Down in the Basement (ft. Elijah M. Cooper)

[00:00:00] Greetings Goosebumps fans, just to let you know this episode of Goosebumps Crew does contain spoilers for Goosebumps The Vanishing. If you have not seen the show yet, click off this episode and go watch the show real quick, then come back and watch the episode. The most thrilling, spiting, new series ever! From the pages of Ariel Stein's best-selling books, and the screens go on forever and ever. We now return to Goosebumps.

[00:01:19] Greetings Goosebumps fans, young and old, big and small, living dead and undead. Welcome back to the Goosebumps Crew podcast. As always, I am your host, Isaiah Vargas. I'm joined by my good buddies Bjorn Palnick and Nick Shaw. We are the Goosebumps Crew, and we're back as always to talk some Goosebumps. If this is your first time joining us here on the Goosebumps Crew, I want to sincerely welcome you all. If you are or have ever been a fan of the popular Goosebumps series of books or the monster franchise that those books spawned, I have a feeling this podcast is going to be right up your alley, because as I always say, me, Bjorn, and Nick are some of the biggest Goosebumps nerds on the entire planet.

[00:01:49] We could talk about Goosebumps for hours on end. That's exactly what we do here on this podcast. Every week we have a brand new episode talking about everything Goosebumps, whether it be the books, TV shows, movies, video games, merchandise, whatever it is. If that's Goosebumps in the name, we're going to talk about it so much that you are going to be sick of hearing of Goosebumps. With all of that said, if you end up liking today's episode, make sure you have a like and comment, subscribe to us on YouTube, follow us on our audio platforms to get those episodes a day early, and of course, follow us on social media. You can also follow Bjorn and Nick at Goosebumps, so I see fan and shallon respectively.

[00:02:18] All those links as always are in the description below, so check them out. Join the Goosebumps crew today, become a crew member. We thank you in advance as always for your support. So we're delving back into the world of Goosebumps, the vanishing, the newest chapter in the Disney Plus Goosebumps series that released back in January. Of course, we did our review on the new season, and a few weeks ago, we got to talk with an actress from the season, that being Galileo La Salvia. That was a great episode. Check that one out if you have not already.

[00:02:47] And today, we are sitting down with yet another actor from Goosebumps, the vanishing. Today, we're very happy to introduce Mr. Elijah Cooper, who played CJ in Goosebumps, the vanishing. Elijah, how are you doing today, man? I'm doing fantastic. How are you? Doing great. We're very glad to have you and talk some goosebumps with you because this new season has gotten quite the buzz, the hype around it, and it's gotten very popular. One thing I forgot to mention in our last episode covering the show

[00:03:17] is that it actually has a pretty good rating over on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes. It got number one on Disney Plus in the U.S., so it's been pretty, pretty popular, I would say. So we're very excited to talk with you. But before we get into Goosebumps, I do want to know, because you are an actor and you've done other projects besides Goosebumps, how did your acting career begin and what got you to this point? Yeah, so I mean, I'd love to talk about my journey in this way.

[00:03:45] Actually, with my hat here, I got LNA. This hat is called Atlangela. So I'm originally from Atlanta, now out here in Los Angeles, but I'm a Georgia boy through and through. And it was actually baseball. That was a dream. I wanted to be in the MLB. And so I was playing, but I got injured mid-season. And so that led me to being in an acting class. I have a sister. She's 17 months older than me. So I joined her along in that. And it kind of showed me this love that I never knew I had.

[00:04:15] And from there, I mean, the ball just kind of started rolling. It was a small movie here, a little short film there. And I made the move outside of Los Angeles to really keep moving the career forward. And now we're here. Wonderful. Absolutely. I'm always just fascinated in the journey of actors and how it can begin. Some people want to act from a young age, and some people just kind of materializes into that.

[00:04:42] So I'm always interested to find out sort of the journey. And as I mentioned, you know, we're humongous Goosebumps nerds. I mean, take a look at our background. I love it. I love it. Definitely. And I'm curious to know, were you a fan of Goosebumps growing up? Yeah. So with me being in Georgia, I was in public school with a very regular life. And so that meant Scholastic Boat Fair in public school. And so that is kind of where I found my first love of Goosebumps.

[00:05:11] And I think the cool thing for me is that, like, you know, a lot of the appeal for a lot of the kids is I can go in there and get toys and little trinkets or whatever. But I was really excited about the books. Like, I just, I love the material. I love the stories. I've always been a very creative person. And so this book series just, it really resonated with me and my imagination. And honestly, I will attribute it to, like, my journey of acting as well. You know, little outlets like that that showed myself that, like, you know,

[00:05:40] I really do love this world of fantasy and make believe that I want to create my own characters. You know, I'm really grateful for it. Absolutely. And then you, of course, ended up getting involved with the Goosebumps franchise in the form of this new season. And you got to play, as I said, the character CJ. CJ, he's sort of more of the comic relief, sort of. He's sort of the guy who's always trying to be funny. He's a delivery driver. He's also got a goal of his own.

