We talked about how she portrays a mental health condition with equal parts comedy and respect, getting used to making intense eye contact with Jason Segel, her favorite day on set when Wally “accidentally” kidnaps her neighbor’s dog, and much more.

Reflecting on when she joined the show at the beginning of season one, Condict said, “I went and did my part on the first day of the first season, and at the beginning of the day, so it was like everybody’s first day of school. And that was a really cool, fun vibe to be there right at the beginning. I felt like I was in on it. It was my first time ever working with Bill [Lawrence]. It was my first time working with Jason, of course. And they were just so warm. I think I was nervous to meet Jason because he’s so famous, and when I went into the room, I met him, made eye contact with him, and hugged him. I could feel his energy, and he was just very grounding and wonderful.”

As a viewer, I am always impressed by how laugh-out-loud funny the therapy scenes are in Shrinking while still treating these very real mental health conditions in a very delicate and thoughtful way. I think that it all goes back to the impeccable writing and casting, and Condict agrees. She commented, “I’m a person who in my life has been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and so I think it feels like a very near thing. It’s just a different mirror in the fun house we’re all trapped in. I think a lot of OCD is a product of anxiety or vice versa. So I think I mainly just channeled my own anxiety and fears and nervousness about stuff, but it’s so well written that it feels very natural to say all the stuff that they’ve crafted.”

With season four of Shrinking officially underway, I’m eagerly awaiting any news on the future of Wally’s character. One of my favorite questions to ask actors is to throw out their ideas for a dream spinoff for their character. Condict had two great concepts in mind – either Wally doing immersion therapy by going to work somewhere deep in nature like Yosemite, or turning some of her OCD traits into a successful organization business a la The Home Edit. I would absolutely tune in for countless episodes of either one.

Tune into our full conversation in the video above. The 11-episode third season of Shrinking is now streaming in full on Apple TV.

The post How Kimberly Condict Made Wally a Fan Favorite on Shrinking appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Ahead of the season two finale “Exodus,” I spoke to Enuka Okuma, whose performance as Xavier’s wife, Dr. Teri Rogers-Collins, anchors the entire second season’s storyline with the most beautiful message of hope and resilience.

Spoilers ahead for Paradise season 2

Reflecting on the moment that Xavier and Teri finally reunite after three years, Okuma said, “It was very stressful, obviously. Just because it is a moment that is so important to the show, it’s been driving Xavier the whole season. And I just really wanted to get it right. But once we got there, it was really, really hot. And there were trains and lots of extras and explosions and stunt people. It was just such a massive situation that it kind of wasn’t hard to believe the fake circumstances. So I just thought, let’s surrender to this moment, which I did. And the biggest thing for me was I was really glad that Teri and Xavier got a second moment. That first time they see each other, it’s crazy, slow-mo, fake smoke, all the things. But to be able to have that moment in the tent when they actually connect, and they’re grieving the loss of time with each other, I thought that’s the moment that to me is actually more important.”

Following their reunion, a chilling scene plays out where Teri has to confront an unhinged Gary (Cameron Britton) to say goodbye and save Bean (Benjamin Mackey). Okuma remembered, “In my mind, I knew Teri wouldn’t go in there unless she knew she was going to be safe. But cynical Enuka was reading and going, oh, my God, this is it. What great storytelling if we get [Teri and Xavier] together and then all of a sudden she dies, and he had her in his grasp. But Dan is thankfully not as dark as that…I feel like Gary had the best intentions and he loves pretty fiercely and would do anything to keep those he loves dear. So I don’t think he would have ever hurt Bean or Teri, but he would hurt anybody who’s going to take them away from him…This is a man who saved her life, so she cares for him dearly and really does hope and believe that he’ll be okay. But she’s got to go be with her husband, and she’s taking that little boy with her.”

After the events of the season two finale unfold, it feels like we may be left with more questions than answers in typical Fogelman style. But one thing is for certain as we look to season three, family will be at the center of everything now that the Collins crew is all reunited. Okuma adds, “After three years of being apart, the most important thing is that they’re now together. Being able to actually reunite amongst those circumstances, I think, is going to inform how much hope that she and the whole family have that they can survive anything… Even if they don’t know what they’re up against, they know that they can survive. Family is what defines Teri, so I just hope we’re going to see that group work together and stay together.”

Tune into our full conversation in the video above. Paradise seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming in full on Hulu.

