Welcome to the show . My name is Alex and I have a special guest with me , samantha Brown , and I'm going to say your character's name wrong . I always want to say Sokka because I'm a big Star Wars fan , but Acosta . I know it's Acosta and it drives me nuts because I always want to . I probably said it in the lives . But welcome to the show .
Thank you so much for taking the time .
Thank you for having me . I watch all of your videos , so I am very excited to chat .
You're still lying , I know .
I do . We talk a lot .
You know what I have to say , starting off , when I heard that you were on the season , I reached out to you and you could not have been any nicer .
I'm just saying I know that you probably get a lot of requests , especially since you're part of this larger frumily and you have been nothing but absolutely very communicative and just sweet to me in the podcast . So I just want to thank you because I know we wanted to get you on earlier and you're like no , alex , we need to get you on later .
So we have something to talk about . So , first off , congratulations on the gig . I was looking through your IMDB and you've been a working actor for a while now , huh . Yeah , it's taken a while , but from what I understand and please correct me if I'm wrong , because I'm usually wrong you went from sports to the boardroom , to the casting room , so to speak .
Is that fair to say ?
That is fair to say . Yeah , I always wanted to be an actor . It just seemed so impal , so I never really told anyone . That was my dream and I took the traditional path in life .
I went to university and I got a corporate job , and two years in I said to myself I hate this so much , and it taught me that there's a difference between being able to do something and wanting to do something . And so I was good at what I was doing . I just didn't want to be doing it and so I just quit .
I left it all behind , and now I'm talking to you .
I'm so glad you did , because it would have been a shame to not see you on the screen .
Thank you , I agree .
Of course you have been in some of my favorite shows and before we get into all that because that's a whole separate podcast what was your take when you realized one ? How did you get the job ? But , like all of a sudden , I'm going head to head with Harold .
Okay , so there's a lot to unpack there .
I .
I had heard about the show . It was on my to watch list . My friends and family kept telling me to watch it , and so it was like up next for me . I think I was watching succession , and then I was going to watch from , and then I got this audition and it's all it said was Rookie Cop , recurring on From , and I was like , oh , this would be awesome .
Of course I'm not going to get this . It's always the one you really want , you're never going to get . And so I threw myself on tape , I sent it in and then I got a callback episode , I thought , oh my God , I am hooked on the show . It is amazing .
I'm now going to be devastated if I don't get it .
So I'm happy that it swung my way . I didn't know I'd be working with Harold Perrineau as much as I get to do on the show , so that was a blessing . But yeah , you're nervous , you're excited , you're anxious .
There's a whole whirlwind of emotions that go on with it especially been on a couple of shows where you have had to come in as the new person and whether it's what to do in the shadows or I can't even think of the other chucky , and all the stuff that you've done . How is that as an actor ?
Hard , but knowing that you're going to be stucking around for a little bit . It seems like the cast is this pot . This network is started with the walking dead and I have the feeling that the walking dead and um from have the same type of thing where it really from a Lee family . It's really about keeping everybody happy and you're one unit .
It's like you against the world , kind of stuff . How is the welcoming from you , from the cast ?
Yeah . So , first off , I personally hate joining a show after it's been on for a while , just because you always or for me , I'll speak for myself I always feel like the new kid on the block . You always feel like people are going to be like what are you going to bring to the table ? Right , exactly , and you feel that way .
But the one good thing about it is that you have material to watch so you can see the vibe of the show . You can understand the style and what's going on , so that helps inform your own performance . But in terms of the cast , everyone was so welcoming , so kind , never treated me like I was the new girl .
We had a cast dinner where I got to meet everyone and I look back and I thank God for that dinner , because it's such an ensemble cast that if your character doesn't interact with any other character on the show , you could never interact with that actor the entire time you're filming for .
Exactly .
So and then also I thought there's so many actors that I don't want to get to set . Every time before I have a big scene and then be meeting these actors for the first time , there's always that sort of introduction that you have to go through . So I'm glad that I went to that dinner because I got to meet everyone .
They were so nice , it made me feel comfortable and then I could just focus on the work .
I know it seemed like you just got thrown . In terms of the way you came into the show . What was your training ? In terms of the way you came into the show , what was your training ?
in terms of have you ever played a cop before ? I've played a lot of roles that require a firearm . So , especially like when I was on why the Last man , we had extensive training for firearms for film and television , so I knew about handling that situation , but I've never played a police officer before .
So I did do a lot of research in terms of the Academy and your training and what it's like to be a rookie cop , what they're allowed to do , what they're not allowed to do , and I was told very little by the creative team , as a lot of the actors on the show are , which I've now loved in a way .
But what I did do was say , okay , she's a rookie cop and she's from Maine . What does that mean ? Maine is one of the lowest crime States in America , especially in terms of violent crime . She's from Camden , maine . The population is , I think it's 5,200 people or something .
Everybody knows everybody .
