Nostalgia is a strong drug, and Ed Burns is getting down to channel the spirit of Eighties Lengthy Island as soon as once more within the second season of his present, Bridge and Tunnel. The sequence follows a gaggle of current school graduates making an attempt to make sense of their lives as they yearn for a greater life in Manhattan whereas remaining true to their roots on Lengthy Island. The time period “bridge and tunnel” comes from the individuals who dwell in communities outdoors of Manhattan that commute into town for work and leisure on the bridge or by the tunnel.
The ensemble solid consists of Sam Vartholomeos, Caitlin Stasey, Gigi Zumbado, Jan Luis Castellanos, Brian Muller, Isabella Farrell, and Erica Hernandez. Along with creating the present, Burns, who was raised on Lengthy Island, writes, directs, and acts in each episode. In dialog with DailyTech, the Bridge and Tunnel solid discuss season two, their robust chemistry as a gaggle, working with Ed Burns, and selecting the best breakup tune of all time.
Be aware: This interview has been edited for size and readability.
DailyTech: How has the reception been for you because the finish of season one because the present begins season two?
Isabella Farrell: It’s been nice. We had our premiere on the Tribeca Movie Competition, and I heard nothing however unbelievable suggestions. I feel individuals are actually loving the second season. It’s like 2.0. We’re within the metropolis. There’s extra vitality. Everybody has passions. It’s been tremendous enjoyable.
Gigi Zumbado: I at all times really feel like the best woman on the town. I come to go to my Uncle Pat, and all his buddies are the most important Bridge and Tunnel followers ever. Shout out to Acquolina in Weston, Florida. It’s been cool. I feel it was form of extra of a sluggish burn, however I feel as soon as it grew to become bingeable and stuff, folks simply needed to observe it nearly like a bit of mini-movie. It’s been enjoyable to see folks’s reactions a 12 months later, being excited now over again for a second season. So it’s cool.
Sam Vartholomeos: Everybody finds it tremendous nostalgic. They love the music, particularly. I assume the one factor that nearly everybody complained about was that there’s no more content material. They had been like “It’s solely six episodes and it’s gone.” So I feel they’ll be proud of season two and hopefully, we simply maintain it going and provides folks what they need.
One of many issues that stands out within the present is the chemistry between the principle characters. Whenever you got here again for the filming of season two, did you discover it simpler to select up the place you left off due to the relationships you shaped in season one?
Caitlin Stasey: I feel it’s simpler and it’s tougher as a result of when individuals are strangers to you, you possibly can form of be anybody. You’ll be able to determine it out collectively. It’s like the primary day of college the place you’re like, “I’m going to be quiet and mysterious and browse a ebook and be actually cool.” And that instantly will get type of obliterated by your precise persona.
So in coming again for season two, there’s much more familiarity. There’s much more consolation, however there’s additionally quite a bit much less thriller. You’ve acquired to form of simply be who you might be at that time, which is a aid. Everyone knows work with one another. The primary season was a bit of powerful simply because we had been all confined to a bit of motel in Lengthy Island, and now we’re form of exploding out into the world, each within the present and in actual life.
Brian Muller: Undoubtedly. I imply I felt like we may simply chill out and play whereas, in season one, I felt like I had extra nerves. Season two simply felt like I used to be strolling into acquainted territory. We needed to get shut actually rapidly. In season one, I feel we did. However then to have one other 12 months of maturation of those relationships, we frolicked and talked outdoors of filming. That simply made every thing snappy.
Farrell: Completely. The primary season of filming was fairly unprecedented. We had been filming throughout peak COVID, pre-vaccines. We had been all residing in lodge rooms subsequent to one another, not capable of actually depart. So the bonding occurred in a single day. You already know, we did karaoke. We had been all similar to breakfast, lunch, and dinner collectively. Whether or not we favored it or not, we acquired to expertise that collectively. And I feel we’re all going to be remembering that have for the remainder of our lives.
On the finish of season one, we noticed Jimmy put his relationship on maintain as he went to Alaska for his dream job. However in season two, you rapidly be taught that issues don’t go in keeping with plan. Sam, what was your preliminary response if you first noticed within the script that Jimmy’s plan fell aside as quickly as he got here again to Lengthy Island?
Vartholomeos: I imply when does something go to plan, actually? Man makes plans and God laughs, proper? I imply I wasn’t shocked by it. I feel Jimmy’s an enormous sap. I additionally wasn’t shocked at what occurred after that and who he finally goes again to. When Ed first advised me his concepts, he actually fell in love with this story I advised him of how my dad and I restored a ’78 Cadillac. He was like, “We acquired to place that within the script. We acquired to place that in season two.” It was very nice, seeing everybody mainly out within the metropolis now, which was nice. It was one of many large issues folks talked about in season one. Everybody has these nice lives that they wish to dwell within the metropolis. Why don’t they dwell within the metropolis? It was COVID and all that. However it was additionally form of candy how Jimmy was the one one nonetheless dwelling, nonetheless very a lot at dwelling. However I actually like that Artie and Jimmy relationship in season two simply because I can relate to it a lot.
The band is a large storyline this season. Erica, you bought to showcase a few of your musical talents, particularly your voice. Have been you excited to sing this season?
Erica Hernandez: I used to be excited, however I might say the first adjective can be extra terrified. I used to be so scared. I imply Barrett [Wilbert Weed] is an precise Broadway star, and the woman can sing. And I’m like, “I used to be in choir in highschool,” so we’re working on barely totally different ranges there. However Ed is a tremendous director, and I’ll at all times have extra religion in anybody than they do themselves.
