Sam Morelos Reveals Inside Scoop on Nikki in 'That '90s Show' Season 2 on Netflix

[00:00:00] Sam, thank you for joining me today on Pop Culture Unplugged. Oh, thank you so much for having me. Exciting times. I know you've been busy because we were trying to get this interview for the last few weeks now. We're finally here.

[00:00:21] You know, we have, you know, the viewers that tune into this interview, they can see you on The 90s Show on Netflix. You've been busy. Would you say that? Yeah, I've been pretty busy.

[00:00:28] Like the second that we wrapped for season two, I went straight into rehearsals for this Shakespeare play that I was doing. So I like to be all over the place. If one thing ends, something else has to happen. I gotta be go, go, go all the time.

[00:00:44] That's not a bad thing, though. No, I think it's a blessing and a curse because I don't like to rest, but I always need it. Yeah. So we're gonna jump into this show in a few minutes, too. But, you know, I want to get in.

[00:00:56] I like to get to know my guests a little bit more, too, and everything, you know, like with the whole entertainment industry. I mean, I was doing some research on you and one of the quotes that you've given out that

[00:01:05] you're very you're proud of your first generation Filipino-American. Tell us a little about that. Like what influenced you to like to jump right into the entertainment industry? Like what made you go for this? Yeah, honestly, I kind of fell into being a professional actor.

[00:01:23] I had only really done theater productions at school. And being a professional actor was always the goal. I just always loved performing and the arts. I'm a singer, too, and I did a lot of musical theater, like community theater when I was a kid.

[00:01:41] And I went to a performing arts high school because of that, because of that love. I really wanted to grow that because it's my passion. It's my art. It's the thing I want to do for the rest of my life.

[00:01:51] And I got in through the open call of that 90 show. I was answering a flyer. It said, because they were looking for teenagers. So I think casting sent out this casting notice to all of the art schools in the greater Los Angeles County, mine included.

[00:02:11] It was all like, hey, we're looking for teenagers. We're doing a talent search. Send in an introduction video. It was more like a slate, really, of, hey, tell us your name, your age, where you're based, X, Y, Z. And I just sent five minutes of anecdotes.

[00:02:30] I was just talking. It was like, one thing you like about the 90s. And I was like, I like the pants. It's like, really just cheesy things like that. But I just kept on getting auditions and auditions and auditions.

[00:02:44] And I feel lucky to have being a Filipino and representing my community come with just the exposure of the show. As the show grows, the Filipino representation also gets a light shown on it a little bit

[00:03:09] because just because of inherently who I am, I'm very proud to be first generation because that is a fact of life that has informed crucial parts of my identity. And it's my family. It's my culture. It's my people. So I've always been proud of that.

[00:03:33] Also because growing up culturally, the arts are very important in Filipino culture. If there is a family function, everyone will be either singing, playing the piano, doing karaoke. You have to show off a little bit, show off what you learned in arts classes because there's,

[00:03:55] at least in my family, there's just a very specific emphasis on the arts and how important it is. And I just kind of put my foot on the gas and took it another, I just took it and ran

[00:04:12] with it because all of my cousins, we all have played piano. All of us play an instrument of some sort, but I'm the only one to pursue it as a career so far.

[00:04:21] I feel like there's a couple of us who are also going to be performers, but they're a little too young to know that. What's been your family's reaction seeing you performing or even just being on a show on Netflix? What's been their reaction with this? So much pride.

[00:04:38] I feel I'm very lucky to have such a supportive family. I was telling you earlier, I'm in this play, or I was in this play. We just closed last night actually. And it's pre Shakespeare in a park.

[00:04:55] We donated our time and they donated this production to literally anyone who wanted to watch it. It's making theater accessible to communities that don't really receive Shakespeare or live theater. So my mom told me actually, she texted me recently.

[00:05:17] She said, I am so proud of you, whether it be free Shakespeare in the park or a worldwide hit on Netflix. I just I'm so happy you get to do this. It's amazing.

[00:05:34] It's like, I'm happy if you're happy and that is the best thing that that is the best gift. So you've done theater, you've done acting on TV series, you've done the singing. Is there something on that bucket list of yours you want to try to tackle next?

