Month: September 2021

La Brea, a show that drops a group of humans from contemporary LA into a primeval hellhole, debuts this week to continue a few dubious traditions. First up, the show’s premise unmistakably resembles Land of the Lost, a 1970s TV series that got an awful 1990s film reboot with Will Ferrell being sucked into a vortex and landing in a dinosaur-populated land. More importantly, though, here’s the second concern: it’s an NBC sci-fi show. This does not bode well, if recent examples are any indication for the network that also prematurely canceled Manifest and Debris while leaving loyal viewers on the hook for a resolution. In the case of Manifest, fans will see a resolution (a fourth and final season) after Netflix decided that it was worth rustling up a handful of episodes to wrap up a wildly popular show that’s been sitting atop their most popular list for months. Has NBC learned its lesson? We’ll see.

So, there are two strikes working against La Brea already, yet I am here to tell you that, somehow, the common ground with Manifest is both a plus and a minus.

Like Manifest, this new show’s pilot doesn’t make any logical sense whatsoever, nor does it do much in the world-building department to make use of the sci-fi label. Instead, this new show sets up a group of characters with semi-convincing emotional plights to tee up some personal drama. That, right there, is where La Brea might hook some people. I’m offering that up as a plus because, in the case of Manifest (for me), I found myself a lot more invested in the soap-opera aspects of how those people trapped upon the time-warp flight would handle their f*cked-up personal lives. Also, finding out how things worked out for the people-who-assumed-their-significant-others-were-dead-and-moved-on, and so on (oh boy), was a lot more entertaining to me than attempting to care about why a detective heard mysterious voices while solving crimes. The amped-up drama was key to Manifest‘s audience appeal, which could also be a saving grace to help La Brea move past its gimmicks and watch the show.

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the show’s gimmicks are a real doozy so far. There are a number of straight-up nonsensical things that happen in the pilot, which doles out some necessary groundwork. The show wastes no time in opening up the enormous sinkhole, which looks to be at least one-square-mile in area, right smack-dab in the middle of Los Angeles. The chronically underappreciated Natalie Zea portrays the main character, who falls into the sinkhole in a whirl of terrible CGI.

She lands with her son and a group of god-knows how many other people. They’re flanked by pterodactyl-type creatures and vicious, man-devouring breeds, and many ridiculous things continue to happen on the surface of earth, where Natalie Zea’s daughter and husband remain. Let’s just say that the husband goes through something that makes all those “Set Them Free” messages in Manifest look awfully well-executed in comparison. And down below, chaos reigns. Many dumb displays happen, which I shall not spoil because shouting at the TV should be a spontaneous act. You see, a lot of modern-day items fall into the abyss, along with all the people. Those things include entire vehicles and things that should not belong inside of those vehicles. You’ll see what I’m talking about, but these things, honestly, make me wonder whether the show’s writers are serious or decided to troll the audience from the beginning.

The cast does give it their all with what they’re given from writers. I’m not convinced that this will be the vehicle that will finally give Winona from Justified her due, but we’ll find out how much people embrace this show and whether the personal drama of these characters turns out to be sensational enough for the show to survive.

La Brea is an odd cat of a show so far, not only because of the nonsensical happenings but because these preposterous moments border on what one would see in FOX’s 9-1-1 franchise. Yet the show doesn’t really ask its viewers to wonder whether it’s aiming for parody. There’s no wink-wink to the camera, even as Natalie Zea beats the holy-CGI hell out of a creature that she encounters while also mulling over the initial shock of surfacing in a strange land and whether she and her son might ever go home. Zea gets to drop a little bit of the wry humor that she pulled off so well in Justified, but this show clearly isn’t a prestige offering, and it ain’t Lost with Damon Lindelof in a writing seat.

Instead, this is a ludicrous, hot mess and, as far as I can tell, intended to be one. Yet that intent never surfaces as cheeky, which is why it’s unlikely to ever win acclaim, but it’s probably going to attract the same audience as Manifest. That is, people won’t give a lick whether (generally speaking) critics won’t stomach this type of content when deciding whether or not to watch this show.

It all comes down to this: Manifest fans, are you looking for your next screwy sci-fi fix while waiting for the final Netflix season? La Brea is here to fill that gap. I’m intrigued enough to monitor it while hoping that NBC will nurture this show, rather than letting it wither on the vine, only to be resurrected by a streaming service in, say, five years.