[00:06:10] He wants to become a manager of his family's restaurant. And, of course, he gets wrapped up in all the supernatural, you know, shenanigans going around. So how did you get involved with this show? How did that come about? Yeah. So, I mean, I've been excited about the show since season one. I actually auditioned for season one. And so when season two came around, I was really excited about it. And what's funny is I actually originally read for the role of Devin.

[00:06:40] Right? And so, like, we had a lot of interesting stories. Stoney, who plays Trey, he read for the role of CJ originally, too. So, like, there was this really cool switch and move situation. But, yeah, I mean, once I read for CJ the first time, I was like, I'm in love with this character. I love how fun and crazy he is and how much of a ball of energy he is.

[00:07:05] But then I also love this aspect of, like, he has this really deep story of, like, finding himself and becoming and coming into, you know, figuring out that he is a leader. We see this, like, huge transition from the beginning of the series where, you know, honestly, he can't even trust himself to make deliveries on time to the end where he's, like, trying to lead this group through saving the city. Right? So, I would say, like, from the instant, from the get-go, when I read the script, when I had the audition, I was like, I'm here for it.

[00:07:34] That's very interesting. How funny would it be to, like, an alternate universe where you guys did get the roles that you initially read? I know, right? I wonder how that would go. That would be interesting. Yeah. I think, you know, our showrunners, Rob and Hiller, they did a fantastic job picking our cast. They put us together perfectly. And, you know, as people saw it, we made a lot of good magic on screen. Definitely. And actually, my next time I agree.

[00:08:02] That was actually one of the things I told Galilee, too. Like, I watched season one and openly admit, because we've had it on the podcast, talked about it a couple times, not my favorite. It kind of lost the essence of goosebumps in the story. It was a little bit scattered throughout the first season with some of the storylines. But it seems like this season they did a much better job with casting actors that actually really can play off each other and seem like they actually connect and know each other.

[00:08:30] Like, they've known each other forever. So it's really kind of cool that that aspect was really tight-knit because that played a big part into this season. I don't think this season would be as successful if it wasn't. What's that reliability aspect? You guys have some great chemistry. Like, you know, like season one, like, because Nick and I, yeah, we have similar opinions on that one. But season two, this was just, this was phenomenal.

[00:09:00] Like, binged the whole thing. My whole family binged the whole thing. And I was like, that's why this season is so good. You know what I mean? Yeah. You guys just, yeah, it really seemed like you guys have been friends for years. And it was just phenomenal. Really enjoyed it. Not even just on screen, but off screen. I mean, like, it just seems like you guys, and actually that leads into my next question, is just working alongside your co-stars. Because both on screen and off screen, you guys are just like, you seem like just the best of friends. You guys get along so well.

[00:09:30] But what was it like just getting to work with all your fellow co-stars? We'll start with, you know, the cast of teens. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think starting on the cast of teens, it was a really interesting story, right? So, so, Jaden Bartels, who plays Cece, her and I have actually been friends for a little while. So, that was awesome to have that connection in there already coming in. Because we moved to New York. Most of us were from L.A. Sam is from New York. And Francesca is also from New York as well.

[00:09:59] But the rest of us were all, you know, implants in the city. It's nerve-wracking. And this is my first time ever moving for a long time for a series. And so, I was trying to, you know, feel out and navigate the city on my own. But that was also the case for everybody else. And so, we really became this, like, tight-knit group who was kind of helping each other navigate through a new life all together, which bonded us really quickly. Because, you know, besides me and Jaden knowing each other, nobody else really had any type of relationship with everybody else.

[00:10:27] And I remember the first day that we all met each other, they threw us in a room and they were like, hey, guys, these are your new friends. And it wasn't just, like, on screen. But it was also, hey, in life. Like, when you're hanging out, you're going to Central Park together. You guys are, you know, doing whatever. And, like, we gelled so instantly. And that came across perfectly on screen. I mean, like, it really did show the level of connection. And I'm so, like, I don't know how in the world Robin and Hillary did it. But they just put this perfect group of people together.

[00:10:58] And then going off into, you know, also Mr. Davis Swimmer, right? Because that's going to be on campus, right? Right? Right. And that is the guy. So, I'll say, like, I was really, really nervous going into filming with him because he is the TV legend. I mean, he is Mr. Friends, right? So, I was like, okay, you know, I got to be on my A game. I was nervous. I was shaking. And I ended up encountering him before we had started filming. I was going to hair and makeup.

[00:11:27] And I saw him on the street. And I was like, oh, shoot, it's Davis Swimmer. He saw me. He was like, what's going on, baby? Like, what's happening? He came in. He backed me up. Like, he is just, he's such a good guy. And I think that's the main thing. All of these people in this cast, just to the core, are good people. Even Ana Ortiz, like, she is just incredible. She's like, she was my second mom out in New York. And she's originally from there, too. So, she was helping me navigate the city. Really just an amazing cast dynamic.

