Eric Graise – Teenage Bounty Hunters

By starrymag | January 10, 2021

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) What was the original breakdown of Ezekiel like and do you have any head canons for him? 

 

A) Oh, I can look it up for you.  It says, “Ezekiel is disabled, but despite any of his physical challenges he is the henchman to the coolest girl in school. But he never gets lost in the mix because he is proudly and loudly disabled, gay, poor, dyslexic, outspoken, sarcastic and rude and he has no problem reading you right on that if you dare to cross him.”  There is a lot of fun stuff in there.

That’s a huge part of Ezekiel’s storyline which never came out; the fact that he is poor and he comes from a poor family.  And apparently dyslexic, which, I don’t even remember that.  [laughs]

 

Q) That’s honestly a lot.  I mean so much we didn’t even get to see on screen, but that’s such detailed background info.  Also, the fact that it does say that Ezekiel is gay; many fans thought that Ezekiel might be gay or non-binary.

 

A) That’s interesting.  I am pretty sure he is not non-binary, at least from the way that I was taking it.  But I don’t think that’s not canon.  You know what I mean?  If people see it as that, I think it’s fair.  I think me, personally, if something isn’t stated that could be there as correct, I think it’s fair.  I think everything is open game.  But definitely he is gay, which, unfortunately, I don’t know how much I can say. I guess that I can say whatever now because the show is cancelled. But there was a scene that was cut for time in the last episode where Ezekiel actually confronts Sterling (Maddie Phillips) about her and April (Devon Hales).  Ezekiel goes up to Sterling and is just essentially like, “Hey, I need you to be careful with my girl. She’s sensitive. She’s going through a lot.”  I think he was just kind of looking out for April being a baby gay and just wanted to check with Sterling and make sure that she wasn’t taking advantage of his best friend.

There was so much going on in the last episode.  There were a few scenes that went on the chopping block.  So, it made sense.  I was a little hurt, but I get it.

 

Q) We didn’t get much of Ezekiel on screen, but he seems to be the one who keeps April in check at times, but also can fall in line as well when it comes to their relationship. Devon (Hales) was recently on the LezHangOut podcast and they discussed a little about gay magnetism. Is this something you are familiar with, and something that you feel might have led to how they formed their friendship?

 

A) I would say yes. I wouldn’t say it was the sole thing though.  Honestly, I think it’s interesting to know how Ezekiel even got into a wealthy private school to begin with, with him being poor or coming from a poor family.

I think a little bit of that and just an appreciation of each other.  April and Ezekiel aren’t the type to hold back words, and I feel like there would have been a moment where something happened and the two of them both had a similar reaction to this situation. If you notice, Hannah B (Charity Cervantes) doesn’t necessarily seem to have the same feelings as Ezekiel and April all the time.  Hannah B doesn’t necessarily dislike people.  I don’t think Hannah B necessarily disliked Sterling and Blair to begin with.

 

Q) Hannah B has that sunshine persona for sure, and she has that scene where the twins walk by and she waves to them.  And of course, the scene where she tells them to have a nice day and Ezekiel tells her to read the room.

 

A) I feel like I wouldn’t want to speculate as to why Hannah B and April became friends because I don’t want them (Charity and Devon) cussing me out and being like, “That’s not how I saw my character!”  [laughs] But I am assuming that our friendship happened after Sterling and April’s friendship ended way back when.  That is definitely canon. We know that happened at some point and then they stopped being friends.

I am sure that Ezekiel kind of just fueled that darkness that is in April.  That is something that is sometimes fun to explore.  Sometimes it’s fun to have that friend that you are catty with – that friend that you just get to say how you feel without filter and not have to worry about them viewing you as mean.  Just being able to express yourself fully.  I am sure after that friendship, especially if April had romantic feelings towards Sterling after being hurt and closeted. I think that Ezekiel checked a lot of bubbles that April was looking for in a friend.  And he loves and cares about her even when she is a complete asshole to him, he is still there for her.

It’s funny, in the audition I thought I could have sworn that Ezekiel and Hannah B were like planning on killing April.

 

Q) Like Heathers!!! 