[00:05:51] I mean, I've always wanted to do like single cam. I've always wanted to do a movie. But honestly, I feel like every single type of acting is something that I want to delve into.

[00:06:05] I will never tire of theater because there's no way to do it monotonously, I think. There's no way to do it. There's always a million ways that you can take theater. Same with TV and film.

[00:06:24] It's a little more straightforward, but I guess bucket list wise, I've always wanted to write. I've never had the chance to. I'm a songwriter. I've written some original music, but I've always been too scared to write something of my own, like screenplay or script wise.

[00:06:45] It's always something that I've been interested in. But I also really like directing. I'd always wanted to direct. There you go. Now you got to start getting over those fears. Right? I feel like I'd be a better director than writer.

[00:07:01] I just need to find a writer, like a writing partner, and then I'll be their director if they don't want to direct. That's what I need. Yeah, yeah. That's awesome. Let's jump into that 90s show now.

[00:07:15] First of all, did you think that season one and the show was going to blow up like that when you first got on it? I had no expectations for how this entire process was going to turn out because this was my very first professional gig. I was 16.

[00:07:32] I was a junior in high school. I was still in a brick and mortar school. I'd never done homeschooling before either. Honestly, I still today forget that people watch the show.

[00:07:47] To me it was like, oh, this fun thing that I did over the summer and now it just lives then. But I forget that people have seen it. But actually the other day at Starbucks I got recognized and I was like, that's crazy.

[00:08:00] I didn't know people watched the show. I'm just very grateful for how everything's turned out because we put so much hard work into it. Everyone on the set and the cast is so lovely. During season one, everyone said this is going to blow up.

[00:08:17] This is going to be big. I was like, okay, I'll believe you. I love the show and I think it's so hilarious. I just thought that it was an inside joke for us. We like it. That's all that matters.

[00:08:31] You must have known that the fans of that 70s shows were going to tune in to watch this. Yeah. Oh, a thousand percent. That's what's cool about 90s is that we have such a large audience and fan base because

[00:08:44] there was a built in fan base, but we also get to tap into the younger generations who did not grow up with that 70s show or didn't have the chance to watch it and just expand that 90s, 70s show universe. And base. Yeah.

[00:09:04] What's your experience now working on a 90s show, like playing the role of Nikki? My experience? I mean, I've always just had such a grand time. I love Nikki. I feel like I've become her best friend over the course of this whole thing.

[00:09:21] I would always talk about the season one finale. And when I first read that script, I was heartbroken. I was ready to throw hands with Nate. I was so mad. I was like, how could they do this? How could he do this to her?

[00:09:35] I'm just very invested in Nikki and who she is and all the relationships that she's creating. So I think she's very unique, but also at the same time, very relatable to a lot of teenagers and especially her journey through discovering who she is as a person outside

[00:09:59] of school and also pursuing the academic side, which isn't something you see a lot. And people just showing how there is strength. And like, I admire her so much for being so academic. It's funny because I wrote down here also, like, how do you think this character, how

[00:10:24] would you describe the character's journey now, season one now heading into season two? It's like, honestly, it is so wild. Am I allowed to do spoilers in this? You can if you want. I'm not planning to release this closer to the premiere date. Have you seen it?

[00:10:41] I have seen only like the first two episodes. God, I gotta get into it. So we can't talk that much about it. No, I can't talk too much about it. Got it. So I love, love, love Nikki's character arc this season. It is so unique. Not unique.

[00:11:00] It's so detailed, I guess we really get to delve into Nikki and who she is as a person because you kind of just barely skin the surface season one. I think it sets her up really nicely for how deep we go into her story and her development.

[00:11:20] So if we were to choose like season one, season two Nikki, I would go season two Nikki all the way. She is a force and that is all I'm going to say. I think she changes the most out of all of the characters, which is so interesting and

[00:11:40] fun to discover and play as an actor. And you mentioned, you know, you mentioned like if Nikki was like, you know, a real person you'd be like best friends with or like, is there anything you would change about Nikki if you could?

