A Hilarious Affair: The Afterparty Season 2 Unleashes Tiffany Haddish and Zach Woods with Love and Potpourri

In The Afterparty season 2, Detective Danner, Zoë, and Aniq are brought together once again to tackle a thrilling new mystery with high stakes. While Aniq is not the main suspect this time, suspicions arise around Zoë's own family, adding a personal element to the case. With Zoë's sister's new husband found dead, she finds herself in the hot seat, determined to uncover clues and clear her name. In a race against time, Zoë, Aniq, and Detective Danner must interrogate the wedding guests, including Zoë's family, the groom's family, and his business partner, to find the true killer.

Returning for season 2 of The Afterparty are Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, and Zoë Chao, reprising their roles from the first season. Joining the talented cast are Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Poppy Liu, Anna Konkle, Jack Whitehall, Vivian Wu, Ken Jeong, and John Cho. The Afterparty creator Chri Miller takes on the role of executive producer, alongside longtime collaborators Phil Lord and Anthony King.

Screen Rant spoke with Tiffany Haddish and Zach Woods about the second season of The Afterparty. In the interview, Haddish hints at some exciting developments in Detective Danner's love life and expresses her eagerness to explore the show's unique blend of genres. She also opens up about a hilarious moment on set, revealing which cast member made her break character. Woods, on the other hand, reveals that his favorite episode of the season is the one set in the 19th century and discusses his thoughts on the ongoing WGA strike.

Tiffany Haddish & Zach Woods on The Afterparty Season 2

Screen Rant: The level of my admiration for this show is sky-high! I devoured both seasons within a single day, completely captivated. Your performance in it is undeniably outstanding. Tiffany, in my opinion, you bring sheer brilliance to the role of Detective Danner, making you my ultimate favorite detective on the small screen. Can you share what aspects of Detective Danner's character intrigued you the most during the second season?

Tiffany Haddish: I was most excited to explore her romantic life. Opportunity to get loved on. I love that.

Zack, what genre was your favorite to play in with the flashback episodes?

Zach Woods: The 19th century Jane Austen vibe appealed to me, as my facial features naturally resemble that era's aesthetic - a certain pale and enigmatic frailty. It felt like I had finally found a sense of belonging.

Tiffany Haddish: He's absolutely hilarious.

Can you all discuss the improvisation on set? This cast is incredibly funny in every aspect.

Tiffany Haddish: Definitely. There were many moments of improvisation. Paul consistently made me laugh and caused me to break character. He was always experimenting with different approaches, which made it incredibly enjoyable to work with him. Ken also had his moments. There was one scene where he even shed tears, leaving me wondering what was going on. Then he told me I was extremely funny, which caught me off guard. I didn't burst out laughing, but as soon as they said "cut," I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

Zach Woods: I found it amusing to see Ken consume potpourri. He did it for quite a while, and instead of providing him with artificial potpourri, they insisted on making him eat the real thing.

Tiffany Haddish: It was absolutely hilarious! It acted as a thorough cleanse, consisting of sticks and twigs that can break down anything in your digestive system, without a doubt.

Zach Woods: Roughage.

Tiffany Haddish: Yeah, that roughage.

I absolutely adore it. Tiffany, if there's a third season, which I'm fervently hoping for, would you be interested in taking part in genre flashback episodes?

Tiffany Haddish: Immensely! It would be a thrilling experience to delve into that realm and portray Danner from various perspectives. I believe it would be incredibly enjoyable. Nevertheless, solely focusing on Danner and her complex past is also a delight. She's truly a captivating character.

And then can you both talk to me about collaborating with Anthony, Phil, and Chris?

Zach Woods: I appreciate individuals who prioritize the overall experience and show a deep concern for the project they are working on. More importantly, they prioritize the well-being of the people involved in creating it. These three individuals embody that mindset.

Tiffany Haddish: Absolutely. They possess a great sense of humor as well. Whenever they contribute with their little remarks, it adds an extra layer of comedy and enhances the scene even further. I enjoy their presence and find it valuable to bounce ideas off of them. Even during our filming sessions, when they gather in a corner, I would join them and share snippets of my standup routine, eagerly anticipating their feedback. It's like having three comedic geniuses right beside me, providing opinions and assisting in the writing process.

Zach Woods: With the ongoing writer's strike, it's become evident that working on a project that constantly shifts genres, changes character perspectives, includes a murder mystery, and relies on humor is incredibly complex. It highlights the immense importance of the writers, as I found myself constantly seeking their guidance and explanations. They kindly provided me with the necessary information, reminding me that they are the lifeblood of television.

Tiffany Haddish: Without writers, we have nothing to share. It's essentially "tell-vision."

That's fantastic! I absolutely love it! Zach, you've had the opportunity to portray various versions of your character. How do you approach each episode, ensuring that you stay true to your character's core while adapting to different genres?

Zach Woods: The showrunners were clear in emphasizing the importance of character over genre. It's not about simply mimicking sketch comedy versions of different genres. Instead, you subtly incorporate genre elements while maintaining the essence of your character. Personally, I tried to do the same, recognizing my limitations as an actor. If I had been too immersed in the film noir genre, for example, I might have lost sight of my character. Thankfully, my acting range is somewhat narrow, which actually served as a safeguard.

About The Afterparty Season 2

Aniq and Zoë seek assistance from Detective Danner after finding themselves entangled in yet another murder case. This time, the unfortunate victim is the groom at the wedding they are attending. Together, the trio embarks on a quest to uncover critical clues and interrogate potential suspects, with the ultimate goal of exonerating Zoë's family from any suspicion. Among the individuals under scrutiny are Zoë's relatives, star-crossed lovers, and the groom's business partner, each sharing their unique perspective on the events leading up to the tragic murder.

Don't miss our exclusive interviews for Season 2 of The Afterparty.

Phil Lord, Chris Miller & Anthony King

Sam Richardson & Zoe Chao

John Cho & Ken Jeong

Jack Whitehall & Paul Walter Hauser

Anna Konkle & Elizabeth Perkins

Poppy Liu & Vivian Wu

Anna Konkle

The first two episodes of The Afterparty season 2 are now streaming on Apple TV+.

Source: Screen Rant Plus