 

A) Honestly, I was getting a Heathers vibe!!  I really was.  I think Charity was, too, and we didn’t want to tell Devon.  I don’t think we’ve even talked to Devon about that yet.  That audition. I don’t know where they were going with that. There was just this moment between Hannah B and Ezekiel.  My audition and Charity’s audition were a scene between Ezekiel and Hannah B.  It was a really long scene.  I think that it was a hypothetical scene they gave us to see how we would work together because they knew at some point a lot of our scenes would be between each other.

There was another scene I was cut out of because I had broken my prosthetic.  I don’t know if you remember. It’s the scene where Sterling, April and Hannah B are walking down the hallway and they say that Ezekiel had kidney stones.  That was their way of being like, “Oh, Eric broke his prosthetic so he can’t be in this scene.”  But I was supposed to be in that scene.

 

Q) I loved that even without dialogue, Ezekiel still shined and had his spotlight moments whether it’s a look, hand gesture, or expression.  You made him so multilayered and nuanced even when he didn’t even have dialogue.  I am deeply appreciative of how you portrayed him and the amazing layers that were added, which at times really stole the scene just from you being in the background.

 

A) Thank you.   When you are a gay man doing gay comedy and you are especially doing a feminized character, it’s kind of scary because you don’t want to go into something that is too stereotypical.  But you also don’t want to shy away from just being realistic that there are femme characters that are mean and kind of grouchy.  I didn’t want to be like, “Oh, I am going to stay away from these gay tropes.” I just wanted to sink into them and just enjoy and do a lot of things that I would honestly do.

 

Q) I really appreciate the many nuances of the series that catch my eye every time I do a rewatch of “Teenage Bounty Hunters.” I find all of these brilliant and clever moments in both the background and foreground that I have missed the first initial watches because there are so many intentional layers that have been included.

 

A) They were really open on set with allowing us to play and just kind of have a good time. There were even times where they would have people just improv and just kind of riff off a moment.  My character being in the places I was, how I served the narrative in the script, it doesn’t allow for me to say a lot of things.  I looked for moments where I could try to add a little more to the script.

And we as a trio worked on stuff that was not asked of us.  We tried as often as possible to make sure that we were in formation.  Nobody told us that we had to be in formation. Literally day one when we got on set it was like, “Okay, cool. I am on her right and Hannah B is on her left.  Got it.”  We didn’t even know each other.  We hadn’t had any dialogue with each other beforehand.  Just all three of us knew. We understood we’re the mean girls and we have to have the classic mean girls formation.  It’s canon.  It must happen.  So, we tried to get that as much as possible.

There was one thing that I had messed up.  Devon had come to me and was like, “We’re going to do this thing, but we are going to do it at the same time.”  I could not mentally do it at the same time as Devon.  It’s like when I would start talking, I would just completely forget and just do it whenever.  You can see it.  It’s when they are planning for the funeral.  When we talk about releasing butterflies and it is sort of like a hand movement.  So, we were supposed to do the “butterflies” gesture at the same time and I was not getting it.  I think one or two takes we did do it at the same time, but it just wasn’t the take that they chose.

 

Q) Like I said, your reactions all the time were incredible.  Especially in that scene at the funeral, where April is being extra with the veil and falling on the floor.  Ezekiel is kind of trying to move April along and is annoyed while holding on to her.

 

A) And we are semi real.  I was like, “I got a disability.” I can do a lot of things, but still some things are a struggle.  That aisle is like ramped and Devon with her little tiny self and my tall self and they were like you have got to hold her.  So, she’s like wailing and moving and stuff while we are going down this ramp and I am just like, “I am going to fall.  I am going to bust my ass.  I know it.  I am going to fall and bust my ass.”  A lot of that was semi frustration that you were reading on my face.

 

Q) You talked a little about how you leaned on Charity in a variety of ways during filming “TBH.” What has the bond of friendship you formed with her meant to you, and how has that carried even after wrap?

 

A) It’s been kind of weird because I am in Toronto currently and I have only been able to communicate with them (Charity and Devon) via text and chatting on video chat.  It’s sad because I got so jealous!! They got together and they made tacos.  They made tacos and didn’t tell me they were getting together to make tacos after it was my idea to make the fricking tacos!!

