual place, because they’re very much creators first. You look at their lineup, a lot of the people come from podcasts. So their main goal is to really make sure that they have a point of view. I think with that said, their knowledge of me, plus me having the strong backup of Mr. Scott Aukerman of “Comedy Bang! Bang!” and Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Grant from “Reno 911!” and many other things, I think they had full confidence in me.

TrunkSpace: Was being a showrunner always in your sights or did it just happen as part of a natural career progression?
Vilaysack: It happened because, I know I talk about this a lot so forgive me, but it really came from Tom going, “Well, you’ll showrun it, right?” And I’m like, “Yeah, you’re right, I will.”

TrunkSpace: Did you feel confident right out of the gates in the position?
Vilaysack: It takes doing. It takes figuring it out. It takes listening. It takes putting together a great team whom I trust and who never let me down. It takes having great mentors and examples. Yeah, like with anything you just learn from doing.

TrunkSpace: You worked on plenty of others shows throughout the years in different capacities. Did you absorb the position through watching other showrunners?
Vilaysack: I don’t know if I learned from other showrunners but certainly I’ve learned from just being on set, seeing how sets work and then watching and going, “Okay, I think that’s great, I’d like to use that for my own project.” Or, “That’s not so great, maybe I’ll try a different way. I think there might be a better way of doing things.”

TrunkSpace: A large portion of “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$” utilizes improv. Does that change the role of a showrunner at all?
Vilaysack: I don’t know, I don’t have any other experience. For me, the show is semi-improvised so we have really strong and clear outlines that have a premise and we know who everybody is to one another and what everybody wants from one another. Then we have the beats of the scene and we have where we’re going to heighten each beat. “Okay, here are examples of dialogue that you can use or not use, but you know what I’m looking for.” And then we have an ending plan. That ending can change and oftentimes does, but there’s no feeling like you’re not supported.

But when you ask me questions in reference to what it’s like to run other shows, I don’t really have any context to share with you.

TrunkSpace: Has a moment of improv within the show ever inspired any of the broad strokes that you guys created beforehand to change? Have any gems come out of stuff where you went, “Okay, let’s rethink what we’re doing longterm?”
Vilaysack: I don’t think so. I’m trying to think here.

We have amazing, genius improvisors. The show is, in many ways, produced like a reality TV show and so we have set stories. In the beginning of the season we sit down and I sit down with all of our cast members and talk to them about what their season long arc is as individuals and then what the arc is for the show. From there we just do a bunch of different scenes and not every scene ends up in the show.

TrunkSpace: As they always say, work begets work in the industry. Do you hope to do more showrunning in the future?
Vilaysack: Yes, I’d love to.

TrunkSpace: You are also currently producing a documentary called “Origin Story” which is very close to you in terms of the subject matter. Did you ever second guess taking that journey and putting it out there for others to see?
Vilaysack: Absolutely. It’s very personal.

TrunkSpace: Where are you in the process of completing the film?
Vilaysack: I’m in post production looking to finish the film and looking to submit to Sundance this year. I’m deep into finishing it.

TrunkSpace: When you first started the film there was no funny in it at all, but from what we understand, you have since gone in and added some lighter moments throughout. Was that an element that you felt the film needed in order to find an audience?
Vilaysack: I think you just need levity. It’s hard for us as humans to go through something and not have a place to take a break. Who wants to watch suffering? As much as a fine film “Dancer in the Dark” was, I’ll never see that again.

TrunkSpace: As a showrunner and creator, you’re creating content that could one day inspire others to create their own content. Do you ever think about that in the course of your day?
Vilaysack: I don’t think about it like that. I think about creating an environment where people can do their best work, where they feel safe and held, and where people can work hard and try things. I think about setting an example. I just think you treat people right and that’s a good idea.

It’s about being present with one another. It’s about getting into a sandbox and playing and it’s about making a cool show.

Visit Seeso to learn more about “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$” and to watch the latest season!

In our new feature, Between the Sheets, TrunkSpace picks the imaginative brains of authors to break down what it takes to create the various worlds and characters they breathe life into via the tools of their trade… sheets of paper. While technology continues to advance and change the pop culture landscape, the written word has remained one of the most consistent and imaginative art forms.

This time out we’re chatting with “The Silver Linings Playbook” author Matthew Quick to discuss his new novel “The Reason You’re Alive,” how writing helps him get to the truth of the matter, and where he’s hardest on himself as a writer.

TrunkSpace: Your new book “The Reason You’re Alive” reached the public on July 4th. In a way, does it feel like the entirety of the United States celebrated its release with fireworks and parties?
Quick: Um.

TrunkSpace: In all seriousness, the book deals in some heavy subject matter, which is an area you never shy away from in your writing. For a lot of people, reading about serious human conflict, either internal or external, helps them get through their own life moments. As the person penning the work, does writing ever open that door for you? Can working through things by way of a character inadvertently serve as an unintended form of therapy for the author?
Quick: Tricky territory here. Writing is a highly personal experience. Every novelist has his or her own reasons for writing. My writing journey was definitely born out of mental health struggles. Mostly anxiety and depression. I often say fiction writing is where I take all the chaos in my mind and chest and attempt to make order on the page. I didn’t realize what I was doing when I first started writing fiction as a teenager. I also didn’t know the wild feeling in my chest was anxiety, but writing made it temporarily go away. When I used to teach I’d tell my students we read novels to make us more empathetic, and I think that’s true. We can always be more understanding toward ourselves.

