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".
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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.
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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.