For Dayo Okeniyi, playing the different versions of Leighton Vance in Dark Matter Season 2 became more personal than he initially expected.

When I spoke with Okeniyi about the new season of the Apple TV series, we started with something admittedly much lighter: the opening of Episode 2 sent me straight to my phone to find “Callin’ Out” by Lyrics Born.

But Episode 2 also gives viewers a deeper look at different versions of Leighton, and as Okeniyi explained, some of what we’re seeing this season grew out of conversations that became surprisingly personal.

Toward the end of Season 1, as the possibility of another season began to emerge, Okeniyi sat down with members of the creative team for what initially seemed like a casual dinner.

Then the questions started. Where was he from? How connected was he to his Nigerian culture? What were his parents’ names?

When Okeniyi eventually began reading the new scripts, he realized why they had been asking. Leighton’s parents were named Ezekiel and Elizabeth Vance—the real names of Okeniyi’s parents.

“They would glean things from my real life to add to the show,” Okeniyi told me.

That collaboration went considerably deeper.

Okeniyi’s father is Nigerian and his mother is Kenyan, and the creative team began exploring what a version of Leighton shaped more directly by Nigerian culture might look like. One variant even views the Box through an almost religious lens, with Okeniyi explaining that the name used for the character derives from Yoruba, his own language, and means “teacher.”

For Okeniyi, that specificity mattered. Rather than simply treating Leighton as “the Black guy” in the story, he wanted the character’s background to reflect the enormous range of experiences contained within Black identity.

“There’s just so much to what it is to be a Black person,” Okeniyi said.

That becomes particularly interesting when combined with another defining element of Leighton’s identity: his wealth.

Leighton isn’t simply a Black man. He’s a Black billionaire, an only child born into extraordinary privilege who has inherited the responsibility of maintaining his family’s company and legacy.

Okeniyi sees an inherent loneliness in that.

Who can Leighton trust? Who can genuinely understand the pressure he carries? And who can he allow into his life without wondering whether that person wants something from him?

That isolation helps explain why the Box becomes so appealing. If Leighton can’t find someone in his own world who truly understands him, perhaps another version of himself can.

“It only makes sense that he would use the Box to go and find other versions of himself,” Okeniyi explained.

Okeniyi also found something personally relatable in Leighton’s isolation. He recalled coming to America and attending school in Indiana, where he was the only Black student in his graduating class and later one of only a handful of Black students in college.

Those experiences gave the Dark Matter team another piece of Okeniyi’s own life from which to build.

And according to Okeniyi, the show’s creative team followed through.

“They didn’t just talk the talk, they walked the walk,” he said of the promises made to him ahead of Season 2.

But Leighton’s search isn’t only about finding someone who understands him.

He’s also looking for something much bigger: A perfect world.

Okeniyi believes Leighton genuinely wants to create one. But his motivations aren’t entirely altruistic.

Comparing Leighton to real-world billionaire technology founders who speak about changing the world while sometimes overlooking the consequences of their creations, Okeniyi suggested that Leighton will eventually have to confront the personal motivations behind his own ambition.

Viewers will begin learning more about those motivations as the season continues.

“There is a selfish nature,” Okeniyi teased, though not one driven by financial gain. “It’s more personal than that.”

And that may ultimately be one of Leighton’s biggest challenges this season.

New episodes of Dark Matter Season 2 stream Fridays on Apple TV.

Watch my full conversation with Dayo Okeniyi above and follow The Buzz for more television and film interviews.

The post Dayo Okeniyi on Bringing His Nigerian Roots to Leighton Vance in Dark Matter Season 2 first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

After the extraordinary success of Baby Reindeer, Richard Gadd could have taken a moment to rest. Instead, the morning after finishing the series, he was already returning to a story that had stayed with him for years.

I recently caught up with Gadd again following our conversation at Televerse, where we spoke about the series Half Man, a project whose origins predate Baby Reindeer. Gadd began developing the story years earlier, and even as Baby Reindeer consumed his attention, Half Man never completely left his thoughts.

“I just kept thinking of it, and I thought that was a good sign,” Gadd told me.

Throughout his work on Baby Reindeer, he found himself thinking about the earlier script, its ambition and what it could ultimately become. By the time Baby Reindeer was finished, interest in Half Man had emerged from the BBC and HBO, giving Gadd an opportunity to finally bring the project to the screen.

But his decision to return wasn’t simply driven by outside interest. It was something he felt creatively compelled to finish.

“If I don’t think about that idea for four years being away from it, then that’s got to be a good sign,” he explained.

There wasn’t much downtime between projects, either.

“Literally, the next day, 8 a.m., I got up after finishing Baby Reindeer and then got to work.”

Considering everything that would ultimately happen with Baby Reindeer, I wondered whether there was ever a moment when Gadd considered leaving Half Man behind and simply seeing what opportunities came his way.

For him, that was never really an option.

