Nick Potter – Couple-ish

By starrymag | February 24, 2016

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) There is a smaller cast to “Couple-ish” than most web series. Did that enable you to become closer more quickly?

 

A) Having a smaller core cast definitely helped bring us together. I already knew Kaitlyn [Alexander] and Mercedes [Morris] beforehand, but hadn’t had the chance to act on camera with either of them yet. Sharon [Belle] was someone that I didn’t know until we filmed. I found that having such a small main cast helped create a sense of normalcy during a hectic process. The four of us were all in the same boat, trying to memorize and perfect multiple episodes at once. So, it was comforting to have each other around. We all had an idea of what the other was going through during filming and I think that brought us together very quickly. It wasn’t hard for us to bond, though, and I really felt like part of a cohesive ensemble, which is a luxury as an actor!

 

Q)  What was your audition like and did your character Ed change at all from that initial description? 

 

A) My audition was a lot of fun! I had a day or two to prepare the scenes I’d been sent and wrangle an early attempt at the accent. So, I was a little nervous going into the audition room. I wasn’t sure exactly what they were looking for so I just went in and had fun with the scenes. I remember doing the scene in which Dee and I share name-related puns in my audition and I upped the ante by adding as many puns in as I could, even after the scene was done. (I think the last one was “I’m sorry that I DEE-railed this audition. It’s really DEE-graded into a bunch of bad jokes,” or something like that.) I think they liked the sense of levity and silliness that I was bringing to Ed and I think his cheeky sense of humor was brought out even more during script rewrites afterwards!

 

Q)  Is there anything that you added to the role that was not originally scripted?

 

A) A lot! I like to change things up each time we film a scene. A bunch of jokes from “It’s NB Deal” (which was probably my favorite episode to film) were improvised between Kaitlyn and I and they managed to survive the until the final cut of the episode! The ending in particular, “Paint me like one of your non-binary people,” was something I threw in at the very end of one take, among other things. My goal was to crack Kaitlyn up as much as I could during that episode! It keeps things fresh as well, especially when working from an already funny script.

 

Q) How did you get involved in working on “Couple-ish?”

 

A) Kaitlyn contacted me before launching the Kickstarter and asked me to write and produce the theme song for the show. I got a basic rundown of the plot and characters and went off to write music, but had no intention of auditioning at that time. Once auditions were underway, I was asked in the morning to come in and read for one of the characters and I went in that afternoon and auditioned for Ed.

 

Q) What was it like for you watching the trailer for the series?

 

A) Scary! It’s intimidating to watch yourself onscreen months after filming a project. I loved how the trailer turned out and was humbled for all the views and attention it was receiving when it was released. To think that over 80, 000 people have watched a video with myself in it feels a bit surreal and strange, but once I got used to that I was simply overwhelmed with gratitude for all the people who’d help get “Couple-ish” on its feet. I realized that the people who were viewing and sharing the trailer were the same people who had donated to the Kickstarter campaign, people who had been rooting for us from the very beginning, and I definitely felt a sense of support when I saw how many views the trailer had received in such a short time.

 

Q) With a webseries, you are filming under a short time constraint because they are so short on film time. What was that experience like for you?

 

A) I’d rather be busy on set than wait for hours in-between my scenes so I’d say it was a sometimes stressful blessing. We filmed the entire first season pretty quickly so I’d often be juggling scenes and monologues in my head, trying to figure out what I was filming next! Because of the short episode length, I could be jumping from one story-line early on to something at the end of the season within a couple hours so it was sometimes tricky not to get mixed up. Still, out of the core four, I had the least amount of script to memorize and film so there were a few serene times when I could relax and just enjoy the experience of being on set, watching the project come together.

 

Q) The series was started through Kickstarter. What was it like for you?

 

A) I had no idea what to expect from the Kickstarter Campaign so I was absolutely blown away when we hit our funding goal. For us to then meet our stretch goal and then some was astounding. Having such a clear indicator of how supportive and excited people were for the series gave me a lot of motivation to make my contributions the best they could be!

 

Q) What is your favorite aspect of your character Ed?

 

A) I love Ed’s sense of humor and kindness. He’s usually able to deflect tense situations with clever quips and jokes, always trying to put people at ease. I really admire that about him. He’s the kind of person who can deliver the worst news in the world while still managing to make people smile or laugh, which is fun to do as an actor!

 

Q) What are the overarching themes you hope fans take away from watching “Couple-ish?”

 

A) I don’t know if it’s a theme per se, but for me an undercurrent to the whole series is the importance of empathy in relationships, whether they be romantic, familial or just between friends. Most of the tension and conflict in the show comes from people acting rash, selfish or simply not considering how their actions might affect others. Sometimes you have to go out of your way to make compromises for the sake of someone who needs it and I think that karma comes back in a really big way makes you a better, smarter person. It strengthens relationships when you actually take the time to care for someone, you know? You’ll get a sense of that as the matrix of relationships in “Couple-ish” continue to grow and develop throughout the season.

 

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about you and your work on “Couple-ish?”

 

A) I suppose I`d want fans of the show to know that even though I was cast as Ed and worked as an actor during filming, my work on the show started before I auditioned and well after we wrapped on set. I started on “Couple-ish” with the theme song and beyond that I`ve actually been the composer for the show as well, which has been a lot of fun. It’s interesting to work as an actor during the filming process as well as a member of the post-production creative team. It’s really unique to any other film project I’ve ever done. I also drew (and plan to draw more) comics related to “Couple-ish” and its cast, called Comic-ish. I love immersing myself in working on this series, to help make it as amazing as it deserves to be. I’m really grateful for the opportunity that “Couple-ish” has been for me and the artistic doors that it may continue to open. After all the support from fans before filming, during and after the show’s release, all I want to do is give back as much as I can!