This week, the cast of Ghosts finally escaped from the boundaries of Woodstone Mansion for a once-in-a-lifetime event at the Library of Congress, and Collider was invited along to observe the day’s events. Their day began with a tour of the library’s impressive collection before the press arrived, and they were buzzing with excitement from everything they had seen once they arrived in one of the upper rooms, which had been turned into an exhibition hall.

In the months leading up to the event, the Library of Congress’ curators went through their collections to find artifacts that were specifically connected to the series’ characters. Some of these objects were obvious, like maps of the indigenous territories of the Hudson River Valley connected to Sasappis’ backstory or headlines centering around the Stock Market that Trevor would’ve read before his untimely departure. Others, however, were curated by diehard Ghosts fans among the staff who pulled a guide on ant watching from their collection, playing upon an off-handed conversation in the Season 2 premiere of the series.

As the cast — DaniellePinnock, RichieMoriarty, AsherGrodman, RebeccaWisocky, and RománZaragoza — went from table to table, learning about the rich history connected to each of their specially curated artifacts, there were plenty of laughs, tears, and insightful conversations we were made privy to. As someone with a background in history and curation, it was thrilling to see the cast interacting with artifacts that were connected to their characters and observe how history can be presented in fun, yet impactful ways — even through a comedy series like Ghosts! Following their conversations with the Library of Congress curators, I had the pleasure of chatting with the cast about their experience, in addition to quizzing them about what fans can expect from the remainder of the season and beyond.

Ghosts (US) A young couple, Sam and Jay, inherit a haunted mansion and, unaware of their invisible housemates, plan to turn it into a B&B. Their lives become much more complicated after a fall causes Sam to see the ghosts. Based on the UK series.Release Date October 7, 2021 Creator Joe Port, Joe Wiseman Main Genre Comedy Seasons 3

The ‘Ghosts’ Cast Reminisce About Everything They Learned

“I think we’ve all become kind of armchair historians for our own little time periods,” Wisocky mused as she and Grodman joined me in one of the meeting rooms lined with books from a presidential collection. “To walk in and have such talented curators and historians who have spent weeks putting together these really inspired, creative pastiches of not only what was literally happening politically at that moment in time, but also tangentially the years-ago story that relates. It was really thrilling.”

“The experience of just being here is fantastic,” echoed Grodman. “I have never been to the Library of Congress. I had this idea of just a vault-like place that existed that movies would go into, and it would be like, “Oh, that’s officially a classic now.” So being here, in the building itself, every room blows you away, so now I don’t really want to leave.” And it was a very similar conversation when I spoke with Pinnock, Moriarty, and Zaragoza—their awe was palpable.

“I think all of us were blown away by, not only the time and energy and expertise that went into curating this, but also, like you said, feeling much more connected to our characters’ time period. I feel like there’s less history in a character like mine’s 1980s death, but I was just really kind of blown away by it. Román was talking about it [earlier, but] it was emotional at points. Especially as we’re listening to this wax cylinder recording of somebody singing. Was he singing in Munsee?” Moriarty asked his co-star, and Zaragoza promptly jumped in.

“I think he was singing in Munsee. I have to say, just for me, the table for Sasappis made me incredibly emotional, way more emotional than I was expecting. Because Meg, who was a curator, talks about how she’s Munsee, and her family went to residential schools, and just feeling the connection, like, this is not just books that are being brought out, and things being brought out. It’s her family. She talks about her family and her ancestors, and what they went through. She was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a storyteller, and I’m Lenape, and so every time I watch the show I just feel like you’re representing me,’ and she’s like, ‘Thank you.’ I’m literally holding back tears.” He laughed with amazement. “This is wild.”

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For Danielle Pinnock’s Alberta Haynes, the Library of Congress had on display several artifacts relating to the legendary jazz singer Albert Hughes, of whom Pinnock’s character was loosely based on, and it was quite clear that Pinnock felt inspired by the history she learned during the day, as she spoke:

“I have to say, the AP history nerd in me is living its best life right now. As a kid who used to worship
Matilda
, and I grew up in libraries, my mom was a single mom and so she’d be like, ‘Listen, we can’t afford athletics, but go sit in the library for a bit while I do my work.’
This is unreal to be here, and just being in the catacombs of the Library of Congress feels like such a special moment for all of us.
I would take every single thing on that table that they curated for my character, and for all of our characters. I mean, seeing the sheet music that was out there and just understanding the relationship between the gangsters and the mobsters and jazz singers, and all the artists of that time. I had no idea. And we know that Alberta loved Al Capone, and they were always rubbing shoulders, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this actually makes sense. He was probably paying for voice lessons or paying for performances for her.’ It’s just been fabulous. Today has been amazing.”