[00:11:55] I'm so happy that audiences, like, saw the great vibe that we had off street and on street as well. So, yeah, I was just happy it all worked out. Yeah, it was a real driving force behind this. It really was. Definitely. And, you know, it was so cool. I mean, you got to, you know, start in an episode yourself based off the girl who cried monster. The episode was the boy who cried monster. And that was a big episode where you did get to interact with David a lot. Yeah.

[00:12:25] And it led to some of my personal favorite moments in the whole show. Thank you. Just, like, being tied up in the basement. And then, like, just your reactions to sort of, like, just the weird happening. Like, whether it be, you know, the plants. Even, like, going into the sewer with Devin for the first time. It's just like, why are we down here? This is very illegal. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. You play the character so well that, like, you can be sort of, like, the laid back sort

[00:12:55] of person at one moment. But then, like, once things really start going south, it's just like, nope, I don't want to be here anymore. I'm out of here. You deal with it yourself. But especially in that moment in the basement with you and David, like, it's just hilarious because David's over here, you know, in a cup. And, like, you're just like, no. Like, come on, man. It's disgusting. But it was, oh, man. Like, the body holder in this season was just so good.

[00:13:24] I loved it. I might be some sort of sicko, but I loved it. No, and I'll even say, I'll even say behind the scenes. I'll give y'all a little look into it. So, you know, you would think it was all, like, CGI, all the black stuff. They actually gave David, like, a black toothpaste mix to help make it look realistic. And I was like, okay, yeah, I understand the gist of this. We got it. Oh, my God. It was so good.

[00:13:53] I kind of thought that, too. And, you know, when we talked to Galileo, the same thing kind of came up. We liked that a lot of it was practical effects. And one of the things I wasn't entirely sure of, she said, did confirm, though, that I was actually, like, it was dangling out there for it. So, I was like, that had to be easy to play off of. But, like you said, the basement scene, I don't know. Like, one minute, I want to laugh because of what you're doing. But it's also really creepy looking what David's doing. Yeah.

[00:14:23] Like, covering over you with the black mouth and the facial expression and stuff. That whole scene makes it tiring. I always talk about the thing that makes Goosebumps great in all platforms, the books, the old TV show, whatever it is, is the mix between horror and humor. That is the key element to Goosebumps. And I feel like that scene really exemplifies that because you have David being incredibly creepy and disturbing and all the body horror.

[00:14:52] But then CJ is sort of, like, the uplifting comedy because you're just, you're also kind of laughing at his reactions to all of what's going on. So, it's like, that is the perfect essence of Goosebumps right there. The balance, exactly. So, yeah, I just have to say, you know. Out of curiosity, in that scene, did you, like, how many takes did it take? Just because, like, I don't know.

[00:15:19] Like, if he's hovering over me doing that, I might crack up. Yeah. I mean, realistically, to try to keep the scared face, but I think it would be tough. There were 100% a lot of those moments. And I'll say, like, we didn't, you know, just do it from one angle. We had a bunch of different angles of this scene. And so, every single time, like, it was hard not to break. And here's the thing. It's because, like, David has this type of comedy where he's so serious and in the moment that it just makes you want to, like, crack up.

[00:15:49] Like, there's no way this is actually happening. And so, I think that if that helps you in terms of me bringing CJ to life, I could just in person be like, what is going on? Like, what is actually happening right now? And so, with that being tied up scene, too, like, they actually had me tied up in rope around the chair. Like, I had a good feeling of what it was like being in that situation.

[00:16:13] And so, with me hovering around him and then the chin tilt thing where I broke his finger back, like, all of that, it really did create this cool, like, adrenaline rush that played into the overall acting, the overall mood. And I think we all experienced that. You know, you have Jaden with this haunted train situation. You have Francesca with the haunted car.

[00:16:41] You got Trey turning into a monster. You got Devon. Like, everybody is encountering something. And they made it so practical in the moment that we were able to just, like, fully bring it to life. Even with Fort Totten. Fort Totten, legitimately, if you go there, it was actually scary. It was cold. It was dark. I learned that there were large spiders crawling around there. And so, it was like, this is ominous. This is scary. Like, you guys really brought it to life. Mm-hmm.

[00:17:09] Well, that's always the great thing when you can actually inject that real fear into your performance. Like, it helps move. It helps really sell that emotion on screen because I feel like audiences are smart enough to know when something is being phoned in. Exactly. Um, so you really, as an actor, got to be, like, on point with your emotions. If you're happy, if you're sad, if you're angry, if you're scared, like, it's very important to get that down.

