'Sunnyside' star Nick Gracer on working with Kal Penn and finding the immigrant experiences on the NBC series 'similar' to his own
Headlined by comedian and 'Harold & Kumar' fame actor Kal Penn, 'Sunnyside' is all set to roll out with a cast of immigrants who shed light on the life of Garrett Modi, the youngest New York City Councilman ever, who gets entangled in the game of power and politics but is hired by a diverse group of idealists who bring him closer to his roots.
In NBC's comedy series, Nick Gracer essays the role of Stanislav and appears in two episodes, namely 'Schnorf Town' and 'Dr. Potato'. Telling us more about his character on the show and his experience of working with Penn, the actor spoke to MEA World Wide (MEAWW) in an exclusive interview.
The opportunity to work with Kal Penn and being a part of the amazing cast served as a major attraction for Gracer who has earlier been a part of shows like 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.', 'Barry' and portrayed Yuri the Bear in 'Legends of Tomorrow'. "I had the greatest time working with Kal. He makes you feel so comfortable and welcomed that it brings out the best in you. The very funny and talented Samba Schutte and Moses Storm kept me on my toes, making for some hilarious scenes!" he revealed.
The actor was an addition to the cast in its final stages of production. "I had seen the trailer for the show, so when Allison Jones and Ben Harris (casting directors) gave me the opportunity to audition for the show, I was very excited to do it. As far as my character goes, I am being monitored for quality assurance purposes and can only say, 'You'll have to tune in and watch', but I can say you will get a good laugh, he said.
Not just Penn, but the majority of the actors on the show — right from Joel Kim Booster to Kiran Deol and Poppy Liu — have immigrant experiences and it is speculated that their stories make for rib-tickling sequences in the series.
Did the makers make a conscious effort to keep the storyline authentic? "l think they did a really great job showing how different and unique all of us are, but at the same time showing how much we have in common," Gracer, who was born in Lithuania and raised in Los Angeles, divulged, adding, "As an immigrant myself, I can absolutely relate to the stories and experiences shared by the cast. Some of their experiences were very similar to my own when my family moved to the US."
The actor will next be seen in guest-starring appearances on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' on HBO, 'How to Get Away with Murder' on ABC and 'FBI' on CBS.