So everybody knows everybody . She's probably never seen a dead body in her life . She's never pulled her gun in the field in a real life situation , aside from training . So that alone tells you so much about her and why she's doing what she's doing .
I know there's a lot of negative tone towards what happened in the last .
I can only imagine .
And you know something . I know I'm going to go out on a limb . They're all full of crap because they have no idea what the heck is going on . And I'm going to tell you I'm an EMT , I volunteer all this other stuff , whatever else and I know a lot of police officers .
That makes me not knowledgeable in any way by that is , the first role of a police officer is to never get your gun taken away from you . The second rule is you always have something behind you . You'll know what's behind you . And what really makes me so angry as a fan is they gave you so much crap for shooting Nikki . First off , nikki deserved to die .
I don't care what anybody says . You don't mess with anybody in the bathroom . Okay , you don't mess with anyone in the bathroom , but when you shot quote unquote Nikki , you were looking at an effing monster .
Right , a lot of people think she aimed for Nikki , but nope , it was a monster that she shot at .
Between you and I . I know you were because the whole bathroom incident , but we know you were aiming for that monster . Yes , and I get that and see . But that's what really bothers me is because and what I love about it is the passion that people have for this type of stuff , but at the same time , it's like are you kidding me ?
Now , we've been asking this of all the actors and this relates to what your time as a police officer , and I guess I didn't realize that you were a rookie cop . I just thought you were just a cop . Yeah , it makes more sense now watching the show and being part of this season , which could not be any darker than it could be .
Do you believe , like love is the Achilles heel for the survivors ?
That's a good question . I would say hope right , because I think the whole , if you don't , if you are not hopeful that you can get out , you're going to stop trying , and I think we're seeing that over the course of the season . So I think it's . I think it's hope . I think a lot of what's going on in the show comes down to hope .
People losing hope , people trying to instill hope in others do you think that's why tilly got killed ?
was because she was being hopeful towards fatima at that point and then , or whatever's inside of her killed her ?
I . I think that tilly , the , the main reason that she was killed , is because it's just further trying to break Boyd , because now Boyd you're going to see , it's obvious he's going to be put in a situation of what do I do ? This is my daughter .
I get it .
Right ? So I do think . But again , that's to break Boyd's hope , right ? If you don't have hope to get out , then you're not going to try anymore . And that's what I hope Acosta brings to the table is a new energetic vigor of hope to get out . I don't know how long she'll have that hope for . I hope that she holds onto it forever .
I think that when you went to the Boyd Sheriff's Station , I think two wrongs don't make a right . There was no right in that that , but it was right that you went in there . But I think boyd was , has been totally and utterly out of line . It's not himself .
If you had came in one season before , or even season one , this would have been a completely different thing . I guess my my question is when you are playing Ahsoka I keep saying it , sorry , fans , and I'm not editing it I'm sorry .
And for those of you that are listening , I think I'm speaking to Samantha Brown when you were in that moment , what are you thinking about this place ? Because nothing is making sense and I'm not talking about you .
We're going to talk about when you talk to Kenny , but , like when you're talking to Boyd , what is going through your mind and how did you play that ?
So the scene with Boyd . So I'll separate the two scenes , like you said . So the scene with Boyd is it's so much more than the gun to her . So it is the gun , but it's . I came into this town this is how I'm justifying the writing , right . I came into this town , I made a mistake . I saw two of my friends' throats get slashed .
There are these now supernatural creatures that I'm supposed to believe in . I was physically attacked by Boyd and Colony House I am not allowed to speak and was humiliated in the town meeting when I was trying to defend Tabitha , who I made a mistake in that situation as well .
I then tried to come into your office and be a team player and show remorse and try to give ideas and try to move forward and work together . And you've now taken my weapon . So every single scene of hers up until this point she has been beaten down and people could agree with that . People could not agree with that .
But from her perspective , that's how she feels she's still . It's like you said you can have two things can exist at once .
She can have made these dire mistakes , but then she can also be , you know , being a little bit misunderstood in the town , and so I think when she goes to get her gun back from Boyd , she's thinking I have to teach these people that I can't be walked all over on . If I do not stand up for myself , I am dead here because I have no .
I have no friends .
I don't know . You're in the midst of sleep . I don't think at this point .
Right , no . And I think when I hear people say oh , why does she want her gun back ? The guns obviously don't work . Are you kidding me ? Of course she wants her gun back because she doesn't know one . If there are other creatures that are out there that the guns work on , she doesn't know .
She also wants it to protect herself from humans , because she doesn't know if Nikki's got a boyfriend who's going to come and attack her and seek revenge . She doesn't know if Jim is mad that she handcuffed his wife and left .
She just wants that gun for protection and also to stand up to Boyd and say you cannot continue to treat me like this , because then she's literally going to die in this town .
All I'm going to say is it sounds like you've had to answer that question . A lot I have , I have . I'm sorry .
It's just . That's how I justified it in my mind .