[00:17:39] So, whether intentional or not, the fact that that did come across even in filming is very important. Yeah, absolutely. Now, um, I do want to ask, uh, going off of, you know, the comedy thing, uh, or even just horror in general. So, what was it like? This is your first, uh, project that you did that was horror related. Mm-hmm. Um, what is it like to kind of star in a horror feature like that? Yeah. So, I mean, for me, it was different.

[00:18:06] This is my first time ever doing horror anything. And so, I didn't know, like, I had my own anxiety around the situation, which I think also played into it. Um, but I had never done this, this, like, you know, acting to a random wall, green screen thing, using your imagination. Like, your imagination has to be on 10. You have to be visualizing everything. And so, like, behind the scenes, they'll show you cool 3D models of what stuff is supposed to look like.

[00:18:34] But when it comes to the practical thing, like, a lot of times, it's just, you got to figure out how to do it. Um, and so, I think for me, it was, it was a massive challenge, but it was one that I was really excited to take on. Because I think at the same time, like, it, it brings this level of adventure and, and fun and, you know, pushing the boundaries. Like, I, I really took in the challenge and I allowed myself to just feel the fear and let that fear translate into, into the performance.

[00:19:03] And I feel like it worked out pretty well. And I think, honestly, like, I want to continue in, in doing horror stuff as well. Like, this was an incredible introduction. I mean, it's goosebumps. It's a massive franchise. There's always crazy stuff going on. And so, I feel like this is really, like, the perfect start to my, my entire horror journey that I, that I have coming up here. Yeah. Definitely. It's, goosebumps is a great place to start in horror. Like, both in terms of acting and just in general, like, consuming the media.

[00:19:30] Um, it, it, it's something that a lot of people have grown up with. And, you know, now with this new show, you're introducing it to a whole new generation of people who may want to read into the books or like, see what else, like, uh, watch season one or like, you know what I mean? Like, so it's just, it's that it's the benefits of a long running franchise that you can just introduce it to all these different generations of kids. And some of those kids are now adults introducing it to their kids.

[00:19:58] So, uh, it's very important, but, um, yeah, just the horror genre is so fun. And so like, it's like a big sandbox in terms of a film genre. And I would certainly say if I was in the same shoes, I would just be like, please, I would love to do more horror related projects. Yeah, absolutely. And I got to say too, like it helped that I, I really love the franchise as a whole. Right. Like for me, you're talking about that introduction to the new generation.

[00:20:26] Like that's crazy to me knowing that I got my introduction when I was young and now I could possibly do somebody's introduction. Like that is, that's insane. That's humbling. And I'll even say like my mom, I mean, she loved the books when she was growing up. So like there is just, it shows you the, the staying power of this franchise, how much people really love these books and how much, how well built these stories are as well.

[00:20:50] Um, and so that made it like really easy to walk into this job knowing that every day I was coming into work, you know, I like, I like to say like, this isn't a, a, a got to job. This is a get to, right. I get to come in and have all this fun and, and, and, you know, do a bunch of crazy stunts and whore and all that different stuff. Like it was such an enjoyable experience. Absolutely. Did they let you do your own stunts? I know Galalia said that they, like, she didn't even get, they didn't let her even get carried over the shoulder.

[00:21:19] Like that. Yes. She was doing some crazy stuff. I like, I, I did do a little bit of my, no, we had some, some crazy stuff and some, some stunts that didn't even make it in the show. There were a couple of things that didn't make it in there. Um, that I was a little bit surprised about, but yeah, I mean, I, I definitely got to, to do a little bit of something. Um, a lot of like the, the running up the steps and in, in the basement and, you know, some of the, the chair falling and moving around.

[00:21:49] Like I was doing all that. So I got to be a part of, um, a part of the mix there. There was some stuff that they were like, no, that's off limits. You're not doing that. I was a liability 100%. Um, but yeah, no, I mean, it was, it was a great time. Absolutely. Uh, what was your favorite scene, uh, to film overall? Oh my goodness. I were already on the topic. I think it was being in the basement because like, I mean, just for me, it was, it was, it was the entirety of the situation.

[00:22:18] This is my first time being able to like really do a big stunt scene. I'm also down in this basement with David Schwimmer. Uh, this is my, my big episode where the storyline is following me. Like everything just came together. And in that moment I was like, Oh my goodness, I'm making goosebumps right now. Like this is, this is it. And it gave me goosebumps in the moment too. I was like, wow, this is actually like legitimately crazy. So that is a moment that I will never forget. What'd you say?

[00:22:48] No pun intended. Exactly. No pun intended. Pun intended. Pun intended. Actually yes, pun intended. Yeah. Um, and, uh, I, I do have to ask, uh, you know, one of the running jokes for your character is that, uh, he is a delivery driver and, uh, he usually eats some of the food that he's delivering. Did they actually make you eat that food or was it like fake acting eating? Uh, so here's what I'll say.

