Nathan Dales – Letterkenny

By starrymag | October 17, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

A) For me, right now we just finished shooting another season of “Letterkenny” in August. We do two blocks of shooting every year. One is at the end of the July and into August. Then, we take a little hiatus until October-ish/November. Right before that I was shooting a movie called The Broken Heart Gallery in Toronto which is a romantic comedy.

Q) What can you tease is new this season on “Letterkenny?”

A) It’s going to be sweet this season! We have sort of a different format for part of this season. It’s an agricultural call-in show. We take over the Letterkenny public access cable network and we start an agricultural call-in show where people call in about their problems they are having on the farm or just in life. So, we take calls and give them advice. It’ll be a little bit of a departure from what we’ve been doing, but still have the same stuff that people like about “Letterkenny.” There is going to be lots of drinking still and smoking. There will be lots of good fun and maybe even a little bit of fighting and stuff like that, but the agricultural show is going to be the new aspect for us. I think people are going to love it.

Q) What inspires the storylines? Do you have any input into what Jared [Keeso] incorporates?

A) He’s got an interesting mind. Part of that is he grew up in a small town. He grew up in a town called Listowel, Ontario, which is about five thousand people. He also traveled around playing junior hockey through just about everywhere in Southern Ontario. So, he’s collected stories for his entire life from all over the province. Lots of those lead to storylines and it’s just stuff he’s picked up in his every day life. There are lots of personal input into that. With the other writers on the show, they bring their own flare to it. But Jared thinks of the odd storylines. They are definitely his brainchild and it’s interesting to see the way that it works. It’s his odd and pretty brilliant mind.

Q) Is there much room to improv for episodes?

A) We do a little bit of improv, but basically none of that hits the air. Everything is scripted pretty much the way that it comes out. We do however many takes of regular, everything on the page and then there is a little bit of room to improv maybe at the end of the scene, but it stays (as they say) on the cutting room floor. It’s all scripted exactly the way it’s intended to be said and that is the way it’s wanted to be shown. So, that’s what we do.

Q) You have great comedic timing. Is it something that has always been a natural ability for you or have you had to work at it?

A) Thank you, first of all. That’s very sweet of you to say. I don’t know. I like to think that I’ve been cultivating it for my whole life. My parents, especially my mother, have quite dry humor. Her whole side of the family has very dry humor. A lot of my humor, in general, comes from that and maybe by extension the timing on that. Also, when we’re on set, that comes from knowing everybody now so intimately for so many years. So, it’s great chemistry when you’re working with those people. You get a lot of help from everybody to make your timing make sense and then have people like it. So, it’s partly upbringing (I think), but also the people that you work with for sure to make that timing come off the page and make sense to people.

Q) Who are some of the guest stars we’ll be seeing this season?

A) I like Mrs. McMurray (Melanie Scrofano). She’ll definitely be back. Also, Rosie (Clark Backo) is back. I’m going to leave it as Mrs. McMurray and Rosie because you’ll have to tune in to Hulu on October 14^th to see anybody else. There are definitely going to be a few surprises. That’s a promise.

Q) What are some episodes you are most looking forward to fans getting to see?

A) [laughs] I want to so badly, but I feel like if I do it I’m going to blow the doors off! I’m going to get excited and then I’m going to start talking about it and then I’m going to blow the doors off and list a bunch of secrets that I’m not supposed to. But, legitimately, (and it sounds kind of weird) the agricultural call-in part of the show is so funky. It’s going to be awesome. It starts right away and we run with it for a long time. It’s going to be awesome! Again, it’s something different, but it was so much fun to film. We were in this old ass cable studio in Sudbury, Ontario, where we shoot, and it had this feeling of a time forgotten. We dressed it up kind of nice. It’s going to be crazy! People are going to love it.

Q) What have been some of your personal favorite episodes or moments over the seasons?

A) I know it’s going to be a little “whatever” to say, but Darryl’s super soft birthday from Season 1 is still one of my favorites to talk about. I get a ton of fan interaction about that episode. That’s one of my favorites. That whole episode and everything that came after it. People show me pictures and videos of them having their own super soft birthdays. Them having a horse with a pretend unicorn horn on it. That one is a pretty special memory for me, just as an overall of the series for me. It’s crazy now! We’ve been doing this for five years now that it’s just been a huge part of everyone’s life for that many years now. It’s hard to think about significant moments, but looking back on it the super soft birthday was one of my favorites. It’s right where we started. It’s got a special place in my heart, for sure.

Q) What do you think it is about the show that has made it such a fan favorite series?

A) I think it’s the different groups on the show. You’ve got the hicks, the skids and the hockey players. Anyone can find something in those groups that reminds them of themselves or someone they know or grew up with. So, I think it’s really popular because…Well, I would hope that people find it funny. [laughs] But I think the relatability with those groups is something people definitely find a connection to and that’s what makes it relatable. I think that’s where a lot of the popularity comes from.

Q) What makes Hulu the perfect platform for “Letterkenny?”

A) I like to think that Hulu have the same sense of humor that we have going on with Crave. Because of that, it was just a natural fit to go with Hulu. They have some great programs on there already. They’re interest in the show and their humor as a group really vibes with us. So, it seems like a natural fit. They’ve been so behind the show and they champion it all the time. They’re always excited about it. They didn’t want to change anything. They loved the way it was going. They just love the show, the humor and all that kind of stuff. It just seemed like a natural fit with them. It’s been awesome! You get so many more eyes on the show. They’ve been super nice and helpful and not wanting to change anything. A lot of trust is still put in us. It’s great!

Q) There was a six-episode spinoff of “Littlekenny.” Can fans expect any more episodes of that?

A) I think so. I’m not sure exactly when we’re going to have time to do that. We have a pretty busy schedule. I think the response to “Littlekenny” was pretty big and I think people really liked. It was a nice animated series about the origin of it. SO, I think there is going to be more, but we don’t know when that is. But I would say, yes, there will be more “Littlekenny.”

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the fan response to the latest episodes?

A) That, to me, is the best part of social media. I’m not the biggest interactor on social media, but when people reach out and say that they like the show and have been going through a hard time and it’s just really nice to laugh or “this was so funny…” People have just been super positive. People have just been reaching out. Someone I have never met or probably won’t meet in my entire life just to say, “I don’t want anything in return. I just want you to know that episode was super funny. I was having a shitty day and it just helped me through. Thanks for doing a fun job and making people laugh.” That’s my favorite. When you an brighten someone’s day and put out something that people like too…he alternative is people sending you messages that you are a hack or whatever. [laughs] That would be the worse! I wouldn’t like that. So, it’s nice when people are saying things that are nice – the show is funny and the people on it are funny. Keep at it. Keep making the content. That’s always nice to hear.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure we share with our readers about the new season of “Letterkenny?”

A) Just it’s coming out on the 14^th on Hulu. It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to speak for itself. If the readers haven’t watched the show give it one episode and I will make a promise that they will be hooked. If they have seen episodes this season will not disappoint! It’s going to be awesome. Just make sure you have time to watch all of the episodes in a row because that’s what’s going to happen. It’s going to be great! It’s going to be really fun.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of the work you do?

A) Thank you for all the kind words and allowing me to do this as a job. To have this as my life! That’s crazy to me that I get to do this and I’m allowed to have this as my life. It’s amazing! So, thanks to everyone who is a supporter and likes the show and will continue.