TrunkSpace: On the opposite side of that coin, can spending time in another person’s darkness, even a fictional person, make it difficult to stay in your own nonfictional light?
Quick: I’m a pretty big believer in the truth setting us free. And fiction writing, for me, is always an attempt to get to the truth of something or someone. The only time I get dark is when I’m creatively blocked. That happens when I am trying to force a lie into my work or life.

TrunkSpace: Something that you do so well is blend humor into the world of your characters, which in a lot of ways, strikes a beautiful balance with the aforementioned heavy subject matter. Is that a conscious focus of your writing or is that relatable funny something that just comes natural to you and in turn is reflected in your characters?
Quick: It’s a coping mechanism that I employ in real life as well. I don’t like tension. I’m an INFJ. I’m a highly sensitive person. An empath. I learned at a young age that making people laugh changes the energy they put out. Lightens things. I wouldn’t say I consciously try to be funny in my novels. But when I am laughing while writing, that’s almost always a sign that the writing is going well.

TrunkSpace: How much did the current state of polarization here in the United States influence “The Reason You’re Alive” and did working on the novel give you any insight into the divisive mindset of the nation as it stands today?
Quick: I finished writing the novel well before the last presidential election began to heat up. I was raised by extremely conservative Republican Christians and educated by extremely liberal professors. Most of the people I work with now are extremely liberal. My needle moved left a long time ago, but there is part of me that will always feel a little loyal to my original tribe and because of that I often feel isolated somewhere in between the left and the right. We all need to talk more. There has to be less us/them.

TrunkSpace: You started to make a serious push towards a writing career at age 30 by leaving your job and focusing on the craft full-time. What advice would you give to aspiring writers at similar places in their life who question if the move is the right one to make?
Quick: Don’t listen to people who offer writing advice. Half joking here. Some of the best advice I got was from non-writers. I’m not sure anyone can advise you on becoming the writer you need to be on the page. But being professional and realistic, making good business decisions, being smart about money because money is what buys you time to write, these types of things you can learn from others. Maybe how to survive as a creative type. Perhaps the best advice I ever received came over a breakfast beer in the Peruvian jungle. Painter Francisco Grippa said, “Be a professional, not an asshole.”

TrunkSpace: Had you started to pursue writing in a full-time capacity 10 years earlier, do you think it would have put you on a different creative path in terms of your voice as a writer?
Quick: In some ways I did start my writing career at twenty. I was writing back then, albeit unpaid. Reading. Taking creative writing classes. Justin Cronin was my teacher. But I hadn’t lived enough yet. I had to fumble through my twenties. Gain life experience.

TrunkSpace: Regarding the process, is writing a labor of love for you or does it feel more like labor? Do you enjoy the process?
Quick: Depends on the day. There are days when it feels like I’m not even writing, but channeling some divine voice. That sounds ridiculous, I realize, but we’ve all been high on our own words, even if it’s delusional. And there have been many more days when I stare at the screen for hours doing nothing but thinking, My career is over.

TrunkSpace: And what does that process look like? What are the ideal conditions for putting in a good day of writing?
Quick: Well, this will sound pretty uncool, I realize. But at the ripe old age of forty-three, eating healthy, getting good sleep, prioritizing my mental health, exercising (especially running, I try to do 30-40 miles a week these days), and limiting alcohol and caffeine intake – these things have become increasingly important. In my early thirties I drank coffee all day and sipped alcohol all night and wrote in alternating fits of anxiety and depression. It worked for a short while, but that sort of living would probably kill me now. It was a shitty way to function. I’m a lot happier these days.

TrunkSpace: Do you self-edit as you write?
Quick: Yes.

TrunkSpace: Where are you the hardest on yourself as a writer?
Quick: I seem to be in a deadlocked battle with imposter syndrome.

TrunkSpace: What are you working on now and what will people be able to read next?
Quick: A few screenplays for The Weinstein Company. Can’t really talk much about these projects right now, but I’m really excited about each. I will be writing another novel at some point, but not this year.

“The Reason You’re Alive” is available now from Harper.

As “Supernatural” prepares to enter its 13^th season, it makes sense that a number of actors have been relied upon to play young Dean Winchester. Whether due to flashbacks or evil, age-altering spells, the writers of the long-running series have never been afraid to delve deeper into the “road so far” in order to give fans a glimpse at how the Winchester boys came to be. And while many have played the pie-loving eldest brother over the years, there has been only one actor capable of completely capturing what Jensen Ackles created in Dean Winchester and that actor is Dylan Everett.

We recently sat down with Everett to discuss how he became a lean, mean, Dean machine, why he enjoyed playing in both the comedy and drama worlds that the show is known for, and what we can expect from his new Starz series “Insomnia.”

TrunkSpace: You’ve done a ton of film and television roles over the course of your career, but to “Supernatural” fans, you’re the quintessential young Dean Winchester because you play the character so well. Did you have a chance to sit down with Jensen and pick his brain to get a handle on the Dean delivery and mindset?
Everett: Actually, believe it or not, I didn’t get to meet Jensen until, I think, it was the last day of the first episode that we shot. Basically everything I went off of was what I could find online or from the several seasons of the show that I watched before. Even after that, I don’t think I ever actually got to sit down with him and discuss the character, which was unfortunate, because given the nature of the role, we weren’t exactly in the same place at the same time.