No , they're so wrong . And it's because people don't understand how police officers work . And I'm not trying to be funny and I'm sorry that I'm going on this because a friend of mine told me not that people need to know this . I teach CPR on first aid for a living , so I know a lot of cops and all this .
You want to make sure the scene's safe , you want to do all this other stuff , but when a police officer pulls somebody over , they check themselves , they make sure everything is where they're supposed to be . And you do know the EMTs , you do know all this other kind of stuff .
And I know I'm going into this because maybe it's a little too personal to me , because , as much as it's frumily , it's also that whole fraternity of police , fire , ems type of stuff . And yeah , you did the dumbest things you could possibly do , but you didn't know what the rules were .
And then you go and see Kenny and God love Ricky because he I don't know how he stays his pot . He seems like he's a very positive guy , and all this outside of this because we've interviewed him and whatever else . But the poor guy has been beaten down and I just love the conversation between you and him , and especially it being in the diner .
Could you just talk about that scene , because it was so special and he needs a friend that scene because it was so special and he needs a friend .
Yeah , I love that scene . It would . It encompassed so many things to me , so one it was . If you really zoom out and look at acosta's experience so far as to what we've said , she's gone through . She's murdered someone . I can't even wrap my mind around what that would feel like to be the cause of someone's death .
I even had a hard time processing it when we were filming it . She saw her friends die . She's in this supernatural situation . People hate her here and this is the very first time she's able to just talk to someone about it . That would take years of therapy to unravel and this is the first time that you see her .
Just let it all out and you see the scene heightens right to the end . And this is the first time that you see her . Just let it all out and you see the scene heightens right to the end . And I love the sort of outburst that she has because she's trying to talk to Kenny .
She's trying to get information and stay logical using the left side of her brain and figure this out and then , as she starts to feel more and more helpless , she starts to unravel and get almost like a feral animal because she just doesn't know how to process this . And I think you know a police officer is .
Their job is to protect and serve and be of service and to help . And I think the singular term that a police officer would not want to feel ever is helpless , because you want to help others . So I think in that moment that whole scene to me was oh my God , this is the first time she's ever felt helpless and that she can literally do nothing .
And I think that if kenny offered her a beer instead of tea , I think the scene would have went differently , because I don't think she's a tea girl that's regardless , but I understand what you're saying .
I know exactly what you're saying now . Do you think there could ever be a love interest between those two ?
I think there could be . Yeah , I think they have a lot of similarities . I also think that they're very different , which I know for me , like people that I'm attracted to , sometimes , like I like that sort of difference . So , yeah , I could see it going that way right now .
God knows , Kenny needs something because he's just , he's just . It's like you just want to give him a big hug . Now there's another theory out there that I'd love your opinion on , which I know you're like , oh God , rolling your eyes . I didn't even think of this when everybody's like going crazy online about this that you're the long lost daughter of Donna .
Oh , you haven't heard that one . No , we just asked Liz Saunders that , because we interviewed her and she's not . To my knowledge and from your face , either you're a really good actress or you just have no clue what I'm talking about .
I think it's both . I'm a really good actress and I don't know what you're talking about .
Do we have any backstory more than what you've just said that you can share with us ?
No .
That's it . Could you be a little less vague , because I gotta tell you , people are just waiting for you to tell us all this stuff , because the only three people that watch this podcast will won't say anything . Now , I know that John likes to keep everything very close to the vest .
I know Jack has done a lot of the directing , but I noticed in the last couple of episodes you had a different director . Yeah , bruce McDonald . Okay , how was that ? When you're dealing with those three kind of heads of state , how do you negotiate as an actress ? You've got John , you've got Jack , and then you've got other , wasn't it Alexis as well ?
Yeah , Alexandra yeah .
Alexandra , I'm sorry . Yeah , I'm saying how do you juggle all that as an actor , Because you're trying to keep your job and try to please everyone .
Yeah , that's a a really great question . I think that's one of the challenges that I find in television is that you do have different directors over the course of a season and so , coming on to the show , even my callback was with jack . So I felt very comfortable with jack . I like the way that jack works .
He is very specific and he knows what he wants and he's no bullshit and he'll tell it to you , and I'm very much like that too . So you get used to working that way . And then different directors come in and they have different ways of working , which there's no right and wrong . Just like acting , there's never a right or wrong .
It's just a different sort of vibe . But I think that creates a challenge for an actor but also makes you very flexible . Like back to what you're saying , like I grew up playing sports and there were always team sports , so I'm used to working with different people , different ways and processes of working , so I find that to be okay . But yeah , it's different .
It's even those directors right , like they're still trying to figure out their work on the show and how it can fit in and to meet Jack's vision . So , yeah , it's all very dynamic .
