Producer Christina Fon and Actress Brittany LeBorgne Talk About Mohawk Girls

What amazes me about doing a podcast is that most people agree to come on and do it in their free time. I sincerely respect that, even when nothing seems to go as planned. 

This episode is one of those as the entertaining comedian Victoria Jackson joins The Staffa Corner Podcast. Little did I know she was having her guest bathroom remodeled, forcing her to interview from inside her car. 

Usually, I’d edit out all the commotion, but she suggested we leave it in. 

I enjoyed talking to such a comedic talent, having appeared in 109 episodes of Saturday Night Live. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

Learn more about Victoria by checking out her website at https://victoriajackson.com

October 23 marked the 14th anniversary of the USA Network series White Collar premiere. The crime drama starred Matt Bomer as talented con man Neal Caffrey. To avoid returning to prison, Caffrey strikes a deal with the FBI to work for them as a consultant. 

The series was created by Jeff Eastin, with the pilot directed by Bronwen Hughes. The series would go on to run for six seasons.

Those familiar with my own story know the part White Collar had on me during some difficult times. I am incredibly grateful to Bronwen for taking time out of her busy schedule to come on The Staffa Corner Podcast.

Growing up, one of my favorite movies was the 1988 film Young Guns, followed by the sequel Young Guns II in 1990. The film starred Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid. 

What I loved about the film was it got me to want to learn more about the real-life characters and the history surrounding the Lincoln County War. Through the years, I've made four trips to visit various sites and final resting places of several key figures. 

When a series about Billy the Kid was announced starring Tom Blyth as Billy, I was immediately on board. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed as season one tells the story of young Henry McCarty, a.k.a. Billy the Kid. The second season, which is currently airing, centers around the Lincoln County War. 

I absolutely love the series' look, so who better to have on than the Set Designer for the show, Evan Spence? Having worked on projects like Fraggle Rock, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Fargo, and others, I was fascinated listening to him talk about what brought Billy the Kid to life. 

My guest this episode is 17-year-old actress Mallory James Mahoney from Disney Channel’s comedy series, This season Mallory’s character has shifted from camper to camp counselor.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Mallory became interested in acting at a very young age. At eight years old, Mallory decided she wanted to try acting in TV/film and ended up landing her very first audition. She has appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movie, "Adventures in Babysitting,” the short film, "Dig," and the 2016 Lifetime holiday movie, "Heaven Sent.”  

“BUNK’D.” Currently airs every Friday on the Disney Channel.

Joining me for this episode of The Staffa Corner is Christina Fon, the producer of Mohawk Girls, along with one of the series stars, Brittany LeBorgne, who plays the sexually curious Zoe. Running for five seasons from 2014-2017, the Canadian series that premiered on OMNI Television is finding new life in the U.S. on the Peacock streaming service. 

 Developed by Tracey Deer and based on her 2005 documentary of the same name, Mohawk Girls is often described as “Sex in the City for Indigenous People.” The series follows the lives of Bailey (Jennifer Pudavick), Caitlin (Heather White), Zoe, and Anna (Maika Harper) as they navigate the ups and downs of life as a young women living on the Mohawk reserve of Kahnawake near Montreal. 

 Full disclosure, until days before the interview I’d never heard of the series. Initially, I had reservations, wondering if a show about four indigenous women in their 20s would have much entertainment value for an old white guy in his mid 40s. As I watched the first two seasons prior to the interview, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the series.  

One of the things I found interesting was the subject of sexuality and the parallels it has to the girls' lives. Zoe, especially as she explores her sexuality, feels the pressure of how her community and even friends might judge her if they learned her secrets. As much as the show deals with sexual topics, it’s not at all gratuitous. 

 My biggest disappointment is realizing a white man crushing on Zoe and Bailey wouldn’t get very far with either of them because it’s frowned upon in their culture.  

There’s an interesting cultural mix as many Mohawk traditions are kept while living in this modern world. As a viewer, you get to learn about the culture without it feeing forced,  

While it likely wouldn’t have been on my radar had it not been for my podcast, Mohawk Girls is an entertaining show. Some of the infighting and bitchiness does take some getting used to but the characters treat their attitude almost like a game. Overall, I enjoyed learning about an indigenous group I was not aware of. 

I want to thank Christine and Brittany for coming on The Staffa Corner Podcast and can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Zoe gets into during the rest of the series. 

Check out Mohawk Girls on Peacock.  

Joining me on this episode of The Staffa Corner is talented actor William “Bill” Sadler. Bill has appeared in films like Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Iron Man 3, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and more. He has countless TV appearances including Roswell, White Collar, The Blacklist, and one of my favorites, God Friended Me.

