Interview by Rafy Mediavilla, with Charlotte Nicdao (Poppy) & Imani Hakim (Dana) where we spoke about Poppy neverending energy levels, & being such a relatable character, & Dana’s mindset this season and her relationship with Rachel, & more gaming talk, (Animal Crossing, Overcooked, & Mario Party). Season 3 Is Out Now On Apple TV+!
In season three, “Mythic Quest” follows a group of video game developers tasked with building worlds, molding heroes and creating legends, but the most hard-fought battles don’t occur in the game — they happen in the office. In season three, as Ian and Poppy navigate the gaming world and their partnership at the newly formed GrimPop Studios, Dana is forced to play mediator to her bosses’ incessant bickering. Back at Mythic Quest, David settles into his new role as the boss where he truly finds himself in charge for the first time with Jo returning as his assistant — more loyal and militant than ever; and Carol attempts to figure out where she fits in after a new promotion. At Berkeley, Rachel struggles to balance her morals with capitalism, while a post-prison Brad tries to return to society as a reformed man.
Criticólogos:
Charlotte, I want to start with you first. And when I spoke to David, I told him that David and Poppy to me are the most relatable characters from the whole series. I think people really relate to them because of the situations. David obviously has this whole thing, but Poppy has a lot of things going, including her energy. I absolutely love the energy that Poppy brings to not just the whole set but the character. And I wonder how much of that energy Charlotte is yours or if you’re just following orders from the director or if it’s just organic?
Charlotte Nicdao:
I think that a lot of it definitely comes from me, which is great. It’s her. It’s exhausting, you know, I think I mean, I think that the thing that David and Poppy have in common is that they are both flailing through life. Both of them are very ill equipped to be in the positions that they’re in, and yet they persist. I think that’s probably what’s relatable. That’s what I find relatable about Poppy, is that she is constantly tripping up. She doesn’t know herself. She doesn’t know how to communicate with the people around her, but she has something that she’s passionate about and that’s what drives her. And I think that I try to bring that kind of energy and to set every day as well.
Criticólogos:
I love your answer because you just drove me to my second question, and I thought exactly that. I mean, the reason that David and Poppy are so relatable is because we are all double guessing what we’re doing and we’re not sure if we are really here. So I wonder if you could talk to Poppy, Charlotte, What will you tell her to make sure, Hey, you got this! What would you tell her?
Charlotte Nicdao:
You know, I would maybe say the opposite of that to her. I would say, hey, sometimes you don’t got it. And that’s okay. You don’t always have to be the most powerful person in the room. Why don’t you take a breath? Why don’t you try listening? Maybe not to Ian, but maybe listen to Dana. You might learn something.
Criticólogos:
Imani, I’m coming to you. Both Rachel and Dana have a love up love coming for them. A lot of changes are in their life. They’re growing up a lot. And I wonder the same question: if you could talk to your character, what would you tell her? What is happening with her professional growth and then her personal growth? What would you tell her that she needs to do to handle all the situations?
Imani Hakim:
Yeah. What’s great about this season is Dana and Rachel are pretty solid. They’re solid and they have a very good relationship. Yeah, their relationship. They are relationship goals. They have a very strong foundation. So that said with the advice or something I would say to Dana is, You got it. You got it. I know Poppy and I and her little logo, but you keep going and that’s it. And breathe, I would also tell her to breathe because she’s ready to pull her hair out.
Criticólogos:
One final question before I run out of time. And I’m asking everyone because I also cover gaming on my platform, so I need to know, what are you guys playing when you have free time. What are you playing or what would you recommend to our viewers, our listeners, what would you suggest to play. Charlotte, you first.
Charlotte Nicdao:
I mean, I’ve made it no secret that I love a farming simulator. Like, I really got very into Stardew Valley. I was playing a lot of Animal Crossing during the pandemic. This is not really a new game, but I’ve been really enjoying playing Overcooked with my mom, like we play on opposite sides of the world and like, get on the phone and work on our teamwork skills together. And it’s kind of a fun way to hang out when you can’t be in the same room. Yeah.
Imani Hakim:
So I’m a really big Mario Party fan, but what I just finished is A Way Out with my partner. And It Takes Two.
See the interview below:
Trailer:
