What was it like to be on set working with The Good Place cast as they filmed their final season? Brandon Scott Jones said it lives up to its name!
Jones joined The Good Place cast in 2019 as a new character John Wheaton on Season 4. He sat down with AfterBuzz TV hosts Shiksha Mahtani and Samantha Jacobs on The Good Place after show to discuss what his experience was like. He told us about his experience working with the creator and actors of the show, his favorite memory from the show, the advice he was given by Kristen Bell, and the advice he would give fellow actors just starting out.
The Good Place
Jones revealed that on his first day on set, he had no idea what was going on. He was only given the pages of the script containing his lines, and so, he didnt have much context to go off of.
Luckily, his first episode was directed by none other than Michael (Mike) Schur, the creator and mastermind behind The Good Place. Brandon said Schur was nice, patient, smart, fun, and easy to work with. Mike had to explain the scenes to Brandon as they went along, seeing as Brandon was both new and unaware of what was going on in the show.
I have nothing but amazing, just like I, I know him probably the least out of everybody, you know, but I can already tell you that everybody on that set really respected him, and hes just the best, said Jones. Hes so funny, and yeah, hes just cool. I wanna be Mike Schur!
When asked what his favorite part about working with the cast was, he described how welcoming the cast was to him when he first started. He shared that he has been friends with DArcy Carden Janet on the show for many years, and so he wasnt worried about having someone help show him around. But as it turned out, he didnt need it, because everyone on the show was very warm, open, and welcoming.
When I showed up, it was almost as if, like, I had felt like I had been there for a while, he explained. Everyone just was so kind, and so, so genuine. It truly was one of the best things.
THE GOOD PLACE Chillaxing Episode 403 Pictured: (l-r) Brandon Scott Jones as John, Jameela Jamil as Tahani (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)
Jones went on to tell us about his favorite night on the show the evening they filmed the Pictionary scene in season 4.
It was like a beautiful night out and we were all like cozied up in this, like, little, like, area, and I remember, I think I turned to Darcy and I was just like I think this is, might be the happiest Ive ever been, he recalled.
Although initially surprised by how nice everyone was being, he told us that he later realized they werent just being nice, they actually were just really nice people. He was especially grateful to Carden for helping integrate him into the show, once he had gotten the part. He shared how meaningful it was for her to be there with him on this journey, and complimented her on how well she makes everyone feel comfortable around her.
Jones reflected on the best advice he learned while on this experience.
He said, the biggest lesson, wasnt necessarily like a one liner, but it was more like, actions speak louder than words, and just like be welcoming, be kind, and like put that karma out there, you know.
He then felt it was important to share a small piece of advice Kristen Bell had given to her cast members.
Dont be, like, late to set, and then not know your lines, he remembered her saying.
Jones made it clear that the advice was not directed at him though!
We asked him if he had any advice he wished hed been given when he was just starting out.
The advice would be to trust your gut, which is weird, and, because its still something Im trying to learn, and that, um, to, and to be kind to yourself, he shared,
Jones cleared up that he would give that advice to anyone starting out in any industry. It applies everywhere. Thanks for the great advice Brandon!
Overall, Brandon was grateful for his experience on The Good Place and said, It is one of the best experiences, like let alone jobs, but best experiences of my life was being with them. It was really awesome.
To catch the full interview, click on the link above.
To watch Brandon play some fun Good Place related games, click here.
