Alanna Ubach and Elisha Henig talk Mythic Quest S4, their mother-son relationship, and being former child actors

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Imagine a world where the stakes are high, the barrier to entry is impossible, and everyday feels like a never-ending quest for survival—and that’s just in the offices. The Apple TV+ workplace comedy series Mythic Quest created by Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, and Rob McElhenney is now in its fourth season! After premiering in 2020, the video game-development centric show has had much success on the streamer and has been nominated for Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, a TCA Award, and Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards.

If you aren’t tapped into Mythic Quest yet, the show follows the fictional video game studio that produces the game ‘Mythic Quest, a popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG, run by the game’s creator and creative director Ian Grimm. The show has a seriously stacked cast that includes Rob McElhenney as Ian Grimm, Ashly Burch, Jessie Ennis, Imani Hakim, David Hornsby, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, F. Murray Abraham, and Naomi Ekperigin, just to name a few. The show is executive produced by Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, David Hornsby, Rob McElhenney, David Gordon Green, Nicholas Frenkel, Michael Rotenberg, Jason Altman, Danielle Kreinik, and Gérard Guillemot from RCG Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, Ubisoft Film & Television, and Lionsgate Television.

Also, there is a much-anticipated anthology series, Side Quest will make its global debut on Mar. 26 with all four episodes. The show will explore the lives of employees, players, and fans who are impacted by the game in an anthology format.

Alanna Ubach: Elisha is such a hang. That’s just the bottom line. He is such a hang. He is the human that you can hang out with and just not really say much. Just do your thing, and you leave each other alone. And that’s just it. He’s so comfortable in his own skin. I’ve never seen anything like it in someone his age. I was a mess at his age. I was just all over the place and very lost. He’s grounded. He is who he is. He makes no excuse and it shows in his work. It’s so much fun to watch and to be a part of.

Elisha Henig: This is an enjoyable experience. The most exciting aspect of taking part in this event was getting to spend time with Elana, as our friendship dates back to around 2020. It’s fascinating how much Elijah, who I met as a puppy then, has grown since then.

AU: You were shorter than me. Do you remember? Which seems impossible to believe. He was like, This little. And he’s just lots of chatter. When we’re in the car together and I thought, Oh, this boy is so sweet. And then all of a sudden, cut to, years go by, and then he’s written this amazing episode, and I meet him, and he just towers over me.

EH: Which is not hard to do. It’s not hard to do at all.

AU: It gave me a protective feeling, which was nice. [Elisha] started acting when [he] were 13, and there’s so much to talk to someone who has that perspective. There’s so much immediately for us to relate about. It’s a very specific experience to be a child actor. Those stage moms that live vicariously through the success of their kids.

EH: We talk a lot about that on set.

AU: All the details of the stage moms in the ’90s and the 2000s.

Elisha, getting out of the child actor world, where you are having to just perform, Now that you’re writing and you’re able to write about your character that’s central to the plot of the story, how was that? What was the writing process and even getting that opportunity to do it for this show?

EH: I’ve always written since being a little kid. This was a way to explore a little bit some of those ideas of being a child actor and the emotional impact it has through this version of this adjacent thing, which is being a streaming gamer. [As a writer], you have a little more control. You feel a little more behind the scenes. You’re sitting with the producers and you’re talking about stuff. That’s nice. Being an actor is very…I don’t like being told what to do. That’s all you get. That’s all it is, being an actor.

Check out a sneak peek of Mythic Quest‘s Season 4 Episode 8 ‘Rebrand’ below:

AU: Really? See, I love being told what to do.

EH: You like being told what to do?

AU: I’m really fond of this. It feels like being placed inside a toy, cranked up, and then set free. Does that make sense to you?

EH: Maybe she’s right. I think I agree with her. I like being told to do.

I find myself constantly caught up in daydreams. In essence, if you give me a task, I’ll likely be lost in my own thoughts instead.

While a guest role, Shannon packs a punch! In Season 4, Episode 5, you’re sitting with Poppy, and you say, “I had a combination Pilates and AA meeting around the corner” and it’s just so funny! The lines are just hilarious. Looking at the scripts prior to actually shooting, what excites you the most? You have these incredible lines to play with.

AU: What excites me the most is the rest of the cast and how she’s this juxtaposition to Charlotte Nicdao’s character. The moment I met Charlotte, I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be funny.’ because she’s so understated and she’s intellectual, and she’s heady, and speaks quickly, and is sometimes unsure of herself. Then you have this, what I like to call them, ‘aggressive fools’ and those are my favorite characters to play. I love aggressive Fools. There’s nothing better. Nothing more entertaining.

EH: That was my nickname in high school. [laughs]

I’d love to know and gain your perspective on the response that you’ve received, whether it’s from people in your circle or even outside of it.

AU: Well, my fan base tends to be between 30 to 45 [years old]. The gamers are really into Mythic Quest, and some of the few gamers that do follow me are all about it. It’s really interesting. People in this business, a lot of actors are huge, huge fans of the show, comedians, because it’s so unique. It’s such a great storyline. The concept is perfect. It has nougat and caramel and nuts and chews and chocolate, and nougat. Did I say nougat? Yeah, it’s got that, too! It’s a very, very unique show.

I was thrilled to be involved with it. One of my earliest experiences outside of academia was conversing with some NYU Tisch students from the gaming department, and they mentioned that they regularly watched a specific show. It’s one of the few media representations of the gaming industry that exists, and it has played a significant role in shaping public perception about the field. Definitely, it serves a valuable function.

You can stream all current seasons of Mythic Quest on Apple TV+.

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2025-03-17 16:57