“Honestly, learning about Alberta Hunter was giving me ideas,” Zaragoza remarked. “Yeah, and Langston Hughes!” Moriarty chimed in, prompting even more excitement from Pinnock:

”
We
have
to have a Langston Hughes.
We have to. Were they roommates at some point? Also, knowing that Alberta Hunter and her sister were actually not very friendly, I’m like, “Are there any other members of Alberta’s family that she may not have been as close with?” We know Teresa and her were besties, but does she have a brother that we don’t know about, where it’s like they hated each other? And also, what were her side hustles? I know as an artist I had so many side hustles. We were talking about the Boy Scouts; I used to work at Girl Scouts of America in Chicago. So, seeing some of those books, I was like, “Oh yeah, I used to do those tours.” So, what were some of her side hustles? Did she sell lingerie and hosiery? You know what I mean? Does she work on a daily? What was our girl up to?”

Zaragoza wasn’t the only one inspired by the tables curated for his castmates, as Grodman was as impressed with his Wall Street-themed collection as he was excited to see what they had curated for Wisocky’s Hetty. “For me, I grew up in the ‘90s, so I was a kid looking up at the adults of that era, so it doesn’t feel like a history lesson to me as much. But to go through the journey with castmates, that was amazing. Because we all have these very comedic relationships with each of these characters, but going to your table is like meeting Hetty’s family for the first time.”

“Oh, that’s sweet!” Wisocky replied, patting his arm. “Also, it feels like there are so many instances, today especially, but in the life of our show where it feels like, ‘Oh, history is so cyclic.’ There are so many things that relate and talk to one another. Especially in these particular characters and time periods.”

At Grodman’s prompting, Wisocky went on to discuss one of the artifacts that clearly had an impact on her: Eliza Barton Lyman’s The Coming Woman; or, The Royal Road to Physical Perfection, which was a series of medical lectures published in the 1880s. The curator had spoken with them about Lyman’s later writings, which included Hermaphro-deity: the mystery of divine genius, which discussed hermaphrodites in a very positive light.

“This is something that I wanted to talk to Barbara more about. The leading etiquette book of the time was written by a man, but there were also some women doing some really interesting work in writing in that time period, as well, that was very much about health and sexual empowerment. I don’t want to misquote it, I have it written down, but [it was about] the hermaphrodite being the most idealized, perfect form of human, and I did not know that.” After a quick back-and-forth about my own background as a historian, Wisocky continued:

“I want to read that book now, in particular. Also, I’m interested so much in [how] people say that we’re now in a different type of Gilded Age, currently with the opioid crisis and the vast wealth disparity. So, again, cycles and things repeating.
One thing that’s been really interesting for us, as well, is with this show, you’re able to watch a character with the benefit of hundreds, if not thousands of years of retrospect.
You don’t get that in the real world. So, to watch the lessons that those characters can learn only through then meeting future generations that have watched those mistakes being made or heard about those mistakes being made.”

Grodman wisely added, “Also, in essence, we are a show about a bunch of people in a time capsule, and so we can’t do anything. We’re stuck with each other. So when we do these flashback episodes, which are, by definition, us diving into history; we go back into history to push our story forward. Because with the details that you get from that, now we see what we’re doing in our day-to-day lives in the show through a new lens.”

Hetty and Cocaine Aren’t the Only Match Made in ‘Ghosts’ Afterlife
Image via CBS 

While it was by pure coincidence that Grodman and Wisocky were paired up for interviews at the Library of Congress, they were more than happy to play into it. During our interview, I asked them if there were any objects they encountered — or history — that had inspired them to make a pitch for their characters when they got back to filming.

“Oh, we love little pitches like that!” Wisocky reacted, “Boy, I can’t stop thinking about the fact that they discovered cocaine in their collection. I don’t know that this is a pitch, but I just can’t stop thinking about it that there was an optometrist who was friends with Freud, with Sigmund Freud, who was a proponent of using cocaine medicinally, as was everyone in that period, obviously. So, they discovered in the archives a little packet or two of cocaine, which I thought was really, really fun.”

“I don’t know for me,” Grodman answered. “A lot of what they put together, which was great to see, was very Wall Street-based stuff. I can understand why they stayed in that world, but I’m sure that there are things in the ‘90s that are things we haven’t looked at yet. It’s a fascinating time that, in many ways, mirrors the Gilded Age — huge business boom, tons of excess.” She added, “New money versus old money.” Grodman continued, “And it’s a time where everyone, to a degree, that hadn’t happened prior, everyone was seeing it. It wasn’t just in magazines, but it was starting to be online. Suddenly the extravagance was being seen, and it was computable.” “And that’s very much like the Gilded Age,” Wisocky followed up, “It was incredibly ostentatious [the way] they displayed their wealth and their privilege. Really, what we’re saying is Trevor and I are a match made in heaven. And we are very dear friends in real life.”

