Ask, and you shall receive.
Yesterday, theTVaddict.com put technology to the test with our Great Twitter Experiment. Our goal? To see if we could land an interview with actor David Blue (UGLY BETTY’s Cliff) with a deceptively simply Twitter message designed to lure him into our web.
Well, mission accomplished!
Not only was David kind enough to drop us an E-mail (“Who knew, he joked, “that Twitter could work so well as a publicst!”), but he was more than happy to take a few moments out of his busy schedule to answer the following five questions. So enjoy, and don’t forget to check him out on tonight’s brand new episode of UGLY BETTY (8PM on ABC, CityTV in Canada)!
The TV Addict: According to IMDB, of your earliest acting credits was as a “Beefy Resident” on a TV Addict personal favorite, VERONICA MARS. How does one get in character to play a “Beefy Resident?”
David Blue: Yeah, gotta love the title of that role, huh? What’s funny, is at the time, I considered it a compliment because I was working out so much. Now that I’ve gained a bit of weight for Betty, looking back at the title “Beefy Resident” just adds to the fatty-factor. “Veronica Mars” was such a well-oiled machine. Regardless of it being shot in San Diego, by the time I got to set they were ready to get me into wardrobe and rehearse the scene. I actually only had time to scarf down a quick meal before I was rushed to set to shoot. The whole process only took an hour-and-a-half, which is pretty much unheard of on-set anywhere else. Maybe I was able to get into the role so well because I was starving from not getting to eat much?! Ha! I WAS kind of bummed though, because I’ve always been a huge Kristen Bell fan, and since they were so well organized at the set, she was getting ready for her scenes while I was shooting mine. I ended up just missing her and never meeting her that day, and was quite disappointed. Luckily, I got to meet her quickly at a benefit we did this year together for the Alzheimer’s Association where we were both singing and dancing. Still, I’d love to sit down and chat with her one of these days for a full conversation!
Did playing a “Medical Intern” on SCRUBS prepare you in any way for playing Dr. Chip Walters on THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY? And while we’re on the subject, who’s cooler, Zack or Cody?
Not really. But that might be a better thing, since Dr. Chip on “Suite Life” was supposed to be a bit naive as it was. As for Zack and Cody, it’s hard to say. Unlike what most people think, I believe it’s very easy to tell the two apart. But the crazy thing is how incredibly mature and well-spoken the pair of them are. I’ve found that to be the case with most young actors I’ve worked with so far, even the ones I’ve only spoken to briefly at benefits, events or charities. Something about this industry causes them to grow up so fast that they’re like little adults trapped in young bodies. Which is more of a compliment than my alien-body-snatchers explanation makes it seem.
Sources say that you were considered for the role of Leonard in THE BIG BANG THEORY (which eventually went instead to Johnny Galecki) and were a top contender to play the role of “Chewie” in Michael Bay’s FRIDAY THE 13th remake right up until filming began. As an actor, do you thrive on the positive feedback that comes with knowing you were in the running for such roles… or does knowing that you, to quote Max Smart, “missed it by THAT much” keep one up nights wondering what you could have done differently?
You have to try and realize that most of the time, it’s not personal and it’s just come down to something… some decision that you couldn’t control. This person was more bankable, this person had a better look for the part, the writers like this person’s body of work more, they changed the age or ethnicity of the role… you never know, and most times you’ll never really find out WHY. I can honestly say “Friday the 13th” was both a disappointment and easily acceptable. On the one hand, I was really looking forward to working with Michael Bay and everyone involved in the movie. On the other hand, I was in the process of pitching a pilot I co-created/wrote with a friend of mine, and I had written one of the characters with Aaron Yoo on mind. So, how exactly could I be upset that a guy I thought was so talented I wanted to CAST him ended up getting the role? That’d be ridiculous! There’s always going to be some feeling of disappointment, no matter how brilliantly amazing and thick-skinned you think you are. The true trick is learning to do something constructive with how it makes you feel.
Am I the only one who did a double-take while watching recent episodes of THE OFFICE, mistaking Rich Sommer — aka Pam’s art-school bud who is obviously crushing on her — for you?
I am a HUGE fan of “The Office” and was watching on my DVR when Rich appeared. I almost thought to myself “wait, I don’t remember shooting this.” Immediately afterwards, I received 20+ emails on my MySpace and iMdb comments asking if that was me. I wish! I LOVE that show and would kill to be crushing on Pam! She’s awesome! And I’d love to work with/against John! But sadly, no, that wasn’t me. *sigh* You can’t go out for all the roles, though I wouldn’t mind! 😛
What do you think of in order to keep from cracking up when filming scenes with UGLY BETTY’s Becki Newton and Michael Urie — aka Marc and Amanda?
Who says we don’t crack up?! The “Ugly Betty” set has so many wonderful people on it that it’s like summer camp just to be working there. There’s always somebody to talk to and joke with. I find that Michael and I usually just talk about life, career, etc. as we work together. Since Michael and I keep in contact in real life, when it comes time to work the conversation just steers itself to regular stuff. I will admit that last seasons’ ‘A Nice Day For a Posh Wedding’ episode was a tough one. Sitting in the pews of the church next to Michael as Becki was singing “My Milkshake” was extremely hilarious. What you ended up seeing on-camera could barely capture it. I was stifling a giggle through most of the scene! By the time we got to that one, most of Cliff’s scenes had already been shot, so I pretty much sat there off to the side laughing my butt off. It’s kind of ridiculous how well Becki and Michael work together, and how easy their shorthand has become. What most people don’t know is how funny everyone is. America has a great sense of humor, Ana has the best smile in the world, Tony is so genuinely warm… man, I might sound mushy but keep in mind, it’s all TRUE! 🙂 
