- 5 months ago
Sterling K. Brown joins the Variety Studio at the 2025 San Diego Comic Con to talk about season 2 of "Paradise" and the upcoming "Voltron" movie.
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00:00You can talk about him.
00:01I won't tell anyone.
00:02Okay, I appreciate it.
00:03Why don't you turn that off?
00:05I'm just kidding.
00:06It's really, really good.
00:08We've got a great cast.
00:11Shot in Australia.
00:13Had a wonderful time.
00:14Great crew there.
00:17That's all I can really say.
00:19Thank you so much for joining us today in our Variety Studio.
00:32I am so excited to talk to you about all things Paradise.
00:36One of my favorite new shows of the year.
00:38And I feel like I need to start with congratulating you on the Emmy nominations.
00:44I know working at an award-centric publication,
00:47we all knew you were getting in.
00:50But I was so happy to see we got you, we got Julianne, we got James,
00:54and we got the show.
00:56Yes.
00:57What did that feel like on the morning when you found out?
00:59That was the biggest win for me because I've been in situations before
01:03where I've gotten a chance to celebrate personal success,
01:06and that's always worth celebrating.
01:08But team success.
01:10Yes.
01:10That's the real goal.
01:12And so on that initial billboard for the show, it's James, it's myself,
01:17as Julianne.
01:18The three of us really carried that first season,
01:20and I was so proud that they got recognized for their extraordinary work.
01:25Julianne Nicholson is a beast.
01:28Like, she is a double-knight for comedy, for drama.
01:31Like, doing the damn thing is just awesome.
01:33And then James having been nominated a couple of years ago for jury duty
01:37and now getting a chance to shine as the president.
01:40Like, I got a really versatile cast.
01:43I'm really happy they all got recognized.
01:45And that the show as a whole, that we get a chance to go to the party together,
01:50makes all the difference in the world.
01:51Now, you mentioned Julianne's double nomination,
01:54and I just need to know, have you seen her as Dance Mom on Hacks?
01:58I've seen clips.
01:59And I want to see the whole thing, but I haven't watched season three
02:02because this is season four, so I wanted to sort of go in order.
02:05Even though I know I could jump to it, but the clips that I have seen,
02:09a little bit of urine trickles out of the bottom.
02:13Because I was...
02:13You're moving it.
02:14She's a damn fool.
02:17And I love that about her.
02:19Now, I need to know what you're allowed to tell us about season two.
02:25The fans are clamoring for these details,
02:27and you left us with so many questions.
02:30Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:34Okay, Xavier's on the plane.
02:36He's going to go and try to find his wife
02:39that he recently heard video or audio recordings of
02:43and thinks that she could possibly be in Atlanta.
02:45So he is headed to Atlanta.
02:48Whether he makes it there or not still remains to be seen.
02:52Whether she is alive or not still remains to be seen.
02:55We do know that Shailene Woodley is a part of season two.
03:00And I can tell you that Shailene Woodley is outstanding.
03:06People are going to remember her character very...
03:10Yeah, you'll see.
03:11You'll see.
03:13There is...
03:13We get a chance to see how people have been living
03:15for the past three years
03:17that didn't have the resources or the finances
03:20to plan for a global catastrophe.
03:22Because there are...
03:24We do encounter life.
03:25We saw in episode four of season one
03:27when Billy ventured outside
03:29that there is life.
03:31That there is breathable air.
03:33Right?
03:33And so we get a chance to see what life looks like.
03:38Then we get a chance to see...
03:40Please, we're not going to forget about
03:42what's going on in the bunker.
03:44Sinatra was shot.
03:47How bad was that?
03:50Right?
03:50Things are in a bit of chaos.
03:52There's the character of Jane.
03:54Which I think has been a crowd favorite.
03:56Which makes me really, really happy.
03:58Because Nicole Brighton Bloom
03:59is beautiful in the role.
04:01Delightfully delusional.
04:02She just wants to play her Wii.
04:05Does she get her Wii?
04:07Who knows?
04:08Those are a couple of things.
04:10But I will tell you this.
04:11There's something that happens
04:13where the outside world
04:15and the inside world of Paradise
04:17sort of come in contact with one another.
04:20And it's exciting.
04:23It's exciting.
04:24It's a good season of television.
04:26I can tell you that, Cassie.
04:28Now, you of course mentioned
04:30we have this revelation
04:32that your wife is alive.
