- 1 day ago
Creator, showrunner and executive producer Sascha Penn and stars Mekai Curtis, Tony Danza and Patina Miller sat down with The Hollywood Reporter during a special event in partnership with Starz at Pendry Park City during the Sundance Film Festival. The foursome recapped the 'Raising Kanan' journey thus far and teased what's to come.
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00:00Hi, everyone. My name is Chris Gardner. I'm a senior staff writer with The Hollywood Reporter.
00:03Welcome to The Hollywood Reporter and Stars. Clips and conversation for Power Book 3,
00:08Raising Kanan. I'm so happy to be here. And I know that there is a bunch of people in this room
00:12that are Raising Kanan fans. I know there's some people new to the Power universe. So
00:16hopefully by the end of this, you're all going to be super fans and tune in March 7th when season
00:21four premieres. There's some really important people from the Raising Kanan universe who are
00:26here today. And over the last three seasons have made this into the fan juggernaut that it is.
00:32And there's some well-known new additions to the cast this season. Chris Redd and Partizan Fontaine
00:36are set to appear in the upcoming season. They join a roster of heavy hitters who are already on the
00:41show. You're going to meet them now, including one TV legend who's also in the building, Tony Danza,
00:48the Tony Danza. He plays a different kind of boss, the mobster Stefano, Mark Hidmore,
00:56Keddie, bringing new faces, new dangers, and new layers of the complexity of the Thomas family
01:00crime operation. So without further ado, should we get him up here? Get this clips and conversation
01:05going. Starting with the man who knows it all, the Raising Kanan universe guru, creator,
01:11showrunner, executive producer, Sasha Penn. Hi, Sasha. Welcome. I'm well. Thanks for coming up here.
01:21The woman who's been charged with Raising Kanan, the one and only Patina Miller.
01:32And Kanan himself, the revelation, Makai Curtis.
01:40And there he is, the one and only, the Tony Danza.
01:43How are we all doing? Welcome to our little cozy lounge on a snowy Saturday. Everybody made
01:54it okay? I shaded my inner Kanan. I drove myself. I manned up. I got here on my arm.
01:59Matty, you got to do what you got to do. You get busy, it's gone. Yeah, I watched that show and you
02:04have an influence on me. So I like that. I appreciate. Well, first of all, can I, what we
02:09just saw was the world premiere. Again, no one is going to share that or talk about it on social
02:14media yet. Well, I got to watch that with you guys backstage. I just want you guys to respond
02:18to the season four trailer. Sasha, let's start with you. Well, first off, thank you for doing
02:24this. Thank you, my friends at STARS for having us here. Appreciate it. You know, look, I think that
02:30that trailer really is a good take on the season. You know, there's a lot that happens. It's kind of
02:36action packed. You know, at its heart, this show has always sort of remained a family drama.
02:40And I think the trailer does a good job of sort of capturing sort of the emotional highs and lows
02:45of the season. So yeah, I think it's really representative of what season four will be.
02:49I mean, season three ended on sort of a cliffhanger as we do. And, you know, I think season four
02:55delivers. Yeah, but Tina, where was that trailer, you know, months ago when that finale happened
03:00and my jaw was on the floor for like weeks after that? I want us to be like, wait, what's
03:04going to happen? And now we know a little bit of what's going to happen. Can you talk
03:06about just how the show ended season three and where you see it going from the clip we
03:11saw today? Well, I don't think anyone is ready for how it ended. If you watched the season
03:16three finale, it literally ended on two bangs. No, it ended on a completely high note and we
03:26pick up right where we left off, which is cool. You know, you kind of get to understand how
03:31it all kind of unfolded like those last few moments. And we go straight into it. I mean,
03:37watching it just now for the first time, having filmed it one last year, I think. Yeah. Yeah.
03:44A little bit longer. It's mind blown. Honestly, for me, I was so proud, so happy. You know,
03:50you always want to be a part of something like that. I mean, it's a cool trailer, you know,
03:55and it really just is so cool. And it tells everything that's going to happen this next season.
04:00And I'm just so excited for everybody to see it because it is crazy.
04:03Makai, you were dancing a little bit when you were watching that.
04:06Oh, yeah. I was hype, man. I mean, I'm excited for, you know, just the world to see what we've
04:10been over there grinding on for like the longest time right now. I'm excited for the world to
04:15see the love that went into this season. I'm excited to rewatch it and experience it all
04:22again because shooting it and shooting it and shooting it, you kind of just put it to the
04:27back burner to, you know, be ready for whatever the next task is. So, you know, my heart's
04:31full, man. I'm ready for everybody to, if you're new here, hi. If you know what it is,
04:37we're going to rock out, you know, this is a good time. Be back. Season four. Oh, yeah.
04:40Yeah. And Stefano's back in a big way this season. Well, first of all, Tony Danza,
04:44can I say it? Can I break a little bit of news? Congratulations.
04:47Oh, yeah.
04:48Do you want it?
04:48My daughter had a baby girl this night. Let's go. My name is Rosie.
04:55Baby and the mom are fine. So it's incredible. It's the most important thing. And we don't know
05:01that Stefano is going to be fine next season or the people around him necessarily are going to be
05:05fine. But no, I think that's what's great about the show is you really, you know, you know, when we
05:11read the show, we've been doing it on the Zoom because obviously. So we do the Zoom and we read the
05:16show and that's the first time we see the script. And invariably, we all walk out like, wow, I can't
05:22believe what's going on. And so that's how it was the whole fourth season. And, you know, it just,
05:28that's, that's what's happening. And let me just say before I go on, I want you to know something.