NBC’s ‘La Brea’ premieres on Tuesday, September 28.

From her debut moment back in 2016 with the release of her debut album, For All We Know, there hasn’t been a moment where Nao’s work failed to impress her audience. From her tender voice to her sharp songwriting as well as her ability to create an enchanting picture with her projects, there’s no doubt that the British singer takes tedious care of her artistry and it results in very memorable bodies of work.

It’s why her 2018 sophomore album, Saturn was one of the best R&B projects from that year. The 13-track release saw Nao shine brightly on solo records and collaborative efforts alike. Almost three years later, she’s back in action with And Then Life Was Beautiful, a project that watches Nao take another step upward thanks to life-changing moments she experienced over the past couple of years.

On And Then Life Was Beautiful, Nao receives help from Adekunle Gold, Lianne La Havas, Lucky Daye, and Serperntwithfeet, with each providing just what the singer needed to complete this work of art. In an interview with Uproxx, we spoke to Nao about the new album, motherhood, what makes life beautiful for her, and more.

Your 2018 album Saturn was based on the concept of Saturn’s Return, a period set for “letting go of what doesn’t serve you – relationships, jobs, and past regrets,” as an interlude on that album says. What results from this return made life beautiful as this album discusses?

I think that time of being in my Saturn’s Return, which is what the album’s about, it was a tumultuous time. Lots of crazy things were happening — good, bad, and confusing. Stepping out of that, being a few years old, and looking back, in hindsight, I really understand that life is beautiful. I understand now that all the good, the bad, that sort of ugly and sticky bits that come up from under the carpet, all of that mixed in with life’s happy and beautiful moments. It’s all beautiful and it’s all one big painting and I really understood that coming out of my 20s and into my 30s. I just wanted to put that train of thought into this project.

You labeled And Then Life Was Beautiful as a “hopeful album, in an honest way.” You added, “It’s hopeful in that through every rough patch, every dark patch or struggle we always come out again. That’s what life is. You keep going.” It’s an important message, especially when you realize it was born during a pandemic year. What were the events in your life brought you to this revelation?

You’re right, the album is about offering hope and I basically have a sunflower theme that runs through the album, photos, videos, and things like that. When I used to go on walks during the pandemic last year, the sunflowers were blooming and I just started reading about them. Some flowers always look for the sun, and no matter what direction they’re facing, they’ll always turn to face the sun. They do it in the nighttime as well. So when the sun is down, they’re constantly searching for it and they never give up until the sun rises again. I thought that was a really beautiful analogy of hope. As we all go through this pandemic, and obviously it means lots of different things to everybody, like everybody experience the pandemic in different ways, I think most people can take from it like some tough moments and food for thought. I love the idea that the sunflower offers hope, so that’s kind of that in a nutshell.

For me, I transition into motherhood during that time as well and I found that transition quite difficult. Again, going on my walks with my daughter, seeing the sunflower, and just knowing that while these moments might feel infinite, they don’t last forever, everything passes.

“Burn Out” is one of the early standouts to me cause it strikes me as perhaps one of the more clear results of your Saturn’s Return. It’s a record that I feel has multiple ways to understand it. What inspired this record and what’s the general idea you wanted to get across on it?

For me, it’s talking about being young, especially in your 20s or your 30s, and just being on the hustle and the grind, constantly having these boxes to tick, and having to somehow present that all on social media. We’ve grown up in an age where social media really intensifies our lives, even if you’re not a person to show your life on social media, you’re still absorbing it, you’re still watching other people, and you’re still comparing it [to yours]. I feel like all of those things are leading to burnout in adults at such a young age. People shouldn’t suffer burnout anyway, if it does happen, I would expect it to be people in their 50s or their 60s who’ve been working all their life with five kids and two jobs and have gone through health issues and all those sorts of things, but it’s not happening. That’s something I’m experiencing physically, so I wanted to write a song about it because that’s how I understand what it is that I’m going through. I think it’s more about finding the lesson in it. It’s to go slow, it’s to prioritize, it’s to put boundaries up, it’s to say no, it’s to reevaluate like what’s important to you and you only. What does success mean to you? That’s what I wanted to explore with that song “Burn Out.”

I found a connection between that record and “Better Friend.” In the sense that for someone who has a busy life filled with things that require your attention, what did it take for you to realize that you needed to be that better friend?

