(Editor’s note: The following interview contains spoilers for “The Other Two”, episode 8.)
Josh Segarra was That boy for too long. Now it’s time to get to know the actor who really is everywhere.
So far this year, the breakout star of ‘The Other Two’ appeared in ‘Scream VI’ playing the love interest of the ‘cool neighbor’ turned key survivor, she entered the MCU with the Disney+ series ‘She-Hulk’ , as well as hosted the TV series “The Big Door Prize”. To further trace Segarra’s cinematic roots, he can also be spotted in Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck” as the (very memorable) Staten Island meeting.
Segarra is not alone That plus boy: is almost synonymous with his iconic lovable “The Other Two” character Lance Arroyo, whose relationship with longtime girlfriend Brooke Dubek (Heléne Yorke) provides some of the best laughs in the critically acclaimed series.
Below, Segarra tells IndieWire how he landed the Sexiest Man Alive title in “The Other Two,” and why the best comedy prep happens off the page.
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
IndieWire: When you heard what was happening in episodes 8 and 9, what was your initial reaction? Lance is now a superstar. He’s always been for the Dubeks, but now he’s really famous.
Josh Segarra: My honest reaction was, “Let’s go!” big old Lance “Hell yeah!” I was excited about a couple of things: meeting Lance’s family, I think that’s a pretty cool element of that, seeing Aunt Connie. We’ve spoken to Aunt Connie on the phone before, but now we can actually meet Aunt Connie.
It’s always a fun experience to play an action hero. I think we suddenly see Lance as an action hero. We can see his relationship with his fellow builders, his neighbors, we just see it in his daily life. It’s a fun lens into Lance’s life outside of what we’ve already seen of him on the show. He relates to the Dubeks, but now we see him relating to everyone else in the world.
Lance’s trajectory through the show, starting from a Foot Locker to becoming the sexiest man alive, has been a wild one. Do you have any input into building your character or insights into where Lance is going?
I definitely don’t have a hand on where he goes as a character. That’s all (co-creators) Chris (Kelly) and Sarah (Schneider). They are the ones who follow it for me. Before this season, I sent them a message. I was like, “Okay, so let’s finish with a fashion show. So where are we now? Are we doing this or are we doing that? And they say, “He’s a nurse!” And I’m like, “He’s awesome!” He’s good, just at heart, he’s good, so he realizes during the pandemic that he wants to do good.
Even when she was into fashion, going back to episode 1, “People want to look like a million dollars, but now she can look like a dollar!”, she wants people to feel strong, to feel their best, and now she decides to do this through breastfeeding. But I will say that I was told by Chris and Sarah, when I first auditioned for the part, Lance worked at the Medieval Times. They told me that after meeting me, they definitely massaged it. He was working at Foot Locker now, so they completely changed his occupation. They said that one day they came up to me with a note and said, “Will you try this first?”, And I said, “Hell yeah!” !”
There are some Lance-isms that I think they borrowed from Josh-isms. Any good writer will allow an actor to perform as much as possible in this world, but any intelligent actor understands that writing will always be better than what you come up with. It’s a marriage between the two, for sure.
OK, I’m clearly talking to you right now, but do another voice for Lance, right?
It definitely wasn’t on purpose, but when you’re playing any character, you try to imagine – you do all your nerdy homework before you start – and then once you find your rhythm, once you find out who this person is, certain things start taking over. . The way they write it, he’s such a positive guy. He always looks at the glass half full. I like to think of him as just loyal and supportive. Whatever you think is bad about you, Lance thinks she’s good about you.
Some things start to take over and I think that comes through in his voice. She is always standing Here a little more, always try to lighten things up. Certain things he says keep his voice where he is.
What’s your definition of “homework nerd”?
You get your script and the script is your bible, it all starts there. From what other characters say about you to what you say about yourself, these are your scriptures, these are your notes. So he says, “OK, so where were Lance and Brooke during the pandemic? What have they been through? All this stuff, it’s just for you. It helps bring reality to these characters.
Before the show even starts, who was Lance as a kid? Was he a dreamer? Has it always been this positive? For me, I like to think about what would happen if I grew up under these circumstances. Every character I play, I like to think, what would I be today if I grew up in the certain circumstances these characters grew up in? And then go from there.
You can take it back to the drama school days: what kind of tree would this person be? What kind of body of water would this person be? I don’t necessarily do this for every character, but with the relationship that Brooke and Lance have built, I also think that once you take it off the page and into the day, you’re following your lines and where did they just come from? Were they arguing before this scene? Are they going to fight? Were they having fun before this scene? Where does the character come from and where is he heading? That’s the most important thing about any scene: where do they come from and where are they going?