TrunkSpace: And yet you absolutely nailed what Jensen had created in Dean.
Everett: Jared helped me out big time. I’ve mentioned before, in previous interviews, but he totally had my back on set, which was big for me. Knowing that someone’s been doing that role for so long, you want to make sure you do it as well as you can and that everyone’s happy with it, including and especially Jensen and the fans.

TrunkSpace: The fans are so rabid for the show. The people who watch it adore it and yet the people who don’t watch the show aren’t even sure if it’s on the air anymore, which is kind of cool. It’s become a bit like a secret club.
Everett: Yep. It totally is. It’s a really well-kept secret. But, it’s been on for almost 15 years, so they’re doing something right. And again, the fans, they keep coming back for more.

TrunkSpace: You did three episodes as young Dean Winchester. Have you felt the reach of the fanbase since doing them and have you seen your own fanbase grow because of it?
Everett: Oh, big time. Yeah. It’s a really high-profile show, and again, the fan base is so committed and devoted to the show that any time a new actor steps into the show, they just go nuts for them. I got lucky. I get to be a younger version of one of the lead characters, so, it was amplified even more for that reason.

TrunkSpace: You grew up in Canada. It seems like a bit of a rite of passage for Canadian actors to appear on the show seeing it has been on for so long and because it shoots up in Vancouver.
Everett: Absolutely. I’ve experienced it. I experienced that similarly with “Degrassi,” where it was, as you said, sort of a rite of passage where everybody and their dog has been on the show. But it’s so great because it’s such a fantastic show. It’s so much fun to do and it was a really exciting experience to get to do that.

TrunkSpace: “Supernatural” writers have always been masterful about blending comedy and drama together and one of the episodes you did in particular, “About a Boy,” did just that. From a performance standpoint, what was it like to get to play in both of those worlds within the same show?
Everett: As you just pointed out, they do it so well, between comedy and drama, they balance it quite perfectly. There was a bit of everything to be had there in the episodes that I got to do. It was really juicy and it was a challenge, as an actor, to sort of push me in a different direction that I hadn’t really explored before. It’s one thing to come up with a character on your own as an actor, but to kind of break habits and really shed your own personality to adopt another one… it was a really cool experience.

TrunkSpace: You also played Mark-Paul Gosselaar playing Zack Morris in the “Unauthorized Saved By the Bell Story.” What a crazy role to take on because you’re actually playing the actor playing the character. So many layers!
Everett: That was exactly it. It was a paradigm on its own. I guess the only difference really was I think I had more parallels with young Mark-Paul Gosselaar than I did with Dean Winchester. It came a little bit more naturally, whereas with the Dean Winchester performance, it had to be a little bit more deliberate on my end. But again, I still had so much fun on both sides.

TrunkSpace: And jumping back to “Supernatural,” in the episode previous to “About a Boy” you were actually playing young Dean Winchester, but in “About a Boy” you were playing old Dean Winchester made young. Mind blown! (Laughter)
Everett: (Laughter) I know. There’s so many angles to it. It’s hard to keep up. I got to experience it on both sides. I had so much fun doing both. It’s challenging because I get to take on Jensen’s character. It’s hard to break your own habits as an actor and adopt somebody else’s.

TrunkSpace: So is it more difficult when you’re playing a character who previously exists or a person who exists in the real world, as opposed to seeing something on the page and creating the character yourself?
Everett: It’s just different. I guess even with the Dean Winchester performances, as with your own characters, there’s a part of yourself that always bleeds through no matter what. But when playing somebody else, especially, like I said, the way that Jensen has played Dean so iconically over the years, you’ve really got to step up and not let it bleed through so much. And that’s tricky.

TrunkSpace: Did you have to play Dean with three different directors giving you feedback as well?
Everett: Yeah. You get direction from the director. You’re getting direction from Jared, who made a very good point to me on set. He said, “I’m going to give you a lot of feedback. I’m going to give you a lot of advice. And it’s not because I’m trying to tell you what to do as an actor, but it’s only because I know Dean. The only person who knows Dean better than me is Jensen. And Jensen’s not here.”

And he’s absolutely right. I took every bit of advice he threw my way and tried to incorporate it as best I could.

TrunkSpace: We watched the trailer for your new Starz series “Insomnia,” which looks not too far from where we’re headed in society right now. (Laughter) Where does your character fall into things?
Everett: I’m not too sure what I’m allowed to talk about. (Laughter) Big ensemble cast. It’s really dark. Really gritty. Really hard hitting show. My character was a total kind of left turn from what I’m used to doing, which was good. You kind of take steps as an actor, and that was the next step for me.

But it’s a really dark, really conflicted character who has a lot of edge to him. Hopefully, when it drops, people get excited and they respond to it.

TrunkSpace: In a lot of ways you grew up in the industry. Is it important for you, as you get older, to sort of look toward those darker roles and to break the habits of casting directors in terms of how they view you and your capabilities as an actor?
Everett: Yeah. That’s always the trick for the actor, right? To not fall into that typecast role. I’ve been very lucky as a young actor. I’ve kind of progressed slowly but surely, and I’ve got to experience everything from the kids roles, like “Wingin’ It,” to more adolescent roles like “Degrassi” and “Supernatural,” and then something like this, which is pretty dark.

At the end of the day, as an actor, you’re just happy that you get work. Of course, you’re always looking for certain roles and for different avenues to explore, character-wise, but at the end of the day, work is work. And I’ll always take the jobs.

“Insomnia” is set to premiere later this year on Starz.

As Betsy Kettleman on AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” Julie Ann Emery solidified herself as one of the more versatile actresses working in television today. Her performance as the headstrong wife and mother of the Kettleman clan became the most memorable of the series, which is impressive considering it is an entire show built around memorable performances. Now the Tennessee native is back at AMC stealing scenes in “Preacher” as the zealot Featherstone, a role she calls one of her favorites.

We recently sat down with Emery to discuss how “Preacher” is speaking directly to its audience, how in many ways the series feels lifted directly from the pages of the comic, and why Betsy Kettleman’s wardrobe meant so much to who the character was.

TrunkSpace: You joined “Preacher” in its second season and you also had an incredible run on “Better Call Saul” with AMC being the common thread that ties both of them together. It really seems like there’s no better place to be in terms of quality, character-driven content than AMC these days.
Julie Ann Emery: Thank you AMC for handing me two of my favorite roles of my entire career! I’m absolutely thrilled to be back at the network and thrilled to be on “Preacher” with Sam Catlin who was of “The Breaking Bad” world before he was of “Preacher” and I feel very at home and very challenged by my character, which is a lot to say as a woman in the business. To actually have two characters like that, who are so incredibly challenging to play and challenging to get into the headspace of, it’s a real gift as an actor.

TrunkSpace: And obviously there’s more content now than ever before, but at the same time, quality has not been overlooked for quantity. In fact, the quality of TV just keeps getting better.
Julie Ann Emery: The thing is, it was four main networks and HBO before everybody else jumped in. And HBO was doing really interesting niche stuff, but when you’re trying to appeal to the broadest possible audience, the characterization in the stories kind of gets watered down. But with so much programming happening, I feel like we have really embraced more niche programming, which “Preacher” definitely falls into. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: You hear so much about how shows need to be “grounded in reality” in order to get on the air, but what we love about “Preacher” is that in a lot of ways it says to hell with reality and just does its own thing. Does that make the performance aspect of the show more appealing because anything can and does happen?
Julie Ann Emery: I was a fan of season 1 of “Preacher” before I ever got the audition for season 2 and what intrigued me about it was how far it pushed the envelope, but them how grounded the acting was. So, “Preacher” is definitely wacky and it definitely lives in its own universe… the violence is kind of Tarantinoesque and always has a sense of humor… but there is always something grounded and relatable about the characters walking around. And that as a viewer is definitely my sweet spot. To really push the envelope in terms of circumstance, but to still have the interesting, complex, relatable characters doing grounded work inside of that, it’s both challenging as an actor and a thrill.

TrunkSpace: The series also just looks different than most of the other shows on TV, which is another refreshing aspect of it as a whole. In many ways, it feels like they just brought the comic book to life.
Julie Ann Emery: We just had the premiere at the Ace Hotel in LA and watching it on a big screen, there were moments that literally looked lifted straight from Steve Dillon’s art in the comics. They’ve really found a way to honor what they’re doing with the comic book series and still keep some kind of real life going on. It’s really interesting to watch and it struck me how much of the tone of the show happens in post with the choice of music and the visual editing style and the production design by Dave Blass. It’s so brilliantly done. It’s so grounded in reality, but it also honors the comics in such a huge way and takes such risks visually with colors.

It’s a really thrilling thing because when the artistic work on a show is so high across the board and when everyone is so excited to dive into something so unique, it’s a really nice spot to be in as an artist.

TrunkSpace: If everybody is giving 100 percent and there are excited faces all around you, it’s hard not to go to work with an equal level of excitement every day.
Julie Ann Emery: Agreed and I’ve had the great fortune to be in that circumstance both on “Fargo” and “Better Call Saul” and now “Preacher.” Everyone is there every day trying to raise the level of what’s going on… trying to elevate the work. It’s really exciting when that happens across the board like that.

To be inspired by a costume or a set piece or a new set they just built… with a show like “Preacher” you can draw inspiration from such a variety of places. It’s great.

TrunkSpace: For those who haven’t read the comic, where does your character Featherstone fall into things?
Julie Ann Emery: So Featherstone is a member of an organization called The Grail. It’s described as a pseudo-fascist religious organization bent on world domination. And they are. Featherstone has a very strong faith. She really believes the world has gone to hell and she is working to save it and she will blow it up if she has to in order to save it. She’s very dedicated. She could be described as a zealot. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do to accomplish her mission or serve the cause.

There’s a transformation aspect to Featherstone that I think lends itself to the “there’s nothing that she wouldn’t do.”

TrunkSpace: Will viewers get to see that transformation and the origin story of how she finds her way?
Julie Ann Emery: I’m not going to get into story spoilers. (Laughter) But, I think you will definitely see that the Featherstone from the comics is very much honored but there are dimensions of her on the show that have taken her further. And those dimensions are such a thrill as an actor to play. They really have rounded her out in a really beautiful way.

She’s definitely a bad ass. Even more so than in the comics. She’s Type A and a woman in a man’s world. I’m surrounded by men a lot in The Grail, but she is always the most capable person in the room, save maybe for Herr Starr. She is super, super dedicated and has no life outside of The Grail and her mission and she likes it that way.

TrunkSpace: Comic fans are so rabid when it comes to their favorite properties and characters. You mentioned that there are new dimensions to Featherstone that may not be familiar to readers of the comic. Was there a discussion about how those changes or additions would be perceived by fans of the source material?
Julie Ann Emery: I auditioned for the role, so it was something that was added already when I came on board, but I think it is something that they spoke about quite a lot in the development of her. I know that when I auditioned they had already rewritten the character a few times, even throughout the audition process. The bones of Featherstone, what I like to call Featherstone proper where she’s in her Grail uniform and being herself, is very much from the comic. When she goes undercover or lays a trap for someone and there’s this transformational aspect of her and how far she’s willing to go with that, that’s a new element. So it’s not like they diverted from the Featherstone of the comic, it’s just that they have taken her further.

I am a fan of the comics. I had not read them before I started the show and now I’m very deep into them. I recognize her completely from the comics and I think fans of the comics will recognize her as well, but there are other dimensions to her that round her out.

TrunkSpace: Is this your first time playing in the fanboy/comic world sandbox and are you prepared for the feedback that follows?
Julie Ann Emery: I don’t know if there’s preparation for that.

I worked on “Better Call Saul” and the “Breaking Bad” fandom is very intense and very intelligent. They will notice something on a shelf behind you that is barely in focus and then they will have a discussion about it. I’m used to that side of it, but as much of a sci-fi/fantasy fan that I am, I’ve never done anything from a comic or that’s sci-fi related.

Well, that’s not true. I did Steven Spielberg’s “Taken” for the SyFy channel years and years ago, but that was before social media took over the world. (Laughter)

I’m excited about it because I am a fan like that of things. I’m a huge “Star Wars” fan. I’m big fan of “Wonder Woman” and I like to go online and chat with people about stuff, but I have not been on the receiving end of that nerd out, so I guess that’s a journey I have to see play out. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: As a character, Betsy Kettleman is one of the best to ever grace the small screen. She was someone we all know in real life, but at the same time, was completely original in the TV world. She had so many great layers to her and we’re curious where you ventured to in order to discover her?
Julie Ann Emery: The development of the Kettlemans was incredibly collaborative from the top down. Vince Gilligan directed our first episode and he and Peter Gould were on set the first day of shooting and we spent an enormous amount of time doing character development and talking about the Kettlemans and who they are and defining them. That never happens on a TV schedule. We had extra time to shoot the first episode from Sony and AMC, otherwise it might not have happened. And they changed what happened to the Kettlemans after we shot that first episode. The writers became kind of fascinated with what happened out of that collaboration on set and some of the things we talked about, which also never happens on television because they have to turn the scripts over so fast that they’re not very often able or willing to go back in. But they did in this case and it turned out as something, I think, incredibly special.

I love to play characters who are different than who I am. I like to step into someone’s shoes that I don’t necessarily understand. And Featherstone falls into that category in a lot of ways. I always say that a lot of times the character might think differently than I do, but Betsy’s brain works differently than mine does. She was a huge gift for sure and I love that on the outside she does look like someone who is probably walking around your neighborhood and then what you discover about her is something entirely different.

Saul Goodman on “Breaking Bad” was the wacky, out there character. The Kettlemans are that on “Better Call Saul.” In some ways they’re so wacky and out there, but they love each other so much that it always comes back to something grounded and relatable. There are a lot of us who would do almost anything for our families and Betsy definitely falls into that category in a meta, uber way. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: Often times actors will say that getting into wardrobe helped them discover who a character was, particularly in period pieces of science fiction. But Betsy had this amazing wardrobe that was also so not amazing at the same time. Did her style help you with who she was?
Julie Ann Emery: I discovered a lot along every step of the way with Betsy and wardrobe had a lot to do with it. In some ways her wardrobe is very plain and something you would see somebody walking around in, but then at the end of the first episode she puts on this lime green skirt suit that’s a little ill-fitting. It was a little big on me and I asked them not to alter it. At the heart of it, I wanted her to have money but have no idea what to do with it. Like, she saw some politician’s wife wearing skirt suits, so she needed a skirt suit, but she went and picked a lime green one. And then she went and picked a burnt orange one. She is figuring out what the world is and getting it wrong sometimes, but she thinks she’s getting it right. And then as the show went on, the clothes started to fit more and the colors were still off, but she was getting more of a handle on it, which was something that I thought no one but the costume designer and I would ever realize. Good on you, man! (Laughter)

“Preacher” airs Mondays on AMC.

Artist/Band: Louis Apollon

Website: www.louisapollon.com

Hometown: Long Island, NY

Latest Album/Release: New Album Due September 30, 2017

TrunkSpace: You were raised in New York City by parents of Haitian decent. How much of your upbringing has influenced your current musical path?
Apollon: I was actually born and raised on Long Island, home of the best bagels you’ll ever find anywhere, in my very strong opinion. With both of my parents being from Haiti, I was always hearing their favorite kompas songs and artists, whether it be at home, in the car, or family gatherings, but I was super fortunate that my parents had a huge respect for different types of art and cultures. I remember listening to a lot of classical, world, as well as pop music growing up and going to many musical events. Alongside kompas superstars like Sweet Mickey and T-Vice, the musical collection at home was very rich and diverse with artists like Michael Jackson (my favorite growing up), Pavoratti, Bobby McFerrin, among many other artists. I feel that growing up in a household with such a high appreciation for all kinds of art is definitely the source of my immense love for music and in learning how to play it.

TrunkSpace: Outside of New York City, you’ve also lived in other cities known for their rich music scenes, including Chicago and Boston. How much does a setting play into an artist’s development?
Apollon: I feel like I picked up different things from all the cities I have lived in. New York was the place where my love for music began. It is where I started to play music as well as explore different types of music. As for Chicago, I moved there after college and was primarily working in the advertising world. Living in the middle of the city was super beneficial when it came to going to different venues around town, but I was encouraged by friends of mine who were both musical and non-musical, and found myself singing in choirs and playing out at open mics and gigs on the side. It was the place where I realized that I should be making music my primary gig, as it is where I really felt at home.

I moved to Cleveland in my quest to learn more about music. Knowing that I wanted to make music my career was one thing, but I felt like I needed to learn more than what I already knew to make that happen. So I went and studied at Cuyahoga Community College’s Jazz Studies program, and I realized how much I DIDN’T know. I’ve had supportive teachers in the past, but this is where I learned the most and expanded my musical vocabulary drastically under the wings of some incredibly gifted musicians. I transferred to Berklee in Boston after a couple of years, which is where I started to really hone in on my songwriting. Being surrounded by so many incredible artists from all over the world was just so inspiring for me and pushed me to continue to improve on my own skills. After Berklee I discovered the amazing and super supportive songwriting community that Boston has to offer and all the incredible places to hear and play music.

Being around and living in places where the music scene is popping does wonders for inspiration. In my experience, going out and being able to hear an absolutely killing artist makes me want to go home and play my instrument, write new songs, and continue to grow as an artist. But by far, finding supportive folks within the community, whether it be a teacher or a peer, to push and inspire you is where development is really noticeable and fulfilling. If you are thinking of starting to learn a musical instrument or change to a new one, you can check out instrument pricing at pawn shops to see how much you could get to pay towards a new one! Inspiration is always there for music to flow through.

TrunkSpace: We read that your first instrument was the clarinet. What did your musical journey look like from the time that you picked up that first instrument to where you ultimately are today?
Apollon: Ahhh, the mighty clarinet! I absolutely love that instrument. I started playing it around 7 years old and played all through my high school years where I played mainly bass clarinet. I practiced quite a bit, to my folks’ dismay at the beginning, and played in a number of ensembles throughout those years. Towards the end of my high school years some of my close friends started bands of their own which inspired me to buy my first guitar, a used and beat up Ibanez acoustic guitar. I do remember always wanting to sing, but because of my incredibly introverted nature, that didn’t happen until I was in college where I joined the school’s gospel choir upon arriving. After that I went on to actually minoring in music as a vocal principle and singing in two of the music program’s opera productions as well as taking part in a student run musical. I was also playing some more guitar during that time and was the back up bass player for a friend’s band who had some gigs on and off campus. As I mentioned before, I moved to Chicago afterwards, which is where I started to play much more guitar (well enough to accompany myself) as well as got some more singing gigs under my belt.

Tri-C in Cleveland is where I learned an incredible amount in two short years. As part of the jazz studies program I got the chance to take piano and guitar lessons for the first time as well as continue on with voice lessons. I had always liked jazz, but it wasn’t until I was there that I really sought to learn it. Visiting artists would come by on a regular basis for workshops and shows in the area, and students were not only encouraged in the classroom, but were also encouraged and expected to be performing outside the classroom. And with teachers playing out in the music scene regularly there was a community within the music scene that was already looking out for you which is huge for students trying to find their place in the musical world. Upon my arrival at Berklee, I focused on vocal performance and songwriting while singing in a lot of vocal jazz choirs and dabbling in classes like percussion workshops and African music. I have been working on those skills playing in bands and church groups. Last year I started building cajons, as I’m a HUGE fan of percussion. Cajons all have varied appearances and I thought about maybe getting my own Drum Wraps to put on them so that they told everyone who saw me playing what I’m all about. Right now I’m on a mini New England/New York tour with my trio as we’re building up awareness for my debut record that will come out in September!

TrunkSpace: Throughout that journey, at what point did you discover your own voice as a songwriter/performer?
Apollon: Man, this is a tough question to answer! I feel like it started to happen while I was living in Cleveland. I was learning so much from my teachers and friends that I became more equipped to articulate my musical ideas. Also, around that same time, I was listening to different styles of music and artists I admired who I wanted to sound like that made a huge impact in how I hear and feel music. It took me quite some time to get to where I am at today, but I feel like my voice is still evolving and will continue to evolve as I keep learning.

TrunkSpace: Does a musician ever stop learning?
Apollon: Never. There are so many different types of music, so many ways to feel music, so many different ways to express it, and I can go on and on! As long as you’re willing to learn, there really is no end to how much you can learn. You can go to Guitar Lessons Denver, pick up a flute, or choose to learn a new instrument at any age. But I guess that could really work for anything, not only music. For me, I don’t ever want to stop learning. There are so many musicians that I admire and want to “catch up to” or be able to play along with, and I want to always be on top of my game for my band mates (who are KILLER musicians), so I don’t think I’ll ever be done learning. It would be quite boring if we ran out of things to learn!

TrunkSpace: With that being said, where do you think you’re strongest as an artist? What are you most proud of?
Apollon: I have to say it is my work ethic. Being the son of immigrants, especially those of a minority, I was always taught to work super hard. My parents set a really good example of hard work for my sister and me. My father worked his butt off through college to get himself an engineering degree, while my mother has worked two jobs as a nurse to make sure that my sister and I had opportunities they did not have growing up. I always bring that mindset when it comes to learning, performance, and presenting myself professionally as a musician.

TrunkSpace: And on the flip side of that, where are you the hardest on yourself as a musician?
Apollon: As for many other musicians, I can be a bit nit-picky when it comes to performance. I tend to beat myself up over mistakes that happen on stage, especially because I know I can do better. I’m still learning to be kinder to myself when that happens.

TrunkSpace: What approach do you take to marketing your music? Is it important to be flexible as the world of social media continues to change the way people connect to other people?
Apollon: This is something that I’m learning a load about now. I’m definitely on the newer side to this, but learning to market yourself as a musician is super important, and social media can be used as a really neat tool to make that happen. Though it does take me away from my instrument and increases my “screen time”, I wouldn’t be able to reach as many people as I do without social media. If you do it well, it is a neat way to be available at your fans’ fingertips or gain fans who aren’t able to make it to your show, which is a pretty cool thing.

TrunkSpace: Is there a particular artist/songwriter that you’d like to have your career mirror, at least in terms of success/notoriety?
Apollon: This is a super long list for me! Emily Elbert, Raul Midón, and Cyrille Aimée are the first three that come to my mind. I’m a HUGE fan of all three of these artists and love seeing what they are doing in the world.

TrunkSpace: What is more important… that you build a small base of loyal fans who admire the art you’re creating or a large scale fanbase who admires you, and in doing so, hone in on your music?
Apollon: I’m not sure one is more important than the other. I think that you kind of need both, especially when it comes to making a living a musician. But I do believe that building your fanbase is directly related to the quality of your work (tunes/craft/musicianship), your persistence, and the willingness to share your talents and when people start to see that in you, they will want to see where you go.

TrunkSpace: In your opinion, what is the most universal subject matter to write about… the thing that all listeners can relate to? Is it love? Is it something else?
Apollon: For sure it’s love. Not matter how different we all are from each other, love is the one thing we can look at all relate to each other… whether it is being in love romantically, the love of a parent or child, the heartbreak of love that is lost, the excitement of love that is new, the warmth of old love that continues to grow, the happiness of seeing love grow inside of other people, the need for more love, and so on… there are so many sides to love that we can relate to which turns in to ways that we can understand each other.

TrunkSpace: What else can fans of Louis Apollon look forward to for the rest of 2017?
Apollon: A whole lot!!! If you haven’t seen my music video that was released in May, you can check it out here. I’ll be releasing another single from the record next week of a tune called “Butterfly”, which is all about encouragement and being there for people who are going through rough times. I will also be playing a string of shows with my trio across New England and in New York leading up to my album release show on September 30^th at The Burren in Somerville, MA. I’m super pumped to share these things with everyone!

Fans of HBO’s “The Leftovers” will instantly recognize Jasmin Savoy Brown. As Evie Murphy in the critically-acclaimed series, she served as the centerpiece for the puzzling drama that captivated viewers throughout season 2 before a shocking fate befell her at the start of the third (and final) season. Now the Oregon native is going from a catalyst of mystery to a mysterious character as she looks to represent the historical legacy of the enigmatic Emilia Bassano, Shakespeare’s muse, in the new TNT series “Will.”

We recently sat down with Brown to discuss how the series is bringing theater to the screen, why Shakespeare is so timeless, and how she will always be grateful to “The Leftovers” and the doors it has opened.

TrunkSpace: Your new series “Will” is due out in a few days. As you gear up for that reveal to the world, what emotions are you going through?
Brown: I’m excited. I get a little bit numb right before something comes out. Maybe that’s a defense mechanism. I kind of check out of it and forget that it’s happening, even though I know that it’s happening and I’m promoting it all of the time. So yeah, I’m excited, but I’m also kind of not feeling anything. (Laughter) When you work so hard on something and then you put it out there and everyone judges it and can bash it, that’s really vulnerable.

TrunkSpace: Everyone has an opinion in the social media age! (Laughter)
Brown: Exactly!

TrunkSpace: With the shorter season orders that a lot of TV shows are working with now, it must make it feel a bit more like a film in terms of roll out because you’re done shooting by the time that it airs.
Brown: That’s true. We wrapped in March, so it’s been a minute. It was nice because the premiere was just a couple of days ago and the whole cast, the producers, writers, and directors met up in New York to have the premiere party. It was nice to see everyone and that made it more real.

TrunkSpace: So much of the content that’s being produced these days is often based on something else and a lot of that stuff is starting to feel the same. On the other hand, “Will” is obviously based on something else, but it feels wholly original at the same time.
Brown: Yeah. It’s interesting. It is really cool.

TrunkSpace: You have an extensive theater background. Did the series have an extra layer of interest for you, doing Shakespeare in this way, having worked on the stage so much in the past?
Brown: Absolutely. I thought it was really interesting that they would mold those together. You’re going to get to see theater and pieces of theatrical productions on screen. You don’t mix those two very often. It’s not just a recorded play, which is a whole different experience than watching it in a theater, but it’s theater on screen and for TV, so it’s this whole other weird genre. It’s really interesting.

TrunkSpace: In terms of wardrobes and set pieces, from what we’ve seen, that certainly helps give it that theatrical feel as well.
Brown: 100 percent. And I was spoiled. I got to wear some of the best costumes. She has some beautiful pieces and I was pretty spoiled in that sense.

TrunkSpace: Your character Emilia Bassano is Shakespeare’s muse, but how does “Will” present her to viewers?
Brown: Well, you see their relationship develop on screen, which is very cool. Apart from Will, Emilia is pretty mysterious. People don’t necessarily know what she’s about or who she is because every time we see her, we’re seeing different sides of her. She’s very much a chameleon. She takes the role of whatever she needs to play for whoever she is around in that moment. She has to be a mistress to the Lord in order to survive. She actually very much liked him, but at the same time she wants to do her own creative stuff. She’s just constantly changing depending on who she is around and it’s really interesting to watch.

TrunkSpace: So often creative endeavors start to feel stale and sort of frozen in the time that they were created, but Shakespeare is timeless. Why do you think that is?
Brown: It’s forever. I think because all of the themes he uses are just so human. Love, lust, war, family, sex, betrayal… all of those things are human things. And not that there’s anything wrong with aliens or a lot of technology, but that’s not timeless and not human, so to just look at human emotions and how we relate to one another, that will never expire.

TrunkSpace: In terms of performance, over the course of the first season, where were you the most surprised that you got to go with Emilia?
Brown: That’s a great question. Something that we’re taught or at least that is talked about a lot in acting is how much you hold back in the character. There’s so much going on inside, so much going on in your eyes, but you’re not actively showing it. You’re showing it by not showing it. All of these contradictions. And I feel like the stuff that I have done so far has been a lot more of showing my cards and Emilia can’t or she will die. She’s a woman in that period of time… she can’t just go around being herself all of the time. So having to hold so much back and be this incredibly intelligent, outspoken, progressive woman who is totally herself, but at the same time isn’t always showing who she is, is a beautiful contradiction that was challenging and I hadn’t done that before. It did stretch me and it was really rewarding and really fun.

TrunkSpace: Prior to going to that place with Emilia, did you have reservations that you could?
Brown: You know, I didn’t know anything. (Laughter) When I first booked it, I just knew that she was a real person and I had three pages of sides and I knew that I’d get to go to the UK. It wasn’t until I was on the plane flying there after I booked it that I got to actually read the script. So I had no idea. There wasn’t really a way to be nervous. Everything happened so fast. I booked the job, got on a plane on a Friday, and then I was shooting that Monday. I didn’t really have time to think about it, which was a good exercise for me because I tend to overthink.

TrunkSpace: Is that where you’re hardest on yourself as an actress?
Brown: Oh, 100 percent! And just as a human. I overthink things and I will be incredibly hard on myself. I’m working on that… just letting go and moving on and not lingering on things that took place a week ago.

TrunkSpace: When you booked “Will” it was a new show that had yet to establish a tone on set and a family within that world. How different is it coming into a new series as opposed to jumping in and doing a guest spot or reoccurring on a series that already is established and how does either reflect on performance in terms of comfort level?
Brown: Oooh. They’re so different and I love them both in different ways. Selfishly, and I would imagine most actors are like this, I want to do what I want to do because I prefer it this way. (Laughter) No one can tell me I’m wrong when no one knows what we’re doing, so we’re all figuring it out together and creating it together. It’s not so much about, “You’re wrong!” It’s, “Oh, that was interesting, but let’s try it this way.” That’s how I should think about it all of the time, but specifically on a new show that’s how it feels. There’s this excited creative energy that is just different from an established show.

TrunkSpace: And you’re all discovering your characters together at the same time.
Brown: Yeah. And that was one of the great things about this particular production. We had rehearsal and a lot of them, especially the cast in the first few episodes because they had a lot more time before they started shooting. It was a lot of rehearsing to just discover and explore our characters and who they are and how they fit together. I’ve never had that before. It just made the environment so much more supportive and creative and safe knowing that we were all figuring this out and rehearsing and discovering together.

TrunkSpace: “The Leftovers” has been praised for its final season. We’ve seen a number of outlets calling it one of the greatest series send offs of all time. How important was that show to you and your career?
Brown: Being a part of the show, in every single way… in my personal life, in my spiritual and emotional life, in my creative an artistic life, and my career trajectory, I will forever have nothing but praise and thanks to “The Leftovers.” I owe it so much because it gave me everything, including mentors in my life and great friends and different perspectives on acting. I really felt like it was a paid master class, like I was being paid to learn from the most brilliant people. That’s another scenario where I have to distance myself for awhile because in the midst of all of the buzz, I haven’t actually watched the final season. I watched the first episode at the premiere, but I haven’t watched any of the rest of it. I probably won’t for about six months because it’s just a little overwhelming. The reviews came out and everyone is praising it so much, and just knowing that that chapter’s over, I just can’t yet.

But I’ve heard that it’s really good! (Laughter)

“Will” premieres July 10 on TNT.

Featured Image By: Matt Darlington