How James Lafferty & Stephen Colletti’s Independent TV Project Became A 2-Part Netflix Series

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James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti, best known for their roles on One Tree Hill, are reuniting on screen in the Netflix series Everyone is Doing Great. The show, which premiered in 2021 and recently finished filming its second season in 2023, is a rare success story in today’s streaming landscape. It follows the pair as they navigate life and careers after their time in the spotlight, and continues to connect with audiences.

Several years after appearing together in the vampire series Eternal, Seth Colletti is searching for his next major role, and Jeremy Lafferty is going through a divorce from Andrea Park. Meanwhile, Seth’s former girlfriend, Izzy Heine, is navigating a new romance while remaining a supportive friend to Andrea. Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off, but you won’t need a refresher – both seasons are currently available on Netflix.

ScreenRant spoke with the creators and stars of Everyone is Doing Great – Colletti, Lafferty, Heine, and Park – about how their show went from a small independent project to a two-season run on Netflix. They discussed how they tackled sensitive subjects with both humor and sincerity, and also gave fans a preview of what’s in store for the characters in season 2, following the events and time jump at the end of season 1.

Independent TV Is All About People & Passion

Most people understand independent films, but independent TV is a whole other challenge. Could you describe how you created this show knowing you didn’t have a guaranteed audience?

I’ve always admired James Lafferty’s approach. To me, it seems like he’s the kind of person who isn’t afraid to jump in and try new things, and then immediately starts figuring out how to make it all work. It’s that blend of passion and practicality that really resonates with me.

We were relieved to discover we could film the show’s first episode quickly – within just four days – and with minimal resources. After a lot of planning and getting approvals, we finally felt confident enough to start filming. We figured we’d shoot the pilot episode and then see what happened next.

Colletti built on what his friend and co-star had said, highlighting how important it is for people to collaborate on projects even when their success isn’t guaranteed.

Stephen Colletti described how the person came over with an idea he’d written down on a piece of paper, which he pulled out after they’d chatted briefly. Colletti remembers the paper had a couple of coffee stains on it. He said the person presented it saying, “Here’s what I’m thinking.”

After that initial moment, things moved quickly. I immediately knew this was an idea worth pursuing – exactly the kind of project I wanted to dedicate my energy to. We were able to start writing and assembling the team right away, and thankfully, everyone was enthusiastic and on board.

The key to achieving this was assembling a team with diverse creative skills. When you’re working with a tight budget, you really need people who can bring their best ideas to the project and push the quality higher. We were lucky to have incredibly talented friends – like Caribe and Alex, and the whole crew working behind the scenes – who stepped in and helped us make it something special.

Everyone Is Doing Great Explores Friendship, Professional Struggles, And Vampire Makeup

ScreenRant asked about the show’s beginning, which focuses on Jeremy and Andrea’s dissolving marriage and their enduring friendship. They wanted to know about how the show explores the complex emotions that remain after a relationship ends, and the different ways they still feel about each other.

Absolutely. Going through a divorce is incredibly hard, especially after a long marriage where you’ve shared so much of your life with someone. It’s a deeply impactful change when that person is suddenly no longer in your life, and I think a lot of people can understand how difficult that is.

The show delves into the idea that even when people aren’t currently in a romantic relationship, life can throw unexpected curveballs. Suddenly, they start questioning past choices. Season 2 really focuses on this – exploring whether characters made the right decisions and what happens when they second-guess themselves.

Life is full of surprises, and things are shifting for these two. However, I believe they genuinely care for each other, and their bond runs much deeper than just romance. The second season really delves into the strength of their friendship.

In the first season, Isabella begins a fast-moving romance. This new relationship impacts both her connection with her former partner, Seth, and her friendship with Andrea. How do these relationships change as a result?

Absolutely. Izzy experiences a lot of growth in season two, especially with her new relationship, and it interestingly parallels the struggles of a marriage falling apart. It’s something many people can relate to – when you’re starting a serious relationship while a close friend is going through a breakup, it creates a complex situation. I think the show highlights those relatable dynamics really well.

