REAPER star Bret Harrison is tired. But you can’t really blame him.
At 25, he’s starring in his own hit CW show REAPER. Busy working six days a week, sixteen hours a day. Yet still gracious enough to take the time — on his one and only day off — to talk to this TV Addict about what it’s like to star in his very own hit CW show.
theTVaddict: I read somewhere [and by somewhere, I of course mean OregonLive.com] that you broke into acting at 17, deciding simply drive to LA and see what happens.
Bret Harrison: I just went after what I wanted. Ignorance is bliss. I didn’t think of all the variables. I just hopped in my car and drove.
And now you’re quite literally the face of a hit CW show. You’re everywhere!
It’s strange, because I’ve been asked that question a few times. I have an amazing cast, great people on the set, oddly enough I never look at it that way.
Speaking of odd, I find it odd that you starred as ‘Sam’ in THE LOOP [on FOX] and now as ‘Sam’ in REAPER – What’s the deal?
Actually, I believe this is the third ‘Sam’ I’ve played. The reason my name is ‘Sam’ — although I should probably confirm this with the show’s creators — is that they wrote the episode of LAW & ORDER: SVU that I guest starred on. And that character’s name was ‘Sam’. I guess they always thought of me as a ‘Sam’.
Sounds like a nice lesson for actors out there. No matter how small the role, you never know who’ll be watching and who’ll be inspired by your work.
Definitely. My guest spot on LAW & ORDER raised my awareness. A year later, GROUNDED FOR LIFE happened. They [REAPER creators Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas] saw I could do comedy, dramatic stuff and thought, this is our guy for REAPER.