Ghosts' Utkarsh Ambudkar Teases 'Special' Halloween Episode, What He Learned From Rose McIver Ahead Of His Directorial Debut
It's Halloween once again at Woodstone Manor, so you know Ghosts is cooking up something special!
A new ghoul is on the prowl when Sam and Jay accidentally unleash a mummy ghost in "Halloween 5: The Mummy," airing Thursday, Oct. 30 at 8:30/7:30c. The show's new phantom also serves as a bit of an Easter egg. As showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman previously told TVLine, the new ghostie is an ancient Egyptian guy with "an axe to grind" against the people who brought his mummy to New York. (Lookin' at you, Hetty!)
As Utkarsh Ambudkar is quick to remind us, the mummy was fleetingly mentioned in last season's Halloween edition during a yard sale Sam and Jay held at the manor in "Halloween 4: The Witch." Now, that mummy is finally taking center stage in the "amazing" third episode of Season 5.
"This mummy plays a huge part in our Halloween episode," he says, touting the installment's production value, visual effects, story and comedy as some of the season's best. In addition, Jay's portrayer was taking notes during filming, as he prepped for a new role he's about to take on later this fall — director.
On Making His Directorial Debut
"I had the real honor — because I get to direct an episode this season — of shadowing Pete Chatmon, who directed the Halloween episode," he says. "So I really got to see it come up from the bones and it's really fun. It's really special."
The actor, whose past accomplishments include writing for TV, film and comic books, plus creating music for various media, says he always wanted to pursue directing (his episode will air in 2026), though he's well aware of the hard work that lies ahead.
"It is a very difficult job. It requires so much prep, so much nuance, some balancing, time management, problem solving, and in a vacuum, I think it would be a terrifying endeavor," he says. "However, I have the benefit of working with the same crew for five years, bonding with them from top to bottom, and it's a real feeling of everyone wanting to succeed. So I'm coming into an environment that wants to see me succeed, that is focused and committed to helping me succeed and vice versa.
"I watched Rose [McIver] do it last season. She was so good. I learned a lot from her, so yeah, I want the experience. In an environment that I know I can probably succeed in, hopefully I can take that experience and 1) have a better perspective on how to do my job as an actor better, and then 2) going forward in my career, maybe I'll have the opportunity to step behind the camera and helm projects that I create."
As for what, specifically, he learned from McIver during her directorial debut (Season 4's "Ghostfellas"), Ambudkar notes his co-star's time efficiency, in particular, as a key to her success.
"I learned preparation is key," he says. "One thing I love about Rose, too, is she didn't come in trying to direct anyone's performance. She was there to capture what she needed for the edit to deliver a 22-minute episode of comedy, and the trust that she had in her actors, her peers, that we would just bring it, was really nice. It felt great, and also, we were completely invested in giving her the best that we could."
Looking forward to another Halloween "Ghosts" episode? Let us know in the comments.