The Orville is a comedy/sci-fi adventure that fans are loving. In fact, the show just announced that it is moving to Hulu for its upcoming season. The show stars Seth MacFarlane, Halston Sage and young Kai Werner as Ty Finn, the youngest son of Dr. Claire Finn. YEM spoke with Kai about his role no the show and much more!
Young Entertainment Mag: How did you first get involved in acting?
Kai Wener: As a toddler, I used to mimic the characters and dance to a lot of the shows on Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. By the time I was about 5 years old, I started working with my first Theatrical and Commercial Agent, who started sending me out on some cool auditions.
Photographer: Birdie Thompson
YEM: You are a cast member on The Orville! What is it like to be a part of the show?
Kai: I am the youngest cast member on the show and being a part of The Orville is really a dream come true. Everyone from the cast and crew make it so much fun to look forward to filming each episode that I am on. I also get to work with some really successful people in this industry like Seth MacFarlane, who created the show, as well as Penny Jerald-Johnson, Chad Coleman, Scott Grimes, and Adrianne Palicki to name a few, so I’m always trying to watch and learn when I can.
YEM: Do you like being a part of a science fiction show in outer space?
Kai: Absolutely! The Orville has the best special effects, make-up artists and wardrobe team! I love being on set and seeing all of the cool aliens that are on the show. On top of that, I’ve learned that science fiction fans are some of the best fans out there. They are so loyal to the show and so supportive of my character!
YEM: Your character is Ty. Do you think you are like Ty or different from him?
Kai: I think I’m a lot like Ty! Loveable, adventurous, brave, likes to learn new things and most of all loves our families the most! Yeah, that pretty much sums up Ty and Kai.
YEM: So The Orville got renewed for a third season! Will you be appearing in Season 3 of the show?
Kai: Oh my goodness, I was SO happy when it was announced that Season 3 was picked up! We were waiting to hear something for like FOREVER! It’s still a little early to know exactly how many episodes I can possibly appear in since we are on hiatus, but I’m definitely looking forward to filming in the Fall. In the meantime, I am enjoying the Summer and I have been able to keep working with The Orville’s Director, Jon Cassar, on a new show called “The Flare / What Just Happened” that is created by Fred Savage. This new show will begin airing on FOX as well, for their summer line up at the end of June.
YEM: Finally, if you could guest star on any show, what would it be and why?
Kai: I would love to do some cartoon/animation voice over work! It would be so cool to be a guest star on “Teen Titans Go!”, which is my favorite cartoon. I would love to be the voice of one of the Super Heroes or even an evil Villain!
