*Peacock’s latest venture “In the Know,” is a unique addition to the ever-expanding world of animated series!
Created by Mike Judge of “Beavis and Butt-Head” and “Silicon Valley” fame, the show takes a humorous look behind the scenes of an NPR show hosted by the third most popular host, Lauren Caspian, who also happens to be a stop-motion puppet. Each episode offers a glimpse into the making of Lauren’s show, featuring in-depth interviews with real-world human guests, including notable figures like former heavy-weight champ Mike Tyson and comedian and actress Nicole Byer. What sets this series apart is its cast of puppet characters who, like Lauren, are well-meaning but delightfully hypocritical nimrods.
The ensemble cast includes J. Smith-Cameron (“Succession”) and Carl Tart (“Grand Crew”). In a recent interview with EUR, Smith-Cameron, who voices Barb, the co-executive producer of “In The Know,” shared insights into her approach to animated acting. As an experienced actor, Smith-Cameron doesn’t see much difference between film, TV, and animated acting. She emphasizes the importance of getting lost in the character and the story,
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“As I get older and more experienced, I think film acting, TV acting, animated acting, theatre acting as being the same…there are differences, of course, but it’s not always helpful to think about them,” she shared. “It’s better to try to get lost in the character get lost in the story. And in this case, the way it was developed, they really took our whole performance in the booth into consideration when they were making the puppetry. And so it was a little bit like being in a play; it’s the same like you’re trying to be truthful.”
“And as Carl said, ‘what’s funny in comedy is how real it is like, there’s another thing that’s not different to me anymore. It’s comedy and drama. They both have to be truthful.’ That’s where the good stuff comes from,” said Smith-Cameron.
Tart, who voices the sound engineer, shed light on the workplace comedy aspect of the show.
“The character, floats in a world where he doesn’t quite fit in, yet he embraces the quirks and absurdities around him,” explained Tart. He also mentioned that both his character and Barb serve as voices of reason in the workplace, adding an extra layer of humor to the series.
The creators considered the actors’ performances in the booth when crafting the puppetry, making the process collaborative and unique. According to Smith-Cameron, personal traits were subtly incorporated into the characters, enhancing the authenticity of the performances.
The freedom of puppetry and animation allowed Tart to bring honesty and a sense of play to his character. Coming from an improv background. “Playing with honesty makes comedy more genuine and relatable,” said Tart.
All eight “In the Know” episodes will be available to stream on Peacock starting January 25.
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Listen to her live, weeknights 9 PM-Midnight on KBLA Talk 1580. You can follow her on all social media @StilettoJill or check out JillMunroe.com
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