Starz’s comedy series Party Down returns February 24 after a 13-year hiatus, and series star Tyrel Jackson Williams says the show remains relevant and funny as it looks to attract a new generation of fans.
The third season of the series, which ran on Starz from 2009 to 2010 before being canceled, returns most of its original cast, including Kevin Marino, Adam Scott, Jayne Lynch, Martin Starr, Megan Mullally, Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen and Jennifer Coolidge. The series follows the exploits of the Party Down catering team, who work catering jobs while waiting for their successful break in Hollywood.
Among the show’s new cast members is Williams, who joins the cast as Sackson Paxton, a wannabe social-media influencer who works at Party Down while he waits to become a big internet star. Williams, who was 13 when the final season of the series debuted on Starz in 2010, nevertheless said he was familiar with the series before accepting the role.
“I grew up around diehard fans of the show who said it was amazing and incredible,” Williams told Multichannel News. “I also know of everyone who was on it because they went off to be in everything I’ve ever liked.”
Williams, the younger brother of Abbott Elementary and Everybody Hates Chris star Tyler James Williams, said the show’s comedic elements as well as its character strength will help it appeal to a new generation of viewers. “Everything about the show is so relatable, even though it’s kind of silly and crazy at times,” Williams said. “Everything is wrapped around the core ethos that chasing a dream is hard and it hurts, but it’s ultimately worth it.”
The former Disney child star who appeared in such shows as Disney XD's Lab Rats, has made a successful transition to playing adult roles, including a starring role in IFC’s comedy series Brockmire which ran from 2017 to 2020. He credits his success to being patient in waiting for the right roles to take on.
“I knew that after the Disney show I wanted to make this transition over into doing more adult roles,” he said. “I knew that things would take time … it was all about letting [the roles] come to you.” ■
