'Our Flag Means Death' star Rhys Darby wants better deal for actors

NEW YORK, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The cast of Our Flag Means Death recently greeted their loud and proud fans at New York Comic Con, but because of the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike, could not specifically discuss the 17th-century pirate comedy that brought them all together.

"It's important to find a place to take yourself away from the real world on occasion because the real world is [expletive] right now and there's no denying that," star Rhys Darby recently told the crowd at the Jacob k. Javits Convention Center.

"All of these people here love fantasy worlds. That's why we're here and it is healthy and it's great and it's fun," he said.

"In those worlds, we can all be the same and we can all love each other and use kindness. I think it is the most important thing to create those fantasy worlds and keep believing in them. One day, the real world will be there. Let's hope it happens in our lifetime"

Airing Thursdays on Max, Our Flag Means Death is a critically acclaimed celebration of LGBTQ+ romance, starring Darby as Stede Bonnet, an 18th-century aristocrat who gives up his luxe life and family for a career in piracy and, along the way, falls in love with buccaneer Blackbeard (the show's executive producer, Taika Watiti).

Bonnet also attempts to civilize his crew of scalawags by encouraging members to explore their artistic sides and open up about their feelings while he pays them salaries so they aren't dependent on plundering to survive.

Loosely inspired by real events, the series co-stars Nathan Foad, Vico Ortiz, Kristian Nairn, Con O'Neill, Matt Maher, Samba Schutte, Samson Kayo, Ewen Bremner and Nat Faxon.

The show quickly amassed an online community that enthusiastically offers theories on plot lines and shares artwork and recipes related to characters, jokes and scenes its members love.

Darby, Foad, Ortiz, Nairn, O'Neill and Maher took the stage together at ComicCon, discussing topics such as who in their friend group was the most outdoorsy (Ortiz), most likely to talk someone's ear off (Foad) and most likely to order the most expensive things on the menu (Nairn), in keeping with the rules of the SAG strike.

They all agreed that their pal Nat Faxon, who wasn't present, was the most spontaneous.

"He really lives his life," Foad said.

Ortiz agreed, noting they would ask Faxon where he went and he would have a bunch of great new stories to tell.

"I was like, 'Wow, you just woke up today and decided to do a bunch of stuff!'" Ortiz said.

"He'd make the most of his time in New Zealand, which we didn't go to for any particular reason," Maher said, alluding to the country where the show is filmed without actually mentioning the title.

"It's so weird. We just picked a beautiful country. It's a massive coincidence, considering the 18-hour flight."

Feigning surprise that his friends were in his native country, Darby joked, "What a missed opportunity! We could have done something. Imagine what we could have made. The talent in this room!

"I guess, one day, when we get a better deal, when someone sorts his [expletive] out and pays for rights, then maybe you'll get some people who can put something together and talk about it," Darby said. "To their fandom!"

Darby then picked up a microphone and improvised a little rap.

"Life! What's happening with life? Wow! There's so much strife. I don't know what to do here now. Why can't we just all get along with the show? Why can't we talk about the show? I don't know!" he sang.

Foad quipped that the cast thought they did a good job of avoiding verboten subjects during the panel, but admitted they could end up in the back of a police car for the things they said.

Max released a behind-the-scenes featurette Tuesday with remarks Darby made about the show before the strike shut down most film and TV productions, and prohibited actors from talking about their past, current or upcoming work.

"We are used to pulling something together out of nothing and multi-tasking. Less numbers and more jobs, but get it done quicker than other crews," Darby said of his fellow New Zealanders. "The whole thing is a massive Kiwi effort and that makes me really proud."

Showrunner David Jenkins added, "Having these critical crew available and local, who know where all the secret places are in Auckland to go and source everything you need for a pirate's republic or an underground bar is so amazing."