Our Flag Means Death: Cast Members Reflect on the Series and Share Favorite Moments | GalaxyCon

Our Flag Means Death fans came out in droves this weekend for a Q&A with cast members during GalaxyCon Raleigh.

Cast members Kristian Nairn, Con O’Neill, Vico Ortiz, and Nathan Foad shared plenty of fun tidbits about their work on the comedy series, which was canceled after just two seasons.

They also discussed what they hoped the series’ lasting legacy would be. Here are a few of the highlights.

On the show’s impact:

Foad said he thinks the legacy of the series will be about the fans. “This is what the show is, do you know what I mean?” Foad said, gesturing to the audience.

“You guys have kind of made the show. I hope it’s forever remembered as the show with the world’s most annoying fanbase,” Foad laughed.

Kristian Nairn added that the diversity of representation makes the show especially significant. “The way that representation was shown in the show — I would like to see more of that,” Nairn said.

Con O’Neill praised the cast and reflected on why the experience of working on the show has made him more open.

“It’s rare that you work with a company of actors who are so vibrant and funny and on it,” O’Neill said. “You have to come on set with your A game with this gang because f*ck knows what they were going to say.”

“And you had some useful, organic acting going on there,” O’Neill continued. “I still think that Vico and Samson’s relationship in the first series was just extraordinary and really authentic.”

How Nathan Foad found out about Lucius’s true fate at the end of Season 1:

During the Q&A, Foad also shared the story of how he first found out what Lucius’s actual fate would be after Season 1. It turns out he learned of Lucius’s supposed death before he should have.

While the cast members didn’t have the script for Our Flag Means Death Season 1 Episode 10, even as they filmed the episodes leading up to that season finale, crew members and costume workers did. Foad had made friends in those departments and used that to his advantage to get a sneak peek.

“I basically got my grubby little mitts on Episode 10 [ahead of time] and obviously read how it ended. And I was like, f*ck! I spent like two days filming, being like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t say anything!'”

“David Jenkins obviously got wind of the fact that I’d somehow gotten hold of the script,” Foad continued. Jenkins called Foad and let him know that he wasn’t actually dying. “So that’s how I found out that I was coming back.”

(Jenkins also tried to find out who got Foad the script, but don’t worry, he didn’t reveal his source!)

On Jim’s choice to stay behind at the end of Season 1:

Vico Ortiz reflected on a pivotal moment for Jim at the end of Season 1, where they choose to stay behind.

“I think that conversation with Spanish Jackie really resonated with them. The whole, you know if you keep the cycle of revenge it’s just gonna eat you up and you’re never really gonna be happy. Jim really took that in,” Ortiz said, adding that this was the first time Jim “had an opportunity to be chosen and to choose rather than just be thrown into it.”

“It’s like, no, I’m choosing this. And these people are choosing me, so why not continue to invest my energy in that?'” Ortiz added. 

Their favorite scenes to film: 

Each cast member also shared their favorite or most memorable scenes from filming the show. 

“For me, it was the duel with Stede. It was just a great day,” O’Neill said.

“My early scenes filming with Matt Maher who played Black Pete,” Foad said. “I was so blind-terrified-panicked for those first few episodes I have so little memory of filming those first three episodes. The first time I think I really breathed out and was like, “Oh god, okay, this is going to be fine,’ was filming some of my first scenes with Matt.” 

“Calypso’s Birthday,” Ortiz answered. “There were a lot of moments in that — a lot of joy in that — that felt really nice.”

“I sort of saw where the show was going, and I knew that David didn’t know about my repertoire of what I’ve done in the past. So I sent him a bunch of, like, ten photographs of me in drag,” Nairn recalled.

Then one day during filming, costume designer Gypsy Taylor pulled out something special to show him. “She just like pulled out a beautifully blue material and was like, have you seen this?”

“I loved everything about it,” Nairn added. “I just loved that whole day. It was beautiful for all of us, I think.”

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