[00:23:17] It was my first day on the job when I had to start doing this. Like literally I, I, I walked in there, you know, we were already fast paced and filming first day that, you know, the jitters are high. And so they were like, Hey, Elijah, here's what you're going to do. You're going to hit your mark on the scooter. You're going to get off the scooter, talk to them a little bit, and then you're going to reach inside the bag and you're going to grab the egg roll and you're going to eat it. So, okay, great. Awesome. Right. But it's also first, first day. So you've got to work a lot of kinks out, right? Like everybody's just getting into it.

[00:23:46] So whether it was, you know, issues with hitting marks or, or camera problems or whatever it was, um, I would always take, I would take a bite of the egg roll and start eating it. But then we did take after take, after take, after take, after take. And I was like, okay, we're good on the egg rolls now. So I started doing the little spit in the trash can thing after. Um, but yeah, I definitely got my fair share of egg rolls in there. And I mean, it was, it was more than more than one episode where I got to indulge.

[00:24:16] So, um, I think I was, I was done with egg rolls for a very long time. I was going to say, you can't at least say that they kept you well fed. So yeah, they absolutely did. One hundred percent. Oh man. Um, now, uh, any shout outs to, uh, any of the crew members who you worked with on the show? Like anybody who stands out to you? Yeah. I would say like everybody made the experience so incredible.

[00:24:42] Um, whether it was, you know, people in the groups department, uh, PAs, uh, camera people, whoever it was, ADs, like everybody was absolutely incredible. Um, I would say a massive shout out to my boy, Gerard. He was one of our cameramen. He, he like, he did just an incredible job all the time. He was running point and he brought this really incredible energy every day, just big smile ready to get to it. And that's the main thing is like, I love working around people that also love what they're

[00:25:12] doing, you know? Um, and so knowing that like he was coming in every day, excited to, to also come against this challenge of like, how do we film and, and, and really like show what horror is on the screen. Um, I was excited to work with him all the time and he really did a fantastic job of like bringing this vision together. Um, I think also, uh, one of our, our, our PAs, Penda, um, I had an awesome time with her, uh, one of our ADs, Jackie.

[00:25:41] Uh, I had one of our PAs, George too. Like there are so many people that I can shout out that were just incredible and really did shape, shape the whole experience. Um, and they did, they did a fantastic job of like bringing us into, you know, the New York space as well. Like they lived there, they knew it. And so if we were like, Hey, you know, we want to go out as a cast to get peace, but we don't know where it would be like, we got you 12 recommendations right here within whatever point. Blah, blah, blah. Um, so yeah, like just everyone was so amazing. Absolutely.

[00:26:11] I mean, the pizza, very important. Exactly. That's very important. Yep. Yeah. And I, as I said, you know, I've said many times in the past, a film crew is the most important hands behind it, a lot of different hands. And, uh, it's a very big collaborative effort.

[00:26:40] So that's why I always try to be like, you know, shout out to all these people who work on these. I love watching behind the scenes because you get to see like the incredible work that they put in. Um, so it, uh, it's certainly a question I wanted to ask, uh, just to get it out there because I'm sure there was tons, tons of people working on this. Uh, but in absolutely. And it was such a big production too. Like there were so, so, so many people working on it.

[00:27:07] We had, you know, different breakout crews, like we would be filming a million different things at a time. So we had, you know, hundreds of people working on this production, creating elaborate set. You should have like the sets were absolutely insane to see in person. Like sometimes, I don't know, it translates on TV. Like it looks cool, whatever. This was like down to every single small detail while we're, you know, inside of the sewer, we built a sewer inside of a soundstage in this sewer.

[00:27:34] They made sure we had all the gross, like the, the, the, the moss or whatever was going, growing in there. It felt like real moss. They had the environment damp. Like they made everything just come to life, which is so incredible to me every single day. I'm just wowed every time I walk in and see that. I mean, I saw pictures of like just the, uh, uh, and if it's not pairing already, spoiler alert for this show, um, the alien, uh, the, the sort of, uh, the government lab where the

[00:28:01] alien is like, and all the pods, like those are real things that you went into. They were like legit. Like you pressed it in a squishy. I was like, what is this? I love that so much. That is such a lost art, especially in horror is just the use of practical sets. A lot of movies. Look, a lot of movies can make CG work. Um, but there's nothing like just a real genuine set that you can interact with as the actor.

[00:28:29] And it makes it look more realistic. Uh, again, audiences can detect when something's fake. So like if you use CG, you're going to probably catch up on it, but a real set that's real. That's there. Exactly. A hundred percent. So, yeah, that's what makes a lot of not only TV shows, movies, um, so popular. I mean, when you think of horror movies in general, like the thing, uh, John Carpenter is a thing

[00:28:56] or, um, even going a little down the road, you know, to, you know, Nightmare on Elm street, you know, it's not all CG stuff on Freddie. That's actually like prosthetics. And so, you know, it's there, you know, it's real. And something about when you see those in person or alien or aliens, uh, when you see those things on screen, you know, they're there. Uh, and I would say as an actor, that's gotta be like so much better than just having like what I've seen behind the scenes of say like Avengers infinity war when Thanos is there.