The cocaine was absolutely the highlight of the trip, clearly, and a running bit throughout the day. Especially after the ghostly incident that occurred during my conversation with Pinnock, Moriarty, and Zaragoza. While it will go down in history as the first ghostly encounter during a Ghosts interview, it really was just a table collapsing… or at least that’s the story we will tell.

“I have to say, Pinnock said, seconds before disaster. “Hearing about the bag of cocaine that they still have—” A table, inexplicably crashed to the ground beside us. “That was the ghost! That was his ghost right there. He didn’t want to talk about that. That’s okay. That’s it. That was his ghost. He said, ‘Stop talking about my drugs!'” We laughed. “He is in the room.” “That’s the crux of the article,” Moriarty told me. “’I did a haunted interview with the cast of Ghosts. We almost died.’” Pinnock wisely saw that as a reason to move on from the cocaine blues. ” He didn’t want us talking about his drugs. I’m gonna leave it alone.” And we did.

So What’s the Deal With Carol? And Where Is Flower?

For those who might not be caught up with Season 3 of Ghosts, Carol (Caroline Aaron) is Pete’s (Richie Moriarty) wife, who had an affair while he was still alive, and is now, much to his chagrin, dead and a ghost alongside him. After attempting to rekindle their relationship in the afterlife, Carol was quick to jump into the ghostly sack with Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long) — proving that nothing has changed, even in death.

I asked the trio if Carol was being positioned to be a villain in Season 3, to which Zaragoza cheekily corrected: “She’s a randy villain. She’s, like, sleeping with everyone.” Moriarty provided a slightly more serious answer, by teasing what’s to come with that dynamic, saying, “We see more of the same for Carol coming up, but I guess I could tease that she kind of settles. She finds a place to settle.” Zaragoza added, “That’s the best way to answer. She finds her space.” To which Moriarty replied, “Which, luckily for Pete, is not in his bedroom.”

They also teased what fans can expect from the unresolved Flower (Sheila Carrasco) plotline, which saw everyone’s favorite flower child get sucked off in the Season 3 premiere “There are big revelations with Flower this season.” Moriarty teased. “And I will say, some of my favorite stuff to shoot from the season, because, gosh, I can’t say too much at all, but the way we shot portions of the continuation of [Flower’s] story was so cool and difficult.” Pinnock solemnly added, “Very difficult.”

“But yeah,” Moriarty continued, “I’m really looking forward to that. I think the fans are going to love the way that storyline comes together.” With Pinnock noting a change of pace for the series, “It’s a huge departure from what we normally do on the show.”

Everyone Really Wants a Musical Episode of ‘Ghosts’
Image via CBS

When asked if there is anything they haven’t gotten to do yet with their characters that they’re eager to do, Wisocky is quick to answer about spirit powers. “Well, we don’t know Hetty’s power yet, so that should be fun. They’ve got a new ghost power this season for somebody…” Everyone is tight-lipped about which ghost will be receiving their power, but Grodman promises it “is fantastic.” A sentiment that Wisocky agrees with, while adding another wish list she has for Ghosts. “That is an amazing episode. I mean, we should definitely do a musical episode.”

Grodman lights up at the suggestion. “I would love a musical episode. Also, I guess this is a part of me that is looking for conflict and stuff, I would love — because he’s the most recently dead — to have something of Trevor’s life that was a real problem, something that he did, come back to haunt him. Whether it’s a PR thing or it’s a person that he’s screwed over, or something like that, someone who is now an issue for Sam and Jay that he created. Because none of us are in a situation where we are grappling with the sins we made in our lives because it’s too far away.”

“Well, I think I’m certainly paying the price for the things I did,” Wisocky reminds him, which prompts him to expand on the idea. ” I mean in the real world, right now. That kind of thing.” And it does sound like he wants something bigger than his brother turning up to wreak havoc at the inn. “There was a little bit in there where we kind of got a sense of maybe Trevor’s role with his brother, and he was not as great as he could have been. But I just think the idea of the fingerprint you leave behind.”

“And you want yours to be real bloody and messy,” Wisocky teased. “See, you spent the first two years wanting everyone to think that you were a hero.” With a shrug, Grodman circled back to his musical dreams, “I gotta keep ‘em guessing, man. But a musical episode would be really fun.”

“We’ve talked about, what if we could do a thing where it kind of parallels a Shakespeare play? Like if all of a sudden we’re all somehow doing some version of The Tempest together? I think that would be very good.” Wisocky suggested, still thinking of other ideas for the series. Grodman offered up his own ideas then, “I look at a lot of stuff like, ‘Oh my god, the Joes [Portman and Wiseman] are going to fire me,” Grodman laughed, before continuing. “There are shows that have done these bottle episodes that I just think are so charming and fun. If we did, I don’t know,if it’s a Shakespeare thing, if it’s a musical episode… We kind of did it with D&D.” Wisocky added:

“I was just thinking about D&D, but you know what I would really love? Is for all of us — this is so selfish because he deserves his own ghost power — but Sass’ ghost power of being able to invade dreams, we want a piece of that so bad, baby. I want to interact with Jay. But we all want to be able to come in and be like weird dream creatures. I would love for that to happen, for all of us to be able to have one great big party dream episode. That’d be great.”