What was the hardest part of being in part of From ? Was it the effects ? Or was it because , like I said , this is a pretty dark season ? Taking the normal actor issues that you have , it just seems like there could have been some .
these are some hard scenes that you're doing yeah , I think the hardest was the action stuff that I had to film and just because it always happens to me that my hardest scenes are always the first day of my shooting schedule , always , or like the big dialogue scenes , like the scene with Kenny in the diner that was the first day of that block , like I don't
have the the least time to prepare . It just works that way . But I would say , yeah , the action stuff . Just because it's winter , it's dark , it's cold , I'm still getting to know everyone . You also don't know when you show up on a set . Am I allowed to improvise a little bit ? Do I have to be word perfect , like ?
And so having to learn the way that they work on my biggest scene on my first day , that was probably the biggest challenge .
Now , were you allowed to go off script , or is Jack slash John more read what you're told .
Not off script , like for me , I'll speak . I don't know , about Harold and people that are wild . Like I didn't ever want to like to push those waters because I was new . But no , for me I wasn't creating new dialogue . Some directors it's like word perfect , punctuation , perfect . They're not like that at all .
If you , if something doesn't feel natural to you , you could change the inflection on it and stuff like that . But no . I wasn't creating like new lines .
Now we have the murder and you go into cop mode and I love how you talk to Boyd , because you're talking to him as an adult and he's responding as a kid because he looks so flustered and scared and this is your wheelhouse .
Can you just talk about that whole moment slash scene , because I think it's really important to the viewers to understand what happened there .
Are you talking about episode eight or like when in ?
the green house . When you're talking , I believe it's 308 . When you're talking to him about having the investigation , you're in the shed . Oh yes , that whole scene yeah .
So I love that scene , even though it's I love every scene , but even though it's very short , because we see episode seven , their confrontation , and , yeah , she acted a little bit immature , she acted a little bit out of pocket and she was as , as we said , she felt backed into a corner and she was trying to stick up for herself .
And so we have that now , when this murder happens , I love that she's able to just put that bullshit to the side and focus on what she's good at doing , which is this , and I love . You know , when she turns to him and she's are we good ?
She's basically saying , I think , like they're both saying to each other I don't like you , I don't like you , I don't like you , but for the sake of this , let's figure this out . And so I think it just shows that she can . What I love about this show is that the characters are so nuanced . Like you can be , um , two things at the same time .
You can be a little bit bratty and immature , but still very good at your job . You can be brave , brave but still scared . So I like that . You see a different layer to her , like , oh okay , she's not just this overdramatic crazy woman who wants her gun back on a power trip .
Oh , she actually now can focus on this and figure this out , so I love that scene .
I really do believe that and again , I know I'm hard-pressed . The whole immaturity thing is bull in a sense . People forget where they came from , right Meaning . Everybody was in the situation that you were in and I said this on the podcast . What does Colony House do with people when they come to Fromm ? They tie them up for 24 hours .
You need to get 24 hours to process it and you're getting screamed at by everybody . 24 hours to process it and you're getting screamed at by everybody . And I love the fact that you're you know you acclimated and that you and Kenny can work together to figure out what's going on . I think that was important .
I also I'm a little again , I'm going to talk on both sides of my mouth I was a little taken aback the way you reacted to the whole Sarah thing , not because I would have probably reacted the same way , but at the same time it's like wait , what just happened ? She did what and whatever else , but you didn't even know she existed .
And , of course , sarah is like I got my own problems with Victor over here and you guys are like going to get the pitchforks for me and I haven't seen anybody in days because I haven't been that long , so I just find it all . I don't know where the question is and all that , I just yeah yeah what you're saying .
And obviously , from her perspective , she doesn't know who sarah is , she doesn't know about these voices , so she just hears someone say oh yeah , didn't this person like , because you have to remember , kenny just told acosta that his parents have passed .
I know .
Wow . So now the next episode is oh yeah , the girl that killed your parents , and she's like what ?
Right .
Why are they out walking around ? Let's go find this girl . So yeah , it's all chaos .
I'm trying to find the questions that we had a couple of viewers ask . And what was your favorite episode ?
Oh , I love episode four , like tabitha's re-entry into from . I think it's awesome . I think the adrenaline in that episode from start to finish is incredible and I love the finale . I think whatever people expect the finale to be , it will surpass your expectations are we going to get some answers ?
Yes , what I love about the finale is that you're not going to get the finite answer , because then the show would be I get that right , but a lot of people have a couple different theories swirling in their mind .
You will , it will cut the fat on that and it will hone in on one lane my , my take is I hope that they answer the question of why , regardless of them getting out , I just want like , why , why is this collection of people ?
Again , I know you're not going to answer that , which I don't want you to , because I want to see it , because we go week to week . We do not watch the whole season , so I don't have a clue what's going on . Okay , so I literally when I say I don't know it's , I don't know . Yeah , does Acosta get her bullets back ever in this season ?
And are you allowed to say no , I'm not allowed to say .
Okay , that's fine , that's fine , but let me say that she was wondering this the entire time also , so good .
And that's fine , jerk . No , of course you can't say how do you identify in any way with your character ?
