James Lesure – Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce

By starrymag | January 31, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) What is new this season on “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce?”

A) Forbidden love! That is the theme. Forbidden, taboo love!

Q) How was your character, Mike, originally described to you?

A) He was just described as a baseball coach to me. I think that was about it. He was a coach of a baseball team and a potential love interest.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series?

A) The chance to work with Lisa [Edelstein] was a big part of why I wanted to do it. I’m glad I made that choice and I’m glad they made the choice to work with me.

Q) Where you personally connect with Mike?

A) I like Mike’s work ethic. He believes in hard work and discipline. I believe in that stuff too that it can reap benefits. He’s really sort of all about that. That’s one side of him. I also believe that he has a big heart. When he loves, he loves big. So, I feel like I do the same. I think those are two things we both have in common.

Q) Was there something you added to him that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I brought my own sunflower seeds. Everything is sort of following what they gave me initially so I was just trying to follow that. If I don’t see another seed for a couple weeks, I’ll be alright.

Q) Was there instant chemistry when you began working with Lisa Edelstein?

A) I feel like it happened pretty fast, for me at least. I wonder if she is feeling any chemistry for me at all. When I first met her, I thought it was going to be a good situation for me. So, right away I felt like we got the same sort of vibe from each other. It’s been a good experience so far.

Q) Is there someone you haven’t had many scenes with that you’d like to work with more or at all?

A) I would say that the majority of my stuff has been with Lisa. I’ve had some brief scenes with the other young ladies in the cast. So, if that were to increase I would be good with that because I do feel that there is a really talented cast they have there. I understand we’re telling the story with Abby and Mike so if that means if I’m worth the other girls less that’s fine with me. I’ll go with the flow!

Q) How will dynamics shift between Mike and Abby this season?

A) I think people are going to be surprised how their journey is revealed because I think Abby makes a couple of turns that I know were surprising for me to read as an actor. I’d get the script and the character, Mike Brady, is taken aback by some of her choices. I know that he thinks Abby will go a certain way, but she’ll surprise you with some of the turns she takes. I think that will be appealing.

Q) What were some of your memorable moments from filming?

A) One thing I like about working with Lisa is she is a true professional. She comes prepared and works very hard, but at the same time she does it with a sense of humor. She’ll even laugh at herself – self-effacing humor. I find that attractive in a human being. I remember we were shooting one day and it was a scene with Retta, Mike Brady and Abby. Lisa had just recently gone on 23andme.com to find out about her heritage. She discovered that she had .7% African blood in her heritage so she came back and thought she could just fall in line with Retta and I. She was up with the struggle! She was ready to go march and Selma and this and that. [laughs] I just thought it was super funny. We started calling her .7! There are easy laughs on the set, which I enjoy.

Q) What do you think it is about the series that makes it such a good fit for Bravo?

A) I think that some of the themes are easy to relate to. People can watch it and see that is happening in their life in some regard. It can be heightened for entertainment’s sake, but it is based in something that is real. With Bravo, of course they are going to have entertainment that is super broad and big, but they can come up with something that is real. I think that’s why the show sort of fits in there and are responding to it. It can be real and at the same time broad and fantastical. I think that is the range of it.

Q) What kind of fan feedback have you gotten to your role?

A) I’m happy to report that a lot of people are responding positively to it. I’ve gotten cartons of Sunflower seeds sent to me. I don’t know what that is. Please get the word out there that it is a character and that James Lesure has no desire for sunflower seeds. I’m proud of what we’re doing though on “Girlfriends’ Guide.”

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about this season of “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce?”

A) I just hope folks continue to enjoy it. I like to think we are giving you a product worth watching. I think we are so I am looking forward to the feedback when it is all done.

 

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce airs on Bravo on Wednesdays, 10pm ET/PT