And for a show as tight as “The Other Two,” viewers don’t get to see much, but the backstory really does get through. You and Helene collaborate to build where are they going together?
It’s easy for Heléne and I, because we have a very strong relationship in real life. We’ve actually been friends for years. We’ve known each other for about 10 years now, traveling around New York City. But now she is one of my dearest.
It’s always fun when you have such a strong bond with your acting partner, because it allows you to be more free when creating these characters. Let’s play best friends, let’s play lovers. Sometimes we have to be at each other’s throats and as characters say hurtful things to each other. And then in episode 5 with that big breakup scene, it was a tough day on the page. But in real life, we had a lot of fun with that fight. It’s fun as hell.
How often can you actually yell at your partner and then per day say, “OK, do you want to go get some Sweetgreen?” and then you go home? It’s a funny thing because my relationship with Lance is with Heléne, but it’s also with the Dubeks. The first time you meet Lance, Brooke and Cary (Drew Tarver) introduce themselves and Lance turns around and goes, “Oh hell yeah, great touch!” So what was Lance doing before? Looking down the street and thinking of some memories he had in that corner, or laughing with some friends if they had any shoe ideas right before, and then suddenly there she was, the love of his life.
When Cary walks into the gym in Season 1 and he’s sitting on the bench and having a really sad moment before he goes to “See What Happens Live” and Lance walks in and he’s like, “Oh hell yeah, I didn’t even know my best friend he would be here! He loves them. It’s always fun to think where he was from earlier in the scene and then immediately write that he’s so excited to see his friends, to see his people.
When Chase Dreams (Case Walker) walks in and he’s looking for someone to talk to and he’s sad that no one has time for him at the fashion show no matter what, Lance has his back. I have a very close relationship with the entire cast: Molly (Shannon), Case, Drew. When you get to love someone in real life and then you love them intensely on screen, it’s always a gift.
Do you ever get whiplash going in and out of Lance? How do you balance the tones of each project?
There is definitely whiplash. I’ll give you an example: with “Big Door Prize”, there was some time to enter the series. Giorgio is a little more cheeky. He sits deeper into his voice. Again, that prep before, he’s a goalkeeper and has been a lifelong athlete. He is imposing and powerful and runs a restaurant. So when he talks, he’s a much more outward love, he punches his arm, he hugs him tight. All a bit difficult with Gorgio, because he’s making up for some things. He is looking for love and wants to be told that he is fine and wants someone to love him. He shows it in an interesting way. He considers himself the most eligible bachelor.
I remember one time I came back and I was working on a show called “The Moodys” and I was playing Marco, a finance guy who’s quick on the phone and is a little tougher than Lance. And I walked onto the set for season two and there was a little bit of “Oh man, Lance is a little softer. He is a little warmer. » So it’s finding that voice, that literal and figurative voice of the character. Maybe his eyebrows are a little higher. There’s a little more warmth to him than other characters.
Have you been contacted yet with any updates on reprising your roles of “She-Hulk” and “Scream”?
I’ll keep it easy for you: I wish there were interviews. I’m ready for interviews. For “She-Hulk,” I had so much fun making it. I haven’t heard a single peep about what’s to come. I’m waiting for a call so I can go play Daredevil. I think Matt Murdoch (Charlie Cox) needs some help in the courtroom. I would like that crossover.
I think we’ve done something really special with “She-Hulk.” It’s a nice lens to show some characters. We all got to know Wong (Benedict Wong) so much with “She-Hulk”. We met Matt Murdoch through “She-Hulk”. It’s another way for characters to show their funny sides. I hope there is more to come as there is so much more we can do with ‘She-Hulk’.
And then the same thing with “Scream”. I can’t foresee a future in which they don’t make another one. She has done so well in the theatre. It was amazing to be a part of something that brought people back to theatre. It was such an honour. I had so much fun playing in that world. It has been such a journey to be a part of that world. I’m such a fan of the actors who have come before that universe, David Arquette and Liev Schriever. Being on a list with them has been pretty awesome. Come on, we leave together at the end of the movie! He’s a good guy in his life. We can’t let that thing end now, we have to!
Finally, will you make Lance’s storyline a reality? Will you soon become an action hero on the screen and are you looking for the sexiest man alive in real life?
I’m flattered that I’ve already done this in my fictional “Other Two” universe, so I’m sure my mom will tell people it’s real. I grew up with my mom getting a weekly People magazine subscription, so I grew up with that always on the coffee table, so it was a very, very nice honor. Like Lance, I got to do a little photoshoot as the sexiest man alive. I’m sure my mother will have a real physical copy on her coffee table in Orlando very soon. And as an action star, that was definitely my childhood dream and I got to make it happen. So she who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to do it again, and I’ll be very excited to do it if that time ever comes.