I love that question . I do and I don't , which . I love that . I think Acosta right now is misunderstood and people will see that she is a good person . She doesn't . She's not on some power trip , she doesn't have this big ego . She's trying to take up space in a place where she feels alone . And I like to view myself as a genuinely good person .
Where Acosta and I differ is , you know , I feel like police officers and you would know this from what you said also is like if you're a front of the line worker , you have to put on a mask when you're at work right and shut off your emotions . And you are the logical calming force in arguably the most chaotic situations in people's lives .
And so I'm not able to do that . Like I , I'm way too emotional . You can read on my face how I'm feeling . It would be very hard for me to be a police officer and show up to a very heightened emotional situation and remain calm . So we differ in that way . Okay , she's a good poker player , me , I get a poker hand .
I'm like , oh , that's a good hand .
Exactly , exactly . It's been so like such a dynamic in this season and so sad , and it just doesn't seem like there's a light at the end of the tunnel . And if it was a train , everything is happening . You know , what can we expect from her in the rest of the season ?
You will .
What I love about the writing on this show and what I tried to do and I think you will see it come across is every time you see her on screen , you will see a different side to her , and if you spliced all of her scenes back to back , you would start to see the waves of her entire personality , because we are all so much more than just one thing .
Can you explain yourself with one adjective ? Of course not , and if you could , that would be weird . So I'm excited to . Over the course of the season , you start to see different sides to her and she levels out and you'll see different textures to her and I'm so excited about . We don't know if I live or die .
You can't say anything , but I think , with the way that the writing has gone , you really don't know what's going to happen to her . Could she team up with Boyd and start as enemies and as friends type situation ? Will she go off and do her own thing ?
She's in a really interesting spot right now where it could go so many different ways and that's so exciting as an actor .
Right ? No , I think it's a great thing and I'm hoping that you get to go to the next season and I hope that you survive at least this season finale . I know from what we've seen and what we've analyzed everybody has a purpose in this place , like the EMTs . Their purpose was to get you to from . That's all they were supposed to do .
Your purpose was we don't know yet right you have this or maybe it was to kill nikki , maybe , but because of the bathroom issue .
Yeah , no , but I , you . It has to be something more than that obvious . Yeah , and I why ? As a viewer of show , since you had to binge it before you came . What do you think of this whole from ? What is your take and what would your friends or family say when they're watching it ? They're like what is going on here ?
Yeah . So it's hard for me to share my exact theory because I don't know more than the audience does , but right now I do , just because I know what happens , I understand . So that clouds it . But I will say that what I love about the show is how it's so open for all of these series .
Like I'll sit and have dinner with my cousin and she'll tell me a theory she has and I'm like that could work , that makes sense . And then I'll go to dinner with a friend and they'll tell me a complete opposite theory and I'm like you know what ?
That also makes sense and that's what I think is keeping the show alive too , and so engaging for viewers is you can have all these different theories and they all make sense . So it will be very shocking once you get the actual finite answer . But that's a testament to great writing , right ?
Because imagine you have the show and everyone's like I know exactly what it is to great writing , right , because imagine you have the show and everyone's like I know exactly what it is and they're right .
Then you'd be like shit . I love when people watch the episode and the first words out of their mouth are like oh , it was the worst episode , or was this . I'm like , first off , it's only 10 episodes . Every episode can't be solving mysteries , solving mysteries . And secondly , you got to look at everything . I think people are .
We're so used to getting everything binged , everything so quick . My podcast partner , lizzie , always said it's a puzzle show and I didn't understand what that meant until I started podcasting on this particular show . And she believes every single thing has a meaning , to the point that it's almost it drives me nuts Like you .
Flicking your hair has a meaning , kind of thing . I give a crap about it all the time , but I just I really hope that we do get a couple more answers . I know we get some answers about the rope . That was a wacky scene which I think will be very interesting to see how that plays out .
Yeah , You'll get a lot . You'll get a lot of answers .
The whole bottle tree . There's a whole lore on bottle trees before the show .
Right .
I don't know if you knew that or not .
Yeah , I've been told that .
Yeah , yeah , years ago they would have , they would capture , told that , yeah , in the show has a bottle tree and it was just so ironic and I'm like , oh my god , I just find it really fascinating how the , how , john and the rest of the writers are really pulling from everything who were , who was like your buddies during filming , because I know you're like in
the middle of snow , and nova scotia , because nova scotia in the winter is just the place to be .
Right , Everyone was so welcoming , but I would say the people that it was , Ricky and Kortian and Harold . The three of them always kept me in the know with what was going on socially , inviting me out . I'm a homebody and especially when it's cold I don't go anywhere . But they were always like no , you're coming , let's go .
We would do escape rooms , movies , go to restaurants . So I spent a lot of time with the three of them .
Oh , that's awesome .
Yeah , oh , alexa , thank you so much . You are so very welcome , okay .
I didn't know we had a special guest . I'm so glad that our special guest showed up . She's trying to steal the moment . Alexa , I know you're on Amazon Prime and all , but that's a little ridiculous . Come on , girl , Just to put a bow on just this one part . I just think you're killing it , literally and figuratively .
