Q&A: Skylar Astin discusses starring role in new comedy series

“Pitch Perfect” actor Skylar Astin has made the move to television as the star of the new TBS comedy series “Ground Floor.” Astin plays Brody, a “top-floor” investment banker who falls in love with “ground-floor” worker Jennifer, played by Briga Heelan. He also stars alongside “Scrubs” star John C. McGinley.

The series, a modern take on “Romeo and Juliet,” premiered Nov. 14 and airs every Thursday at 10 p.m. The Daily Bruin’s Andrea Seikaly participated in a conference call with Astin in anticipation of the series premiere.

Daily Bruin: How is working on a television show different from acting in a movie like “Pitch Perfect?”

Skylar Astin: Well, this kind of TV, especially being that it’s live … it’s a multi-camera live audience sitcom. It is a faster pace. We do, obviously, way less takes. And we kind of just move so fast, you know; for instance, we’re already done with our first season. We’ve shot our full 10 episode order.

So it’s very quick. Also there’s not a lot of, like, setup time like there is with a movie. Movies are just a little bit – slightly more honed in I think, whereas this one is more of a performance that’s captured. So, you know, my relationship with the camera is always pretty much the same, but it’s really cool when there’s an audience on top of it.

DB: Was there anything in particular that drew you to this role?

SA: Yes. I think what really attracted me to Brody is that while he is a confident, rich, money-manager character, Bill Lawrence did not write him in the way that so many people do where they make this kind of character this, like, Ben Affleck slicked-back hair, villain of the movie, that, you know, messes with our hero.

He, in fact, is the hero. He’s … suave. He’s sensitive. He’s very human – and I just loved that. The writing was very in on the joke that Brody is, in fact, sensitive in a relationship. And I thought that that was great.

While he appears to have everything, he doesn’t have much of anything really figured out as far as growing is concerned. And I think that that’s fantastic. I loved the project as a whole. I love the writing. I loved the characters and how they were all fleshed out. And the dynamics between them.

And, you know, Bill Lawrence just has a real style, a real way of writing comedy. So I would have been an idiot to pass up this opportunity.

DB: What was the transition like in terms of adjusting to working with new people and your new dynamic as a cast?

SA: Well, I’ve done plays my whole life. I’ve had to get used to new companies and new casts and it’s always a very exciting first-day-of-school feeling whenever you’re starting with a new group. I’ve been very blessed though with doing “Spring Awakening,” “Pitch Perfect” and now “Ground Floor,” that I’ve had these kind of ensemble casts.

There are really no bad eggs. There’s no diva that everyone needs to compensate for. It really is great. And this one in particular could have been horrible if we had someone that – if everyone wasn’t there for a good reason. Because, when I used to watch these shows like “Friends” and “Cheers” and “Seinfeld,” I used to hope that everyone was really cool and, you know, everyone got along.

And like, the “Friends” really were friends and they were really all hanging out – and we’re all professionals and it’s our job, but it’s always better when you just really get along with the people.

So thankfully we all really, really get along. We’ll all there for the same common reason. And we really enjoy making each other laugh. And we enjoy making the material even more funny than it already is. So it was really kind of a seamless transition for me.

DB: Do you identify with Brody at all? How are you guys similar or different?

SA: Well, I think there’s some similarities. I think we both have a big heart. I think that he’s a little more vain than I am, just a little bit. I think he’s a little bit more sensitive than I am, even though I’m a sensitive guy.

But, you know, it’s broad. It’s a multi-camera sitcom, so obviously it’s a little bit exaggerated. But we certainly have a common thread and we do have a big heart and big conscience and that’s what really attracted me to him. It gave him like a full internal clock that I loved playing with because he is often conflicted with what he should do in his relationship and his job. And I relate to that.

DB: What are your favorite parts about singing in addition to acting? And then on the flip side, what do you love about just acting minus the singing?

SA: Well, it depends. In “Pitch Perfect” we never really sang in character like I did in “Rent” or “Spring Awakening.” I thought that that was a really delicate thing where it could have been a little corny or over the top. And I think that they nailed it by having us sing in context of our characters singing rather than breaking out into song when we were particularly emotional.

And I thought that that was really great and added a kind of realness to that situation. But I’m a huge fan of musical theater. When it’s intentional – like it is in that art form – I love it. I think it’s a beautiful expression. I think that it’s a really, really difficult transition that a lot of people take for granted when someone just starts singing all of a sudden.

And then again, there’s something really great to just, yes, being able to deliver a scene or something just as equally rewarding when you are giving some sort of an emotional speech or just a funny monologue, or a great two-hander scene.

I think I had in “21 & Over,” for instance, with Miles (Teller) and the way we were improving and creating and with no music and no songs, but I do think of writing as a rhythm and as music – and especially comedy. So it’s a kind of a similar place that I come from in my preparation and my thought process.

DB: The premise of the show is that you are playing a top-floor investment banker falling for a girl on the bottom floor. What are some of the issues with Brody dating someone under him?

SA: That’s a great question. What’s fun in the show is that we explore the difference in their lifestyles. We get to see things that Brody takes for granted that are completely new to Jenny and vice versa. And it’s really fun. In my past relationships, it’s always a learning experience and there’s always things to bring you together on a common thread.

But it’s also one of the most exciting – and sometimes challenging – things about being in a relationship when you have differences and you’re brought up differently and you learn and you grow. And sometimes you make mistakes, but that only makes you closer.

So it’s very relatable and I just think that that’s a fun thing to explore – especially in the workplace where certain things are deemed more inappropriate since they’re at work – and since you’re taking a 10-minute break to have an argument in the hallway rather than, you know, going home and hashing it out.

It’s a scenario that I’m sure people have seen or been involved with and it’s just fun to watch it play out – especially with a comedy twist to it.

DB: Do you have any advice for students looking to jump into the acting field?

SA: Sure. I mean, gosh. It’s so funny. I don’t consider myself in a place to be giving advice just because I think everyone’s journey is unique to themselves. But, you know, I would say just, like, if you’re studying theater, I’d say just do anything because you never know where that’s going to lead you.

Doing a workshop for a friend or writing something or creating something together. Just stay creative and stay open to things because you really never know where the next project or the next meeting is going to land. I think people get very focused on networking as a real thing.

I think if you’re just open to the experiences that networking (provides), those relationships will come because the experiences happened and it unfolded organically. So I say just stay open to experiences, whether it be working or creating or doing theater.