The post Enuka Okuma on Explosive Paradise Season 2 Finale and Long-Awaited Reunion of Teri & Xavier appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Nerd Reactor: I’m so excited to be talking with you both. I hadn’t watched the original Scrubs, so I watched all of this new revival, and then I just started the original. And I immediately feel the warmth that Bill Lawrence creates with all of his shows. What were both of your histories, either with Scrubs or any show in the Bill Lawrence universe?

Amanda Morrow: I’m such a fan of Bill Lawrence. I used to watch Shrinking with my mom a lot. He is a television comedy darling. It’s just fantastic to get to be in the Bill Lawrence universe, the BLCU, if you will. I’m really happy that you were able to watch the new show without watching the old one. I was very young when it came out, but I was able to watch it as I got older. But being able to slip into this new universe so seamlessly and not needing to have watched the original to understand the new is really important. And I’m glad that that’s something that you were able to experience.

Nerd Reactor: And even just a few episodes into this season, I’m so ready to go back and watch years’ worth of all of these characters. So I feel like in the future, people are definitely going to have that same feeling about all of you. How did you create a bond between all of the new interns and then also between yourselves and the returning doctors when you started this season?

David Gridley: I think the whole setup was kind of like summer camp because we shot in Vancouver, and we’re all put in the same apartment building. And everybody’s so cool. We get along so well. And we never had a chemistry read with each other. So it’s a testament to Debby Romano and all the higher-ups casting people who, off the bat, naturally are such good friends. And that clicked easier than probably any set I’ve been on, which has been so fun. And then, as far as connecting with the legacy cast, Zach [Braff] did an awesome job of cultivating that. We’d do Saturday night dinners with the cast. And that’s where you get to develop a relationship outside of work. And that plays on TV, too. If you don’t love each other and you’re not enjoying the people you’re working with, that energy definitely radiates. And I think it’s a massive part of Bill Lawrence’s shows. They cast people who love what they’re doing, who love people, and respect people, and it plays out in the success of his shows.

Nerd Reactor: What were some of the first days on set like?

Amanda Morrow: The first few days were super nerve-racking because I wanted to just dive into the show. And one of my first scenes was with all of the originals. So getting to see all of them in person and also getting to see them interact with each other and reconnect and just kind of be a family, Zach was so open about letting us all in off the bat. And I think that him embracing community and putting such an emphasis on community was also really helpful for all of us getting close to each other. Like David was saying, we all lived in the same apartment building, so there were a lot of us. hanging out together, going to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and taking walks together. And so we became really fast family and friends that way. And then also getting to come to a set where community is so important, and that’s at the forefront of doing good work and being able to play as well. It was interwoven in the fabric of making the show.

Nerd Reactor: It’s really interesting to hear that you didn’t have chemistry reads with each other because I feel like the show really depends on every combination of people working together and different pairings every episode. So that’s amazing casting on their part to know that you were all going to click like that.

David Gridley: It’s crazy. It’s really crazy. The whole time, we were pinching ourselves. We were like, we’ve gotten so lucky. It’s such a beautiful thing.

Nerd Reactor: Looking back to the first episode, when David, your character, had the really emotional moment of losing a patient that you didn’t help when you could have, how has that message carried itself through the rest of the season, being woven in with the comedy?

David Gridley: It was a great thing to start off with because it really established who Blake is. What makes him tick? What does he fear? It hits to the core of, “Oh my gosh, the standard I hold myself to, I’ve failed.” And to have those walls fall down and then to be humbled by that and have that carried out throughout the season is very helpful for me as an actor to know how I approach each scene. The writers are so good and have done such a good job at revealing a little more about us each episode. And I think having that scene off the bat really helped establish him.

Nerd Reactor: And then in this week’s episode, we learn a little bit more about both of you and your personalities and backstories. We learn more about why Dashana is so confident. I love the joke where you say you feel like you could still be an Olympic figure skater because your dad told you that you could. And then learning more about Blake and how he was an insecure kid. Do you both ever invent further backstories in your head for these characters?

Amanda Morrow: Yeah, specifically for the figure skating moment, I grew up figure skating, and they wrote that in, which I was so excited about. And that’s one thing that I love about working with the writers: the trust they have in us and the trust that we have in them. It’s very symbiotic. And so getting to open the script and see the words Olympic-level figure skater was so exciting because that’s something that’s real from my past, and I get to share that through Dashana. So I’m just very interested to see how the writers continue to write.