“I didn’t want to rest on my laurels, and I still don’t want to rest on my laurels,” Gadd said. “I want to get better, and I want to keep challenging myself by doing new and interesting things.”

He described Half Man as not only the project he wanted to make, but the project that felt like the natural next step in his development as a creator.

“There was no question in my mind that I wanted to do this next, and I wanted to do it next right away.”

That desire to keep moving forward comes as Gadd prepares for another trip to the Emmy Awards. But despite his success, the magnitude of attending television’s biggest night hasn’t become ordinary to him.

Gadd reflected on growing up in a tiny town in Scotland where, as he described it, there wasn’t much to do. Going from there to attending the Emmys remains almost surreal.

“I look at it with pride because it shows hard work and dedication,” he said.

At his previous Emmy experience, Gadd found himself surrounded by artists whose work he had admired for years, including Steve Martin and Jodie Foster. Rather than treating the ceremony simply as an awards show, he tried to absorb the entire experience—the speeches, the people and the realization that he was witnessing some of the biggest moments of other artists’ lives.

For someone who once watched those performers from afar, suddenly sharing the room with them carried enormous meaning.

“It felt so big and glamorous, and just a really exciting evening,” Gadd recalled.

He went into that night without expectations. What followed became something he’ll never forget.

“Probably the greatest night of my life.”

As Gadd heads toward another Emmy celebration and prepares to celebrate for Half Man, he’s still looking forward rather than settling into what he’s already accomplished.

Perhaps that’s why a project he first began years ago survived everything that happened in between. Even while Baby Reindeer changed his career, Gadd couldn’t stop thinking about the story he’d left waiting for him.

Listen to the full exchange with Richard Gadd by clicking on the player above.

The post Richard Gadd Finished ‘Baby Reindeer.’ The Next Morning, He Went Back to ‘Half Man’ first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

Opening credits can do more than tell you who made the show. At their best, they can transport you into another world before the story even begins.

During Televerse, I caught up with BigStar EVP Carson Hood and Creative Director Doug Appleton to talk about the art behind opening titles, the importance of understanding a passionate fanbase and why nostalgia can be such a powerful creative tool.

Of course, Carson nearly ended our conversation before it started.

“Go Cowboys,” he said.

As an Eagles fan, there was only one appropriate response: “This interview’s done, guys.”

Thankfully, we recovered — and somehow, the football rivalry provided the perfect segue into the conversation.

Carson Hood: Capturing Attention — and Earning Trust

When I asked Hood how a title sequence attracts an audience’s attention, his answer was simple: do it “quick and fast.”

“You need to really wow an audience coming out of the gate,” Hood explained.

That challenge becomes even greater when working with an established property like Marvel, where generations of fans already have strong connections to its characters and stories.

“You can’t be a poser,” Hood said. “The fans know.”

That led us into a conversation about X-Men ’97 and the decision to embrace elements audiences remember from X-Men: The Animated Series, including its instantly recognizable theme.

For me, hearing that music again immediately brought back memories of watching the original series. Hood pointed out that this type of nostalgia can do something especially important when creatives are working with beloved intellectual property: earn the audience’s trust.

“When they see it, they’re immediately transported back to their bedroom or their living room,” Hood said.

We also discussed Professor Xavier’s appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Before Sir Patrick Stewart’s Professor X is fully revealed, familiar notes associated with the animated X-Men theme can be heard.

For fans who grew up with that series, the connection was immediate.

Hood said moments like that demonstrate the delicate balance required when handling characters that mean so much to audiences. Respecting those connections can establish trust quickly — but maintaining that trust requires understanding the material.

Doug Appleton: Putting the Audience Into the World

My conversation with BigStar Creative Director Doug Appleton began with a slightly different creative dilemma: what exactly are you supposed to do with your hands when someone clips a microphone onto you?

After solving that mystery, we quickly discovered something else we had in common: a love of opening credits.

Appleton agreed that X-Men ’97 provides a great example of how important an established title sequence can become to a show’s identity.

“If you wanna have a show called X-Men ’97 that is a continuation, you can’t change that,” he said.

Our conversation returned to Professor X’s appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Without that familiar musical connection, Appleton said seeing Sir Patrick Stewart would certainly still be exciting. But the music transforms the moment.

“It wouldn’t be, ‘It’s Professor X.’”

That distinction gets at something larger about title design and music: they can become part of how audiences identify a character, television series or film.

So what makes an opening sequence truly work?

“I think an opening sequence should really tell you what the show is about,” Appleton explained.

That doesn’t necessarily mean literally explaining the story. Instead, the sequence should establish a feeling and prepare viewers for the world they’re entering.

Appleton used Game of Thrones as an example. Someone might have been doing dishes or chasing their children around moments earlier, but once that unmistakable music begins and those visuals appear, the audience is transported.

“You’re immediately in the right mindset,” he said.

