As a die-hard fan of “What We Do in the Shadows,” I can’t help but feel a profound sense of admiration for the cast and crew who breathed life into this extraordinary show. The camaraderie, creativity, and resilience they displayed during the production of this masterpiece are truly inspiring.
At FX’s New York Comic Con panel, the cast and creators of “What We Do in the Shadows” gave a sneak peek into the upcoming season and reminisced about their cherished moments while working on the series.
After the unveiling of the first two episodes of the sixth and last season of the series, due to air on October 21st, the showrunner Paul Simms, writer Sarah Naftalis, Sam Johnson, along with cast members Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Harvey Guillén, and Mark Proksch, attended an event on Friday. Here they received video messages from famous supporters such as Jeff Bridges and Mark Hamill, and talked about what fans can anticipate as their beloved Staten Island vampires prepare to bid farewell.
Simms kicked off the conversation by expressing his viewpoint about concluding the series at this point in time, stating, “I believe it’s wiser to quit while we’re ahead, and it’s better to end things sooner rather than later. I don’t want us to linger so much that only a few people would be left in the audience.” He added, as the room erupted in applause, “Just look at how many people are here!” Later on, when answering questions from fans, he also assured them that the writers and actors had left no stone unturned, and managed to incorporate everything they intended to achieve by the series finale. “Everything we ever wanted to do is in season six,” he concluded.
writers Naftalis and Johnson hinted about the upcoming season, with Johnson playfully suggesting, “Expect murder, chaos… plenty of office-related events, which have been quite enjoyable.” He went on to say, “This is an excellent season. Prepare yourselves for a lot of happiness.
Guillén has hinted at some changes for Guillermo in the upcoming episodes of the series, saying, “It’s refreshing to see him stepping out from under the shadow of his buddy. He’s discovering himself and realizing that being a vampire is part of who he truly is. He’s trying to navigate the real world as an adult vampire, but alas, they won’t let him do it alone. He wants to be self-sufficient and independent, managing his own work and responsibilities, but things aren’t making that easy for him.
As the narratives of characters Laszlo and Colin increasingly intertwined throughout the show’s progression, Proksch remarked that the experience has been enjoyable. “They make an unusual pair, but such dynamics often result in humor,” he explained. “Our interactions are quite entertaining, and we’re genuinely having a good time. The scenes you see on the screen are a reflection of that enjoyment. The sets are truly spectacular, and when you get to perform in such captivating environments, it really simplifies the acting process.
When it comes to the characters, it’s intriguing since Lazslo clearly recalls raising him, but Colin can’t recall that. So, Colin spends the entire time wondering why this person still wants to be near him… because every century or so, doesn’t he go through a sort of rejuvenation?
Berry was discussing with Colin the vampire, his amusingly regenerating abilities that seem to be darkly humorous, and Proksch shared his preferred portrayal of playing a teenage Colin while he’s actually aging: “The writers find it oddly funny to see my exposed body, but apparently no one else does. They find it quite appealing. So any time I got to wear an outfit that was too revealing and act like a child, that was wonderful for me. I enjoyed it greatly.
Initially, we aimed to create a story reminiscent of Frankenstein’s, yet we wanted Laszlo to claim he has no familiarity with the tale. Simms added this intriguing detail. As for Colin and Laszlo in season two, our idea was to pair the grumpiest character with someone who thrives on annoying others. We found it amusing at first, but it’s evolved into a genuine grudging friendship now. Neither of them would openly acknowledge their closeness, but they are indeed close.
During a later discussion before answering fan questions, the cast and crew reminisced about what they’d most miss about the show. “Of course, I’ll miss working with the other actors, as the unique aspect of our mockumentary is its spontaneity,” Berry explained. “The speed and flexibility it offers, something I wasn’t fond of initially, is a rare luxury that you don’t often get in other productions.” Berry then added, “I’ll miss that freedom, but let’s be honest, the lack of attention to detail and proper procedures is something I won’t miss at all. What matters most is the end result.
Novak expressed that he’ll surely miss his team and performing as ‘Nandor’, adding a jest. He also mentioned, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be at Comic Con in Austin, Texas, so drop by if you’d like to catch up!’
Guillén expressed a heartfelt admiration for collaborating with the show’s actors, writers who possess an innate humor, as well as acknowledging the hard work of the crew. In my opinion, it is the crew that I will miss the most during this challenging period for the show. They played an instrumental role in its creation, even amidst extraordinary circumstances like a pandemic and travel restrictions. Despite these difficulties, they persisted in producing the show for our enjoyment, and I am grateful that we managed to do so.
Proksch remarked, “Over six seasons, you truly develop strong bonds with the cast and crew. However, the liberty we had on this show, the ability to improvise and contribute ideas about our characters, or for me, being given the chance to discuss random, trivial matters I’m fond of, is something I may never experience again. Being part of a series that I would have enjoyed watching, even if I wasn’t in it, is quite unusual today, particularly in comedy. I will surely miss this unique aspect.
Following this, the discussion shifted towards reminiscing about some of the actor’s and writer’s standout moments in their careers. During this, Berry shared insights into the origins of his iconic humorous lines, expressing to the NYCC audience, “It’s not something that’s deliberately planned out. In each scene, you’re essentially trying to reach the end while keeping yourself entertained too. You have to repeat these lines multiple times. It’s always a shock to me when certain lines resonate and I can’t foresee which ones will.
When he’s engaged in our writing process, there seems to be more opportunity for him to mention New York City, as Simms pointed out. Another noteworthy aspect of Matt is his ability to incorporate real-life scenarios into his scripts, like the scene last season where he had Guillermo complain about an upset stomach and casually asked Harvey to list Mexican dishes.
As a gamer, I’ve got to say, we played around with loads of variations of that particular game element, but here’s the kicker – Guillén handled every single one of those versions! You wouldn’t believe it, but each one was just as hilarious as the last.
In the heat of our gaming session, I couldn’t help but share some thrilling tales from the set. You see, I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in some jaw-dropping stunts on this series, and it’s all thanks to an exceptional stunt team who graciously showed me the ropes. Frankly, I feel a swell of pride because such opportunities aren’t commonplace in other projects I’ve worked on.
Speaking about Colin’s role, Proksch admitted that initially he was worried fans might dislike the character. “I was somewhat anxious in season one about becoming a character that people might hate,” he said. Fortunately, this concern eased as the character developed further. It’s hard to believe when you start a show and think, ‘This is going to be a crazy show. We won’t even get a second season.’ Then you get a second season, and you doubt there will be a third. But when fans start dressing up as your character for Halloween, it’s an extraordinary sensation that’s hard to fully grasp – it’s incredible how much they love the character!
Despite most panel members maintaining an optimistic tone, thanking each other for their collaboration on the series and the backing of numerous fans, emotional moments were triggered by surprise video messages from Bridges and Hamill. Hamill, in particular, expressed his shock but deep gratitude for the witty, underhanded humor of the show and the opportunity to be part of it. “I feel there’s still a lot of… vitality in this series,” he said. “But I’m thankful for what I’ve had. So thanks a bunch. Thanks for the memories.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-19 17:55