[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Bad Monkey Season 1, Episode 5, “That Damn Arm Is Back.”]
Bad Monkey continues to raise the stakes as Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn) and medical examiner Rosa (Natalie Martinez) become more ensnared in Nick Stripling’s (Rob Delaney) disappearance.
After leaving his phone behind in an attempted murder of Yancy, Nick believes he and his wife Eve (Meredith Hagner) are on the road to freedom, but with Rosa’s help, Yancy is hot on the fugitive couple’s trail by the end of the latest episode, “That Damn Arm Is Back.” Seeking ways to unlock the phone, Yancy and Rosa take their budding relationship to the next level by hiding out at her family’s house, giving viewers and Yancy a closer look at Rosa’s life.
As she continues to put her life on the line for his unsupported investigation into Nick Stripling, Rosa’s limits are tested as she conveys annoyance with some of Yancy’s methods. So, what keeps pulling her into the action? Star Martinez opens up about building the onscreen dynamic between Rosa and Vaughn’s Yancy, how improv made it into the comedy series’ scenes, and what it was like collaborating with series creator Bill Lawrence.
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Rosa and Yancy’s relationship continues to get deeper and deeper each week. What has it been like building that bond onscreen?
Natalie Martinez: I got along with Vince right off the jump. I came in when they were already shooting and everyone was in their groove and I was welcomed with open arms, which made the experience so much better. It was fun developing into it because I feel like Rosa and Yancy go head-to-head. She’s one of the first people who gives what he gives, and I think it makes it a lot of fun to watch. He’s just such a playful and giving scene partner that it is easy to develop that relationship on camera because we got along, and I think the material written by Bill Lawrence is so clever and just made our job really easy.
The scenes between your characters come across so naturally. Is improv allowed when filming, or do you stick to the scripts?
It’s both. We read what’s written in the script and then Vince always has a go at it and adds his Vince magic to everything and you’ve just got to be ready to play ball. You’ve got to come prepared. And what I loved about it is that Bill Lawrence made it such a safe environment. He welcomed whatever it was that we wanted to create for our characters. We had a lot of liberties with that, so we did everything that was scripted and then we’d be able to go back and forth if I wanted to add something. It wasn’t one of those shows where it’s just what’s on the page, which I think gives it that authentic kind of feel because we’re really vibing at that moment.
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What was it like digging into Rosa’s family dynamic?
Being able to shoot in South Florida adds a certain tone to the show because it’s authentic throughout the whole show for everything. But I think the fact that they shot there and then on top of that, they cast Cubans to play my family… my mom and dad are both from Miami, both Cuban, we know common people together. It was kind of a trip. And then my sister has a history in Florida as well, and I was able to bring in that kind of language. In Miami, we speak a certain way that’s very unique, and I think it was helpful that all of us have a background there to aid that storyline.
But we just got along so great. One of the biggest scenes is us eating at the dinner table, and they actually made really good food on set that day, so we were really eating. Normally you don’t eat, normally you pick a fruit or something like that. We were eating rice and beans and plantains and we were very loud. We’re a very loud culture, so just talking over each other was a lot of fun and everyone was just really excited to be a part of this project. I think overall what you’re going to get from this show is you’re just going to see people happy.
Why is Rosa so willing to bend the rules for Yancy and his investigation?
I think what she’s going through is she loves what she does and she finds great value in it, and it’s investigative in its own ways, [but] she has that bug in her where she’s curious and needs to know the truth, and I think that’s what she and Yancy have in common. They both are truth seekers and she’s felt a little lull in her career at the moment. She feels a little stuck and unhappy where her life is; she’s this young, vibrant person yet this career is weighing upon her. So when Yancy comes around with his campy humor and his lightness, I think it gives her a breath of fresh air. He’s so willing to do anything to seek the truth. I think she has a little bit of that inside of her as well. They’re kind of unstoppable.
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You mentioned working with Bill Lawrence. What was that experience like?
It’s just great. Especially watching Bill and Vince on set together. They ping-pong off each other so much and create things in the moment. We’ll be doing scenes and all of a sudden Bill’s like, “No, we need this and that.” And Vince is like, “Okay, why don’t we do this?” And all of a sudden this magical scene just pops up out of thin air and you’ve just witnessed brilliance. I saw Bill do that a lot where he’ll come in and just bring this energy on set, which moves the whole scene. I am a huge fan of Bill Lawrence’s even more so now. And like I said, he made it very welcoming and safe for it being my first real major comedy. I think it was a great fit because I have [a similar] sense of humor. I feel very fortunate and honored to be on a show with those two.
Bad Monkey, New Episodes, Wednesdays, Apple TV+
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