Ethan Embry Previews His Return to THE TWILIGHT ZONE

CBS All Access’ THE TWILIGHT ZONE returns for a second season on Thursday, June 25, and with the ten new stories, fans will have a new way to experience the episodes: all installments are dropping at once, which means they can be binged in whatever order the individual viewer chooses.

In addition to a star-studded cast—including Morena Baccarin, Kylie Bunbury, Jenna Elfman, Ethan Embry, Sky Ferreira, Tavi Gevinson, Topher Grace, Tony Hale, Gillian Jacobs, David Krumholtz, Thomas Lennon, Sophia Macy, Natalie Martinez, Joel McHale, Chris Meloni, Gretchen Mol, Paula Newsome, Billy Porter, Jimmi Simpson, Jurnee Smollett, Daniel Sunjata, and Damon Wayans Jr.—the new season also includes an episode penned by executive producer/host Jordan Peele.

For Embry, his episode “The Who of You” marks his second time in the TWILIGHT ZONE universe. “I did one of the Forest Whitaker TWILIGHT ZONE [episodes],” he recalls of the 2002 revival. “I was trying to remember what it was that I did [in the episode] and I can only vague memories of it come back. But it’s the frickin’ TWILIGHT ZONE! So you jump at it; I love it.”

And his affection for the franchise pre-dates his experience working on the shows. “I watched THE TWILIGHT ZONE religiously with every other American citizen on Thanksgiving Day,” he shares. “I’d go over my grandparents house and sit there and just soak up the [annual] marathon.”

Despite his connection to an earlier reboot, “I got lucky; this one really came out of the blue for me,” he says.

Though THE TWILIGHT ZONE episodes’ twists are held close to the vest, Embry was able to share a few details about his hour. “I play a rather bitter, struggling actor who believes that he should be doing a lot better—so he’s an actor,” he says with a laugh. “He’s an actor’s actor. And the reason why he’s not succeeding is everybody else’s fault. It’s got nothing to do with him [in his mind]. He makes a poor choice, and in the in the act of that poor choice he stumbles on—or enters—the Twilight Zone.”

But, thankfully, Embry’s real-life experience filming the episode—which co-stars Sunjata and Porter, written by Win Rosenfeld, and directed by Peter Atencio—was nothing but a dream scenario.

“We shot it back in October…the only thing that comes to mind is how great it was working with all of them,” Embry says. “It was very collaborative. Peter, the director, made a really, really great work environment. It kind of got me a little sad, because I know it’s going to be a while before a situation like that happens again.”

“Those environments that they have up on that show are rare enough as it is—where you walk away and you’re just like, ‘Wow, there was there was absolutely nothing to complain about,'” he continues. “It was creative and fun, and the people were good people. There were no egos—that, right there, in Hollywood is rare enough as it is. Knowing that that sort of freedom on a set might be a long way away [due to the current shutdown] made me really appreciate how great it is.”

THE TWILIGHT ZONE, Season Premiere, Thursday, June 25, CBS All Access

RELATED:

• THE TWILIGHT ZONE Season 2 Trailer Asks ‘Do You Know Who You Are?’
• THE TWILIGHT ZONE Season 2 First Look: CBS All Access Releases Photos from Episodes Starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Damon Wayans Jr., Chris Meloni, Billy Porter, and More
• THE TWILIGHT ZONE Season 2 Adds Kylie Bunbury, Topher Grace, Damon Wayans Jr., and More
• THE TWILIGHT ZONE Season 2 Adds Tony Hale, Billy Porter, Chris Meloni, Jimmi Simpson, Gillian Jacobs, and More

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