WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS on FX and FX Hulu

Moderator Haley Joel Osment

Matt Berry

Natasia Demetriou

Kayvan Novak

Mark Proksch

Stefani Robinson

Paul Simms

Harvey Guillen, creator

A household of vampires living in Staten Island try to find their place in the world. For me, it’s the best comedy on television so get to it!

Haley: Thank you everyone for being with us today. Harvey, we left off Season one with a cliff hanger and an arc to the finale in season two. How did your character evolve?

Harvey: I didn't know we were going in that direction I season one and the story-line has been awesome. I don’t' think anyone expected it. Season two started with a bang killing vampires and evil from getting to my housemates. Guillermo is torn but being loyal to a T. He loves his housemates.

Haley: You had stunt work to do.

Harvey: That was fun, I didn't know that was going to happen until Season 2. I started going to the gym and working out which is good for me but all the stunt stuff I did was like a dance. In that sense it was just like doing a musical. It looked cool on camera. People have been really responding to it.

Haley: Kayvan: There are a lot of ups and down for your characters with Guillermo. Do you think Nandor has turned a corner despite that big blow up?

Kayvan: That's a good question. I would say that it’s a really dysfunctional relationship that they have. The way they have this codependency together, one hand Guillermo wanted to be a vampire and now he doesn't need to be one because he's a vampire killer. Nandor needs Guillermo so who is he going to boss around. Now that this big reveal has happened. I have no idea how this relationship is going to evolve. Nandor basically has someone that can kill him. 'm concerned.

Paul: Stephani and I have some ideas where its going but we won't say.

Haley: It's been green-lit for a third season as you write from your vampire hideouts.

Paul: We know what's happening, but we can't tell you.

Haley: Natasha you worked with a puppet version of yourself. I was lucky enough to see all the improve on set, was it hard to improvise with yourself?

Natasia: I did all the recording of the voice actually in lock-down so if it doesn't sound that good, that's why. It was easy to improvise with myself because I am a fantastic improvisor and actress.

Haley: I also did my ADR from this room; did you all do that?

Natasia: Its always been my dream to work against someone who is as good as me, so I finally got to do that with myself.

Haley: You and Matt had an extended musical episode in the club. How much was written from that episode and how much didn't make it into the show.

Matt: I don’t know because I haven't seen that episode. They are more or less 30 second long. They weren't full songs, so I don't know.

Natasia: I did see it and there were some amazing songs written in and a couple, I'm very pleased to say, that me and Matt penned in his little dressing room on a keyboard that also made it it. Yea, there were some amazing ones.

Haley: Mark, I heard you were very ill during the episode during your big promotion.

Mark: Yea, when you get sick filming and on location it sucks. You have none of your creature comforts with you. Too boot it is in Toronto Canada which is very cold. You take a lot of drugs and smile and you take the smooth with the rough. The flying was fun, it is a little painful as all the other vampires know more than I do. Yea, its work so you go to work and do it. Hopefully the episode didn't suffer.

Haley: Do you think Collin is the most powerful vampire in the house.

Mark: We all have our own specialties that we play off of each other. If he gets them all in the room and they aren't aware he can cause a lot of problems. Guillermo is very powerful now and Kayvan has his powers and Matt has his and Natasia is loud, so we all have things that are powers.

Haley: Stefani and Paul, how far in advance did you know that Jim the Vampire would be Mark Hamill?

Stefani: I felt like we had enough time, more than in the past. There is scheduling and visa issues and shooting close to the holidays its hard to lock people down. In this instance we knew ahead of time and had enough time to write the part specifically geared toward him.

Haley: Was the pool cue or light saber thing happen on set?

Stefani: That was one of those that happened on set, it was the stunt coordinators that came up with it during rehearsal and something that was designed for that specific space when they were blocking it all out.

Paul: We thought maybe they would hit pool cues at each other and on the day and we were shooting it and Mark Hamill picked up the pool cue everyone said, 'oh my gawd'.

