Entertainment Spotlight: Nicholas Coombe, 68 Whiskey

A fresh new face in the entertainment industry, actor Nicholas Coombe has quickly become one to watch. You can catch Nicholas starring in Ron Howard’s highly anticipated comedic drama series 68 Whiskey for Paramount Network. In 2019, Nicholas starred in the live-action feature film Dora and the Lost City of Gold. When not on set, you can find Nicholas in the studio creating new music with his band The Beanie Kids. Nicholas took some time to answer our hard hitting questions. Check it out:

Did you do any training to prepare for your role in 68 Whiskey?

I did! I watched as many films, shows and documentaries as I could about the U.S. army and 68 Whiskey medics. We also had some basic training and technical advisors on set that would guide us through the scenes and how to correctly perform each specific task.

Do you have any secret skills or talents?

I can disco like nobody else. Throw on some Earth, Wind & Fire, and my booty will be shaking so much you think there’s an earthquake.

What type of scripts and characters are you drawn to?

True stories. I’m fascinated with history. So, anything that’s within that realm I get excited about. There are so many insane true stories out there to be told! Truth is stranger than fiction my friends.

How would you describe the character that you play in 68 Whiskey? 

Private Anthony Petrocelli is a fresh-faced, gullible 17-year-old who looks 16 and acts like he’s 15. He is genuine and naïve and wants to be the best soldier he can be.

If 68 Whiskey was a musical, what would your character’s big number be called and what would the song be about?

It would be called “Boz is the G.O.A.T” and the song would be about Petrocelli wishing Boz were a human so that they could go on adventures together. Petrocelli would be tap dancing and Boz the goat would be tapping along with his cloven hooves. This picture below is a good representation of how it would look:

What inspires your sound in The Beanie Kids?

I love indie rock music. I’ve listened to tons of music growing up but a few bands that I’ve always stuck by are The Wombats & Paramore. I love the full band aspect and the raw vocals they have.

Can you take us through a typical day on the set of 68 Whiskey?

4:50 AM – Wake Up

5:30 AM – Drive to work

6:30 AM – Hair and Make-Up (Whist eating a breakfast sandwich)

7:00 AM – Rehearse and block the first scene of the day

7:01 AM – I need coffee (I’m not a morning person)

8 AM – I need coffee (Still not a morning person)

9 AM – I think I’m addicted to coffee (Officially not a morning person)

Rinse and repeat until 6 PM

6:30 PM – Drive home and listen to Stuff You Should Know podcast (It’s so good!!)

Do you have a dream role that you’d like to play one day?

It’d be a dream come true to be part of an epic franchise. Something like Star Wars or Lord of The Rings. I’m down. I’ll play an elf with luscious locks. Or Jabba the Hutt. Let me know, and I’ll be there.

What’s the funniest photo that you have on your phone (either share or describe it)?

The new iPhone 11 Pro has the super wide angled lens! If you put it really close to your nose it looks ridiculous. You basically have a 2-D head. It’s definitely something worth exploring hahaha.

What’s next for you?

Working away on The Beanie Kids EP release! And some other sneaky projects that will be announced soon!

Thanks for taking the time, Nicholas! Catch 68 Whiskey on Wednesdays at 10pm on the Paramount Network. 

Entertainment Spotlight: Andy Allo, Upload

Actress and singer Andy Allo will be coming to screens in May as a customer service rep for the digital afterlife in the new series, Upload. You might recognize Andy from Chicago Fire or Pitch Perfect 3, or indeed from The Hero, starring Sam Elliot, Black Lightning, and The Game. Musically, she collaborated with Prince on her album, Superconductor, and has worked with the legend’s New Power Generation as a singer and guitarist. She has performed on Jimmy Kimmel, Guitar Center Sessions, Billboard Sessions Exclusive, and most recently completed a short run with Enrique Iglesias. We sat down with Andy to ask our burning questions about the vision of the afterlife that Upload brings to life.

What drew you to the role of Nora in Upload? 

Nora is such a layered, complicated character but who at her core, cares deeply about the people in her life. That’s something I completely relate to. She has such a big heart.

If you could design your afterlife experience, what would it look like? 

It’d look like the Hawaii. I went to Maui last year for the first time and it was life changing. Hiking, beaches, great food, amazing people.

Without any spoilers, what scene, moment, or choice from the show are you most excited for audiences to experience? 

Wow there’s so many but if I had to choose, I’d say I’m most excited for audiences to see the Upload process.

If your life were a musical, what would be the theme song?

 Ooo, this is hard! I feel like I’ve had different theme songs for different chapters of my life but one theme song I always come back to is “Bad Mama Jama” by Carl Carlton

What song(s) are you currently playing on repeat? 

Kacey Musgraves ‘Butterflies’ and DVSN 'Mood’

Name three things you couldn’t be without. 

Chapstick, my guitar and as much as I wish this weren’t true, my phone. Especially now while isolating, it’s how I stay connected to my friends and family.

What was it like working with Prince on your album Superconductor? 

Working with Prince was unreal. I look back on it now and I still can’t believe it.

What was the audition experience like for the show? 

It happened pretty quickly. From my first audition to booking the role was about 10 days.  My call back with Greg was one of the most fun auditions I’ve done. He kept printing out new scenes for me to do and we just played.

Upload is a comedy by Greg Daniels of The Office fame. Were there any funny moments on set (that were mockumentary-worthy)? 