I just think it's so amazing how they brought you in . You have such an ambiguous kind of story and the theories have been going nuts . I don't know if you've actually been on a lot of the stuff . They think you're awful , they think that you're a rookie and you deserve to go in the box .
I know you probably had that question Should you go in the box or should you be ? No ?
I don't know about you , but I don't believe in the box , because that is murder Like first degree , that the person is going to die . I do believe , or I think for Acosta , she believes that there has to be some sort of rule and order and consequence to what you do , because then it would just be chaos .
You'll actually see that play out over the course of the season , Like when she's there and people are doing things you know . She knows what's right and wrong and the outside world and what's moral and immoral , and she's trying to bring that into from where it might not work . It's like a what do they say ?
A square peg in a round hole , right Like she's trying to make the real world fit into from but , is met with resistance . So no , I don't think the box , but like maybe a jail cell or some type of situation or a house and everybody goes in that house that has done something wrong .
But no box and everybody goes in that house that has done something wrong , but no walks .
How has the season two new cast members indoctrinated you ? Because they came into a pretty tight-knit group and now , all of a sudden , they're not the new guy finally . So between you and how awesome was that .
Yeah , oh my God , Robert Joy is amazing and I spent a lot of time with him on set because we had the seat , the episodes three and four , the ambulance stuff . But yeah , I can't wait till I'm no longer the new kid , if that ever happens . But the season two newbies were so great because I think they realized that they came onto the show as newbies .
But there were so many of them so you can rely on each other in a way until you get acclimated . But even the first time that I was filming I was alone . Robert Joy wasn't there at that point yet , just in terms of shooting schedule . So I think they took that into consideration and really overcompensated and got me in .
That's awesome . And again we're speaking with Samantha Brown and she's giving out all the secrets for the finale and all the other scenes . Yeah , exactly . So I did want to talk about a couple of the other shows that you were on , because I am still disappointed about why the Last man ? Oh gosh , I'm sorry .
No , I agree , it was such a heartbreak that was the first conversation we had .
Yes , I was just like dude , that was such a great show , yeah , and I just I'm so sad that they did what they did and so quickly .
I don't know if I was told I think they canceled it or they announced the cancellation after the third episode . They still aired the remaining episodes , but . I believe it was the fastest cancellation in FX history .
At the time and I remember oh my God , I will never forget this I went to LA for my cousin's wedding and it was when the show was airing , and so the Amazons , one of the characters that I played , didn't come in , I think , until the third or fourth episode .
But when I went to California for this wedding for my cousin , all my family was there and they were like we're watching the show , we're so excited for your episode of when you come on , blah , blah , blah .
And then when I flew home , I was at the airport in Los Angeles , flying home to Toronto , and I get an email from the showrunner being like the show was canceled . And I was devastated , of course , but also just mortified because I had just spent all this time with my family having them watch this show . And then now it was in the news .
It was an interesting concept and I your storylines not just you , but the whole .
Yeah crazy .
So it just goes to show you that we're all crazy . It doesn't matter man , woman , whatever it just we're all . When we are up against the wall , crazy things can happen , and I do think I don't know .
Of course , we'll never know the exact reason why it was canceled . What I've been told is we shot that during COVID .
Right .
So , like the PPE costs and the budget of that show was astronomical .
Was it because of the cast members so many ? I ?
think it was just like the scale right . It's like the army trucks and the location . It was so expensive and then on top of COVID , so I think , just in terms of streaming and like getting an ROI on it , I think that may have had something at play , as we've seen with From .
Which I love about this show is like that MGM and Epex , when it was a thing , really gave this show time to marinate and I'm new season three , but I'm sure that all the creatives and actors behind this show feel so fulfilled and grateful that they just gave it time . And now you've seen the exponential growth in the show .
You just have to let it simmer for a bit .
Let the show . I will say they've put a lot of money into this show this year . The FX are crazy Out of this world . Fx guy Patrick , patrick Baxter , yeah , yeah , what he's done this year . We got one or two monsters in the last two seasons . This year they're pulling off even in your opening scene .
Yeah , but I didn't realize as an actor . When I showed up I had no idea . I'm like , is there going to be a green screen ? Are we going to act opposite tennis balls on sticks ? And I turn and I'm in holding and there's just a monster drinking a coffee and I'm like , holy shit , like it , like the level of detail .
And you appreciate that so much as an actor because you don't have to imagine anything , it's all there .
In some of the scenes and I'm thinking I think it might've been you , but I'm not really sure it could not have been you . It was with the Matthews . They were in the house and that looked real , but the behind . When they were in the house , and that looked real , but the behind when they were talking , it looked like it was green screen .
