Practically 15 years after Ugly Betty went off the air, Michael Urie and Becki Newton are giving the present the podcast remedy… once more.
The pair lately reminded Deadline they had been early adopters of the rewatch development, recapping the ABC sitcom with a “pioneering podcast” throughout its unique four-season run from 2006 to 2010, earlier than launching their new Nonetheless Ugly podcast later this month.
“We talked about each single episode,” recalled Urie. “So, this was inevitable. After which as we’ve gone to the forged to ask them to come back be on it, we’re like, ‘We’re, as you may think, doing one other podcast.’ It simply feels so prefer it simply looks like driving a motorbike being collectively once more.”
Developed by Silvio Horta as a U.S. adaptation of the Colombian telenovela, Ugly Betty adopted the awkward titular author Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) as she takes a job because the assistant to Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius), editor-in-chief of the snobbish Mode trend journal.
Urie and Newton shined as Marc St. James and Amanda Tanen, two bitchy assistants who bond over their love of trend, superstar and teasing Betty, offering loads of hilarious quips via the years. However that bond was unwritten, because the pair was a contented accident for Horta.
Becki Newton and Michael Urie in ‘Ugly Betty’ (Patrick Harbron/ABC/Courtesy Everett Assortment)
“There was no plan for Marc and Amanda to be a duo,” Urie famous. “And it wasn’t till it was like Episode 3 or 4 the place Becki and I had a like a three-line change in a scene. There was similar to a facet change, not an vital a part of the scene in any respect, and we turned it into like a 10-line change, and a producer clocked it and stated, ‘OK, these two, that is one thing. Let’s hold going again to this effectively.’”
Years later, Urie and Newton’s careers have taken them to completely different exhibits. However it was really their respective present runs on the Apple TV+ sequence Shrinking and Netflix’s Lincoln Lawyer that allowed the podcast to occur.
“I’m grateful that each one these years later, Michael and I — by the way in which, are each taking part in legal professionals on TV. Who would have seen Amanda turning right into a lawyer? — however that we nonetheless someway collectively are on this loopy trip of showbiz,” stated Newton. “And I discover that fairly nice that we nonetheless get to snort about it and revel in it and name one another with humorous set tales.”
Newton joined us in between digicam assessments for Season 4 of Lincoln Lawyer. In the meantime, Urie Zoomed in from the consolation of his New York residence whereas getting ready to return for Season 3 of Shrinking subsequent week.
Learn on about Michael Urie and Becki Newton’s reminiscences from the set of Ugly Betty, in addition to particulars from their upcoming rewatch podcast Nonetheless Ugly.
DEADLINE: Ugly Betty is low-key the rationale I wished to turn into a author, so it’s cool to be sitting right here speaking to you as a result of Marc and Amanda had been just like the bitchy homosexual and funky imply lady that I’d by no means had in life.
MICHAEL URIE: Come on! We hear this on a regular basis and it’s at all times particular. And the rationale that we’re doing this podcast is as a result of the the present nonetheless is so significant to individuals, and younger individuals. … however then, we meet people who find themselves positively too younger to have watched the present when it was on, and so they’ve found it on Netflix or their mother and father have confirmed it to them or no matter. And it’s ringing true, and it’s significant to love a brand new technology of individuals. Each time a very younger particular person says they love the present, I believe you, “You imply you weren’t thrown off by flip telephones? That didn’t trouble you?” However It nonetheless works.
BECKI NEWTON: It’s candy. To your level although, one factor that I’ve heard time and again is individuals say, Marc and Amanda, they really feel so deeply related to this friendship. These two, everybody wished they’d a good friend, like for Amanda, who was imply and possibly misunderstood, she had Marc, who beloved her a lot. And conversely, Marc with all of his faults, every little thing about Marc, Amanda embraced. And I believe there was one thing about how a lot these characters beloved one another and watched out for one another and related and simply merely wanted one another, that’s one thing that I believe has resonated with individuals, even all these years later. Not solely do individuals need to hear about, after they discuss to me, about Marc and Amanda, they need to speak about Michael and Becki. And so they need to know that in actual life, we’re associates. So, I inform them that he’s certainly one of my finest associates, he’s the godfather of my one youngster, however principally all my youngsters love him a lot, that it warms their coronary heart to know that that connection that they might really feel was very actual. And it was actual for us as effectively.
Vanessa Williams and Michael Urie in ‘Ugly Betty’ (John Clifford/ABC/Courtesy Everett Assortment)
DEADLINE: So are you able to inform me your first reminiscences of like auditioning for these characters? Did they put you collectively at first to be sure you had that chemistry?