05:33We've been around a while. And this show is a gift. It really was a gift to me that these guys gave me.
05:41And it was a gift from the cast also who welcomed me with, you know, with open arms. It was, I really
05:48felt like I was one of the gang right away. So, so it's really been an incredible experience to work
05:54on the show. And I am so excited for people to see this fourth season. I really am. It just, I mean,
06:01it's one of those things where you go, I can't believe that's what they did. You know, it's that
06:06kind of, it's kind of, it's that kind of thing. So. And I would add, like, one of the joys of season
06:11four is Tony. And it's like, he is a legend, right? But it's, you know, it's one of those things
06:17where I always, like, when it comes to Tony, it's always weird calling him a legend. Because when
06:22you think of a legend, you think, oh, the number's hanging in the rafters, you know? And, but with
06:27Tony, he's, he's doing his best work right now, at least in my opinion, because it's the best
06:31scripts you ever had. Oh, talk to Sash. I was just about to say this. So, no, we've just
06:42been so lucky. And it's also, it's amazing for all of us, you know, I shouldn't say all
06:47of us, because younger cast to see someone who's been doing this professionally for that
06:53long, you know, who has that track record, track record, and by the way, shows up every
06:58day, on point, on time, and knows what the fuck he's doing. And that's, you know, I think
07:02for everybody, it's inspiring, and it's also sort of aspiration.
07:06Wow, that's beautiful. Um, let's take it back to the beginning. Here's the extra 10,
07:10Sasha.
07:12Yeah.
07:13Let's take it back to the beginning, because this show, obviously, is, is a, is a prequel to,
07:18um, the Power series, Makai Curtis playing the, the character originated by 50 Cent. So, Sasha,
07:24can you talk a little bit about, because that, that was your world to begin with, um, and
07:27then you took over this, uh, this spinoff as the creator, executive producer, and showrunner.
07:31So, talking about, like, just first of all, why he made such sense to get his own spinoff,
07:37Kanan, and, and, and why you decided to focus it on the family dynamic with the Thomas family.
07:42Um, I think, you know, the thing about Kanan is that he was, like, incredibly polarizing.
07:47Right? Whenever you have a polarizing character, that's the character you want to focus on.
07:51Um, because it means, like, people are divided. Some people love him, some people hate him,
07:55and that makes him incredibly interesting. So, you know, when Courtney and 50 came to me,
08:00they said, look, we think this is an interesting character. We're not exactly sure how to do it.
08:04Maybe we do some version of Goodfell. You know, there was, we had a lot of conversations,
08:08and for me, what I said to them was, you know, it always felt like the story had to be about
08:15Kanan and his mother, you know, and so this is, this is my homage to mothers. Uh, my own mother,
08:22who's, rocks a lot better than my own mother, I care a lot.
08:27Oh, but is that true? Is your mother still alive? She, uh, oh, no, no.
08:34It's all right. It's all right. But, um, but no, so, I mean, look, I think if you look at the
08:39original power, it's, it's homework was two things. One is cliffhangers. Like, that was the
08:44thing that people just could not get enough of. But I think it was also that there was this sort
08:48of makeshift family and a real family that, that people responded to. And I think that was always
08:53the vision for this show, but it never really was real until we had Patina and Mackay and Tony and
09:01London. And then all of a sudden we've, you know, then you could really wrap your head around
09:05what this family is. You know, uh, when my, excuse me, when my agent called me and said it was
09:10apart from me and on the show, I, I, I really thought, well, it's a family show. It's a single
09:18mother trying to raise her son. It's just like, who's the boss? It was an immediate, it was an
09:29immediate, yes. I'm sure. Uh, Patina, let's add it in. Patina, let's get to you because what's so
09:36beautiful I think about this show is that it's, it feels to me like one of those beautiful Hollywood
09:41moments that it's like the material meets the talent, you know, and you have, you know,
09:45risen to the occasion and it plays to all your strengths. And, and it is such a different anti-hero
09:51than we're used to seeing. Because if you, if somebody pitched to you, hey, this is a story about a
09:56a drug kingpin raising their son, you might think it would be a man, but it's, it's you. Uh, so tell
10:02me about like what, first of all, what your reaction was when you got this script and, and how you felt
10:08knowing all aspects of who rock was supposed to be. Well, when I heard that it was a queen pin and all
10:15of, you know, things like that, I like, okay, that's cool. That's easy, right? Like playing strength,
10:20being strong, you know, that's something that I can do. But what I loved and what really excited me
10:25about it was that she was a mother and what this could be and what this world could be. And it's
10:32literally at the end of the day, before she is a drug queen pin, she is a mother, a single mom trying
10:39to raise her kid in the best way that she knows how. And, um, that for me just felt right. You know,
10:45I am, uh, the daughter of a very young mother, 15. My mother had me at 15. So I went into this
10:52knowing like how difficult that can be. And I know like the trauma involved around that.
10:57So I really wanted to focus on that trauma. I wanted to focus and find her softness and find
11:02all of these incredible nuanced things about this, this connection with her son and how it could make
11:09her be so volatile or so, you know, she's a mama bear and then she's like lioness. And then she's,
11:16you know, she's so many different things. And that's what excited me is that she could be all of
11:21that. If I may just add to that, I'm just going to keep doing that. Every time everybody ends,
11:27she's so good. I can't, you can't understand what it's like to work with her. You know,
11:32she's so good. When you look in her eyes and she does something that you didn't expect,
11:38she's, she's just, it's just, she's just amazing. I just wanted to say that.
