Malcolm Goodwin – iZombie

By: Jamie Steinberg

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

A) I am directing a movie called Be the Light so we were testing out our DCP in the theater to make sure that everybody has the true experience of the film and to see the result of all of their hard work. I’m really, really proud of the film. We’re doing it at Rally Studios and it sounds amazing. The cast and crew got to see it last weekend. Literally, it’s been Be the Light and we’re just wrapping up post production after just finishing like three weeks ago. It was a heavy post-production piece. There were a lot of visual effects and tons of music. It’s a family musical, but there is a lot of effects elements to it – more than I expected, to be honest with you. But we got it done! We found the right team of people to come on board and get it done. That’s been taking up all of my time. I’m also directing some music videos and I’ve been doing a lot of writing. There has been a lot of cool opportunities, but it’s great to be in a position to be selective on some things. I’m just grinding away. I starred in a movie called Ring Ring and it’s actually really, really good. I saw it a couple of months ago and was like, “Holy crap, that’s good!” So, I think people are going to enjoy it. You’ll be hearing more about that as it gets closer to the release day.

Q) What can you share is new this season on iZombie and with Clive?

A) The new thing with Clive is that he’s focused on family. He wants to have a family. Liv (Rose McIver) made Bozzio (Jessica Harmon) a human again so he has that opportunity. That’s his focus – building a family while making sure New Seattle isn’t nuked off the map. He’s doing his part to make sure that doesn’t happen. That’s the big thing. You see a looser Clive this season. It’s more of a happy Clive. [laughs] It’s more of a giddier Clive in anticipation of the opportunity to extend his family. He’s very excited about that. It does create a different dynamic and different vibe that was pretty fun. I think everyone is going to enjoy it.

Q) Talk about the evolution of Liv and Clive’s relationship/partnership over the years.

A) It’s been one of the most beautiful relationships. They started not quite knowing each other and not trusting each other, but providing each other with something they need at that particular time. In Season One Liv needed to find a purpose being that she’s technically dead or undead. It was finding a purpose and finding some life and she got that through helping to apprehend the killers of these murder victims. Then, obviously Clive is just trying to get the bad guys and bring people to justice. So, it was a very simple solution. If it means that “Hey, I’m psychic,” then I’ll take your psychic powers. Whatever it takes to get these people. So, they kind of went down this same path for similar reasons, but for different benefits. We’ve kind of watched this partnership form into an actual friendship to the point where Liv would give up her opportunity to be human, which is all she ever wanted from Season One. To give that up so that Clive can have a family and have some normalcy in his life…She sacrificed normalcy so that Clive can have it with Dale, I just think that’s a testament to how close you become to the point where Clive and Liv are family. They are family. I’m sure if Clive and Bozzio have a baby that will be Auntie Liv! She’s definitely a part of that child’s life. Vice versa, if a cure is ever found for everybody else.

Q) What are you most excited to seeing explored this season for Clive as an arc?

A) I think I probably touched on it a little bit, but I can elaborate a little more. Going into the season I was excited to see have a little bit more fun. He’s in a place of peace despite what is happening in the world. But, you know, when things are going well in your life it tends to reflect and affects you all around. So, I was wondering if they were going to do that. Does it work out and if it does work out for that to be a reflection in terms of being a husband now and being a wife and all that. How does that change him? It created this funny, happy Clive. [laughs] This different energy where if you look at Season One you think, “Holy crap! That has been an arc!” I think the writers did a great job in terms of making it a true, honest journey of making him this loner to this family man. I think it’s pretty beautiful. I remember in Season One people were like, “Why doesn’t he know she’s a zombie?! Isn’t it obvious?!” I’m like, “No. Zombies don’t walk around with white hair and pale skin and talk, work and communicate.” We talk about “The Walking Dead,” “Game of Thrones” and Star Wars. We talk about real things and I feel like Clive always represented reality of the world. Although it’s a fictious show and premise, he still represented the host of reality throughout the series. Once he realized what was going on by the end of Season Two and fully commits in Season Three, I think that’s when things opened up really, really great for the show all around.

