“Graves” star Skylar Astin had the surreal experience of filming a political satire series as the 2016 election was unfolding.
“One of our executive producers, Greg Shapiro, was saying he thinks [Donald] Trump was like stealing our thunder at times,” the actor told TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell. “We were filming and then we’d hear something he’d say and it would be so weirdly similar to what our episode was about.”
Astin, who plays a young Republican protege to Nick Nolte’s former president character on the Epix political comedy, cited episodes dealing with the North Dakota pipeline currently being protested and gay rights issues, a particularly sensitive issue for vice president-elect Mike Pence.
“Now we have a real opportunity to say more,” Astin said. “Be down the middle, but be that satire that will give people that sense of relief and a little bit of a wink. Like, we know what everyone’s going through right now, no matter what side of it you’re on.”
“Graves” airs Sunday nights on Epix.