Keke Palmer, Lea Michele, and Ryan Murphy Talk ‘Scream Queens’

THERE’S A SECOND SEASON

Fox hosted a fan fest viewing party and panel for the hit series Scream Queens at Samsung Studio SoHo in NYC. The studio hosted an exclusive marathon screening of the first 6 episodes and Q&A panel with show creator Ryan Murphy and stars Lea Michele and Keke Palmer, followed by the premiere of the 7^thepisode.  Read highlights from the panel below:

Q:  Lea, when Ryan pitched you this character and show, did you know that this was the ark that you were signing up for?

Lea:  I just said yes.  We were in the beginning for out last season of “Glee” and that he was writing a show and he cast Emma Roberts and Jamie Lee Curtis and then he came in with a neck brace…it’s just been so amazing.

Q:  Ryan, how do mix the blend of humor within the drama.  How are you able to balance that within the show and with each particular character?

Ryan:  I think the thing that we do with all of our shows is that each one has a distinct personality and a very specific tone.  So Brad and Ian and I spent a lot of time in the beginning talking about the characters and where they go.  And Brad and Ian I give all the credit because they do most of the dialogue…This show is a satire, setting up the Greek system and that generation of people.

Keke:  I think the greatest thing about “Scream Queens” is that it is telling this generation to not take themselves so seriously.  Ariana in the scene where she was killed and she is texting and Facebooking.  It’s like that really is how we are like…it’s cool on the show when they show those moments because that is how the millennials are sometimes.  It just reminds you to be chill and relax.

Q:   Let’s talk about the script and the actors…you kill people off, some two or three at a time.  As a writer are you ever apprehensive about letting characters go?

Ryan:  Yeah, it is really hard…it’s like an Agatha Christie “Ten Little Indian,” and every week one of the Indians was going to go.  We never tell anybody who is going to go but if you are an actor and you get a phone call then don’t take it because that means your character is killed…that is sort of the fun of the show.  I am happy with everybody’s guessing game with who is the Red Devil…I love the who done it’s…we are writing the last episode now–

Keke:  And they only gave us half of the last episode.

Ryan:  Whenever we are shooting the shows we do takes where we say ‘okay well do it as if you are the killer’ and we can add little moment of that into the show.  The fun thing that I think about this show is that when you go back and watch all 13, it is clear who did it right from episode one, so I think that will be a fun thing for fans to do.

Q:  Lea who are your favorite scenes to go up against?

Lea:  Oh my god, Emma Roberts…acting with Emma Roberts is like playing tennis with Serena Williams, you have to keep up.  She is so good.  I like to think I am okay especially with my lines but she is so good and fierce and never messes up and the monologues that Ryan writes for her are ridiculous. She is unbelievable.

Q:  With the end of this season, will we see who the Red Devil is and then next season will there be a new killer?

Ryan:  Yeah.  This is sort of a hybrid thing I am trying to do like with American Horror Story when the season ends you never see the set again and you never see the character again.  I just pitched to FOX the second season of it and everybody loves the idea of it and I see it as three or four of the cast members survive and the last episode the mask comes off of the Red Devil and you find out who that person was and why they did what they did and then that story is done and you will never go back to it.  And then the second season is the survivors go off to a new venue, a horror based venue and they have to fight a new killer, a new villain, and new threat.  So the next season will be three or four of our cast members and ten more.  And I have already started to meet with those cast members.

Q:  So you are already pre casting for the next season?

Ryan:  Well, what happens with me is that I like to go after people that I love but never worked with before like Keke…but sometimes people just write me emails and I have gotten a lot of—

Q:  Which celebrities want to be on the show?

Ryan:  I don’t think I can say it because if I say it then it would have ruined the casting….they are singers…big pop stars.  Male pop star… Lady Gaga wants to be on “Scream Queens.”