Q) You got to act as director on episode “The Scratchmaker.” What did you cherish and what challenged you from taking on this opportunity? 

A) You know what? What was really challenging…Well, like I said, it wasn’t really challenging more my nerves and not wanting to disappoint – not wanting to fail to where people said, “Oh my god! Who gave this guy the director’s chair?!” But the challenge was not giving into that fear and trusting myself. I’ve directed four feature films and tons of music videos and produced over sixty projects. I was an editor for so long. Everyone knows I got the opportunity because of my experience behind the camera. Some people know and some people don’t. Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Diane Ruggiero took notice. Probably the biggest person who spoke up for it, because I wasn’t so vocal, was Rahul [Kohli]. Rahul was like, “Malcolm is a director. Have you seen his stuff? I mean, we don’t talk about it, but holy crap!” So, Rahul stayed in their ear and was like, “Let them see your stuff!” When I was presented with the opportunity, I jumped on it. I went through the Warner Brothers directing program, which is great. They prepare for the experience. So, long story short when it came down to directing it was the smoothest experience I’ve ever had as a director. Super smooth! I mean buttery. It couldn’t have gone more perfect for me. It was definitely validating for me that I have a place and a talent in that arena too, behind the camera. Just to have the support everybody I’ve been working with for the past five seasons obviously helps. It was great. It was so amazing. And the support of all the cast…I mean, Rose went over my list with me and things because she was also in the Warner Brothers directing class with me. I had rehearsals with Rahul and David Anders and Robert Buckley, which we don’t normally do on our show. For my episode, we were like, “We’re doing it all!” Everybody just wanted to make sure it went as smooth as possible. Bryce [Hodgson] and David would send me rehearsal videos and I would send some notes about the scene we were about to do. They would rehearse it on their own time so by the time we got to set we were cooking with grease! We were ready to go! So, it was a love fest and it went so great. I miss it so much. [laughs] It was kind of weird to get back in front of the camera for the next episode, I’ll tell you that. It was very, very weird after working in that space for the prior episode. But it was a dream come true. I have to thank Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Rahul. It was Rahul that kind of sold me to them because I was being quiet about it.

Q) What is your favorite Liv persona this season?

A) My favorite one is…There are so many good ones and Rose crushes it! The one that kept making me laugh so much that I couldn’t keep it together during filming was the Beauty Pageant. It’s not just only a beauty queen, but one from the 80’s. [laughs] So, just to hear all these 80’s references and slang…It was just a great episode and great script. And Rose just crushed it! She crushes everything, but I just remember that right now in terms of being hilarious and hearing this old school slang! So, I think it’s a very, very nostalgic episode in terms of language. This character doesn’t know it’s 2019. She still thinks it’s 1984. It’s pretty cool. I think everyone is going to get a kick out of it.

Q) Have you taken any mementos home yet from set?

A) I sure did! I think on Instagram I was asking people what should I take. I wasn’t sure. I was doing these gags of me taking everything and me taking the most obscure random things between takes. It was so ridiculous. I can be silly. It made me laugh. I ended up with the badge and the red stapler from the pilot. I got the name placard – The Babineaux name placard from the desk. I got the Knicks mug. I’m a Knicks fan in real life, which is how Clive became a Knicks fan. Rob Thomas is a Spurs fan so we always go back and forth. The Spurs beat the Knicks in 1999 and so we are always going back and forth about that. It’s been tough for nineteen years as a Knicks fan, but I still represent and I still show them love. I would argue that Clive Babineaux is the most hardcore Knicks fan on television – at least within the last nineteen years. I don’t know about prior to that. [laughs] But at least in the last nineteen years there is no harder core Knicks fan than Clive Babineaux. So, I got that Knicks mug, too.

