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Our Flag Means Death’s Vico Ortiz and Samson Kayo on being fearless while acting

"Be free and trust."

Samson Kayo and Vico Ortiz in costume in promotional image for Our Flag Means Death
Image credit: Max

Our Flag Means Death is a daring show, but it turns out that the actors behind the show are daring too. At MCM Comic Con in London this October, Popverse video producer Veronica Valencia took the main stage with Rhys Darby, Vico Ortiz, and Samson Kayo to talk about their careers and their profession. It turns out that comedy comes with a heavy dose of facing your fears.

About this topic, Samson Kayo shared the advice, “Don’t be afraid to fail. I’ve never done standup because I find it scary just watching and even watching Rhys, I was like ‘Yeah, I couldn’t do that.’ But with acting, it’s play. Just don’t be afraid to play. If it doesn’t work, no ones going to laugh at you, and then you just try something else really. Otherwise just be free with it.”

Vico Ortiz added to Kayo’s advice, saying, “Be free and trust. I feel there something really beautiful about trusting the people that you’re with and know that they have you. It’s the ‘Yes, and…’ but also the exercise that you just drop and someone’s catching you and just trust that they’re going to catch you and then bounce you back, and then you can do the same thing with them. Which I think is really fun and very juicy. It just energizes you.”


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