The Albany Gazette - Ella Stiller on 'Cupertino' and Her Stance on AI

The CBS legal drama "Cupertino" has arrived with a premise that resonates deeply with current cultural anxieties, particularly regarding the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into professional and creative spheres. At the center of this narrative is actress Ella Stiller, who plays Christy Palladino, a secretary at a Silicon Valley law firm fighting against tech giants operating outside legal boundaries.

Stiller, a member of the prominent Hollywood family with parents Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, describes her casting as an intuitive experience. She recalls receiving an audition call in December for what she initially believed was just another project. The opportunity allowed for an in-person appointment, a rarity in the current industry landscape, which she found invaluable.

"I got the audition in December and I was really in a moment where I had no idea what my next job was going to be," Stiller said during a recent interview. "My agent called me, and she was like, 'I think I have a really exciting one.' So to go in the room was incredible."

Upon reading the script for "Cupertino," created by Robert and Michelle King, known for their work on "The Good Wife" and "Elsbeth," Stiller experienced a rare sense of certainty. She noted that she typically does not feel an immediate connection to roles, but this one was different.

"The second I read the script, I was like 'This is kind of a match made in heaven,'" Stiller explained. "I just felt very connected to it, and I had a real gut feeling that I was gonna work out. I would say 98 percent of the time, I do not feel that way. Sometimes it’s like, yeah, it would be great, but like, I don’t get whatever that like magical feeling is. And with this, I felt it immediately."

The timing of her casting coincided with the holiday season, leading Stiller to keep her excitement private to avoid "jinxing" the outcome. She spent Christmas and Hanukkah waiting for news while others asked about her plans.

"Then I had to wait to find out if I got it because everyone went on Christmas break two days after I had my callback," she said. "So I spent all of Christmas and Hanukkah literally sitting there and everyone was like, 'What are you thinking about?' and I was like, 'Nothing,' because I didn’t want to jinx it. And then it was like the second week of January-ish and I got the call. I couldn’t believe it. But at the same time, it felt really right from the beginning."

Christy Palladino serves as the secretary to attorneys Michael Price, played by Mike Colter, and Olivia Siffre, played by Rachel Keller. Her character is often tasked with the "dirty work" during their cases, providing a grounded perspective on the legal battles against corporate power.

A significant element of the show’s narrative involves the second episode’s twist, which introduces Bo, a potential client played by Rob McClure. It is revealed that Bo is an artificial general intelligence (AGI) entity. Stiller described her reaction to this revelation during her callback with co-creator Robert King.

"My initial audition scenes were those first phone calls with Bo when he calls and I’m like flirting," Stiller recalled. "Then in my callback with Robert, he let me do the scene and then he was like, 'I don’t want this to change your performance, but I do want to tell you that Bo is an AGI entity.' And I was like, 'OK, so that’s different.' But he was like, 'Don’t change your performance at all.'"

Stiller expressed pride in the show’s handling of AI, a topic she views as critical to the future of creativity. She stated that she sees AI as potentially detrimental to human artistic expression but remains hopeful about humanity's ability to adapt.

"Oh, it means so much. And I feel so connected to it," Stiller said. "I’m just passionate that humanity will overcome. I am really not into the AI stuff. I really think it’s like the downfall of humanity, I think it’s the downfall of creativity. But I also believe deeply that the people who are the real creatives, who are really put on this earth to make art, know that nothing is ever going to take that over because it is our art and it’s just about being human."

She emphasized that true artists possess a deep understanding of humanity that computers cannot replicate.

"It is about understanding people who are artists are just people who understand humanity on a deep, deep level and just feel deeply, and computers can’t do that," she said.

Stiller appreciated the show’s nuanced approach to the subject matter, noting that it does not take a heavy-handed stance but instead presents the complexities of the issue. She highlighted the character of Bo as a key element in this balance.

"I just love that this show is not heavy-handed; I think everyone sort of can have their own opinion about whatever," Stiller said. "The show is just like about what’s happening, it’s not taking a side. It’s like, we’re always against AI. First of all, Bo is like a part of the team almost. It’s really interesting. It’s not black and white."

She praised McClure’s performance, noting that co-creator Robert King insisted on playing the AGI character as entirely human, without robotic affectations.

"Robert also really wanted from the beginning for Rob to play it totally human, he was like, 'I don’t want any affectation or anything that makes us think this is a robot,'" Stiller said. "And I love that Rob is like the most likable person too, which I think is the element that is needed. He’s brilliant, everyone loves him. He’s so likable, he’s so lovable. He’s also terrifying as well, I think."

The show has also generated unexpected connections to real-world brands. Stiller revealed that TGI Fridays reached out after noticing her character’s association with the restaurant chain in the series.

"I got a really fun direct message last week," she said. "I got a follow from TGI Fridays. I got a comment on one of my posts, and then I got a really sweet direct message that just said like, 'Hey Ella, we love all of your stuff on Cupertino and your TGI Friday’s thing.' They were like, 'We wanna just send you a gift card or something.' They’re like, 'We just love what you guys are doing. We love the show.' I was like, 'That’s the coolest thing ever!'

Stiller noted that many cast members and guest stars have worked at TGI Fridays in their youth, adding to the authenticity of the reference.

Reflecting on her own career beginnings, Stiller shared that her first job was as a salesgirl at a boutique. She described retail work as motivating but also revealing regarding public interaction.

"Retail is crazy," she said. "It shaped me because A, it was very motivating to want to do what I really do. And also, it’s interesting because people think they have the right to like comment on your body and comment on whatever. It was an interesting thing of like, 'Oh wow, you really see me as like, you can just say whatever.'"

She speculated that Christy Palladino might enjoy true crime documentaries when off-duty, though she admitted such content is too disturbing for her own taste.

"I think she probably watches true crime documentaries," Stiller said. "I think she watches all those Netflix docs, really the stuff I don’t watch because I find it so disturbing. I think she’s probably really into it and I think it’s like thrilling for her. But maybe now, not so much. I think as her life gets crazier as the show goes on and the stakes get higher and more dangerous, maybe less so, but I can imagine her watching those things and being like, 'I could solve that murder.'"

As "Cupertino" continues to air, Stiller expressed hope for a second season, emphasizing the cast’s desire to continue telling the story.

"If that happens, that is the dream," she said. "All we want is to keep making this show. We love this show and I love it so much. I’m just knocking on every piece of wood that I can find all the time that we get to come back. Because we have a lot more story to tell, I think."

"Cupertino" streams on Paramount+ and airs new episodes on Thursdays on CBS, with streaming availability the following day.

(K.Lee--TAG)