Stephanie Beatriz: If that is true in any way, shape or form, it is very much due to Mike [Schur] and Dan [Goor], David [Miner], Craig [Zisk], Phil [Lord] and Chris [Miller], because they cast it.
Melissa Fumero: Yes. I think in addition to having these brilliant, smartest people I've ever met in my life, people behind the scenes, I think we're all really effing lucky that basically, as soon as we all met and were in in a room together, everybody just jelled and really got along and made each other laugh and we started having fun from day one. And that has just continued to grow week by week and it's amazing. We honestly, no lie, dig each other a lot. On the way here today, we were all texting each other.
Beatriz: "Where are you? What are you doing?"
Fumero: [Laughs] Giving a play by play. "What are you wearing?" So I think that's just bringing the work up and up, especially because we have that ad-lib, improv element to it. We're just having a frickin' blast on set.Beatriz: Yes, plus everybody seems very... Whenever you talk to any one of them -- Andy [Samberg], Terry [Crews], Andre [Braugher] -- these guys that have had major careers, they all are very grateful for what they've had and so that resonates. It goes to the rest of us around them. You can't help but be grateful when you have Andre Braugher standing across from you going, "This is great! I just love working with you all and being around you all and having a good time!"
Fumero: Yeah, no one can show up to set and be a jerk if friggin' Andre Braugher and Andy and Terry are the most gracious people...
Beatriz: None of them are jerks! They all have a good attitude. [Peretti walks over] Hello! Would you like to join us?
Fumero: Would you like to join us?
IGN: Join us!
Fumero: You know you want to... Do it!
Chelsea Peretti: Sure!
Beatriz: "We are joined by Chelsea Peretti..."
IGN: I was saying to Melissa and Stephanie that I felt Brooklyn Nine-Nine began particularly strong for a new comedy series. You've worked behind the scenes before on shows, including as a writer on Parks and Rec. Did you feel like everything clicked in quickly on this one?Peretti: Yes. I definitely felt like it was a very magical feeling. Very smooth. Obviously, this show benefited so much from Parks and Recreation and just Mike and Dan getting to have so much experience in creating a show like this. So you felt it. It wasn't, like, sweaty. The pilot was so smooth that you're just like, "This feels unheard of."
IGN: The characters are very distinct. Has it been fun to learn new little quirks about them as you go along?
Fumero: Yes!
Beatriz: Yes, definitely!
Fumero: The answer is yes. [Laughs] When you're an actor and you're playing a new character and you're building this new person, it's like every time you get a little morsel of new information, you're like [mimes devouring something].
Beatriz: You're just flying by the seat of your pants going, "Okay, well, this is this episode and I know what happened in the pilot, so I guess I'll just build on what I think... And then when they give you more information, you're like, "Oh, oh, that's why I do that that way, because of this weird thing in my past," or this weird relationship that I have with this other character. It's like reading another little chapter every week.IGN: It's always fun on an ensemble show like this to figure out different character combinations and feel the different energy bouncing various characters off each other can bring.
Beatriz: We had an excellent one this week!
Peretti: Yeah, we just this week got to do one where we three got to bond a little bit and it really was fun. I really did feel bonded with you! [Laughs]
Fumero: I know! Chelsea was sneaking up and taking ninja pictures of me. Taking pictures of the back of my head in-between scenes and the back of my ear and then texting them to me...
Peretti: You've got to keep yourself entertained between takes!
Continue to Page 2 as Fumero, Beatriz and Peretti talk about the storyline that brings their characters together, Diaz’ home life and more.IGN: Anything you can say about the storyline and what brings these three together?
Peretti: Gina has a problem and she doesn't want to turn to them, but she is encouraged to by Captain Holt.
Fumero: If you've got a problem, yo, I'll solve it!
Beatriz: Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it!
Fumero: Yes!
IGN: [Laughs] We haven't really gone home with the Brooklyn Nine-Nine characters yet. Have you thought about the home life for your characters? Stephanie, you in particular, that's somewhat of a loaded question, I know...
Fumero: I'm dying to see Rosa's apartment!
Beatriz: Dude, you and me both! I've thought of many combinations of scary things in my head. And also the complete opposite. Like what if it was all pink and beautiful?
IGN: Lots of stuffed animals...
Beatriz: Yeah and posters of Dolly Parton. Who knows, right? Don't know!
Peretti: Or all white, minimalist, with nothing in it and it's so cold. And it's like, "Where do you sleep?" "...I dunno."
Beatriz: "I don't need to tell you. You don't need to know where I sleep."Fumero: [Laughs] Even the apartment is a mystery! We can't figure out the apartment.
Peretti: "Where's the bathroom?"
Fumero: "Where's your kitchen?"
IGN: You mentioned earlier doing improv. How much is there on this show? Do you throw in a couple of lines or do you go on little runs?
Fumero: A little bit of everything.
Peretti: Some of it depends on the director, honestly. Some of them are really into fun runs, which is what they call it when we get to do it, like Parks and Rec. You do the scripted version and then they let you do a fun run at the end and some people are more into just doing lots of takes of the scripted version. But I think we all enjoy it when we get to play around.
Fumero: And it's also a big collaboration with the writer, whoever the writer is that week too. Sometimes it's half fun run, have figuring new stuff out with the writer or with Andy or whoever you're in the scene with. "Oh, let's do that!" or "Yeah, let's try this!" It's just kind of playing all the time.
Peretti: There is a fair amount of improv.
IGN: What's it like doing the -- and I'm curious what your term is for it -- but those quick "Cut tos"?
Beatriz: Oh, like the little flashback things that go, "Shhhk!"?IGN: Right! Are those super fun or super weird or both to film, since they're so out of context?
Peretti: Yeah, because they'll be [inserted] in the middle of scenes, so you're putting a pause, kind of, and then continuing the scene. So it's a weird, artificial thing when you're shooting the scene that that flashback is within. You have to keep in mind what's happening.
Beatriz: You go, "What do you think?" [Long pause as she stares forward] "...I think you look great."
Fumero: Yeah, and then when you shoot the flashback part, it's always so short and then we usually play around with the flashbacks a lot. I feel like there's a lot of improv and ad-libbing that happens, because they're seconds long. They're so short.
Peretti: They're so funny and there is so much done to create those. I remember the one where Captain Holt is the vintage Captain Holt... It was such a process with the costume and the hair and all this stuff, but then it pays off.
Fumero: It's like two seconds!
Beatriz: But it does pay off, for sure.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine airs Tuesdays at 8:30pm on FOX.Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @EricIGN, IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman.
