In the Booth: Alozie Nwosu & Tori Thomson
In the Booth is a new blog series where we go behind the scenes and chat with the folks that make How it Ends. We asked our team a series of questions and let them choose which resonated most, so expect to see some variance in these features. Join us as the creators, cast, and crew members share their experience working on the show. Get ready to meet our talented team and maybe even hear a few secrets behind its gripping conclusion!
Please note that some answers may contain spoilers for How it Ends Season 3, so read at your own risk.
We did it; we've reached the core four! Or, as Micah and Stephanie refer to them, MEDA. Micah, Elia, Devon, and Aimee. This is the penultimate piece in our first run of In the Booth, and it features Alozie Nwosu and Tori Thomson, voices of Devon Williams and Amelia "Aimee" Perry. Devon is present from the very beginning of How it Ends, as he is partially why the podcast exists in the first place. Aimee shows up a little later, and despite the fact that she isn't immediately welcomed with open arms, she secures her place among the OGs pretty quickly.
As we said in a previous write-up, Alozie was the first person cast in How it Ends, and he was the only person we considered for the role of Devon. He is a gem of a human. All the things listeners love about Devon show up tenfold in Alozie. He's kind, patient, a great friend, and a huge nerd. Alozie is the kind of person everyone should have in their lives and the ones who do know they're special. A veritable content-pop culture-music junkie himself, Alozie leaned into the framework we created and added his own take on "Devon the Dude," bringing him to life in a way we couldn't have expected.
Tori is a longtime friend of Micah's who is a boss-lady in her own right, although we don't think she wants anything to do with cracking people's bones into place. Early in Season 1, Micah speaks to Billie, her therapist. Tori helped Stephanie and Micah ensure the conversations between therapist and patient were above board, and during that process, we found she'd be a great fit to play Aimee. A little-known fact is that Aimee wasn't initially a continuing/lead role on How it Ends. She was planned as a one-episode appearance to deliver information to Micah, Elia, and Devon and then fade into the background. But as we rehearsed scenes for the Season 1 finale, it was clear that Micah and Aimee's chemistry as estranged close friends with a murky history was worth the pivot. She's been a fixture in the show ever since.
What prompted you to join How it Ends?
Tori: At first, I just wanted to be helpful to Micah and Stephanie. I didn't think I necessarily had anything unique to offer*, but I figured since no one else was a voice actor, I was in good company. However, I have come to appreciate the opportunity to help create something, especially in Season 3, because the mood of the show has often been tense and emotional.
- *Note from Micah & Stephanie: She's wrong.
Alozie: A few things. I love podcasts, audiobooks, and radio plays. I've been a fan of the latter two all my life and a fan of podcasts since the very early days of Escape Pod, This American Life, Savage Love, and others. The opportunity to be a part of one felt like a chance I couldn't pass up.
To be a part of one made by friends, who are so creative and passionate, made the choice even more of a no-brainer. Micah and Stephanie are dedicated creators and generous in sharing the opportunity to contribute our own creativity to the process. It's really cool to be able to help your friends realize a creative vision. I'm glad I accepted the challenge.
And finally, speaking of challenges, I'd been looking for opportunities to try my hand at acting. But as an extroverted-introvert, stage performance was always mortifying. I figured voice acting would be a way to really challenge myself with acting and vocal expression without as much energy spent on settling my frazzled introvert nerves.
Why don’t we start with some character questions? Tell us your perspective on Devon and Aimee.
Are there similarities? Differences?
Alozie: Devon and I share a love for our friends and deep care for our respective communities. I love that Devon dedicated so much of his life and energy to figuring out how better to serve his community. I do wish that he took a bit more time for himself. I worry that, too often, he doesn't stop to refill his own cup.
Tori: We are both high achievers, although Aimee is definitely a more accomplished athlete than I am! Something I like about her that I also have found challenging in recording is her complicated relationship with Brendan. Aimee's difficult feelings about her brother are something I personally relate to, and that makes me feel closer to her.
Early in Season 2, in her conversation (interrogation?) with Elia, Aimee says her brother has been 'missing' for over twenty years. It’s clear that Brendan is a sensitive subject for her. Can you give some deeper insight into how she feels about his return?
Her feelings are really complicated. She loves Brendan immensely but feels abandoned by him. Regardless of his reasons, he shows up after all this time and wants to reenter her life without paying the penance that she feels she’s owed. Aimee had the rug ripped out from underneath her when he disappeared. She has a whole separate life, and now he’s back to flip it upside down all over again? Obviously, she's glad that Brendan is there in front of her, but it’s a massive emotional upheaval all the same.
What does Aimee make of Brendan's story and the impact it could have on her?
At first, she’s like, “This can’t be true,” because it is a wild story. But there isn’t a plausible reason for him to make it up. If everything Brendan says is true, Aimee has a lot to lose by believing and allying herself with him.
Even still, I think she’s inclined to stick by him.
Tori Thomson
voice of Aimee Perry
On a much lighter note, we don’t know all that much about Micah and Aimee’s childhood friendship outside of what’s been shared on the show. What do you think they were like back then?
We know Micah and Aimee loved sleepovers and used to eavesdrop on Brendan’s comings and goings, and also that Aimee loved Micah’s mom Ava, probably because she was warmer than her own mother. I could see them backyard camping, maybe making s’mores and staying up late telling each other stories. Given their ages and when they grew up, I feel like there’d be a lot of outside “come home when the streetlights come on” kind of days.
Alozie, you mentioned that Devon should refill his own cup more often. By now, we know that Elia and Aimee moved in together, and Micah and Luke became close friends, but it's Devon who updates the audience after the time jump.
