Set in a online game studio, the sitcom “Mythic Quest” is filled with eccentric workaholics. However none are extra frantic, frenzied or anxious than Poppy Li, performed by Charlotte Nicdao.
A prodigious however petulant engineer, Poppy is given to meltdowns and primal screams, many stemming from a battle of wills along with her egomaniacal, codependent enterprise accomplice, Ian Grimm, performed by Rob McElhenney. (McElhenney created the present with Charlie Day and Megan Ganz, who additionally work with him on “It’s At all times Sunny in Philadelphia.”)
Over three seasons, Nicdao has seen her character as all the things from a “lovable underdog” to an unprintable descriptor. Lately she’s trying favorably upon her geeky, gawky enfant horrible because of a paradigm shift within the fourth season, which debuted this week on Apple TV+. (Word the premiere episode is entitled “Boundaries.”)
“There’s all the time this energy imbalance between Poppy and Ian — like, who’s the queen, who’s the king?” Nicdao mentioned. “This season, Poppy has received extra energy, there’s no query. Nevertheless it’s not within the ways in which you’d count on.”
“Mythic Quest” is the primary main American collection for Nicdao, who grew up and nonetheless lives in Australia. Beforehand a classical pianist, singer and orchestral clarinetist, she began appearing in highschool productions and commenced her TV profession at 17 on an Australian children’ present. (Her father, Alfred Nicdao, is a widely known actor in Australia.)
Sitcom gigs adopted. “One of many largest roles that I ever had was a collection common on a present known as ‘Camp,’ which was an NBC present that filmed in Australia,” she mentioned, noting that the expertise was what impressed her to pursue roles in america.
When not taking part in a tortured tech genius over the previous few years, Nicdao has voiced characters on animated sitcoms like “Photo voltaic Opposites” and “Star Trek: Decrease Decks” in addition to on the beloved Australian cartoons “Bluey” and “The Unusual Chores.”
Nicdao’s personal life, she mentioned, informs a few of what occurs to her tempestuous alter ego, however she did observe one large distinction between them: She is an avid prepare dinner obsessive about farmers’ markets, whereas her character is thought for subsisting solely off gasoline station Buffalo rooster pizza. In a video interview from her Melbourne residence earlier this month, Nicdao additionally mentioned Poppy’s newfound private progress and her facet challenge with the primary Filipino TV actor she ever idolized — her father. These are edited excerpts from the dialog.
You as soon as described the Mythic Quest workers as “a dysfunctional discovered household.” Within the new season, Poppy lastly appears to be stepping away from that dynamic.
That’s actually on the core of Season 4. I’d by no means have predicted Poppy can be the one to say: “ what? I’m gonna work on myself. I’m gonna strive to determine how one can be a well-balanced, joyful particular person.” One of many largest conflicts is looking for a wholesome house, and Ian doesn’t know what to do when the connection isn’t dysfunctional.
As the one who performs Poppy, do you get a say in what occurs to her?
The producers and writers do embrace us in the best way our characters are rising. Poppy was by no means written to be Australian; she was by no means written to be a Filipina. She truthfully wasn’t written to be in her 20s both. Once I was solid, little by little, these elements of who I’m began to tell who Poppy is. So this season, the issues that had been happening with me in my life began to tell what was happening with Poppy.
She’s not sporting completely hoodies anymore. For somebody like her, blouses are an enormous leap.
In my thoughts, I used to be like, “She is going to by no means not put on the identical hoodie and denims.” It’s a uniform, her armor. It’s saying: “Don’t have a look at me; have a look at my work. I’m sensible. I’m an engineer. It’s all about my mind.” This was the primary season that we had been like, “Let’s mess around.” Poppy’s received a boyfriend. She’s fascinated about how she appears to be like exterior of labor. She’s not simply making video games anymore; she’s making sculpture and conceptual artworks. She’s saying: “I’m not going to make apologies anymore. I’m an artist. I’m inventive, and I’m going to let that present in the best way that I current myself.”
It’s now much less about her being a so-called “girl in tech” and extra about her being a lady, full cease.
I all the time considered Poppy as being asexual, and she or he sort of was. She’s by no means had time to discover what being a lady would possibly imply. Now she’s discovering, “Oh, perhaps I’m a sexual being.” She’s not turning into Barbie, however she’s discovering a special a part of herself. Within the tech world, like in a variety of industries, there’s a variety of stress on ladies, with a purpose to achieve success, to principally cosplay masculinity. If you wish to be taken critically as a lady, it’s important to be as very similar to a person as doable. It’s cool that she’s leaning into her femininity somewhat extra, and it’s serving her effectively.
Poppy’s not the one one attempting new issues: You directed an episode this season.
As a result of we’re such a well-oiled machine, there’s a variety of house to experiment. Loads of the solid received the chance to direct an episode. That is the primary Hollywood present I’ve ever achieved and I used to be like: “Wow! Is that this the way it’s all the time achieved?” … and I’m instructed that it’s not.
You additionally simply put out a brief movie you wrote and directed, starring your father. How did that come about?
We made that in 2023, through the actors’ and writers’ strikes. I used to be again in Australia, itching to do one thing inventive. My dad has been an actor for the reason that ’70s right here. Once I was rising up, he would audition right here and there. He’d get solid as a restaurateur, a gangster, a health care provider — these very stereotypical Asian roles — for a scene or an episode, and that may be it. There’s simply by no means actually been house for an actor of colour to shine till the final decade or so.
He known as me with this concept: “I need to make a brief movie about an actor like me, in his 60s, attempting to determine my place within the trade.” I’ve a variety of proficient associates right here in Melbourne, and we received collectively and had been like, “Can we make this in two days with the sources that we’ve?” It was utterly unbiased.
Now that you simply’ve gotten a style of directing, each with the brief and “Mythic Quest,” do you need to do extra sooner or later?
I all the time thought, “If I might in some way make a residing out of being an actor, I’ll be joyful, and I don’t dare ask for greater than that.” I actually credit score Rob for — proper from Season 1 — beginning to have conversations with me about: “What else do you need to do? If there’s even a small a part of you that’s thinking about directing, writing, producing, how can I assist?” By the point we received to Season 4 and the chance to direct was there, I’d realized directing is a special approach to flex this motivation I’ve to be a storyteller. I’ve been so stunned that the push that I get from stepping on set as a director is strictly the identical as the push that I get from stepping onstage as an actor. So, yeah, I hope that there are extra alternatives to try this sort of work.