From creatorGreg Daniels(The Office,Parks and Rec), the futuristic comedy seriesUploadis set in a technologically advanced world where humans can be uploaded into a virtual afterlife when they are clearly on the path to their departure. When Nathan Brown (RobbieAmell) is forced to make a quick decision about his fate, after a self-driving car accident, he makes the choice to be uploaded into the highly sought after Lakeview, where he meets his customer service guide (AndyAllo) and the two form an unlikely friendship in this new digital realm.
During a virtual press day for the new Amazon Prime series, actress Andy Allo spoke to Collider for this 1-on-1 phone interview about what most excited her about this show and character, the biggest challenges that came with this role, how she feels about the concept of uploading yourself, what she enjoyed about the Nathan-Nora dynamic, the other relationships that are important to her character, her favorite moments this season, and what it’s like to collaborate with Greg Daniels.
Collider: When this project came your way and you read it, what did you most strongly respond to? What was it about the story that got you most excited and made you want to be a part of this show?
ANDY ALLO: First of all, Greg Daniels was a big part of that, and getting to work with him was a dream. But then, outside of that, I read the script and saw how layered the characters and relationships were, and also the world. Nora has such a big heart and, instantly, I connected to that as, here’s somebody who cares so deeply about her father and ultimately cares so deeply about the people that she’s taking care of in Lakeview, being their customer servicing angel. Those couple of things were so wonderful to dive into, as an actor.
What were the biggest challenges that came with a role like this?
ALLO: One of them was the effects part of it. A lot of the time, we were acting opposite green screen, and my character appears and disappears a lot, so there was a bit of a learning curve that. It was like, “Okay, when we say action, everybody freeze, and then we’ll stop. Andy, you step out, and then everybody unfreeze.” So, it was about working out how to make my appearances and disappearances seamless. And then, character wise, another challenge was that Nora exists in both worlds. She’s in reality, but also in Lakeview. So, getting to do a lot of the scenes twice, in these different spaces, challenged me to create the difference. She’s not gonna do it the same ‘cause she’s in two different places, so how does that translate? That was a bit of a challenge, but an exciting one ‘cause I got to do things twice.
How do you feel about this entire concept of uploading yourself and essentially living within a digital world? Is it something that you’d ever consider doing, yourself, or do you feel like you’re much more of like an analog person?
ALLO: I’ve thought about it a lot, and I love analog. Sometimes I wish I could just not have a phone or any device. But at the same time, they really afford us the ability to connect, so easily, with people all over the world. That’s hard to beat, especially now. I was talking to Robbie [Amell] and Greg and I was like, “Man, the parallels, right now, are so nuts.” I feel like I’m living Nora’s life because so much of her life is talking to people through screens. So, I would upload. I think that would be fun because it also feels like a second chance to live the life that maybe you never quite had, or didn’t get the chance to. Uploading, in this afterlife, is a chance to explore that.
At the heart of this series is the relationship between Nathan and Nora, and how he has to die before having any real human connection with another person. What did you enjoy exploring with that dynamic, and having Robbie Amell to play that relationship with?
ALLO: I really lucked out. Robbie is such a generous, giving and kind actor and person to work with, and also is very easy on the eyes, so that makes it nice. He’s really such a great partner in crime. I really couldn’t have asked for anyone better. We would be filming and he would be done while I would still have some work to do, and he would stay to stay his lines for my coverage, or if he was on another unit, he’d rushed over and help me out. That’s the kind of guy he is, and that really set the tone for the environment that he and I created, where we supported other. As Nora and Nathan got to know each other, so did me and Robbie, which was so great. You get to see that, throughout the series, with us getting to know each other, in the show and in real life. We just hit it off, which is so great. Sometimes you don’t get that, but we really did.
The other important relationships in Nora’s life are the ones with her father and her friend at work, and we get to see more sides of her, through those relationships. What did you learn about your character, through getting to play in those moments and what did you enjoy about those dynamics?
ALLO: What I love with her dad is that they have such a love for one another. You also get to see the fights between a kid who’s trying to take care of her parent, and that parent who’s like, “I don’t want you to take care of me, leave me alone,” which is so relatable, when that shift happens, and you become the parent while your parent becomes the child. She desperately wants him to upload, and he’s like, “No, I don’t believe in it.” I really enjoyed those moments between Nora and her dad, really connecting. It can get tense because they don’t believe in the same thing, but then breaking it up with disconnection of how deeply they love each other is really where Nora’s heart is. And then, Nora with Aleesha is a little lighter. That was fun. At the end of the day, it’s still a comedy, but it’s grounded in this heart and this real relationship. With Nora and Aleesha, I love that Aleesha just give her so much shit and doesn’t let anything slide, and so you get to see a lighter side of Nora, where she gets to be a bit silly. Aleesha shakes Nora out of her seriousness.
Do you have any personal favorite moments in their relationship, from the season?
ALLO: There are so many. I really loved the moment where Nathan falls into the lake because he’s trying to walk on water, and I love that Nora gets to be a bit of a trickster. She’s got this mischievous and prankster side. Shooting that scene was really fun. And I’d say the scene where Nathan and Nora are singing together is one of the sweetest moments of the show. I love it. Every time I see it, it makes me smile.
I personally enjoyed your “Uptown Funk” duet, but it seems like one of those situations where you might end up loving and appreciating the song more, as you shoot that scene a few times, or you just need a break from hearing it for awhile.
ALLO: Luckily, it’s a good song, so we enjoyed it. I just did an Instagram Live concert on Amazon Prime’s Instagram page, and Robbie joined in and we sang “Uptown Funk” together. It was so much fun, but Robbie does not sing.
How was it to also wear the virtual reality headset and act with it on?
ALLO: You really had to rely on your imagination ‘cause you were looking at nothing. I’ll have to ask Amazon next time, “Hey, can I get play back in my VR headset, so that I can watch what I’m supposed to be looking at?” But it was really cool to play with all of the technology. Greg has built this insane world that’s so in depth. I love that a lot of it isn’t explained, it just is, and you’re learning about it, as you go along, and figuring out the rules of this world. I really loved it. It was a lot of fun, exploring the technology.
What’s it like to work and collaborate with Greg Daniels? Is it a very collaborative set, or is it more that you find yourself trusting in him and putting yourself in his hands, when it comes to the storytelling?
ALLO: It’s totally both. It’s trusting his genius. He spent a long time working on this. It’s been 30 years since he first got this idea, so he’s taken a lot of time to really think about this world. He knows it better than I do, so I trust that. He also gives you such a strong foundation to jump off of, as an actor. And on top of that, he really empowered all of us to speak up, and to join in on the conversation and the creation of these characters, on top of what he had already set up, which was amazing. There would be moments where we’d be on set and he’d say, “Well, what’s funnier? Can you think of a funnier joke here? Can we make it better?” It really felt like this space where we could just play, and we did. I would try some things, and sometimes it would work, but sometimes it wouldn’t. It was all for bringing this thing to life, in the best way possible.
Uploadis available to stream at Amazon Prime. For more on the show, check out what the cast and creatorhad to say about the Season 1 finale cliffhanger ending.