It was cool because we showed up on set just not knowing each other.  I was cast in the show like the latest.  I probably was like the last person.  I probably one hundred percent was the last person cast on the show because they were still working on my contract during the first table read.

Devon and Charity got to meet each other first during the table read.  I met them literally on set coming on the first day.  It was so weird because we were outside that day and it was hot.  It was so fricking hot and we were in the middle of Georgia.  We had to be friends. We had to be best friends.  Not only that, we had to be mean.  That’s the thing, I think we bring a lot of ourselves to the characters, but I think you can basically scratch out the mean part.  I don’t consider myself a mean person.  I think I try to keep it as real as Ezekiel, but I never try to be mean.  My intentions are never to hurt anybody’s feelings.  I don’t say things with the intent of hurting people.  We didn’t know each other and we didn’t know each other’s personalities. We were trying to figure out our own characters all the while trying to develop this friendship.  So, yeah, it was weird.  A little uncomfortable as well, but not in a bad way.  You always start off with that on shows.  You don’t often have this “let’s get to know each other” session.  Unless you’re like the leads like Maddie and Anjelica (Felliini) who got to know each other in the audition process.  But that’s because their audition process was much longer than probably Charity and I’s.  I think Devon’s audition process may have been a little longer, but I didn’t have to deal with any callbacks or anything like that.

During the show we just kind of talked.  We were all excited that we were locals because a lot of shows that shoot in Georgia will bring in a cast outside of Georgia.  A lot of times they will be like people from LA and they are just staying in Georgia.  We were all three Georgia local actors – that was exciting, especially for me because I work on “Step Up” and all the rest of the cast lives in LA.   Everybody just shoots off to LA and I am stuck in Georgia.  I am just kidding. I am not stuck in Georgia. I love being in Georgia.

It was cool that people I developed a friendship with, I got to watch the premiere with. We got to talk to each other and hang out until the second season.  Yeah, we were fortunate because we genuinely all liked each other.  Not that fake, “Oh, I gotta be friends with these people because I work with them.”  Legitimately, we fell in love with each other and, yeah, they are like my sisters. They really are.

 

Q) Yeah, I have always said Charity is sunshine personified.  Sunshine is in her genes.

 

A) Don’t let her fool you. She has a feisty side!! I have been telling people, “Don’t let that cute voice, that pretty face and that smile fool you.  She has a feisty side.”  That bee comes with a stinger is all I am saying.

 

Q) While we won’t be getting a season two of “TBH,” tragically, if anything, you get to take away this amazing portrayal of Ezekiel and the beautiful bonded friendships that you have solidified from being a part of the series.

 

A) Yeah, for sure.  Not just us.  The whole cast.  You don’t really get to see us interact with Spencer [House], but we all got really close to Spencer.  We love Spencer!!  I only wish he was more active on socials, but he has his reasons.  Spencer is freaking hilarious and he is so much fun to be around.

The only thing is I wish I had gotten to work with Anjelica and Myles [Evans].  We didn’t really get to work with Anjelica and Myles that much.  I think you see when the trinity is around, it’s barely ever when Anjelica is there and definitely not with Myles.  I saw Myles literally walking to his trailer one time and I said hey and literally that was it.  Then, Myles came to Atlanta and I don’t know if you saw that, Devon, Charity and I went out to dinner with Myles because he’s from Atlanta as well.  I wish I could have more time to work with them.

Nicholas [Cirillo] who plays Jennings and I hung out for a bit and are friends.  That’s another little canon thing.

 

Q) I was going to say, we were kind of promised or teased with a live if we had shared a certain Ezekiel/Jennings pairing photo.

 

A) I know. He’s another one who is elusive on social media.  I honestly tried to make that happen.

 

Q) “TBH” came out in August with minimum promo by Netflix and then was cancelled back in October. There has been a Save TBH campaign going on with Sour Patch Kids, videos and appreciation days. What has this continual outpouring months after cancellation meant to you and the cast?

 

A) There is only so much as far as my feelings that I can say about that.  But I will say that it has meant a ton to us that people are so appreciative of the show and the reaction because you don’t know the reaction that you are going to get. There is no guide.  No one knows.  There is not a person in the world that can predict how a show is going to do.  We literally could have hit that premiere and maybe gotten like a hundred followers after that.  Nobody could have expressed any interest in the show. They could have just fell off the wayside and it would have been just another job.  But it didn’t.  That’s not at all what happened.

