IR Interview: Belissa Escobedo & Reba McEntire For "Happy's Place" [NBC]

The Inside Reel

Actors Belissa Escobedo & Reba McEntire talk to The Inside Reel about timing, environment, comedy and heart in regards to their new NBC sitcom: "Happy's Place".

Transcript

00:00It seems like you guys are having a bit of fun with this one, but it's also about the

00:24space.

00:25Because when you have that many people inside a closed space, sometimes magic can happen.

00:31Sometimes the energy has to flux.

00:32Can you talk about finding the timing?

00:34And we've talked about this before, Reba.

00:37The timing between the characters, because every single interaction with the different

00:42characters means something different.

00:44I think our timing is wonderful.

00:46Not to be too, you know, but our timing's pretty good.

00:49Yeah, it is.

00:50We're clicking.

00:51Yes.

00:52It's happened so fast.

00:55This is my third sitcom, and the other cast didn't gel as fast as this one did.

01:01I don't know why, but it is a perfect all marriage.

01:05I love it.

01:06Absolutely love it.

01:07We all get along off the screen, on the screen, and we love to rehearse together, do our scenes

01:15together.

01:16It's the job.

01:17It's a dream job.

01:18Hey, Bob.

01:19I've got the papers.

01:22Can we meet in your office?

01:23You got it, Jim.

01:24Nice to meet you, Isabella.

01:26Are you Isabella?

01:27Great.

01:28I'm Jim Jackaway.

01:29I called you.

01:30I'm meeting with you, too.

01:33Well, this is weird.

01:36Are you sure I'm supposed to be here?

01:41I'm sure Jim will explain everything.

01:43I know this is odd, but there's been a little hiccup with Happy's will.

01:48Isabella, you're here because you two share something in common.

01:53What's that?

01:54A father.

01:55You're sisters.

01:56Wait.

01:57Sisters?

01:58Hey!

01:59We said that exactly alike.

02:00I mean, there is a dramatic undercurrent through all this.

02:07I mean, you sort of have to play with that.

02:10Could you sort of talk about that?

02:11Because these are, they're important issues, but it's only by identifying them and talking

02:15about them that people can come to terms with them, if that makes sense.

02:18Absolutely.

02:19Yeah.

02:20And I think what's so beautiful is that these are real life issues.

02:27People can relate to what's happening in Happy's place.

02:30And it is funny.

02:31It's hilarious.

02:32And you've got these kooky situations with kooky casts.

02:36But there's always a lesson in the show.

02:38It has so much heart.

02:40And I think you fall in love with each of us for different reasons.

02:44And then when we come together as a unit, I think it's so, so special.

02:49And I hope the audience feels what we feel every day on set, which is just camaraderie.

02:55Ooh, com-wad-der-we.

02:56Camaraderie, family, and just genuine love.

03:02Love for being here.

03:03Yeah.

03:04Yeah.

03:05I'll be right back.

03:06I just gotta handle a little piece of business.

03:07Coffee?

03:08I need coffee quick.

03:09Oh, yeah.

03:10Okay.

03:11Not coffee!

03:12Coffee!

03:13Sorry!

03:14What happened in there?

03:15You look whiter than usual.

03:16I thought we were going to read Daddy's Will.

03:17Jim said there was a hiccup.

03:18Isabella's my sister.

03:19And I must have blacked out because I have no idea how I got out here.

03:20Wait.

03:21He's saying Happy had an affair?

03:22And that woman is his daughter?

03:23Okay, that is so not right.

03:24I know.

03:25I mean, I would kill to be your sister!

03:26Why couldn't your dad have cheated with my mom?

03:27Well, because it seems like, you know, all of us are in the same boat.

03:28Yeah.

03:29Yeah.

03:30Yeah.

03:31Yeah.

03:32Yeah.

03:33Yeah.

03:34Yeah.

03:35Yeah.

03:36Yeah.

03:37Yeah.

03:38Yeah.

03:39Yeah.

03:40Yeah.

03:41Yeah.

03:42Yeah.

03:43Yeah.

03:44Yeah.

03:45Yeah.

03:46Yeah.

03:47Yeah.

03:48Yeah.

03:49Yeah.

03:50Yeah.

03:51Yeah.

03:52Yeah.

03:53Yeah.

03:54Yeah.

03:55Yeah.

03:56Yeah.

03:57Yeah.

03:58Yeah.

03:59Yeah.

04:00Yeah.

04:01Yeah.

04:02Yeah.

04:03Yeah.

04:04Yeah.

04:05Yeah.

04:06Yeah.

04:07Yeah.

04:08Yeah.

04:09Yeah.

04:10Yeah.

04:11Yeah.

04:12Yeah.

04:13Yeah.

04:14Yeah.

04:15Yeah.

04:16Yeah.

04:17Yeah.

04:18Yeah.

04:19Yeah.

04:20Yeah.

04:21Yeah.

04:22Yeah.

04:23Yeah.

04:24Yeah.

04:25Yeah.

04:26Yeah.

04:27Yeah.

04:28Yeah.

