SDCC Exclusive: Stars Of ‘Upload’, Andy Allo & Allegra Edward Open Up About The Final Season
Upload celebrated their fourth and final season at San Diego Comic Con this past week, BeautifulBallad, along with fellow reporters, for the chance to sit down with two of its stars, Andy Allo and Allegra Edward, to discuss this momentous occasion.
On their feelings about the final season:
Allo: “It’s bittersweet. It’s bittersweet. I think the sweet part is that we get to, excuse me. I think bittersweet, the sweet part is that we get to send it off and wrap everything up. And I think we do that really well, Greg [Daniels] and the writers, where we tie up all the loose ends, I feel like people feel very satisfied. And of course then the bitter part is that we’re saying goodbye to the show that’s been a part of our lives for so long. Characters that we’ve grown with.”
Allegra: “I’ve been using the word proud a lot, much to my cast’s chagrin, but I really do. I feel proud of Ingrid especially, but I feel proud of each of the characters. They feel like friends of mine, not just the actors, but the characters feel like friends. And I’m like, “Yeah, good job. Yeah, you keep going. I’m so proud of you.” Which is weird, but it’s how I feel. I also feel proud of my friends, the actors too, and my friends, the writers. But I am pretty content and I’m satisfied. I’m real satisfied.”
Allo on how she prepped for so many different variations of Nora:
Allo: I mean, I’m really proud. But I am, especially of my work this season, and I think I approached this particular season in, even though sometimes it’s a character you’ve lived with and so well, there can be a trap of like, “All right, yeah, I know Nora, whatever.” And I think this season in particularly, she’s going through so much and it’s a tough journey that she goes on, but I think one that really shapes her trying to say things without saying anything really. But overall, I think from season one to now, I’ve grown up so much and so has, and I think she’s found something bigger than herself, and she’s also learning the true definition of love. And I think that really comes through, especially in the last episode of this season.”
On their favorite episodes:
Allegra: “I think it’s season three, episode six. Ingrid is frustrated and goes to have a drink at the bar and then gets drunk at the beach. I said it’s the beach, nobody in the script says it’s the beach. I decided it’s the beach. Because she finds Nathan in the travel agency and puts some sand on him. So I justified that as she took a trip to the beach before she ran to us. Anyway, whatever. And there is a true friendship moment between Nathan and Ingrid on the floor of that strange virtual afterlife travel agency. They’re both dressed in drab colors. It’s a drab office. They’re complaining about their acne and his diarrhea. And he’s like, ‘You would not date me if you saw me. If you met me for the first time, you wouldn’t dating me like this.’ And she says, “You could have, I can say it again, diarrhea for a year and be dirt poor, and I would always choose you.” And he’s like, ‘That’s the nicest thing anybody’s ever said to me’. And they’re not trying to hit on each other in that moment. I think they mean it. I think there’s an acknowledgement of the past relationship that they’ve had and a true friendship moment. And it’s one of the sweetest things in the series, in my opinion. And it was written by Owen Daniels, who plays AI guy in the show. He wrote that.”
Allo: “I think I’d have to go back to season one where we sang Uptown Funk together. There’s so many scenes from that episode that were just so heartwarming. I also got to play a duck like quacking and flying. And getting shot at By David Jones. It’s just so weird and random. And also the end of the pilot episode where I’m convincing him not to jump in the torrent was an audition scene as well. And then I think in that same season, one had so many highlights for me that I’ve looked back on with so much fondness. And then there’s five stars.”
On getting tattoos as a cast:
Allo: “We got cast tattoos. Except Kevin [Bigley]. But we got five stars.”
Allegra: “I know mine is basically invisible because I got white ink because I’m a big coward. But I still tried. And I sat for an hour. Mine just looks like a baby scar. But it’s in there.”
On whose decision was it to get them:
Allegra: “Robbie [Amell] offered. We were at ConnectiCon and they were doing flash tattoos at ConnectiCon. Robbie was like, ‘Should we get tattoos?’ And we’re like, ‘Ha, ha ha.’ And he’s like, ‘Get five stars. Actually, I’m serious. We could get a five stars tattoo. I was thinking about that for final season.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh.’ And he kept saying to me, he’s like, no pressure. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. And I was like, ‘I’m going to do it. It’ll be white, but I’m going to.'”
On if there one thing that they have always wanted to discuss that they haven’t had the chance to over these last years:
Allo: “Wow. I feel like we talk a lot about everything. I was about to say, oh, people taking over Nora’s avatar. But we’ve touched on that and how fun that is.”
Allegra: “I would say the thing that I want to emphasize is what a joyride and kind of a living cartoon it has been to work on this show. And as an example, you could work with a talking dog. You could work with a giant boom man dancing. You could have a squirrel driving a car. You could have a unicorn prancing by in the background. You could have trays full of hot dogs that have to go in and out of people’s mouths in real time. You could have a dozen background actors with red hair all being Owen at the same time, AI guy filling out a space, just a bunch of redheads for no reason other than to build a background. You could have her flying in midair, quacking like a duck. And that could all happen on the same day. A different little sound stages. And you could walk into absurdity and no two days are going to be the same. And I don’t think I’m ever going to experience that again in my career. And I am so grateful for the gift of that. Every day is a different flavored cupcake because that’s what it feels likes. So that’s what I want to say.”
Season four of Upload will premiere on Prime Video on August 25.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity. BB would also like to credit the amazing reporters seated at our press table, and their wonderful questions.