Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Sterling Point.
Sterling Point is one of the best new shows this year, and it quickly became a top series on Prime Video after its debut. After a season full of unexpected twists and turns, and a handful of unanswered questions, the good news is that it will be returning for Season 2, with more family drama, more romantic entanglements, and more friendships that you hope will last a lifetime. If you have yet to check it out (I mean, get on it! What are you waiting for?), the first season of the drama follows 17-year-old Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin) as she leaves her life in New York City behind to understand why she inherited an island in Canada from a grandfather she never knew. While there, she uncovers family secrets she never could have imagined, turning her twin brother (Keen Ruffalo) and their adoptive father’s (Jay Duplass) lives upside down in the process.
But that’s not all. While on the island, Annie finds new friends, budding romance with two different guys, and a sister she didn’t know existed. Sure, the love triangle is enticing, as Annie tries to figure out whether her heart lies with Rory (Daniel Quinn-Toye), who she knows from her life in New York, or Ellis (Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie), an island local who calms her in a way that’s unfamiliar and new. But the real love story is between Annie and her newly discovered sister Ramona (Amélie Hoeferle), who was also blindsided by the revelation, as the two get to know each other and fill in the gaps of their own family mysteries.
In this exclusive Collider Signature in-depth conversation, Megan Park, the showrunner of the coming-of-age series about messy first loves, digs into creating the world of Sterling Point and how her own experience as an actress shaped how she wanted to collaborate with her cast. During the interview, she discusses what it was like to bring her younger cast together, the character she was most worried about casting, the atmosphere she wanted to create on set, navigating Annie’s relationships with both Rory and Ellis, and wanting to create a first kiss moment that was as epic as <em>The Notebook</em>. Park also teases her approach to Season 2, whether there will be as many twists, what could be next for the characters, and the movie that she’s focusing on making now.
Megan Park Started ‘Sterling Point’ Without Knowing Where the Story Would Lead Her
“I just start at page one and I’m like, ‘I don’t know where this is going. Let’s see what happens.'”
Image via Prime Video
COLLIDER: First of all, I have to tell you that I found everything about this TV series just perfect. I want to live in this town and be friends with all of these people.
MEGAN PARK: Yeah, that was the goal. That’s awesome.
From the setting and the scenery to the characters and the cast playing them, to the way the story unfolds, this feels like it was made by somebody who is confident in the story that they were telling and the story in the show that they’re making. So, were you? Did you just know exactly what you wanted this to be?
PARK: Not at all. I wrote the pilot on my own. I grew up going to Muskoka, so the characters and the world were clear to me. It’s funny, I don’t do an outline and then write it in a format, and all these fancy things. I just start at page one and I’m like, “I don’t know where this is going. Let’s see what happens.” I’ve always been like that. I write my features that way. It drives people nuts, but I don’t know how to work any other way. So truthfully, I knew who these characters were, but I definitely did not know fully where the show was going. I, of course, had some ideas, but that’s where the writers’ room and all these much smarter people in the writers’ room who were far more experienced in making TV came in.
Thank God for them because they taught me so much about story and how to unravel it over eight episodes versus a movie and how to thread all these characters’ storylines together and have the propulsion you need to make a show for people to want to click next. So no, I didn’t know. I didn’t know at all. I just knew who these people were and the broad strokes of the themes. But what they did know was the tone of the show. The voice of the show felt very clear to me, and that was my North star. What I felt like I could provide was always knowing what I wanted that to be. But it really, truly takes a lot of people to make a show.
Shows like this tend to fall into two categories. There are the shows that feel like TV shows. And then, there are the shows that feel like these are real people and we could show up in this place and these people would all exist there. This show really felt like the latter, from the very beginning, which is not an easy thing to pull off.
PARK: Thank you. I love authenticity. That’s always the North star for me with everything.
From when you first conceived of this to the season that we’ve gotten to see now, were there any major changes that evolved that you never would have thought of in the earliest days, but now just can’t imagine the show without?