From Total Recall to James Bond

Naturally, once two people who love opening titles start talking about them, picking favorites becomes inevitable.

Appleton selected the original Total Recall title sequence as one of his favorites, pointing to the simplicity of its glowing red lettering and the way the sequence slowly draws the viewer in.

My choice took us into another iconic franchise: James Bond.

The Bond films demonstrate just how deeply a title sequence can become embedded into the identity of a franchise. The music, imagery and presentation aren’t simply credits preceding the movie. They’re part of the experience audiences expect.

As Appleton put it, you can’t really have a Bond movie without that signature title sequence.

Without it, “it would just be another action movie.”

And maybe that’s the best argument for why opening titles still matter.

Whether it’s the first notes of an X-Men theme transporting someone back to childhood, the Game of Thrones sequence preparing viewers to enter Westeros or a Bond opening signaling that another 007 adventure has officially begun, great title design does something much bigger than display names on a screen.

It tells us where we’re going.

And sometimes, before a character speaks a single word, it reminds us exactly why we wanted to return.

Watch the full interview with Carson Hood and Doug Appleton by clicking the player above.

The post Inside the Art of the Opening Title: BigStar’s Carson Hood and Doug Appleton Talk Marvel, Nostalgia and Capturing an Audience first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

Podcasting being recognized on one of entertainment’s biggest stages matters. For a medium that has spent years fighting to be viewed alongside television, film, radio and other established forms of entertainment, seeing a podcast receive a Golden Globe is significant.

But as the category returns for the 2027 Golden Globes, I find myself asking the same question I asked when the process was first introduced:

Who exactly is this award designed to recognize?

Because once again, podcasters cannot simply submit their work for consideration.

Instead, Luminate will determine a list of 25 podcasts eligible to enter the competition. That means before Golden Globes voters hear an episode, consider an interview, evaluate storytelling, examine production or experience what makes a particular podcast special, most of the podcasting industry has already been eliminated.

And that’s where I have a problem.

Popularity Shouldn’t Be the Price of Admission

I understand why the Golden Globes needs eligibility standards.

There are millions of podcasts. Obviously, Golden Globes voters cannot listen to every one of them. There has to be a system that determines eligibility and eventually narrows the field.

But there is an enormous difference between establishing eligibility requirements and using commercial success as the gatekeeper for artistic consideration.

Metrics such as audience reach, downloads, streams, subscribers, chart performance, revenue, editorial placement and cross-platform presence can tell us a lot about the commercial success and popularity of a podcast. They cannot necessarily tell us whether it is one of the best podcasts.

A podcast reaching millions of listeners can be exceptional. A podcast reaching thousands can also be exceptional. The size of the audience shouldn’t determine whether the second podcast is even allowed to compete against the first.

Popularity can be a factor in an award. It shouldn’t be the price of admission.

Then There’s the Money

The financial component makes the barrier even harder to ignore.

The process has included a $500 entry fee and an additional $5,000 associated with the reel submission for those advancing through the process.

Think about what that means for independent podcasting.

We’re not simply talking about whether an independent creator can produce work worthy of recognition. We’re talking about whether that creator can first become commercially large enough to enter the conversation and then have the financial resources necessary to remain in it.

For a major podcast network or entertainment company, those expenses may be part of an awards campaign budget. For an independent podcaster financing a show personally? Thousands of dollars can represent equipment, hosting, travel, production expenses, marketing and months of operating costs.

At that point, we’re no longer discussing one barrier. We’re discussing several.

You need the audience, visibility, money, and also be someone the show believes will be in the room.

Are We Honoring Podcasts or Producing a Television Moment?

The Golden Globes is a television show. They want nominees sitting at tables and capturing reactions. They want winners walking onto a stage and accepting a Golden Globe.

I get it. That’s the appeal of an awards show. But it raises a question that I think the podcasting industry should be willing to ask:

Is the goal to create the best podcast award possible, or the podcast category that works best for a Golden Globes telecast?

If attendance becomes part of determining who can realistically participate, we’re moving even further away from judging the podcast itself.

Whether a creator can attend the Golden Globes has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of their podcast. Neither does whether that creator is recognizable when a television camera cuts to their table.

And when you combine that expectation with an eligibility system built around the industry’s biggest podcasts and significant financial requirements, the likely result isn’t difficult to predict.

The system naturally favors celebrity-led, commercially successful and network-backed podcasts. That doesn’t mean those podcasts aren’t deserving. Many of them are exceptional. That’s not the argument.

Independent Podcasters Deserve the Opportunity to Lose

I’ve been podcasting for 20 years. I’ve watched this medium evolve from something people struggled to explain into an industry capable of producing extraordinary journalism, storytelling, comedy, entertainment, education and conversation.

I’ve also watched independent creators continually prove that you don’t need a major network behind you to produce meaningful work.

As an independent creator myself, I’m not asking the Golden Globes to nominate my podcast. I’m asking for something much simpler.