Nerd Reactor: I feel like knowing the way Bill Lawrence’s writers work, the figure skating will come back in some way 

Amanda Morrow: I love that. Put me on the ice.

David Gridley: For me, I didn’t really get bullied as a kid. I was at first thinking I’m not like Blake at all. And then you start boiling down insecurities, and there are a lot of parallels that start coming out. It’s interesting to peel back all the layers and see how I relate to his inadequacies, his competitive spirit, so there is a lot in me that I put into Blake to bring the character alive.

Nerd Reactor: We’re a little more than halfway through this season, and I really hope that the show comes back. What are your hopes for where these characters go in future seasons?

Amanda Morrow: I think I’m very excited to see the ways that Dashana and Turk’s mentorship deepens and how similar they can get and how different they are still. But I’m really excited to see that blossom. And the friendships between all the interns. We see the surgical and medical teams interact a little bit, but I’m very, very excited for us to have time to dive in with each other. 

David Gridley: I agree. Blake is set up for such a great arc. I’d love to see him humbled and change in a way that he puts others before himself. Humility is a great arc to watch, and I’m sure that the writers are setting that up. The coolest part is having no idea which way it’s going to go or what’s going to happen. You’re opening a gift every time you get a script to see what’s going to happen. It’s been such a fun show to work on in that regard.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The post The Doctors Are In: Amanda Morrow and David Gridley on the Scrubs Revival appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Each time we catch up with him, we can see Dan slowly (keyword *slowly* but that’s what makes this show so true to life) becoming more confident and opening up to the people around him. It feels like just as much of a victory for the audience as it does for the characters in the show. Mike and I talked about why his Shrinking audition process was the most memorable story of his career, improvising with his castmates, the absolutely insane logistics that went into filming in the Pacific Ocean for season two, and much more.

In all of my Shrinking conversations, everyone agrees that there’s something different and magical about the working environment that Bill Lawrence creates on his shows, and Nelson’s experience is no exception. He comments, “All of the writers on the show are going to go on and be the showrunners of the future, because Bill is such a great mentor and just extraordinary at letting these writers do what they do. Dan was written as this curmudgeonly guy that was socially inept and whatnot, which isn’t me at all, so it’s so fun to play. We always record what’s on the page because what’s on the page is magnificent but they always give us free reign. Anytime I want to try something, everybody on the show is like, go do whatever and I’ll roll with it. Some actors get weirded out by improvisation, but not on this show. It’s pretty remarkable.”

While sometimes, as an audience member, I have to suspend my disbelief over some of the less realistic goings on at Rhoades Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center (Brian busting into Jimmy’s office mid-session has been a repeat occurrence), I am beyond invested in each of the patients’ journeys and can see pieces of myself and people in my life in everyone. That seems to be the consensus for everyone watching this show, and Nelson hits the nail on the head as to why.

He explains, “When it comes to Bill Lawrence’s model of writing, a character gets a cup of sugar and then a cup of dirt. It’s never three cups of sugar in a row. It’s like you’re never high for very long in life. If you win, you’re going to get a flat tire or you’re going to get whooping cough or something two days later. And at the same time, if life’s kind of beating you up, there’s going to be a moment where there’s some breaks that go your way. So it’s a beautiful way to show being an adult and what life is going to be. And being surrounded by this motley crew of weirdos is how you navigate those cups of sugar and cups of dirt together. I think it’s just one of the most beautiful things on all of TV right now.”

Now that Shrinking has been officially renewed for a fourth season, deviating from Lawrence’s originally planned three season arc, the possibilities are endless for Dan and all of these characters that we’ve fallen in love with. For Nelson, he has high hopes for Dan’s future.

“I’m rooting for him to get over some of these ways in which he’s his own worst enemy,” said Nelson. “He thinks the world’s out to get him. And it’s like, the world’s too busy being the world, Dan, you are in charge of everything. You can make a decision and pivot right now. And you see glimpses of that, like in episode seven of season two, where by the end of it, he’s speaking in public and giving advice to Michael and Devin’s characters about adopting the baby. It would be cool to see Dan going on a date with someone, or any little victories. But yeah, I would love to see him get out of his own way so he can enjoy his life a little bit more.”