He gave me loads of freedom to type of observe at my tempo and deal with what I wanted to. It was actually cool to have the ability to do this in such a supportive setting. That has been my mother’s dream, for me to sing on digital camera in some kind or style, so I feel if nothing else, my mother and pop are undoubtedly very enthusiastic about this season.
Season two additionally begins with Tammy making an look on the drums. How did that dialog to include your musical skills into the season go together with Ed?
Zumbado: That was a loopy dialog. It was my final day on the set of season one, and Ed discovered from somebody that I’m tremendous into rock music as a result of I do play. He’s requested, “What do you play?,” and I advised him. “Nice. That’s in. Excellent. You’re doing it subsequent season.” And I mentioned, “Oh boy. Okay, let’s see.”
I’d by no means performed in entrance of individuals. I by no means favored sharing music with folks. It’s simply been very private to me at all times. However getting to do that now, I would like extra and I’m begging him [Ed]. I do know Erica has already requested him for some songs. We don’t even know if we get a season three, however we wish to do that. We wish to be an actual band.
“Pags” went from the wannabe lawyer to the supervisor of the band. What can followers anticipate out of this season with Pags?
Muller: You already know, extra neuroses and extra monologues. Ed actually mentioned final 12 months, “Oh, I’ll simply write him large chunks. Simply theories. And that is how he sees the world.” However I feel for Pags, he’s worshiping the music trade and having this very idealized model of it. He needed to be a lawyer, which remains to be the company workplace model of working within the music trade.
Now, he’s within the thick of it. He’s within the membership. He’s managing crises. It’s the entire thing. Certainly one of my favourite films, once I was rising up, was Virtually Well-known. So I really feel like I’m residing my little Virtually Well-known actuality with Pags this 12 months.
I’m certain we will spend hours speaking about what Ed Burns has meant to the sequence. I get the sense that he’s very collaborative. What has it been like working with Ed? Did you be taught something particular about him or the folks of Lengthy Island?
Castellanos: I imply, he’s one of many guys. We go {golfing} collectively. He’s at all times texting us, asking us what we wish to see and the way we really feel about sure scenes, and many others. Actually taking our enter into consideration. So it’s very good to have somebody like that. He strikes very quick so we additionally all must be very decisive as to what we wish to do in our selections, which is good as a result of it lets you develop as an actor.
I feel simply working with Ed Burns as an entire is sort of a masterclass due to the best way that you simply transfer all through the set and the best way that you simply ship at that tempo. Whenever you go to a different set, you’re like, “Oh, I’ve labored with Ed Burns earlier than. This can be a piece of cake,” which is good. So it simply makes you higher working with him, interval.
Stasey: Actually, I feel that the tales that Ed tries to inform are comparatively intimate. They’re nearly folks type of getting on with their lives within the ’80s. I don’t understand how a lot I actually discovered that differs from what I already knew about touring far after which coming dwelling. Being an Australian, we’re so nomadic. They [Aussies] populate the entire earth, however they at all times find yourself coming again sooner or later. ‘
I feel it’s form of the identical for Ed. Ed has gone and had this huge profession and but, he chooses to make tales about this place and these folks on this time. And so I feel what I’m studying by Ed greater than something is being actually from someplace. Like that is the place I’m from versus like, “Oh, I used to be born there.” It’s actually particular, and it’s distinctive to you and your perspective. I assume I’m form of studying that Lengthy Island’s fairly cool.
Hernandez: I imply Ed might be the nicest man you’ll ever work with in Hollywood, and I feel he has a popularity as that for a motive. He’s simply extremely sort and supportive and has mainly a coverage that trickles down so that everyone on set is like that. It’s form of a tremendous place to work due to that.
He’s in command of so many issues. He wears so many hats, however he’s at all times even-keeled and needs all people to really feel their greatest, and it actually exhibits within the setting on set. However I feel it additionally exhibits within the remaining product that everyone’s tremendous snug and like feeling actually good as a result of he brings that out, which is superb.
This season, there’s an enormous debate about the very best breakup tune of all time. What do you assume is the very best breakup tune of all time?
Farrell: Mine’s fairly straightforward. It’s undoubtedly Future’s Youngster’s “Survivor.”
Zumbado: I’m making an attempt to consider the identify, and I nonetheless can’t keep in mind which Model New tune it’s, but it surely’s the band Model New, and it’s actually good. And this man’s probably the most emotional particular person ever. It’s very damaging. However I used to be telling them a lyric a minute in the past, he actually is like “And even when your airplane crashes tonight…” It’s this loopy breakup tune, and it’s lastly somebody being pissed. It’s not one among these unhappy songs.
Muller: “Don’t Suppose Twice It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan, bar none.
Hernandez: I nonetheless don’t know who sings it, but it surely’s like, “If the world was ending, you’d come over, proper?” That simply will get me. That makes me cry, even when I’m not in a spot to be crying. Sadly, if I’m going by a breakup, what I want isn’t that form of music. I will probably be listening to exhausting rock.
Stasey: The saddest one? There’s two: “If You Can Learn My Thoughts” by Gordon Lightfoot and “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt.
Vartholomeos: “Faux You Don’t See Her” by Jerry Vale.
Castellanos: I do know the place you’re getting at this, Dan. [laughing] You already know that I did it on the present so I’ll simply let folks wait to observe it.
Bridge and Tunnel season 2 airs Sunday nights at 10:00 PM ET on EPIX.
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