Give us the opportunity to lose.

We as indie creators should be able to submit our work. We deserve the right to compete against celebrity-led productions, be evaluated against interviews produced by major networks, and our production values stand alongside podcasts who have millions of listeners.

THEN, judge the work. If another podcast is better, it should win. That’s competition.

But when the overwhelming majority of podcasters are eliminated before their work can ever be considered, then what are we even doing?

I’ve had the opportunity to judge podcast awards myself, and one of the most rewarding parts of that experience has been encountering work I may never have discovered otherwise.

That is the main purpose of awards, at least to me. They don’t merely validate the names we already know. At best, awards discover excellence.

There Are Other Ways to Do This

Opening eligibility doesn’t mean Golden Globes voters suddenly need to listen to thousands of podcasts. One factor that can be incorporated is to create a jury who understand podcasting. Make sure there are eligibility requirements, including they need to have X amount of episodes per calendar year. Or, another aspect could be their podcast has been in existence for one full year.

Before it makes it to the final Globes voting body, have the submissions go through multiple rounds of judging. There are ways to maintain a manageable competition without allowing audience size to decide who gets through the front door.

Other awards organizations have figured out how to evaluate large submission pools.

We deserve the same respect in this space.

I Want This Category to Succeed

I don’t want the Golden Globes to eliminate its podcast category. I want it to become better. With the Critics Choice Association introducing its own Critics Choice Creator Awards, not only will podcasts be honored, but they encourage independent podcasters to compete. This is just one of the big entertainment institutions who are getting it right for podcasts.

Putting podcasting on the Golden Globes stage introduces the medium to an enormous audience and sends an important message about how far this industry has come.

But if you’re going to celebrate podcasting, celebrate podcasting.

Not simply the 25 shows from an analytics company that also OWNS the Golden Globes determine if they are large enough to qualify, or the productions capable of financing an awards campaign, or simply the personalities guaranteed to make good television when the camera pans across the ballroom.

Podcasting became what it is because the barrier to creating something meaningful was lower than traditional media. Someone with an idea, a microphone and something worth saying could build something extraordinary.

Some of today’s biggest podcasts started exactly that way.

The Golden Globes has taken an important step by giving podcasting a seat at the table. Now it’s time to make sure more of podcasting has a legitimate opportunity to earn that seat.

Open the door. Let the work compete.

Is that too much to ask?

The post The Podcast Category Returns to the Golden Globes — But Has Anything Really Changed? first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

Today, The Paley Center announced the launch of a new year-round music initiative that will bring artists, songwriters, music makers, and fans together at The Paley Museum through live performances, songwriter showcases, album release events, listening parties, DJ nights, workshops, master classes, and more.

The initiative expands on Paley’s longstanding connection to music, television, radio, and popular culture while putting a greater spotlight on the artists and creative voices shaping music today.

“We are thrilled to turn up the volume with this exciting new initiative,” said Maureen J. Reidy, President & CEO of The Paley Center for Media. “From songwriter showcases, album drops, and listening parties to unforgettable live performances, Paley is the destination for music’s most exciting artists and fans.”

And Paley is kicking things off by bringing a little bit of Nashville to New York.

Southern Rounds Brings Nashville’s Songwriter Tradition to NYC

The first major component of the initiative will be Southern Rounds: Bringing Nashville to New York!, a six-part event series presented by Southern Rounds that begins Thursday, September 24.

Instead of simply putting performers onstage, Southern Rounds is built around Nashville’s songwriter-round tradition: songwriters performing acoustically in an intimate environment while sharing the stories, inspiration, and creative decisions behind the music.

The format will effectively transform The Paley Museum into a Nashville-style listening room, giving New York audiences an opportunity to hear familiar songs directly from the people who created them.

“Some of our favorite musical performances were comprised of a group of writers sitting together, in an intimate setting, and having them do what they do best: tell stories that touch us in meaningful ways,” Southern Rounds Co-Founder Richard Blackstone of Blackstone Entertainment said in announcing the partnership.

Each event will combine an acoustic performance with a Songwriting Master Class exploring how ideas evolve into lyrics and melodies and how personal experiences can eventually become songs heard by millions.

James Otto, D. Vincent Williams and Kevin MaC Launch the Series

The inaugural September 24 event will feature three accomplished songwriters and performers.

James Otto, currently touring with The Mavericks, is known for his No. 1 hit “Just Got Started Lovin’ You.” D. Vincent Williams won the 2002 ACM Song of the Year award for “I’m Movin’ On,” recorded by Rascal Flatts. Kevin MaC is the writer behind “Easy Tonight” and “Granny Drinks Whiskey,” with the latter inspiring the creation of Elsie Marshall “Shotgun Granny” Whiskey.

The Songwriting Master Class begins at 5 p.m., followed by the live Southern Rounds performance at 8 p.m. VIP opportunities will also include a post-performance meet-and-greet with the artists.