URIE: No, our chemistry is what introduced Marc and Amanda collectively within the present. As a result of they’d write us collectively often, however we weren’t meant to be — I imply, my character wasn’t even meant to be in Episode 2. I used to be solely imagined to be within the pilot, and Vanessa [Williams] was gonna have a brand new assistant each episode as a result of she was such a demanding boss. However fortunately, as a result of she and I had been good collectively, and she or he was beneficiant sufficient to let me go nuts with my function, whereas she may have been like, “Settle down, Mary, and get out of my shot,” she was as a substitute like, “Stand near be within the shot.” And so I used to be within the pilot greater than I ought to have been, and by the top of the pilot shoot, they put me within the forged photograph. So, there was no plan for Marc and Amanda to be a duo, and it wasn’t till it was like Episode 3 or 4 the place Becki and I had a like a three-line change in a scene. There was similar to a facet change, not an vital a part of the scene in any respect, and we turned it into like a 10-line change, and a producer clocked it and stated, “OK, these two, that is one thing. Let’s hold going again to this effectively.” And so no, I wasn’t even actually conscious of the character of Amanda after I auditioned. I used to be only a toadie, a lackey — I had a few auditions in New York, and It was the scene the place I’m injecting Botox into Wilhelmina’s head.
NEWTON: I bear in mind the breakdown [for Amanda] referenced “supermodel, about 6? one thing, bitchy supermodel trend lady,” and I’m 5’3. I learn the script and immediately I assumed, that is the funniest factor I’ve ever learn, and I assumed, effectively, no person’s gonna purchase that I’m a supermodel, however wouldn’t it’s humorous to play nearly like — I believe I used to have a Jack Russell terrier canine who thought he was means larger than he really was — and I assumed, wouldn’t it’s actually humorous to play somebody who’s overcompensating and thinks she’s a supermodel? In order that was type of how I went in to audition as this lady that had no proper to have that perspective, however I used to be like, “Yeah, I’m a supermodel.” And there’s one thing immediately that I latched on to in regards to the overcompensating that Amanda is doing always. She’s strolling an excessive amount of, she’s carrying an excessive amount of. Every thing’s simply an excessive amount of, and I immediately understood that that was a part of her desperately attempting to slot in. And there was this type of typical Mode lady, however I don’t suppose Amanda was. I believe she really was simply attempting so very arduous, and that explains quite a lot of the conduct, the imply lady conduct, the bullying. She simply was attempting tougher than anybody to slot in. And in my audition, I learn for Sylvio, it was the scene, “Are you the earlier than? The earlier than and after the photograph shoot? Are you delivering one thing?” All of that. And I did my audition, and I obtained a name a number of days later to please come again and sound much less like a Valley lady. I didn’t know actually what that meant, and I used to be attempting to determine, I used to be like, “I didn’t even suppose I gave the impression of a Valley lady, however OK.” After which I imagine that I used to be supposed to return for an additional audition and so they canceled it. And I assumed, meaning I didn’t get the half. I assume I sound an excessive amount of like a Valley lady. After which I obtained a name that they wished me to come back display take a look at in opposition to another person. And at that time, I knew in my coronary heart, I’ve to get this. I beloved the mission a lot. I beloved the half already, and my tackle it actually was somebody who was desperately overcompensating. And the place that leads into Marc and Amanda, I believe when somebody is that insecure, and so they discover a good friend that they will latch onto, they latch. And I believe when Amanda discovered Marc, and when Becki discovered Michael, I discovered a soulmate. Somebody who, aside from all that overcompensating and all that, they genuinely understood one another, related with one another and made one another really feel much less alone, and I believe that was actually apparent. I believe Michael and I, individually, had been simply so new to being on TV, by no means thoughts being at award exhibits. We might go to award exhibits in matching outfits. We had been so completely satisfied to have a good friend to undergo all of this with, and I believe that was each our characters and us personally. And I believe Amanda stayed on the present due to her friendship with Marc. He noticed her as extra of a human. Marc may snort at Amanda and abruptly it’s like, “Oh, it’s humorous, versus simply type of icky or imply.” And everybody wants a good friend regardless of who you’re, and that actually is what sort of led us to this podcast. It makes everybody really feel much less lonely when even Marc and Amanda have actually good associates.
URIE: We’ve each had numerous jobs since Ugly Betty and I’ve had different work wives or work husbands, you realize, individuals that you just work with that turn into your number-one particular person at work, however I’ve by no means had one other work soulmate.
NEWTON: Michael, you’re my soulmate for positive.
URIE: And all these years, we’ve tried to work collectively, we’ve labored collectively, we did a musical collectively, we did a cabaret collectively, we tried to do a pilot, it didn’t shoot as a result of the pandemic. We’ve accomplished so many issues collectively over time that this felt type of inevitable. And once we did the primary run of the present, once we did the present, we had a pioneering podcast that we hosted, the place we talked about each single episode. So, this was inevitable. After which as we’ve gone to the forged to ask them to come back be on it, we’re like, “We’re, as you may think, doing one other podcast.” It simply feels so prefer it simply looks like driving a motorbike being collectively once more.