Stefani: I never saw Matt so giggly.

Matt: I was in front of Luke Skywalker and it doesn't matter how cool you think you are or in character you are, you're not, you are seven years old with Luke Skywalker in front of you. Pretty special.

Haley: About the directors, you can tell there is a different approach from directors so how do you work with that?

Paul: I'll jump in, the interesting thing is that Kyle is great and our editor Yanna directed two episodes for the first time, but it was a really funny experience. She has seen every bit of film and knows how everything goes together and knew what we needed and what we didn't need. You don't usually get that from a first-time director.

Matt: You'd never know she was a first-time director

Natasia: No matter who the director is I send little bits of paper to the cast saying, 'don't f**k it up'. So, there are lots of directors but I'm always directing.

Haley: From this point on didn't you say, 'I refuse to be directed!'

Natasia: That was an actor that I worked with that said she was self-directing. She was so upset with production that she was self-directing like, 'and action', 'camera one on me and action'.

Haley: This show as I found out in the few days that I was there was very nocturnal like its characters and cold when you are shooting. That is real snow you are working in, how challenging is that working through the nights and trying to sleep all day. Added to that all the time in the makeup trailer.

Stefani: A lot of Captain's Oil.

Paul: I'm a nocturnal person so it doesn't wear on me. I start at 6 pm to daylight, I can't imagine being an actor doing it.

Natasia: It makes you made, but it makes you like a vampire but sometimes you are human and think 'oh, I think I'm gonna die'. It's a very surreal experience but it works for the show.

Stefani: There are waves and stages to it. It's like a long-extended sleepover at a theatre camp with your friends, but there is a point where your body is shutting down and your body turns colors and you've only eaten deviled eggs.

Matt: It doesn't help when they dye your hair black because you look even more withdrawn.

Mark: As much as we love Toronto, filming in a cold place doesn't help when it’s the seventh week and your doing an outdoor night shoot and you can't feel your feet. The crew isn't as babied as the actors and they start falling and getting sick.

Paul: It doesn't.

Haley: One thing that does make it on the screen is working in the vampire house. I have never seen so many lit candles on a set before which lends to the atmosphere. What is it like working in that environment?

Matt: Yep.

Natasia: One of my favorite parts of the show, I still can't believe it that it’s a weird vampire house. I want to take it on the road to have people visit.

Mark: I've never in any of my shows worked in such an elaborate and really beautiful set and it lends itself to your creativity which helps a lot.

Matt: I was asked this afternoon, its not only the best set I've ever worked on but the best set I've ever seen. We have a music room that was built and only on the scnee for like 11 seconds and it was incredible.

Natasia: The only issue with lit candles is you can't stop and take a photo, or you will set yourself on fire.

Matt: The terror in their eyes was hilarious.

Natasia: Setting yourself on fire is so embarrassing.

Haley: Is there a policy about taking something from the set.

Matt: That's from the Necromancers hut.

Paul: No one informed me about the policy, so I didn't get anything.

Haley: I remember one night that someone's teeth were misplaced. Do you forget they are there?

Matt: That's not the issue, its forgetting to put them in before a scene.

Natasia: Forgetting to put them in after lunch and they can't use it because I'm an idiot for not putting my teeth in. Matt tried to pull a prank on me putting red stuff on his teeth. To this day I don't know what it was.

Haley: Harvey, how has your podcast with the show been with fans.

Harvey: It started off like a onetime thing and then after the first episode aired fans asked when  will the next one air. So, I really just did it because the fans were asking for it. Sharing the videos and having fun and Natasia shared clips and to give fans something. The show is a 30 minute show and people want more so I did it as a 'here's something' and I think we shot 14 episodes and we had the writers, directors, producers and Paul and hear the stories. I didn't know where Paul grew up and we had a whole conversation like that. It was time consuming though. I was a five day a week thing with jokes, artwork from fans and my sister jumped on and produced it. We were working to stream through all social medias at the same time. It was a lot of work. I'm glad we did it.