It was just being busy with things and things going so fast that I was just missing small details that are important to my friendships. I had a conversation with one friend and she was just like, “Where the f*ck have you been?” and I was like, I don’t know. Just thinking that I had been a good friend, but realizing that I hadn’t really been a good friend at all. I knew the surface stuff of what was going on in her life, but I didn’t really know where she was at and what she needed for me. That’s the message, you know? Now that we’re coming back together, I can better friend for you.

When you recorded “Woman,” your collaboration with Leanne De Havas, you said that your daughter was in your arms because she was in a phase of only wanting to be held by you. What other unique moments occurred with your newborn as you recorded this album?

A big one was recording “Antidote” with Adekunle Gold. He had put out a song called “Something Different,” I was listening to it at the time that my daughter was born, and that was the only song that she would stop crying to. The first time it happened I thought it was a fluke obviously, I was like that’s not real, but she would really stopped crying every single time I would play it. She stopped crying and I thought wow, there’s something really special about his voice. I took it as a sign to hit him up and see if we could make a tune together. I hit him up, and funny enough, he had also had a daughter just three weeks after me. It felt like a really lovely sign that it was the right time for us to do something together and we made “Antidote.” I feel like that in a strange way that was a little gift from my daughter.

Songs like “Antidote” and “Nothing’s For Sure” bring so much flavor to the album at just the right time. What’s your thought process behind including and placing these songs on the album?

“Nothing’s For Sure” was the last song that I wrote for this record. Once I had picked out all the songs, and just listening to them as a whole, I just realized I needed something that was lighter, more tempo, and that breathed a bit more with a subject matter that wasn’t heavy. I purposely sought out that song because I wanted something that was more easy-breezy. So that was my thought process behind that.

Which song on And Then Life Was Beautiful would you say is the most memorable or unique in your eyes?

“Amazing Grace.” I wrote “Amazing Grace” back in 2018, everything else was fairly new, like late 2019 or 2020. So “Amazing Grace” feels like a different time, I was in a different space when I wrote that song, so I think that one kind of stands out to me as quite unique. At that time, I was really battling with the fear of failure, that’s probably why I’m pushing myself above and beyond. When I come to that record now, it’s kind of sad, it’s melancholy. It’s sad that we have to deal with that in our lives and be scared of it and that we’re not taught from an early age from school and from our parents that like failing is okay, failing is safe. When you fail, you just start again, and more times than not, you end up in a better place. I wish that it was grounding for us growing up. Now I listen to that song and I’m happy that I’m past that moment, but I still feel like that was an important life lesson that I wanted to share which is why “Amazing Grace” made the album.

Shifting back to the album’s message of hope, there are many songs (“Wait,” “Good Luck,” and “Nothing’s For Sure”) that tackle hope from different angles. From having it to knowing it’s needed and more. What’s something you hope your listeners gain after listening to this album?

That’s such a good question. Oh, I don’t know, I guess I hope that they get something from it. Whatever they’re going through or whatever transition they’re in their life, I hope that they feel like they have a friend, a diary, and a person on the other end of the phone. I hope that these songs can really hug people when they’re going through these life journeys. Yeah, that’s all I could ask for.

You have your daughter, you have a new beautiful album, what are some other things that make life beautiful for you?

Being able to spend more time with my family and friends. That’s something I haven’t been able to do for quite a few years, that’s pretty beautiful. I think stepping back, and just for once, saying well done instead of the opposite which usually “that’s not good enough.” I think that’s quite beautiful. Probably the last thing is I really got into growing vegetables and fruits in my garden and just being closer to nature. That, to me, feels really beautiful as well.

And Then Life Was Beautiful is out now via Little Tokyo Recordings. Get it here.

Texas indie-folk duo Hovvdy are set to release their latest studio album, True Love, this Friday via Grand Jury. In the lead up, Charlie Martin and Will Taylor have shared a poignant video for their new song “Blindsided,” which is directed by Hayden Hubner and features black-and-white, handheld-camera footage that draws inspiration from home movies both past and present.

“There was a huge magnolia tree across the street from the house where I grew up,” Martin says of the clip. “I have this vivid memory of a storm rolling in and climbing up so high I stuck my head out the top. This song is filled with similar memories, the kind that push and pull you. I was so scared and I was so happy.”