NEWTON: And I believe in all of these tasks that we’ve explored, we type of simply need to hang around with one another. I believe that’s actually what it was, like, “How can we spend time collectively at work once more?” And the expertise of doing this podcast and going to work day-after-day and seeing Michael Urie, that’s what I’ve been lacking in life. It doesn’t ever really feel like work after I’m sitting with Michael wherever, and nothing’s ever boring after I’m sitting with Michael wherever. So, I’m actually grateful for this time that Michael and I’ve been in a position to put aside collectively on this context.
DEADLINE: Aw, that’s candy. Do you’ve gotten any particular episode or possibly a visitor star that you just’re trying ahead to revisiting on the podcast?
URIE: Effectively, what’s fascinating is the primary a number of episodes, we’ve solely accomplished a handful to this point, and people from the early days had been so vivid. These reminiscences are so vivid as a result of we had been so younger, we had been so recent, we’d by no means been on TV earlier than, we’re watching issues over and over. And so I bear in mind them actually, actually vividly. And I don’t know the way lengthy that’s gonna final. I don’t know at what level it turned extra of an informal factor. So, I believe ultimately there’s gonna be some surprises. And I’m actually trying ahead to that. I’m trying ahead to turning on an episode and never instantly saying, “Oh yeah, that is the one the place I did this and I did that, and I wore plaid and I had that and this ascot and that blah blah blah.” So, we’ve interviewed America and Eric Mabius and Tony Plana and Chris Gorham. So ,there’s lots of people we’ve but to interview, and we intend to interview all of them. So that’s gonna be actually thrilling. I believe the factor I’m most excited for is what I don’t bear in mind, the surprises. I can’t wait to see the issues that we did, that we had been crucial second in our life then, that I’ve forgotten about. We now have these three segments on each episode. One is, “When did you cry?” One is, “What’s your favourite look of the episode?” And one is, “What did Ana Ortiz do that episode that was sensible?”
NEWTON: And Ana Ortiz may be very arduous as a result of she’s a genius on a regular basis.
Michael Urie, America Ferrera and Becki Newton in ‘Ugly Betty’ (Karen Neal/ABC/Courtesy Everett Assortment)
DEADLINE: I do know you most likely get requested this on a regular basis, however what’s the speak about a revival or a reboot? After the present ended, I wished there to be a by-product with Justin working at Mode, however that by no means occurred sadly.
URIE: We had spinoff concepts. We had quite a lot of — we wished to do Mode UK, we wished to do the the The Becky and Michael Present, we had quite a lot of concepts. And so this podcast, it’s so significant to return and revisit these episodes, and we’re so fortunate that we’ve this report. It’s such a privilege to have the ability to return and see 4 years of your life that’s completely maintained on this lovely little bow. And so it’s very nice to try this, and it’s actually lovely to reconnect with followers and reconnect with the forged members. However yeah, we need to do a reboot. Yeah, we need to do one other.
NEWTON: Everybody says that each time. It’s like, when are we gonna do reboot? We’re like, I don’t know, however we should do it. I believe all of us need to. All of us beloved it, and I don’t suppose there’s any forged member that will say, “No, I don’t really feel like doing that.” All of us had an incredible expertise. So who is aware of the place the highway will lead? However I believe there’s a lot extra to debate with these characters, and it might be a lot enjoyable to see the place they ended up of their lives.
DEADLINE: That’s just about all I had about Ugly Betty, however is there something you wished to tease about Lincoln Lawyer or Shrinking?
NEWTON: I really feel so fortunate that each one these years later I’m nonetheless on TV, and I’m nonetheless speaking to Michael. So, one factor Michael and I’ve had in frequent ever since this journey started is we love what we do. We discover nice pleasure in it, and we’re nonetheless so fortunate each time we get to stroll on a set. So, I’m grateful that each one these years later, Michael and I, by the way in which, are each taking part in legal professionals on TV. Who would have seen Amanda turning right into a lawyer? However that we nonetheless someway collectively are on this loopy trip of showbiz, and I discover that fairly nice that we nonetheless get to snort about it and revel in it and name one another with humorous set tales. It’s fairly wonderful.
URIE: Or that we’re taking pictures in the identical metropolis on the similar time, which is nice.
NEWTON: And that it’s taken this a few years for that to occur. That’s the craziest half.
URIE: Yeah, that’s true. And that’s type of how this podcast was in a position to work, was that we’re in the identical place on the similar time with the identical breaks. So, we’re very fortunate and really grateful for that. We’re beginning Season 3 very quickly, subsequent week, of Shrinking. And so they’ve simply began Lincoln Lawyer this week, so we’re on precisely the identical schedule. And I’ve solely seen just a little little bit of Shrinking, the brand new season, and it’s superb. I make it some extent to not attempt to guess what they’re gonna do, as a result of it’s at all times means higher than what I assume. And I’m very fortunate to have this large break in TV, and on the similar time to be exploring our first large breaks… re-exploring.
