John: Jay- you are a magician.

Jay (Takumi): A what? [pulls cards out of his mouth] Sorry, I’m so sorry. Oh gosh so rude.

John: Good morning Hank it’s Tuesday, 

The 8 episode adaptation of my first novel Looking For Alaska comes out in 8 days on Hulu which means I’m starting think it’s gonna happen. In the 14 years since the book was published, I have made many public announcements that it was gonna be a movie or a TV show or something only to have that fall through which is often the way of Hollywood but yeah, this is gonna happen- I think. I should say it’s also coming out in the UK on BBC3 and in Canada and Europe and Australia and New Zealand and lots of other places. More info in the doobly-doo.

So listen, when this book was first published in 2005 around a third of my life ago, I never dared to imagine that it would be in print 14 years later let alone that it would still be finding lots of new readers who now see the book with its payphones and pre-vaping nicotine distribution systems as a kind of historical fiction.

But I’m so grateful that the story is still around and so grateful to Stephanie Schwartz and Josh Savage who have been working on been working on this adaptation for more than 10 years. The early reviews have been good and the cast is so lovely. As you’re about to see, their chemistry is super real.

All right guys, don’t be too weird in the background 

Charlie (Miles): Alright, we’re out of the way 
 
John: Yeah, just go-

Denny (The Colonel): Uh-oh. Oh, Jay is here.

Kristine (Alaska): The whole fam is here to support.

John: I’m here with-

Kristine (Alaska): Kristene Froseth aka Alaska Young.

Jay (Takumi): Jay lee.

John: Who plays-

Jay (Takumi): Takumi

Sofia (Lara): Sofia Vassilieva [In Russian accent]

John: Who plays-

Sofia (Lara): Lara Buterskaya [In Russian accent]

John: Wow, that’s a very good accent for someone who doesn’t normally have an accent.

Sofia (Lara): Thank you. My Russian parents, I can roll my R’s

Jay (Takumi): It’s like a dream, this entire thing you know. 

John: Has any of your magic made it into the show? 

Jay (Takumi): Umm, we’ll leave that for the viewer’s surprise.

John: I love it, I love it.

[Talking to Sofia (Lara)] Have you read the book?

Sofia (Lara): Yes, I called my mother at 3 in the morning from a hotel room and cried and I read it in 1 sitting.

John: Awwww, that’s quite sweet.

Sofia (Lara): It was really wonderful

John: [At Kristine (Alaska)] Do you know how John feels about Keanu Reeves?

Kristine (Alaska): Oh, yes. John Green loves Keanu Reeves like my level of obsession with J. Cole.

John: I didn’t know you were that into J. Cole.

Kristene (Alaska): Oh, I’m obsessed.

John: Are you friends with him.

Kristene (Alaska): No, I’m not.

John: I feel like you could be friends him.

Kristine (Alaksa): Oh, no no no no oh no but-

John: You run an-

Kristine (Alaska): Maybe in the next life.

John: Oh, I just noticed your nail polish which makes me wanna cry. Oh jeez, oh God.

Kristine (Alaska): I know.

John: It’s just intense for me man because it’s like a person I imagined is sitting next to me. It’s weird.

Kristine (Alaska): I’m a crier.

John: I’m a crier too.

Kristine: Oh good.

John: I love to cry. 

What’s your favourite act at the circus? 

Kristine (Alaska): I like the trapeze artists

John: [Ghasps] Everyone has said that so far.

Kristene (Alaska): Really?

John: Yes.

Kristine (Alaska): See, we pick a really good cast here.

John: What do you think the meaning of life is?

Kristine (Alaska): Oh, that was one I really wanted to answer. I’m gonna steal my mom’s words- “to be happy”? 

John: What’s your favourite act at the circus?

Kristine (Alaska): Ooh. Umm the tiger acts.

John: You’re the first person not to say the trapeze.

Kristine (Alaska): Oh really?

John: Yeah.

Kristine (Alaska) : That is a really good one though. I just didn’t know how to pronounce it so-

John: [Laughs] Because you are not, English is not your first language.

Kristine (Alaska): No.

John: Although you would think so, you don’t have an accent really but you are originally from Finland.

Kristine (Alaska): Yes. Norway.

John: Sweden.

Kristine (Alaska): I will not, yeah, get into that .

John: Everytime somebody asks me where you’re from I’m always like- oh God oh I know that there’s another Norwegian country and I can’t remember what it’s called. They’re not even called Norwegian countries are they, they’re called Scandanavian countries.

[All laugh]

Kristine (Alaska): I was like what do I say to this.

John: Have you ever cried on the set?

Kristine (Alaska): Yes. First day on set obviously and then when I walked into her room.

John: Are there any ways in which you are like Alaska in real life?

Kristine (Alaska): I think our internal lives are quite similar but externally we are very very different.

John: We have to leave? But we just started. Okay, couple more questions real quick, real quick.

What is the meaning of life? 

Kristine (Alaska): To be with the people you love, to be happy and always be yourself.

John: Wow, that was incredibly good and quick.

Charlie (Miles): Wait, say that again.

John: What would your last words be?

Kristine (Alaska): Rose puff [Laughs]

John: I really hope you like the show. Again, it comes out October 18th or October 19th if you live in some places- I, check your local listings.

Hank, I’ll see you on Friday.