My amazing co-star, Robbie Amell, would always order this turkey sandwich that we ended up calling the Robbie Special. At first I would make fun of him but then one day I tried it and it was delicious! So I started ordering one along with him every day and we’d be sitting there eating our Robbie Special sandwiches together. It was hilarious. Oh! One more. There was one day that I got done working early so I went into the hair trailer and started trying on the other casts wigs and then walking on set trying to distract everyone. That was fun.

You act and sing. What is it that you like about these different creative outlets, and what different roles do they play in your life? 

Music for me is so personal and allows me to share my feelings and stories through song. It’s like therapy. Whereas acting allows me to take a break from myself in a way and explore a different character.  There’s pieces of me in it but I’m challenging myself to embody another person, give them a voice and tell their story. They are both incredibly satisfying and freeing.

Thanks for taking the time, Andy!

Entertainment Spotlight: Laura Dreyfuss

Laura Dreyfuss may be know for her lead role as Zoe in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, Madison McCarthy on Glee and McAfee Westbrook on the Netflix series, The Politician, but she’s also working on her career as a solo music artist and we’re all here for it. Laura took the time to answer some of our questions about herself and her experiences. Check out what she had to say. 

What inspires your sound?

I love making music I can dance to and I love writing things that are very specific to my experience.

Dream collaboration(s)?

Kacey Musgraves!

Favorite part of working with Ben Platt?

He has such a good heart and we always keep each other laughing.

Can you describe your experience at the Golden Globes? Any favorite moments?

It was wild! It felt like such a celebratory night and I met so many people I admire. Getting to dance at the end of the night with my cast was so much fun.

From Glee to Dear Evan Hansen to The Politician, is there a specific moment that you consider the highlight of your career up to now?

Getting to work with such amazing artists is what is so mind blowing. I feel so fortunate to get to do what I love and work with people that inspire me so much.

You recently released “Better Drugs" - can we look forward to more solo music from you?

Yes! Coming soon :)

Lighting round! Describe each of the following in one word: Who you are, what you value the most, and what you’d be if you were a food item.

• Who you are: Human
• What you value the most: Relationships
• What you’d be if you were a food item: A gummy

Check out Laura’s latest single, Better Drugs, available everywhere now, and stay tuned for more in 2020!

Entertainment Spotlight: Miriam A. Hyman, The Chi

From bringing characters to life on screen and stage to writing and recording hip-hop lyrics, Miriam A. Hyman has many talents. She can currently be seen in season three of The Chi, where she plays Dre, who is newly married to Nina, and a new step-mom to Kevin (Alex Hibbert) and Kiesha (Birgundi Baker). She played Bolingbroke in The Public Theater’s and WNYC’s production of Richard II. Originally scheduled to begin the 2020 Free Shakespeare in the Park season, Richard II broadcasted on WNYC as a free four-part radio play from July 13-16, 2020. When she isn’t on set, Miriam is a songwriter and hip-hop lyricist, recording under the moniker Robyn Hood. She also writes for others, is a ghostwriter for former Yale grad classmate Lupita Nyong’ o, and co-wrote the single Melanin by Ciara (featuring Nyong’ o, Ester Dean, City Girls, and fellow The Chi cast-mate La La Anthony). 

Your character Dre is a queer Black woman, a supportive partner to Nina, and a new parent to Kevin and Kiesha. Why do you think it is important to bring visibility to characters like Dre? 

Because art should mirror life, the  Dres of the world actually exist and they matter.  I think it’s imperative that we offer options and variety as it pertains to family and love. All races, ethnicities can I identify with family and love so why should it only look one way? It can’t, not any more. The level of toleration for this type of exclusion has reached it max.

You’re also a songwriter and hip-hop lyricist, and recently released your EP, Alter Ego. How would you describe your music, and what does music give you that acting doesn’t? 

I have an acronym for it and I apply it to all my life professionally and privately. I describe it as being H.O.T.: honest, open and truthful. I think my lyrics are raw, fun and thought provoking. What my music gives me that acting does not is the full liberty to express what I want how I want. It doesn’t have to be censored in anyway. It can be as creative or not as I choose. With acting, I lack full autonomy as it pertains to the text and character, what I’m saying and who I’m playing. The only way I have the ultimate say is if I’m in the writer’s seat. Being a lyricist gives me that opportunity and privilege.

You are an outspoken advocate in the Black Lives Matter movement. How do you embody the mission of #BlackExcellence365 in your everyday work, on or off-camera? 

#BlackExcellence365: I feel I embody the mission by being a consistent force of positive energy. Through my music and through the characters I portray on TV, film or theater, be it an August Wilson play or Shakespeare, I will always do my part to exhibit black excellence. I will continue to uplift, challenge and inspire via my actions, my lyrics, my contributions in my community. I will march, make donations, speak up on behalf of myself and others that are underrepresented. I say it in my song “Brotha George,” the last track on my EP, Alter Ego: “my existence is resistance.” I embody black excellence by just being.

What would you change about the experience of the entertainment industry for young Black actors just starting out? 

Well, for starters, I would raise the level of access that is offered to young black actors. I would make casting fair and create more opportunities i.e. roles on and off camera. I would diversify the reps that speak on behalf and pitch this talent. I would give these artists more of a choice which translates to having more of a voice. Lastly, I would level out the playing field so racially, balance always exists amongst these artist and the rooms they are learning to navigate.

What are you most excited about right now? 

I’m most excited about the change that is coming about in our country and globally. I’m grateful that the discussion of systematic racism is on the lips, hearts and minds of many. I’m believing in revolutionary optimism as we tear down the many prejudices that have plagued this country.

Thanks for taking the time, Miriam! Catch The Chi on Showtime on Sundays at 9pm.

Photo: The Rikers Brothers