Back in July, the duo shared their fourth album’s title track. In a statement, they shared, “For each Hovvdy record there’s always been a song that kinda shocks my system, kinda jolts me into a brand new and inspired place. This was definitely that song for me. I remember writing it and feeling a rush of excitement — crying a lot honestly. it feels so good to express love and appreciation when you really fucking mean it. but it’s hard to feel worthy of love, of something so rare, and all we can do is try to measure up — that’s what that last part is all about.”

True Love is out 10/1 via Grand Jury. Pre-order it here.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s second and final collaborative album, Love For Sale, is out in just a few days, and now there’s a new album trailer featuring both performers in the studio singing Cole Porter songbook classics.

Gaga and Bennett are shown singing tracks like “Love For Sale,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love),” “Just One Of Those Things,” “Night And Day,” and “Do I Love You?” The pair also talk about their cross-generational friendship, performing together, and keeping the great American songbook going for future generations.

“I hope that I can make Tony proud throughout my career by carrying jazz forward and continuing to sing it,” Gaga said in the trailer. “This has been really special and it’s a time I’ll never forget. And I can only hope and pray that when people hear this record, they know the value of that sort of intergenerational friendship.”

In August, it was announced that Bennett, who is 95 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, had formally retired from touring. In addition to Love For Sale, however, he and Gaga did team up for a trio of new TV specials; One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett And Lady Gaga, will air on CBS (and later stream on Paramount Plus) on November 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The special will also include performances from the Radio City Music Hall concerts the pair put on in August.

Following that will be MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, which is set to air at some point this upcoming winter. The performance was filmed around the time of the Radio City Music Call concerts. Wrapping up the specials will be the documentary The Lady And The Legend, which is set to offer “an intimate look into a beautiful friendship and musical partnership that transcends generations,” featuring footage from the making of both of Bennett and Gaga’s joint albums.

Love For Sale is out 10/1 via Columbia Records. Pre-order it here.

Erykah Badu has been a legendary force in the music industry for a few decades now, so it’s no surprise that the ultra-hip speakers brand Sonos wanted to partner with the artist. In a new initiative that includes 20 additional stations and shows, Sonos has announced Badu will have her own artist-curated station called Badubotron Radio. According to a press release, Badubotron will “celebrate her 2021 live tour with tracks to help you unwind and expand your mind — from reggae lulla-vibes to induce relaxation to experimental R&B promoting exploration of the mind, body and soul.”

Further description of the station from the brand references all the psychedelic vibes that a Badu-curated mix is going to include: “Erykah Badu’s Badubotron Radio blasts off as Badu takes you outta this world and into her sonic orbit. A space where music genres are stars and the galaxy is filled with psychedelic funk, retro soul, classic rock, spiritual jazz and experimental hip hop. A trip to Badu’s curated station will take your mind exactly where it needs to go.”

For her part, Badu gave a very typical-of-her answer. “WELL Listeners can expect whatever they please,” she began. “I just want them to feel something. Something new, something good, something unfamiliar, something triggering, something that inspires them to peace… Or war, or whatever they may need. Music makes me feel soooo great. There are billions and trillions of atomic memories in these notes. I curated this station especially for me… WITH you In mind, of course. I’m grateful. Push up the faderrrrrrrrrrrrr.”

Yeah, this is going to be good. The station will be debuting sometime in October. As usual, the Sonos Radio offerings are only available on Sonos speakers. If you’re a massive Badu fan and want to find your way in, check out the options here.

Kanye West is (in)famous for making changes to his albums after they have been released, and Donda seemed especially prone to that given that West claimed his label released the project without his approval. Now, West has indeed made alterations to Donda, some of which are significant, including the removal of Chris Brown from the album.

Users in the r/hiphopheads subreddit noted that two versions of Donda appeared on streaming platforms, one being the original version and the other being the altered edition. Now, though, it appears only one version of Donda remains. As for the changes, fans noted that Brown’s vocals on “New Again” were replaced by new ones from West and the Sunday Service Choir. Meanwhile, on “Keep My Spirit Alive,” a new hook from West also replaces the original from KayCyy. Beyond that, there are some more subtle mixing changes throughout the album.

Brown is of course a controversial figure given his various legal and personal issues over the years, but it’s not clear if that was part of why West removed him from the album or if other factors were in play. West has yet to offer a public statement about what compelled him to make these new Donda alterations.

