If you haven’t seen The Big Door Prize, you may not expect actors Chris O’Dowd and Josh Segarra to form one of the most charming comedy parings of our time. But it makes sense, considering both are equally adept at comedy and drama. Josh Segarra is known for his hunky, sweetly naive roles in Trainwreck, The Other Two, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but also his intense parts in Arrow and FBI. The actor of Puerto Rican descent seems miles away (literally and figuratively) from Chris O’Dowd, the soft-spoken and hilarious Irishman who can be comically adorable (The IT Crowd, Bridesmaids, Moone Boy) or unnervingly sad (Calvary, Of Mice and Men).
Together, though, the actors have an immediate scent of “just pure, raw sex,” as O’Dowd jokes. It’s truer than he thinks, though. Beginning as competitive rivals in the Apple TV+ series The Big Door Prize, Dusty (O’Dowd) and Giorgio (Segarra) traverse a great relationship arc once Dusty’s wife makes it abundantly clear that she is not romantically interested in Giorgio. With totally different personalities that nonetheless overlap in areas of kindness and loyalty, Dusty is the Yin to Giorgio’s Yang.
The delightful Apple TV+ series follows the citizens of Deerfield after a mysterious machine arrives in their general store, promising to reveal each of their lives’ full potential. The fantasy aspect is minimal, simply opening the door to the many unique characters of this small town in an existential and funny study of destiny, identity, and midlife crisis. Chris O’Dowd and Josh Segarra spoke with MovieWeb about the second season of The Big Door Prize, and you can watch the interview above to see their comedic chemistry in action.
Jellystone and Josh Segarra’s Smile
The Big Door Prize
4/5
- Release Date
- March 29, 2023
- Seasons
- 2
- Distributor
- Apple TV+
- Story By
- M.O. Walsh
- Showrunner
- David West Read
As you can see in the video and image above, Segarra and O’Dowd wear similar brown jackets. “Don’t we look like we could be in the background of Yellowstone right now?” laughed O’Dowd. “I was thinking that we could have our own show called Jellystone, where we’re running a sugar factory.” Watching Segarra laugh at O’Dowd’s jokes is almost as fun as the latter’s humor itself. Hollywood, please cast these two in a buddy cop comedy.
And speaking of Segarra’s laughter, the actor has one of the all-time great smiles, something he wields effectively in many of his great comedy roles (especially as Lance in The Other Two). “I have a lot of fun doing what I get to do. The most fun I have is when I play characters that are also having a lot of fun. So even if a smile may not work for that specific character, everybody’s a hero in their own story,” said Segarra, elaborating:
So Giorgio thinks that if he has the most fun, he can help everybody around him — and I, in every character, will try to find a way to have a good time. And when you’re having a good time, you’re smiling. I like having days at work like that. It’s the best way to work.
“Your smile timing is excellent though,” said O’Dowd. “I have noticed. Because you can overuse a weapon like that. But he keeps its sheath on. And when necessary, he de-sheaths.”
“Hell yeah,” added Segarra with a smile.
The Kindhearted Chemistry of Chris O’Dowd and Josh Segarra
Segarra was honest and heartwarming when discussing O’Dowd and their relationship, on and off set. “Man, I’ve been a fan of Chris’ for so long before this, so when this came along, I knew I just wanted to do a good job for him. And then I met him, and he does that for everybody else. He’s an incredible leader. He’s always prepared. He’s mad that I’m talking about him this way, but he is,” said Segarra, adding:
We just have a lot of respect for him
, and it’s really fun to work with somebody that you respect who’s talented as hell. And we just get to play, and we go to work and they write it for us. We get to have fun, and they write it for us! Easy breezy.
“Sorry, pal,” Segarra told O’Dowd with a smile.
Exclusive: Kyle Chandler, Weruche Opia, & Chris O’Dowd Discuss Netflix’s Slumberland
The cast talks about their roles in Netflix’s fantasy film, which streams on November 18.
The Big Door Prize’s Scratch-and-Sniff Season 3?
“I think everybody comes in with their own scent and aroma,” explained O’Dowd, “and I think ours together is just pure raw sex.” We all agreed that the third season of The Big Door Prize should be in Smell-O-Vision, a scratch-and-sniff rollercoaster of joy. “Maybe if this Vision Pro thing really takes off [for Apple] we’ll have a scratch-and-sniff Vision Pro,” laughed O’Dowd, scratching his head. “Why not?”
The second season of The Big Door Prize is a beautiful surprise that takes everything good about the first season and generously adds more complex emotions, philosophical ideas, humorous surprises, and touching insights into the human condition. Season two premieres globally with three episodes on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, followed by one new episode weekly through June 12, 2024 on Apple TV+. The Big Prize Door is currently streaming on Apple TV+ and you can catch up on the first season through the link below:
Watch The Big Door Prize