Haley: We are doing this remotely so to talk about it, how has everyone's quarantine been?

Natasia: I've been busy with a show called What We Do Before What We Do When What We Do In The Shadows.

Paul: Stefani and I have been busy editing and learning how to do things remotely and get everyone loop and ADR lines remotely and get Mark's voice to sound like it wasn't in a big echo-y room.

Mark: It was fine for everything else but for this it echoed.

Haley: Then I'll throw this to everyone, most of our characters have had successful and romantic adventures. Can Nandor fine love in season 3?

Stefani: Good question Haley.

Paul: Yea, Nandor is lonely and if there is a preview of season 3 they are searching. Nandor is searching for love, there might be new duties - I'm giving too much away.

Haley: I'll plow ahead, we saw a big broadening of the magical world and the creatures who live in it, what sort of creatures are still out there for the characters?

Paul: Yes there are. I'm trying to think of one to say that won't spoil anything.

Stefani: There are creatures who live on edifices.

Natasia: Can you come up with some vampire puppies and kittens.

Paul: I will say the vampires get a hell hound to protect them.

Natasia: You thought we were going to get our animal guy back.

Mark: I felt like I was doing something wrong just standing next to him.

Haley: Have there been live bats on the set or is that CGI?

Paul: We've had a goat.

Stefani: I live raccoon and a gecko.

Matt: A Small dinosaur of some sort.

Natasia: the bat quite often is a rubber bat on a stick and I'm always like very good, and they say 'no, no that's the bat'.

Haley: It’s been great to see your faces, Harvey, Mark, Natasia, Matt, Kayvan, Stefani and Paul take care.

FX's and FX on Hulu Brings ARCHER Who Still Steals My Heart Year After Year

Aisha Tyler - Lana

Chris Parnell - Figgis

Judy Greer - Cheryl

Amber Nash - Pam

Lucky Yates - Krieger

Casey Willis, executive producer

Casey: We are really excited to connect with you virtually with fun stories, witty banter and some fun hints and tidbits about season 11. I want to thank everyone for being here. It’s a little bittersweet because we talk about how the only time we see each other is at these conventions so I'm sending you a virtual hug and kiss. I will miss the cosplay from the Archer fans. One year at Dragon-Con it was an outlaw country Cheryl.  Another great cosplay was also at Dragon-Con and the first year we went as a group and comic book artist Adam Hughes was dressed as Pam. We recorded the last two episodes of ARCHER while under quarantine, did that make it difficult and what did you think about that.

Chris: They had these safety protocols and we didn't touch each other because I usually touch a lot of people in the studio.

Aisha: I come in after Chris and everyone was traumatized.

Chris: I have a lot of love to give.

Judy: I tried to figure out how to record form home and it was the pain for a bum and then I found out you guys went to the studio and I said 'can I go to the studio?'

Amber: I thought it looked the same to me.

Judy: We walk in on our own anyway. I feel like it was definitely clean and spaced but it wasn't any different. I go in the front door and straight to the studio.

Aisha: Don't look at anyone in the eyes, yell 'let’s get this done' and run off on your unicorn.

Judy: There is one good thing is that there is a liquor store right next door and they always had toilet paper. Last night I was introduced to dry vermouth on the rocks, now that's a drink.

Aisha: There is red vermouth and white vermouth and dry vermouth and the white vermouth on the rocks is the most delicious thing.

Judy: I've only had white vermouth because every Tuesday is my Zoom knitting group and we do a different signature drink and last night was that. You guys can talk now if you want.

Aisha: Did anybody else find the supermarkets didn't have anything but the liquor stores had everything. I mean mine had anti-bacterial dial, fresh limes, N95 mask, it was insane.

Judy: I learned early on that her Bodega market and I couldn't find garlic and sure enough they had one of those garlic socks.