[00:29:26] I don't know if you've ever watched behind the scenes of that, but it's just Josh Brolin and like a mocap suit. Yeah. It's like two, like two, three feet above his head. That just got a face of Thanos. So the actors can look up at it. Right. But I mean, that's tough stuff when it's just green screen in that, I mean, compared to what you can actually see and touch and it looks like what's going to be on screen. Exactly. Yeah. So much better.

[00:29:52] Now, uh, with that said, now I know that this is your first horror project. Do you have a favorite horror movie? Do you like the horror genre? I do. I do. Now I, I will say I'm a person who is pretty easily scared when it comes to watching movies, but in real life, you can't scare me. Like legitimately, you can't do it. And, and well, I'll say from the, from the practical sense of like, like scaring me, you

[00:30:22] know, if you're around the corner or whatever, it just, it doesn't happen. The entire cast, they try to do it the entire time. It became a whole like running joke. Let's see who can scare Elijah first. Now, when it comes to like real life things, I hate dark places that I've never been before. I can't do that. I will tiptoe my way through. I don't know what is lingering in there. No clue. Right. But when it comes to, to scary movies, I would say I literally just yesterday watched the menu. That was a great one.

[00:30:52] And I liked it because it was like, it was horror, but it was also like thought provoking. And there was this like really cool story that was going along too. Um, one, one film that I want to watch though is, I think it's called the Babadook. Mm. The Babadook. Yes. That's Australian. Oh, okay. Well, there we go from the land down under. I love it. It's great. No. It's creepy. And another one I have to recommend is a late night with the devil.

[00:31:19] That's a great analog found footage like horror movie. And it's genuinely creepy. If I had to recommend one from certainly recently, uh, that would be my recommendation. So, uh, I mean, we can go on forever and ever about horror in general, but, um, no, great, great genre. Love the genre. Yeah. Um, now you mentioned earlier that there was cut material, uh, from the show.

[00:31:43] And one thing, uh, I did get, uh, asked to bring up in this interview, uh, is that there was apparently an alternate ending that was, um, is there any way that we can, uh, hear about what that was going to be like? Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. I want to leave it up to some imagination too. Um, here's the way I'll put it. Uh, I think, I think that we did, we did save the town.

[00:32:13] No, we did, but did we save ourselves? Hmm. I certainly, well, if there's any indication by how, uh, the show ends with Trey, it's a little up in the air. I don't know. So there was, there was, there was a, a little fun alternate ending that we did there. Um, a lot of fun choices, honestly.

[00:32:37] So the person who, who, um, brought up this idea, the alternate ending too, was David Schwimmer. He, he gave us a fantastic idea. Um, and, and, you know, Robin Hillary kind of just ran with it and we created something cool that, you know, unfortunately didn't make the cut, but, um, yeah, I was, I was really excited to see it. That one was going to make the show. So, absolutely. Uh, was there anything that you got to keep from set or any like parting gifts that they gave you, uh, after everything was wrapped? Yeah.

[00:33:06] So I'll say the first thing is, um, CJ's wardrobe. I, I loved, like it was, it was really cool wearing all the different rings and everything because I don't own any rings or anything. So they, they kind of like, they pushed, you know, whatever thoughts of like what I thought my, my, uh, personal style was and, and kind of brought me into this new character. And I ended up loving a lot of the stuff they put me in. Um, and so they were like, please like take, you know, whatever you want home.

[00:33:35] So I, I got some of the cool stuff, some of the cool items. And actually I don't know a clothing company as well. It's called tense streetwear. Um, and the, the, uh, shirt that I was wearing at the end, uh, it was an open shirt, blue shirt with, uh, um, I'm flinging on the word, uh, pool balls one. Um, that was actually from my company. So, so I was, I was really excited that I got to kind of incorporate myself into there. Wow. Um, that is really cool. Yeah.

[00:34:05] I was, I, um, and that just speaks to once again, like how incredible everybody is. I was like, Hey guys, so I have an idea. Can I possibly just sneak one? And they were like, yeah, you should have said that earlier. Like we would have incorporated your stuff in there. Like, um, and that, and that I think also spoke to the process, like whatever ideas that we had for our characters in building them, whatever it was, like everybody was so open to, to hearing, uh, our thoughts about our individual characters and embracing that and

[00:34:33] creating, um, you know, different aspects and different roles and different, um, character dynamics, whatever it was. Um, so yeah, to get back on point though, um, the clothes, uh, I got to, to, of course, it's a tradition of mine to take the back of my, my cast chair. Um, so I have my, my name on there. Um, and then also just, you know, some, some cool little, uh, goosebumps themed parting gifts that they have for us too. Absolutely. Absolutely.

