Jack Tracy and Jordan Bell talk Danny Will Die Alone season 2

The multi-talented Jack Tracy is back on our screens with the second season of his comedy series Danny Wil Die Alone, streaming exclusively on Dekkoo.  Jack, the show’s creator, writer, director and star, takes us along on the further romantic misadventures and dating disasters of the show’s titular character. Fans of the show can expect more of Danny’s wild escapades, including episodes tackling polyamory, the concept of being a “side,” open couples, and even some taboo topics like fisting and exploring gender norms.

This season, Canadian actor Jordan Bell joins the show as Matty, Danny’s regular hookup buddy. His presence adds a layer of drama that gives Danny’s character new emotional depth. Matty serves as Danny’s go-to for regular intimacy between his dating life and their dynamic brings a new dimension to Danny’s journey.

Season two also marks a collaboration with Jack Tracy’s musical work. The series features all-new music from his forthcoming album, Glorify. The season’s theme song, “Duality,” is available across all streaming platforms now. In addition, Jack has also revived the podcast that started it all, Dying Alone, Together. The podcast offers behind-the-scenes insights into seasons one and two and features special guests.

We had the chance to chat with these talented actors about the new season, the chemistry between their characters, disastrous dates and more in our exclusive interview.

First of all, congratulations on season two. Did you have the storyline planned out for what was going to happen in season two while season one was going on? Did you kind of know Danny’s trajectory?

Jack Tracy: Not in the slightest. When I was making season one, that was just a little web series I was doing on my own. Dekkoo reached out to us in January and said, “Hey, love your show, would love to make it into an original series for us, but to do so we would take what you have already and package that as season one and then when we invest for season two, we want longer episodes with a storyline” – which was never what we planned for a web series.

So now that we’re like a TV show, it’s like, okay, I’ve got it. That’s where Matty came from. That’s where the through line of exploring more about Danny came from because, at its inception, it was really all meant to be little 10-minute blips of different dates and now we actually get to know Danny as a person and there’s a story. So, no, none of that was planned.

What was like it like filming the second season knowing that you had longer episodes and knowing that you were creating a storyline? How did the production change over time?

Jack: Well, I was very fortunate that I had done back when I was working without Dekkoo, my series History, which we have three seasons of, which were six half-hour episodes. So, I’ve already done this schedule before. What was nice is that I now work at a job that really supports what I do, so I was able to take the time off and not have to run and film a scene after work or kill my weekends. I was able to take the time and focus on this. I have Joseph Patrick Conroy, who is my co-producer and director of photography, who makes it look so good. The look of the series is a big upgrade, so that was a big change and then, of course, Dekkoo’s support, actually having the funds to really step it up made it so much easier than running around the city with a camera like I used to do.

One of my favorite things about the season was the introduction of Matty. Jordan, how did you get involved with the show?

Jordan Bell: I simply auditioned. I wasn’t familiar with Jack’s work before this. I got sent a couple of scenes to put on tape and send that over and I remember when I first got it, I thought, I don’t know if I get the character of Matty, because Matty is very direct. He’s one-word answers. He’s a little gruff. He’s a little quiet and I’m your local friendly Canadian. I think I’m everybody’s best friend. So, I put these things on tape and I sent it off not knowing if I’d ever hear back and a couple of weeks later I got asked to come and do a chemistry read with Jack.

I got sent I got sent two whole episodes to read, and a couple scenes in them, and I just remember thinking this is so fascinating. It’s so funny, it’s so biting, but it’s so current. And, when we met, I knew right away we had this really great chemistry because Jack created it, and he knows this show backwards and forwards, but he’s also giving such a fantastic performance because it’s just so forward and present and so funny and the conduit for the audience.

I remember we had this great chemistry and this great read and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. And I thought this is something really exciting – and that was sort of when the character started to make more sense to me and I started to see it and realize it.

When I had spoken with Jack about season one, he had kind of described Danny as like an alternate universe, evil David Schitt from Schitt’s Creek. How would you describe Matty and is there any of you in that character?

Jordan: Oh yeah, of course there is.  Oh, David Schitt is good. I always said he was like a warped David Schitt.

Jack: Well, if you remember, Jordan, I had given you as sort of a background, as sort of like my inspiration for the character, Mickey Malkovich from Shameless.

Jordan: Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know if I have a direct comparison for who I think Matty is, but I think Matty is if not Wall Street guy, he’s a financial guy here in New York in his 30s. He does well, he’s attractive, he has that sort of Patrick Bateman apartment. He has guys on the go, he’s a fuckboy. I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but he’s a nuisance.  He’s a menace. That’s what he is.

The chemistry between your characters is just so real. You said you just kind of hit it off, but did you do anything to foster that relationship to make it look so believable? 

Jack: I don’t, not on set. So, you know, we do the auditions. We are very communicative. [Jordan] and I were texting well before we got on set just to talk about things, but aside from the auditions and the chemistry read, we really didn’t even do anything until we got on set and started playing. Because of Dekkoo’s support, we had the ability to hold a set for a while so we can play and we can figure things out. In prior productions, you know, you got two hours, whatever you got filmed, you got filmed and that’s the show. So, we were actually able to, but it was just very natural.