Aisha: Support local businesses.

Amber: My parents are preppers, so he had masks, Clorox, paper towels and wipes and made my bug out bag and had all the toilet paper I needed.

Chris: I refuse to give my local store my business because I use Amazon.

Casey: Judy mentioned her knitting which you've been doing for quite a while. Has anyone else got interesting quarantine hobbies.

Aisha: Does drinking count as a hobby.

Judy: I am into craft cocktails. I don't consider a light beer alcohol anymore.

Aisha: That's like water.

Judy: Happy hour is getting earlier.

Aisha: I cannot have a meeting before 11 a.m. in the morning because I'm sleeping in my bed so now, I'm available between 1 and 4. Can we meet? Nah, I'm booked till 1.

Casey: Normally when doing a Comic Con panel, we talk about the season that's already happened. This time, lucky viewer, we've recorded everything and here in Atlanta and we are working on the last couple of episodes. What guy are you guys excited about in the real world and not a coma season?

Amber: The scripts were so funny. I loved being in space and on the island and thought it was super fun but something excited about being back in the real world and super fun to see what everyone has been up to.

Chris: It has been a challenge keeping my son occupied and just started an art class on Zoom. He's enjoying that and then we do a neighborhood karate class and they are going to do a neighborhood hip hop class. People are outside and socially distance.

Lucky: I'm coming to your neighborhood.

Aisha: Does not showering count as a hobby. I've perfected it.

Amber: Telling your partner 'hey, maybe today is a good day to take a shower!'

Judy: Can I draw you a bath?

Aisha: Lead by example.

Lucky: What was your question?

Casey: It’s about a little show we do call ARCHER. So, Season 11?

Aisha: We can't say anything, we can't give anything away.

Casey: This happens to all of us coming into work. There was three of us in a giant conference room and the first half hour we were so happy to see other people that were talking and b.s.'ing. Maybe we can do hints and spoilers, there are going to be cool guest stars. One that I can reveal, we are very excited, Simon Pegg is going to be in the season.

Aisha: That means I can't wait to run up to him on the street and say 'hey Simon you were on my show!' and he can say 'stop touching me I don’t' know who you are!'.

Casey: The other person I want to talk about as a reoccurring guests star came to us via Judy Greer - its' Jamie Lee Curtis. I don't want to say anything about her character.

Judy: Earlier Aisha was talking about the many, many feature films I am in and one of them came out two years ago from the Halloween franchise starring Jamie Lee Curtis and I was offered the role as her daughter. When we first showed up for rehearsals in Charleston, I introduced myself to her and she went right into ARCHER. I think it was maybe how I got the job because she was an executive producer on the movie. So, she and her son really bond over ARCHER and it’s his favorite show and she loves it. I said 'Jaimie, 100% I could get you on the show' and she's like 'oh really' and I said yes.

Aisha: I'm always surprised when reputable people like our show.

Judy: I still feel surprised to know people watch our show.

Aisha: We are a little group of weirdos.

Lucky: Speaking of weirdos, where is Jon Benjamin.

Casey: He is out in the wilderness watching birds.

Aisha: Is he camping or doing some survivalist thing?

Judy: I don't get that from him.

Amber: I doubt it.

Lucky: Is he at a drum circle.

Amber: He's doing Naked & Afraid.

Casey: I have a couple of fan questions as well. Having lived with these characters more than a decade have you had an episode play out in your dreams.

Chris: I never remember my dreams.

Judy: Me either, because of passing out.

Aisha: Have you ever dreamt about a character you've played.

Chris: When I was in collage we were doing a story theatre, fairy tales and  we were travelling around the state in empty theatres and college gymnasiums and one of my characters is a crow and I go 'kaaaa kaaa kaaa' and my roommate said I was doing it in my sleep. I was in character as a crow.

Aisha: You are a method actor.

Lucky: Maybe Chris is our three-eyed raven!

