Posted in: Hulu, streaming, TV | Tagged: dan stevens, exclusive, interview, Mary Mack, Mike McMahan, sean giambrone, solar opposites, thomas middleditch

Solar Opposites Cast on Valentine's Day Special, Dan Stevens & More

Solar Opposites stars Thomas Middleditch, Mary Mack & Sean Giambrone spoke with Bleeding Cool about the Valentine's Day special, Korvo & more.

Thomas Middleditch, Mary Mack, and Sean Giambrone have built quite the comedic rapport in the Hulu series Solar Opposites as the Shlorpians, Terry, Jesse, and Yumylack, who, along with Korvo, crash-landed on Earth trying to acclimate their zany lives on the planet trying to fit in. Season four represented a dramatic change as co-creator and original voice of Korvo (Justin Roiland) was fired from the series, and Dan Stevens took over the role of Korvo. While promoting the animated series' currently-streaming Valentine's Day special, "An Earth Shatteringly Romantic Solar Valentine's Day Opposites Special," Middleditch, Mack, and Giambrone spoke with Bleeding Cool about what sets the holiday specials apparent from the regular series, how Stevens' acclimated himself into the cast, their characters' growth, and favorite moments from the series.

Solar Opposites Cast on Their Valentine's Day Special & Four-Season Journey

Bleeding Cool: What opportunity do these holiday specials allow you to do that you wouldn't normally be able to do within the normal frame of an episode?

Mack: Have you guys sung in them before? Thomas and Sean, have you guys got to sing?

Middleditch: I think I sang a little bit on something, but they're not giving me lead singing parts that's for sure.

Mack: [laughs].

Middleditch: I could be buried deep in the background. I'll be the chorus.

Mack: I'll be the chorus too, but we do more of that showboating type of stuff than these…they feel special. The specials feel special, and it's where it's fun. There's more orchestration and more action, and I admire that they go big on them.

As far as the Valentine's Day Special, what did that allow you to do to explore that holiday in that universe?

Middleditch: I'm a bit of a Grinch that comes at these holidays. Christmas, I go, "Jeez, what kind of presents am I gotta get? Bah, humbug. What's the spirit? What's the spirit?!" Then Valentine's Day, I don't I kind of have a grudge against it because it's like you're supposed to be doting and loving. In my mind, it's like, "You only got one day for that. What's wrong with your sad relationship?" Or you must think of something special and romantic if it's a big gesture, right? I'm a bit of a party pooper so the fact that Valentine's Day was on the docket this time around for our sort of holiday lampooning, I was like, "Here we go, let's do it."

Are there any other holidays down the line that you guys will be covering in the future, or is it something you decide with each season?

Middleditch: We wouldn't know what comes up, but I am sure the writers like to make deeper cuts holidays like we got Halloween. We got the big ones out of the way [laughs]. I feel like we're going to go and do the deeper cuts holiday. Sean, you had one that you want to see? Do you say Arbor Day or something?

Giambrone: I hope Arbor Day, because of the plants. It could mean something deeper in their [characters] culture or something.

Mack: Yeah, I'm on board.

You had one major change this season. Could you guys talk about Dan joining the cast and what he brings to the show?

Mack: Sean, we're looking at you. It's your turn.

Giambrone He's gotta…

Mack: I go on and on.

Giambrone: First to start, that British accent is awesome, and that's like the tip of the iceberg because he's so talented. I never met him, but he seems like a cool dude. I enjoy what he's doing on the show and am excited to have him.

Mack: He's so talented and we were commenting before you came on, Tom, about his enunciation is excellent.

Middleditch: Classically trained.

Mack: You can tell.

Middleditch: As the voice actors, we go in the booth, and we're there with the producers and stuff. We haven't had a session where we're all together since one episode in season one. We're a little isolated, but I live in LA, and he and I played pickleball together. He's a good shot. He can sizzle it from the kitchen!

Mack: Like the secret to everything. I bet he's a good cook too. He's good at singing, dancing, and pickleball. Does he drive in the States? Do you think he has?

Middleditch: I'm sure he has a driver's license.

Mack: Does he drive?

Middleditch: He's driving now like it's all grown up. God bless him. He's overcome so much.

What have you learned about your characters' growth as actors since season one and how it's progressed into season four?

Mack: Jessie's getting more business-minded; I feel a little more devious, and I'm enjoying that. I also get to forecast a lot in my lines about what's about to happen, and that's fun. Sorry, Thomas and I probably had the same answer.

Middleditch: About Jesse, I was going to inform him of what my take on Jesse was. What's fun about seeing the progression of Terry is there's this romance or that this Ross-Rachel (from 'Friends'), "Will they?" or "Won't they?" with Korvo where when it was introduced, it's like "Wait, are they romantic?" Then it's like, "No, they're just work partners." That's how the Shlorpians do it and then it's like, "They're staying on Earth more, and so Earth customs are intruding in their relationship." It's been so fun to toy with, push, and then pull back on. It's a good plot line for me.

Giambrone: Yumyulack is developing and conscious as time goes on. It's cool because sometimes it's on, but sometimes it's way off, and so that's a fun thing to play because sometimes that's it pretty much.

Do you have a favorite moment for your characters: Yumyulack, Jesse, and Terry?

Mack: This is from this season, but I liked it when we all went to the wooden town for vacation. That was fun. I enjoyed that we're doing this big family deal family thing. That's one of my favorite moments, but I don't have one on the Valentine's [special]. They're all awesome.

Middleditch: It was funny in the invisible episode [season four's "The Re-Visibility Bouillabaisee"] where Terry and Korvo do the nasty, but you can't see it. It was very odd. I'm telling you [laughs], it sounds weird to be doing that in the booth because you got it on lines, but then it's like, "Just go with it," and so you're stuck with it. It's doing your best. It's your sexy noises. It was the perfect mix of being uncomfortable but having a fun time. I thought that was a genius way to keep pushing that story with them.

Giambrone: I liked some of this Valentine's Day special. Getting to do some of the stuff they got when they came up, which is like I felt devious and maniacal, and that was fun to play.

The Solar Opposites: Valentine's Day Special is now available on Hulu.

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