Conor Husting – The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia

By starrymag | April 17, 2020

By: Malasha Parker

 

 

Q) Describe your character, Tad, from The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia.

 

A) Tad is impulsive and optimistic, usually functioning at high speeds. I like to think those traits are what make Tad such a valuable friend. He’s always encouraging Ashley (Paulina Chávez) to follow her heart.

 

Q) Please tell us about the auditioning process for Tad.

 

A) My first audition for the show went very poorly, but for some reason they called me back to audition again. I did better, but still wasn’t very good. I didn’t think they were going to invite me back to try again, but Robert Prinz told them to bring me in one more time (we had worked together in the past). And after some discussion about the character it just clicked and I went on to chemistry read with Paulina and Reed [Horstmann] and the rest is history.

 

Q) What do you like most about playing this role?

 

A) Tad is like a live-action cartoon character. I have a ton of freedom with how I choose to play him. I love that.

 

Q) What do you hope to see happen with your character in future seasons?

 

A) I’d love to meet my Uncle Ramone and expand on my Mexican American background as well as the struggle of the Latinx people’s history in America.

 

Q) Talk about working with producer and costar Mario Lopez?

 

A) Mario Lopez is the best. He’s compassionate, gracious and so much fun to work with. He makes the cast feel comfortable and welcome in a world we’re not entirely familiar with.

 

Q) What would you say was your favorite episode from the premiere season? 

 

A) Every episode was so much fun to work on, but if I had to choose a personal favorite, it would be episode four just because of the way Tad was presented in some new light.

 

Q) How is “The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia” different from other comedy series?

 

A) “The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia” is different from most comedy series because we have an intelligent, independent, strong woman as the lead whose also of Latin descent. Growing up I never got to witness accurate representations of my culture in mainstream TV shows. Seeing comfort foods like Arroz con Leche in the show was really cool for me.

 

Q) What message do you hope is being given to fans by your character and the show, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia?

 

A) I hope fans can take away some encouragement from Tad to be more outgoing and kinder to their peers.

 

Q) You worked on a show called “Prince of Peoria,” which is also on Netflix. What did you personally take away from your time working on this series?

 

A) “Prince of Peoria” was my first acting job. It was a great first look at how sitcoms are done table reads, rehearsals, live shows, etc.

 

Q) What would you like to say to the fans of you and your work?

 

A) I would say thank you!