Interviews

Interview: Mid-Century Modern creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick on evolutionary comedy and ensemble casting

After changing the way network television viewed queer comedy with their revolutionary sitcom Will & Grace, creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are set to alter the landscape of the streaming space with Mid-Century Modern, a classic multi-cam comedy series about old friends, new roommates and chosen family. Executive produced by Ryan Murphy, directed by…

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Interview: Matt Moran on fusing food and celebrity recollections in his new show Memory Bites with Matt Moran

We all have a “memory bite” – a dish that unlocks a treasure trove of memories and reminds us that food is a gateway to the stories and emotions that shape who we are. In the brand-new series Memory Bites with Matt Moran, the iconic chef and restaurateur transports beloved famous faces back to pivotal moments in…

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Interview: Director Geremy Jasper on his 20-years in the making rock opera O’Dessa; “I always build characters through music and sounds and lyrics.”

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa is an original rock opera about a farm girl (Sadie Sink) on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom.  Her journey leads her to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love – but in order to save his soul, she must put…

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Interview: Luke Cook on new series Good Cop/Bad Cop, the power of social media, and finding inspiration through The Terminator

Good Cop/Bad Cop follows Lou and Henry, a sister and brother detective team in a small Pacific Northwest police force who must contend with colourful residents, a serious lack of resources, and their very complicated dynamic with each other and their police chief, Big Hank – who happens to be their father. A social media…

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Interview: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon and director Nicholas Stoller on You’re Cordially Invited; “For a movie to be funny, it needs to be honest.”

For the first time in their careers (bar a Saturday Night Live appearance), Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon have joined forces for some wedding hijinks in the new comedy You’re Cordially Invited. When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, chaos ensues as the father of the bride (Ferrell)…

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Interview: Amy Adams on the important conversations surrounding her film Nightbitch; “I think if we validated the idea of parenthood as a very important job, that’s going to elevate humanity.”

Based on Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed novel, Nightbitch tells of an artist who pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mother.  Seeking a new chapter in her life, she encounters just that when her nightly routine takes a surreal turn and her maternal instincts begin to manifest in canine form. Brought to life to screen by…

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Interview: Jennifer Lopez and the cast of Unstoppable on embodying their real-life counterparts for inspiring true-story drama

Inspired by the true story of athlete Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg but whose unbreakable resolve empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his dreams, Unstoppable is an inspiring drama that speaks to the strength of one’s indomitable spirit. As the film arrives to motivate audiences across the world with its…

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Interview: Travis Fimmel and the cast and creators of Black Snow Season 2; “I think there’s a greater future for productions in Australia.”

What happened to Zoe Jacobs? In the returning season of Black Snow, Detective Cormack (Travis Fimmel) tackles two separate missing persons cases. One is professional, as he investigates the disappearance of Zoe Jacobs (Jana McKinnon), who disappeared from her own 21st birthday party in 2003. And the other is personal, as Cormack searches desperately for…

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Interview: Felicity Ward on the new Australian series of The Office, her character’s secret sauce, and removing the stigma around mental health

New office. New Aussie boss. The hotly-anticipated Australian Original comedy series is the thirteenth version of the global hit juggernaut franchise The Office and has the first-ever female lead in the iconic role, comedian and actor Felicity Ward. In the eight part series, Hannah Howard (Ward) is the managing director of packaging company Flinley Craddick….

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Interview: Radha Mitchell, Jesse Spencer and Linh Dan Pham on their new series Last Days of the Space Age; “It’s a different time and different place, and hopefully it resonates.”

1979. It’s the end of an era, and everything is about to change. A global beauty pageant is converging on a small town, and for three families, the drama unfolding on the world stage is nothing compared to what they’re going through. Tony and Judy are married and sit on opposite sides of an ugly…

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Interview: Charlotte George and Miriam Glaser on their dark comedy short series Buried; “It’s challenging that idea of “the perfect mother” and really flipping it on its head.”

A five-part short form black comedy series presented by Screen Australia, Buried is a mum-noir comedy thriller created and written by Miriam Glaser & Charlotte George, directed by George, produced by Fran Derham and starring Glaser as Abi, a single mum who accidentally kills a stranger on her morning school run.  With this violent incident,…

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Interview: Celia Pacquola on the return of Thank God You’re Here; “Everyone accepts that what they are about to do is brave and silly and very scary, and none of us want to do it.”

After a 14 year hiatus, Australian improv series Thank God You’re Here was rejuvenated in 2023 for a whole new generation to bask in the unpredictable comedy stylings of some of Australia’s (and the world’s) most loved comedians. Hosted by national treasure Celia Pacquola, the series is back in 2024 for a brand new round…

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Interview: Jennifer Lopez and director Dave Meyers on the superstar’s passion project This Is Me…Now: A Love Story

This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Jennifer Lopez. Alongside director Dave Meyers, Jennifer has created a narrative-driven cinematic odyssey, steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing. Dropping in tandem with her first studio album in a decade, this genre-bending Amazon original showcases her journey to love through her own…

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Interview: Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton and the cast of the Netflix adaptation at the Brisbane red carpet premiere

A lost father, a mute brother, a recovering addict mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather, and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. Eli Bell is just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to become a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way. Based on Brisbane author Trent…

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Interview: Ben Miller on the new series of famed crime drama Professor T.

Quickly rising to fame as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller in the late 90s alongside fellow English talent Alexander Armstrong, Ben Miller has amassed a plethora of famed and acclaimed credits, including the Johnny English films, Paddington 2, and as Lord Featherington in Bridgerton. Currently on our screens in Professor T….

