Pop Culturalist Chats with Speechless’ Mason Cook

Mason Cook may only be seventeen-years-old, but he’s wise beyond his years, and already making huge moves in Hollywood. In 2015, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award for “Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series” for his guest starring role in The Haunting Hour. Currently, he’s entertaining audiences as Ray DiMeo on ABC’s laugh-out-loud sitcom, Speechless, a show that’s tackling important issues with a little bit of humor. Pop Culturalist sat down with Mason to chat about the role, where he’d like to see his character in season three, and how Speechless is representing a community that doesn’t often see itself on television.

PC: Tell us about Speechless and catch us up with everything that’s happened from season one to season two.
Mason: Speechless is one of the comedies in ABC Network’s impressive arsenal of family programming. With shows like Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat, ABC has done an amazing job of putting stories on the air that represent the different types of families in the world today and, now, with Speechless, they are representing the millions of families touched by disability. Typically, that topic is not usually linked with comedy. Most of the time characters with a disability are part of a sad and depressing storyline, but JJ is anything but that. The title, “Speechless,” is equal parts named for the non-verbal aspect of JJ’s cerebral palsy as it is the insane things the DiMeo’s get themselves into that tend to leave the audience “speechless”. With all that said, our show is relatable to all kinds of families, so I encourage people who aren’t necessarily part of the “disabled community” themselves to give it a shot!

Season one spent a lot of time establishing the DiMeo family and their decision to stay in Newport Beach instead of moving again to find a better school for JJ—for the 150th time. It addressed a lot of the daily hurdles people living with a disability experience and how families deal with them. This season, we have really broken down each character and gotten to learn more about everyone. Ray’s promising relationship with his girlfriend, Taylor, has been a big focus of the season. It has been a roller-coaster to say the least.

PC: How similar or different are you to your character, Ray?
Mason: I play Ray DiMeo, the perfectionist and high-strung middle child of the DiMeo family who lives in a world of chaos, usually a result of his mom’s extreme efforts to provide JJ with quality of life and his family’s general lack of order. As the “self-appointed” adult of the family, he struggles to bring calm to the storm, which more often than not makes more problems than it solves. My family is probably the polar-opposite of the DiMeos. Personality-wise, Ray and I are very different, but do have some similarities. While he lacks self-confidence and I have always been pretty solid in that, we do share the character trait of persistence. No matter how many awkward situations Ray ends up at his own doing, he keeps trying, which is a great message to send.

PC: You’re heading into the final week of filming for season two, what can you tease about what fans should expect?
Mason: That is a very crafty way of trying to get spoilers, but you can’t fool me! [laughs] I could tell you everything, but then I would be unemployed! We are currently filming the season finale episode and I will say it wraps up some storylines very nicely, but there is also a BIG cliffhanger to play out in season three. Hopefully we will be back in the fall so our fans aren’t left hanging!

PC: If you could write a storyline for your character Ray for season three, what would it be and why?
Mason: The on-going joke with Ray is that the harder he tries to succeed—whether it’s with friends, school, girls, etc.—the harder he fails. That is who he is. He puts a ton of pressure on himself to be perfect, which is common with siblings of people with disabilities. I think it would be great to see all of Ray’s struggles result in something really great happening for him, like, getting into a great college, since that is something he stresses about regularly. Not only would it be good for Ray, but it would be good for Mason because I could get a spin-off! Hint hint.

PC: Describe your cast mates in one word:
Mason:

• Minnie: Ace! It’s the British word for awesome.
• John: Witty
• Micah: Sincere
• Kyla: Troublemaker
• Cedric: Smooth

Photo Credit: Ted Sun // Groomer: Crystal Tran // Stylist: Philippe Uter

PC: What has been your favorite scene to film and why?
Mason: I get asked that a lot, but it is a tough question to answer! A few scenes stand out, though. The pilot had a great scene where Ray and his mom, Maya, go head-to-head and you really see their different perspectives of their lives. That scene set the stage for Ray’s growth as a character. Another great scene is commonly referred to as the “Bulletproof” scene. Ray and his dad, Jimmy, who have had a BUNCH of great scenes together, are pulling another ridiculous DiMeo stunt that ends with a conversation about remembering what is important in life and why you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. It is one of the scenes that defines our show—hilarious, then makes you cry, leaves you with a lot to think about, and then makes you laugh again. We are not your typical network comedy. “Bulletproof” is a fan favorite and a Mason favorite as well.

PC: While the show is comedic, it brings awareness to sensitive issues that people with disabilities and their families face. Have you had any fan interactions or seen the impact that the show has had?
Mason: Oh man! Our fans are the best. They are loyal, supportive, and love to give us feedback. It is no coincidence that Speechless gets “it” right when telling the stories of families like the DiMeo’s in a hilarious and relatable way. Our show is based off the real-life experiences of our creator/executive producer, Scott Silveri. Scott’s older brother, Gregory, had cerebral palsy like JJ on the show. My character, Ray, is based off Scott, which makes it both a really fun and really important role to play in Speechless. No pressure!

I can’t tell you how many tweets, DMs, and Instagram comments the cast and I have received from viewers thanking us for bringing their story to television—so many have kids with disabilities who have never seen anyone on TV they can relate to. As crazy as some of the DiMeo family situations are, these things really happen in families like theirs! It is insane and gives you a whole new understanding of what life is like for those living with a disability.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Mason: Grey’s Anatomy

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Mason: Bridesmaids

PC: Favorite book?
Mason: Ready Player One

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Mason: Dear Evan Hansen with my bud, Ben Platt

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Mason: Instagram

PC: Last person you texted?
Mason: That’s top secret [laughs]

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Mason: Logic 24-7

PC: Hidden talent?
Mason: I can do the worm!

Make sure to follow Mason on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and check out Speechless every Wednesday on ABC at 8:30/7:30c.

Photo Credit: Ted Sun // Groomer: Crystal Tran // Stylist: Philippe Uter