Tune into our full conversation in the video above. And make sure to check out Mike’s recent film Invaders From Proxima B, a family-friendly action comedy now streaming on Tubi.

The 11-episode third season of “Shrinking” debuted globally with a one-hour premiere episode on Wednesday, January 28, on Apple TV, and continues with one episode weekly through April 8, 2026.

The post From the Grand Canyon to Jimmy’s Couch: Mike C. Nelson Was Destined to Join the Shrinking Family appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

The award-winning performances from Harrison Ford, Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, Lukita Maxwell, and Luke Tennie over Shrinking’s first three seasons are even further enhanced by the perfectly cast friends, partners, patients, and colleagues that we get to see play with them in this world.

On that note, I’m on a mission to interview as many people from the show as possible, in an attempt to bring something close to a complete oral history of Shrinking to Nerd Reactor.

This week I was thrilled to chat with Rachel Stubington who plays Summer, best friend to Alice (Maxwell). It’s surprising to hear that Shrinking was her first major acting role as she blends so seamlessly into this cast, hitting us with iconic one-liners and comedic relief sprinkled across some often heavy storylines.

“The blessing of being on a Bill Lawrence show, and you see it in Ted Lasso too, is that they’ll take characters in the first season that walk by in the background and then by season three you meet their families and they have a life,” said Stubington. “I think it’s so cool that he weaves them into so many different parts of the story.”

Looking back on when she first landed the role, she remembers, “I had just graduated college and was in the movie theater seeing Jurassic World when I got the email for the audition. I remember reading the character description and it felt like something that I could realistically do, and then I saw right underneath it said Jason Segel and Harrison Ford and I thought ‘It was fun while it lasted’. And now I still can’t believe it. I feel like I have to dissociate a little bit when it comes to Shrinking because it’s so far beyond anything I thought I could be a part of. I owe everything to Shrinking.”

Reflecting on how she has grown as an actor over the course of the show, Stubington comments, “I always want to bring something grounding to Summer and approach her with as much depth as possible. Even when I get scenes where I have one line, I’ll always make sure I know where she’s coming from and what’s going on in her life. I want to see Summer’s mom and meet her family so badly.”

I completely agree, as the show has been telling stories about Summer’s mom and painting her as a wild character for years. In fact, we both had the exact same thought: she reminds us of Jane Lynch as Pam Puckett, Sam’s mom on iCarly. Can we get the showrunners’ attention and manifest this into existence for a future season? Only time will tell.

Tune into our full conversation in the video above. And stay tuned for Stubington’s directorial debut on Copy, Credit, No Pay, which she also wrote and starred in alongside her best friend Jacob Cherry. It will premiere on Vimeo later this month.

The 11-episode third season of “Shrinking” debuted globally with a one-hour premiere episode on Wednesday, January 28, on Apple TV, and continues with one episode weekly through April 8, 2026.

The post Rachel Stubington Stakes Her Claim In Apple TV’s Shrinking appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m kicking off a series where I’ll be talking to members of the Gilmore Girls cast throughout the next year. First up is the incredible Rose Abdoo, who played town mechanic Gypsy beginning in season 2 and of course the iconic additional role of Berta in the 2016 Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. We spoke all about her journey with the show as well as her latest role in one of the most popular current shows, Hacks on HBO Max (which everybody also needs to watch!). 

Most surprising to me was learning that Rose originally auditioned for the role of Sookie, which later went to Melissa McCarthy. I pride myself on knowing all Gilmore Girls trivia, and it was fascinating for me to learn this! I think we can call agree that everyone on the show was perfectly cast, bringing us the perfect blend of town chaos and coziness.

We talked about all of the recent fan events celebrating the show across the country, and Rose’s experience attending Destination Stars Hollow in Brighton, Michigan, along with our excitement to once again attend the Warner Bros. Holidays Made Here event on the show’s set in Burbank, California this December.

Of course we also had to dive into her other roles in the Amy Sherman-Palladino universe, including her experience on the legendary and canceled too soon ABC Family series Bunheads starring Sutton Foster. Rose also filmed a pilot with Amy for a show called “The Damn Thorpes”, a family drama set on a farm that unfortunately did not make it to series.

Tune into our full conversation in the video above. And stay tuned for many more Gilmore Girls interviews coming soon!