Coming in hot from his critically acclaimed performances in Loki and Lovecraft Country, Jonathan Majors stars in the latest trailer for Netflix’s badass western The Harder They Fall. Majors plays a ruthless outlaw who’s on the hunt for Idris Elba who recently busted his way out of jail thanks to the help of Regina King. The two men are on a collision course that will leave a trail of bodies in their wake as they star in the star-studded film that Netflix says “ain’t your granddaddy’s western.”

Here’s the official synopsis:

When outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) discovers that his enemy Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is being released from prison he rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge. Those riding with him in this assured, righteously new school Western include his former love Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), his right and left hand men — hot-tempered Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) and fast drawing Jim Beckwourth (R.J. Cyler)—and a surprising adversary-turned-ally. Rufus Buck has his own fearsome crew, including ‘Treacherous’ Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield), and they are not a group that knows how to lose.

The Harder They Fall rides onto Netflix on November 3.

The Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t have asked for a better 2020-21 season, as they went on a sensational run to their first championship in 50 years. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t win a third-straight MVP, but continued to be one of the NBA’s most dominant two-way forces, and finally broke through to have huge playoff performances, most notably his 50-point effort to close out the Phoenix Suns. Khris Middleton continued in his emergence as a superstar in the NBA, while Jrue Holiday finally gave them the two-way effort out of their point guard position they’ve been desperately seeking for years.

Now, the Bucks are in run it back mode, as they look to back up their title season with another run to a championship.

Roster:

Giannis Antetokounmpo
Khris Middleton
Jrue Holiday
Brook Lopez
Pat Connaughton
Donte DiVincenzo
Bobby Portis
Grayson Allen
George Hill
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Rodney Hood
Semi Ojeleye
Jordan Nwora
Sandro Mamukelashvili (two-way)
Justin Robinson (two-way)

Projected Vegas Win Total: 54.5 (BetMGM)

Biggest Addition: Grayson Allen

While the Bucks kept their core intact, they did shuffle the deck a bit with their bench depth. I think this Bucks team is deeper for the regular season thanks to Allen, Hood, Hill, and Ojeleye, but lost a bit of the top-end talent that got them to a title in the postseason. Of those four, I feel like Allen has the chance to give them some quality minutes when the playoffs roll around, and that could be very important. We saw last year how their wing rotation really became a weakness after DiVincenzo got hurt, and Allen provides some valuable depth as a 3-and-D wing.

Biggest Loss: PJ Tucker

Tucker was a midseason acquisition ahead of the trade deadline and didn’t do a ton in the regular season for the Bucks, but became a crucial playoff player, starting a number of games for them on the road to a title. The Tucker absence likely won’t be noticeable in the regular season, but they will miss the versatility he provided them in terms of how they handled their frontcourt rotation in the playoffs. Adapting to his absence is going to be the biggest task for this team once they reach the postseason, as they didn’t really get a real replacement for him — although, it’s possible they go mining the trade or buyout market for a 16-game player midseason again.

Biggest Question: Can they take down a full-strength Nets squad?

These are the two clear heavyweights in the East, and while there may be some teams that can scare them in a second round matchup, it’s hard not to see how we get a rematch of their thrilling second-round series again this year, most likely in the ECF this go around. The Nets have their own questions, namely Kyrie Irving’s status, but if this Nets team arrives to a Bucks series at full strength, it will be the toughest task this Milwaukee team has faced yet. That’s not to say they can’t overcome it, but Brooklyn’s firepower will force them to hit shots from deep in a way they never really ha to in their run to the Finals this past season.

What Makes This Season A Success: A trip to the Finals and a shot at repeating

Having a fresh championship banner takes some of the pressure off of Milwaukee to feel like this is a title or bust season, but competing for a championship remains the expectation. I think most in the city would consider a Finals trip a success, and if they get there they’ll likely be favored or at worst a coin flip on the odds sheet to win it. Getting there almost assuredly means taking down the Nets, and that would require a significant battle that figures to take something out of both teams.

What Makes This Season A Failure: A second round exit/Blowout loss to Brooklyn

I don’t think a loss in the Finals or the ECF, if competitive, would feel like a failure to the Bucks. However, taking a full step back to losing in the second round or getting dominated and swept by the Nets would hurt a lot. This is a team that expects to be in the mix annually, and getting smoked by their top competition would be drop morale considerably in Milwaukee.

It’s gotten to the point that it would be beyond shocking if Ben Simmons ever plays for the Philadelphia 76ers again. A new report by Sam Amick of The Athletic gives some insight into one of the major reasons Simmons has gotten to this point: his on-court fit alongside Joel Embiid.