11:42Thank you. And I, and I will, what I will say is finally being, being a working actor,
11:48I've been very blessed to be a working actor, but sometimes the roles don't always come. And
11:54sometimes you can spend a lot of time trying to find the right thing for you at the right moment.
11:58And I really believe that you and the script found me at the right moment. And I was prepared,
12:05you know, I'd done all the work I'd been to school. I'd been on Broadway and done all these things.
12:09All of those things prepared me for this moment of, you know, the talent would meet the opportunity
12:17and the work. And I thought of like all the beautiful things that could happen. And I'm
12:21just so blessed that I've been able to, to be on the show. Thank you, Sasha.
12:26I mean, it goes without saying that this character wouldn't be even half of what it is if it wasn't
12:33for you. And I think, you know, it is, you know, when we get really, really lucky in this business is
12:38when we have a collaborator who takes the material and elevates it to a place you didn't even expect
12:44it to go. And that happens every day on the set of, on the set of Raising Cane.
12:49A lot of compliments flowing today. We love that. Tony, you can jump in with compliments at any
12:53moment. I don't think I could beat that one. So I just shut up. We're going to, we're going to get
12:58to you though, with some compliments in a little bit. So we'll circle back though. I want to ask you
13:03one more question, just because I love, I think that's such a beautiful answer, how you've sort
13:07of met this moment with this material, because you had worked a long time on Broadway, on,
13:12on the theater stage, Hunger Games, Madam Secretary. How has this part changed your life?
13:16Oh my God. I mean, Jesus, it's given me an incredible amount of confidence. It's made me trust my voice,
13:26trust my instincts more. I, you know, I'm able to be in rooms and, and be proud of myself and hold
13:32myself in a way, you know, Raquel is a powerful, powerful, powerful woman. And, you know, you play
13:39this role, you've got so many hours, so many days, you start to kind of believe it. And you start,
13:44you know, she gave me confidence. She gave me like, you know, a lot of stuff. And so I am,
13:50I have been changed with this role and I have stretched myself. I've been incredibly honored to be
13:57able to have so many wonderful moments and just chat being challenged as an actor, you know,
14:04finding myself. And that's been the most incredible thing.
14:08Speaking of being changed, I'm missing Makai Curtis. We've got to bring him to this
14:11conversation, but as speaking of change, I'll just hear you spear. No, no, we, we need you to
14:17participate because we have to get to this section called evolution, which is one of the things too,
14:22that struck me so much about watching your performance from, from the first episode of
14:26season one to the end of season three, just the way in which you have evolved as a performer,
14:30but also how Kanan has evolved as a character. I want to get to you first, but Sasha, can you talk
14:36a little bit about just the character arc of, of the title character here? And did you map it out
14:41like as a linear journey on a big board? How did you know how he was going to get from point A
14:48to a couple of gunshots at the end? Right. Great question. Well, I mean, I think part of it had
14:54been mapped out for me, but you know what I mean? Like if you watch power, you know how the story
14:58ends. So the question became, well, how does someone become that? How does someone become
15:04what 50 sort of realized in power? And my version of it was that he didn't start out that way,
15:12because I don't think people do start out that way. I think there's a lot of different things that
15:15happen, happen across the course of our lives that mold us and build us and tear us down. And so
15:21that was really, we wanted to start him in a very different place than he ends. You know, we want to
15:25be able to sort of, cause that was always the challenge. And in fact, when the show first
15:30premiered, a lot of people were like, why are we, we already know how the story ends. Why do we care?
15:35And so the challenge for us was like, well, here's why you care because his story is, is, is very
15:41different than maybe what you imagined. I don't think it was ever plotted. Like we start here
15:45but we always know where we end it. Let's put it that way. Makai, I'm going to get you to weigh in
15:49on that. But I think the best way to do that, should we get back to some clips? We're missing
15:53those clips. Remember I said this is clips in conversation. So let's start with these back-to-back
15:58clips, Bedroom Talk and We Good, where you can see Makai at work and see how Kanan has evolved.
16:05Talk to me, Kanan. You can say anything to me. Always.
16:09I don't want to disappoint you. Well, I mean, if you're honest, you'll never disappoint
16:16me. Tell me what you're thinking. Let me in.
16:21I thought I was cut out for it. For what you and Uncle Marvin and Uncle Lou do. I mean, I'm your son.
16:36I'm DEFCON's son. Y'all both did it, so I thought I would too.
16:43But maybe not. Maybe I was supposed to do something else. To be someone else.
16:59So you thinking me and you good now? Look, I'm not saying we good, Kanan. I mean, you
17:07and me, we got a lot to fix. I want you to know that I'm through with all of this other
17:13shit. You know, the only reason I went to the hospital was to keep this bullshit-ass
17:18story you and my father put together about crying.
17:21His father? What the fuck he talking about? You wanna tell him? Or should I?
17:31Like I said, Kanan, we got a lot to talk about. And I'm gonna have that conversation with you
17:36and everybody else.
17:37I ain't shit to talk about. Cause if you talking, you lying. And I ain't got time for
17:44that shit no more. I ain't got time for you.
17:50Kanan.
17:52DEFCON dead. What do you gotta do with all of this?
17:56That's a great show right there. That is, wow. Mckai, first of all, how is it to watch
18:09yourself on screen?
