'The Better Sister' star Bobby Naderi on 'changing the dynamic of protective power' in thrilling show
Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks play sisters in the new crime thriller series The Better Sister (on Prime Video), based on the novel by Alafair Burke. In the mysterious new show, a puzzling death brings Chloe (Biel) and Nicky (Banks) back together unexpectedly.
The sisters live very different lives, Chloe is a journalist, married to her husband, lawyer Adam (Corey Stoll), while Nicky is a recovering addict whose teenage son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan) is being raised by Chloe and Adam. Yes, Chloe married her sister's ex-husband.
But when Adam unexpectedly dies, the estranged sisters work together to get answers about Adam's death, and to be there for Ethan.
Among the cast is Bobby Naderi who plays Matt Bowen, who one of the detectives working on the case, alongside his partner Nancy Guidry (Kim Dickens). Their dynamic is one of the highlights of the show.
There's this really appealing, sarcastic banter that they have with each other. Nancy, in particular, is always ready to be a little bit critical of her partner's approach.
Naderi told Yahoo Canada that these great were a great balance to the more dramatic moments in a show tackling such "heavy" subject matter.
He also praised the script for The Better Sister as a solid foundation for the actors to work from.
"If it's a bad script, I don't believe that you can be amazing," Naderi said.
"For me, what attracted me to [The Better Sister] was kind of changing the dynamic of protective power. ... And I've played police officers and FBI in the past, this was so different. The show's very heavy. ... There's something to grow in that is exciting. His backstory, with his family, it's all that stuff."
With so much of this story resting in the twists and turns, Naderi very much went on the ride of trying to figure out what happened as well, looking for clues. But the actor also stressed how interesting it is to see the little nuggets of information throughout the series.
Looking at Naderi's career more broadly, born in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War, he stressed that he started from a place so far away from the world of acting and entertainment.
"I was so far away from acting. I grew up in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War and we got out of there," Naderi said. "I was so far away from the arts."
"My mom was an artist, she's incredible writer, ... but with the circumstances of life, that wasn't a reality. I thought I was going to play in the NBA. I still think I could have, which is complete delusion. And then when I was like 19, I got approached to just go into a class, and that really shocked me. And it was from there I somehow and it's still kind of unclear how I ended up in Phantom Love, which went to Sundance in 2007, and that's what kind of opened me up to indie films."
Naderi stressed that it was these independent films that were critical because they taught him about cinema.
"I'm getting older, but I have that passion for film and storytelling in general," he said.
While we won't spoil how The Better Sister ends, we'll tease that Naderi's character is critical, opening up a whole host of details to explore for this character if the show continues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA／唐斯防守表現引發內部緊張 傳尼克團隊感到很失望
尼克隊今年季後賽之旅在東區冠軍賽第6戰輸給溜馬而宣告結束，現在有關球隊內部緊張關係的更多細節浮出水面，特別是針對唐斯（Karl-Anthony Towns）在系列賽的防守問題。 根據媒體報導，多名尼克球員與教練都對唐斯整個賽季的防守表現感到失望，這引發了人們對他天賦之外的巨大擔憂。 在2025年季後賽期間，唐斯場均能得到21.4分、11.6個籃板和1.3次助攻，在與溜馬第三戰末節時刻爆發，單局9投6中包含3記三分球在內，一個人狂砍20分，帶領尼克從10分落後一舉扭轉比分，打破外界對他「軟糖」的印象。 然而，隨著尼克淘汰出局，唐斯的防守態度又再次遭受質疑。「尼克球員本季在公開場合多次以隱晦方式提到溝通不良導致球隊表現不穩。但私底下他們和教練們都對唐斯的防守習慣感到失望，他們更關心的不是他的天賦水平，而是他在防守端的表現。」。 報導進一步指出，「唐斯經常執行錯誤的防守掩護，卻不解釋為什麼這麼做。這種狀況漸漸成為常態，讓隊友們開始質疑他是否真的理解防守的重要性。」 Knicks players and coaches were reportedly frustrated with Karl-Anthony Towns' defensive habits, per @TheAthletic 'Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed… — NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) 2025年6月1日 NEW YORK SLAM BRINGS THE LEAD DOWN TO 8 ‼️ — NBA (@NBA) 2025年6月1日 更多udn報導 日職／孫易磊11天5登板 日本球迷擔心：球速不到150了… 中職／悍將遭打爆後大變陣 張育成回歸帶辛元旭和2投本季首升一軍 桌球／莊智淵子弟兵葉伊恬遭取消WTT參賽權 體育署重罰桌協暫停補助款 NBA／一票之差擊敗哈利伯頓 席亞康勇奪東區冠軍賽MVP
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NBA Finals guide: When the games are, how to watch, what the odds are