Judy: I don't know what that is.

Casey: When things get stressful at work I always dream about when I worked at a chain restaurant 20 some odd years ago but never about ARCHER.

Aisha: This isn't a stressful show.

Amber: Casey is always stressed out.

Judy: This is the easiest thing to ever make.

Casey: Wonderful animators and artists know this is not easy.

Aisha: To echo what Casey said the animators on the show are the best animators on television doing the most beautiful and complex show and they work very hard. We clowns come in and our sweat pants so thank you very much.

Judy: How old is the Archer baby now?

Casey: I think one is nine or ten years old.

Judy: Is that the one who was the model baby for Seamus.

Casey: I don't recall but let’s say… yes. If the Archer cast could star in a James Bond film what would it be?

Aisha: Octopussy

Lucky: Stink Finger or The Man With the Golden Rod.

Aisha: A Liter of Vodka isn't Enough.

Chris: A Good Day to Sploosh.

Casey: Which Archer catch phrase are you tired of having repeated back to you?

Aisha: It’s got to be Lana…I love you and appreciate you and I'll give you a halfhearted "what", it gets weathered.

And it’s the shrieking! People are delighted by it and I try to put my 'what' back into it.

Casey: People ask me how I come up with catch phrases and I say they are pretty organic. Anything that works super well in the booth, Adam would say it’s got to come back. They are all things that organically happen.

Amber: That still happens now and there are times we have a reaction and we try it and it will come back.

Lucky: It's like 'smoke bomb' wasn't in the script but we bounced a few things around and 'smoke bomb' is the thing we all liked.

Judy: We also had ISIS first.

Aisha: Terrorists ruin everything!

Casey: the Shazam Isis Hour and we had t.v. Michael Grey who was Shazam in the television show. I think we have to wrap it up.

Aisha: I have a question for everyone. Do you notice when you are on Zoom you don't know how many times you touch your face, but you star into the abyss if your own eyes. I've been touching my face a lot.

Judy: Now I want to touch my face.

Aisha: Wash your hands and don't touch your face.

Casey: And if you do, we can all be back together again. Before we go, we have some big exciting news and you are hearing it first here. ARCHER's 11th season will air Wednesday, September 16th at 10 p.m. on FXX and on FX Hulu. From our families to yours, we wish you the best and sincerely appreciate the continued support and until next time San Diego Comic Con family.

ARCHER Danger Island: The Complete Season Nine is Here!

Jeri Jacquin

Now on DVD from 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment comes the hilarious and cutting edge comedy from a few animated friends from FX with ARCHER Danger Island.

Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) doesn’t waste any time getting into trouble as a married woman is found in his room and Mother (Jessica Walter) isn’t happy with gun fire erupting in her hotel. The hotel in French territory with illegal gambling on the island of Mitimotu in 1939.

When Princess Lanaluakalani (Aisha Tyler) and her man Fuchs (Chris Parnell) want a ride off the island, one-eyed Archer gets the plane Lucy in the air. Pam (Amber Nash) is his co-pilot and the parrot Crackers (Lucky Yates) has a lot to say between drinks and crackers. As they all jump out of the plane, Archer is left to either land or make something magical happen.

Parachuting down it seems only Crackers makes that maneuver look easy but it’s Pam who shows that she’s no slouch when it comes to snakes and a good firearm. Saving Fuchs isn’t something she wants to do but it’s the only way to keep the Princess from doing something nutty.

Back at the hotel, Mallory is dealing with a crazy Charlotte (Judy Greer) and a box of chocolates. Capitaine Ray (Adam Reed) has been convinced to let her out and put her in the custody of Mallory to work off what she owes to the hotel. Archer is still up in the air, literally, and his sweet talk to Lucy isn’t getting him anywhere. All of this is followed by an airplane-big-lizard-poo-poo-storm!