Suddenly, all these people came in from all over the world.  Brazil first. Brazil came first straight out the gate.  They were like, “Yes, this show!!!”  Yeah, it was amazing.  It was just cool to see the development. We got to see the fandom develop from the seed.  We got to see it develop from the inside out and it was beautiful. It was magical.

I think most importantly why the fanbase developed is important, too, because it isn’t just, “Oh, we like this show.”  I think it was about the show really touching people’s hearts in a very, very specific way.  That meant a lot to us as well.  It was a show that really touched base on a lot of feelings that people were feeling.  A lot of peoples’ expressions in a way that they might have wanted to express themselves or how they express themselves.  I think people got to see themselves in characters or got to see characters that they wish they were like.  I think that seeing all of that happen was magical for us, especially me being gay.  What this show did for the gay community meant so much to me.  I actually went back and I messaged Maddie and Devon specifically.  And I was like, “Thank you guys for what you brought to these characters.  The type of representation that you brought to this, y’all really are doing so much for the community.”  All of it was really, really special…is special. It is continuing to this day to be special and that’s wild.

A lot of times this stuff fizzles out.  I have been on a couple of fandom shows and I love fandoms.  I am a huge proponent for fandoms.  I am a part of fandoms myself.  So, it’s like if you know me, you know I am a huge “Steven Universe” fan.  The “Steven Universe” fandom is so special to me because it’s not something professionally I am a part of.  I am just a part of it just because I love it.  Any time I meet a “Steven Universe” fan it brings so much joy to me.  When “Steven Universe” fans meet, they literally start crying.  We immediately just start breaking down into tears.

With this show, seeing how people were reacting and the fandom that was developing and the “TBH” fans; I got it.  I was like, “I get this.  I got it.  I get why you guys feel this way.”  I think that’s another big thing, too, why we were interacting so hard with the fanbase because we also do know what it’s like to be able to talk to the creators of a show that you love and that is special to you.  I wanted to, particularly me, I wanted to break down that wall barrier that I think a lot of actors put up.  And for good reason a lot of times. Sometimes people have their reasons why they put up those walls and I am not going to try and judge anybody for not interacting with fans.  But for me, personally, it’s super special to me when I get to talk to people that are involved with something that I love.  I have all the signatures from all the characters of “Steven Universe.”  Not all the characters, but all the main characters.  I was super excited to meet them and talk to them and get their autographs.  I work in the business, so I could imagine what it’s like to interact with actors of your favorite fandom.

 

Q) I am so happy to hear that it had such an impact for you as well, just as much as it did for myself and the entire “TBH” fandom.

 

A) Somebody said something that really hurt my heart. They said, “I wish there could have been a movie to close it out.”  If it’s going to end, I think a movie would have been a real nice closer, especially for how it ended.

 

Q) Were you as surprised by that finale twist as audiences were, or did you read the finale script?

 

A) Here’s the thing, I did not read the last script. I did not read all of it.  So, I didn’t have any idea what was going to happen.  I wanted to keep a little element of surprise.  It’s kind of fun.  When you read everything, and you know what’s going to happen, it makes it kind of a little boring.  Not for everybody, but for me personally.  I like to keep a little element of surprise for myself.  I did not know that the ending was going to happen.  I just got to just enjoy it for what it was on screen.

Man, Virginia [Williams], can we just talk about how amazing she is as an actress?  She’s so freaking good.  I had just got done watching her on “Charmed” as the white lighter.  I loved her.  I love, loved, loved her.  I also got to see Mackenzie [Astin] in “The Magicians.”  Come on.  He was the scariest character I have ever seen on a TV show.  I was legitimately scared of this man.  Then, I saw him on “Scandal” as a reporter.  I was literally freaked out.  I met him in real life and I almost was scared to meet him because he freaked me out so much in “The Magicians.”  Then I met him and he’s like the sweetest, nicest man that you will ever meet.  He’s so nice and so sweet.  It’s so funny, the first thing I said when I went up to him was, “You’re so scary!!”

 

Q) Would you be open at all if there was a “Teenage Bounty Hunters” convention online or some sort of fandom centric event?

