Exclusive Interview: Anna Konkle and Elizabeth Perkins Talk The Afterparty Season 2

Anna Konkle and Elizabeth Perkins are two of the stars of the critically-acclaimed whodunit series, The Afterparty.

From Academy Award winners Chris Miller and Phil Lord, each episode of The Afterparty is a genre-bending comedy that explores a different character’s account of one tragic event, all told through the lens of popular film genres and unique visuals to match the storyteller’s perspective.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Anna and Elizabeth about Season 2 of The Afterparty, their characters’ dynamic, and more.

Please Note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. We stand in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, and will not be conducting further interviews until a fair deal is reached.

PC: Anna, in addition to the incredible work that you’ve done on the screen, you’ve also written and produced. How have your experiences behind the camera impacted the way that you approach your work on screen and interpret scripts and projects like The Afterparty?
Anna: It took some of the pressure off. I’m such a perfectionist and that’s easier to do on the page than acting. When you’re acting, you have to be present and let go, especially if you’re not editing it. But the freeing thing about making our show was that I learned how important editing and post-production are. At the end of the day, the more that I can get out of my head and the ego part involved with acting, the more I can just tell the story, which is always the goal. But doing that in practice every day on PEN15 helped me put the acting insecurities aside and just tell the story and let that be enough.

PC: Elizabeth, you’ve built such an illustrious tenure in this industry, but The Afterparty is such a unique project where you’re recalling all these events that led to this whodunit murder from the different perspectives of each character, which I imagine is challenging and also rewarding. How different has this filming experience been from your previous work? What did you learn about your craft being a part of this series?
Elizabeth: Being a part of this industry for as long as I have, the reasons you do things evolve. At this stage in my career, it’s, “Do I like these people? Do I like the story that they’re telling? Do I want to spend five months with these people?” It becomes much more of a personal decision as opposed to saying, “I’m doing this for my career.” It’s about how am I going to be personally fulfilled in engaging with this group of people. Do I like them? Do I feel positive? Do I get good energy? The minute that I met Chris Miller, I was like, “He’s one of the best showrunners that I’ve ever worked with in my life.” He’s kind, giving, generous, funny, and down-to-earth. At my age, it’s about whether it’s going to be a good experience for me personally. This was one of the best experiences. We didn’t want it to end because we were all having so much fun. It’s important to me that I spend my days with people that I admire and enjoy, especially Anna.

Anna: We’re so lucky that you said, “Yes!” You upped the show.

Elizabeth: The feeling is mutual!

PC: Anna, each of these characters is the focal point of an episode and that’s often when a lot is revealed about their respective backstories. But we also learn a lot about who these people are through their interactions with each other. Which relationship plays the biggest role in shaping your character’s development?
Anna: Hannah’s mother is the beginning and the end of what makes Hannah tragic and very funny, which is my favorite combination. She’s endlessly yearning for her love and trying to find different ways that she can get it, even though they’re not really the most brilliant ideas.

Elizabeth: Both of our characters are really awkward with each other.

Anna: Yes! That’s so true. They both have horrible people skills in completely different ways.

Elizabeth: Horrible people skills.

Anna: They’re both trying to love each other or receive love. We’re two aliens that are related, which is so fun.

PC: Elizabeth, each episode is told from a different character’s perspective in a genre that reflects their personality. If you told the story of your own life, what genre would it be and why?
Elizabeth: That’s a good question. Probably film noir because as you journey through life you learn that nothing is black and white. When you’re younger, you tend to be like, “It’s this or that.” As you mature, you start to see the different colors and perspectives. I would say that black and white was my journey when I was younger and now I’ve blossomed into color.

Anna: That was so poetic.

Make sure to follow Anna (Twitter/Instagram) and Elizabeth (Twitter/Instagram). Binge-watch Season 2 of The Afterparty on Apple TV+ today.