Corbin Bernsen – Psych 2: Lassie Come Home

By starrymag | July 30, 2020

By: Paige Zinaman

 

 

Q) Psych 2: Lassie Come Home just came out. What was it like getting back with this group of people once again?

 

A) As an actor you’re very lucky to one-time land with a family cast and crew. I got it once with “LA Law,” for sure and then “Psych” is like going home for Thanksgiving without all the bullshit. It’s good to see everybody and, in the case of this movie, because of Tim [Omundson] obviously I think that meant a lot to all of us. It is like a family and one of the brothers is actually able to join you. It’s extraordinary, a great experience.

 

Q) How much did you know before going into filming the sequel?

 

A) I read the script, so I knew everything. What you never know going in is how it’s going to turn out.

 

Q) The title says it all, ‘Lassie Come Home’ what was it like to have Tim back on set for this movie?

 

A) Everyone knew they wanted to be supportive. Nobody knew what we were going to get. James [Roday Rodriguez] and Steve [Franks] went and talked to him and worked with him to see how he was going to be able to do. Nobody really knew what was going to happen. It was a delightful surprise to see Tim rebound and do this. The most interesting part was, and I sort of led this choir a little bit is “Be What You Are.” Anytime you go back to do something there’s naturally this instinct to be the character the way you were when the show ended. When you do a movie like this is, a couple years away removed, you’re allowed to have changed in your life and Tim had significant change. So, we all encouraged him to not be the other guy and watching him brilliantly accept that was the most rewarding part for me.

 

Q) Henry has been a part of “Psych” since the beginning. He has such an impact on Shawn. What has it been like working with James throughout the years as Shawn and Henry’s relationship evolves?

 

A) Everyone has their special little dynamics and working dynamics on the show and the Henry and Shawn one is a special one that goes back to the pilot. I refer to him [James] as “Kid” and he calls me “Papa Bear.” In some alter world I am his TV dad. When you do eight years with that and more with the movies you kind of adapt that kind of relationship a little bit. There’s a lot of love between he and I as actors sharing this experience.

 

Q) There was a moment in the movie where Shawn had a moment of fear at the thought of becoming a father, even though Shawn and Juliet aren’t having pregnant yet. How do you think Henry would do as a grandfather? Would he try to make the grandchild as observant as he made Shawn, or would he just be the ‘fun grandpa’?

 

A) He would be a fun grandpa. He would just have blast with a kid. I think he would probably do some of what he did with Shawn, but I think Shawn would step in. I think he would be more delighted watching Shawn teach his kid what I taught him and I think he would be okay with that. Of course, he’d be like, “You’re doing it wrong.” It would never be quite right for Henry, but he would delight in it I’m sure.

 

Q) Would you like Henry to explore having a love life in future films?

 

A) I wrestle with this, to be honest. I always thought it was interesting for Henry to have a relationship because in the end it’s Shawn and Gus’ (Dulé Hill) show and Henry is a part player in that. But the effect it has on Shawn, I think is what would be interesting. Sure. Would I like to do it and have Henry explore that? Yeah, but that’s not really what the show is about, but how it effects Shawn is. I do think there’s interesting value to what is Henry going to do now. Does he end up with some thirty-five-year-old woman or find a woman his own age? I think it could really irk Shawn if he found someone younger than Juliet (Maggie Lawson). That could really be troublesome and fun for everyone.

 

Q) Working with this cast, who are hilarious in their own rights from James to Dulé, what was one of your favorite memories from filming Psych 2 that you could share?

 

A) It was really fun the stuff we did and all that stuff is great, but really this movie for me the impact really came watching Tim bounce back. I have a few words with him at the very end before he gets up and walks to Kristy Swanson [who plays his wife] and it’s a moment I have with Maggie where we watch him get up and walk to her. But, to me, that’s what it’s about. It’s the thing the universal thing that makes “Psych” loved by everybody. You could apply it to what we are all going through right now where we keep getting kicked down, but somehow we have this will to stand up and walk. So, I really like that moment at the end and the moment leading up to it with Lassiter.

 

Q) Why do you think right now was the perfect time to revisit “Psych?”

 

A) Well, let’s do the obvious first. We could all use a fuckin’ laugh. The world could use a little smile right now and when we made this none of us saw this coming last Christmas. Then, the whole thing with the Peacock Network coming around and we were like, “That’s cool because ‘Psych’ was back at the beginning of USA right after ‘Monk.’” I think it’s part of the magic of “Psych,” why was it only now when none of us knew this coming and here it is as a little distraction.

 

Q) What do you hope will be the legacy “Psych” leaves behind?

A) I think it will always point to family a bit. Whether it’s Shawn and Juliet or Gus getting married or me and Shawn, it’s always going to point back to family. Not only within the show, but one of the unique things is I’ve heard people in their nineties to people under ten loving this show. They can watch it together.

 

Q) What would you like to say to the fans who have been supporting your work?

 

A) Thank you. What fans don’t realize is without fans and without an audience what we do is in a void and if it’s in a void you could possibly not have a career. I have a career because of my fanbase who, interestingly, still support me even though they may be a bit confused about that which I do because I jump around a lot in what I do from “Psych” to making faith-based movies and horror movies. But I think I think my fanbase has come to expect it. I tend to look at this career as an exploration of different genres, different characters, different emotions to different morals. It’s what I do and the fans have stayed behind me for it and that’s great.