Photo Credit: Birdie Thompson
We had the amazing opportunity to speak with Kai Wener, who plays Ty Finn on FOX’s The Orville. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Kai! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role as Ty Finn on FOX’s The Orville. It’s one of our favorite shows! Ty has really developed since season one. He’s becoming more responsible.
Thank you so much for having me! Yes, Ty has really grown this season. He’s not only becoming more responsible, but he’s learning how to play classical piano and he’s definitely become braver! I get to go out with “The Orville Crew” a lot more and be adventurous this season!
Identity: Part I and II delivered its most intense and serious episode to date. You have an integral role in the episode. What our readers particularly enjoyed is Ty’s unwavering loyalty to Isaac despite his betrayal. Ty sees Isaac as a father-figure in which Isaac often appears to fill that role for the Finn children. In your opinion, why do you believe Ty is close to Isaac?
Ty and Isaac have been through a lot together. Although Ty’s mom, Dr. Claire Finn, is definitely strong enough to raise Ty and his brother on her own, Ty really loves having Isaac as part of the family. Their relationship has grown from being someone Ty just looks to as a cool best friend that’s an “artificial life form,” to someone he now looks up to as a father figure. Ty only sees the best in Isaac, they have a cool bond and he really believes that Isaac won’t hurt him.
Our readers believe after Isaac made the ultimate sacrifice and now finds himself alone, what role do you believe Ty will be in his life?
If you think about it, only Ty really knows what happened in the room when Isaac made that sacrifice. So, no matter what anyone feels about Isaac, I think Ty will trust him even more now! It’s almost like an, “I told you so” moment when everyone was telling Ty that Isaac doesn’t have emotions. At the end of the episode, Dr. Claire Finn talks about forgiveness to Isaac, which to me, is a way of saying that as long as the Finn family is here, Isaac will never be alone.
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That’s good to know! Isaac needs the Finn family! Ty certainly impressed us when he volunteered to help Yaphit send the distress signal. It indicates a major change is coming for your character. Particularly, Ty’s relationship with his mother, Dr. Claire Finn, and brother, Marcus.
Ty’s bravery when he volunteered to help Yaphit shows that he is growing up and able to have more responsibilities. Ty really wants to help out and hopefully, that means you’ll be seeing a lot more of Ty helping his mom, brother, and the whole crew of The Orville in future episodes!
This is your first major role in your emerging career. Our readers surmise your biggest challenge is balancing school work with filming. What advice can you give to other child actors interested in choosing the same career path?
I think if you want to be a child actor the most important thing is you have to get good grades, otherwise you can’t even work on a set. I still go to public school too. My parents think it’s important to have fun with my friends at school and home, outside of filming, to help keep me grounded. Another thing that helps me is taking acting classes. You can also get involved in plays at school and theatre in your community, just have fun with it!
The chemistry between you and your cast members is evident and awesome, especially Ty’s relationship with Penny Johnson Jerald and BJ Tanner.
My connection with all of the cast on the show has grown so much since season one. I even start to miss everyone when we are on hiatus. I have a very special relationship with Ms. Penny Johnson Jerald, who plays my mom, and BJ Tanner, who plays my brother. They both take care of me since I’m youngest on the set, and I’ve been so lucky to have them as people I can look up to and learn from. We really have so much fun together when we are off screen and my favorite thing to do with them on set is to raid craft services for all the snacks!
The Orville’s second season is even more heartfelt and intense. How does the second season’s production bring something new to the storyline?
I’m amazed by all of the surprises this season of The Orville has for everyone! If you’ve been watching, you’ve seen how much has already been put into just the special effects alone and not to mention one of the best space battles in history! Even I’m still amazed at how awesome that was and I still can’t believe I was a part of that episode. It’s like every Thursday night you are tuning into a movie. Production has brought on some awesome guest directors with great skill and even the orchestra scoring alone is mind-blowing. I can’t wait to attend one of those live!
What is going to surprise people about Ty this season?
You will be very impressed with how far Isaac has helped Ty learn how to play classical piano music of the great composers Beethoven and Chopin. I think everyone is going to be surprised at how Ty steps up to the plate this season.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue and why?
My favorite line of dialogue was from my first episode in season one where you get to see Ty for the first time and I’m trying to wake up my mom, by continuing to say, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mommy!” When I first read the script, I couldn’t help but think of Stewie from Family Guy which is another one of Mr. Seth MacFarlane’s shows. I thought it would be fun to sort of mimic Stewie when I was saying that line and thought it was cool how some of Mr. Seth’s fans recognized it.
That was a super cool homage to The Family Guy, too! So, when looking back on the series, what resonated with you the most and why?
The thing that I love about The Orville is that there’s really nothing like it on TV right now. I think that’s because there is so much hard work and detail that goes into making this show. Our costume designer, Joseph Parro, is amazing. My wardrobe is custom tailored for me using material from places like Shanghai. Howard Berger’s special effects makeup is out of this world. Sometimes I even get scared walking by the aliens on set because they look so real. If you are going to create something for the world to see, it’s best to give your best! Kudos to Mr. Seth Macfarlane!
In your opinion, what episode featuring Ty is going to blow people away and why?
Absolutely without a doubt Season 2 Episodes 208 and 209, Identity Part I and II. Ty plays a major part in the storyline and it shows how he’s grown since season one and the bond between him and Isaac. There are so many surprises in both of the episodes, but I don’t think anyone is going to expect to see Ty step up the way he does to help save The Orville! Have your tissues ready!
What do you enjoy most about your character and role?
I actually enjoy learning how to play the piano. I had two piano teachers and I worked day and night trying to get the sheet music down for season two. I also enjoy being the youngest on the set and how my role is expanding to take on more difficult situations involving me to do some stunt work. What I really love is doing scenes that involve CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery), especially with my green slimy buddy Yaphit, which is voiced by Mr. Norm MacDonald!
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the series?
Absolutely! Everyone on the show, from Mr. Seth Macfarlane to all of the crew members behind the scenes work so hard to make this show great. I think The Orville has proven that it has some of the best special effects on TV and maybe even in some movies. We also know how much support we get from the sci-fi fans and it’s very much appreciated. Stay tuned and tell a friend, because there’s still so much to see this season!
Do you have anything else you would like to share about your career?
I have been auditioning for some really cool projects lately during pilot season and I also recently filmed a national commercial for McDonald’s and I did some work for Disney. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you will be seeing more of me on your TV screens. In the meantime, tune into The Orville on FOX, Thursdays @ 9 PM. Follow me on Instagram @kai.wener, Twitter @KaiWener, and Facebook @KaiWenerOfficial.
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Featured Image Credit: Birdie Thompson.
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