Following the September premiere, Southern Rounds: Bringing Nashville to New York! is scheduled to continue October 29, November 11, December 11, January 28, 2027, and February 18, 2027.

Expanding Paley’s Connection to Music

The new initiative is broader than Southern Rounds.

The Paley Center says its year-round programming will encompass live performances, album releases, listening parties, DJ nights, workshops and other experiences connecting audiences directly with music creators.

Paley has also formed a partnership with youth development organization Notes for Notes, which provides high school students with hands-on opportunities to create and produce original music alongside music industry professionals.

The expansion feels like a natural progression for an institution that has spent decades preserving and celebrating the relationship between music and media.

Paley has previously honored or welcomed an extraordinary range of music figures, including Quincy Jones, Reba McEntire, Ringo Starr, Mariah Carey, Cher, John Legend, Dolly Parton, Pink, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Wynton Marsalis, Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas, Trisha Yearwood, and many more.

Its recent programming also included an exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMYs.

Music History Lives Inside the Paley Archive

The new initiative also has a connection to The Paley Archive and its Music Collection, which preserves significant musical performances and moments from television and radio history.

The collection includes rare appearances and pairings involving artists such as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, and Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

Visitors to The Paley Museum’s Archive Library can also experience major moments in music and television history, including Elvis Presley’s 1956 Stage Show appearance, The Beatles’ first Ed Sullivan Show performance in 1964, Michael Jackson’s first televised moonwalk during Motown 25, and Ricky Martin’s memorable performance at the 1999 GRAMMYs.

That history makes Paley’s latest move especially interesting. Rather than only preserving music’s relationship with media, this initiative creates a space for new musical moments to happen inside the museum itself.

And Southern Rounds seems like a fitting place to start.

Ticket Information

Tickets for the September 24 premiere of Southern Rounds: Bringing Nashville to New York! are currently available to Paley President’s Circle, Patron Circle, and Partner Members.

Paley Individual, Family, and Supporting Members will have access beginning Thursday, September 3 at noon ET, followed by the general public on Friday, September 4 at noon ET.

Additional information about Southern Rounds, Paley membership, and upcoming programming is available through The Paley Center for Media.

The post The Paley Center Pumps Up the Volume With New Year-Round Music Initiative first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

Recording artist and longtime Dancers Against Cancer supporter JoJo Siwa and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and World Series champion Joe Kelly are set to participate in the 2nd Annual Dancers Against Cancer Charity Golf Tournament on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine, California.

Proceeds from the tournament will directly support members of the dance community facing cancer, helping provide financial assistance for medical expenses, treatments and other essential needs.

Siwa and Kelly will be joined by a growing lineup of participants from across entertainment, sports and dance. Among those announced are influencer, dancer and cancer survivor Tia Stokes, celebrity choreographer Cris Judd, and the 90 Day Bad Boys from 90 Day Fiancé. Additional celebrity participants and special guests are expected to be announced.

Building on More Than $100,000 Raised

The upcoming tournament follows the success of Dancers Against Cancer’s inaugural golf event, which raised more than $100,000 for DAC Hope Story families.

The organization is once again bringing together members of the sports, entertainment, business and dance communities for a day designed to combine fundraising with opportunities for supporters and partners to connect.

“Having JoJo Siwa, Joe Kelly and so many incredible supporters join us makes this year’s tournament even more special,” said Adrian Ruiz, President of Dancers Against Cancer. “This event gives our partners a unique opportunity to connect with influential leaders and recognizable talent while making a direct and meaningful difference for families battling cancer.”

A Chance to Play Alongside Joe Kelly

This year’s event also includes an exclusive title sponsorship opportunity that gives one organization the chance to play alongside Joe Kelly during the tournament.

The title sponsor will receive premier recognition and brand exposure throughout the event while helping support dancers, teachers and families impacted by cancer.

Additional sponsorship opportunities include hole activations, course experiences, player sponsorships, hospitality and other ways for organizations to participate in the event.

Teams can also register to compete in the September 13 tournament.

About Dancers Against Cancer

Dancers Against Cancer is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides direct financial assistance to dancers, dance educators and their families impacted by cancer.

Through initiatives including the Industry Dance Awards, Gala of the Stars and Charity Golf Tournament, Dancers Against Cancer has raised millions of dollars to support families in need and bring hope to members of the global dance community facing cancer.

The 2nd Annual Dancers Against Cancer Charity Golf Tournament takes place Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine, California.

For sponsorship opportunities, team registration and additional information, visit DACGolf.com.

The post JoJo Siwa, Joe Kelly Join 2026 Dancers Against Cancer Golf Tournament first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

More than three decades after Mallrats first brought Ethan Suplee into the View Askewniverse, the actor is preparing to reunite with his fellow cast members. However, his latest conversation with me went far beyond nostalgia.

