Move over Ted Lasso, because Apple TV+ is introducing another comedy series that’s bound to be a hit. Premiering June 24, Loot stars Maya Rudolph as Molly Novak, a mega-rich Californian who discovers that she owns a charity foundation following her divorce. Joel Kim Booster, Nat Faxon, and Ron Funches star as three of the foundation’s employees and they spoke to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY in a joint interview about the new show.
Joel Kim, who plays Molly’s personal assistant Nicholas, said that an “interesting message” about wealth is at the core of Loot. “They [creators Matt Hubbard and Alan Yang] created this beautiful Trojan horse about the nature of wealth and how empty materialism can be and how it doesn’t bring you happiness,” he told us. “I think a lot of people expect this show to be wealth porn at its core. But at the end of the day, I think it’s a really smart critique on wealth and what it can do to a person.”
Nat, who plays mild-mannered accountant Arthur, believes that the ensemble cast — which also includes Michaela Jae Rodriguez as the no-nonsense Sofia Salinas —is a perfect mix of personalities that viewers will easily connect with. “It’s very much about relationships and human connection. And I think that’s always needed when people are trying to find something to watch, is something they can identify and relate to,” Nat said. “I think that’s one of its best qualities.”
Ron, meanwhile, had no issue getting into character as Molly’s overly enthusiastic, pop culture-obsessed cousin Howard. “To be honest with you, I thought they had taken some of the things from my life and from my standup and put it into the character,” the famous comedian told HL. “Some of it I found out was just coincidence, it very much relates to Howard and him and his interests.”
Unsurprisingly, all three men absolutely loved working with Maya on set. Nat said that her performance made Molly, who seems unlikeable at a first glance, “relatable and identifiable.” Joel Kim explained how he learned to “be a leader” while working under the four-time Emmy Award winner.
“I saw her working and leading not only us as a cast, but the crew. It was really remarkable to see someone step into that kind of role and do it well,” Joel Kim said about Maya. “She didn’t swallow up the show, as much as she’s the star, she really made space for all of us to shine as well. She did such a wonderful job of leading us.” Loot premieres June 24 on Apple TV+.