True Story with Ed & Randall’s Ed Helms

Based on the Australian series True Story with Hamish & Andy, the new Peacock unscripted comedy series True Story with Ed & Randall sees Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover) and Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat, Always Be My Maybe) listen attentively as everyday people recount the most outrageous stories of their lives. Helms and Park offer witty rejoinders and ask questions audiences at home are sure to want the answers to as reenactments starring famous comedy faces bring the stories to life. Helms, who both hosts and executive produces the show, speaks to World Screen about how he came to the project, the process for selecting stories for the show and what he believes makes True Story so special.

WS: How did the series come about at Peacock, and how did you and Randall Park get involved?
HELMS: I caught wind of the Australian show, and I immediately jumped on it. It seemed like such a fresh and hilarious and big-hearted premise. It felt like, from a tone standpoint, exactly what I wanted to be doing—putting some positive energy and humor and grounded human connection out into the world. It was really a no-brainer for me. I loved the premise, and I was so excited to get on board. The question was then: Who is the most awesome buddy that I can just hang out with and do this with? And Randall Park was a no-brainer. He came on board, and we made the show.

WS: How do you find and choose the stories for the series?
HELMS: It’s funny because Randall and I have nothing to do with that process because we realized very early on that it’s important for us to hear the stories for the first time when we sit down with the storyteller. Our producing staff does all of the casting, and they cast a huge net, all over the country, digging all over the place, hearing literally thousands of stories and getting it pared down to these wonderful folks that we used in this season. That said, there are so many great stories that we were unable to use and can’t wait to rope in in the future. It’s a pretty exhausting process, from what I’m told. I have nothing to do with it. We’ve never met, seen, heard the storyteller until we all sit down together, which keeps it really fresh and really fun. Part of what makes it so great is that it really is a spontaneous and genuine connection that we’re having. We’re hearing the story, we’re asking questions and we’re learning about these people at the same time that the audience is. We’re sort of a surrogate for the audience, obviously, and we’re asking all of the questions that pop into our head and hopefully clarifying everything for people who are watching—and just having a ton of fun making a connection with this person.

WS: It certainly seemed like a lot of fun talking to the Steelers superfan Super Bowl crasher.
HELMS: Oh my god, Rick Steigerwald, what a character. If I sat down in a bar with that guy and just heard him tell that story, I would be like, No way! That’s ridiculous. That’s completely insane. But, it is all 100 percent true and it’s all corroborated. There were news articles at the time, there were all kinds of stuff. Our fact-checkers did their homework, too, to verify everybody’s stories. They are 100 percent true.

WS: It’s a really interesting and engaging concept, with the interviews and reenactments. Tell us about the storytelling techniques used in the show.
HELMS: It’s one thing to just sit down and hear a wonderful story. That’s great on its own. What’s so fun about the premise of this show is that we then take the story and go and shoot these epic reenactments with celebrities and great directors, and it becomes this really fun platform for each storyteller. It’s a great way to honor their stories and elevate them and have a lot more fun with everything. Each of these storytellers is being sort of vulnerable telling us these things. It’s the least we can do to give them their own biopic in return. We try to give each story an epic, cinematic treatment, and it blends so nicely with the story itself.

WS: Do you take an active role in scripting and developing the reenactments?
HELMS: Yeah, absolutely. Once the story is done, we circle up with our producers and writers and figure out: What are the aspects of the story that would be the most fun to show in a reenactment? How can we visually heighten things a little bit? Just for more comedy or more impact, write in a few extra jokes here or there. The reenactments are a little bit cheeky and fun. The stories themselves are 100 percent true.

WS: I noticed some familiar faces in the reenactments. How did the casts come together?
HELMS: After hearing the stories, we’d have a little casting brainstorm: Who would be great for this, who would be great for that? Oh, Adam Pally would be perfect for Rick. Terry Crews would make such a great, intimidating dad. Anders Holm would make such a great character for that story, Will Novak. Then, Randall and I would reach out to our friends. We know a lot of these people. Once we explained what the show is, how big-hearted and warm the spirit of the show is, people were like, Oh yeah, that seems like a blast. So we would then go off and shoot these reenactments and come back and edit it all together.

WS: What about the series do you think will really draw in viewers? Would you be up to providing them with more seasons?
HELMS: I hope we get to do this for at least ten more years. This is one of the most fun things that I’ve ever been a part of in show business. It’s the spirit of the show, the tone of the show that I love so much. We’re talking to real people, hearing real stories from their lives and connecting with them. I think the audiences feel that; they feel how genuine these people are and how genuine the conversations are. And then, the reenactments make for huge laughs and big comedy at the same time. Some of the stories are funny, some are very moving and poignant. They all have a lot of laughs. But it’s really surprising, I think you’ll see, the complexity and the variety, both in the stories and in the storytellers themselves. They come from all different walks of life, all different backgrounds, all over the world. I hope that this show really reaches people, and if it does, I hope we get to keep on doing it forever and ever. It’s a celebration of the human spirit. And, it’s a celebration of the lost art of laughing at ourselves. We’re in this time when everything feels all heavy and scary and overwhelming. It’s so nice to hear people tell stories that are, in many cases, kind of embarrassing or a little bit self-effacing, and to laugh along with those stories. And to be reminded, from all walks of life and from all over the world, everyone has these crazy stories. I think it’s a really unifying idea.