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Trying stars tease season 2 of Brit sitcom: 'There's a lot of ups and downs'

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On the hilarious, heart-breaking Trying, Esther Smith and Rafe Spall play Nikki and Jason, a London couple attempting to adopt a child. "We're following the story on from them getting approved to get a kid," Smith says of season 2, which premieres on Apple TV+ May 21. "It's not as easy as they thought."

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Did you click immediately as an onscreen couple?

ESTHER SMITH: We had a chemistry read. It's not a science test. I thought it was a science thing when I was much younger. We met up beforehand just to have a chat and to suss each other out. [Laughs] Luckily, yeah, me and Rafe just really got on.

RAFE SPALL: We share a similar sense of humor, although Esther spends a lot of time laughing at me rather than with me. One of the best things about this show is, a lot of people are aware of my hoary old tricks, but a lot of audiences will be new to Esther.

You both appeared in the same episode of Black Mirror. Did you not meet then?

SMITH: No, we didn't meet then. I have one line, Clark. I play an anaesthetist called Madge and I hop in and I hop out again. I think initially I auditioned for the part that was meant to play opposite him and it didn't get it. I think they, as compensation, were like, "So you want this other part called Madge?" I was like, that's interesting, when I read the script, I do not remember a part called Madge. But it must be very important. I flicked back through and I saw this one line. What are you going to do? I was like, "I'll take it."

Have you received feedback from people who are going through the adoption process?

SMITH: I've had such gorgeous messages from people. I had a lovely message the other day from a couple who were saying they felt so alone with the process, but then seeing this show was just an incredible comfort. It's so nice to be able to wave the flag for that, and to highlight it, because I think it's a subject matter that is not necessarily represented massively. You tend to get stories after the fact rather than during the actual process of it. So, that's been really lovely just to get that feedback and response from people. I get a lot of that and also, where did I get my dress from at the end of series 1? [Laughs]

SPALL: Our showrunner, Andy Wolton, the guy who wrote it, he was adopted himself. That was part of the impetus for him writing the show. He wanted it to be real, and properly researched, and I think he's done a good job of it.

Imelda Staunton plays a social worker who is helping your characters. Did she make you treat her differently after being cast as the Queen on The Crown?

SMITH: Yeah, she sits on a throne and insists we have to bow to her. It's very strange, but we do it. [Laughs]

SPALL: In terms of status, and importance to her industry, Imelda is absolutely a queen. In terms of her personality and naughty sense of humor, she's probably opposite to the Queen in real life.

Rafe, you've done a lot of horror movies, like Shaun of the Dead, and Prometheus, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and The Ritual. Is it nice to be in something where you're not being menaced by aliens or dinosaurs?

Spall: It's really nice to be speaking to the gorgeous Esther Smith in a scene rather than a tennis ball on a stick, I can tell you that.

What else can you say about season 2?

SMITH: There's the whole matching process, there's competition from other parents, there's a lot of ups and downs, and a lot of let downs, and there's a lot of heartbreak.

SPALL: Even thought the second season is about matching, they're still sort of trundling through life trying to do the right thing.

Did you shoot the season after the start of the pandemic?

SPALL: We did. We did. We were one of the first shows back, because we started shooting this last summer. What was it like? Difficult! And expensive, I imagine, because of all of the testing. You sort of get used to it after a while. The big MO is that it doesn't become about not getting COVID. Because you can get consumed by that when you're on set. Obviously, that is extremely important, but you also have to remember that you're there to make a TV show, and you don't want to compromise on the quality, and I don't think that we have. It sort of exists in this utopian non-COVID world. It was quite nice between "Action!" and "Cut!" to pretend that COVID didn't exist.

Trying season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on May 21. Watch the trailer above.

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