Oklahoma City Thunder players and coaches celebrate after Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings) Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner holds the trophy as players celebrate after winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner holds the trophy as players celebrate after winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Oklahoma City Thunder players and coaches celebrate after Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings) Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner holds the trophy as players celebrate after winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) The NBA Finals are set: It's the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers clinched their trip with a win over the New York Knicks on Saturday night in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Advertisement The Thunder swept the two head-to-head meetings between the clubs this season. Game 1 of the finals is Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Recapping the OKC-Indiana series — Dec. 26: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 45 points and the Thunder erase an early double-digit deficit, pulling away in the second half to beat the Pacers 120-114. Andrew Nembhard scores 23 for Indiana, while Tyrese Haliburton is held to four points. — March 29: Gilgeous-Alexander scores 33 and the Thunder win 132-111. Haliburton leads the Pacers with 18, and both teams have six players finish in double figures. SGA is the MVP A recap of Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's winning of the NBA MVP award. Advertisement The story: Gilgeous-Alexander tops Jokic for MVP award The reaction: SGA tears up when talking about his wife Steve Nash speaks: Canada's 1st MVP thrilled to see SGA follow him The notebook: Jokic finishes top-2 again, Giannis' streak ends, LeBron gets votes Betting odds Oklahoma City (-700) is a big favorite to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Indiana's odds are set at +500. The Thunder are an early 9.5-point favorite over Indiana for Game 1. NBA Finals schedule All games of the NBA Finals will be aired on ABC. June 5 — Game 1, Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m. EDT June 8 — Game 2, Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. EDT Advertisement June 11 — Game 3, Oklahoma City at Indiana, 8:30 p.m. EDT June 13 — Game 4, Oklahoma City at Indiana, 8:30 p.m. EDT June 16 — Game 5, Indiana at Oklahoma City, if necessary, 8:30 p.m. EDT June 19 — Game 6, Oklahoma City at Indiana, if necessary, 8:30 p.m. EDT June 22 — Game 7, Indiana at Oklahoma City, if necessary, 8 p.m. EDT (And good news: No NBA Finals games conflict with Stanley Cup Final dates!) Key upcoming events June 25 — NBA draft, first round. June 26 — NBA draft, second round. Stats of the day — Indiana is the only team yet to face elimination in these playoffs. — This is the second time a No. 1 seed (Oklahoma City) has met a No. 4 seed (Indiana) in the NBA Finals. Both previous times were Lakers-Celtics matchups, one in 2010 and the other in 1969. Both went seven games, both saw the Lakers as the No. 1 seed out of the Western Conference (or division, as they were called in 1969), the Celtics won in 1969 (Bill Russell's final game as a player and 11th championship) and the Lakers won in 2010 (Kobe Bryant's fifth and final title). Quote of the day 'We've got our work cut out for us." — Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Knicks vs. Pacers: Indiana stays true to itself to punch ticket to NBA Finals
INDIANAPOLIS — The temptation, after Tyrese Haliburton scored just eight points on seven shots in a disappointing Game 5 loss, was to call for the Indiana Pacers to adjust the sliders for Game 6 by overindexing on the kind of aggression that's easy to see in the box score — to counteract the New York Knicks' stepped-up ball pressure with hunted shots and hero ball. That's not what Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle called for, though. Advertisement 'As a team, we have to be aggressive, and we have to have a level of balance,' he said after Game 5. Which is to say: They needed to play Pacers basketball. The many-hands-make-light-work approach that has produced one of the NBA's most potent offenses. The insistence on pipe-bursting, full-court ball pressure that has made the Pacers one of the NBA's most improved defenses. The commitment to running 12 deep — and to all 12 of 'em running, off makes and misses — that makes them tough to handle on the second night of a back-to-back in February, but that makes them an absolute nightmare to deal with every other night for two weeks in late May. It's a play style that elevates collective effect over individual impact — one that makes the Pacers different and special, has made them one of the best teams in the NBA for nearly six months … and now, has made them Eastern Conference champions. Eleven Pacers played before garbage time in Saturday's 125-108 Game 6 win, and seven of them scored in double figures. Andrew Nembhard changed the game with his defense on Knicks star Jalen Brunson, snatching six steals and getting his offensive game unstuck with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Backup