[00:35:03] I I'm always interested to like, if they gave you like, uh, any sort of like gifts as a parting thing. Um, yeah, usually when we talk to other goosebumps actors, they're like, uh, they didn't give me anything. They gave me a pat on the back and sent me on my way. So yeah, we got, we got, we got some cool stuff. You got some really cool stuff. And like one of them was, um, a shirt that had a plant pond on it. I forgot the exact, but like, I think it was awesome. I have plants tonight, I think is what it is. Something like that.

[00:35:31] But yeah, that was very exciting. Also, we'll do this going around the line. I was like, Ooh, yeah, no, there was like a picture that leaked before, before even a trailer came out there. Like somebody found a picture of one of those shirts and, uh, leaked it online. And it was just like, Ooh, cause I think that was before we even knew that, like stay out of the basement was going to be a factor in this, in this story. So it was just kind of like, yes, stay out of the basement. It's a great story. Yeah. They incorporated so many cool books in the season.

[00:35:59] Like it really was amazing how many different books they got in there as well. Like we really got a good look. And I think, I mean, there are so many incredible books in the series. There's a lot to choose to. Um, so I was just happy that, you know, even some of my favorite books that I had interacted with as a kid got in there too. One thing I really liked was that, uh, cause season one was definitely more supernatural, but they also took a lot from like the very most iconic books. So you had, uh, of course he had slappy and the haunted man, say she's and die.

[00:36:27] So for this one, they took, uh, you know, some iconic, but they also melded a very nice sci-fi theme around it. So you got to see ones like invasion of the body squeezers, which I can't remember really the last time that anybody brought that one up. Yeah. Um, so it was just, it was great. And, uh, actually, uh, that ties into another question of mine. Um, you know, if you had the opportunity to star in another goosebumps episode and you had the say in what book that they, that was adapted, which one would you personally choose?

[00:36:59] Goodness gracious. That's a great question. Um, honestly, I would give anything with slappy. So I, that is, that is the one thing about season one that I was like, I was hoping we would get in season two. I really wanted to interact with slappy really bad. Um, I think it's just like so cool. I watched, I watched season one, by the way, like three times in a row before I had actually like even been confirmed booked on the project.

[00:37:27] I was just such a big fan of the first season. Um, so yeah, that would be, that would be really cool to interact with. But I think, I think like I wouldn't have it any other way in terms of like, you know, the, the, uh, the girl who cried monster, uh, interaction that I got with the boy who cried monster. I think that that was, that was really cool getting the, the, the basement interaction too. Like I got to touch all these different parts of the series, um, which I was really excited about. Absolutely. Absolutely.

[00:37:57] Now, uh, you guys, you know, the whole cast got to do some incredible things, uh, for the press tour. Um, you know, there was a lot of tie-ins as we mentioned before. We of course, uh, had to go get some of that, uh, goosebumps to smoothies at the pure greens and the tea. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, the kombucha, all that stuff, like all that cool stuff. But you guys got to do some really awesome stuff. Uh, one of the ones I can think off the top of my head is you guys got to go to a Mets game, uh, to promote the show.

[00:38:24] But I'm curious, what was your personal favorite part of just the entire promotion for this season? Yeah. I mean, I think for me, um, honestly, as, as I said, right, it was, it was baseball was the dream being in the MLB. So going to the Mets stadium, going to city, I was like, wow, like we're actually here. And we got to speak over, over the loudspeaker to us, just like little things like that. That was, that was, that was so fun to interact with. I will say though, I'm a big Atlanta Braves fan.

[00:38:54] So I walked into the Mets stadium with my Atlanta Braves hat, Atlanta Braves hat on, which they were not excited about at all. Um, so, you know, I had to change that out immediately. Um, but yeah, no, I would say because of my love for sports, that was the most exciting part. Um, but I think also for me, um, I had found a love for, for, for New York, um, living there for, you know, so long filming the series.

[00:39:20] Um, I had only been to New York twice before and it was during holiday time. I was staying in Times Square. And so I'll say I wasn't as big of a fan of the city. It was just, it was too hustle and bustle for me. Um, so living there, uh, I lived in, in, in Brooklyn while I was there. Um, I got a completely different vibe. I was biking city biking every single day across the bridges. Uh, I was taking in the awesome parks, whatever it was.

[00:39:48] Uh, so to be back in the city to promote it, I was really excited about cause I hadn't taken the trip back. Yeah. I mean, uh, somebody who peruses sort of the social media aspects of, uh, certainly this, the promotion of the show is just always cool to see you guys like going somewhere new, like just making all these appearances. And like I said, the Mets game is the one that comes to my head. Um, but like just how you guys got to be like these big, big stars to promote the show.