 

A) Yeah, I think I would be open to that.  Whatever, yeah.  Talking about me just having some pajamas on and talking on camera like we’re doing right now, yeah.  I am always down for any of that stuff.

I have talked with Charity and Devon and we have flirted with the idea of when things open back up again and get going, the idea of showing up to a convention at like one of the cons.  That’s kind of fun.  That’s my world.  I am a big old nerd.  Like DragonCon or MomoCon.  They usually have people from shows and I know it’s not usually like a nerd-dom kind of thing.  We would probably just go unofficially to one of those conventions.  I am a big old nerd.  I love those conventions and I love being a part of that energy, that fandom energy.  We have talked about it.  For sure.

 

Q) I am really drawn to your incredible expressionism. Whether it’s a vibing playlist, your stylish wardrobe, drawing, doing theater, dancing, writing songs, or sharing TikToks that include social commentary.  You, without a doubt, are someone who is such a creative chameleon and often uses it as an outlet to express yourself in a multitude of ways.  You are very cerebral in how you check those boxes off. How has your expressionism evolved and what do you gravitate towards when it comes to the energy you put out?

 

A) My TikTok is dangerous! I feel badly for anyone who peruses my TikTok. I really do.  [laughs]

I appreciate that.  Yeah, it’s honestly hard.  It’s hard.  Some people have niches and it’s a lot easier to figure out your audience and to figure out what kind of content that you are going to create because you are into this specific thing.  And I have never been like that.  I have never been into one thing.  I have never wanted to be involved in one thing.  Growing up I was always a part of a multitude of things.  I was always trying to make it into sports, trying to get into sports – it never really worked out.  But I was writing.  I was the kid that was singing and writing and joining different clubs.  When I was in high school I got the superlative “Most Outgoing” because I was involved in so much stuff.  When I was in college, at the first college I was at, I ran a radio station while also being in band while also being there on a full chorus scholarship.  I did a lot of that and then when I transferred colleges, I started my own organization for black students and musical theater.  Then, I was also the producer at the university television station.  I was a Senator at the school.  I loved to stress myself out with too much stuff.  I love to have a sense of like I am literally going to die, why did I sign up for all of these things?  I like to have panic attacks because I am involved in so much stuff.  It’s just who I am. It’s always been my nature.

I love to draw, too.  I love to design.  I like working in Photoshop and things like that.  At the moment I am learning to design apps.  I have done a lot of film work, too.  I have won a lot of twenty-four-hour film competitions because I like to direct.  I do lighting design.  I do scene design.  The reason why I did all of that is because my life’s goal and dream are to be a creator.  I just want to create things.  And not only create them, I want to create everything about them.  I am working on a pilot right now for a show called “Blerds” about Black nerds.  I am not only writing the show, but I am also writing music for the show.  I am also doing character design work as far as costuming and stuff like that.  Also, I am working on developing a video game that is supposed to correspond with it and it’s supposed to also go with a comic book.

I am so neurotic and I hate being a part of something or creating something and not having any idea about how or why certain parts of it don’t work.  It would be like you saying you want to make clocks, but you only know how the face of the clock works.  You have got to know how the mechanics move and parts move.  That stuff fascinates me.  I knew I wanted to do this stuff even as a kid.  I never wanted to be anything else but an entertainer.  I knew as a child I wanted to create TV shows because I was raised by television.  I just never wanted to do anything else, so it always made sense to me to learn every art form.

I appreciate you noticing that.  Hopefully, (give me like five years) I want to be doing something other than acting.  I want to keep acting, but hopefully you will see me in some other capacity.  I am really hoping I can get this show out there.  I am putting it out there.  I am putting it out there into the universe and telling everybody about it.

 

Q) I really admire that deeply how involved and invested that you are. That’s exactly how I am with what I take on.  I run myself into the ground, but I have got to be a part of it all.  You know those details.  You know what you like to see.  You know what hasn’t been seen.  You know what needs to be seen.

 

A) Especially with disability. That is something I think is just so untapped.  They are starting to kind of get it.  I haven’t seen “Run” yet. I have seen clips of it.  I don’t know what they have done with that character.  I saw a scene that was cool. I was like, “Ah, yes!”  They are starting to get it, Hollywood is starting to kind of understand that you can play with disability.  You don’t have to be so rigid and boring with these disabled characters.

