“Trying” Stars Rafe Spall & Esther Smith Open Up About Season 2 Of The Acclaimed Apple TV+ Series
Apple TV+ is home to award-winning Apple Originals from today’s most imaginative storytellers. In turn, Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and family-friendly entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens and platforms. After its launch in November 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Originals have been honored with 364 awards nominations and 106 wins, with plenty more wins and nods expected.
Season 2 of Trying debuts exclusively on Apple TV+ on Friday, May 21, 2021. The 8-episode series, which has already been renewed for a third season, will premiere with the first episode, as followed by new episodes weekly every Friday. In season 2, Trying follows the continuing journey of Nikki (played by Esther Smith) and Jason (played by Rafe Spall) as they navigate the adoption process.
Having been approved by the adoption panel, Nikki and Jason now find that being matched with a child is not as straight-forward as they had hoped. It seems like children are being snapped up by other couples while somehow they’re being left behind. Helped by their eccentric social worker Penny (played by Imelda Staunton) they are determined to do everything they can. When Nikki meets a little girl called Princess at an adoption event she knows instantly that this is the child for them. But there are obstacles to Nikki’s plan that may prove insurmountable.
On April 29, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Esther Smith and Rafe Spall via Zoom. Highlights from our conversation are transcribed below. Beyond discussion about Season 2 of Trying — which also stars Ophelia Lovibond, Oliver Chris, Sian Brooke, Darren Boyd and Robyn Cara — we discussed series production and how well Smith and Spall get along. More on Trying is here, here and here.
On whether they did a chemistry test before being cast together:
Rafe Spall: Yes, we did a chemistry test…
Esther Smith: Luckily we got on. We got together a couple of hours before the read to read the script. Rafe just really makes me laugh, and that’s always a good thing to know that… You want to feel comfortable and trust the other person so that you can be vulnerable and you can make an ass out of yoursself. Luckily we really got on, so that’s been really lovely.
Rafe Spall: [answering whether the chemistry test was over coffee like it could be in the States] No…
Esther Smith: There was no coffee at all.
Rafe Spall: You bought some cashews.
Esther Smith: (laughs) Yeah, we had been chatting for 3 hours and I was so hungry.
Rafe Spall: It was a cashew date.
On how far in advance they get the scripts in advance of filming:
Rafe Spall: We actually get them all together, or in 2 lots. So by the time we come to shoot the first episode we have all 8 [scripts]. I did a show in the States a couple of years ago, a 10-episode thing and you get them as you go. You get an episode at a time, you do a table-read the end of every year… But no, he writes them all upfront, which is a great privilege. You have an idea of the arc, where you’re going. Andy, he’s written all 16 episodes and he has 8 in the pipeline. It’s some undertaking. It’s just 1 guy and he pulls it out of the bag every time.
Esther Smith: Yeah, it’s such a joy to be able to get them all and see where the story is going. I didn’t know that about America.
Rafe Spall: (deadpans) I’ve worked a lot as an international actor.
Esther Smith: Oh, have you?
Rafe Spall: I’ve worked in America and I’m very successful… (Interviewer shows agreement with Rafe) He’s not being sarcastic.
On whether their roles on Trying require a lot of research or preparation:
Esther Smith: These 2 characters, coming to adoption fresh and without any prior knowledge, the script is so well-written that you kind of get everything from the scripts. As actors you’re learning with your character, which is really great. Also, doing this show I feel like I’ve learned so much about adoption, just the process of it and how long the process is and how hard the process is… But that’s not the end of the journey. They still have this mountain to climb and it’s a lot higher this time around because there’s little children that they meet and fall in love with and want.
Rafe Spall: I don’t tend to do a lot of research, unless I really need to. For me the most important thing is the chemistry between the 2 characters. My M.O. on this was to try and bring as much of my own energy as I could. There’s a lot of me in the character, but different in many ways. That was sort of my impetus in approaching this role. (Interviewer points out that this is different from his many American roles which prompts laughter)
Esther Smith: You know I’d never heard of you before this show.
Rafe Spall: Jurassic Park… Men In Black… Life Of Pi… (Interviewer names The Sopranos) The Sopranos…
Esther Smith: Really?
Rafe Spall: Yeah, I played Tony Soprano.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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