"Was never not crazy": When Fubar's cast shared their feelings about working on the set of the Nick Santora show alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger

Where fast-paced fun and dirty chaos are at stake, Nick Santora's FUBAR on Netflix does not shy away. And when the television mania was a staged part of the show's appeal, the on-set environment in the rear of the cameras was hardly so laid-back. In a Collider interview with Jay Baruchel & Gabriel Luna, the FUBAR cast offered a refreshingly earthy but informative summary of what it was like to shoot the series, particularly with the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first star turn on TV.

From bedlam improvisation to grueling shoot schedules and volatile interactions, the cast reduced their working experience on set to a telltale catchphrase. When Jay Baruchel was asked what it was like working with Arnold, he replied,

"You're never not a kid. I never got used to it. You know, it was a constant thing to worry about. And I was like, I, cause I was like, I've got to act and I've got to be present. And someone said acting is reacting once."

He continued,

"And, but meanwhile, like, I'm sure there's a lot of rushes or dailies of me just like, just in awe, you know, it's crazy. It's still crazy. It was never not crazy."

Here is the interview for your reference:

Jay Baruchel from FUBAR: "I Never Got Used to It"

Jay Baruchel freely acknowledged that acting alongside Schwarzenegger never really became a habit. Despite frequent scenes with him, he couldn't help but remain a fan. "You're never not a kid," he said, stating that there were probably several takes rendered useless by him just because he was awestruck seeing the iconic actor in front of him.

He talked about the cognitive effort involved in remaining present in a scene while at the same time computing that he was performing alongside one of the largest stars in action films. Baruchel's comments were not overly sentimentalized. He simply stated that working with Arnold required concentration, not due to tension, but simply because of the dreamlike nature of it.

He needed to perform his duties to the best of his ability while also coping with a personal sense of incredulity that he was indeed on a set with a cultural icon.

Gabriel Luna on awe and consistency in FUBAR

Gabriel Luna reiterated Baruchel's sentiments. In Luna's opinion, the Schwarzenegger cameo never lost its effect after the years went by.

As per the Collider interview, he said,

"Yeah. No, but Jay's absolutely right. It never gets any, any, uh, uh, it's always as incredible as well as the first time."

To Luna, it wasn't about nostalgia or stardom when working with Arnold; it was about seeing someone who continued to deliver the same intensity and sheen in front of the camera years into his career.

Luna did not idealize the experience—instead, he termed it "always impressive" as opposed to "flashy." He appeared to indicate that Schwarzenegger's presence was not necessarily about star power but rather about a form of practiced ease, arriving prepared and giving performances with control and precision.

Behind-the-scenes of FUBAR: Joyful chaos and Schnitzel Fridays

Though the cast willingly conceded the adrenaline rush of being part of action sequences that involved car crashes, explosions, and stunts, they also discussed how surprisingly pleasant the working conditions were. Baruchel defined the FUBAR set in Toronto as a "lovely, light, airy working space."

He said,

"Oh, I, I would assume because I don't know that it was like a pretty, pretty joyous, lovely, light, airy working space. It was like summertime in Toronto. Everybody was kind of, for the most part, in a good mood. It was lovely out."

He added,

"We were a lot of, a lot of good bell, all the bells and whistles when it came to like craft service and stuff."

One thing stood out: "Schnitzel Fridays." Baruchel said that on Fridays, a massive cutting board loaded with schnitzel and wedges of lemon would be wheeled onto set—an apparent tradition whenever Schwarzenegger is working on a project. Even though it could be considered a funny footnote, it was an actual instance of how food and habit influence the energy on a set. Baruchel noted the way even craft services can set a tone, and on FUBAR, that bit of detail helped establish the tone.

FUBAR episode favorites: Bookending the series

When asked about their favorite episodes from the eight-episode season, both actors gave sincere answers. Baruchel leaned toward the first and final episodes, calling them “as strong a pilot and finale as I’ve ever seen.” He said,

"Like, there's no track you'd skip over. They're all, they're all strong. They're all A-sides, but like that first one is as strong a pilot as I've ever seen of any show."

He explained that the show had no weak points—each episode was treated like an A-side track, meaning it was hard to choose one favorite without praising the entire series.

Gabriel Luna concurred but included a personal observation about liking one specific card game scene, not for his contribution to it but for the tone it achieved. In his opinion, that moment among CIA team members contained both candor and a comedic quality and was a highlight of ensemble chemistry.

A set that felt like an Amusement Park

Baruchel called FUBAR's production days "an amusement park" with excitement, unpredictability, and lots of practical effects. He said,

"It was like going into an amusement park every day. Schnitzel Fridays. Big, big thing with Arnold and whenever he works, it's they, they've just brought in a cutting board, a mountain of schnitzel and lemon wedges."

For an actor, days were long but interesting. There were no whines about fatigue or stress—rather, the tone of the discussion was one of excitement for being a part of something that would keep them working hard but also have them enjoy themselves.

This combination of organized madness, physical action, and individual sentimentality resulted in a cast that, as Baruchel puts it, "was never not crazy." It wasn't a gripe—it was an outgrowth of the show's pace, tone, and scope.

What stood out in their interview was the balance between genuine awe and grounded routine. Working with Arnold Schwarzenegger was as surreal as it was professional. The set was loud, packed with stunts, and constantly active—but also well-managed, good-humored, and collaborative.

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Baruchel and Luna's commentary was self-deprecating and frank, giving a candid glimpse into the nature of working on FUBAR. With catchphrases such as "it was never not crazy," they created a portrait not of dysfunction but of creative force with an anchor in a crew that precisely knew what it was doing—even when it went mad.

Also read: Two years after FUBAR Season 1, Boro’s death remains one of the most iconic twists in the show

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