One of my favorite shows is “Ramy” on Hulu.  And when I tell you they get into disability, they get into.  It’s not even the main character of the show; it’s one of his good friends, maybe his best friend even, but he has a disability.  And the jokes and the comedy are so raw and in your face.  It’s the type of comedy that would make able bodied people uncomfortable, and that’s what I like.  And I like the type of comedy that shows ableism.  Writers will tend to put all of the work of talking about disability on the character with disability, and then all of the other characters on the show are like “Oh no, we see you the same as everybody else.  We don’t think of you as different because we’re all woke and none of us are ableists at all.”  It’s just not reflective of reality.  It’s not.  So, I really appreciate “Ramy.”  It gets raw, and in your face.

That’s what I am hoping to do, introduce characters with disabilities that are the type of characters that you are not used to seeing, but also characters with disability that are just that, just characters.  I think if you are writing the character to be disabled, you’re already messing up.  You really should be writing the character first and then writing the disability.  You don’t ignore the disability because then that’s another thing. That’s another extreme.  But you definitely should be writing the character first and then writing the disability.  I am hoping I can bring that to that table.  It’s definitely needed.  And I know tons of actors who are so capable who aren’t being seen for auditions and who aren’t being written into shows.  Some beautiful people, too.  Some sexy people with disabilities.  Sexy, great actors.  I am just like, “Man, why aren’t they working?  Why aren’t they a household name?”  It’s so frustrating to me.  So, I am hoping that I can bring that to the world.

 

Q) You are someone who has been outspoken with regards to representation, especially people with disabilities.  And the recent controversy about Sia’s upcoming film has flooded the internet. What are your feelings about her response to that criticism? How can she and everyone do better?

 

A) Oh, my goodness.  It was already bad enough, but I wish she could have blamed it on ignorance.  I wish we could have blamed it on ignorance.  It’s still ableism, but it’s a specific type of ableism.  It’s an ableism from just living in a privileged world where you haven’t had to think of these kinds of things.  When people boldface come out and say the stuff that she was saying, it was so horrifying and hilarious at the same time.  Now your film is stained.  You have completely stained your film.

I think Anne Hathaway handled it the best way that she could when The Witches movie got criticism for their ignorance, which I think is what it was – it was ignorance on their part.  They did something that was not acceptable, but Anne Hathaway handled it beautifully.  She came out and apologized and was like, “I am so sorry.  I have learned now and now I know.”

It’s cool because we also get to use that platform, we get to use that as a basis.  It kind of sucks. When Hollywood gets it wrong it’s an opportunity – it’s an outlet for people with disabilities to go, “Okay. Okay. That’s the problem.”  It sets building blocks for where we want to be.  When people like Sia come out and say the things that she said, she is empowering people who disagree with the movement and thus is actually setting us back.  So, when Anne Hathaway comes out and says, “You know what? I agree with you.  You’re right.  We should have been more sensitive to that, we should have understood that that was happening,” that is what helps us progress forward.  But yeah, artists like Sia have set us back in this movement.  Or maybe not. We’ll see what comes of it.

 

Q) You have been recurring on “Step Up” and are currently filming the new season of “Locke and Key” as well. What have you really taken away from these roles and how have they pushed your acting boundaries?

 

A) “Step Up” was a huge jump in what I was doing as far as my career.  I come from a theater background and that was all I know.  Honestly, that’s all I thought I was going to know.  I really didn’t set out into acting with the intention of getting into TV film.  I definitely wasn’t saying that I wouldn’t, but my life’s dreams were always going to be on the stage.  My life’s goals were the stage.

A big part of that was because I felt much more of a freedom in theater.  I don’t think people in theater see me the same way as Hollywood does, which is so frustrating.  If I go to a theater show, nine times out of ten they are not really worried about my disability.  They are not interested in it.  I am not – not getting cast because “Oh, he has prosthetics,” or I am not – not being seen for an audition because, “Oh, he has prosthetics.”  It doesn’t even really come up in conversations.  All they are worried about is can he act it. Can he perform it?  In theater it is about transformation as opposed to in TV/film it’s more about who you are.  They care about who you are.