The post Rose Abdoo Talks Gilmore Girls 25th Anniversary and Almost Playing Sookie appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Mauro is known for being the artist behind well-known titles like The Predator, Halo Infinite, The Hobbit Trilogy, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Elysium, and Chappie. He created the HUXLEY: The Oracle series as a prequel to his post-apocalyptic sci-fi graphic novel HUXLEY, which was released in January 2024.

Set during the height of the Oracle Empire, HUXLEY: The Oracle follows Max as he starts his career as a Ronin soldier designed to maintain order on the desert planet Fury‑7. Max becomes involved in a plot that threatens to destroy the empire while the AI-controlled empire fights brutal wars to maintain its control. His search for hidden secrets in the desert leads him to a path that will transform his identity while determining the destiny of the galaxy.

Huxley Inspirations

Talking about the difference between the original HUXLEY novel and this new prequel, Mauro commented, “The original HUXLEY graphic novel is very much a European-style graphic novel series. And the Oracle is much more of an illustrated novel sort of in the vein of Simon Stalin-type books. So it’s almost like reading a movie in a way, really big illustrations, beautifully illustrated. And then you can kind of dive deeper into the other stories from there.”

We also discussed his love for storytelling. Mauro said, “A lot of the movies I worked on, I’d have to illustrate moments of the story. You have to create this drama and evoke an emotion in the viewer that, hopefully, is so powerful, it ends up being part of the story. That was really good training to get better at visual storytelling. So hopefully when you read these books, it feels like watching a movie or TV series unfold.”

Early hardcovers of HUXLEY: The Oracle are shipping now. The public version from Amazon and bookstores is also available now in the UK. It will be available in the US and worldwide on December 2nd. Keep up with all of the latest updates at https://www.huxleysaga.com/.

The post Ben Mauro Talks Creating the World of HUXLEY: The Oracle for New Prequel Series appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Known and loved for her starring role as Mercedes Woodbine on the Starz series P-Valley, Evans also found herself a longtime fan of Reasonable Doubt, so much so that she even signed a Change.org petition demanding the show’s renewal. She soon found herself cast in the series as Monica, a recurring character who is part of the show’s major case this season. The series was created by Raamla Mohamed and stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as Jax Stewart, a corporate criminal defense lawyer navigating challenging high-profile cases.

Evans commented, “The storyline is so important. It’s much deeper, I think people are starting to realize, than they thought it was going to be. So I’m glad that I’m able to tell the story and make us aware of what’s happening to our children at a young age… I think that we talk about our girls a lot and a lot of times we just gloss over what’s happening with our baby boys. So I am glad that I’m able to tell such a difficult story, and such an important one.”

Reflecting on how she prepared for the role, Evans said, “I always tell people this is the hardest role I’ve ever played. They assume it’s Mercedes, but locking into this character of Monica has been the hardest thing of my life. Especially episode 6 when you see that. I had to not judge the character and think about what would make it make sense for her. I did research. I asked a lot of men whether they’ve had situations that happened in that show. And of course, I worked with an acting coach to lock in and really hone in on that character.”

When asked about the experience on set, Evans couldn’t say enough good things, commenting “Raamla Mohamed creates such a safe space. There was always a therapist on set to make sure we were okay when filming difficult situations. And having an all Black writers room was very important because we are telling Black stories. She made sure we had Black writers at the forefront as well as Black directors.”

Looking ahead to what’s next, Evans can’t wait for fans to finally see P-Valley season three, which has been filmed but has not yet announced a release date. She also hopes to do more comedy in the future, especially a rom-com with her dream co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell.

Season three of Reasonable Doubt continues every Thursday with episodes released on Hulu. 

The post Brandee Evans Talks Telling Important Stories on Reasonable Doubt appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

You probably know Tennie as a military vet and Jason Segel’s favorite therapy patient, Sean, on the highly beloved Apple TV+ series Shrinking, which is about to enter its third season. From its very first episode, I was struck by how seamlessly the show blends laugh-out-loud comedy with heart-wrenching drama.

Tennie commented, “When you try to do two things at once, it can split the audience. But there’s this true warmth and sentimentality and joy in Shrinking that is so reflective of real life, and I think that’s why it’s so beloved… There may be shows out there with more laughs or more tears per scene, but I don’t think there’s anyone who’s got both right on top of the other. You could be crying at the top of one scene and falling over laughing at the end of it.”