04:34What does that mean
04:35for the budding relationship
04:37that we've seen so far?
04:39Yeah.
04:40With Dr. Tarabi you're talking about.
04:42Well, it all depends on
04:45if she is alive
04:46and if I find her.
04:48Because if she's alive
04:49and I find her,
04:50you know, my man.
04:51His wife is his partner in life
04:53that he has been aching for
04:55for over three years, right?
04:58And if Dr. Tarabi,
04:59if she's not alive,
05:00you know what I'm saying?
05:02We do what we gotta do.
05:04We move on.
05:06You know what I'm saying?
05:07Life be life in cats.
05:08That's the quote.
05:11That's it.
05:12Now, today you're gonna have
05:14the opportunity to
05:15go hands-on with the fans.
05:17Yeah.
05:17What can you tell me about
05:19the panel?
05:20What you're excited?
05:21Are we bringing anything to show?
05:24We're bringing a little
05:24something to show.
05:26Fogelman will talk more about it.
05:27I don't like to sort of usurp
05:29his domain.
05:30He loves to be the person
05:32that sort of teases him.
05:32It's fine.
05:33I know, but he'll be here later.
05:35He'll be here later
05:35and we'll talk to the fans.
05:37We'll give him a little something.
05:39And there are surprises.
05:42And because it's Fogelman,
05:44Sean will let him talk
05:45about the surprises.
05:46Yeah.
05:47But I assume you are
05:48very excited to get to
05:50be hands-on with these fans.
05:52It's a rare opportunity,
05:53something like Comic-Con,
05:54to get to see them
05:56in the flesh and hear
05:58the impact that a show
05:59like this has had on them.
06:00I'm really curious.
06:01I'm gonna be honest
06:02because I think for me,
06:05historically from afar,
06:07you know,
06:08the things that really pop off
06:09are, you know,
06:11star, blank,
06:13Trek, Wars, et cetera,
06:15MCU, DCU, et cetera, et cetera.
06:17I'm very curious to see
06:18what kind of fandom
06:19the show has developed
06:21over the course
06:22of its first season
06:23and what it looks like
06:24in terms of enthusiasm
06:25for season two.
06:26I don't know.
06:27I never like to
06:28overestimate anything.
06:30So I'm going in
06:31with curiosity.
06:32Well, this show had
06:33such strong word of mouth.
06:35I know for me,
06:36that was why I tuned in.
06:38Also, with your
06:38great variety cover story
06:39written by the lovely
06:40Jenny Ma.
06:41Namaste.
06:41It was wonderful.
06:43But as soon as
06:44the first episode dropped,
06:46everybody said,
06:46they've done it again.
06:48They've given me
06:48a first episode twist.
06:50Yeah.
06:51What was it like
06:52after having to hold on
06:53to that secret
06:53of what this world
06:54of paradise actually was
06:56to finally let the world
06:58see it?
06:59Always.
06:59You had to see that reaction.
07:00Always a pain in the ass
07:02keeping Fogelman's secrets
07:03because he loves his secrets
07:05and he has secrets
07:06for season two,
07:07et cetera, et cetera.
07:08So you have to master
07:09the art of talking
07:10about something
07:11without talking
07:12about something,
07:13which is a little bit
07:15exhausting,
07:15but fun at the same time.
07:17When it hit,
07:19like when I read the pilot,
07:20I said like,
07:21this is an intriguing episode.
07:23And I said,
07:23I have to do the show
07:24just so I can find out
07:25what happens next.
07:26And I think the audience
07:27had the same feeling.
07:28Like, I need to know
07:29what's going to happen next,
07:31right?
07:31These people are living
07:32inside of a bunker,
07:33inside of a mountain.
07:35The world has been destroyed
07:36as we know it.
07:38And now they're sort of
07:39recreated something.
07:40What else is there to it?
07:43Right?
07:43That's,
07:44and I think we did
07:45what we went,
07:46set out to accomplish.
07:48And so hopefully
07:48we can do it again.
07:50Now,
07:51how do you think
07:52that you as Sterling
07:54would fare
07:55in a situation
07:57like paradise?
07:59How would you prep?
08:00Inside the bunker
08:01or just dealing
08:03with a world catastrophe,
08:04a global catastrophe?
08:05Let's say dealing
08:05with a catastrophe.