“I’d love to know how Trevor can move this,” He stabbed at the air with his pointer finger. “Because what you’re gonna find this season — correct me if I’m wrong, Rebecca — is that there’s logic to these powers. I mean, in some cases there weren’t, but now that there’s more there’s a logic to them. So, they all must have a reason.” Wisocky had a solid theory: “Well, because you did a lot of, like, sell, sell, sell…”

Related Lamorne Morris Hangs Out With Danielle Pinnock in New ‘Ghosts’ Season 3 Image The ‘New Girl’ alum will make a cameo in the April 11 episode.

Wisocky and Grodman were not the only members of the Ghosts cast craving a bit of music mixed into their comedic drama, however. Richie Moriarty offered up a pretty entertaining idea for an episode, which hinged around a throwaway line.

”
I have one, and it’s so stupid. It’s not tied to history at all, but Pete mentions that he was in a barbershop quartet. I deeply want to do a song for my barbershop quartet with no one else, so that it’s just Pete being like, “Bum, bum, bum,” and just the sporadic noises he’s making as the other singers would be singing.
So, that’s a hope of mine is that I get to do a one-man barbershop quartet. I want a beautiful moment, like a montage sequence. Like, it’s gorgeous, and then it cuts to “bum bum.”

When questioned about when they will ever get around to doing a musical episode, Moriarty explained. “We bring it up to our showrunners all the time. I feel like neither of them are probably naturally musically inclined, neither of the Joes, so I think they’re kind of like, “They really wanna do this,” but they’re trying to figure out how we’re going to do this.” Naturally, Pinnock suggested who they should get in to do the music, “Call Lin-Manuel Miranda!”

“We can get him to play Hamilton in the show.” Moriarty countered, alluding to the running bit about Hamilton that’s been ever-present since Season 1. Not to mention, the cast makes no secret of the fact that Miranda is a fan of their series and a longtime friend of their costar Utkarsh Ambudkar. “We have some singers in the cast,” Zaragoza pointed out amid the giggles about Miranda. “We have a lot of people from theater. We have some singers.”

Moriarty added, “And in the Christmas episode from Season 2 we all go to actually sing Christmas carols. That was so fun. We worked with this musical director from the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He was like the choral director. But yeah, we all are musically inclined, so I think we’d love to do it. Maybe Season 4.”

When Will ‘Ghosts’ Season 4 Start Filming?

Speaking of Season 4, Moriarty revealed when the cast will be headed back to set following their Season 4 renewal last month: “We will start Season 4 probably mid-July-ish and then go until roughly early February, I would guess. But yeah, we don’t have a schedule yet. We know mid-July is kind of our target date.” Which sounds about right, now that productions are getting back on track, following last year’s strike. And while the cast doesn’t know what will happen in Season 4, they were eager to talk about — and praise — the next four episodes, including last night’s “The Polterguest,” which screened at the Library of Congress ahead of its airdate.

“There are great, great flashbacks in the episode that will air on April 18. Hetty has an embarrassment of riches this year; she has two different flashback outfits,” Wisocky teased, with Grodman adding. “There’s a lot of stuff coming up this season. I think we’re on pins and needles just waiting. If you take Richie’s performance out,” He joked with a laugh. “They’re the four best episodes.” Zaragoza shared a similar sentiment, sans any playful slights against Richie, saying:

“I think the fan reaction for the season has been really exciting because I think they’re waiting a long time. I was nervous. With such anticipation, people build things up in their head. But I was just so happy to hear that people have enjoyed the season. And we have some really fun episodes coming up.
These final four are some of our best big character revelations.
Big, big big big stuff.”

“It’s it’s our best season yet, I have to say,” Pinnock agreed. “We really are digging more into not only into the powers, but who we are as people, our wants and our needs in the afterlife. Even just speaking on one of the guest stars that is coming, that we’re seeing today, the episode with Lamorne Morris and Geoffrey Owens — being able to film that on the first week of Black History Month was one of the best gifts I could have ever had as an artist. They are just comedy masters.” She went on to say, “I was sweating, and they had the nerve to have the heat up that week, and I had that crushed velvet on. I was sweating like a 90s R&B singer. The bangs were plastered on. And I was like, ‘Lamorne, I’m normally not like this.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, okay.’ But it was amazing, and we just had so much fun.”

Ghosts airs weekly on CBS and can be streamed on Paramount+.

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