COURNTEY TAYLOR: Ballard, Shrinking & Abbott Elementary

In this Reel Insights episode, Sean Tajipour, the Mayor of Nerdtropolis, chats with Ballard star Courtney Taylor to talk about her thrilling new role in the Bosch universe.

Courtney shares what it’s like stepping into Michael Connelly’s world of gritty crime stories, working alongside legends like Maggie Q and John Carroll Lynch, and how she brings her own comedic background into a dramatic role. From subtle levity to high-stakes cold cases, she teases what fans can expect from this bold new chapter.

Plus, she dishes on her favorite moments from the season, what it was like to fan out over Maggie Q, and why Ballard is perfect for both new viewers and longtime Bosch fans.

Ballard will stream on Prime Video on July 9.

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Hello Courtney. Hi.
It's great to meet you. And there's already so much buzz
about the show Ballard, especially from long time Bosch
fans. So I have to ask you, how did it
feel stepping into a world that's been beloved for years?
And were you a fan of Bosch before joining Ballard?
First of all, nice to meet you too.

(00:21):
And also I am so honored to be apart of the Michael Connelly
universe in any capacity. You know, I love Lincoln Lawyer,
I love Bosh. I watched Bosh for a little
while and then I kind of jumped off.
But as soon as I got the audition, I was like, well, let
me dive back in. And I was like in it like it was
just, it's, it's done so well, the storytelling, the the

(00:44):
excitement, the thrill. Like I think it's such an
exciting show to watch because it's so well written and it's
based off of this insanely wonderful book.
Like just being a part of the Ballard side of things is like
I, I cannot wait to continue this legacy.
Fantastic show. What I really love is the
ensemble cast that you're a partof.

(01:05):
I love everybody in it, especially you.
And for those who haven't seen Bosh or Bosh legacy, which
there's a lot to catch up on, would you say Ballard stands on
his own as a fresh entry point or are there layered moments for
long time fans that would reallyappreciate it even more?
I'm not going to wonder. I think it's the best of both.
I think there's some layered moments where you can kind of

(01:26):
like, it feels very nostalgic toBosch.
But I do think we have done something so exciting and
creating something new for not only our Bosch audience, but
like for to bring in some new people to, to the to the to the
fandom. And I think that's the best
thing about Michael Connolly's series, is the the ability to
kind of be in the same universe but also hop into a new

(01:47):
perspective, which is nice. Yeah, I've been loving it.
What's it like to be with the show at Maggie Qi?
Got to ask that. One it's I'm on cloud 9.
Like when I as soon as I was like Maggie Q like, Oh my gosh,
like when I did my Kim read, I had to do several, several calm
down moments for myself before Igot into that room.
I was like, we are the same. We could do this.

(02:09):
We are Co workers, we can work this through, but just working
with this legend. Oh my gosh.
She also let me know exactly what it meant to be a a person
on set who set the tone. Like she made sure that
everybody on set was good. She was so selfless in that way
and and watching her work watch and she because she was working

(02:30):
way more than I was watching herwork and do these really intense
scenes and dramatic scenes and action scenes, but also still
cater to her cast. Oh, it was amazing, like
absolutely amazing. And just having this ensemble
cast of people who have either also legends in the game, John
Carroll Lynch, like these are people who have been working for
a long time and all of us meshing together to create this

(02:52):
beautiful ensemble. I couldn't ask for anything
better. I'm secretly a John Carroll
Lynch super fan. I'm going to say that.
I think we all are. I think we all are.
He's just such a body of work. He's amazing.
Yeah. What excites you most about
bringing your character to life and what personal touches did
you bring to the role? I think what excited me most was
being able to kind of have this really layered, beautiful

(03:15):
character come to life. I tried to bring a little bit of
myself into it because there aremoments where I think in a drama
series where you have to have small moments of levity.
And because I come from the comedy world, I was, I, I think
I did AI think I did a pretty good job of trying to make sure
I adhere to the drama, but also provide that small bit of levity

(03:36):
that you kind of need in these kind of very heavy series.
And yeah, I think I just enjoyedbeing able to challenge myself
in that way for this character. Yeah.
I love your character in this cold case.
It's conspiracies, killer mysteries.
This show covers it all. Is there a certain episode or
moment you're excited for fans to see?
Oh, I'm super excited for fans to see.

(04:00):
Honestly, it's not even, it's anepisode that I'm in, but I think
it centres around Maggie's character the most.
And I think we get to really seehow we've all connected and how
we've all grown together and howand how like passionate we are
about figuring out these cases. Like, I think once you get into
the swing of this show and you like really fall in love with

(04:22):
the characters, the drama that ensues will have you like, like
begging for more. It's really good.
Yeah, I was all in with all the characters from day one.
I'm already hooked after just a few episodes, but I can't wait
to see where it goes. But Courtney, thank you so much
for chatting. Thank you so much for being
here.