00:00Hey everyone, you're watching InStudio with The Hollywood Reporter, I'm Brian Perica and
00:08today's guest is Justin Prentice. Woo! How are you? I'm good, I'm good, how you doing?
00:13So season two is out. It is, it's out there. How has it been having it out and kind of...
00:16It's great, you know, lots of long-kept secrets, so it's nice that they're out there and we don't
00:22have to be sworn to secrecy anymore. A lot off the chest, but yeah, I hope people are enjoying it.
00:30So I watched all of season two in two days, this past weekend, watched it alone, which
00:36is... Even better. The show is sad and watching it alone is just like... It's another level.
00:40Quite a bit. Yeah, I get it. Before we jump into season two, this role, I guess, it was really
00:46like a breakout role for you, would you agree with that? Yeah, definitely so, definitely.
00:49What was, with last season, what was kind of like this overnight success, like instant fame,
00:54I guess, because you guys all became pretty big, like after season one. It was strange.
00:59How do you handle all that? I think we all just kind of took it in stride. I think,
01:03I don't go out a whole lot, so I didn't realize how big the show had gotten. And I remember
01:09we were over at Ross's, he plays Zach Dempsey, we were having a game night. And the cast was
01:14like, isn't it crazy? Like how much our lives have changed? And I was like, I don't know
01:19what you're talking about. Like everything's the same for me. And they're like, are people
01:24not coming up to you? And I'm like, no, I don't go out a lot. So that would be hard for them
01:27to do that. But then I started going out. I'm like, oh, wow. Yeah, no, people really
01:30are responding to the show. So I don't think any of us had any indication it was going
01:34to blow up the way it did. But yeah, it's, it's, it's a special thing. And I think we're
01:38all excited about it. Now, like reuniting with the cast, do you hand out with them a lot?
01:41Did you hand out with them a lot between filming and what was reuniting with them like, I guess,
01:45for season two? It's fun. It's great. It's cool to bring the characters back to life. I think
01:49we all have such great rapport on and off camera. It makes it really easy to jump into
01:53the characters and kind of riff off of each other in the scenes. Yeah, it's just, it's
01:58kind of easy with those guys. Now with kind of how dark, I guess, the scenes are and how
02:02tough these scenes are, what's that dynamic like on set? Like kind of keeping the balance?
02:06It depends. It depends on the day for the dark scenes, you know, specifically like season
02:10one with the rape scenes and everything. We all kind of go our separate ways and kind of get
02:14into our own head space. That way we can focus on the job at hand. But on the lighter days
02:20that we have, we always try and make each other laugh and joke and pull pranks and have a good
02:24time for, you know, some sort of mental health, keeping things light and everything. But yeah.
02:30No, I interviewed Alicia for like last year for season one, and she said that everyone
02:34said it's really like comfortable. They make sure you're comfortable, especially for those
02:37tough scenes. Yeah. It's a really like comfortable environment. It really is. They did a great
02:41job. They walk you through everything ahead of time. This is the camera movement.
02:44We're going to show this, this and this. We won't show this, this and this. We kind
02:49of do a rough, a rough sort of blocking rehearsal with it. Many meetings and powwows ahead of
02:54time. And then, and then on the day, we just kind of commit to it on, on the, the scene
02:59with, with Catherine and the hot tub, they had like emotional support dogs on set. And
03:04I talked to Catherine afterwards. I was like, do you ever go near the dogs? And she's like,
03:07no, I would have just broken down. And I was like, yeah, me too. But it was great for
03:11the crew, the crew use them. Um, so yeah, they take every measure to make sure that
03:15we're as comfortable as possible, which is awesome. Now, before you got the scripts for
03:18season two, after kind of season one came out, where did you think Bryce's story was
03:22going to go? And where did you want to see it? You know, having the Brock Turner case
03:27come out when it did, that was part of my research for season one. So I always kind of
03:31assumed this was going to be the trajectory of Bryce. Um, I knew it was going to get litigious.
03:36They had mentioned that to us. Um, and, and assuming that, you know, the show does a great
03:41job of kind of putting a mirror up to society. I think they are dramatized events and whatnot.
