PaleyFest LA 2026 is officially underway, kicking off this year’s festival with the Apple TV series Pluribus, described as ‘the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness,’ a hive-mind.
We spoke with the cast and executive producers/writers Gordon Smith and Jenn Carroll on April 4, ahead of an exclusive screening and a panel conversation moderated by Yvette Nicole Brown at the Dolby Theatre. The Pluribus team shared their personal definitions of happiness, offering a wide range of perspectives shaped by individual experience.
Credit: Courtesy of The Paley Center for Media
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, who plays the principled and stubborn Manousos, defined happiness as letting go. “I would say happiness is letting go of ego,” he said. “Understanding that you’re not that important, and that you’re going to fade away. There will be a point where you’re not going to be you anymore.” He added, “And if you’re okay with that, I think you’re going to be happy.”
Karolina Wydra, who portrays Zosia, echoed the idea of letting go, but in the sense of releasing everyday distractions. For her, happiness is about presence: “It changes… if you ask me today, I would say walking on a sunny day and being very present to every sound, color, and element of nature.”
Writer and executive producer Gordon Smith offered a more intimate definition: “When your cat curls up on your lap and purrs just the right amount of time before your legs fall asleep. That’s happiness.”
Rhea Seehorn, who leads the series as Carol Sturka, described happiness as purpose rather than permanence. “Life is about ups and downs,” she said. “Waking up with a purpose is a huge part of happiness, even if that purpose is simply trying to be better than I was yesterday.”
Credit: Courtesy of The Paley Center for Media
Samba Schutte, who plays Koumba Diabaté, described happiness as contentment: “You don’t want anything else. You have everything you need, and you feel complete… just not needing anything else.”
Executive producer Jenn Carroll similarly framed happiness as relief from negativity, while Smith noted the complexity of the concept, saying happiness is “a feeling, a state, a set of conditions.” Carroll added that the series reflects this complexity, emphasizing that every character and every person defines happiness differently.
PaleyFest LA 2026 continues at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood through Sunday, April 12.