18:11Uh, candidly, it's very weird. It's very, very weird, but it's also super gratifying.
18:18It's like you said, you know, watching the journey. Yeah, as an artist, it's cool to see
18:24It's cool to see, you know, the excitement I have to show up every day and be better and do better and want to learn, you know, around Patina Miller, Tony Danza, Wendell Pierce, like the caliber of talent I'm around kind of just, you know, it makes you rise to the occasion, makes you want to, you know, step up to the plate.
18:47Thank you, Sasha, also, again, for great writing and giving me a vehicle to, you know, do that with.
18:51And, you know, I only, I've been on the show since the second year, end of the second year, and I've just seen such an incredible evolution in him.
19:01It's incredible to watch him now.
19:03I mean, he really, it's something else.
19:04So keep an eye on this guy.
19:08Yeah, it's one of the best parts of what we've done.
19:14And Patina, I know, agrees, like watching what Makai has done across the course of these four seasons is really, it's incredible.
19:23And, you know, he's, not that he wasn't amazing in season one, but what he's, we've challenged him every day.
19:30And it's not an easy thing to do.
19:31And by the way, these are big shoes to fill.
19:33It's not like, you know, 50 is a small personality.
19:36So, you know, Makai has been fearless, and that's what you kind of have to be to do this job well, I think.
19:44And we've all just been so fortunate to work.
19:47This is such a cozy, compliment-filled Saturday.
19:50I could sit here.
19:51We're not going to slide shit up to the workshop.
19:53I want the real strength.
19:55And let me just say, it happens when you have this great group of people, this great writer and writers, and this great production.
20:03I mean, we're pretty happy.
20:07You can tell.
20:09Now you can tell.
20:10I'll throw my hat in it.
20:13But Makai, I wanted to ask you some, just some professional verses about, about Kanan's journey, too.
20:19We know that you've been able to rise to the occasion, but talk about how he's risen through this journey from season one to season two, season three.
20:26Like, and the beats that you found sort of most revelatory for his journey to become much more ruthless like his mother.
20:32I mean, I don't know if that's, going back to, you know, if you've watched Power, you understand how polarizing for you is.
20:43You understand, you know, just how menacing he can be.
20:46But as a, as a person myself, Makai, I'm always just watching people and trying to figure out what the, what is that?
20:54Why?
20:55Why?
20:55So that was immediately the task that came across with Kanan.
21:00And very early on in conversations with Sasha, that was, you know, kind of the thing we talked about is like, well, we know what this is, but the real flavor is in how he got there.
21:13The whys, the what's the, you know, the things that build callus on skin and stuff like that.
21:18So, you know, it's just been fun to show up every day with whatever words this man has put on the page and, and try to find the moments that make it relatable and real and believable and bring you into that world and bring you into that space and make you sort of think and feel these sort of things.
21:34You know, I don't know if that answered the question.
21:36Yes, you did.
21:36Very well.
21:37He's a pro this one.
21:39Patina, back to you.
21:40Rock can be manipulative at times.
21:42And also her love for her son gets in the way sometimes.
21:45Do you think that, first of all, what do you think her ultimate goals are for him in the family business or just in life?
21:51And is she capable of real love beyond this relationship?
21:56Oh, my God.
21:57Jesus.
21:59Well, at the end of the day, I think she is someone who loves.
22:05I think she loves her son.
22:07I think she loves him so much.
22:08Does she want him in the business?
22:09No.
22:10Now, if you watch the show, the entire first season is all about her encouraging him to go to school, go get a beat, have a chance, you know, do the thing that I wasn't able to do.
22:20You know, she's, as a mother, she's trying to play, you know, the good mom, like, do this thing, go.
22:25You don't want to end up the way that I ended up, you know, because she knows how it will end for him, you know?
22:32I mean, everyone saw.
22:33And so in the beginning, that is where she is.
22:36But, you know, battling her son, who's coming into his own, he's not as naive as he's been.
22:42He's starting to push back and question, which sort of her love for him, you know, wanting him so close, it starts to play with her, you know?
22:50It starts to mess things up.
22:52So, you know, does she want him a part of the business?
22:54No, but if he's going to be a part of a business, she wants to be in control of that, you know?
22:59And I think that's where her control comes in, and she always has to have control, you know?
23:05And it gets in the way, right, Sasha?
23:08I mean, what would you?
23:08Yeah, Sasha.
23:10I mean, look, I think there's no question, Rock loves her son, but she also really loves herself.
23:16And I think that's the tension.
23:17The tension is that Rock is a narcissist, and like all narcissists, you know, love is a very complicated idea, and it's pretty fraught.
23:30And so I think that's what she really struggles with internally, is she does love her son, and yet there are times when her love for her son compromises her sense of herself.
23:43And when those two things collide, it becomes very, very complicated, and there's choices that have to be made, and those are very, very tough choices.
23:50Again, it's like, you know, I mean, anyone who's in here who's a parent, you know this.
23:54It's like it's very complicated to have children.
23:58It's not like suddenly you flip a switch and you're a different person.
24:01You're the same person you always were, but now you have these kids whose survival sort of depends on you.
24:08That relationship is complicated on its own, but then when you're Raquel Thomas, who's a drug dealer and a narcissist and a murderer, it's a lot more complicated.
24:19Do you know what I'm saying?
24:19Slightly, slightly.
24:21When he puts it like that, she...
24:22Yeah, when you say it like that...