I I don't know , is that common or is that something that ?
so some of the , so the whole town is built , which you've right , right , but some of the interiors are in studio , so that could have been a scene that they shot in the studio and then they put a green screen in front of the window to to simulate nighttime or whatever it is yeah , it makes sense yeah , but in terms of the monsters , everything that you see
in the final version of the show is what we as the actors see . You just don't see the obviously the transition from when they go from human face to you . That cgi . But yeah , when you're doing that kind of stuff , how scary is that my first day was really scary but I loved that because it just fed the scene , because it'd be to me .
It'd be so difficult to just be out in the woods at night and for jack bender to be like , look at that tree and be scared . I know that's our job as an actor to do that , I know right he can just be like look at this creature and be .
And then I think what people don't realize is , even when you're shooting that whole colony house , when she's running up the hill like there's no , there's no air being coming out of that gun , there's no pressure , there's no sound , you are just miming it .
And okay I feel like an idiot when you're filming it because you're just like doing this and so then , to see it in the final edit right . All come together with the music and the sound and the sparks effect looks a lot better .
I didn't realize . You guys don't use blanks or anything .
No , for why the Last man we did , but I think since yeah , we're not going to talk about it . Exactly so . This is the right way to do it , but as an actor you just have to adjust to that new way .
I didn't want to squeeze that one particular incident in , but you brought it up . So no , but it is . That's just . It's a safety issue and you have to do that . Yeah , so why ? The Last man was a short-lived . You were part of the cast and then you've done a couple of other stints in some of the stuff that a lot of our listeners listen to .
How was your experience on Chucky ?
Oh my God , incredible .
Just like to work with Don mancini like right and to create a chucky , and I didn't even know when I booked that that in the terms of the story I was the first chucky kill because it was like a flashback to I forget his name charles the , the man that is the spirit in right , yeah , no , I know , it was like a flashback to like him in the 80s and like
why he became obsessed with killing , and so I was basically like his first kill , which I didn't know , but that was so great , like chucky is known worldwide , and to work with that team it was awesome , awesome are you in personally ?
are you into the horror stuff or ?
I watch a little bit of horror . Now I'm coming on to it more , but in terms of work , the darker the better .
I also have been finding with horror what I love is to me it's like an umbrella genre , because you can have horror but then you can have love elements , you can have adventure , you can have comedic elements , and so I really think that you can stretch yourself as an actor in this genre because it's not especially with from .
It's like it's not just jump scares , like no , it is .
There's a lot of sci-fi horror .
describing from as a sci-fi horror to me , I understand , but it doesn't do it justice . It's so much more than that .
No , I totally understand . Now let's get to the one that I love the most , and I and I know it's an ensemble and I only , I know you only were only on one episode , but what to do in the shadows ? Oh my God , how are they ? Please just tell me , they're as awesome as they seem .
They're amazing . Like they like there are legend comedians on that show . Right . They are so kind , so funny . There's a difference between someone being nice to you on set , just like hello , nice to meet you , versus actors coming up to you even though you're a day player and being like so what's your story , where are you from ?
You want to go , uh , to craft together and have a coffee , like they go out of their way to just genuinely want to get to know you , and I think it really speaks to how well that show is , because , to me , comedy you have to feel comfortable . You have to feel comfortable to be able to explore and try things and whatever doesn't land .
If you're scared on a comedy set , you are dead in the water . Right . Because you're not exploring different options and choices . To be funny . So yeah , they know what they're doing there .
I mean just so the viewers know what was your episode , what was your role .
It's a very small role . I auditioned for a . This is actually a funny story . I auditioned for a larger role and it was to be a weather reporter throughout the entire episode reporting on a huge flood , and it was hilarious .
And for the audition I got all dressed up in like a reporter outfit suit and then I got in my shower and I drenched myself in water because I thought it'd be funny that she's reporting on this , and so I guess they loved it so much .
But the role went to an American and so they wrote me a smaller part to be the weather girl , like in the studio , performing in front of the green screen . And that was surreal , because weather reporters in real life there's just a green screen . And that was surreal because weather reporters in real life there's just a green screen . And you have to point .
Right right .
So Florida , and so I had to learn . I remember I was up all night the night before like practicing because I didn't know what it would be like on set , so it was fun to film .
Yeah , now it's just . It's so neat to get the behind the scenes . We've had bob man on a couple of times . Uh , do you know bob at all ? Yes , he is the mayor of halifax .
I I say that because he like knows everybody , it seems like , and we had him on and he's only had two scenes on the on from , but he gave us such great insight and now we have him on every oh okay , we pre-game him and then we do a post game wrap up . He doesn't know anything more than we do . It's just that .
He's just a great guy and we love to have him on . Yeah , so what else do you have going on in terms of stuff coming up ? Do you have anything ?
I have a couple of things that I haven't nailed . They're not nailed down confirmed yet , so I can't tell them yet , but I will say that this entire journey on From it feels like two different experiences .
It's one was making it and now the release of it and the press and talking to people and fan theories , and so it's my first time doing all these interviews and press stuff and it honestly feels like a full time job just during the run of From . So this has been a great experience for me me more than I thought there would be happening .
