Digman! Co-Stars Tim Meadows and Mitra Jouhari Scoop Up Some Laughs

As quite possibly the only show currently on TV that is centered around the world of archaeology, Digman! has continued to build a dedicated following as it works its way through a brand new second season, which premiered on July 23 on Comedy Central. Created by Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell, the show clearly has comedy running through its dirt-covered veins. 

Digman! depicts archaeologists as highly-revered celebrities and considered to be the coolest people on the planet. The series centers around Rip Digman (Samberg) and his cast of loveable yet goofy sidekicks as they hunt down legendary artifacts and find themselves in increasingly outlandish adventures. Digman! boasts an impressive supporting cast anchored by Mitra Jouhari, who provides the voice of Saltine, and Tim Meadows, who plays Quail Eegan. 

Jouhari and Meadows sat down with Bubbleblabber to discuss their hilarious characters, their trust in Steven Spielberg, and the extent of their archaeology knowledge. 

Matthew Swigonski: I was talking to Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell the other week, and they couldn’t help but praise everyone from the Digman! cast and production team. They were just so excited about working with friends the entire time. Do you think that working in that kind of environment helps with your performance? 

Mitra Jouhari: With comedy, you feel safe to try things and be silly and take swings. And to be working with people like Neil and Andy, who are so supportive, allows me to push myself.

Tim Meadows: Yeah, I also feel like I trust their direction a lot more than I would somebody that I don’t know. Unless it’s Spielberg or somebody like that. Then I would go, “Yeah, you know what? I trust Spielberg.” 

Matthew Swigonski: Has your approach to your characters changed from Season One to Season Two? 

Mitra Jouhari: I think with Saltine, they’ve pushed the character and made her a little more ambitious and self-assured this season, which feels exciting. But it is also very much still true to the sort of eager, tryhard, nerdy girl from Season One that I love so much.

Tim Meadows: I feel like the arc of this character has been fun to play. He starts off as a very nice supportive character, but then he has some ulterior motives with his support for Rip. And so that stuff was fun to play. Because as an actor, I don’t get cast as a billionaire bad guy, you know? I’m usually like the guy who works for the billionaire bad guy. So, it was fun. It was fun to do, and I love the writing too.

Matthew Swigonski: Well, hopefully it changes now that a lot of people know you have that range.   

Tim Meadows: Yeah, I can play a billionaire, a millionaire [laughs]. Two more things to add to my satchel. 

Matthew Swigonski: You both kind of touched on it, but do you have a favorite aspect to character? Or maybe a favorite personality trait that has rubbed off on you?

Mitra Jouhari: I love Saltine’s inventions. She has her trademark cool inventions that never solve any problems or really make any sense [laughs]. And they always make me laugh. I wish I thought that way. 

Tim Meadows: One of my favorite things was the introduction for my character. Where he was disappearing every time he would introduce himself. He would disappear in the cloud of smoke and then he would just be across the room. I like this theatrical sort of presentation of himself. Like I said, this season was fun. It was really fun just being like a bond villain type character. It was really fun playing that sort of high status, and yet really evil [laughs].

Matthew Swigonski: Is there anything you’re most excited about for the new Digman! season?

Mitra Jouhari: I’m really excited for Geraldine Viswanathan, who I think is such an incredible actor, she has a very funny episode later on in the season. I’m excited for people to see that. I don’t know if I can talk about it, but I think she’s so funny. I’m really excited that she’s on the show. 

Tim Meadows: I don’t know if I have a favorite episode. I just sort of loved the arc of what happens in the second season. It was very surprising and even as an actor reading the scripts and coming in and recording it. It was, like, “Oh wow, this is really great. This is gonna be fun.”

Matthew Swigonski: Does the final product in Season Two match what you had in your mind when you first read the scripts? Or do you think it actually goes beyond that?

Tim Meadows: For me, it goes beyond that.

Mitra Jouhari: Me too! 

Tim Meadows: Yeah, I don’t want to give away anything, but this Antichrist and all that stuff. And like bringing people back from the dead. I don’t want to ruin it, but there’s a lot of stuff that I was not expecting when we started off in the beginning of the show.

Mitra Jouhari: I think the thing that really drew me to it is how supremely silly it is, and it has really stayed true to that. I am so happy about that. But yeah, I think they’ve really pushed the writing in the second season to really develop these other characters as well.

Tim Meadows: And the world of archaeology. Yeah, the world that they’re in, like they really do develop it and open it up because you forget about … I don’t know. I’m not an archaeologist. 

Mitra Jouhari: You’re not???

Tim Meadows: I’m not …

Mitra Jouhari: Scoop! 

Tim Meadows: I studied TV and radio broadcasting in college. 

You can check out new episodes of Season Two of Digman! and learn more about archaeology every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central.