The Tribeca TV Festival recently hosted the cast of Freeform’s forthcoming “Party of Five” reboot on their red carpet for a sneak peek preview screening.
The series stars Niko Guardado, Emily Tosta, Brandon Larracuente, and Elle Paris Legaspi. January 8th is the date of the debut of the show. The original series debuted in 1994 and ran for six seasons. It had starred Neve Campbell, Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Lacey Chabert, and even Jennifer Love Hewitt. The premise of the original show followed 5 siblings after the death of their parents in a car accident. This reboot version of the show follows along in a similar fashion with the five Acosta siblings who are working at remaining a familial unit after their parents are deported to Mexico. The new iteration of the show has the same original creators behind it: Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser. The Knockturnal had a chance to speak with some of the stars at the event.
Niko Guardado
The Knockturnal: Tell me how did you get involved with the show?
Niko Guardado: I auditioned like everyone else and it was just going through that process and going through call back processes and finally screen testing with these lovely people that are on the carpet with me right now. I then booked it. That’s what happened. I loved the script from the moment I read it. The pilot was amazing and I really felt a connection with the character and here we are.
The Knockturnal: Did you know a lot about the original or did you read up on it?
Niko Guardado: I did, I did. It’s on Netflix now so I’ve been watching it a little bit now. It has different characters and story lines but the same overarching theme of losing your parents and having your family there by your side to get through life.
The Knockturnal: Tell me a little about the trajectory of your character. What’s his emotional journey like?
Niko Guardado: You can relate to him in multiple ways. He’s just starting out in high school and there’s that awkward phase of girls aren’t really his forte, sports aren’t exactly his thing, and he’s not academically a savant by any means, but he comes to know that one thing he is good at maybe is taking care of his family by stepping up and filling a hole since his dad isn’t there to fill it.
The Knockturnal: How was working with the ensemble?
Niko Guardado: Amazing, they’re my family in real life now. I got my brother Brandon and I got two sisters. That what this show has given me, so it’s been amazing.
The Knockturnal: And what’s it like to join the Freeform family?
Niko Guardado: Amazing. I think this show has found the perfect home because Freeform just really drives diversity and they’re all about representation and all that. It’s just great and the time is now.
Brandon Larracuente
The Knockturnal: How did you get involved with the show?
Brandon Larracuente: Well, like any other actor I received an audition and through life’s occurrences, I happened to be here and I booked it, but it was a tough process, a very stressful process, but very well worth it in the end.
The Knockturnal: Tell me about your character and the emotional journey he goes on.
Brandon Larracuente: Emilio is a pretty complex character. He’s going through a lot. At the beginning of the show when fans first see him he’s an aspiring musician who’s very independent and used to doing things on his own. He’s kind of branched out from his family and due to unfortunate circumstances that occur in the pilot, he now has to step up as the man of the house and bring the family together. The beauty of the show is that it teaches fans or viewers the importance of family.
The Knockturnal: Tell me some other themes that are important on the show?
Brandon Larracuente: There are so many but the one that strikes me the most is the fact that no matter what your opinions are on anything in this world, you can relate to some aspect in the show. There’s something for everyone and that’s what makes the show so great and relatable for everyone.
The Knockturnal: How was working with the ensemble?
Brandon Larracuente: It was wonderful, except for that Niko guy. No, I’m kidding. They’re all great and we get along very well and we’ve only been working together for the past few months but it feels like family already.
The Knockturnal: Have you guys filmed the whole season yet?
Brandon Larracuente: We’re still in production.
The Knockturnal: A lot of people know you from 13 Reasons and what was the experience like working on that? How did it prepare you for this?
Brandon Larracuente: I think every job prepares you for the next one. You take away things, or at least I try to, no matter what the job is, no matter what the experience is in life. I definitely learned a lot and it’s helped me get to where I’m at now.
The Knockturnal: How did you first find your passion for acting? What was that like for you when you were younger?
Brandon Larracuente: I did not want to be actor when I grew up. I was an athlete and my mom actually pushed me to pursue it because I was afraid of what people thought and I was ridiculed heavily for wanting to be part of the drama club. It wasn’t until after high school that I kind of found my footing in life. I thought to myself, “I really don’t care what others think of me, I’m going to do what makes me happy,” and I got an audition for a show called Bloodline. I was very fortunate to book that. Since then I’ve been very blessed.
We are on the scene @Tribeca TV festival! Great meeting star @emilytosta ! pic.twitter.com/BlRMdB11hH
— The Knockturnal (@_TheKnockturnal) September 14, 2019
We also spoke with star Elle Paris Legaspi @PartyofFiveTV @Tribeca pic.twitter.com/DdvPYHaRPO
— The Knockturnal (@_TheKnockturnal) September 14, 2019