24:24You know, the great thing I love about it, she doesn't know she's a narcissist, right?
24:27She just thinks that she's doing the right thing, right?
24:30Everything is for the family.
24:31Everything is because I love him.
24:33And I do think she really loves him, but like you said, there's that part of her that loves herself too.
24:38And when she hasn't quite gotten to be able to do this yet, you know?
24:42And so it's all about like how she manipulates, you know?
24:46That really is it.
24:47But it's always about, no, I'm doing this for you.
24:50I'm doing this for you.
24:51I'm doing this for the family.
24:52The brothers is like, I'm trying to feed you.
24:54You know, I'm trying to do all of this and that.
24:56And so it kind of gets very cloudy.
24:58Hey, it's funny...
24:59Oh, I'm sorry.
25:00Oh, no, no.
25:00It's funny that you were saying, you know, she hasn't had the chance to do this yet.
25:04Because I feel like those moments between Rock and Kanan where they're kind of...
25:08It's exactly that moment.
25:10It's like everything that Rock has instilled in this boy, he's now exemplifying.
25:14And, you know, that's a flustering sort of moment to be in anything.
25:17That same sort of headstrong, gonna do it because I'm going to do it, that Rock has,
25:23is everything that Kanan exemplifies in those moments.
25:26So it's like, you know, that same thing.
25:27Exactly.
25:28It's, you know, no, I want you to go to school.
25:30I need you to be away from this.
25:31And Kanan's like, well, I see what's going on.
25:34I want to protect you the same way you're trying to protect me.
25:36I can't leave you.
25:37So it's fun seeing that, you know, that back and forth, the mirror that you just talked about.
25:42It's challenging when your kids, your kids know you better than anybody.
25:46And that's challenging, Gino.
25:48And there's, I think it's in season three where Kanan says to Rock,
25:52you know, I feel like a lot of times you justify the old shit you do by saying you love me.
25:57And it's true.
25:58She does.
25:59And by the way, she really believes it.
26:01She really believes that she's doing it for her son.
26:04And yet there's a lot of sort of self-preservation that's going on in those moments as well.
26:10So it's complicated.
26:12Such a good line.
26:13That was such a good line.
26:14You know who else has some, you know who else has some bars?
26:17You know who else gets a lot of great lines?
26:22That Tony Danza.
26:23He sure does.
26:24He sure does.
26:24I was thinking, you know, we should get to him because this, what you've done so thoughtfully
26:29and beautifully throughout the course of the show is sort of introduce these new characters
26:33who don't just seem like you're padding the budget or just sort of adding characters to,
26:37you know, add more characters.
26:38He was introduced at the end of season two.
26:43Do you want to talk a little bit about, I could tee up this clip of like that we're going to see
26:47if Stefano, his introduction, how we learn what a dangerous friend he can be
26:51and what his interests are with Raquel.
26:53I mean, I would just say that, you know, the best sort of representations of this type
27:01of character, they're always super charismatic and you really sort of loved them.
27:06And it's like, that's why it was always going to be Tony.
27:10Because it's like you instinctively, oh, it's Tony Danza.
27:12I love Tony Danza.
27:13And then when you take that and you flip it on its head and you're like, nah, he's a real
27:18fucking bad guy.
27:19It becomes really, really interesting and cool.
27:22So you should play the clip and then play the clip.
27:24Yeah.
27:31What is this, Stefano?
27:35Who the fuck is this guy?
27:37He ain't got shit to do with this.
27:38I'm unique.
27:39Who the fuck are you?
27:41Me?
27:42I'm priceless.
27:45Come on, sit him down.
27:46Sit him down.
27:47Unique, huh?
27:52Hey, I don't suppose your mother came up with that one, huh?
27:56Unique.
27:57How about unique?
27:58How about that, huh?
27:59Hey, guys, you ever notice the moolies?
28:02The fucking moolies.
28:03They got all the best nicknames, huh?
28:06Us fucking Italians, we get the garbage.
28:09We get bullshit like the chin, Scarface, fucking Joe Bananas.
28:14You know, they call me the big fish.
28:18Fish.
28:19But you people, my love, not me, huh?
28:22You got the fucking best ones.
28:24Unique.
28:25Fat cat.
28:26The king of pop.
28:28Hey, yo, yo, yo, what do you say?
28:32You got a good nickname for me?
28:33This nigga want me to be his fucking daddy and give him a name?
28:42Lou!
28:45Sally said you had a mouth on you.
28:48What are you, what are you, you to, uh, to an item?
28:52Coming through my kitchen door like that in the middle of the fucking night, you know that's not how shit is done.
28:56Hey, fellas, give us a couple of minutes, huh?
29:01Hey, and take fucking ubiquitous here with you.
29:05Put it loose.
29:07Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on.
29:09You know what?
29:10I actually do got a nickname for you.
29:12Yeah.
29:13Little Linguini.
29:16Little Linguini about to get cooked.
29:18Ha, ha, ha, ha.
29:20The fuck off.
29:23Comedian, that one.
29:24What the fuck you want?
29:26Tony Danza, first of all, how are you, uh, watching yourself?
29:34You know, it's fun because the writing gives you a chance to really, and I haven't got the chance to do many parts like that, and it'd be, you know, it, it just, it's weird to watch.
29:46I feel as, as uncomfortable as this.
29:50And then, and I've been in the business a lot longer, and I guess I should know to use the, the microphone.
29:56But, uh, but it's just, you know, it's, it's such good production.
