Pop Culturalist Chats with Foursome’s Jenn McAllister

There’s no greater gift than the ability to make someone laugh and brighten their day. It’s a talent that Jenn McAllister has perfected, combining several of her passions in life. For two seasons, she’s had us in stitches, playing Andie Fixler on the YouTube Red/AwesomenessTV original, Foursome, and she’s back for yet another epic season of this can’t-miss comedy. Along the way, the show has taught us about friendship, self-confidence, and relationships, and has established Jenn as one of the great comedic performers of her generation. Pop Culturalist spoke with Jenn over the phone about what fans can expect this season, how her character has grown, and we finally have the answer to whether she’s Team Jandie or Team Kandie.

PC: Tell us about Andie’s journey from season two into season three?
Jenn: Yeah, even from season one, Andie has had a huge change. She was this really awkward girl who had no experience with guys. In season two, she finds a boyfriend, and in season three, as you can tell from the trailer, she’s deep in this relationship. She’s gone through this transformation and found a lot of confidence in herself.

PC: Can you talk a little bit about the dynamic between Andie, Josh, and Kent in season three?
Jenn: There’s this love triangle relationship between the three. Josh is trying to win Andie back and she has this difficult decision to make. Through the process, she learns a lot about herself and her relationship with both guys. It gets dramatic!

PC: If you had to give Andie a piece of advice, what would it be?
Jenn: Andie learns the piece of advice that I would give her and that’s to focus on her friends. At the start of the season, she’s so deep in her relationship that she sort of ignores then, but in the end, she realizes they are the people who will be there for her no matter what.

PC: Foursome teaches a lot of important life lessons. Which one has resonated with you the most?
Jenn: Hmmm. I would probably say making sure you find the balance between friendships and relationships. It’s hard and that’s the main topic of this season. There are so many life lessons that this show teaches and it does so through comedy, which I love.

PC: As a content creator yourself, have you pitched any ideas to the show runners?
Jenn: I’m really good friends with the creators of the show. They’re so great. While they didn’t know too much about the social media/YouTube world, they did a ton of research since it takes place in current times. Plus, since I’ve done a lot on YouTube (and Rickey Thompson, too), I was able to help with the lingo and terms.. It was cool to see them woven into not only season two, but also season three. So in a way, we helped pitched ideas indirectly.

PC: How much of it is improvised and how much of it is actually scripted?
Jenn: We do a lot of improv on the show. The majority is definitely scripted, but, there are a lot of lines that were improvised. It’s so much fun to have the opportunity to do that. Comedy is hard, but we have a really great group of people working on this show.

PC: There’s a new addition to the foursome this season. How did that change the dynamic on set?
Jenn: Yeah! We have an unexpected new friend. She fit really well with all of us and I think we were a welcoming group. I think her character will be really relatable to a lot of the fans who watch this show.

PC: What’s been the most rewarding part about this journey for you?
Jenn: Filming three seasons has been incredible. I love this show. It makes me laugh and I’m not trying to be biased. It’s been so rewarding to come back season after season. We’re the first show to get a third season on YouTube Red which is really, really cool.

PC: How do you think platforms like YouTube Red and AwesomenessTV have really changed the way we consume media?
Jenn: It’s really interesting. Being on YouTube Red, we have freedom to do and say more than would normally go on TV. It’s a great platform that so many viewers are already using to watch content, so it makes a lot of sense. I’m such a fan of all the stuff that’s been released on YouTube Red.

PC: If we get a season four, where would you like to see your character go?
Jenn: That’s such an interesting question. This season, we filmed the majority of it on an island. It was fun to see the same cast of characters and what their dynamic was like in a different location. We really stepped it up this season and it would be cool to do something similar for season four.

PC: Foursome is a very comedic show, but this season seems like it’s gearing more of a dramatic side. How did you adjust?
Jenn: There’s definitely a lot of dramatic scenes between characters this season. I’ve only ever acted in comedies. It was a completely new style of acting for me and I was excited to dive into it. There’s a different kind of preparation that goes along with drama and I really enjoyed it.

PC: As a content creator, how do you juggle life on set and then making sure that you stay consistent on your platform that you’ve established?
Jenn: It’s definitely challenging. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a show. We’re shooting twelve hours or more every single day for five or six days a week. For me, a lot of prep work before I head to set helps. It takes me about a day to film a YouTube video and a day to edit it. I try and do the best I can. It’s stressful but rewarding to be able to do both.

PC: As a viewer, are you Team Josh or Team Kent?
Jenn: That’s a hard question to answer since I know what happens. I will say that we have the best fans and they’re always creating their own hashtags and ‘ships’. It’s pretty awesome. So, I’m going to go with Team Andie and Courtney because I know the answer to the other question.

Photo Credit: AwesomenessTV

PC: How do you think the fans are going to respond when Andie makes that decision between Josh and Kent?
Jenn: I really don’t know. I feel like, from what I’ve seen on social media, it’s pretty split between the two…but as the story unfolds, I think they’ll be happy with the conclusion. There’s a lot of stuff being revealed about all the characters.

PC: If you could play another character on the show, who would you be and why?
Jenn: I would say Courtney because her character is so funny. It’s a role that I would rarely get an audition for, but I think it would be so much fun to step out of my box and play a girl like that.

PC: Besides Foursome, are there any other projects that you’re working on right now that you can tease?
Jenn: I just wrapped another show called All Night also by AwesomnessTV. It should be out next year. There are a lot of great people involved.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Favorite TV show?
Jenn: Broad City

PC: Favorite book?
Jenn: Ooh. Um, I’m really into female comedian memoirs.

PC: Favorite movie?
Jenn: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

PC: Someone you’d love to collaborate with on your channel?
Jenn: That’s a great question. I usually always vlog with friends and someone I would love to collab with is Shane Dawson.

PC: A quote you live by?
Jenn: I had a teacher who told me “Do what you love and everything else will fall into place”. I think growing up, I was expected to follow a certain trajectory, like going to college, but for what I wanted to do in my life, it wasn’t the right path, and he helped me realize that.

Keep up with Jenn by following her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat (jxnnxpxnn), and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

The complete third season of Foursome is available to binge-watch on YouTube Red today!

Photo Credit: AwesomenessTV