Q) We love seeing the behind-the-scenes photos and videos from your adventures on set. What have been some of your favorite bts antics you’ve shared over the years?

A) I think we called it “Badass Women of Television” and we had Rose play all the badass women of television and then in that one clip we had Rahul playing Wonder Woman. But we had done a spoof on Kill Bill, Thelma and Louise, Sister Act and Star Wars. We did all of that in a day. We were running around shooting that between takes. It is crazy! We did an entirely new intro to the show and that was a fun thing with everyone in their free time doing it. That was all behind the scenes stuff. I like doing the trailer tours when we’re just being outrageous. I like my trailer hot so I decided to do a spoof on it and play the Lion King music as I enter my trailer. You see that I keep it on 98 degrees. Everybody is like “it’s a sauna in there” so there is a spoof on that. It was always a good time. We’re silly! A lot of the silly stuff doesn’t get captured. There are outtake reels out there and gag reels out there. We see it every single year, but it just hasn’t been released to the fans. But the gag reels are so crazy and so hilarious I can’t wait for it to get out there and have people see it. It really shows what it’s like between takes and stuff. Clive has to be so serious, but I’m not that serious in real life. So, I’m laughing throughout all of the rehearsals and I have to keep a straight. Then, you have Rahul trying to make me laugh and break. It’s fun. All of that stuff is captured. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Also, Robert Buckley can get me. He gets me every single time. Those are some fun moments throughout the years.

Q) Will they be released on DVD or maybe shared on Twitter?

A) I hope so! It should be, especially with it now being the end of the series. Release the gag reels! Release the zombie gag reels! I think the zombie gag reels is right next to the Snyder cut. Right next to each other.

Q) What do you want to be sure iZombiefans know about this season?

A) I think it’s the best season. I know people probably say that for every season because they want to sell it, but I really believe it. There is a purity. It kind of takes everything that worked for the last four seasons and putting it all into one season. Also, when you know it’s the last season the gloves come off. So, I thought what Rob, Diane and the writing staff put together really explored so many different colors of the possibilities of the show. Even looking at the show you go, “There is more story to tell with this based upon the things they have explored.” It feels almost like a celebration of what this world is and what these dynamics are that the audience has experienced over the last four years and that we’ve experienced over the last four years for portraying these characters. It just has a lot of heart and I think that’s what connected people during the first season – all of the heart of Liv’s journey and what she’s trying to do. Also, Rahul does some brains that I think are just classic. He just killed it. He got some brains that he’s on this season that he just stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park! I also think all of the directors did a great job, too. A lot of great people come together to put this show together. But the crew behind the camera, directing an episode and really going through it and seeing how much goes into putting an episode together…There are so many geniuses that people may not know of that were a part of making this thing happen. It’s amazing. Our post production crew is amazing. Our camera crew is amazing. Wardrobe and makeup. Everybody just kills it and I think everyone is going to enjoy this season. It’s a fun one.

Q) What have you personally taken away from your time working on iZombie?

A) I learned a lot. I learned a lot as an actor. I’m a fan of Rose’s work, Rahul, Robert, Aly [Michalka] and David. Just to sit there and watch them work every day…I’m like, “I have frontrow seats to Rose McIver every day to Rahul Kohli, David Anders, Aly Michalka and Robert Buckley.” So, I’m like stealing it all! I’m just inspired by them and as a film maker what I was able to pick up from watching different directors per episode put together to their vision, communicate their vision, communicate to us as the actors and most importantly I have taken a lot from Rob Thomas in terms of him being this incredible leader. Just humble and grateful. It was always positive energy. It was always supportive, nothing negative or contentious. None of that energy. It was always love, support and positivity. I think that bled down the food chain of “iZombie.” That’s why we have this really, really great group of people and I’ve made some lifelong friendships through this experience. So, I am very, very positive person. I just learned to stay that way and you can be successful staying that way. You can be a good person, be humble and still do really well. I take that.