Jordan: Yeah, we really, we hit it off right away. It was apparent, like I said, from that very first meeting. But then also we having seen the show, we spent a lot of time in various stages of mostly undress and I think that it’s a bonding opportunity. I think at first I remember the very first day I was a little nervous, not nervous, but what am I doing? But then, after a very short time, it becomes normal. I think that it’s also a bonding opportunity for us to just be like, we’re in this together. We’re each other’s safety nets.

From my point of view, we didn’t really have a lot of work. There would occasionally be something where maybe I would give Matty, a different intention, like, “oh, because this happens later, this needs to be a little more of this” and then we’d shift, but it’d be so seamless. It was so easy. 

I kind of know the answer to this from your talking, but was there improvisation on the set or was it very scripted? 

Jack: I mean, it’s very heavily scripted and there were moments, I think, where you [Jordan] would come in with ideas and you’d say, “Hey, I really want to try this.” And we’d do a take or two with a different punchline or a different ending line or something like that. But for the most part, it was based on the scripts that we came in with. 

The show covers some topics that aren’t usually seen on screen and there are a lot of very intimate scenes between the two of you. What was the experience of bringing that to the screen like? 

Jack: Well, there’s nothing less sexy than filming a sex scene – and that is no disparagement to the handsome co-star that I have. That is because, especially for me, I’m doing six things at once. I’m remembering my lines, I’m doing a performance, I’m thinking about lighting, I’m doing the choreography, I’m coordinating with the director of photography, there’s a sound guy in the room, there’s a PA, Stella – who we loved – she’s hanging out outside while we’re doing this.

When I try to explain to people, especially when I go on dates and they’re like “you’re in the show and you’re naked with all these dudes”, I’m like, look.  It’s dance, it’s choreography, you know, we get in place and it’s like, okay, three seconds of this, you’re going to move here, I’m going to move here, the camera’s going to move here, go. It’s just very mechanical. It was never awkward with Jordan, but there were just some moments where we’d be waiting between setups and he’s literally between my legs and I’m looking up at him and we’re like, hi, like, this is weird.

Jordan: Yeah, it’s very technical. There is nothing sexy about it. And I mean, we’ve all heard every actor in the world who’s done sex scenes says this in press and in interviews.  And it’s not that I didn’t believe them, but until you get to do it, it’s not that it’s not fun, but it’s not sexy. There’s nothing exciting about it.

And so, you prep for it and you come on to set prepared and you practice it with the choreography and then once the cameras start rolling, you can kind of forget it. You can dig into the scene and you can forget the cameras are there and it’s fine for that minute, for those two minutes that you’re filming.

And then like Jack said, when the cameras stop and they say, “Cut, hold, we’re going to do it again in a second,” there’s just two people who are naked – minus little bits and pieces covering whatnot – and you’re just kind of holding there and you’re sweating and you’re breathing hard, and that’s when it gets awkward – not awkward, but just like, “Oh, what is my life?”

Piggybacking on the last question, was there anything that Dekkoo said that you couldn’t do on the series?

Jack: No, and in fact, spoiler alert, we do see one dick. It is a photo. It is not an in-person thing, but I knew [Danny] got the picture because in the script that was already there. I knew that was happening, but I always planned to sort of like blur it. And then I texted Brian over at Dekkoo and I said, “Can we show a dick? Could I actually do this?” And he’s like, “go for it.” So, I called a friend who I knew had a photogenic dick and I asked if I could use it, and so we did. But no, in fact, anything I’ve asked for, they’ve given me complete creative control.

What do you think the viewers’ reaction of Danny was in the first season and do you think that feeling is going to change over season two?

Jack: Well, it’s funny, because how people reacted to Danny was not what I expected whatsoever. I was surprised by the amount of people who reached out to me to say that they really like Danny and want him to find love. Because my opinion of the character is he’s kind of a shit, and I don’t know if I would empathize with him. But audiences do, so I’m not going to knock it, but I was surprised by how much empathy there was for him.

I think season two gets a little hairy because you get Matty, and the reason Matty exists is Danny needed a foil. In a 10-minute episode, it’s fine for Danny to just monologue the camera and go on his little adventure and everybody have a good laugh. But to make that work for 20 minutes, he really needs to bounce off of someone other than the camera, and seeing him bounce off of someone else means that Danny’s not entirely in control of what’s going on, so he will make mistakes, he’ll say some things you won’t appreciate, he’ll act ways you don’t like. So, I think Danny just gets more complicated. 

As spoiler-free as we can do this, in season 3 where would you like your characters to go?

Well, I know exactly where they go, because I just finished the scripts for season 3. And let’s say that season 2 provides a good launching point to learn more about Matty in season 3 and they continue being a foil for each other and just heightening the stakes even further.

What are you hoping that audiences are going to take away from this season of Danny? 

Jack: What do I want people to take away? Well, first of all, I want them to laugh. That is meant to be a comedy more than any of the commentary we’re doing more than any of the representation that we’re doing. You’re supposed to laugh out loud. You’re supposed to be shocked by some of the things we do and say – but that should all come from a place of authenticity. It should feel very familiar to a gay man who dates in a metro area. You should see this and go, “Oh my God, I know exactly what that is and I can’t believe they put that on television.” That is what I hope people get from it. I hope they laugh and I hope they really like the new characters.

Jordan: I want people to laugh. I want people to be shocked by it. But more than anything, you know, in a perfect world, I want people to watch this show, watch it on their own, watch it with whoever you’re dating, watch it with friends. I want watch parties, because I think, what you said, I think it is really it’s funny and it’s an alternate universe, but it is really authentic, and I think that what you said earlier about it, it’s showcasing some things that aren’t necessarily seen on TV or in media.

I think the show can really open a lot of conversations and dialogue and about what queer dating in 2024 is like and what some of the fun and quirky and kinky and wild things are – and also what maybe some of the not so fun things are. I think the show can open a lot of conversations.

Jack, when we talked before you told me you were going to use some new music from your upcoming album, Glorify. Do you have a favorite track off that album?

Yes – and it’s one that’s not even in the show. It’s called “Touch” and I’ll release it sometime, but it’s always the most recent one that I’ve done because my next idea is always my favorite idea. That’s just the last one I put together for that album but the whole album is very sex forward more than I’ve ever done. It’s pretty much all explicit tracks but we preview a new track at the end of each episode of Danny in season two. The singles “Duality” and “Overdriver” are out now and “Fill Me Full” comes out next week, the remaster, with a music video, so check that out. We’ll sprinkle out some more over the spring until the album’s release. 

You’ve got the accompanying podcast Dying Alone Together, and you’re going to be recapping and discussing the episodes and giving some behind-the-scenes insight on season two, correct?

Yes, I’m just waiting. We’re finishing season one now, I’ve got two more episodes to go, and then it’ll debut the Monday after the Thursday that season two begins airing weekly. The episode will air on a Thursday and the following Monday, there’ll be a podcast where I’ll talk about the episode, some behind-the-scenes things, hopefully get some actors to come back and chat with me. But that podcast is called Dying Alone Together and it was actually the impetus. It existed before Danny and the stories that came out of that podcast are what influenced the creation of Danny in the first place. So, it’s a nice sort of full-circle moment.

Will you be continuing it after the season is over?

Jack: TBD. Depends how well it’s doing, what the response is. We’ll see.

Well, I have kind of an off-beat question to ask you, could you share one of your worst personal dating experiences? 

Jack: Well, how about one from yesterday? So yesterday, I’m on a date with this guy, and he’s a doctor, and we’re talking about the stupid stuff like the gym and diet and this and that and we’re lamenting about exes that have weighed their food before and I’m like, I’m not that kind of guy so I just make sure I get enough protein so that I can build muscle and he looks me up and down and asks, but is it working? That was a great first date. I asked for the check.

Jordan: The one that always sticks out in my mind is from a couple years ago. I was seeing this guy. Things were early, but we had been seeing each other for a little bit and we went out to Fire Island together. We were having a great day and we ended up at one of the little house parties that you end up at. I was talking to a new friend who was staying at the house and the guy I was talking to…I guess I was making some comments about how I came here with my boyfriend or the guy I was seeing, and he said, that guy? And I looked over and I said, yeah, that guy. And he said, Oh, he’s not into you.

And I said, what do you mean? And he said, no, he’s not into you. If he was into you, he’d be talking with you now. He’s over there trying to get laid. It kind of caught me off guard at first and over the next, I don’t know, 10, 15 minutes at this house party, and I’m in my little Speedo.  I’m thinking, wait, yeah, you’re right. This guy’s a jerk. I came here with a boyfriend, he came here with me as his friend. And so, I just had this realization at this house party.

So, I just picked up my stuff, I walked to the front, I put my shoes on, and I got the ferry home back to Manhattan. About eight hours later, around 10:30, 11 o’clock that night, I got a text from my boyfriend saying, “Hey, I don’t know where you ended up, but I think I’m going to spend the night here.” And I just wrote back and I said, “I’ve been back in the city for about six hours now.”

What is next for both of you, besides Season 3, of course? 

Jordan: I’m going to be heading up to Toronto to work on a project, actually this coming week. Toronto is where I’m originally from. I grew up there and I spent a bunch of time there and I’ll be doing a play there for the winter. I’m really excited about that. It’s nice to go home. It’s nice to be home for the holidays and to work with a lot of the people who I came up with. I’ll be there through January and then I come back to the city and that’s when we’ll start filming season three.

Jack: I will be releasing music in the interim and, obviously, promoting the show. The show’s going to premiere all the way through December and then pre-production for season three starts in January. So, I’ve got to start booking stuff and hiring more actors while at the same time releasing music and music videos. That’s really it for me.

New episodes of Danny Will Die Alone season 2 will release weekly beginning November 14 on Dekkoo. Follow the show on Instagram and keep up with the Dying Alone Podcast here. Follow Jack on YouTube, Instagram and Spotify. Follow Jordan on Instagram.

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