08:07I would do fairly well.
08:10I would do fairly well
08:11because I don't,
08:13I'm not prone
08:14to freaking out.
08:15I actually stay
08:16very cool
08:17under pressure.
08:18I get along
08:19very well with people.
08:20So people like
08:21to have me around.
08:22my like survival
08:25skills are minimal.
08:28They're not great.
08:30But I'm a quick learner.
08:32And I can make myself,
08:33I try to be like
08:34Bruce Lee says,
08:35try to be like water.
08:36Wherever I need
08:37to fit in
08:38to support the group,
08:39I will find a way
08:40to make myself
08:41of value.
08:43I think I do okay.
08:44I think you would too.
08:45I appreciate it.
08:47Now,
08:47of course,
08:48Paradise isn't the only show
08:49that I want to talk
08:50to you about today though.
08:51Because Washington Black
08:53is everyone's
08:55new obsession
08:55right now.
08:56I'm a fan
08:57of the novel.
08:58And I'm curious
08:59because of course
09:00you're a producer
09:01on the series.
09:02And your character
09:02is a lot smaller
09:04in the novel.
09:05Much smaller.
09:06And you've gotten
09:07this opportunity
09:07to expand it
09:09so greatly.
09:10So what was that like
09:11and why was,
09:12first off,
09:12why was that the character
09:13you were drawn to
09:14from the start?
09:16And how did you expand it?
09:17So Selwyn Seifu-Hinds
09:21who was our showrunner
09:22and creator,
09:23he saw the part
09:24and he's like,
09:25this is a part
09:25that could be
09:26sort of expanded upon
09:28to give Brown
09:28some real estate.
09:31And I was like,
09:31okay,
09:32like honestly,
09:33I'm more fascinated
09:34with Wash.
09:35I'm really more fascinated
09:37with this young boy
09:38who has this incredible
09:39imagination
09:40and ability
09:41to see the world,
09:43the beauty,
09:44even in the midst
09:45of horrible circumstances,
09:46right?
09:47I just wanted
09:48to get that story told.
09:49And Sel was like,
09:50well,
09:50if I can put you
09:51in the story,
09:52it helps me
09:53get the story told.
09:55And I was like,
09:55okay.
09:56And so it's really
09:58learning where
10:00my value is
10:01right now
10:02as a producer.
10:03Also,
10:03I can do things
10:04behind the camera,
10:05but if I can put myself
10:06in front of the camera
10:07a little bit,
10:07it sort of helps
10:08grease the wheels,
10:10so to speak.
10:11So it was really like,
10:12it felt like
10:12the most organic place
10:14to be,
10:15to be a mentor
10:16to this young man
10:17to try to help him
10:18become the fullest
10:19version of himself.
10:20But really,
10:21like,
10:22if I wasn't in it,
10:23I'd be okay.
10:24But me being in it
10:26helps get the story
10:27out there.
10:28And I'm okay
10:29with that too.
10:30So whatever it takes,
10:31like water,
10:32Cassie.
10:33Like water.
10:34It's flowing.
10:35There you go.
10:37Now,
10:37what has it been like
10:38getting to move
10:39into that role
10:39as a producer?
10:41Obviously,
10:41you've stepped
10:42into that role
10:42a lot more
10:43in recent years
10:44and gotten to have
10:45that behind the camera,
10:46say.
10:47Why is that something
10:47that was important
10:48to you after your
10:49many years
10:50of being in front
10:50of the camera?
10:52It is fun.
10:55It is also,
10:56like,
10:56it can be exhausting.
10:58Like,
10:58if you're talking
10:59about the development
11:00process
11:00and bringing something,
11:02you know,
11:03from birth
11:04and trying to put it
11:04out into the world
11:05and then every once
11:06in a while,
11:07and more than every
11:07once in a while,
11:08you'll hear,
11:09ah,
11:09it's just not right for us
11:11or it's not the right time.
11:12Like,
11:12that is soul crushing
11:14because you're trying
11:14to, like,
11:15deliver
11:16and you think
11:16you have something
11:17beautiful
11:18but not everybody agrees
11:19and they could have
11:20agreed a year later
11:21or a year earlier.
11:22Like,
11:23the industry is one
11:24that is looking
11:25for originality
11:26but also looking
11:27for what's hot
11:28right now,
11:29right?
11:29So that can be
11:30tough sometimes.