Reflecting back on when he first auditioned for the role of Sean, Tennie added, “I try to make Sean somebody who only meets people’s gaze at very specific times. And during that read, I could see Jason [Segel] on the screen chasing my eyes. And I was like, ‘He knows what I’m doing!’ and I feel like I have chemistry with this dude. And then came to find out I got the part… One of my favorite parts was also doing the chemistry read with Alice (Lukita Maxwell). She had such a natural ease and there was something about her. She was brilliant.”

As he neared the end of filming Shrinking season three, Tennie auditioned for Abbott. This was his second time auditioning for the show, after going out for a different role in season four. He reflected, “My wife and I have been fans of Quinta [Brunson] forever…and it’s really cool to watch a show, be a fan of the show, and then get to join it. It was kismet and the perfect part for me to get the role of Dominic.”

So who exactly is Dominic and what energy will he bring to the school? Tennie says, “He admires Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) a great deal, so there’s a lot of who she is that he wants to emulate. A lot of things that he appreciated when he was her student… and then there’s the establishment of his mentor/mentee relationship with Janine (Brunson), and he’s kind of reminding her of who she was when she first got here. He’s chipper, he’s happy to be here, he’s grateful.”

Looking at his experience being on both hit shows simultaneously, Tennie is grateful for the mentor relationships he has been lucky enough to have as well. He said, “Ted [McGinley] is 25 years ahead exactly of where I want to be in my life. His love for his wife and respect for family is something that we share. Jason is somebody who provides so many golden nuggets career-wise. And Quinta, who is checking costumes, showrunning, writing, and starring in the show, still makes time to check in with every single person every day. Huge respect to all of those people.”

Tune into our full conversation in the video above.

Season 5 of Abbott Elementary continues every Wednesday at 8:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM CT on ABC with new episodes available to stream on Hulu the following day. All episodes of Shrinking seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream now on Apple TV+.

The post From Shrinking to Abbott Elementary: Luke Tennie’s Journey Across TV’s Best Comedies appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Known and beloved for her iconic role as Chessy in Lindsay Lohan’s The Parent Trap (1998), it is no surprise that audiences are just as obsessed with Lisa Ann as the scheming, sarcastic, second-grade teacher on Abbott. The entire main cast which also includes Creator Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, William Stanford Davis, and Chris Perfetti, has created the perfect escape where we can not only laugh every week but also gain a beautiful appreciation for the realities of public school teachers and the city of Philadelphia. It was recently announced that Luke Tennie, a rising star from the Apple TV+ hit series Shrinking, will be joining the show as a teacher for season 5.

Walter recounted, “In [Tennie’s] second week there, he said, ‘When I wasn’t on this show, I used to wonder what it’s like over there because it seemed like magic. And then I got here and it’s because you people are magical,’ and I almost started crying. I’ve been a guest on lots of sets and people don’t invite you to sit with the main cast and start talking to you and asking you about your life and your family and your career. We’re a welcoming group of people.”

We also chatted about the unexpected and delightful friendship that has developed between Walter’s character and Jacob (Perfetti) after they became roommates in season three, and Walter teased that there’s a great storyline between the two of them coming up in the season 5 episode that takes place at a Phillies game. She commented, “The balance is really interesting on those characters because he’s so earnest and he tries so hard and he wants to do the right thing all the time. And Melissa has gone past the point where she’s simply annoyed by him, into where it’s more maternal where she wants to take care of him but also is annoyed by him many times over. Now she’s like I can give you a hard time but nobody else better.”

When she’s not on set filming season 5, Walter can be found racing down to the Dancing with the Stars studio to support her best friend and The Parent Trap costar Elaine Hendrix, who’s currently competing in season 34. She would love to compete on the show herself one day, having previously created and produced the 2009 reality series Dance Your Ass Off. But for now, she wants to make sure to get the word out for everyone to vote for Elaine, who is making her triumphant return to dance after an accident kept her away for many years.

Next week, Walter will be performing a series of stand-up comedy shows at The Comedy Vault in Batavia, IL. There are still a few tickets left for the October 3 and 4 performances.

Tune into our full conversation in the video above.

Season 5 of Abbott Elementary premieres on Wednesday, October 1, at 8:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM CT on ABC and continues weekly, with new episodes available to stream on Hulu the following day.

The post Lisa Ann Walter Talks Abbott Elementary ‘Magic’ Ahead of Season 5 Premiere appeared first on Nerd Reactor.