03:45Uh, and our characters don't always make the right decisions, but, uh, but we do try and
03:50tackle some, some issues as they come up in real life as accurately as possible. And so knowing
03:55that I was like, yeah, I think it's going to piss a lot of people off, but I think, I think
04:00Bryce is going to get off kind of easy because that's realistic.
04:02My biggest compliment to the show is like, there are so many teen shows out there that
04:06are fun and like, whatever, but this show is like, it's a serious show and that's what
04:11teens are going through. It's deep. Yeah. And, uh, and I think they are. Yeah, this is,
04:14I think, I think. I mean, it's a little bit more dramatized, I think. Sure. But, but I think
04:19one of the reasons it's blown up the way it has is because teens are excited to kind of
04:23see their issues and problems that they're dealing with showcased, you know, on, on this sort
04:29of platform, you know. Now for Bryce specifically, I mean, for you as an actor, what is it like
04:34to play like a completely unsynthetic character? Like there's no, I don't think there are any
04:38redeeming qualities about him at all. We haven't seen many of them. If there are.
04:43Do you hate him as much as everyone else? Oh, for certain. Yes. Um, and that's the interesting
04:48thing because, you know, reading the character on, on the page, it's like, gosh, I hate this
04:52guy. But then you have to play the guy and you can't hate yourself because you have to find
04:56a way to sort of justify the actions in order to play the character. Not that that justifies
05:00what he does. Um, but in, in playing the role, you have to find a way to make it all make sense,
05:05which is, which is kind of an interesting barrier to, to break through. But as an actor, very
05:10rewarding, I suppose. Yeah. Now for season two, there have been like trigger warnings and there's
05:15been ways where you guys offer support and like links for people to kind of seek help. For season one,
05:21there were a lot of criticisms because there was kind of a lack of that. And there was also this
05:25criticism that the show didn't really offer, uh, an alternative to suicide. Going into season two,
05:31what were the conversations kind of about those criticisms? And did you guys talk about that?
05:36Or, you know, I, I think, I think we were all very careful this season. We wanted to do it right,
05:41uh, while still telling, you know, compelling, compelling storyline. Um, I think the way they
05:47chose to show the, the suicide in the first season, I think it was brutal. And I get that that's
05:51triggering for people. And, uh, and I think they've even since added more warnings to season one,
05:55two and gone back. Um, but it's also realistic and that's what, what's happening out there. And,
06:00um, and sometimes it should be hard to watch because it's, it's hard to deal with in the moment.
06:04And we didn't want to make it seem easy. Uh, for that scene in particular, they, you know,
06:09the writers felt that if they didn't show it, that made it easy. That was the easy step because then
06:13it seems like, Oh, she's here and alive. And then now she's not, it's, it's as easy as that. And,
06:17and they wanted to show that it is, it's a tough decision and it's brutal every step of the way.
06:21I talked to Brian York and he said, this isn't a beautiful, right? This is exactly,
06:26exactly. So I think everyone was conscious of that season two as well. There is triggering
06:31stuff that happens in season two, of course. Um, but again, a lot of this stuff is, is going on,
06:37like in, in episode 13, um, we take a lot of heat for that scene, but we actually, as the cast also
06:44asked the writers, like, what, what is going on here? This seems kind of like, I won't spoil anything for
06:49those who haven't seen it, but no, everyone's going to be caught up, but probably so, but this,
06:53you know, you know what scene I'm talking about, um, you know, we, we, as the actors read it and
06:58we're all like, this seems kind of like out of left field, is this necessary? And, um, and Yorkie,
07:03our showrunner was like, uh, apparently this is happening prevalently in schools. This is a big
07:08issue. And that blew all of our minds. We're like, well then, you know, our show doesn't shy away and it
07:13hasn't before. So, so why shy away now? You know? And it is, it's, it's, it's brutal to watch and it's grotesque and it's
07:18intense and, and be mad. You can be mad at the show, but be mad at the issue. Start talking about
07:24it, you know? Um, do you watch, have you watched season two? Like, do you watch the episodes?
