Did you know that https://www.metro.us/entertainment/justin-bieber-hailey-baldwin-wedding” target=”_blank”>Justin Bieber has siblings? He does, but since they're the brothers and sisters of one of the world's most popular pop singers, most people probably don't even know that they exist. This is the general idea behind The Other Two, a new https://www.metro.us/topics/comedy-central” target=”_blank”>Comedy Central series from former https://www.metro.us/topics/saturday-night-live” target=”_blank”>Saturday Night Live co-head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. Ahead of the show's premiere on Thursday, Metro spoke to stars Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver about the series.
The Other Two expertly tackles growing up with siblings
The conversation went many directions, but one of the more interesting had to do with the pair's fictional younger brother Chase Dreams, who's played by Case Walker in the series. Most audiences will probably assume that Yorke and Tarver's characters, Brooke and Cary, don't actually like their younger brother Chase. Some might even assume that they're jealous of his sudden stardom. These assumptions are refreshingly wrong.
"I think it's refreshing that that kind of resentment doesn't have a place in the show," says Yorke. "It is something that, when you hear this premise, you would think that some obvious family hijinks are about to go down. Instead, our characters take it as an opportunity to inform their own growth, which has its own selfish aspects. You watch us go through that, as well as certain shades of resentment, animosity and jealousy. But they're never mean about it."
"This obviously comes from Chris and Sarah's writing on the show, which is fantastic," adds Tarver. "Brooke and Cary are probably very jealous of Chase, but they deal with it in a way that most people would in real life. Which is to say, they talk behind other people's backs. You know it's bad, what you're feeling, but you also know that you should be better. Plus, it's our little brother and we're genuinely worried about him. We don't want this to ruin his life, but we also want it to improve ours."
Despite the fact that The Other Two could easily transition into the "hijinks" referenced by Yorke, her and Tarver's characters avoid these pitfalls. Sure, these characters are struggling in their own lives and struggling with the idea that their baby brother is now monumentally more famous and successful than they'll ever be, but they still love him. The premiere episode drives this point with a rather touching scene shared by the three siblings toward the very end.
It should come as no surprise to everyone who tunes in on Thursday that Yorke and Tarver have siblings of their own. Kelly and Schneider's writing on The Other Two definitely lends plenty of credence to the onscreen depiction of familial love, but the actors' performances pull just as much from their own lived experiences.
The Other Two avoids many of the family-centric comedy clichés
"I ended up doing a chemistry read with Drew and we immediately connected as siblings," Yorke explains. "Both Drew and I come from big families. He has two sisters and I have two brothers. So I think connecting as siblings is something that we're both very well-versed in."
"It's because you hang out with your brothers a lot and I hang out with my sisters just as much," says Tarver. "I also have a younger brother who's quite younger than me. It actually helps me out a lot, whenever I'm thinking of Case's character Chase. He reminds me of my little brother a little bit, specifically how I want to take care of him. Plus, my little brother is definitely cooler than me. He drives a Tesla and is awesome. I think he bought that rocket launcher thing, too."
Yorke is quick to correct Tarver by properly identifying his real-life brother's purchase as one of the flamethrowers Elon Musk's Borning Company was selling last year.
"He's basically Elon Musk. My little brother is obsessed with him and wants to buy all of his things," Tarver laughs. "So he's definitely cooler than me. He's cooler than the both of us, just like Case is cooler than us and Chase is cooler than both of our characters."
The Other Two premieres Thursday, Jan. 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.
