Laughing on command is harder than it looks. I would know, I went undercover as a Zabvronian for the day.
Do you know what it's like to have to fake laugh for hours? Always on command, and even if your mouth hurts? DO YOU?
(ABC/Michael Ansell)
I do...
(ABC/Michael Ansell)
I do.
My name is Erin La Rosa, and I'm a reporter for BuzzFeed. I was recently taken in by the tight-knit alien community of Zabvronian extras, where they allowed me to walk amongst them as an extra on the set of ABC's The Neighbors.
For those who haven't seen The Neighbors, it's a half-hour sci-fi sitcom about a normal family, the Weavers, living in a gated community of aliens. The Zabvronians look normal, or at least normal-ish, so long as you can ignore the fact that they're preppy with a penchant for dressing exactly alike.
Since the show premiered in 2012, it's tried to remain consistent with its alien neighbors by using the same extras every time. Now in its second season, in a lot of ways the actors who play Zabvronian extras have become like a mini-family to each other. They not only hang out on set, but remain friends and socialize when the cameras aren't rolling.
It was unique, then, when they let me step in for the day as an extra and become a Zabvronian. Much like the aliens from the planet Zabvron, I wanted to learn from my new neighbors. These are the lessons I took away from what it's like to live in the world of The Neighbors:
