It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reloaded podcast last week.
Am I how would I describe a television set oh Man.
Action from a headline grabbing point of view? The hack producer for me says one hundred percent put him in. Thanks you, Mark, Welcome back guys to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris and on this podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television.
Yeah, great questions. The show's about the game.
There's a lot of great television out there in Australia.
But I've also got to go behind the scenes with writers. The truth is, when I started writing it, it wasn't had nothing to do with the news and casting agents they know from a casting point of view what they need, and editors because that's what we do as editors where storytellers. Not to forget some incredible executive producers who are making some of the best TV in Australia.
I have been on the program since the beginning and it's kind of in my DNA.
So thanks for joining me each week and I hope the podcast continues to give you real insight into the magic of television today. On the podcast, I have the two leads, both actors are Loadi Jung and Aidan Canto from Binga's latest big budget series, The Cleaning Lady. The series revolves around a highly intelligent Cambodian doctor living in the USA as a cleaner while waiting for medical treatment
to save her son. The female lead, played by Jung, witnesses a brutal murder that places her in a situation that is almost unimaginable as an audience, we see her negotiating with a high level criminal played by Canto and doing all that she can to stay in the USA and get the treatment that her son needs to stay alive. I have to say that this show is quite compelling from episode one, and for people who love suspenseful dramas,
this offers more than just that. It's a fantastic character piece with performances that will keep you watching right to the very end. Both the leads flourish and roles that will no doubt have them as household names. In years to come, we will discuss the need for more compelling dramas with a wider variety of international stories and culture, and also what it was like to work with Oliver Hudson, the son of Goldie Horn and brother of Kate Hudson. However,
let's get started with today's episode. I'd like to welcome a load of young and aidan canto to this week's episode of TV Reload.
It could have been completely a disaster.
Your son is sick.
I can to help him.
Sometimes it was really tough to finish up.
Why do you want me to work for you?
Because I like you?
They added this immigrant element. I was a doctor in the Philippines. My son needs the treatment or you want me to.
Me That's very compelling and I want I want to see that.
I'm sorry your visa it's expired. You mean turn to work a five year old boy.
Initially, maybe you know people could have a misconception and think his Hollywood royalty.
Hey guys, how are you good?
How are you doing?
Thank you Ben? How you doing?
I am doing so well. I just can't believe how good this show is. I watched four episodes. I binged it last night and it's so fantastic. So I just want to say congratulations on the cleaning lady. What an exciting project to be collaborating for the two of you. On Alodie, did the two of you have chemistry straight away.
Straight away, and it's kind of odd. It just it just happened, and you know when it happens, you're you're happy on set because it could have been completely a disaster. We've both talked about experiences in our careers where it didn't go quite that way, and then you can you kind of have to manufacture everything and really dig deep in your I don't know your imagination. I'm not for sale. I did what I did to stay a NiFe, but this is not who I am.
We have a doctor on call, doctor, sir Royan. I'm not someone who kept it up.
Now. You're clearly a woman who's used to commanding respect. That's what I'm offering you right now. Like you and I are both in the country.
That's not a wrong.
When not afforded the same privileges everybody else has when it comes to keeping you so in life, it's not about doing things the right way or the wrong way, but anyway you can.
With aiden, it was just so easy, an instant, instant, like we were just both laughing like kids, right.
I didn't.
Yeah, it was hard to uh, sometimes it was really tough to finish up. The crew hated us do you want to Yeah, it was. It was really funny. It was funny because sometimes it would happen. And and then also when we got in there, we got in there,
and that was awesome. You know. It's you don't experience it that much where uh, you know where I don't have to do, you know, at work of the imagination because she's in front of me, and she's living and breathing it, and and I don't need more than what she's giving me to buy into the situation and uh and and further take myself into it and be there with her. You know, it's I really appreciate with that.
Aiden, How would you describe the premise of this show when friends have asked you, you know what you're working on? How what's the best way to describe the themes of this show?
I think the most elemental, I guess conflict of the show is a desperate mother that has to overstay her visa in the United States, is doing whatever she can, anything that she can to save her son's life, and ends up involved in the criminal underground world in Las Vegas.
I don't need that kind of help.
Let me call me now, you think you're so smart? One phone call.
We won't make that.
Call because hiring us is it e goal, and turning us in only hurt yourself.
Hey, you think you're talking to me, I said of me to me, that's very compelling, and I want to see that. That's what I was excited about when they pitched the show to me. It was it's just such a different kind of of reality, just thrown into this underground world in Vegas.
It's crazy, well, Althodi. The series is based on an Argentinian TV series which ran in twenty seventeen. Did you watch that version before making this?
No, and I will. I haven't watched it yet, but it's just it's a it's a choice because I don't want to compare while i'm working to you know, I don't want to have a reference that's so vivid in my mind that I'm going to automatically compare myself. I just wanted to come fresh, new and be in the moment, be present, and then just bring my own truth to it. So I haven't watched it yet, but I'm really curious to see it. I know there's a Mexican version as well,
so it'd be great. Now that we've accomplished one season to see you know what there were doing with their world. I know that from talking with Miranda and Melissa, they added this immigrant element and the fact that Miranda wanted to have a Southeast Asian woman you know, represented also on screen.
What if it was your son, I'm sorry, but anyone who can't comply with all protocols is ineligible.
Well, if you read again that paper work, you'll see that I'm a doctor and one of the busiest medical centers in Maneupa.
Of course we'll compete.
You're in illegal.
We can't risk your son being deported before the fifty two week trial period is over.
Now, if you'll.
Excuse me, Institute of Simpson Medicine talking about this storyline is new, but yeah, I will watch it.
Yeah, I will watch to compem now that we've done it.
