There is something so delightfully charming about the hybrid scripted/unscripted original comedy series True Story with Ed & Randall, which highlights everyday Americans as they share true stories in a way that is exciting, inspiring, funny, harrowing, and will often keep you on the edge of your seat through all the stranger than fiction twists and turns until you get to their conclusion. As its subjects get vulnerable over the recounting of personal life events and viewers see those moments brought to life by notable guest actors and comedians in dramatized re-enactments, hosts Ed Helms (The Office) and Randall Park (WandaVision) provide their own genuine reactions that will likely mirror everything you’re thinking and feeling while watching.
During a virtual junket, Collider got the opportunity to chat with Helms and Randall for this interview, which you can both watch and read, about bringing the human connection present in the original Australian version of the series to the States, the bonus layer of fun that the re-enactments provide, what viewers should look closer for in the insignia on the velvet blazers that they wear, and why they’d be game to do this series for the next 20 years. Helms also talked about Season 2 of his Peacock series Rutherford Falls, while Park shared why he wanted to sign on for the upcoming Netflix workplace comedy series that’s set in the last remaining Blockbuster video store.
Collider: Thank you for talking to me about this. I thought this show was so fun and funny, and you made me laugh and cry.
ED HELMS: Oh, good.
RANDALL PARKS: That’s nice to hear
Ed, as a producer on this, how did you get involved with turning this Australian series (with Hamish Blake and Andy Lee) into a series here? What made you want to be a part of this?
HELMS: All right, you have a little more background than most. The Australian show, I happened to see it. I loved it. Hamish and Andy, I think, are brilliant. What I loved was just seeing the human connection in the studio, when they’re telling these stories, and they’re listening to the stories. The re-enactments are almost like a bonus. They’re just this really fun, epic, additional layer. And when the opportunity arose to bring it to the States and turn it into a show, it just seemed like Randall Park is the ideal co-host. It has been as much fun as I hoped. It has just been an absolute blast to make this show.
In other words, Randall, you didn’t lose a bet and get forced into this pairing somehow?
PARK: Oh, no. I was unfamiliar with the Australian show, but when I got a call from Ed and his team to be a part of it, I watched as many episodes of the Australian version as I could, and I was blown away by the heart in a lot of these stories. Just the thought of being able to sit down with Ed, who I’ve been a fan of and just loved for so long, and to just hang out with him and listen to these incredible stories from all these different people, it was such a no-brainer. I was like, “I’m in.”
Since you guys are in the same room for this, and you’re sitting in chairs in front of whoever is telling the story, how much thought went into things like what the room would look like, what would be behind you, what the chairs would be, and the jackets that you’re wearing. Was there a lot of conversation about all of that?
HELMS: The answer is yes. There was a lot of thought that went into the production design and even our wardrobe on the show. We wear these velvet blazers. Really, the intention was to honor the story and honor the connection that we wanted to build in that space. It’s a formal setting in a way, but the production design is inviting, like a living room or a library. It just feels like a place where you wanna sit and hear some stirring narratives. We wanted it to feel cozy too. It’s about listening, for us. It’s really about getting the juicy bits of these stories out of people.
PARK: On our blazers, if you look close, there’s an insignia on the pocket with an ear design on it. It’s just basically because these jackets are listening jackets. We are here to listen and to take what you’re sharing. That kind of formality and elevating these stories from everyday people is just this great gift, not just for them, but for us.
We hear that a big part of acting is reacting. Could you ever have imagined that this is how you would use those acting skills? What did you take from getting to really experience these stories with these people?
PARK: Gosh, I didn’t even look at it as acting.
HELMS: Exactly. None of my acting muscles were at work here. It’s just being in this space with these storytellers. I’m not sure if we made this clear before, but when we sit down with these storytellers, Randall and I have never heard the story. We’ve never even met the storyteller. It’s all fresh and brand new, and that keeps us on the edge of our seat. It keeps us excited to hear what’s next and engage. I think that really comes across. The honesty and spontaneity of the interaction is part of what’s so fun about it.
Are you then not doing any retakes either, so that you don’t have to pretend to be surprised to hear something for the third time?
PARK: No, never.
HELMS: No, they tell the story once. We’re listening to the story and always digging for more clarity throughout the process. What you wind up seeing is actually a very condensed, cut-down version because we go on a lot of tangents.
PARK: We ask a lot of questions, and we ask for more clarity. Sometimes to visualize the setting better, we’ll say, “Tell us a little bit more about that place. Tell us a little bit more about that person. What do they look like?” It’s just questions we have.
HELMS: Maybe we’ll release the unedited versions as a podcast or something. Some of these stories are so rich and detailed and complex, that we just didn’t have the time to get into in the show. What we wound up with is still amazing and fun, but there are just so many layers to these things.
Ed, I loved another series you recently did, Rutherford Falls. That was also a lot of fun and a really unexpected show. What was it like to hear the reaction to that show, and what are you looking forward to with Season 2?
HELMS: Thank you for saying that. I am so, so proud to be a part of Rutherford Falls. I’ve been really overwhelmed by the response to the show. We just set out to make something that was really, really funny and also honest about some tricky issues, and we had a ton of fun doing it. We’re actually shooting Season 2 right now. I came from set to be here. It’s bonkers. All I can say is, go binge season one right now because you’re gonna wanna be all caught up to jump into Season 2. It’s gonna be a blast.
Randall, as someone who worked at a Blockbuster, at one point in my life, I am very curious about the series you’re doing that’s set at Blockbuster. What made you want to do that? What can we expect from that?
PARK: I never worked at a Blockbuster. I was a member, I had the card. But I did work in a video store, out of high school. I have a lot of fond memories of that time. I miss going to Blockbuster, just looking at boxes of these movies and flipping through them. I could spend hours doing that. And so, when the project came to me, I read the script and saw the people involved, and it just seemed like such a fun show to be a part of. Right now, we’re gearing up to start shooting, we’re still casting and it’s all coming together, but I’m very excited.
It seems like for True Story, there are endless amounts of people with stories. Are you hoping to do more episodes of this show?
HELMS: I will be honest with you, I hope that we are doing this show for the next 20 years. I love this show so much and it’s so fun. It’s barely work. Randall and I get to just show up and sit down with these amazing, hilarious or poignant people and just get into some really fun stuff.
PARK: Yeah, there’s no better gig. I also hope it keeps going. There are so many stories. As we’ve learned, just from shooting this first season, there’s just so many stories. Even people who are the most unassuming people, you sit them on that couch, and they start telling their story, and you’re just in it, and they become the most fascinating people. There’s an endless well of really great stories because we all have those wild stories from experiences and things to share. I would just love to keep hearing more.
I’ve only seen the first two episodes, but it feels like the living embodiment of truth is stranger than fiction and that you should never judge a book by its cover.
HELMS: Right. To Randall’s point, we all have these stories and that’s why, when people make themselves vulnerable enough to share them, there’s such a strong connection there. We felt connected to each and every storyteller. I think audiences will also feel that connection, and laugh and cry and just be excited with each story. It’s fun.
True Story with Ed and Randall is available to stream at Peacock on January 20.