I'm going to tell you right now I think it was a great , it was a great addition to you have you on , and I hope that I can see why they have your character on because of what Boyd is going through , unfortunately , as as awful as your choices were , you're the only sense of normalcy that they need .
She's going to call it out .
She's going to call it out . And again , I want to thank you for at least listening to my messages when you , when we first started , because you never know . No , and so I have to ask what was your sport back in the day ?
Oh basketball .
Guard .
So I started as a power forward because I was always a top five eight now but I was always the tallest girl . But then once I got into high school and more competitive and played rep , I was the shortest because some of these girls are six feet . I agree to a shooting guard .
And how far did you end up going ?
So I went . I basically could have gone collegiate and played in college , but I booked at the time this Disney show called Splat a lot . It was like this is I don't know if you've ever seen the show Wipeout .
It was basically an obstacle course , but this one was for kids and so I booked that the first year that I was in university and so I was like I really want to be an actor , like I need to take this .
So first year that I was in university and so I was like I really want to be an actor , Like I need to take this . So that was my break off from basketball and into arts .
That's awesome . And then you just saw oh is that ?
Alexa ? Yeah , she had her moment again . She had to do that .
I just realized I forgot to , and I know I don't want to keep you too long , but I know you were on a little show called the Sinner and I know it was only one episode again , but the only thing you weren't on that you should have been on , but the only reason you weren't is because you were in Toronto , being from New Jersey and New York .
Everybody's on Law Order . So if you were on Law Order then of course . Now how is that going on in terms of again , it's the same type of vibe with Chucky , and from what did you learn from that experience ?
So the Sinner . I was on the third season and I was obsessed with that show , Like I watched the first season . I watched the second season . My boyfriend and I . We would always talk about it . We loved it .
And when I got the audition for it for season three , I was like , because I'm a Canadian actor , I didn't know that the third season was being filmed in Canada . So I got the audition I was like I'm never going to get this this is a joke like I will never get this .
And I auditioned and two days later they wanted me on the show and I was filming why the Last man ? At the time and the dates conflicted and I was like , to my age , I was like you got to figure this out because I have to be on this show .
And so they made it work and my scene was with Bill Pullman like the lead of the show and Francis Fisher from the Titanic and it was a great . It opens my demo now . It's some of my best work personally and I'm a very harsh critic of myself , so for me to say that it's a lot , but I just I love that scene .
You're just with two heavyweights there and I just I loved it . I learned so much that day . It was a career highlight 100% .
I'm so glad that when you get to meet the people that you admire and want to work with and all that , it's exactly like it should be . And I'm gonna say this you guys have all been . This whole cast has been the same way with us . We've been really lucky . We've interviewed just about all the cast and this is all we do is this show .
So it's not like we do other shows , and I just want to again thank you so much and you know what to add to that sorry .
One more thing . What you were saying is when I auditioned for the show from and then I I got the callback . It was with Jack Bender and a lot of the times when you do a callback you're doing the scenes multiple times . They want to see if you can stretch yourself .
But the majority of my call with him was getting to know each other and now , looking back , I get it Like as much as they want you to be talented of course you wouldn't be at the callback .
You , they already know that you can do the job , but they really are making sure that the people that are on this show are as kind as you just said they are , and this was the longest I've been away from my home filming a show and you really realize that , like you really want to like the people that you work with , because none of us are from halifax ,
so we only have each other out there . So I can't imagine like I was homesick . I loved filming there , but you get homesick , you miss the comforts of your home , you miss your family . So I can't even imagine being out there and not enjoying the cast would be an awful experience . So we're all incredibly lucky .
But that's the creative team cherry picking people .
They know what they're doing and that's the key to a good team . Like you from sports and whatever else , so I'm assuming you're a Raptors fan .
Yeah , oh , my gosh yeah .
Hey , I'm a Knicks fan and it's the only time we can actually be happy for once , Because it's been as miserable as being a I'm assuming you're a Maple Leafs fan . Yes . So and it's just been like , oh God , one of these days these guys are going to figure it out .
They are . They have figured it out before and they will figure it out again Exactly .
That's why the last time they had a championship was in my first year of being born but that's a whole nother being a Knicks fan . So there's always hope , there's always hope , there's always hope . But , sam , samantha , thank you so much for your time and folks . If you have any other questions , please leave them in the comments .
If you like what we're doing , please subscribe , do all those wonderful things . You can even get one of these wonderful From Elise shirts , which I know Sam was going to get one right now .
I love that .
I know we have a Season 1 poster . We're going to be doing a Season 2 poster . I don't know if you saw those on our Instagram . We have one . We can't put you in season one yet , we can't put you in season two yet , but I promise we're going to be doing a season three poster , hopefully by .
It's just a matter of getting it all done , yeah , so , folks , the bell is ringing , so we better go home . Get you home , let's go . Come on , get in your house , let's go , come on , get in your house , let's go , come on .