Many people can probably relate to falling in love quickly and the ups and downs that come with it – you don’t really know someone until you’ve spent a lot of time with them. In season 2, Izzy’s new relationship is definitely a wild ride!

ScreenRant noted the very relatable dynamic between Jeremy and Seth’s friendship, highlighting how it realistically portrays the give-and-take inherent in close bonds, and how needs can shift over time. They asked us to discuss how we balanced the comedic aspects of their relationship with maintaining genuine emotional honesty in their characters.

I think you’ve perfectly described it. It’s about the dynamic in a friendship where people approach life very differently – almost as opposites. Despite those differences, they recognize they need each other, because each person brings something the other lacks, or offers something the other needs.

The humor comes from how these characters interact with each other and with whatever’s happening around them. We quickly realized that just placing them in any scenario and watching their different reactions and attempts to work things out would naturally create funny moments. It works both in terms of the specific situation and their emotional responses, and that contrast is really the key to the comedy.

I really enjoy seeing the flashbacks to when they were on the show Eternal, along with the scenes from the show itself. Can you talk about what it’s like to get into the vampire makeup, and where the theme song originated?

We’d be happy to talk about the music in Season 2! We were lucky to work with Mike Grubbs again – he’s incredibly talented and also worked on One Tree Hill. He really helped take the show to the next level. The music in Season 2 is particularly great, and we immediately loved the theme song when we first heard it; it was really catchy.

I really enjoy working on these kinds of projects and want to do more. I’m particularly interested in getting involved with that show – it’s hilarious! We were especially attracted to the visual elements, like the makeup and fangs. While vampires and werewolves are always popular, the early 2000s, with shows like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, saw a real surge in their popularity, and we wanted the project to capture that moment in time.

The show is a blast to work on because it balances hilarious, over-the-top comedy with genuinely sweet and emotional scenes. It’s great to switch between those extremes. Playing vampires allows us to explore a really funny dynamic – these young, entitled characters who act like they own the world, even while dressed in vampire makeup and complaining about trivial things like a messed-up sushi order. That contrast is naturally comedic, and we all enjoy creating that kind of humor.

Everyone Is (Not) Doing Great In Season 2

Okay, so Season 1 left us hanging with a major cliffhanger, and honestly, I was a little worried about how the show would pick things up in Season 2. I was really curious to hear what the actors thought – what’s changed for their characters this season? How are they different now, after everything that happened?

Alexandra Park explains that her character, Andrea, undergoes a big change. In the first season, Andrea is very self-assured and comfortable, especially with her vampire look. She’s got that typical confidence you see in people in their early twenties—a ‘let’s get things done’ attitude. Park notes it’s a feeling many people can relate to.

Season 2 shows a completely different side of the character. She’s much less self-assured than before, likely because life has thrown her some unexpected challenges. This season, we see Andrea struggling with more complex issues than she did previously, questioning how things went wrong and when she can expect things to improve – a relatable experience for anyone facing hardship.

Building on that point, I think the relationship between the girls is much more interesting in the second season. While season one showed them doing really well, season two shows both of them facing challenges and setbacks in different ways – it’s a bit of a dramatic shift.

It’s strangely satisfying when someone who always seems perfect starts to fall apart. We all know people who appear to have it all together, but are actually struggling a lot privately. It’s almost enjoyable to see that facade crack.

If the girls have a tough time in season two, the boys will likely struggle even more as they attempt to turn their lives around.

James Lafferty explained that viewers saw Jeremy struggling in the first season. While Jeremy tries to improve in season 2, Lafferty suggests things won’t really get any easier for him.

It’s tough watching Seth struggle. He’s putting in a lot of effort, but he seems to be operating on a different level than everyone else – like he’s thinking two steps ahead when others are thinking many more. He’s trying his best, but it’s just not quite matching up with the complexity of the situation.

He can be so focused on achieving his goals that he doesn’t see potential problems coming. We see a couple of good examples of this in season 2. He’ll always give it his all, but he’ll definitely face some setbacks along the way.

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2026-05-18 21:53