Mandy Musgrave and Matt Cohen Interview

This interview is part of a series of interviews.

 

Travis continued interviewing Mandy and Matt:

I asked Mandy about when Kyla was caught fake singing for Raife’s tribute album. One of the things she said was, “It was amazing watching Eileen, who played Kyla, do that because, she’s actually an incredible singer…like incredible. But, it was fun shooting that.”

We also, discussed the scene where Aiden got upset at Ashley when he saw Spencer’s picture on her dresser next to his while he and Ashley were dating in the episode “Spencer’s New Girlfriend.” It was a turning point in Aiden’s life, and the first time we saw Matt show emotion in that way. Mandy said “That was one of our favorite scenes that we shot together. We were already a couple by that point. Matt’s very ‘method’ (style of acting), but I’m not. So, for that scene, he had to really go to a dark place.” She said that she’d be walking around set happily until they shot, and then she went to a dark place. “But he had to stay away and think whatever thoughts he did, and then we went on set and fought. It was really funny, because I was really sick that day, so he was trying to take care of me, and still be in character and get angry. Its great…its all the things you don’t see behind the scenes.”

Speaking of behind the scenes, we talked about the webisodes as well, the “five years later” one, in particular. I, like many of you, wondered why they chose to do that.

“We don’t really know either,” Mandy joked. “It was because our producers and writers had asked all the fans what they would like to see, and so, that’s what they kind of jumbled together. We thought it was odd –Aiden’s sperm and Spencer’s eggs and I (Ashley) was having it…it was bizarre. I always thought that Spencer should’ve been the one having the baby because she seems more like the motherly type to me. I think too, like Ashley, was always showing her body and being in the spotlight, but she was risking loosing her body. At the same time, she and Aiden were pregnant, so I can understand why they had Ashley carry the baby.

Perhaps that would’ve given the two of them a little bit of peace as far as the pain they had in their hearts from losing their child, if they could share in the process of bringing another child into the world. Also for Aiden, it might have been the ultimate way of putting Ashley behind him, and giving them his blessing.

The webisodes as a whole were a good way to let the fans get further into the S.O.N. world, but wouldn’t it have been even better if there were flashbacks? For instance, what was Ashley’s friendship like? There was a webisode that gave us a very brief glimpse of that, but it left a lot unanswered. Did they ever hook up? “Everyone always asked about that too, and they wanted to see that. The flashbacks would’ve been a great idea for South of Nowhere, and I wonder why no one grabbed on to that,” Mandy added.

I know that most of you Mandy fans are also fans of Girltrash, so I asked Mandy for the latest news on it. “Yeah! It is finished. I can’t believe that we have taken over a year to shoot it.”

From there I asked Matt about the transition from Actor to Producer. “It is equally as enjoyable. I’d have to say. I prefer to be in front of the camera to take away the stresses of being behind the camera. It’s far more stressful. I mean it’s a different kind of stress to act. When you try to produce or direct something, it’s a stress that is more relative to a real job. You have demands to meet, or you fail. Where, as an actor, you are going to give a performance whether it’s good or bad. It’s going to be put on television or a movie, or whatever it’s going to be. As a producer/director, if you don’t get your shots or you don’t have the right connections and have the right people where they’re supposed to be, your project never sees the light of day. Mandy added, “But you could also lose your job as an actor if you look any different where as, it will never matter, behind the scenes.” Matt said, “We had someone once, on a project I was working on, and they went over to her, and they basically told her that she had gained too much weight, and that if she didn’t lose it…”

Mandy added, “In the original pilot for SON Aiden was a guitarist, and almost “urban,” and it was based around football. When they changed it, the series, it became basketball. Then, it was recast and Matt Cohen stepped in.”  (This was followed by a period of mutual adoration for each other.)

I told Mandy and Matt that I spent the previous day with Tommy Lynch, SON Creator and Producer. Mandy replied, “He’s a good man. And he’s been with his wife his whole life. Just a great family. He’s a good dad, he’s a good person, and he’s a good husband.  He’s wonderful! He’s one of those people that you meet and you go, thank God someone that’s a good person has made it that big! He’s stayed that humble and is good hearted.”  I totally agree with Mandy.

Rob Moran phoned and said he was stuck in traffic, and Matt said jokingly that this was no excuse for being late.

This led to me asking what some of the best jokes the cast played on each other, on set. Matt replied their trailers were like tin boxes. He would walk up to everybody’s trailer door and open-hand smack the door as hard as he could. It would sound like an explosion going off, and he would hear a yell from whoever he startled inside the trailer.

Mandy explained that one of the worst pranks on set was when they shot a webisode called Sleeping Lions,  where she drew on Matt’s face, and he comes out afterward and yells at her. He messed with her and kissed her on the cheek when she was sleeping, and then she turned around and wrote on his face. He came out of the bathroom after seeing it, and you could barely see it because it was moving so fast, but he’s holding shaving cream, and it is supposed to imply that he sprays it on her, but they cut before he actually sprayed it. On the final take, they told him to go for it. They didn’t tell her and she screamed.  When he sprayed it, it went in her mouth, down her throat, and she started dry heaving. Mandy said, “That was the worst prank, I think, and the funniest.”

Mandy explained how she and Gabby had to eat cold Chinese food, and how they were supposed to pretend it was good, but it wasn’t. It was cold and limp and tasted like onion and garlic. She said that if you watch the scene again, you will see that they are fighting over who is feeding who because, neither one of them wanted to eat it, all the while, pretending that it was romantic. They couldn’t stop laughing, because of how gross it was.

After that I told them that the show is now on Logo’s website which they didn’t know. We all agreed that the show should be more widely distributed because it could help so many fans, old and new. There are hundreds and hundreds of great stories of how South of Nowhere has helped people or even saved their lives, far more than any of the actors and actresses have expressed in their interviews. Sadly, they don’t get to hear from most fans’stories, but they were very glad to hear that they helped many fans through a difficult time in their lives. Hearing and knowing that helps them get through their own rough patches.

Some watched SON because it was unique and they were tired of watching the same stuff with a different name. Others watched because they saw characters they could identify with. Perhaps watching it with friends or family helped them understand and accept you for who you are. For those who had been pushed to the brink of suicide due to the discriminatory nature of homophobia in societies across the world, maybe seeing the show helped you realize life is worth living. Whatever the reason, it’s undeniable that South of Nowhere made, and is still making, a positive impact on all who’ve seen it. Imagine the possibilities if it could reach more people.

This interview is part of a series of interviews.