30:03It's got such good writing.
30:04You feel very lucky to be part of it.
30:06We feel lucky as an audience to, I think, see you in a role like that.
30:10And I know that you, uh, have feelings about depictions of it, sort of Italian monsters and, and being offered them in the past and saying, no.
30:18So why did this one, uh, make you say yes?
30:21So it was during the pandemic, and I was sitting around, my agent called and said, hey, you know, they got this, this, and they send me a scene.
30:29I mean, I do have a little problem sometimes with the Italian trope, and I have been lucky.
30:35My friends always give me a hard time about it.
30:36They say, you know, you never had to play that part.
30:39We all, that's the only parts we get.
30:40So I never had to do that.
30:42And so I was a little reluctant.
30:45But then Michael Rispoli was the other actor.
30:48Michael Rispoli is a terrific actor.
30:49I don't know if you know his work.
30:51And so I said, ah, I'd love to work with Michael.
30:53So we went, and I had just a ball, and, and then, and I, I'd be honest with you, interesting, I called my agent when I got home.
31:01I said, they're never going to buy me as the bad guy.
31:04Come on.
31:05And then I got a call and said, no, they want, they want you to stay.
31:08So I was very lucky, very lucky, Sasha.
31:11Yeah.
31:12Yeah.
31:12How, what was your vision for Tony Danza as the bad guy?
31:15And what was it, I mean, first of all, how stoked were you when he did say yes?
31:19I mean, very stoked and surprised.
31:22I mean, I, you know, one thing I'll say is that I don't know if there are any bad guys on this.
31:25It's like, everyone's a bad guy, everyone's a good guy, you know?
31:27So I think there's so many redeeming qualities about the character that Tony plays, you know?
31:33And there's a lot of wisdom that comes out of, out of, you know, his mouth, Stefano's mouth.
31:37So it was just one of those things where, as I said, it felt like we were casting Tony against type,
31:43which is always when things become really, really interesting.
31:46And he mentioned Michael Rispoli, who, and I also just want to take a minute just to acknowledge
31:51all the other actors on this show who are spectacular, what you've seen here.
31:54London Brown, Joey Badass, Malcolm Mays, Haley Kilgore, Omar Epps.
32:00I mean, we've been so fortunate to have all these incredible actors on this show.
32:05But, you know, with Stefano, again, I felt like it was really, really important that
32:10people instinctively liked the character.
32:12You know, like, you want to like him.
32:14It's like, it is, you know, we have a tremendous debt to The Sopranos.
32:17I mean, we do.
32:18It's, you know, it's obviously.
32:20And it's funny, Michael Rispoli, who we mentioned, was between him and James Gandolfini for Tony Soprano.
32:26And actually, this is a total aside, but one of my favorite moments when we've been shooting this,
32:30I think I've told this story before, is Michael Rispoli, who plays Sal Vaseline,
32:34there's a scene where he and Rock are at this bowling alley.
32:40And, you know, it's a pretty unbelievable scene in terms of just the back and forth between them.
32:45And he sort of says to her, you know, what is it with you?
32:47Is it because you're a woman?
32:48And Rock's like, you know, that's what it always is for guys.
32:50I always say it's because I'm a woman.
32:52But anyway, right before that scene, Michael, we were in a bowling alley.
32:55Michael's just pacing back and forth in a bowling alley.
32:58And he looks terrified.
32:59And I walk up to him and I'm like, Michael, you know, you all right?
33:02And he looks at me and he's like, she's going to eat me alive.
33:11I know Michael Rispoli, that's not his attitude.
33:15And he said, you've got to fucking protect me.
33:18I'm like, all I do is write this shit, you know.
33:22But anyway, yeah, I mean, look, what can I say about Tony?
33:26You know, he's Tony.
33:27You know, it's just we're so fortunate that he agreed to do it.
33:31And yes, it was surprising.
33:32But I think, again, he brought a depth to this character that we didn't think we would have.
33:37So, again, just so fortunate.
33:40Love that.
33:40How about another round of applause for Tony Danza?
33:42How about that?
33:43How about that?
33:44We have some more clips of Stefano in action.
33:49But, you know, we're going to enter the final part of the clips and conversation, which is a look ahead at season four.
33:55At the top of this clips and conversation, you guys got to see the trailer.
33:59So you're going to see another clip that is exclusive to you and is in addition to your NDA.
34:06You know, it don't matter to me what you think of me, Kanan.
34:10It don't matter to me at all.
34:11I don't need you to love me for me to love you back.
34:21You understand what I'm saying?
34:24I love you so much.
34:30It don't matter if you hate me.
34:31Patina, Rock worked so hard to win back Kanan's trust last season.
34:54And we now know that she's continuing to do that by this preview of season four.
34:59Where do you see their relationship going through the course of the season?
35:02Without giving too much away, we want people to tune in March 7th, season four.
35:07Well, I will say that it's very Rocky.
35:10I mean, she just killed his father in front of him.
35:14So you can kind of imagine what kind of things.
35:18You know what I mean?
35:19It is a game changer, like you just said.
35:21And you will have to watch her navigate the repercussions of that.
35:26And trying to, you know, she's always trying to win him back.
35:28And I think this season, she continues to do that.
35:32And yeah, it gets a little tricky because Kanan is no longer standing for her BS.
35:39Makai, talk about how you've approached Kanan's feelings for season four.
35:48And, you know, how he feels about his mother.
35:51And also, too, because as we saw from the trailer, their business together continues.