With the Mallrats reunion coming to Super Jersey Comic Expo in New Jersey, Suplee reflected on the strange passage of time, his enduring friendship with Kevin Smith and the cast, and why returning to a project that helped define so much of his career still feels almost surreal.

“I’m a grandfather,” Suplee told me, reflecting on the fact that Mallrats is now more than 30 years old. “A lot of these things started like Mallrats. I was a teenager when we did, but it feels like it was almost yesterday.”

That sense of familiarity extends to the View Askewniverse itself. Suplee described Smith’s filmmaking family as something that has continued to grow over the years while retaining a distinctly familial quality.

He also made it clear that when Smith calls, the answer is almost always going to be yes.

“There is nothing I would ever say no to him about,” Suplee said, describing Smith as compassionate, creative, funny, witty and wonderful.

But the Mallrats reunion was only the beginning of our conversation.

From the View Askewniverse to Lifelong

Suplee is also the host of Lifelong, a podcast where conversations frequently move into health, weight loss, addiction and recovery.

That led us to a recent episode featuring actor Tyler Labine, whose own story resonated with Suplee’s experiences. For Suplee, talking openly about these subjects isn’t about presenting himself as someone who has figured everything out. Quite the opposite.

He considers himself a work in progress.

Suplee has been sober since 2001, but he explained that recovery isn’t simply about abstaining from substances. There is also the deeper work of examining what he was trying to escape in the first place.

With food, that relationship became even more complicated because, unlike substances, food is something everyone needs.

“The cool thing about talking to Tyler,” Suplee said, “is he is, in effect, still a part of this View Askew universe.”

That connection created an unexpected bridge between his entertainment career and the more vulnerable conversations taking place on Lifelong.

Looking Beyond the Character

One of the most striking parts of our conversation came when we discussed how audiences perceived actors like Suplee and Labine earlier in their careers.

Characters who were funny or larger-bodied were often reduced to simplistic labels by audiences. Suplee’s willingness to discuss his own experiences creates an opportunity to reconsider those assumptions.

The person audiences see on screen is never the entire story.

Suplee has been increasingly open about his history with addiction and recovery, including experiences that he once might not have imagined discussing publicly.

That openness became particularly poignant when we talked about the death of his former Remember the Titans co-star Hayden Panettiere.

Suplee recalled their time together in Atlanta and described Panettiere as being like a little sister to him. Years later, seeing the news of her death brought those memories rushing back.

He also remembered the darkness he was experiencing in his own life at the time they last saw each other.

Rather than simply mourning someone he had known decades earlier, Suplee used the moment to talk about the devastating reality of addiction — and, importantly, the possibility of recovery.

“It is possible,” he said. “There is a path to get out of that.”

The Wake-Up Call That Took More Than One Moment

When I asked Suplee what ultimately became his turning point, his answer wasn’t a simple Hollywood redemption story.

There wasn’t one single moment that magically changed everything.

There were many warning signs. There were deaths. There were frightening experiences. There were moments when he genuinely didn’t expect to wake up the next day.

Even entering rehab wasn’t immediately the solution. He described leaving after detox and eventually finding himself back in a dangerous environment.

The real change came when he began confronting what he was trying to escape and the shame he carried with him.

Suplee described eventually reaching a place where he could recognize that he was worthy of a life in which he didn’t have to constantly beat himself up.

That idea became one of the most powerful moments of our conversation.

“We Are a Work in Progress”

Our conversation eventually became personal for me as well.

As someone who has spent years interviewing actors about their latest movies and television shows, I have always appreciated the moments when the conversation moves beyond promotion and into the person behind the project.

Suplee and I talked about self-doubt, the pressure to live up to other people’s expectations and the process of learning that your worth isn’t dependent on someone else’s approval.

For me, that has meant learning to stop worrying so much about what people think when I’m not in the room and recognizing that I don’t need someone else’s approval to feel good about myself.

Suplee reminded me that even those lessons don’t necessarily have a finish line.

“That’s something I’m still working on,” he said. “It’s a valuable lesson, but I think it’s also gonna be a work in progress for a while.”

That may be the most important takeaway from our conversation.

None of us has everything figured out.

Why These Conversations Matter

Suplee believes strongly in talking openly about these subjects because silence doesn’t help anyone.

The more people talk about addiction, recovery, mental health and their own struggles, the more it can encourage others to do the same.

For men in particular, there can be an additional stigma surrounding vulnerability. Talking about struggles can be incorrectly viewed as weakness.

Suplee’s approach is the opposite: vulnerability creates an opportunity for connection.

And when fans approach him, the conversations that mean the most aren’t necessarily about Mallrats, My Name Is Earl, Boy Meets World or American History X.

They’re the conversations about what someone else is going through.

“Honestly, conversation,” Suplee said when I asked what the best thing a fan has ever given him was.

When someone wants to talk about their own struggles with weight loss or substance use, that’s meaningful to him because he knows he’s still dealing with those issues himself.

