Back in May, writer-producer Marc Bernardin (Castle Rock, Star Trek: Picard) launched The Plague Nerdalogues, a charitable initiative featuring stars from across the genre space self-taping some of the most iconic monologues from film and TV history, all to raise funds for No Kid Hungry.
The video series has raised over $16,000 to date, spotlighting performances from Star Trek legend Jonathan Frakes (channeling his best Captain Kirk), Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer (taking on the role of Bill from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill), and Krypton star Cameron Cuffe (fittingly tackling Marlon Brando’s Jor-El monologue from Superman), and was initially designed as a way to raise money and bring people together during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series was always intended to expand with new actors contributing additional monologues in its second wave, but in the wake of the protests against racial injustice that have swept the globe following George Floyd’s death, Bernardin was compelled to direct funds for the next round of “Nerdalogues” to Black Lives Matter.
“It became clear to me, as both an African American and a human being, that if we could raise money for a cause that’s affected so many since they were born, then we should,” said Bernardin in a statement. “We’ve all wanted to do something. We’re all moved to action. And when I mentioned to the actors who’d already contributed their monologues, not a one raised an objection. We all stand together. Nerds and strong. And even though the ‘plague’ in the title initially referred to COVID-19, to apply it to systemic racism — America’s first plague — felt apt.”
Watch the trailer for a preview of some of the stars participating in The Plague Nerdalogues: The Second Wave:
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/the-plague-nerdalogues-the-second-wave-cast-reveal”]
IGN can exclusively reveal the stars participating in The Plague Nerdalogues: The Second Wave, debuting June 12, including Bernardin’s Fatman Beyond co-host, director Kevin Smith, The Flash’s Grant Gustin, Will Forte (Last Man on Earth), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), David Ramsey (Arrow), Malcolm Barrett (Timeless), Christina Ochoa (Animal Kingdom), David Harewood (Supergirl), Caity Lotz (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Gary Anthony Williams (Solar Opposites), Jordan Calloway (Black Lightning), Tracie Thoms (9-1-1), Eugene Byrd (Bones), Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live), Jesse Rath (Supergirl), Chris Lee (Legacies), Rahul Kohli (iZombie), Parisa Fitz-Henley (Luke Cage), Ahmed Best (Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge), Brittany Curran (The Magicians), Olivia Swann (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Alaina Huffman (The 100), Drew Powell (Gotham), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Dani Fernandez (Ralph Breaks the Internet), Camrus Johnson (Batwoman), Affion Crockett (Pixels) Jessie Graff (American Ninja Warrior), Ashley A. Williams (Double Cross), Annika Noelle (The Bold and the Beautiful), and Casey McKinnon (The Tragedy of JFK).
To watch the monologues, you can visit theplaguenerdalogues.com and donate to Black Lives Matter to gain access to the full library of videos, which will expand over time as more monologues are submitted.
“When the moment and the movement yields some real concrete change, then this will have served its purpose and these videos will be made public,” added Bernardin. “Until then, I hope our collective love for both the geek world and the real world can do a little good.”
The Plague Monologues series is produced and curated by Bernardin, with web design and video editorial provided by Hannibal Tabu, and additional contributions from writer-producers Deric A. Hughes (Arrow) and Lamont Magee (Black Lightning).
The first wave of monologues also included performances from Phil Lamarr (Justice League), David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man), Azita Ghanizada (Elementary), Todd Stashwick (12 Monkeys), Rob Benedict (Supernatural), Yuri Lowenthal (Spider-Man), Ruth Connell (Supernatural), Rekha Sharma (Battlestar Galactica,), Tiffany Smith (Masters of the Universe: Revelations), Damion Poitier (The Flash), Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica), Hal Lublin (The Thrilling Adventure Hour), David Blue (Stargate: Universe), and Clarke Wolfe (Satanic Panic).
Source: IGN.com Grant Gustin, Caity Lotz and More Stars Join The Plague Nerdalogues