35:55So do you think they're better business partners or mother and son?
35:59Or where do you see this going?
36:01I think you get to see them try to navigate that through.
36:05You get to see them navigate their personal relationship through being business partners
36:11and how they learn to, like, start trying to communicate again and how they're feeling each other out.
36:17You kind of see Kanan while he's, you know, from day one, he's been asking questions and getting answers.
36:22And as he's getting more answers, he's now building his own reality and world based on what he's seeing, putting the front of him.
36:29And, again, in true fashion of mommy saying, no, stay right here.
36:35And, you know, little boy being like, I'm a grown man now.
36:38You're seeing the push and pull of just a mother and a son and how they try to love each other
36:45and how they try to look out for each other.
36:47And, you know, just, again, navigating, learning and meeting somebody you love again.
36:54You know what I mean?
36:55It's this constant kind of chess battle between, you know, like, seeing what you've picked up and what you've learned new.
37:01And, you know, that's what you're going to see happening in season four, I think.
37:05That's my interpretation.
37:06I'm done now.
37:07No, I want to stay on YouTube just because Rock and Kanan's scenes together are so intense.
37:13And you guys, in person, in real life, you're acting, I know.
37:16But in person, in real life, you seem to really love one another and learning a lot.
37:20She's cool, I guess.
37:21No, she's.
37:22So what is the process like when you guys have an intense scene like that?
37:25What is the bond like on set, off set?
37:29If you don't know Miss Bettina Miller, she's an absolute nerd when it comes to this sort of thing.
37:35And that energy just kind of rubs off on everybody she's around.
37:39Literally from the moment I met her at the chemistry, that sort of, you know, we both walked in the room,
37:44grabbed the sides and are, like, highlighting what we need to get through and trying to find those moments.
37:48So that's just what it is.
37:51You know what I mean?
37:51It's that synergy.
37:53It's that in-between with them.
37:55Yeah, Makai is a great scene partner.
37:57And, you know, as an actor, you can only hope that you're able to get in the ring or be on camera, on stage with people who are actors, generous actors.
38:09And that means an actor who listens, an actor who gives and is there, you know, in the moment.
38:15And Makai is always there.
38:16You know, when I'm at the beginning of a scene, I'm like, what are we trying to do?
38:20How can we make this great?
38:21You know, having someone who really is just as excited as you are to make it great and to play and to try it a different way, it makes a difference.
38:32And him and I started in that way in a chemistry read of, you know, being just so excited.
38:38I mean, it's a blessing.
38:39It's a blessing for me as a black woman, as a black actor, to be able to do this kind of material and have this kind of platform to tell these kinds of stories and to hear the response to it and to talk to people and to hear how, you know, how much they love it and how much of rock they see in themselves.
39:01Or, you know, these characters remind them of people to be with an actor who gives like Makai does.
39:08It is so incredible.
39:10And I love him dearly.
39:12I love him dearly.
39:13And I think that's why it's been easy for us to play the love.
39:17And you feel the love when you watch us on screen together, even when we're at odds.
39:21These two characters are always fighting for the love.
39:25You know, even when they have these terrible moments, under it is, I love you.
39:32And so me loving him in real life, being able to play that, it just makes it so much easier.
39:38If you have moments in the fourth year that it's just incredible.
39:43Those moments.
39:45It's going to get good, man.
39:46It's scary out here.
39:48March 7th.
39:49Stars out.
39:49Tune it.
39:50Yeah, I would also just, I mean, look, you know, this is a team sport.
39:55So, you know, you're only as good as the guy or woman you're passing the balls.
40:00And if they're going to drop that shit, then guess what?
40:04You know, you're not going to get down the field.
40:06So we've been really, really fortunate in that every actor on the show for the most part has, you know, has that skill and comes in every day.
40:15Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:17The moments, man, they really, it's also because the words on the page, you read them and you're like, oh, okay, this is we, we.
40:24Okay, I'm ready.
40:25You got it.
40:26You understand the assignment.
40:27So, again, thank you for giving all of us the platform and the vehicle to actually show us.
40:34The words.
40:34That's what I'm saying.
40:35The words.
40:36The words.
40:37But it's smart material, you know what I mean?
40:39I think like these kinds of shows, you know, can sometimes be very stereotypical, you know what I mean?
40:45Like, but this is not that, you know, it's so human.
40:48I think the story is so human.
40:50And it's credit to Sasha that you have not done that, you know, like we've been able to.
40:55Well, I mean, listen, don't stop.
40:58I mean, this shit can go on.
40:59Bye.
41:00No.
41:01I'm not used to this kind of person.
41:03This can be very like, oh, okay, here are these black characters doing X, Y, and Z or here, you know what I mean?
41:10Like the Italian characters who serve as this kind of, all these tropes.
41:15But really, all of these characters have stakes.
41:19The stakes are so high for every single character.
41:21All these characters are fighting for something.
41:24They all want something.
41:25And what I love about it, that it's not really, it's about like how they feel, you know?
41:31And what will you do to get the power?
41:33What will you do to get and how we act?
41:35And that's what I've loved about being on this show and being able to read the words and just like, oh, yeah, I get that.
41:43Oh, yeah, this is easy.
41:44Yeah, and I think, you know, just to build off of something that Kai said earlier and to go back to your question about the relationship between Rock and Kanan, Kanan is a mirror to Rock, right?
41:55And sort of the inciting incident, you know, that the catalyst for all this was him trying to protect her, right?
