PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST NY 2015: MR. ROBOT {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest New York 2015. This evening celebrates "Mr. Robot," the dramatic suspense series about a troubled computer hacker and his involvement with a mysterious anarchist group. Host Maureen Reidy (president and CEO, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces Luis Castro (Deputy Commissioner, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment). Castro provides background on the recent rise in shows, including "Mr. Robot," that are filmed in New York City, and then brings moderator Dalton Ross (radio host and executive editor-at-large, Entertainment Weekly). Ross introduces a clip package recapping – and spoiling – "literally everything" from the show's recently-concluded first season.
After the clips, Ross moderates the following panelists: executive producer/creator/writer/director Sam Esmail; and cast members Portia Doubleday (Angela Moss), Christian Slater (Mr. Robot/Edward Alderson), Rami Malek (Elliot Alderson) and Carly Chaikin (Darlene Alderson).
The conversation touches on such topics as: their relative real-life "tech-savvy" and consultation with on-set computer experts, including Esmail; the actors' varying degrees of shock at learning about the first season's "big twist"; Esmail's sense of the actors as "co-creators" who deserve to know the plot's intricate details; Malek's interest in knowing the full arc of his character over the season; how knowing that Elliot and Darlene were in fact siblings informed Chaikin's performance in her early scenes with Malek; Slater's need to lie about the show's mysteries in interviews and his son's dislike of his seemingly mean-spirited character; their enjoyment of filming the pilot despite being unsure that the show would continue; the network's unprecedented decision to greenlight a second season before the airing of the first episode, and their awareness of its remarkable success; Esmail's original envisioning of the story as a movie, of which only the first thirty minutes are depicted in the first season; the second season as a "very different stage" of the story; Malek's hopes for more scenes with Gloria Reuben, who plays Elliot's much-needed therapist Krista Gordon; Chaikin's fond memories of the exciting table read for the shocking season finale; Malek's enjoyment of the memorable "bookend" scenes in Times Square in the premiere and finale; Malek and Slater's conversational scenes on the Ferris Wheel at Coney Island; Doubleday's appreciation for the emotional graveyard scenes in the penultimate episode in which Elliot realizes the truth about his father; their appreciation for the show's strong fanbase, as seen at their recent New York Comic Con appearance; Esmail's incorrect speculation that the show would have only a "niche" appeal; Doubleday's views of Angela's surprising decision to take a job at the villainous "Evil Corp"; ideas for a musical episode and an episode set in Hawaii; the show's distinctive soundtrack and the actors' preferred music for getting into character; debate about the relative "weirdness" of Elliot and volatile antagonist Tyrell Wellick (Martin Wallström); Malek's uncertainty about Elliot's "missing time" in which Tyrell apparently goes missing; Chaikin's interest in learning more about Elliot and Darlene's childhood together and Angela's role as their longtime friend; their ideas for season two and Malek's commitment to keeping the mentally-unstable Elliot "accessible" as a character; Esmail's reluctance to include too many "happy moments" on the dark and complex show; his research-only account on the infamous cheating website Ashley Madison, shortly before its well-publicized hack, which was then written into the show; and hints about the enigmatic character of Whiterose (BD Wong).
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: their appreciation for fans' artistic creations inspired by the show; USA Network's supportive attitude towards the show's unusual style and content; some possible "Back to the Future" elements in upcoming plots; the "group effort" of developing their characters together; praise for Malek's realistic portrayal of a character who is "productive and yet sick"; inspiration from a friend of Esmail's with schizophrenia; the show's frequent use of its Coney Island set; the relatability of Elliot's loneliness and sense of isolation; Slater's sense that the show serves as a sequel to his cult classic "Pump Up the Volume" (1990); and speculation about an Elliot/Angela romance. The evening concludes with the debut of the first season's gag reel.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:27:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 124211
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Maureen Reidy … Host
- Dalton Ross … Moderator
- Portia Doubleday … Panelist
- Christian Slater … Panelist
- Rami Malek … Panelist
- Carly Chaikin … Panelist
- Sam Esmail … Panelist
- Luis Castro … Guest
- Gloria Reuben
- Martin Wallström
- BD Wong