The Franchise is a new HBO show from the minds of Veep collaborators Jon Brown and Armando Iannucci. The series takes a satirical look at the day-to-day operations of both cast and crew on the set of the fictional franchise superhero film Tecto. The Franchise fictively chronicles the real-life phenomenon of Hollywood’s current obsession with the rapid production of superhero movies and their seemingly unending sequels. As if by a cosmically ordained publicity act, the incisive The Franchise premiered hot on the heels of the release of Joker: Folie à Deux, a DC Comics film that has bombed at the box offices amidst scathing critical reception.
The Franchise smuggles the viewer behind the camera and into the working life of, amongst others, 3rd Assistant Director Dag, who is played by English comedy darling Lolly Adefope. Lolly is no stranger to comedy television, having starred in Shrill, Ghosts, and This Time with Alan Partridge. Lolly’s character Dag is a tentatively employed millennial who admires film but finds the studio-run movie machine rather soulless. I met with Lolly to discuss her favourite superhero movies, the allure of showbiz, and what it was like to play the often unseen role of crew member.
JD: I know that you previously worked alongside Himesh Patel (Daniel), Richard Grant (Peter), and Jessica Hynes (Steph). I’m wondering how it was seeing so many familiar faces on set?
Lolly Adefope: “It was really nice. I had kind of forgotten that it was so many people that I had worked with before. I worked with Himesh maybe eight years ago and not since, but have been friends socially. I worked with Richard on Saltburn, and he was so welcoming and so lovely. I was looking forward to getting to work with him again. Worked with Jess on Seize Them!, which was so fun. We also didn’t get that many scenes together on Seize Them!, so it was nice to spend some quality time together on this. Just a great showcase of British comedy talent. Everyone in the cast was so talented. I felt very blessed to be alongside them.”
Do you think that The Franchise encourages viewers to be a little less precious about what we allow to make us laugh?
“I feel like the characters who are the most crass, who I guess are Pat and Peter, I don’t think there are many moments where we want to laugh with them. A lot of the time they are portraying “that side” of the industry, which I think is changing at the moment. I would hope that people are often less confident to say the kind of things Pat and Peter say. So, I think it’s good to show that these people exist and that these people do say these certain kinds of things. I think sometimes when people describe what it might be like to work with some people, people think that they might be being dramatic. Kind of like, it’s fine, just take it on the chin. And then when you hear these things said out loud, it’s like, “Oh, okay, that is not okay.” You almost have to hear it in this safe setting of watching a television show to be able to accept that this is what needs to change.”
It displays a reality that I think exists in every working environment.
“Exactly. Seeing a higher-up speak to someone lower down the hierarchy like that is jarring to watch, which is good because it shows that it needs to change.”
How was it playing the role of a crew member?
“It was really special to shine a light on characters that don’t get seen. I think a lot of people might not know what a 3rd AD is, or would even have heard of a 3rd AD. The ADs are kind of holding everything together and keeping all the plates spinning – absorbing all of the rage from the other departments and just trying to get the day done. So, it’s a nice form of respect to play a part like that. To show the people who are working hardest and who are working harder than the actors. Also, very liberating to play a version of that character who is confident, and who doesn’t believe that that hierarchy needs to be rigid and does want to question things and want to speak her mind. It’s maybe not what a 3rd AD would do in real life because the hierarchy is so entrenched, but it’s cathartic to be like, “Hey guys, this isn’t okay,” and to be that character who probably wouldn’t be able to do that in real life.”
It seemed to me that Dag is quite confused by, yet drawn into the world of film as well. I’m wondering if you think that Dag feels that sentiment. Has she been bitten by the showbiz bug?
“I think at that moment she feels pity for Daniel, and I think she thinks she’s looking at a man sort of lose his mind. But then, she gets bitten by the same bug. When she gets her suggestion used in the film, she’s so proud of herself. She kind of underestimates the power that show business has to reel you in and make you feel special in some moments and then make you feel like the bottom of the totem pole in other moments. Those moments when you feel important, I think, just sort of keep drawing her in.”