What do you think Devon got up to during the two-year hiatus from How it Ends?
Do you think he took time for himself?
During the hiatus, Devon began to grapple with some quarter-life realizations. That his parents are aging, and he's given much of his active life to his career, to the community, and to caring for and supporting his dearest friends. With the group "going dark" and not posting episodes, things slowed down enough for him to throw himself into spending time and fussing over his parents in a way that he hadn't in recent years. Through his own reflection and grounding conversations with his mother in particular, he started to think more about living more of his own life.
Though no less ambitious and driven to do good work for his hometown and community, I think Devon began facing the risks of burning the candle at both ends and of not tending to one's own well-being and joy. Hence his recent and long overdue cat adoption and reconnecting with friends beyond Micah and Elia. He put more of his own creative projects on the front burner rather than hoping for spare time to materialize. I think he hopes for more time ahead to seek and build relationships that could lead to finding someone special, but the pull of the mysteries and conspiracies surrounding the crew is becoming evermore engrossing and dangerous.
And the question of his building that part of his life may be more a question of "if" rather than "when."
Alozie Nwosu
voice of Devon Williams
Devon is by far the darling and fan favorite of How it Ends. If anyone's been keeping up with these features, it's no secret how many folks, listeners and cast members alike, love his calming presence and goofy cat guy persona.
How much of Devon is just you, Alozie?
I love that listeners feel that way about Devon. I credit the writing, as Micah and Stephanie worked on the page to make him a solid dude and an empathetic and loyal friend. I contribute when and where needed to fill in the shadings and round out his character, but it starts with the work on the page.
That said, there are some coincidences and perhaps some choices that give Devon and me a few traits in common. People have told me that I have a calming voice and demeanor. I generally hope that's the case but can't always promise it to be. I get in my feels, too y'all. I do, however, contribute heavily to Devon's "goofy cat guy" persona. I admit to binging episodes of Jackson Galaxy's YouTube channel (IYKYK) and diagramming my own catification schemes for my special little tortie.
- For the record, her name is Ellie. She's beautiful.
Do you have a favorite line, scene, or episode? Or, if you’re willing, choose another character to play and tell us why you picked them.
Tori: My favorite line is, "I'M BRENDA!" For some reason, the name Brenda struck me as very funny in this scene, and we had a lot of fun recording that silly moment.
Alozie: I love the season 3 finale. A lot went into building it into something exciting, and I was glad I could help. I really look forward to the audience finally getting to hear it!
Of all the other characters, I think I'd want to play Elia. She's no-nonsense while also wearing her heart on her sleeve. Just a great combo in a friend and human being in general. When shit's goin’ down, she's definitely who you'd want to have your back. And since she's a smart ass making cutting wisecracks the whole time, she'd be a ton of fun to play!
Let’s talk a bit about the production side of things. Tori, you have an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Mental health is an underlying theme of How it Ends. What kind of work do you do? How do you bring your education and professional experience into the show?
I completed my Master’s in 2019. While I was pursuing my degree, I had the opportunity to learn and practice counseling skills in a variety of settings; the majority of that practice was with kids. In the end, I chose not to pursue licensure because, at the time, I was co-founding a teacher preparation institution with two other women. When I graduated, the organization was at a crossroads, and I chose to put my energy toward it instead. Now I’m working toward my Doctor of Education degree, focusing on organizational leadership, and my time studying mental health is a major influence on my field of research.
As for How it Ends, I hesitate to say I “consulted” on therapy-related aspects of the show, but Micah and Stephanie asked for and implemented my input on the scenes with Micah and her therapist. It was important to them that Billie was portrayed accurately and made suggestions that were realistic and ethical. Helping out lets me flex a little knowledge.
Does that knowledge come into play elsewhere in being a part of the show? You’re new to voice acting. Do you have a means of getting into character or preparing for emotional scenes? Also, Would you ever try performing in a leading role? (This question is specifically for Micah. I want to know for… reasons.)
In a way, yes. I have severe anxiety. So prep starts with ensuring I have all my comfort objects (as long as they’re quiet!) when we are recording and reminding myself to speak slowly because I talk super fast. In terms of getting into character, I don’t really have a “process,” so to speak. I've been playing Aimee for a while, but if I were to voice a different character, I think I would try to prep for it differently. As for the leading role question, sure. I found that once we got into episodes with fewer characters on the mic at once, I became more comfortable interpreting the script and putting myself out there. Leading a show would give me a chance to really dig in.
For our listeners who also manage anxiety, what are your go-to recording session comforts?
Hardy candy or cough drops, quiet fidgets (e.g., squishy guy, sensory ring), and keeping my prescribed meds on hand, just in case.
Alozie, you're yet another cast member who is a writer! Tell us about that.
What do you write? Are you working on anything right now?
I love writing...when I get myself to the page and do it. Right now, I'm working on making fewer excuses, but when I do sit down and get going, I most enjoy writing genre fiction: sci-fi and mystery. As for current projects, I'll just say that I have some short fiction ideas I'm currently working on.
Follow up on the first question. Have anything that you might want to turn into an... audio fiction production? Eh?
So...for the short fiction pieces currently in the works, I hope to work them into drafts that I can record and share soon. Keep an eye out.
Last question: Any favorite memories from making this season?
Tori: My favorite moment from Season 3 was sitting in the new studio in the middle of recording a serious scene, holding my breath in a moment of complete silence, and then having my stomach growl so loud that everyone heard it in their headphones!
Alozie: The first time sitting down to record in the How It Ends Studio booth was pretty amazing. The space just lent itself to a really comfortable and intimate vibe. It made the sessions feel even more like a gathering of old friends… Which, to be fair, they truly are.