Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: Gus Sorola, Red vs. Blue, Rooster Teeth

Sixteen Years of Red vs. Blue: An Interview With Gus Sorola

As a fan of Red vs. Blue, I remember there being a time when it always sounded like the current season would be the last season. And then it would be back six months later to repeat the cycle again. Now after sixteen seasons, it seems like the show will be a permanent staple of Rooster Teeth until the day comes the company ceases to be or, let's be honest, is purchased by Disney. The most recent season, The Shisno Paradox, will be coming to Blu-ray in a few weeks on January 1st, but before that, we got a chance to briefly chat with Gus Sorola (Simmons) about recording this season and looking ahead at 2019.

Gus Sorola

BC: How was it for you and the crew to come back and do the 16th Season?

Sorola: It was great to come back and reprise my role as Simmons. I was constantly laughing while recording [voice overs] for this season, and I think that is a great sign that after all this time I still laugh like an idiot at the jokes in the show.

What kind of challenge has it become after all these years to keep everything cohesive without ruining all the previous stories?

There is so much canon now with Red vs. Blue and it really is important to try and keep it all straight. Even when recording audio if I think something is amiss I'll ask for clarification and sure enough, the writers always know what they're doing. I don't think I've successfully caught them in a paradox yet.

How has it been for you coming back and each time and adding more onto Simmons as a character?

Simmons has definitely grown as time has gone on. When we first started making Red vs. Blue I imagined him as a sort of brow-beaten Smithers from the Simpsons. As time has gone on he has grown a little bit of a backbone but it is on a really shaky foundation so he's still trying to find his way.

What's been your favorite episode of this particular season, and why?

My favorite episode of The Shisno Paradox was definitely the episode with the cyclops, and not just because I sat through three hours of makeup to put all the prosthetics on (and another hour to take it all off).

After all this time, is there anything you wish you could do with RvB that hasn't been done before?

It's weird to say but I feel like all the crazy stupid goals I thought were impossible have already been done. We've made musical episodes, animated episodes, live-action episodes. I guess at this point all that is left is a theatrically released film!

What's it been like to see the fan's reactions to the series after all this time? Especially at RTX this year.

The Red vs. Blue panel at RTX is definitely a highlight of my year and I'm always glad to be on it. There is something great about being in a room with a couple of thousand people all laughing at the same jokes that make you laugh. I need that laughter and energy to live!

I'm sure you get asked this a lot, but are there any special guests or voice actors you'd like to get involved with the series?

Of course, I'd love to get some more special guests involved with the series! Can we get The Rock? Please? Oooh, or Tom Hanks! Wait, Samuel Jackson!

Looking ahead into 2019, what else are you working on at Rooster Teeth that you can talk about? 

I've been brainstorming some ideas for a feature film and a narrative podcast. That doesn't necessarily mean we will make them, but I want to try and help contribute some more creative ideas.

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