I really enjoyed seeing her as the underdog character!
“She kind of sees everyone as the same and would speak to everyone in the same way if it wasn’t for this food chain. It’s quite fun that her charm is recognized [by people on set other than her bosses].”
Dag seems like a bit of a fish out of water, maybe a little bit unsure as to how she ended up in her 3rd AD role. How do you think she ended up on the set of Tecto?
“I think she studied film and probably has written a script and maybe wants to direct and make her film one day, but something that she thinks of as more prestigious than Tecto. And then she quickly realized that just wanting that to happen isn’t all you need – you need money and security, and she doesn’t have any of those things. So, when this opportunity comes up, I think she’s just like, “Okay, I just need to get through this and then ascend to the next level so that I can make some money, get out of debt, and then focus on my actual dreams,” which are to make what she considers good films.”
The Franchise takes a swing at the perennial serialization of superhero movies that we’ve seen in recent years – has that kind of formulaic approach to movie and television-making affected your work as an actor and writer?
“I think when you’re writing for television you can sort of feel like you’re begging someone with more power to give you a crumb. With acting, it’s hard to say whether you have more or less power. I think you definitely have less responsibility because you kind of come in and do your thing and you don’t have to feel as much ownership as you would if you had written something. I think because I haven’t written that much TV, I feel much more out of my depth with writing. Because of that, it’s quite solo and you kind of don’t know what’s going to come with it. Whereas, at least with acting, you’re there and you’re on set and you know that this thing is going to get made. We’ve seen things that people film and then they don’t come out. To a certain extent, it’s happening. From speaking to friends who are writers, I think it can be that frustration of trying to be creative and coming up against either a more corporate spin or someone who isn’t allowing that creativity to flourish. , I think Jon said in another interview that a good superhero movie is like nothing else. It’s just when you don’t let the creative people tell the story, that’s when you start to fall into the trap of superhero fatigue and not creating something that fans connect with.”
It does feel like superhero movies have kind of lost their truth in a way. They’re not as impactful anymore. Do you have any kind of personal relationship with superhero movies? Are there any that you particularly like?
“I like the ones that I grew up watching as well. X-Men, I loved Spider-Man. I haven’t seen any of The Avengers or any of the stuff where it feels like you need a lot of other knowledge to appreciate. If I’m going to watch it I want to know every single thing, I don’t want any jokes to pass me by. Loved the new Batman with Robert Pattinson and, of course, The Dark Knight and all of those classics. I think Spider-Man, Toby McGuire Spider-Man, was the superhero film that stayed with me the most. I don’t know if it was just being the right age, but it was funny and cool and it kind of had everything.”
I have a bit of a silly question for you. Moss man or fish people?
“I think fish people. Moss man, he spoke out of turn. So, you know, he needs to learn the hierarchy.”
Right [laughs]. So, you’re more of an authoritarian on set.
“Yes. I give the fish people vapes, but I’m of that mentality.”
There’s a sense of camaraderie amongst the cast and crew on the set of Tecto. Do you think that rings true to the experience of real-life film sets?
“Definitely with comedy, you get more of that camaraderie, which is kind of all I’ve done. Just like the best sets are the ones where, as much as you can, the cast and the crew do kind of blur and just get on. Definitely, on this show, it felt like that. Everyone was so close. Partly because everyone was so nice, and also partly because of the feeling of seeing yourself in a show and seeing your job represented. That camaraderie between every department just feeds in and makes everything more fun. There are sets sometimes where you’re doing comedy and then they say “Cut!” and it’s just like, “Okay, moving on…” and you’re like “Anyone? Laughter?” [laughs]. “Room?” But this was like, you’re almost performing for the crew to make them laugh. I loved every member of the crew individually – they were all so nice and worked so hard as we tried to show in the show.”
The HBO Original comedy series THE FRANCHISE debuted SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and is available to stream on Max.