Iiden. Do you think that with streaming platforms now that we're allowed to tell more niche stories?
You know?
I think it's an interesting way that you put the question out that we're allowed to I think that there was a maybe, uh something that wasn't discovered yet, and this is a really cool thing that that streaming is doing. From for example, what you do you have a podcasts right, and podcast world is exploding because the long form, you know, interviews are gold. You know, It's it's hard to lie if I'm sitting with you in the mic in front of me talking for an hour. You know, I can try,
but people are gonna smell it. And eventually I think it's it's the market is a lot more truthful, right, you can. You can put out different kinds of stories out there and and get a true response from the market now with streaming, and I think that's what's going on right now, right because I don't know about you know, the rest of the world, but certainly I have an
interest to, you know, to explore worlds and realities. I haven't experienced person you know, I've never been to Cambo with Yeah, I've never been to the Philippines, and I've never been to many many parts of the world. But when you throw it all in this environment, in this kind of ecosystem, and that's one of the beautiful things as an actor. You get to do a lot of research on things otherwise you wouldn't have had to, and it expands your knowledge of the world and history and
all this. And anyway, I'm sorry, I'm rambling. But you know, to your point, I don't know about you know aloud. I just think it's great that we have this new reality that's expanding right now with you know, a market that's that's very accurate and responsive to what you put out.
Well, yeah, I think at the same time, when you tell people about the premise of this, it does seem a little out of the box, like something we haven't seen before. And some of these characters as well, with their culture and their heritage, that's opening the audience's minds. That's kind of what I meant. It's great to see different stories being told about different paper from different parts
of the world, and in such an amazing way. I mean, this is such a big budget action suspense thriller, Like, it's just so amazing. One of the questions I wanted to ask you both though, is you know, starring alongside Oliver Hudson, you know, who is the son of Goldie Horn and brother of Kate Hudson. Did you get a chance to ask him about what it's like to be part of such a successful acting family.
You know, I think Oliver is such you don't even have to ask him about anything. Oliver doesn't have any filters, and he would just like tell who we would tell you everything about anything. So you went to Sammy'spirthday party after all solid advice.
You're a very wise woman, which is why I'm surprised that you're still playing games with me. We both know that you're not telling me everything. Tell me.
But what I did appreciate about Oliver is that initially, maybe you know, people could have a misconception and think his Hollywood royalty. But let me tell you that this man, this actor, is the most humble I've ever met in terms of he is so given and present when we're in scenes. He doesn't have any ego, and he doesn't think of himself of belonging to some you know, something that is sperior to anything anybody else. So I really appreciated that. And I know that they have such a
strong bond. You know, him and his mother and everyone in his family. They're very tight. I know that his mom wanted to come, but I think because of COVID it was not possible. So but they are very supportive, I know from each other from what he is.
What a distraction though you know you don't tell mom to come to the set when you're set up.
Can you imagine like my mom would have come and set and nobody would have would not have been a distraction at all. But yeah, in another story.
Aiden, I watched the first few episodes last night, as I said a little bit earlier, and I'm just so hooked. You know, what were your reactions to reading the source material, reading the scripts? Did you immediately think that this would just be a lot of fun to make?
Yeah, I mean it's Uh. I was excited to go in there and and uh and find the substance behind the situations that he was going through. And because there there is there is a lot of substance. You know. Sometimes we'd shoot three page scenes, four page scenes and and uh, we'd really go there. There's a few that Eliti and I had in particular where there was just so many peaks and valleys, like four scenes in one and and that's fantastic, but you know, you really have
to base it on a solid foundation. And uh, and also come on like you have action. You know, you you're and beating people up and they make me look so strong. It's crazy not strong, I have to say that's it is my aim to be strong. But but you know, I did get a lot of help and and uh, it was a lot of fun to do.
That's something as you know, as a kid, I've always loved that, and I grew up shooting weapons with my father, you know, and responsibly, you know, all these knowledge on all these things, and it was a really beautiful situation to, you know, to be able to do that.
Watching it with my partner last night, as soon as you turned up on the screen, I said to my partner, he's a good looking man, isn't he? And then my partner said, what about her? She's beautiful, So you know, it's a nice compliment for the two of you. But my last question that I have to ask you before you go, because we're on such a tight time frame, is a question I ask everyone on my podcast, and that is, what's an amazing story from behind the scenes of making this that we as an audience.
Well on screen, you know, I know that for Tony, you're going to see a lot of she's heartbroken and she cries a lot off scene. I would just laugh a lot. It was just I've never had a filming like this where you know, we had such a good connection that it was sometimes when they needed to say, okay, guys, you're you're ready, can we do it?
I don't know.
Yeah, that was and then you'd slip back into crying, you.
Know, because you know it was so have you. I needed to do this. I know I needed to do this because otherwise you get a little depressed and crazy. So you you take five seconds and you have a good laugh and and then you're you're back fresh, you know, and then you can go deeper in the what it is to fight for your for your son.
One hundred percent. Well, I just want to say that, you know, with all that we've been through in the world with covid uh and television has become so important for a bit of escapism away from you know, what we've all been going through. And this is show. I hope people give it a shot and watch it because it is fantastic and I think you both are brilliant in this show. So thank you so much for taking the time to have a chat on TV reload here in Australia, and good luck with the show. It was
so good. Can I just say I review a lot of shows, so, like you know, sometimes you tune in and you could watch something and you're like, oh, this this is a dog of a show, where we were still sitting there last night at one thirty in the morning, watching, watching the show and thoroughly enjoying it.
Oh, thank you so much, Ben, thank you, this is great.
Well, I'm glad. I'm glad, and I feel so creepy for saying how beautiful you both are. But look, it's nice.
I take it. I don't feel this way every day, so I take the compliment.
Thank you.