center Thomas Bryant, who'd seen his minutes dwindle in favor of Tony Bradley's superior ability to battle Knicks center Mitchell Robinson on the glass, got an opportunity to return to the fold with Bradley nursing an injured hip; he made the most of it, drilling three huge 3-pointers, blocking a shot and finishing with 11 points in 13 minutes. Obi Toppin provided his trademark irrepressible energy and above-the-rim finishing against the team that drafted and then traded him, chipping in 18 points, six rebounds and three blocks. (That last stat drew a surprised smile after the game from Haliburton, who chided Toppin for having 'all that athleticism, but just [not using] it on the defensive end sometimes.') Advertisement 'We've preached depth this whole year,' said Haliburton, who didn't need to dominate the ball or the shots to bounce back from his quiet Game 5, tallying 21 points, 13 assists, six rebounds, three steals and a block. 'We keep talking about it, and it's not just a word we use for fun. This is our identity, and this is who we are, and I thought we did a great job of utilizing that. We had many different people step up.' Including, of course, Indiana's superstars, who knew they had to turn in more forceful and productive outings back home in Game 6 than they had at Madison Square Garden in Game 5, and who answered the call. Pascal Siakam kept the offense afloat early, scoring 16 first-half points to stake Indiana to leads after the first and second quarters of a tight, tense elimination-game first half contested entirely within two possessions, with neither team able to gain more than six points of separation. He tilted the run of play in the Pacers' favor shortly after intermission, having a hand in three straight buckets — a pick-and-pop 3, a setup for an Aaron Nesmith 3 in transition and a transition leak-out and beautiful reverse finish through contact — that amounted to a 9-0 run to put Indiana up 13 early in the third and giving it the separation it needed to push the Knicks past their breaking point. Siakam would finish with a game-high 31 points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal — another monster performance in an Eastern Conference finals where the Knicks never really found a great answer for him, where he made abundantly clear why Pacers brass felt he was the missing piece they had to go all out to get at the 2024 trade deadline and of which he was voted the Most Valuable Player. Advertisement 'It's cool,' Siakam said of the Larry Bird Trophy, which he brought with him to his postgame news conference. 'I didn't know they had a trophy for that, but I'm excited.' Not as excited, though, as he is to get another chance to play for a much bigger gold trophy, six years after he hoisted it with the 2019 Toronto Raptors. 'I was telling the guys — I mean, like, for me, you know, I got there when I was in Year 3, and I thought I would get back there a lot. And it didn't happen,' Siakam said. 'So it's a hell of an opportunity, and you don't know when you're gonna get it again. So I think we have to have a mindset of going out there and, at the end of the day, just giving everything we've got and knowing that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.' Yep, the Indiana Pacers are going to the NBA Finals. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Haliburton didn't get many good shots early, going without a field goal until he sprinted into a pull-up 3 four and a half minutes into the second quarter. But he kept reading the game, kept moving the ball and his body, and kept trusting that the deposits that he and the Pacers had put in over the course of the game and the series — all those miles they put on the Knicks' legs, all the mental and physical strain they'd put on New York's players with their frenetic, relentless motion — would eventually pay off. Advertisement And then, in the fourth quarter, the dam burst, with Haliburton slicing the Knicks' pick-and-roll coverage to ribbons, repeatedly getting into the paint to either finish for himself or set up a rolling Obi Toppin for a layup or dunk. Haliburton scored or assisted on 19 points in the fourth, capping it with a 32-foot bomb in the final minute to push the lead to 20 — a coup de grâce to pack up the Knicks and send them back to New York and to send the Pacers to the NBA Finals. 'I'm so proud of Tyrese, bro. For real, man,' Pacers center Myles Turner said. 