42:02Like in the pilot episode, he went to go protect his mom.
42:06And what happens after that is this sort of series of betrayals.
42:11And the story we're telling is like, is there a way back for a mother and a son or a family that is sort of steeped in that type of betrayal, you know?
42:24And look, I do think that there is a universality to that.
42:28Like if you're in a family, like look, the betrayal may not be you killed someone, but there are small betrayals that happen every step of the way.
42:36And we're all trying to navigate those and figure those out and figure out if there's a way back to each other.
42:43And sometimes you can get there and sometimes you can't, you know?
42:45But you never stop trying because we're wired to do that.
42:49It's like, this is my family and somehow in our brains, we have convinced ourselves, well, that means we need to be a family.
42:57And that is sort of the crux of what we've been doing for four years, right?
43:01Which is like, it's a family show.
43:04I'll give you that.
43:05Exactly.
43:05That's what we're trying to do.
43:07It's like, can you repair a family?
43:10And, you know, you'll have to tune in to find out.
43:12Got to tune in.
43:13You're doing great so far.
43:14By the way, Sasha, did you ever imagine you'd have to come to Park City to get so many compliments?
43:18I didn't.
43:19I did.
43:20I hope that by you, I would have come here to piss you up in your luggage, take their own with you.
43:24You deserve them all.
43:25Well, thank you so much.
43:26I appreciate it.
43:27Should we do our last clip?
43:28Because we got to see what's in store for Stefano down there for season four.
43:32So let's play our final clip of the day.
43:35Job, Dad.
43:38Hey, you're wondering why I reached out to you.
43:42And the answer is twofold, my friend.
43:44First off, as discussed, you are a true professional.
43:52I mean, in a business that is sorely lacking in that particular area.
43:56And secondly, as was the case with our late comrade in Newark, I have a job that demands a little bit of distance and some cover for me.
44:08You need me to do more work for you.
44:12My daughter, Paulette, her new husband, Tommaso, he's embarrassing her and me.
44:18And that's unacceptable.
44:20Problem is, Tommaso's a main guy, so I can't have one of my own guys go over there and knock some much-needed sense into him.
44:27It's against the rules.
44:28Tony, Stefano has gotten more and more involved with the Thomas family as we see him there asking Marvin for his help.
44:50How involved with the Thomas family does he get?
44:52How much more involved, excuse me, does he get with the family?
44:55He gets very, very, very involved.
44:57In fact, you know, in fact, I'm going to say something that I, this is just me talking.
45:04This is not the organization here, but I think Stefano is really hot for rock.
45:12I'm not kidding.
45:13I think he has it bad for her.
45:14He says something, there's a couple of lines that I can't repeat here that he says in the show that would lead you to believe that.
45:21But I think that that tension he has, because he's mad at her often, but he likes her a lot.
45:29So there's that tension going on a lot.
45:32It's sort of like he became part, he becomes part of the family.
45:35You know, he's worried about, there's a scene, there's a scene where he helps rock to get, to retrieve what he's been kidnapped.
45:42I shouldn't say that, I guess.
45:44But, oh God, I gave something away.
45:47Oh, that's great.
45:48You're good.
45:49That was the, that was the, okay, I'm good.
45:52You think that NDA on the thing is, it's real.
45:55But, but I just think, you know, it really comes, it turns into, I know this is crazy to call it a family, but it turns into like a family.
46:06It really does.
46:08I, you know, Wendell and Erica, they're part of the family, pops and snaps.
46:14And, and of course, London Brown, I want you to know, but we don't talk about London, he's not here.
46:19Marvin, who plays the, you know, the brother, he's so magnificent.
46:23It's really, he's just really so great to work with.
46:26And that's the thing, you, you, you really get to work with a great bunch of actors and some great writing and some great production.
46:32What else do you want?
46:34Simple.
46:35Zat.
46:35There it is.
46:36Should we end there?
46:37I was going to keep going.
46:38That seems like a really beautiful place to end.
46:40But, Sasha, I do want to give you the final words of the day.
46:45Well, first off, thank you all for coming out.
46:47You know, I mean, one of the challenges of a show like this is, is, you know, like any show.
46:53It's getting people to watch it.
46:54And also, you know, one of, and I, this is, I'm not speaking for the organization either, but one of the, one of the frustrations, I think, that, that's been hard is like, we do have these amazing performances.
47:04And sometimes it feels like they're not getting the, how should I put it?
47:10Yeah, they're, it's not, they're not acknowledged in the way we'd like them to be acknowledged by, by various organizations that recognize these things.
47:18And so it's super meaningful for us to be here, to be able to share this work with you and to share it with the world.
47:22And, you know, we're just very grateful that, that we've had, that we've had, well, ultimately we're going to have, you know, we have, we will have five seasons at least of this.
47:31And, and we are, we're just so grateful, grateful to our friends and stars, Lionsgate, for, for doing this.
47:39And yeah, look, it's, it's, it's been amazing.
47:41And we really hope you like season four.
47:43So thank you.
47:44I, I'm also so grateful.
47:46Thank you to each and every one of you.
47:48I do speak, I do speak for the organization.
47:50So I will say thank you to the Hollywood Reporter.
47:53Thank you, stars so much for bringing this brilliant team to Park City and sharing the stage with me today.
47:58I'm so grateful and I hope we converted some new Raising Canaan fans and gave the ones that are already here something to look forward to on March 7th.
48:05So tune in then and we'll see you on the other side.
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