PARK: Oh, for sure. Oona, for instance, was written very differently on the page. She wasn’t British. But Bo [Bragason] was somebody that came in and was so special. It was like, “Oh, wow! I have to make a character that’s a little bit different to suit Bo.” Obviously, Bo isn’t exactly Oona, but there’s such a special quality to her that I wanted to infuse into the character. So, that was a really fun change. Also, nobody expected Annie to hook up with Rory in Episode 105. That was a last-minute decision where we were like, “Obviously, her first is going to be Ellis. But what if? Annie is the type of girl who doesn’t do unexpected things. What if she went a little crazy on her 18th birthday because she hates birthdays and she hates the thought of it? But she had a good time and had fun and did something that was just super messy, as Ramona says, youthful and doesn’t regret it?” That was something that in the room was fun to explore — just her letting loose a little bit.
What was it like to cast these characters? When you thought of an actor for a role or when you saw someone as a particular character did you just know in every instance? I just can’t imagine anyone else playing these roles.
PARK: I know. It’s funny when you’re working with younger actors or writing a script sometimes when I’m writing like for My Old Ass, I’m picturing older actors for those roles. You can think of actors that you could see playing parts but when it’s all younger actors none of them are really well-known so I never really had a picture of any of them in my mind — it was all a surprise. But once I saw each one of their tapes and met with them it was so instantaneously clear — it wasn’t like “Oh we saw 500 tapes for Annie’s role.” We saw 500 tapes for Annie’s role — as soon as we saw Ella [Rubin], it was only Ella — same for Ramona — we saw 500 tapes for Ramona — it was only ever Amélie [Hoeferle].
This has always been true for me — same for My Old Ass. We saw so many tapes for Elliot then saw Maisy [Stella] — that was it! So yes these people were meant for their roles as soon as we saw them — Amélie’s tape was actually first tape I saw for any character — immediately knew “Wait there’s Ramona.” Then thought maybe just excited because it was first tape but after watching every other tape realized “No! Damn! First tape — there she is.” We cast her easily because they’re so talented — this group of young actors — it’s insane!
Were there any characters that you were worried about casting?
PARK: Ellis was really hard to find — he was actually last character we cast! Jacob [Whiteduck-Lavoie] hadn’t taped during original rounds so hadn’t seen him yet! Ellis is hard because he has likability but also has specific quiet Canadian boy essence which makes casting challenging! Then two days before last day chemistry reads saw Jacob’s tape — thought “Wait there’s something about this kid — he might be one!” Flew him into Toronto read with Ella — second he walked through door said first line remember leaning over writing on casting director’s paper “This is him.” Was getting nervous because had never been unsure hiring someone before! Always knew “There’s Ella! There’s Amélie! There’s Bo!” But with Ellis thought “What if actually hire someone unsure?” Then found Jacob — rest is history!
This character not only has embody what you want but also balance with Rory.
PARK: When we cast Daniel Quinn Toye who is amazing Scottish actor first thought “How find someone? Everyone will be Team Rory!” Needed someone who could rival him because he’s such charismatic young man! Then found Ellis thought “Okay cool!”
Was Connor always meant be funny character? Did develop out how Keen Ruffalo embodied character or always how you envisioned him?
PARK: Every actor brings character alive adding something special which makes process fun! But yes Connor always meant be very funny! Don’t want speak other writers’ opinions but feel everyone enjoyed writing Connor character! Pushed humor limits enjoyed doing so together! Keen inherently likable talented actor — his improv skills are great!
Park Wanted To Give Her Young Cast Everything She Didn’t Have on Set as an Actress
“I feel very protective of all actors but especially young actors …and wanted create atmosphere on set where they felt autonomy …but also had creative input.”
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I first became aware of you as an actor in The Secret Life of American Teenager, which ensemble had bunch younger actors… How did approach working with cast… What did want give them wish had then?
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Sterling Point available stream Prime Video.
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