04:29Yeah.

04:30Yeah.

04:31Yeah.

04:32Yeah.

04:33Yeah.

04:34Yeah.

04:35Yeah.

04:36Yeah.

04:37Yeah.

04:38Yeah.

04:39Yeah.

04:40Yeah.

04:41Yeah.

04:42Yeah.

04:43Yeah.

04:44Yeah.

04:45Yeah.

04:46Yeah.

04:47Yeah.

04:48Eight.

04:49Bobby, we're not quite done.

04:53I'll be right there.

04:55Steve's got an accounting problem.

04:58Don't draw me into your web of lies.

05:03There's also a lot of the great thing about like,

05:05and we simply see the set right behind you, you know,

05:08that kind of set, the bar set always lends itself

05:11to physical comedy and physical comedy

05:13is a big part of this too.

05:15Could you talk about like Reba,

05:16you talking back to the character of Emmett,

05:19you know, you do that throwback.

05:20It's almost like a stage play at times,

05:22you know, where you're with the comedy.

05:24Can you talk about sort of movement

05:26and physical comedy in the setting?

05:29There is a little physical comedy in the setting,

05:32mainly Belisa gets to do that.

05:35Thank God I don't have to anymore.

05:38But it is, it is physical comedy.

05:41It is a lot of movement on the set.

05:46We call it walking and talking at the same time.

05:49And that's, you know, you really have to rehearse that.

05:50Meryl Streep was a big stickler on that.

05:52So was Lucille Ball.

05:54Rehearse with your props.

05:55And so when you're doing a scene

05:57and you've got a lot of dialogue to do,

05:59you've got to rehearse, you've got to work on your craft.

06:02And everybody on this set loves to do that.

06:08I'm still mad at you.

06:15But I still love you.

06:17You cheatin' turd.

06:21I've got so many questions.

06:24So if you're looking down,

06:26I'd really appreciate it if you'd send someone

06:29to help me sort all this out,

06:30cause I'm lost.

06:32I heard a sad voice.

06:35Haven't you had enough fun today?

06:40But Blisky, can you talk about that?

06:42You know, using sort of that thing,

06:44seeing all these people work,

06:45but bringing your own energy to it,

06:47bringing your own thing.

06:49Absolutely.

06:50I think what's so cool about our set,

06:52I mean, our department does amazing things,

06:56as you can see with just this little sneak peek.

06:59It moves so seamlessly.

07:01It feels like you're, like a stage.

07:03It really feels like a stage play.

07:06Everything has moving parts.

07:08And in order for it all to work,

07:10even the slightest of movements,

07:12like taking a tray to the back

07:13and bringing it back with something,

07:15it's not just us doing that.

07:16There's so many moving parts to it.

07:19And it's like a well-oiled machine.

07:21And I think that's something you don't always get

07:23in film or like non-sitcom television.

07:27And it's really exciting to see, like,

07:30Melissa, who's such a physical, like, comedian.

07:34I think all of us kind of take little,

07:36steal little bits from her.

07:37Cause we're like, this would be cool to try.

07:39I was reminded that I'm a good person.

07:43So, I'm willing to listen to your ideas.

07:47Wow, thanks.

07:48But just keep in mind,

07:49everything around here is working just fine.

07:51Maybe for you, cause you're in control.

07:54And you keep that control by closing that door

07:56and shutting everyone out.

07:57When all they want to do is be there for you and with you.

08:01Just like me.

08:03All they want is to be included.

08:07Nah, they're good.

08:11If you're so sure about that,

08:12why don't we ask them?

08:14You mean like a vote?

08:15How exciting.

08:16There was a time I wasn't legally allowed to.

08:18It's a long story.

08:20It's your jobs.

08:21You should have a say.

08:22You can pick me and changes like the break room

08:25or Bobby and the way things are.

08:28That just sounds like someone's feelings

08:30are going to get hurt.

08:31But you do have moments of heart.

08:33That would be my last thing is that, you know,

08:35even there's a moment inside the back room where you two,

08:38it's just a moment with one picture,

08:41but it says so much in that just one instant.

08:44Can you talk about the importance of heart?

08:45Because it's in those in-between moments that you see that,

08:48especially in this kind of show.

08:51Having heart in a comedy is very important

08:54because you laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh.

08:57And then you need something else to kind of jolt you.

09:01And that's where the heart comes in.

09:04And it is like an eye opener.

09:06And then you can roll right back into it

09:08with a joke or a funny line.

09:11But just to take a break from the funny

09:13is almost a relief.

09:15And because you go into the heart so much,

09:19you walk away from watching that show going like,

09:21oh my gosh, I needed that.

09:23I needed the laugh,

09:24but I also needed my heart to be touched.

09:26And if we see it on the page,

09:29if it's not on the page, it can't be on the stage.

09:31And we read it, we act it out.

09:34And it's very gratifying to us to get to do that.

09:39Those kind of words and those kinds of feelings

09:40that we can portray and convey onto our audience.

09:44And when that lands and it works for us

09:47and for our audience, that's golden.

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