[00:11:51] If there's anything I could change about Nikki. I mean, in the first season, sometimes I'd be like, she's so mean. Like girl, you're so judgy. Calm down. It's okay. Just spread love. But I kind of love her sarcasm and her witty quips.

[00:12:08] So and because she's so quick with it too. I honestly know she's perfect to me, but I'm biased. You mentioned mean and everything. Any like challenges playing this character? Any certain scenes that hit you and you're like, you have to like think about it, how

[00:12:24] you want to play a scene? Yeah, there's a lot. There are some moments where I struggled and I have to ask Gail, the director, the director of part one, because there's I'm in part two, because there's part two and there's also part three coming out in October.

[00:12:45] And I got to work really closely with both Gail and Laura asking them, hey, how do I play this? Because Nick's really vulnerable in this moment, but it's also a comedy. How am I supposed to juggle that?

[00:12:58] Because Nick, I think has the most, just a lot of dramatic scenes too that that air more on the heavier side of content than like a like a butt joke, you know? She has some pretty real issues. So that you need that a teenager needs to work through.

[00:13:23] So it was all my time during season two was all how do I toe the line between like dramatic acting and also keeping it light and still appropriate for a multicam sitcom?

[00:13:39] That was my struggle because I also I love comedy and I mostly have done in the past more dramatic things like theater wise. I've always to delve a little, create really complex characters, I guess, that air on the more dramatic side of things.

[00:14:03] So I really needed help with my comedic timing and my comedic chops. And you mentioned you said working with Gail, right? Yeah. You said so like at the same time now, did you have an opportunity to even like you providing

[00:14:15] input, like how you wanted to play a certain scene also, like particularly how you wanted to bring it to life? I yeah, I think that there were there were moments where I would also ask Greg, Greg

[00:14:27] Metler, the showrunner of like, oh, can I say it like this instead? Because in my head, I feel like Nikki is a little angrier than the line is saying, like, can I say it? But they're like minor, minor changes like then instead of then.

[00:14:45] Like, you know what I mean? Like very tiny things. But to me as the actor make all like a really huge difference. What goes through your mind when you're reading the script and you see what's happening with Nikki? How excited do you get? I get so excited.

[00:15:00] I am so I love receiving new scripts also because I just am very invested in this friend group in this story. And I feel I just feel like a consumer. I just feel like an audience member being like, oh, what happens next? You know what I mean?

[00:15:17] So I'm I just am so whenever I see a Nikki scene, I know that it's going to like hit me at my core. And then I then I work on it. I have the weekend with it before we have a table read and the table reads are always

[00:15:35] just so energetic and electric. What's been like the feedback from like fans about you playing this role or even like family members when they see you as Nikki? Yeah. Oh, my gosh. So I've gotten a lot that. Like Nikki's their favorite character. I love Nikki. She's so grounded.

[00:15:56] She's so relatable because she is she does represent like your average American teenage girl of like, yes, I want to have. Yes, I've got a friend group. Yes, I've got a boyfriend. Yes, I can do all this. But I also need to focus on my future. Like what?

[00:16:13] I don't know what my future looks like. And I really have to hone in on that. And I relate to that too, because I went through the college application process. That was like, oh, my gosh, the worst time of my life. It was so many applications.

[00:16:27] And you're so stressed of this one moment is going to define what the next four years of my life and probably the rest of my career is going to look like. So I got a lot of feedback of all like I love Nikki.

[00:16:37] I love that they showed that. I love that they didn't shy away from that topic. And my family is always like they I'd walk into family functions and they'd be like, hey, Hollywood. Hey Nikki. And I'm like, OK, whatever. They're all so excited and so proud.

[00:17:03] As playing a character in the 90s now, like what's your favorite thing about the 90s? Have you seen something that you're like, oh, my God, this happened in the 90s. You can't wait to film it or it's all for me. It's really just the fashion.

[00:17:14] I go I get so excited when they pull me in for a fitting because I know it's just me trying on a bunch of vintage, a bunch of thrifted stuff. And that is where my heart lies. Fashion wise, I love to thrift. I do a lot.