'Y'all seen — you know, when it comes to being a superstar, bro, you got to take everything that comes with it. The highs and the lows, the good and the bad. And you know, from how the season started, to how he was getting trashed, and everybody was basically trying to turn their heads to him, he just kept his head down and kept working, man. Even going into this playoffs, the whole 'overrated' thing — I mean, obviously, we know that's dead now. There's not much you can say now.' Haliburton's playmaking and pace, Siakam's ceaseless sprinting and gap-filling offensive play, and the strength-in-numbers approach carried the offense. What killed the Knicks, though, was Indiana repeatedly forcing them into costly mistakes — 17 turnovers leading to 34 Pacer points, as the team's season-long commitment to cranking up the tempo and maintaining vise-grip pressure eventually claimed yet another victim. Advertisement 'Our defense is something we've been working on steadfastly for over a year and a half,' Carlisle said. 'I mean, really. The year started last year with, really, a different set of rules. We were playing small and even faster. It wasn't a team that had great defenders. But we've gotten better defenders, we've gotten bigger, we got Pascal, and the guys co-signed on the importance of defense, and everybody has participated in the growth.' For Turner, the growth started in the summer of 2015, when he came to Indiana as a reedy 19-year-old. A decade full of ups, downs, trade rumors, frontcourt partners and frustrations later, the longest-tenured Pacer is on his way to his first NBA Finals. 'When the buzzer was sounding, it was just … nothing but joy, man,' Turner said. 'Just pure excitement. Just pure validation. Just all the years, all the hate, all the love — everything in between, bro. It just made so much sense in that moment. To be honest, man, I don't know what I was thinking. It was just pure exuberance and joy.' The Pacers get to feel that exuberance and joy for a night. And, if their coach has anything to say about it, maybe not even that much exuberance. Advertisement 'This is no time to be popping champagne,' said Carlisle, who will participate in his sixth NBA Finals — three as a player on the mid-1980s Boston Celtics, one as an assistant on Larry Bird's staff with the 2000 Pacers, and now two as a head coach after winning the 2011 title with the Dallas Mavericks. 'You know, when you get to this point of the season, you know, it's two teams and it's one goal. It becomes an all-or-nothing thing, and we understand the magnitude of the opponent.' That opponent — the Oklahoma City Thunder — has been nothing short of the best team in the NBA since the season's opening tip. They feature the MVP of the league in point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an All-Star running buddy in Jalen Williams, a fearsome two-headed monster on the inside in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, and the NBA's most ferocious core of perimeter defenders. They're young, they're fast, they play with relentless intensity and apply incredible pressure. Sounds familiar. Advertisement 'I think it's a new blueprint for the league, man,' Turner said. 'I think the years of the superteams and stacking is just not as effective as it once was, you know? I mean, since I've been in the league, this NBA is very trendy. It just shifts. But the new trend now is just kind of what we're doing. OKC does the same thing. You know: young guys, get out and run, defend, and you know, use the power of friendship.' Whether that power will be enough to get the Pacers past the 68-win juggernaut they're about to face remains to be seen; they'll enter the series as serious underdogs. That's just fine by them, though. They're used to it. From last year's run to the Eastern Conference finals being dismissed as a fluke born of injuries to the teams along its path, to a brutal injury-marred 10-15 start to this season, to largely being viewed by national pundits as merely the foil to the Cavaliers and Knicks in this postseason, the Pacers have plenty of practice being overlooked. They've learned not to concern themselves with the paltry predictions of others; they're not afraid to dream bigger. 'I thought we just did a great job of staying together as a group and not worrying about outside noise,' Haliburton said. 'Internally, we had expectations to be here. This isn't a surprise to any of us, because of what we wanted to do. … I just thought we did a great job, like I mentioned earlier, just being as present as possible — not living in the past, not worrying about what's next. Just worrying about what's now.' Advertisement What's now, for Indiana, for the first time in a quarter-century, is the NBA Finals. They won't win it on the strength of overwhelming star power. Keep on maximizing the output of a group that's proven to be greater than the sum of its more-impressive-than-you-might-think parts, though — keep on playing Pacer basketball — and they've got a shot. 'You know, we're a team that is an ecosystem,' Carlisle said. 'We're very dependent on the collective ingredients for the whole team to function at its best.'
