Harvey Guillen – Haters Back Off

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) You’ll be seen in the upcoming series “Haters Back Off.” When and where can fans catch it?

A) It airs on Netflix on October 14^th so you can stream all the episodes!

Q) Please tell us the premise for the series and about your character.

A) It is centered around Colleen Ballinger who is a YouTube star named Miranda Sings. The characters on the show have been introduced verbally, but we never saw them because they are only about two or three minutes long. She talks about her mom and uncle though. So, finally we get to see those characters come to life. Angela Kinsey plays Miranda’s mom and Steve Little plays her uncle. Erik Stocklin plays Patrick, her love interest. So, there are all these characters who we have kind of been introduced to, but never met. It’s a world she created kind of like Napoleon Dynamite. She is the hardest working person I’ve ever met. I’m so grateful she wrote a part in for me. Years ago we were talking about the series coming to life and she kept mentioning me playing the son of a fish store owner. I said, “Oh cool!” She said it would be different than anything I’d played before because I could be funny, but she wanted it to be so grounded and monotone with the character. All the characters in this world are pretty big. It’s almost like an exaggeration of a person, which was great. To play this part was so fun because new and different. She knew I could do it and she wrote it for me.

Q) So, were you cast then in the role because of your friendship with Colleen?

A) The story of how I came to play the part was really interesting. She wrote it and they cast all the leads. They were going to shoot it in Vancouver and the network said they needed to cast the rest of the characters out of there because that was a deal they have with the city. Colleen was so upset and said, “No! That character needs to be Harvey!” They said, “Well, we can’t hire out of LA. We need to hire out of Vancouver.” So, Colleen wouldn’t give up and asked me to come to the table read for the network to read for the part. She apologized saying that they wouldn’t let anyone audition for it outside of Vancouver. Since she was my friend, I told her I wasn’t above going to the table read. She is so smart that after the table read she spoke to them and they said, “He needs to play the part.” I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Q) And it must have meant a lot on top of that to have the part written for you.

A) It’s something she did and Colleen and I have been friends for almost ten years now. We went to school together nearby. We were both in musical and became friends that way. We have been friends for about ten years now and it is so great that we have been through all this time supporting each other. It’s not even working when I’m with her. It’s like I get to be with my friend and make magic.

Q) With it being a Netflix series, how much more freedom did it allow you during filming?

A) One of the cool things is that we did get to improvise. They are still on a schedule and work long hours, but we always have a different take for every scene. So, when they edit it if they decide to go in a certain direction with it than it can be subtler or more farcical. It depends on the format and what the director wants to move the story along. The cool thing though was that we were always allowed to improvise. Having Angela Kinsey and Steve Little in the cast…I could watch Steve improvise for hours. He could do so many little variations on scenes that I wouldn’t want to be an editor. I wouldn’t be able to pick one take where it would be “the one” because they were all so good in different ways.

Q) Where do we pick up with the series “Haters Back Off” and how does it fit together with Colleen’s YouTube series?

A) It fits perfectly because as I said before the YouTube videos are basically like two minutes long. So, those are little snippets and this world she has created is really wonderful – down to the house they live in. The way it is shot with the cinematography you feel completely immersed in this world where you are now part of it. I tis no longer a two minute sketch where you can see a funny joke or a song. All those elements go into the show as well. It’s just an elongated format because it takes the story somewhere. The stories just have a lot of heart. These characters actually do have a storyline for the season. It has a lot of heart. You have to watch it to allow yourself to be a part of that world.

Q) What are the lessons that viewers will take away from watching “Haters Back Off?”

A) I think one of the lessons the audience can take away is Miranda is so great at who she is. She stands by her own talented. She believes in herself even when haters try to tell her that she can’t sing. She genuinely believes in herself. I think that’s what you should take away from the character. We should believe in ourselves and do whatever we want or do without letting naysayers put us down. Whether their opinions are closer to being correct or not, we should continue to strive who we want to be. I think that’s a great lesson anyone can walk away with.

Q) How do you specifically deal with haters?

A) It’s funny. I think sometimes if I do get any time of hate, I feel for them. I think for the most part people who are starting problems or be negative and send bad tweets want attention. At the end of the day, I never come back with a harsh remark. I let it roll off my back. I don’t know their situation. It’s not justified to be mean. So, if they are over the top I’ll just ignore their message or block them. I won’t confront them because that is what they want. At the end of the day, if you push people away they will go away. If you are going to be mean, no one wants to be around you. The message the bully needs to learn is that if you are going to be mean then you are going to be by yourself. No one wants to be around negative energy. Then, maybe you can continue to progress as a human being – a civil human being.

Q) Is there an episode you most enjoyed filming or a moment you are most looking forward to fans seeing?

A) Well, my favorite episodes are one and two because there is a lot of action happening in where I work.

Q) What have you learned from working with Colleen and taken away from being a part of this project?

A) I’m always amazed at when I think she has pushed herself so far to work so hard at what she is doing she amazes me by moving to the next level. She is always thinking one step ahead. I really admire her entrepreneurship. I feel like she is very smart and very talented. She has created this world. I was with her recently and her mom made us cupcake cones (cupcakes baked inside ice cream cones). We were at her house just hanging out and I kept thinking, “Here she is, this hard worker, with so many things to do and she still has time for family and friends.” That’s a huge thing I respect about Colleen. She is such a family and friend oriented person. She always has time for that and I admire her so much for that.

Q) Have you thought about doing more in the industry after working with Colleen?

A) Yeah! I absolutely enjoy jumping from all different things all the time. I’m interested in producing more things and writing as well. I have two different writing partners where we are writing shows and pitching. I don’t just want to be one thing because I have so much creativity that wants to spill out. I want to direct, produce and write. I want to touch on a little of everything, which I’m really excited about.

Q) Where we leave off this season, is there room for more to come?

A) Absolutely! Definitely watch it all the way through from beginning to end because the ending will really get you. It’s just really good. You have to tune in and watch it. It’s a nice ending at the end of the season to potentially continue on for more.

Q) Is there anything else on the horizon for you?

A) I’ll be on the Syfy series “The Magicians” early next year. I’m joining the cast and shooting the finale in a couple of weeks. That will air next year, but you can also catch me reoccurring on “The Thundermans.”