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Melissa Benoist Interview: From Glee & Supergirl to The Girls on the Bus
Season 7, Ep. 22
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Melissa Benoist stepped into the Hollywood spotlight in a big way via Glee. Then she cemented herself as a bonafide star and headliner with Supergirl. Now she continues to broaden her range and her industry skill set by starring in and producing the hugely entertaining political drama, The Girls on the Bus.
Created by Amy Chozick and Julie Plec, The Girls on the Bus is inspired by Chozick's memoir, Chasing Hillary. It follows four female journalists played by Benoist, Carla Gugino, Christina Elmore and Natasha Behnam, who are on the campaign trail with aspiring presidential candidates. They all have vastly different backgrounds and goals, but find themselves supporting one another as they navigate career pressures, personal challenges, and frustrations with flawed presidential hopefuls.
As Collider’s Taylor Gates noted in her review, “[Girls on the Bus] handles serious topics, from sexism and racism to abortion and corruption, in a way that feels both raw and palatable while never taking away from the show’s watchability and enjoyability,” and I must agree. Powered by its perfectly assembled core four and their infectious charm, Girls on the Bus quickly earned my investment and heart. Given that, it’ll probably come as no surprise that the show’s cancellation was a massive disappointment. However, that’s not stopping Benoist from celebrating what she and the team achieved.
Benoist took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to recap her road to Girls on the Bus, to discuss her collaboration with her three top-tier co-stars, and to explain why the show’s cancellation will have zero impact on how she looks back on the experience of making it and the final product she and the team produced.
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9. Jessica Henwick on Her Alternate Version of Rey in Star Wars & Silo Season 4 Tease
01:06:17||Season 9, Ep. 9I’ve been following Jessica Henwick’s work for quite some time, but even while keeping a keen eye on her growing filmography, it’s easy to overlook that she’s been in far more major franchises than just about any actor out there. (Something that likely speaks to her range as an artist, ability to lose herself in her roles, and the accomplishment of building a wide-ranging body of work.) Whereas most actors would be lucky to book just one of the biggies, over the years, Henwick has scored roles in the Star Wars franchise, in Game of Thrones, in the Marvel Universe, in The Matrix movies, she voices a character in Blade Runner: Black Lotus, she’s in the second Knives Out movie, Glass Onion, and will star in the final two seasons of the hit Apple TV+ show Silo. And who knows what the future will hold.In celebration of the release of Vladimir, Henwick visited the Collider Ladies Night studio to discuss making the irresistible eight-episode Netflix show opposite Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall. She plays Cynthia, Vladimir’s (Woodall) wife. After moving to a new town to take jobs at a local university, Vlad attracts the attention of Weisz’s character, a seasoned professor there. Before long, that initial interest sparks an all-consuming fantasy for her. The question is, will she act on it?In addition to celebrating the release of Vladimir, Henwick also took some time to look back on past achievements, including her truly epic run in the franchise realm.
8. Peyton List Talks Heathers: The Musical and School Spirits Season 3
55:52||Season 9, Ep. 8Peyton List returns to Collider Ladies Night to talk about stepping into a new chapter of her career with Heathers: The Musical and School Spirits Season 3.In this interview, Peyton reflects on the end of Cobra Kai, why she knew School Spirits would be special from the start, and how she approaches some of Maddie’s most emotional moments — including the “I love you” scene and the garage scene with Milo Manheim's Wally, and that game changing moment between Maddie and her mom at the end of Season 3, Episode 7. She also shares what’s still on her acting bucket list (including her dream to lead a psychology horror movie), how she practices self-care, and what she’s most proud of right now.
7. The Pitt Season 2 Interview: Katherine LaNasa Reveals What Dana Really Thinks of Langdon’s Apology
01:02:10||Season 9, Ep. 7The Pitt Season 2 star Katherine LaNasa joins Perri Nemiroff for a Collider Ladies Night interview!During this hourlong conversation, LaNasa revisits the highs and lows of navigating Hollywood as an actor before diving deep into Dana’s journey in The Pitt Season 2. She discusses Dana’s evolution, her reaction to Langdon’s (Patrick Ball) apology in Episode 6, offers up a Season 2 finale tease, talks about working with Noah Wyle as a co-star and as a director, and what may be next for Dana.
6. School Spirits Season 3: Kristian Ventura on Simon’s Evolution, Acting Craft & Career Path
01:22:54||Season 9, Ep. 6Kristian Ventura joins Collider Forces to break down Simon’s shocking Season 2 finale twist and what’s going down in School Spirits Season 3 thus far.As Simon becomes trapped behind the veil of Split River High — with a ticking clock working against him — Ventura dives deep into the character’s evolution, his shifting alliances, and why Simon might be a better liar than we ever realized.Kristian Ventura’s Simon has always had his hands full on Paramount+’s School Spirits. As the only living character who could see Maddie (Peyton List), he took on a considerable amount of responsibility while trying to solve the mystery of her disappearance. And then, even after discovering what happened to her, he had to meet the challenge of figuring out how to reunite her spirit with her body. By the end of Season 2, he and the others pull it off, but at his expense. In the Season 2 finale, it’s revealed that now Simon is trapped behind the vale of Split River High. Complicating matters further, Simon’s predicament involves an especially intense ticking clock. Unlike Maddie, he’s alive on the other side, and being there is taking a toll on him.With School Spirits Season 3 well underway, Ventura visited the Collider Forces studio for a long-form conversation about the show and his journey to it. He told the shocking story of how he first decided to become an actor, revealed what it was like to be in the middle of a bidding war between talent agencies, and then went into detail on adjusting to Simon’s wholly different situation in School Spirits Season 3.