[00:17:30] I go to a lot of flea markets, junk fairs, like things like that. I'm a knickknack junkie. I love where you find gold there. That's what it is. Yeah, right. I was I was literally at the thrift store not an hour ago. I'm obsessed.

[00:17:47] It's a it's a problem. That's what I love about the 90s. There's no and also the music. I've always loved 90s R&B. Lauren Hill is one of my favorite artists of all time.

[00:18:04] That was inherited from my mom because she gave me her Miss Education of Lauren Hill CD. So she's the one who educated me on 90s music because my mom's a 90s kid. And so I'll say the music and the clothes, those are my favorite things to also reference

[00:18:23] in the show. Have you in the cast made like a 90s playlist or anything like that? No 90s playlist, but Ashley and I have made our own Spotify playlist of just random songs we like. It's called Sam and Ash because I drive her home from set a lot.

[00:18:45] So we're always bumping that playlist. So you know, season two, you know, we're almost there. What are you hoping for like the returning fans to watch this? What are you hoping they get out of season two? What could you tease a little bit?

[00:18:59] I just hope that no, I actually I just know that they're going to fall in love with the characters more. I want them to focus more on us like selfishly because in season one, I feel like there was

[00:19:13] a lot of focus on the cameos to also like retain the That's MD Show fan base. But now in this season, you're really delving into the relationships between all the kids in the basement.

[00:19:25] So I feel like the audience is going to connect more with us because you just have more time with us. You get to know us better, which is so exciting because I think we're pretty great.

[00:19:40] Were you kind of bummed though that you heard that this year this season there were going to be that many cameos as last as the first season? Honestly, I love all of the cameos that we had this season.

[00:19:50] Every single person who came on the show and showed up, they were so lovely and so talented giving us their time. And I'm just so happy with how season two turned out. It's genuine. It's so good. It's so, so, so, so good.

[00:20:06] Every single script, I would be amazed at how you could keep on each script just kept getting better and better. You said it's broken into three parts, right? It's broken into two parts. So they renamed season one part one.

[00:20:21] So now season two part one is now called part two. And season two part two is called part three. How many episodes are we expecting for this for the first drop? Eight episodes, 16 total in season two, parts two and three.

[00:20:41] Is there a specific episode that you can't wait for the viewers to watch? I think it's episode. I can't remember if it's I think it might be episode eight. Okay, so it's seven or eight.

[00:20:55] It's a cruel Nick has a crazy, crazy storyline there like that is Oh, no, no, not eight. I think it's seven. So six or seven, one of those because episode eight is the last one I totally forgot.

[00:21:13] It's a I wish I could say more but there's like a huge shift in Nick's life. And she like has to really step back and reevaluate like what she's been doing. And it's, it's a wild one. And I really want it.

[00:21:30] I can't wait to see what people say about it. Next question on the 90 show. Do you have a favorite Nikki quote? Ah, it's Oh my god, Nikki quote. I don't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning.

[00:21:45] Um, oh, it's a it actually made it in the trailer, which I was so happy about. It was it. You're right. This is childish, immature and it's using my body for spite. Okay, I just talked myself back into it. I feel like that was iconic of her.

[00:22:06] And I love it. That's awesome. So um, do you have anything else coming up next? No, for you know that you're allowed to tell us about working on or you just I'm just gonna say that I am going to be a part of a really cool project.

[00:22:23] And I don't know how much I'm gonna can say about to get you back on the show. Then so we'll talk about yes, yes, yes. I'm gonna be part of something really big, or just really cool. Really big to me.

[00:22:34] That's not a big deal for me and it's like a really huge step in my career, I think and I'm so excited. So well, speaking of that, then how can the viewers and listeners find you on social media keep up with you?

[00:22:49] And when you break the news, they'll see it. Yeah. It's just my name. If you search up my name Sam Morelos on anywhere, I feel like I'd pop up. My handle is like Morelos, Sam. It's just backwards. Yeah, it's awesome.

[00:23:04] Sam, I want to thank you for giving a few minutes today. Good luck with the new season and can't wait to hear what your next project is. We'll get you back on. We'll chat about that. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you.