Davi Santos – Tell Me A Story

By starrymag | November 29, 2018

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

 

A) I’ve been working on “Tell Me A Story” for the past speedy four months. Somewhere in there I jumped in to a workshop of a contemporary musical version of Salome at New York Theatre Workshop. Before that I worked on the English American family horror, Come Home (2019). I love jumping between medium and kind of projects; it’s like you get to live entirely different lives in the practical approach of the work while still doing what you love.

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for the series “Tell Me A Story.”

 

A) Three fairytales in a contemporary New York adaptation that cross one another over ten episodes in a highly stylized yet grounded world that reflects the unstable and seducing reality that is on the margins of our own.

 

Q) How was your character Gabe originally described to you?

 

A) Literally something along the lines of “An addict club dancer with abandonment issues,” with an introduction to his turbulent upbringing and relationship with his sister that form the foundation of this Hansel and Gretel narrative.

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series?

 

A) A dynamic ensemble, an iconic horror writer, an explicit socio-political foundation, and a high-octane provocative part, all on CBS’s new platform designed to push the limits of its storytelling.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them on the show?

 

A) Incredibly, I had just met Dania [Ramirez] through a mutual friend at her house a couple months before and adored her from the start. I knew of Kim’s [Cattrall] work, of course, on “Sex in The City” and James’s [Wolk] on “Zoo” and had just watched Rarmian [Newton] on “Rise.” It was amusing then to hear friends come up to me knowing different actors from different projects; it made it all the more exciting that they left marks in versatile roles.

 

Q) The show puts a twist on famous fairytales. What were some of your favorite ones as a kid?

 

A) Apparently, I rewatched Pinocchio, Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty over and over on VHS…I do remember rewinding for many others but those really affected me. Those movies are great introductions to psychological complexes on mythological scales: wanting to have a real identity, to change theirs, to have your family friend comatose you because they didn’t get an invite…

 

Q) Talk about working with famed EP Kevin Williamson.

 

A) I used to find his movies, as a kid, taboo. They were so scary and obviously not for my age group, but they were so popular, and I would end up seeing clips here and there and inevitably taking them with me and disturbing me. So, it’s really amusing now to be one of the characters in the legacy of this creator that used to scare me so much…Maybe I finally get to face my fear and perhaps live to tell the tale.

 

Q) What can you tease were some of your most memorable moments from filming the show?

 

A) I can tease that it blew me away when ___shoots___ so early in the show and hallucinates_____. It was memorable when we trashed a _____ and filmed in the woods for several weeks. I had to do so much _____, but at least it was a vitamin. Oh, and let’s not forget the inconsequential ___ who ends up growing a ___ out of his ___ and explodes an entire _____.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the show that will make it a fast fan favorite series?

 

A) It’s so cinematic and gorgeous and then flips in being disturbing and shocking then grounds us with their relationships and the socio-political backdrop…Plus, the ensemble is awesome. Kevin developed a rollercoaster of a show.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you will receive to the show?

 

A) I appreciate the love and excitement fans share for the projects that we live and breathe for months. The show is very meaningful to me, so fans and I have something in common. I do it for the joy of making the piece, but it can be stimulating too once accessible to fans’ perspectives.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) You’re an active part of my life and the work that I treat with love and respect, so you are deeply appreciated. And I urge you to follow your own dreams and goals, so that your work and life, no matter how it is lived, inspires you and others.