According to Amick, while there isn’t some major personal beef that exists between the Sixers’ two All-Star players, Simmons is of the belief that the way he plays and the way that the team has tried to build its roster around Embiid are not two things that are compatible.

Yet of all the problem areas to explore, there’s none more unyielding and impossible to ignore than this: People who have intimate knowledge of how he sees this situation continue to insist that he’s done playing with Embiid. There’s nothing personal about this choice, it seems, but the 25-year-old Simmons has clearly decided that his career is better off without Embiid blocking the runways in the paint that he so badly needs to succeed.

As he sees it, sources say, the organization’s choice to build its basketball ecosystem around Embiid’s style simply isn’t conducive to the way he needs to play. So while Embiid insisted to reporters on Monday that he wants Simmons back, this much is clear: The feeling is not mutual.

The flip side of this is that Embiid has made clear that he does want to play with Simmons, as he tweeted that he believes this group of players is good enough to win a championship should they run it all the way back. While the team lost in the conference semifinals last year, Philly did have the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.

Embiid was reportedly among a contingent of Sixers players that wanted to make its way out to Los Angeles to have a face-to-face conversation with Simmons, but they were told to stay home by the man himself. The sentiment around Simmons, Amick says, is that “it has run its course” with Embiid, so while the 2020-21 MVP told the press on Monday that he believes his running mate would help if he played like he did in the videos posted to social media this offseason, that doesn’t look like it’s ever going to happen.

Michael Gandolfini is at a pretty desirable crossroads, with one of the paths lit up with flashing lights that say “Tony Soprano.” Though, at the same time, it’s understandable why he’s also wary. Oh, make no bones about it: Michael Gandolfini wants to continue playing Tony Soprano – which he does to great effect in The Many Saints of Newark – well, at least into Tony’s 20s. But at the same time, he doesn’t want to be known for playing Tony Soprano. This actually makes a lot of sense.

As stated, Gandolfini is terrific playing young Tony in the second half of The Many Saints of Newark. (In the first half Tony is played by William Ludwig, who Gandolfini helped with line readings.) It’s not the same Tony we know from the show. There are hints of the rage lurking inside of him, but for the most part Tony is just a kid who likes to listen to rock music. Ahead, Gandolfini talks about what it’s like to step into a role made famous by his father. (On a somewhat personal note, as someone, too, who lost his father to a heart attack, this is a pretty heavy thing to do and I find it pretty inspiring.) And he talks about the one thing that led to a disagreement on set between he and director Alan Taylor and creator David Chase … which was Tony’s accent.

I’ve been thinking about your performance in this a lot. I lost my father from a heart attack and it’s still really tough. And if someone came to me saying, “Hey, this thing your dad is really known for doing, do you want to step in and do it?” That’s heavy. And the fact that you did that is actually really inspiring.

Oh, thank you so much. That does really mean the world to me. I mean, in some ways it was a very tough decision at first. But then the more I sort of started working on it, thank God I didn’t play… I wasn’t playing my dad. I was playing Tony, which was a very big and clear distinction for me. One of my ways in was the way I studied, sort of, Tony and his mannerisms and how he sounds and how he looks and his ideas on life. Those aren’t my dad. So that was one of the things that was a clear distinction in mind to really get to know and get to play Tony, which is awesome.

Because I read the interview where you said your first reaction was, I believe it was, “Fuck, no.” So how did you wrestle with that?

Yeah. Well, my first reaction was no, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a lot of pressure, all those things, you know? But the thing is that it became pretty quickly not about that. It became a thing about these little bite-able chunks. To be completely honest, I was doing a job. I mean, the first time I was watching the show and seeing my dad, that was tough. And I did it with a group of people, and I could have this emotional vomit of sorts, and then it became a job. And I had David and incredible, incredible castmates, like John and Leslie and Vera and Alessandro. I just leaned on them, because then it was about what kind of actor do I need to be. I wanted the best actor possible.

And it’s not the same character. I mean, it is, but it isn’t.

Totally. So it became about doing the best job, not thinking about any of the bigger stuff.

So in the first half of the movie William Ludwig is playing a younger Tony. Did you ever talk to him about the role? “Well, here’s some stuff I’ve learned about this, maybe if you want to try this out,” kind of thing?