“I don’t have everything figured out,” he said. “I’m a work in progress and I might learn something from you if you talk to me about that.”

That’s what made this interview different.

Suplee joins the Mallrats cast for the upcoming reunion at Super Jersey Comic Expo on August 29. He also hosts Lifelong, which records live Mondays at 7 p.m. Eastern and focuses primarily on health, weight loss, addiction and recovery.

Watch my full conversation with Ethan Suplee for an even deeper look at the man behind some of the most recognizable characters of his career, and the person who continues to work on himself long after the cameras stop rolling.

The post Ethan Suplee on Mallrats, Addiction, Recovery, and Being a Work in Progress first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

What if you could see another version of your life? That question is central to Dark Matter, and when I spoke with Alice Braga ahead of the Season 2 premiere, our conversation quickly turned into something much more personal.

Braga, who plays Amanda in the Apple TV series, has spent much of the show’s first season navigating a world where alternate realities force its characters to confront the lives they could have lived. But as we discussed Amanda’s journey, the conversation became less about the science fiction and more about something all of us understand: the “what ifs” we carry with us.

“We all sometimes question ourselves,” Braga said, referring to regrets, ideas, and the roads not taken that can pull us away from the present.

For Braga, working on Dark Matter has even changed her own perspective on those questions.

The series asks whether another life would actually be better if we had made a different choice. But Braga’s answer is increasingly clear: there is no perfect world and there is no perfect choice. Instead, we have to make the life we’re living as great as it can be.

That idea immediately made me think of one of my favorite moments from Season 1: Amanda and Jason One dancing to Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.”

Jason One initially says he doesn’t dance, prompting Amanda to remind him that the other version of him didn’t dance either. So why not just let go, be silly, make a mess of yourself and enjoy the moment?

For me, that scene perfectly captured what Braga was talking about. Sometimes the best thing we can do is stop worrying about the version of our lives that might have existed and simply experience the one that is happening right now.

“You don’t know what’s gonna happen,” Braga said. “Just enjoy what it is right here, right now.”

That sentiment resonated with me personally. Like plenty of people, I’ve had moments where I’ve wondered what my life might look like if I’d made a different decision or taken another path.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I probably wouldn’t change it.

Everything that has happened up to this point—including the decisions that didn’t seem particularly important at the time—helped put me on the path that led me here.

Braga had the perfect response.

“It’s what made you you.”

And that’s perhaps one of the most meaningful ideas at the center of Dark Matter. Seeing another possible life doesn’t necessarily mean it is a better life. Every choice creates consequences, and every experience becomes part of the person we ultimately become.

Our conversation did eventually turn toward Season 2. Without giving away too much, Braga teased that the new season explores the consequences of the Box and how those consequences affect the characters both externally and internally.

“There’s a lot of action, there’s a lot of entertainment,” Braga said, but there are also questions about how the characters can navigate these new realities, survive them, and ultimately find themselves at home.

So while Dark Matter may be built around alternate universes, the questions it raises are remarkably grounded. What if I had chosen differently? What if another version of my life is better?

And perhaps most importantly: What if the life I’m living right now is the one I was always meant to have?

Season 2 of Dark Matter premieres August 28 on Apple TV.

Watch my full conversation with Alice Braga above, and follow The Buzz for more television and film interviews and red carpet coverage.

The post Alice Braga on the “What Ifs” of Dark Matter and Finding Meaning in the Life You Have first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

At Televerse 26, I caught up with Colin Hanks, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan and Sean Stuart to talk about John Candy: I Like Me, the documentary celebrating the life, career and enduring legacy of one of comedy’s most beloved performers.

And as someone who has always loved John Candy — particularly Planes, Trains and Automobiles — getting to talk about the documentary was a real treat.

But what became clear through all three conversations is that John Candy: I Like Me isn’t simply about remembering the movies. It’s about remembering the man.

From a Viral Tribute to a Feature Documentary

Jennifer Candy-Sullivan explained that the documentary’s origins were surprisingly modest.

Ryan Reynolds and Maximum Effort initially approached the Candy family about creating a short tribute to John for social media. That tribute went viral, prompting an even bigger realization: there was clearly an appetite for more.

That reaction ultimately led the family, Reynolds and filmmaker Colin Hanks toward a feature documentary.

For Hanks, the opportunity came directly from Reynolds.

Reynolds called him and essentially said that there should be a John Candy documentary and that Hanks should direct it. I guess things can eventually fall into your lap.

Looking Beyond the Celebrity

For producer Sean Stuart, one of the biggest revelations during production was discovering just how much there was to explore beyond the John Candy audiences already knew.

The goal wasn’t simply to revisit the iconic performances. It was to look at Candy’s life, his family, his struggles and the pressures that came with being a beloved celebrity.

Stuart told me that the filmmakers wanted to go “beyond the celebrity, beyond the on-screen persona” to understand who Candy really was.