Despite interviewing countless celebrities, I fully admit I was nervous about recording this episode. Not because Bill’s a Hollywood icon but because in the 27 years since Shawshank Redemption first premiered, he has been asked every possible question about the movie repeatedly. As much as I love the film, there wasn’t anything new I could bring to the discussion. And yet, I really wanted to talk about Shawshank Redemption.

Thankfully, Bill was nothing but an absolute pleasure to interview. I was captivated by his stories involving many of the films I’ve grown to love. From learning how he developed his character Death for Bill and Ted, to events that led to the casting of some of his iconic roles, I was fascinated. I was especially inspired when listening to him talk about being willing to ask questions and take chances on things.

To my delight, Bill was more than willing to talk about Shawshank Redemption. It was an honor discussing the film with a star of perhaps the best film of my lifetime. We dove deeper by talking about the lasting impact, as well as how young people like YouTube influencer Natalie Gold are discovering the film for the first time and posting their reactions online.

Listening to Bill discuss his upcoming film A Stage of Twilight is riveting. The film doesn’t come out until 2023 but the passion in his voice makes me eager to check it out. Perhaps our paths will cross again at some point, maybe a film festival premiere.

A sincere thanks to Bill for joining me on The Staffa Corner, as well as Karina Hjorth who helped connect the two of us

In 2014, I took part in a press call with Brandon Jay McLaren, one of the stars of the hit USA Network series Graceland. During the interview (found here) I let him know while I enjoyed his performance as U.S. Customs agent Dale Jakes I was frustrated with how little screen time he was getting. He assured me a major shift for Jakes was coming. Thankfully, he was right.

Fast forward to 2021, Disney announces Turner & Hooch, a follow-up series to the classic Tom Hanks film of the same name. Airing weekly on Disney+ the series stars Josh Peck as Scott Turner, Matt Hamilton as Trent Havelock, and McLaren as US Marshal Xavier Watkins. When I heard the news, I was excited to see what the series had to offer.  As much as I enjoy the series I found myself with a familiar question - why isn’t there more of McLaren?

So who better to ask than the Canadian-born actor himself. I reached out to McLaren and he was gracious enough to come on The Staffa Corner to talk about the series and my concerns, as well as his career. Once again McLaren put me at ease by assuring me this is only the beginning for his character.

With my concerns appeased I welcomed the chance to catch up with the talented actor. Talking to McLaren is a delight as he sincerely discussed how fortunate he’s been in his career. I especially appreciated hearing the cautious approach he took when offered the role of the Red Ranger on Power Rangers S.P.D.

I’m beyond excited to learn he’s joining ABC’s The Rookie for a multi-episode storyline. Having played various types of law enforcement characters I’m excited to see him on the other side of the law.

I sincerely appreciate McLaren taking the time out of his busy schedule to join me on The Staffa Corner. Hopefully, it won’t be another seven years before our next interview.

To find out more about Reach Within, a charity close to McLaren’s heart, you can visit their website here.

You can also check out Turner & Hooch every Wednesday on Disney+.

Finally, be sure to check out my interview with McLaren’s Turner & Hooch costar Matt Hamilton here.

Matt Hamilton is a talented award-winning actor, having appeared on shows like Arrow and Supernatural as well as countless TV movies including A Wedding to Remember, Holiday Hearts, and The Dating List. His latest project is the new series Turner & Hooch on Disney+. The series isn’t a reboot of the classic 1989 comedy of the same name starring Tom Hanks, but rather a continuation of the story years later.

Matt plays Senior Deputy Marshal in the series which stars Josh Peck (Scott Turner). While Matt’s character Trent loves being in the spotlight and taking down criminals, the thing he isn’t fond of is dogs. In addition to Matt and Josh, the series stars Lyndy Fonseca, Carra Petterson, and Anthony Ruivivar, just to name a few. 

It’s always fun talking to an actor before a series premieres because their answers are raw. They aren’t playing off what critics have said or the latest Twitter buzz.Their comments are totally unfiltered. You can hear the sense of pride in Matt’s voice as he describes a fight scene he shot for episode nine.

One of the things I couldn’t help but notice is most, if not all, of Matt’s work has been done in and around Vancouver, the same area wherehe grew up and went to college. While that part of Canada is a hotspot for the television and film industries. I wondered if as an actor the area had become a security blanket of sorts and was surprised by his response.

I enjoyed my conversation with Matt and hope the success of Turner & Hooch leads to bigger and better opportunities for. Perhaps some producers will take notice of him and his writings.