11:31But just having
11:32an opportunity
11:33to amplify voices
11:34that might not
11:35have an opportunity
11:36to be heard
11:38without my involvement
11:39is something
11:40that's really exciting
11:42and I try to take
11:43very seriously.
11:46And just, like,
11:48gosh,
11:49what is it about it?
11:50Like,
11:51I'm not a control freak
11:53to be perfectly honest
11:54with you.
11:54Like,
11:55I don't have to
11:55micromanage
11:56in order to feel like
11:57it has to be,
11:59have, like,
11:59the SKB stamp
12:01on every single thing.
12:02I feel that
12:03the universe,
12:05God,
12:05sort of directs
12:06my path
12:06in a really wonderful way
12:08and puts me
12:09in conjunction
12:11or in tandem
12:12with beautiful people
12:13who are like-minded
12:14that want to tell
12:15similar stories.
12:16And once you sort of
12:17help put the ingredients
12:18together,
12:19whether it's
12:20this particular writer,
12:21this actor,
12:22this director,
12:23et cetera,
12:24then I have the faith
12:25to be like,
12:25oh,
12:25that looks like
12:27it fits right.
12:28And every once in a while
12:28you can come in
12:29and throw in a suggestion
12:30or maybe if we tried
12:31this or that,
12:33very small,
12:33very sort of,
12:34like,
12:35delicate hands,
12:36but trusting the people
12:37that you've got together
12:38to tell the story
12:39that you need
12:40is probably
12:41my greatest strength
12:43slash preference.
12:45I don't like
12:46to mess with people's
12:48creative process,
12:49especially if I know
12:50we are aligned.
12:52That's not an answer,
12:53is it?
12:54That's just really
12:54more of an explanation
12:55of, like,
12:56how I function
12:56as a producer?
12:58No,
12:58I actually think
12:59it is an answer
13:00because I feel like
13:00I'm getting a lot
13:01of clarity
13:01on the fact
13:02that you're also able
13:04to use this level
13:06of star power
13:07that you've accumulated
13:08as an actor
13:08to uplift others
13:10and to get these stories told.
13:12And it sounds like
13:12that's what's most important
13:14to you.
13:14That is exactly
13:14what's most important to me.
13:16You got it.
13:18I'm being loquacious.
13:20You got it together.
13:21Now,
13:22I have to ask
13:23because my brother
13:23and I grew up
13:24obsessed with
13:26our Voltron play set.
13:28We had everything.
13:30They were all over
13:31the floor
13:31and my mom
13:32had to pick them up
13:32every day.
13:33I know you can't
13:34give away plot details
13:35about the movie yet,
13:36but what has it been like
13:38working on Voltron,
13:39working with Henry Cavill,
13:41Rita Ora,
13:41and this cast?
13:43It was pretty good.
13:44First,
13:45shout out to my man
13:45Ross and Marshall Thurber
13:47who is our fearless leader,
13:49director,
13:50writer of this movie.
13:51I think he's come up
13:52with a really
13:53wonderful vision
13:55of how to
13:57tell this story
13:58and bring it to
13:582026
14:00or 2027,
14:01whenever this movie
14:02is going to come out
14:02because he told me
14:03it's 48 weeks
14:05of post-production.
14:06Oof.
14:07Yeah.
14:08So there's going to be
14:10a lot of effects,
14:10but it was a lot
14:11of practical sets
14:12which I really appreciated
14:13so you got a chance
14:15to sort of feel
14:15like you were in the world
14:17that we were creating.
14:20I can't talk about
14:21my character yet,
14:22but it's good.
14:26You can talk about him.
14:27I won't tell anyone.
14:28Okay, I appreciate it.
14:30Why don't you turn that off?
14:31I'm just kidding.
14:32It's really, really good.
14:34We've got a great cast.
14:37Shot in Australia.
14:39Had a wonderful time.
14:40Great crew there.
14:43That's all I can really say.
14:46I understand.
14:47I don't want to get you
14:47in any trouble.
14:48I appreciate it.
14:49I get it.
14:49Yes.
14:50Well, Sterling,
14:52I just want to thank you
14:52so much for taking the time
14:54to come to our studio
14:54and to talk about
14:55all of these amazing projects
14:57that you have going.
14:58And again,
14:59congrats on the Emmy nod.
15:01Thank you very much.
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