And what they found was even deeper than they anticipated.

The Relatability of John Candy

That idea of seeing the person behind the performer is at the heart of what drew Colin Hanks to the project.

Hanks explained that he knew Candy was beloved and talented, but he needed something more than simply telling audiences that John Candy was a nice guy who made great movies.

As he dug deeper into Candy’s upbringing and the challenges he faced throughout his life, Hanks discovered something that made Candy feel even more familiar.

Today, we openly discuss mental health, anxiety and therapy. When Candy was at the height of his career, those conversations weren’t happening in quite the same way.

For Hanks, that made Candy’s story unexpectedly relatable.

The man audiences saw on screen wasn’t simply a larger-than-life comedian. He was a human being dealing with many of the same things the rest of us deal with.

And that realization changed the way Hanks looked at Candy’s work.

Why We Still Miss John

Jennifer Candy-Sullivan believes the continued response to the documentary is a testament to how much people still love her father.

After premiering at TIFF nearly a year ago, John Candy: I Like Me has continued to find audiences and generate momentum.

For Candy-Sullivan, that’s remarkable in itself.

But it’s also understandable.

She described her father’s comedy as a “breath of fresh air” and reflected on how differently comedies are made today.

Still Celebrating John Candy

That’s what made celebrating John Candy: I Like Me at Televerse 26 so special.

The documentary had already been celebrated at the Astra TV Awards, and now, nearly a year after its TIFF premiere, the conversation continues.

For Colin Hanks, that’s an honor.

For Jennifer Candy-Sullivan, it’s a testament to the people who made the film — and to the fact that audiences still love her dad.

As Hanks put it when reflecting on the documentary’s continued life nearly a year after its premiere: “It’s a lot better than the alternative.”

Watch the full interviews with Colin Hanks, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan, and Sean Stuart by clicking the player above. You can also download and stream the interviews on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.

The post John Candy: I Like Me — Colin Hanks, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan & Sean Stuart on the Documentary first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.

At Televerse 26, I caught up with Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams and Janelle James to talk about the Emmy-nominated ABC comedy Abbott Elementary, their characters, their experiences making the show and, naturally, a little bit of Eagles football.

Quinta Brunson Wants Marcello Hernández on Abbott Elementary

I had to ask Quinta about something that had been on my mind: Marcello Hernández joining the world of Abbott Elementary.

After Quinta previously called the Saturday Night Live star, I wanted to know whether that phone call could eventually lead to Marcello actually appearing on Abbott.

Unfortunately, there’s one major obstacle: Abbott Elementary and SNL are in production at the same time.

But there’s an even better part to the story.

Quinta revealed that Marcello has actually been pressing her to get him onto the show.

So, Marcello, if you are reading this, consider this an official campaign.

And because this is a Philly interview, of course we had to start with my Eagles hat. Quinta immediately recognized the significance; and, yes, the interview almost ended right there. JOKINGLY.

Tyler James Williams Explains How Abbott Breaks the Fourth Wall

One of my favorite things about Abbott Elementary is its mockumentary style and the way the characters interact with the camera.

So I asked Tyler James Williams how that fourth-wall breaking actually works.

His answer gave me a completely different way of looking at the show’s camera operators.

Williams explained that the actors began thinking of the camera operators as characters themselves: the people who are actually there watching what is happening.

Once he started treating the camera operators as part of the world of the show, the process became much easier.

That explanation makes those little Gregory looks into the camera feel even more intentional.

We also went beyond Abbott, talking about Tyler’s experience on Everybody Hates Chris and his reaction to seeing that series continue in animated form.

And, of course, I couldn’t let him leave without asking about The Walking Dead. Williams called it one of the best working experiences of his career and praised Andrew Lincoln as one of the best leading actors in the business.

Janelle James Brings the Ava Energy

Before Janelle James and I even got to the first question, she was already making sure we had the proper lighting.

Main character energy? No doubt about it.

Once we got the lighting situation handled, we talked about one of Abbott’s most entertaining relationships: Ava Coleman and O’Shon.

Janelle acknowledged how much of an impact the pairing has made, especially considering O’Shon isn’t one of the show’s primary characters. She also addressed the possibility of the relationship hitting another bump in the road—and basically reminded us that television needs its drama.

I also asked Janelle about her comedy influences, including Richard Pryor and Kim Wayans, and she talked about how she once admired performers simply as a fan without ever imagining that she’d eventually be part of that world herself.

And then we had to end where we started: with the Eagles.

Janelle even gave us the distinction between Ava’s Eagles fandom and Janelle’s.

Watch my interviews with Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams and Janelle James from Televerse 26 above. You can also download the episode on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.

The post Abbott Elementary Cast Talks Marcello Hernández, Breaking the Fourth Wall & More | The Buzz first appeared on The Buzz - BuzzWorthy Radio.