Absolutely. William is incredible in the movie, and he also really did his homework. Me and him met and I recorded all of his lines in my accent. And he went back and listened to them to sort of replicate kind of how I sounded. And we talked about how he walks – and he definitely does, he does the hunching, he touches his nose, too. He absolutely was curious. And we met quite a few times, and he’s a really talented actor, and he does a really good job in this, because he did do his homework.

I assume he’s too young to watch the show.

He has not watched the show.

Ah…

I know. Yeah.

So that’s a lot of information you’ve got to give him then.

Yeah, absolutely. I don’t think he got the script either. So it was like filling in the parts that he wasn’t completely sure of, but he was completely up to the task and did a great job.

When I spoke to David Chase I brought up that’s a pretty heavy initial ask what he’s asking of you. He basically said he hadn’t really thought about that but in retrospect, yes it is.

I love David, as a human being and as an artist. I think I can learn from him, I think a lot of people can learn from him, he always is so curious. He’ll have an initial response, but then he always thinks and goes back and says, “Actually, I don’t know.” Or like, “Oh, you know what? I didn’t think about that. That’s true.” No matter what, and I think it’s a testament to he never marries his opinions. He’s always open to asking things and learning things and thinking about things no matter what. And I think that’s so inspiring.

When you’re on set, if Alan Taylor says, “Hey, you should do it this way,” or David Chase says, “You should do it this way.” But you feel, “No, I’ve done all this research. I should do it this way.” Who wins that argument? I mean, I guess the director, but at the same time you have a pretty firm grasp on where you’re coming from with this character.

I think that it depends on the note. I mean, for me, the only thing that I really would push back on is specific things. Like in the beginning, there was some sort of conversation around this accent and there was a conversation regarding maybe it’s a little “too much.” Maybe we should take it down a notch. And that was really the only time I was like, no, I can’t do that. I can’t, because people know this accent. This accent is very important to recognizing the Tony Soprano they know from the series. And so, little things like that. But other than that, it’s not my character, nor is it my dad’s character. We add our own things, but this is David’s world. So I wanted to respect that and do service to Alan and David as much as possible, but of course you have your autonomy as an actor and you bring ideas. But David and Alan, they really let the actors for the most part come in and explore.

It sounds like you won that, I don’t know if it’s an argument, but conversation, which is not always the way it goes for actors.

Yeah. I was very lucky that they definitely listened to me. And again, you’ve got to, because it was important to me and because I was flexible about everything else, that was just something that I knew I had to replicate.

You’ve mentioned you would be on board for doing more Tony if this continues. But you also mentioned how much time the series took from your father. Are you wary of that? If this becomes a series, then maybe there’s a movie you can’t do.

No, I think it’s a good question. I think that what I’ll say is that there is… This is such an incredible character and incredible group of actors and incredible filmmakers that I learned so much. This is going to jump to the priority to get to work with David or anyone again. But I am not so much interested in playing 30-year-old Tony. I think it there’s an interesting part after this movie, before the show, that we can explore something about Tony that hasn’t been explored, in his youth, in his 20s. After that, we’re getting a little too old. My dad really explored and David explored everything about that. So is there a time limit around other movies? No, not so much. But the older I get, there is a cutoff where it just naturally goes into the show.

It does seem like from what you’re saying and from what I’ve read, this is a character that you really want to play, and you’re really excited to work with all these people. But you don’t want to just be known for this. And, obviously, you did The Deuce and I know you really want to do other stuff, too. So, that seems like a tough balance and decision.

Yeah, it is. I mean, it is a tough decision. This is what I want to do for my entire life, and I want to grow. So right now, as a 22-year-old, my main goal is to learn as much as possible. So with the idea that I can work with Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga and Corey Stoll and Billy Magnussen – and whoever comes back and whoever new actors are brought in, and David – I’m going to learn from that experience no matter what. So in some ways that’s a win. But yeah, like you said, I do want to go on and do other things. Who knows what scripts are being written right now that I don’t even know exists? You know? So I just want to learn to really challenge myself as an actor. Whether that’s another Sopranos thing or not, that’s sort of my goal.

And like I said, you blew me away in this, and it made me think a lot about things going on with me and it is inspiring that you did this. Anyway. That’s it.

Thank you very much. I really, really appreciate that.‘The Many Saints of Newark’ opens in theaters and streams via HBO Max this coming weekend. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.