It’s been very difficult for me to kind of breakthrough that glass ceiling that is there for disability.  And trust me, that glass ceiling is still there.  I don’t think anyone has broken through it to be honest.  Just in my opinion.  Some other people might disagree with me, but I think that glass ceiling for disabled characters still exists.  It’s still sitting right there.  Until we have our Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s still going to be there.

Jumping into “Step Up,” it was just a totally different world for me.  I was just horrified and nervous about it and had complete anxiety.  I was crying about it, just the thought, every single day.  I still to this day cry about stuff like that.  Me and Charity were taking turns crying every time we got off set on “Teenage Bounty Hunters.”

“Step Up” was interesting because initially it was about the learning curve. Then I got into the second season and I got to correct some things.  I got to go, “Okay, cool, I am going to do this differently seeing the show now.  I know that I look this way.  I am going to act this way.  And I am going to handle this moment this way and try to bring emotion to this moment this way.”  It allowed me to kind of get a second chance at something that, at first, I was really uncomfortable with.

“Locke and Key” was me jumping into something new.  “Locke and Key” was the second work that I had gotten. It was a completely different character than King.  Also, I was not a lead in the show, so there was less pressure I think to try and carry a character through an entire series.  I got to just have fun.  I don’t think they really had any hard expectations of Logan, so I just got to kind of bring a little bit of what I thought Logan would be like and who I thought he would be.  Initially they even had wanted him in a wheelchair and I was like, “My mobility device is prosthetics, can I just have prosthetics?”  There was kind of this moment that I had to just release all that anxiety and that pressure that I was putting on myself with “Step Up” and kind of just enjoy myself.

 

Q) And I read that you had the opportunity to give some input with your wardrobe as well at times, which can also be an important part of developing and defining a character.

 

A) I have had that interaction many times before.  Like oh, it’s cold and you’re wearing shorts.  I am like, “Yeah, you jealous?”  Yeah, I get to show off my legs.  I love wearing shorts.  I used to hate wearing shorts because I hated the look of shorts on me. I didn’t think it looked good.  For a big portion of my life I did baggy jeans that crumpled up at the bottom of my legs.  I got into skinny jeans, which is awful.  I don’t know why I was into skinny jeans.  I look terrible in skinny jeans.  But then I think after “Step Up,” for some reason, I just put on a pair of shorts and something just switched in my brain and I was like, “I love this.”  Now, when I wear full length pants I feel so weird.  It was weird playing Ezekiel and wearing full length pants again.

My characters have a lot of range as far as how they dress.  King very much loves sporty stuff.  He is always wearing Polos.  Like the man has a million Polos.   He always wears these gloves that he uses with his chair, so he is very sporty.  Logan wears a lot of jackets.  Logan is just real cool.  Logan is way cooler than I am.  Honestly.  [laughs] I think Logan is a bit of a lady’s man, possibly even more than that, but he dresses in a way that is just real cool.  Like with cool jackets with funky colors, designs, and patterns.

Ezekiel is so preppy.  He is just so preppy.  I was really kind of sad about that because preppy is like the opposite of my style.  It’s the complete opposite.  After a while it was kind of fun getting into this preppy private school character who dresses probably in like Abercrombie and Fitch and Aeropostale maybe.  I used to work at American Eagle, so I am not going to sweat on them.  But it’s the preppy kind of clothes that Ezekiel is into that is definitely not me.  Definitely not my style.  It was fun playing that.

 

Q) Is there anything else that we didn’t touch on that you wanted to talk about or say to “TBH” fans?

 

A) I tell you guys I love y’all, so you already know that.  I love y’all to death.  I love “TBH” fans.  I will say, hopefully you guys like the other shows I am involved with.  I say definitely check out “Locke and Key.” Definitely check out “Step Up: High Water.”  You can also hopefully in 2021 they will be releasing The Tomorrow War, which is a Chris Pratt film.  I don’t know if I will be in it or not.  I am going to go see it and see if my scene is still in it. [laughs] Like I said, things get cut all the time, so you never know.

A big thing that I am going to be doing is I am going to be getting into Twitch.  So, when I am back in Georgia, I will be doing a lot more content creating.  Please look out for my Twitch.