HBO’s That Damn Michael Che follows in the footsteps of great Black sketch comedy.
In this exclusive interview with The Knockturnal, Hannah Einbinder, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky discuss season two of HBO Max’s Hacks with The Knockturnal‘s Kinsey Schofield.
Emmy winner Hacks took award season by storm last year! Season one followed two struggling comedians played by Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder – that initially clash but learn to lean on one another. Season two shakes things up with the same characters we know in love but with a ROAD TRIP, a cruise, and Antiques Roadshow… literally!
After getting kicked to the curb by her Las Vegas residency, Smart’s character, Deborah Vance, decides to take her show on the road! A weary Ava (Einbinder) is recruited to join her and all hell breaks loose when a hurtful secret is revealed.
Season two seems to pay more attention to the people in the perimeter of Deborah Vance’s life… and we will never ever complain about more Kayla vs. Jimmy! Kayla is played by Instagram goddess Megan Stalter while co-creator Paul W. Downs plays Hollywood agent (with a heart!), Jimmy. Their joy is infectious! Despite mostly being at war on camera! How much trouble do these two get into? Find out in the interview above!
Mark Indelicato plays Damien – who hits the road with Deborah and Ava. He’s the ride or die you want by your side and tells it like it is. Meanwhile, Carl Clemons-Hopkins is Marcus… Deborah’s right-hand man suffering from a case of all business… no pleasure. Marcus struggles to navigate between working hard and finding time to treat himself! Mark and Carl discuss their cover of Out Magazine, K9 co-workers, and so much more in the interview above.
Plus! Hannah Einbinder, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky talk cool celebrity endorsements and thrifting!
Stream seasons one and two of Hacks on HBO Max right now!
Kinsey Schofield is a contributor to The Knockturnal and you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Rose Leslie and Theo James star in Season 1 of The Time Traveler’s Wife, which premieres on HBO Max on May 15th.
Credit: HBO Max
An exclusive premiere for season two of HBO Max’s Hacks took place at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, California, on May 9, 2022, followed by a luxurious invite-only bash at the Sunset Tower Hotel.
The red carpet was rolled out for celebrity guests including series stars Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, and Carl Clemons-Hopkins, along with notable supporting cast members Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela E. Gibbs, Luenell, Johnny Sibilly, Ming-Na Wen, and more. We had the chance to catch up with some of the stars on the carpet – check it out here.
Special celebrity guests showing their support at the premiere included D’Arcy Carden, Idara Victor, Kate Flannery, Nasim Pedrad, Nicole Byer, Reggie Watts, Terrence Terrell, Ashley Nicole Black, Benito Skinner, and others.
Season two of the three-time Emmy-winning series features even more of a star-studded lineup than the groundbreaking inaugural season. New additions to the cast include Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf, comedy icon Margaret Cho, Martha Kelly (Euphoria), and Ming-Na Wen (The Book of Boba Fett).
In the series, Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary stand-up comedian, whose career falls into a downward spiral after the closing of her long-standing Vegas show. Desperate to regain popularity, she hires up-and-coming comedy writer Ava Daniels, who had been fired from her last gig due to insensitive tweets. This season has the unlikely pair work together while on a cross-country roadtrip tour to workshop Deborah’s new set, with no lack of clever theatrics along the way.
Hacks is streaming exclusively on HBO Max. The first two episodes of the new season have already dropped as of May 12, and each Thursday, two episodes will be released until the finale on June 2. Be sure to check it out!
Last week, guests walked back in time with HBO’s Human By Orientation, who hosted a lavish uptown affair in an Upper East Side mansion that felt it could have belonged to Gentleman Jack‘s main character herself. Gentleman Jack, a queer period drama is now in its second season and is based on the collected dairies of Anne Lister. Those diaries contain over four million words and are written largely in secret code, documenting a lifetime of lesbian relationships maintained by Lister. The first season was celebrated for its exploration of the complex social landscape of the 19th century and the subtle wit and passion of Lister (expertly portrayed by Suranne Jones).
Cortney Key and Lenai Wilkerson dance at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
In our own way, guests were able to luxuriate in Lister’s atmosphere by way of the soirée in a hallowed home: the austere, dramatic Fabbri house, built in 1916. The property and building were bought and financed by Margaret Louis Vanderbilt Shepard as a wedding gift to her daughter, Edith Shepard Fabbri. It was said that dinners would not begin until after 1am and guests would stay weeks.
Quartet at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
Today, we partake in a similar pleasure in the spare and delightfully cold Italian interior (already of antique demographic by 1916), warmed by candle sticks lining the walls and halls, a string quartet providing music through the evening, and even period-influenced dances by Cortney Key and Lenai Wilkerson. Cocktails were prepared in the spirit of the period on the mezzanine, served in glassware of a rare regal scale and quality, weighing more than 2 pounds each. In the courtyard, a Mercedes-Benz SL350 “Pagoda” sat, the car Ms. Lister would have been well-likely to drive if she had the choice. The grand library of the Fabbri house was converted into a screening area where guests watched the first episode of the new season of Gentleman Jack. The drawing room with its important and intricate ceiling (coming way of Italy by boat) was the site of a photo studio, complete with gorgeous floral arrangements by Nicole Absher framing a period sofa.
Guests at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
Guests at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
The beautiful florals continued into the dining room, where a U-shaped table was arranged at the foot of an imported mantle. Guests assembled for a multi-course meal prepared by celebrated chef Melissa King (Melissa was quite busy this week as she had the MET Gala dinner to serve yesterday as well). The menu, according to Melissa, was heavily influenced by the period (especially the pea soup, “Always the pea soup”). But Melissa also included a part of her own legacy, that of being a queer person with Cantonese heritage. “There are some Asian influences here, especially in the selection of ingredients”.
Table at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
OJ Williams and Benjamin Schmidt at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
Read more about Lister and her diary at the West Yorkshire Archive Service Exhibit blog. Gentleman Jack seasons one and two are streaming now on HBO Max as part of their Queer Voices collection. Learn more and watch the series here. Follow along with HBO’s LGBTQ community on Instagram @humanbyorientation.
Hosts at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
Guest at Gentleman Jack Dinner in NYC. 25 April 2022. Photo by Cirsty Burton
HBO Max hosted a screening for Season 2 of The Flight Attendant at Landmark 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport on April 28th.
The HBO Max original series show Made for Love returns for season 2 on April 28th.
The Knockturnal caught up with the cast of ‘The Flight Attendant’ at the HBO Max-hosted premiere of the second season at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.
HBO Max hosted its first-ever Coachella Valley activation during Weekend 1 of the world renowned music festival. The Flight Attendant Preflight Lounge event was held at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club on April 16th and 17th.
Mo McRae is joining the cast of The Flight Attendant for Season 2 as one of the new series regulars.