07:28I don't watch any of it. I've, I've seen the first two episodes of season one because that was at the
07:31premiere and then I haven't seen any of it aside from that, aside from like when we're on set and
07:36I want to like rewatch something to make sure I didn't screw up too badly. Uh, but no, I haven't seen
07:40really any of the final footage. We did ADR work, so I've seen fragments, but no, I, I try to stay away just
07:47because of actor insecurities. One of my favorite scenes, I mean, not like, because it was like
07:53entertaining or anything, but it was like powerful and it really showed how sick Bryce is was when
07:57he's talking to his mother and he's saying like, whatever he said, like, yeah, I raped her and this
08:03and that and this and that and like, what, I guess, what scenes for you stood out and like where you
08:08could really like go there with the character and show that side? That was one of them for sure.
08:12That's kind of one of the first times we've seen Bryce sort of drop his facade that he puts on for
08:18the world and just kind of be a monster in that moment to his mother, which is very interesting
08:24as an actor to play and Brenda Strong is phenomenal. I just, I love her so much. Um, that was a great
08:30one. Um, there are a bunch of really good scenes. Um, even ones like the, the, the dance scene I love,
08:36you know, when the song comes on, harkens back to season one and then everyone sort of surrounds Clay
08:42to support him. Um, I don't know. There are a lot of little beautiful moments. The sports stuff
08:46was a lot of fun, a lot of athletics going on this season, which was enjoyable.
08:50Yeah. Are you like, do you grow up playing sports? I, I'm from Tennessee. So I grew up playing sports.
08:55I grew up with my parents thinking that would be the trajectory I would take. And then I was like,
08:59I want to do musical theater. And my mom was like, who are you? Why? And they were super supportive,
09:05but it's cool to finally, you know, gear up, throw on some pads and whatnot and be like, look, mom, I did.
09:11Now the show, I mean, it is hard to watch. There are episodes that are hard to watch. I do,
09:15I do like the show, but one of my biggest issues with season two was kind of this like lack of hope
09:21with the verdict, like with what happens to the school and then with your character. And I know
09:25that's like a real situation where that does happen. What's, what's your take on that?
09:30Yeah. I mean, I think at the end of the day, one, we want to make compelling storyline, but two,
09:34we want to kind of turn a mirror to society and say, this is, this is the issue that's going on,
09:39or these are the issues that are going on. And that's certainly one of them.
09:42Bryce is, you know, he's, it's a straight white male. He comes from money and power. He's very
09:47privileged. And that usually in this society means that you're kind of going to get off
09:50without too much consequences. Right. And it is, and it is messed up. And, and, you know, I think
09:56for our show, it does a good job in basing at least that facet in reality. But I think there are small
10:03justices throughout, you know, like Jessica kind of finally coming to terms and being able to look
10:09Bryce in the eye and say, you did this. I think that's a huge step. And that's amazing. Her speech
10:13in the court. Yes. And then you've seen like all of the women on the stand. I mean, it's so,
10:17it's so powerful. So, um, I think, I think they handled it pretty well. Yeah. Now this, you guys
10:23were filming kind of during this time's up era and in the me too movement, did that have an impact on
10:27these storylines or it's kind of already, I think they kind of sort of had it mapped out already.
10:33It might've tweaked, you know, a little towards the end. Um, but, but yeah, we were, we were showing up
10:37to work every day, just like, gosh, guys, this, this is, this is so relevant. It's so rewarding
10:42to be kind of part of a show that, that touches on all these important issues. Uh, thank you so
10:47much for coming in. What do you want to say to fans of yours and that people who don't like your
10:50character? Uh, thank you for supporting this, this show. Uh, you're right for not liking Bryce.
10:57Uh, let's work together, have these conversations, whether you are a fan of the show, whether you have
11:03critiques of, of how the show did certain things, talk about it, you know, let's get these
11:07issues out there and let's, let's work towards a brighter future, as cliche as that is, I guess.
11:11Before we started, you said you're producing something with your girlfriend. Can you kind
11:14of talk about that? Yeah. Yeah. Um, I, acting's always kind of been my main passion, but I just
11:18love storytelling in general. And so I want to hop behind camera some as well. So I'm, I'm producing
11:23a feature. She's a director. So, uh, we're kind of in the pre-production phase of that right now.
11:27Do you write too? A little bit. Yeah. She's the main writer on this one, but I go in and do it. She's,
11:32German's her first language. So I do a lot of rewrites, just, you know, grammatical stuff.
11:37Awesome. Thanks for watching. Thanks guys.
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