Now that the seaplane is a pile of non-winged metal, Mallory isn’t thrilled and making her usual threats. The Princess has a plan of her own to find a hidden idol and get rid of the French and the German Fuchs is all in. The thing is – Archer, Pam and Crackers also think they need to go idol hunting so they can get a new plane.

They need Charlotte to make that happen and since she’s working for Mallory now it should be an easy get right? Yea, maybe not. Archer breaks into Fuchs room and discovers pretty much everything needed to find the idol. Pam has also been busy getting ready to surprise Archer with a put together Lucy but instead of being happy it sets off some serious memories of Spanish war enemy Ziggler.

Fuchs has brought in backup to keep everyone away from the idol hunt and Charlotte might have something to say about that. Capitaine Ray isn’t happy with the influx of Germans either but threats from him don’t seem to cut it with the group either. Archer drowns his memory sorrows with sarcasm and bad beer deciding there is only one way to fix this – a fight in air.

Mallory is asking a lot of questions about what Archer is up to but there are ears all around who want to know the answer. The Princess isn’t happy, especially when Fuchs isn’t keeping his men in line. Pam and Archer have already taken off with a copy of the map that doesn’t exactly show all the traps. This leads to Archer having a huge meltdown, Pam crying and monkeys pitching coconuts!

While once again getting out of chaos, Archer and Pam discover that monkey’s aren’t the only thing in the jungle to be worried about. Tied naked to a stake, Pam has another one of her story’s to share with Archer but anthropologist Noah (David Cross) stops everything. He gets a chance to explain what is going to happen to them next.

The Princess is in trouble with her own parents when they discover that the map leading to the idol is missing from their home. The Tapua has powers and she now realizes that perhaps Fuchs has been using her. Meeting up with Mallory, Charlotte and Capitaine Ray, they are trying to find Archer and Pam before they get their hands on the idol first!

Escaping from a dinner where they are the guests, Pam and Archer try to make a getaway that turns them into official members of the tribe. As members, Archer works to train the tribe as they prepare to face Fuchs, Ziggler and…. Mallory!

As screwed up as the group is, they rally to fight against Fuchs and the Nazi storm troopers. Making their way out of the jungle, the Princess plots with Archer but they don’t realize they still have one nemesis eyeballing them.

Finding the skull entrance below the volcano, the group is close to finding the idol. There are several problems like an angry volcano, lava, uranium, laughing cannibals, weird hieroglyphics and an ending that will leave us all scratching our heads!

The DVD Special Features include Inside Look: Making ARCHER and Crackers’ Costumed Playings.

The episodes include Strange Pilot, Disheartening Situation, Different Modes of Preparing the Fruit, A Warrior in Costume, Strange Doings in the Taboo Groves, Some Remarks on Cannibalism, Comparative Wickedness of Civilized and Unenlightened Peoples and A Discovery.

There are so many words to describe Sterling Archer and I’m sure in the last nine seasons I’ve pretty much used all of them. Hilarious, disturbing, entertaining, disturbing, jaw dropping and disturbing are just a few (yes I realize three of them are the same and truth be told ‘hilarious’ and ‘disturbing’ could go together and still work!).

The cast of ARCHER delivers every single season and I have not ever been disappointed. This is a series absolutely meant for adults and it should be. Animation isn’t just for kids just because our age numbers go pretty high into – shall we say – the 50+ range. I’m in it every season and proud to repeat many of the lines on a daily basis.

That’s what makes this show so very special. We love to love to hate loving each character for what they say, who they are and how grossed out we can possibly get. I think at this point Pam is winning if we are being honest here (she types with an evil grin).

I believe Season Ten is going to bring another aspect to the show that is going to be even more fun, more exciting, more disturbing and more entertaining. If you don’t believe me make sure you sit out the very last episode.

So grab your copy of ARCHER Danger Island: The Complete Season Nine and marathon all nine seasons because I did and my sides still hurt.

In the end – his mysterious and deadly worlds continue!