5. The Pitt Interview: Shabana Azeez on Why Javadi’s TikTok Matters More Than You Think
01:05:57||Season 9, Ep. 5Shabana Azeez’s Dr. Victoria Javadi is still finding her footing in many ways at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center ER, but The Pitt Season 2, Episode 4, “10:00 A.M.,” just revealed that she has an especially strong voice elsewhere — on TikTok.In Episode 2, we met a woman (Elysia Roorbach) who accidentally used superglue to apply her lashes. In Episode 4, when Langdon (Patrick Ball) can’t get her out the door fast enough, she insists on seeing the “best doctor in Pittsburgh,” a doctor going by the name Dr. J on TikTok. Turns out, Dr. Javadi is a megastar on MedTok.While one might be quick to label it a light and fun Episode 4 storyline, this new layer of Dr. Javadi’s world has loads to say about her, and also about the nature of social media apps and the inaccessibility of academia. While on Collider Ladies Night, Azeez took a moment to explain what put Dr. Javadi on the TikTok path.
4. Hazbin Hotel Interview: Amir Talai Answers the Biggest Alastor Questions
01:11:55||Season 9, Ep. 4Hazbin Hotel’s Amir Talai joins Perri Nemiroff for a brand-new Collider Forces interview to answer the biggest questions Hazbin fans are dying to know — from Alastor’s power limits and chest wound to whether redemption is even possible for the Radio Demon. He also teases Season 3 songs, emotional turns, and who Alastor’s greatest threat is going forward.
3. Hazbin Hotel’s Blake Roman on Why Hope Is Dangerous for Angel Dust & Husk
01:12:35||Season 9, Ep. 3Blake Roman joins Perri Nemiroff for a Collider Forces interview to talk all things Hazbin Hotel — from finding Angel Dust’s voice to why hope can be the most dangerous thing for him.In this in-depth interview, Blake reflects on the highs and lows that shaped his career, his Hazbin Hotel audition, and how he approaches complex character dynamics like Angel Dust and Husk. He also teases what fans can expect from Hazbin Hotel Season 3, breaks down key Season 2 moments, and dives into what it was like tackling a song like “Losin' Streak.”Blake and Perri also get into conventions, voice acting advice, Vivienne Medrano’s creative leadership, and Blake's experience finding the perfect voice for the Egg Boiz.
2. "I Was Recast From 2 Shows." Johnny Sequoyah on Growing Up in Hollywood & Primate
01:02:33||Season 9, Ep. 2A mere week into the New Year and we already have a new release that’ll likely wind up being one of the best horror movies of 2026.Johnny Sequoyah leads Johannes Roberts’ Primate as Lucy. While visiting her father (Troy Kotsur) and sister (Gia Hunter) back home in Hawaii, another family member of Lucy's takes a turn — their chimp, Ben. Ben is bitten by a rabid mongoose. While Lucy and her friends enjoy the family pool and dream-like views, Ben loses himself to the sickness and becomes, as Roberts put it, “the Freddy Krueger of chimps,” and brutally starts picking them off one by one.With Primate playing in theaters nationwide, Sequoyah swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio to dig into her journey, including highs like working with a legend like Alfonso Cuarón, and also the lows of being recast in a show. On top of that, Sequoyah offered up a behind-the-scenes look at the staggeringly impressive movie magic required to create her Primate scene partner, Ben the killer chimp.
1. Thora Birch on Taking Career Risks — From Hocus Pocus to The Chronology of Water
52:54||Season 9, Ep. 1I’ve welcomed many actors I admire to Collider Ladies Night, but Thora Birch feels different. I grew up watching her. All I Want for Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Monkey Trouble, Now and Then — they all played on repeat in my home. From there, I followed her to the roles that earned her significant industry acclaim, a BAFTA nomination for American Beauty and a Golden Globe nomination for Ghost World.Since then, Birch has appeared on The Walking Dead and Mayfair Witches, made her directorial debut with The Gabby Petito Story, and now continues to make bold career choices, joining Kristen Stewart’s feature directorial debut, The Chronology of Water.Based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s acclaimed memoir, the film follows Imogen Poots as Lidia, a young woman who finds escape from her abusive home thanks to competitive swimming. However, that safe haven is rocked when she runs head first into a dizzying string of loss, addiction, and self-destructive choices before finding healing via her sister (played by Birch) and also through writing.With The Chronology of Water gearing up for its nationwide release, Birch visited the Collider Ladies Night studio to discuss her journey in film and television, beginning with early formative experiences on sets like Hocus Pocus and Patriot Games.