It honestly feels like Rosario Dawson has done just about everything at this point in her career. She’s starred in comedies such as Clerks II and Josie and the Pussycats as well as dramas like Rent and Seven Pounds. Of course, there’s also her stint as Claire Temple in Marvel’s Netflix shows and her work as Ahsoka Tano (who’s getting her own solo TV series). But in 2021, she took on a new gig as a judge on Go-Big Show and made it through the incredible (and outrageous) first season with flying colors. However, amid Season 2, the star has revealed the “struggle” she had to overcome during her second judging stint.
Rosario Dawson and her fellow judges have seen some wild performances over the course of two seasons. From a man stuffing rattlesnakes in his mouth to a Rubik's Cube champion solving a puzzle while on fire, there’s been no shortage of shocking sights. But as entertaining as these things are, they do raise challenges for the judges. I had the opportunity to chat with Rosario Dawson about her work on Go-Big Show Season 2, and she explained that she finds it somewhat difficult to compare performances and tabulate a score that best represents the respective stunts:
I was getting a little bit better, I think about just the “trying not to traumatize myself” as much [in], you know, the judging, the whole reason why I'm there… It's such a struggle with the actual, you know, kind of like quantifying sometimes, in a number, you know, what someone's really particular skill… that is maybe something I've never seen before and contrast to something completely different. Like, how do you rate those things? And just kind of just trusting my gut. And, you know, being able to talk with my team about it, and kind of figuring it out. Because you know, having that many more acts to kind of go off have made it a little bit easier. Because then it was like, not only am I judging off of this one thing, but also all the acts that I've seen previously before.
The idea of having to compare two vastly different kinds of acts does seem somewhat unnerving. And believe it or not, the fan-favorite actress isn’t the only judge who has struggled with this aspect of the show. I previously spoke to fellow series star Jennifer Nettles, who admitted that she found it a challenge to weigh vastly different acts. However, Nettles eventually learned to trust her gut instinct and to evaluate talent based on what gives her “the biggest feeling.” Though Rosario Dawson has apparently landed on that same idea, she still seems to be haunted by a decision she made during the first season:
I literally, like, I still am so sad. I should have given a higher number to [Season 1 contestant Aaron] Wheelz, [and now it] is a running joke. In the first season, I was really traumatized by feeling like I should have given Wheelz a higher number. And so we kind of laughed about that, like, ‘What was our wheels on this one?’ You know, what we were sort of gauging all of our numbers, our merits… It’s kind of an inside joke you gotta know. It’s one of those things when we were there. [We’re] like, ‘Don’t get all Wheelz about it.’ I’m like, ‘I know!’
Unfortunately, for the judges, comparing talent is only going to get more challenging as the competition gets down to the end. The first performances of the semi-finals were impressive and featured great work from the likes of the DareDaughter and Andrew Parker. But it was ultimately Manu Lataste (a.k.a. The Flying Frenchman) who earned a spot in the finale, where he’ll compete for $100,000. It’ll be interesting to see how Rosario Dawson and the judges manage to rank the talent as the exciting proceedings move forward.
Go-Big Show airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on TBS, and you can stream the show with an HBO Max subscription. While you’re at it, be sure to also check out our 2022 TV schedule for info on other returning shows.
