Rob McElhenney talks Mythic Quest: Quarantine (Interview)

Rob McElhenney spoke to The Natural Aristocrat about the production of the highly culturally relevant Mythic Quest: Quarantine, the future of Hollywood, shooting on iPhones and more.

This interview contains spoilers for Mythic Quest: Quarantine. It was conducted this past Wednesday, May 20th fittingly online during a journalist roundtable press day.

Rob McElhenney described the challenges of making Mythic Quest: Quarantine come alive on Apple TV+’s streaming platform to The Natural Aristocrat. The episode’s cast all shot their parts individually from home on their iPhones… Perhaps, an omen for the future of Hollywood for the next year or more. McElhenney detailed how one scene where his Mythic Quest character Ian visits a lonely, quarantine shellshocked Poppy was actually the actress’ real-life husband.

McElhenney on his unlikely body double:

“I left for one particular scene where I was walking outside. But then I just walked right back onto my property and walked into my garage. The person on the other end of that particular exchange is not me. That’s a body double, and that body double is Charlotte’s real life husband, Bayden.

Bayden [Hine], who is not an actor by the way. And he suddenly forgot how to stand like a human being. (laughs) So he could hear me because he we were all communicating through these earbuds and I was saying, “Okay, Bayden you know just stand there.” All of a sudden he forgot to do what you’re supposed to do with your arms when you stand as a human being. Standing! And he just started to like kind of raise up in like this robotic way.

I was like, “Bayden, Bayden, stop, just stand!” (laughs) The poor guy was such a trooper because he’s not an actor and has no experience doing this, and all of a sudden he’s not only acting, he’s pretending to be me. He’s a 6 foot 2, 200 pound Australian man and I am not. And he’s got me in his ear telling him how to stand!”

Rob McElhenney Interview with The Natural Aristocrat:

The Natural Aristocrat [Nir Regev]: When I was watching Mythic Quest: Quarantine, all I could think was if this is the future of Hollywood… If shows for at least the next year, maybe even past that, are all going to be recorded from the actor’s homes. Do you feel that’s what’s going to happen?

Rob McElhenney: I hope that this is not the future of Hollywood. I hope that we can be back together working again on these soundstages. But I just don’t know. And I think anybody that pretends to know is not paying attention. So you know from my perspective, I always want to come up with a plan and be ready for the worst and best case scenarios.

But at the same time, I think we have to be respectful of what the situation is, the experts, and the people out there who do this for a living. And as a television writer, I am not one of those people. I respect science and I respect scientists, and I’m going to listen to them.

Rob McElhenney as Ian on Mythic Quest: Quarantine – Photo Credit: Patrick McElhenney via Apple TV+

I feel with this episode that you were ahead of the game. I did notice the camera footage was still professional level quality despite the webcams.

Well, first of all, I appreciate that! Thank you. Yeah, the truth of the matter is we shot everything on the iPhone. At the risk of sounding like a commercial for Apple, we could not have done it without the technology of that company and those phones. And this is not hyperbolic to say, this is the truth. The camera in the most recent iPhone is better than the camera we shot Sunny Season 10 on.

It collects more information than we were able to do in Sunny Season 11, as well. So, the ability for us to do this is both, technologically based but also just simple human ingenuity. Sticktoitiveness and desire to want make something great… Under not so ideal circumstances.

I was excited to see the final scene with all the contraptions set up and the webcam boxes… I felt it was partially spoiled for me personally with the zoom ins. I was wondering if there is going to be an unedited version released where you just see it straight through?

It’s funny that you should say that because Craig Mazin (Creator of HBO’s Chernobyl & Lou on Mythic Quest) had the same exact reaction you did! I sent an early cut to Craig because I always check in with him because he’s really smart and understands what we’re going toward.

I said, “Well you’re crazy!” Both of you guys are crazy because you’re wrong. Trust me this is the way, it’s gonna be better this way emotionally. He said, “Yes I understand but trust me the way that my brain works is different than the way that your brain works. I’m telling you it’s gonna be more satisfying to just see this thing operate all the way through without cutting into each individual box.”

He said, “What you have to do is cut a version of that together and then release it after you release the episode.” So sure enough, I did that. I have it. It’s ready to go. And for people whose minds work the way that yours works and Mazin’s works you’re gonna get what you ask for. (laughs) And it really truly is pretty cool.

Thanks Rob!

Thank you!

Rob McElhenney as Ian on Mythic Quest: Quarantine – Photo Credit: Apple TV+

Be sure to check out The Natural Aristocrat’s interviews with Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet’s Charlotte Nicdao on portraying Poppy and F. Murray Abraham on C.W. Longbottom’s backstory.

Watch Mythic Quest Quarantine now on Apple TV+. A free 7-day trial is available for non-subscribers.