[00:40:15] And, uh, they really went all out in terms of, uh, you know, you guys being the big stars. I actually saw more really of you guys and I did the, uh, David Slimmer and that's, uh, a little surprising, but awesome. I mean, for you guys just getting to be these huge, big, uh, you know, movie TV stars. Um, and, uh, you know, just feel like you're on top of the world for a little while. Yeah. Yeah. I'm, I'm, I'm very grateful to, to Disney and Sony and Scholastic.

[00:40:42] Like they, they all really did create this awesome experience for us, not just in the filming, but also in the promotion, you know, all of the different interviews that we were able to do to get the word out there, uh, the different activations that we were a part of too. Like they really did make it an awesome experience and they made it. Yeah, you're right. They made us feel like movie stars, which was like, that was, that was awesome. Right. It was awesome to be in that world. And, and also like see the fan interaction. I'll say one of the other things that I loved a lot was going up on stage during comic con

[00:41:11] doing a live panel, um, and having a, like a visual representation of like, wow, people really love this. Like we packed the entire place out. Um, everybody was getting so excited when they saw the trailer and the different elements to be brought in there. Uh, so yeah, I mean, I'm just, I'm, I'm really glad that people, people took it well. Definitely. I can certainly say that, you know, we were, we were riding that hype train too, uh, from the, you know, the moment, the first trailer job, even when they first said like, you know, season two is coming out.

[00:41:39] I was like, well, I guess we got to focus on this now, which actually leads me to another question really quick. Uh, I know they're probably keeping it close to the chest and I know they're also going the anthology route, but has there been any maybe possible guys that are gossip of a season three? I would certainly hope so with how popular the season is. Yeah. I was about to say like the show has just performed incredibly well. Season one did literally record breaking numbers. Right.

[00:42:07] Um, and so for season two to, to come in and do the exact same thing. Um, I think that really shows how much audiences are loving this and how much to like people that don't even really know the series all that much are loving it too. Um, so I personally do not have any information. All I have is a, a hope in my heart that we will, uh, get some type of season three, even if, you know, I'm not a part of it. Like I just, I want to watch. Absolutely.

[00:42:34] Because it's anthology each season, you could play a completely different character. Exactly. Just bring me in there. Bring me in there. Yeah. Horror story style. You know what I mean? So they do that all the time in movies. Right. But in the original Goosebumps show, they had the same actor and play different characters in like three, four different episodes. Three, four different episodes. Yeah. Hey, tell him. Please, please tell him. Yeah. We'll vouch for you, man. We'll vouch for you, man. I love it.

[00:42:59] And I guess, uh, one last question before we end things off, you know, uh, especially you being in this show and you yourself as a Goosebumps fan, uh, what would, what do you have to say to just all those Goosebumps fans out there who enjoyed the show, grew up with these books and, uh, you know, are in the same boat as you, but you actually got this opportunity. Uh, what would you say to the people who really, really enjoyed the season? I mean, the biggest thing is I want to say thank you. Like really, um, I was nervous coming into the second season and of course, you know,

[00:43:29] with some people being a little bit nervous about changing over cast into season two, um, I definitely was a bit shaky, uh, with, with, with the release, but, um, I'm just so incredibly happy and excited about the outpouring of, of support and love for this season two cast. Um, so yeah, just thank y'all so much for, for, for, for riding hard with us. Um, we had such a great time throwing this series and I'm so happy that, you know, audiences love what we did too. Absolutely.

[00:43:59] And it's come from circle for you now. You're, you're on a Goosebumps book. Exactly. That was crazy too. So, so my, my parents too, they just, they, um, my dad was on Facebook and he was rolling through and he saw one of his friends posted me on a Goosebumps book and he was like, you want a book? You want a book cover? That's crazy. Like, I was like, yeah, man, I just learned that a couple of days ago too. So like just stuff like that is so awesome. It really has made this, this experience so incredible. There it is right there. Yeah, there it is. Yeah.

[00:44:30] How, how incredibly like surreal and experienced you grew up reading these books and then all of a sudden, you know, the life plays out and you're on one now. That's insane. That is absolutely insane. I love it so much. Man, what I would give to be in your shoes. But that, uh, is going to do it for tonight's episode of the Goosebumps crew. Uh, Elijah, thank you so much for joining us and, uh, talking with us and seriously, we hope to see, uh, uh, you know, in the future, especially in the horror genre and who

[00:44:59] knows, we'll vouch for you to come back for season three. We'll start a whole freaking hashtag about it. So thank you again. But, uh, yep. As always, make sure you follow Bjorn and Nick at Goosebumps, Saucy Fan and Sean respectively. If you liked today's episode, make sure you have a like and comment. Follow us on our audio platforms and social medias. All those links are in the description below. So check them out. We'll have another episode for you next week. But until then, this has been the Goosebumps crew podcast. And from all of us here, want to wish you all as always to take care, stay safe and have a very scary day.