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Interview: Alex Bain on what she’s learned as the Prime Video Buff, streaming recommendations, and her goals moving forward

The last time Peter Gray spoke with Alex Bain, the Queensland-born film fan had secured the job of her (and, let’s face it, mostly everyone else’s) dreams; that of the Prime Video Buff. Working under the Prime Video Australia banner, Bain was the voice of recommendation and reason as she took over their social media…

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Interview: The cast and creators of Stan’s thrilling new Australian crime series Black Snow

The biggest challenge with cold cases is finding out who people were back then. Who killed Isabel Baker? Such is the logline for Stan Australia’s thrilling new limited series, Black Snow.  In 1994,  seventeen-year-old Isabel Baker was murdered. The crime shocked the small town of Ashford and devastated Isabel’s Australian South Sea Islander community. The…

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Interview: Alex Bain on becoming the Prime Video Buff; “I can’t be authentic about something if I don’t love something.”

Following a nation-wide search, Prime Video Australia have secured their “Buff”. Queensland-born Alex Bain has secured the illustrious Prime Video couch for the next three months, where she will be the streaming service’s voice of recommendations and reason – all the while being paid $40,000. As she settles into her first month of catalogue shuffling,…

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Interview: Hushidar Kharas, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand, on searching for “the Prime Video Buff”

Australians are obsessed with content, with new research from Prime Video Australia revealing the average Australian has watched 67 movies and TV series this year alone. With tens of thousands of titles to choose from on Prime Video, choosing what to watch can be hard. And let’s be honest, sometimes you just want to leave…

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Interview: Casting director Jill Anthony Thomas on assembling Apple TV+ series Loot; “My favourite thing is finding and fostering new talent”

As casting director Jill Anthony Thomas states herself, those involved in the casting process are “the unsung heroes of the industry”.  Actors aren’t always handed a role.  And two performers on paper doesn’t equate to them working well in person.  So, thank the movie and television Gods that we have people like Jill to steer…

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Interview: Queer For Fear producer Bryan Fuller on uncovering the history of queer subtext within the horror genre

From its literary origins with queer authors Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde to the pansy craze of the 1920s that influenced Universal Monsters and Hitchcock; from the “lavender scare” alien invasion films of the mid-20th century to the AIDS obsessed bloodletting of 80s vampire films; through genre-bending horrors from a new generation of queer creators; Queer for Fear re-examines genre stories through a queer lens, seeing them not as violent, murderous…

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Interview: Zahn McClarnon on the importance of Native representation in his new series Dark Winds

Executive produced by George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford, Dark Winds is set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, and follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) of the Tribal Police as he is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. The closer Leaphorn digs to the truth, the more he…

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Interview: The cast of The Boys on the “messed up” third season at Prime Video’s exclusive fan screening

The Boys hasn’t had to do much to announce itself as the dirty, profane, narcissistic, misogynistic, black sheep of the comic book world…but it doesn’t mean it won’t keep on trying. Following its three-episode premiere on Prime Video on June 3rd, cast members Jack Quaid (Hughie), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Chace Crawford (The Deep), Karen…

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Interview: 61st Street star Tosin Cole on finding the truth in his character and the show’s topical relevance

Streaming on AMC+, 61st Street is a propulsive thriller coursing through the dark heart of the infamous Chicago criminal justice system as police and prosecutors investigate a deadly drug bust that threatens to unravel the police department’s code of silence. To coincide with the show streaming, Peter Gray spoke with star Tosin Cole, discussing the…

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Interview: Dominic Cooper on playing a villain in That Dirty Black Bag and injecting his own essence into a vile character

Streaming on AMC+, That Dirty Black Bag is a raw, epic and romantic eight-part series about the dark side of the Far West.  Starring Douglas Booth as bounty hunter Red Bill and Dominic Cooper as the savage Sheriff McCoy, the series follows their eight-day clash as blood, bullets and bodies fly in the wake of…

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Interview: Comedienne Emma Zammit on Waltzing Jimeoin; “He was the reason I wanted to do stand-up”

After 30 years of doing comedy all around Australia, famed comedian Jimeoin is finally embarking on a tour on his own terms.  With his new program Waltzing Jimeoin (screening now on the Ten network), the loveable larrikin is surrounding himself with some of the industry’s funniest performers and performing stand-up wherever the roads of Australia…

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Interview: Rosehaven‘s Celia Pacquola on the final season and embracing being a “nice” comedian

It’s never easy to say goodbye, and Australian comedians Celia Pacquola and Luke McGregor are making sure the sentiment is felt even more so as they debut the final season of Rosehaven. The number one comedy show across all ABC for 2020, the fifth and final season of Rosehaven premiered last night on the ABC…

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Interview: Natalie Holt on composing Loki and pushing the Marvel sound in a new direction

As fans across the globe gear up for the anticipated final episode of Loki this week, Disney put our own Peter Gray in touch with the show’s lauded composer, Natalie Holt. After expressing his appreciation for her contribution to the Paddington score, Peter and Natalie discussed the audition process in securing her role, if any…

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Interview: RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under winner Kita Mean on snatching the crown and learning about herself

You’re a winner, baby! The anticipated first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under has sashayed away but not before crowning its rightful winner – New Zealand drag queen, Kita Mean. Along with the crown, Kita Mean secured herself a one year’s supply of Revolutions Beauty Cosmetics and a cash prize of $30,000. Having victoriously…

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Interview: Melanie Bracewell on Season 3 of Wellington Paranormal and how no idea is ever too crazy to pitch

As season 3 of Wellington Paranormal arrives on screens (February 24th at 8:30pm on SBS VICELAND), we chatted with writer and producer (and all around funny girl) Melanie Bracewell to discuss the process of pitching outlines for such a show and how no idea is ever too crazy. The episodes I caught were hilarious, I…

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