Source: Starry Constellation Magazine
Article By: Lisa Steinberg
Date: February 2007

Q. What are some of the recent projects that you’ve been working on?

A. Nothing, I’m just working on “Lincoln Heights.”

Q. What can you tell us about your “Lincoln Heights” character?

A. The show is about a cop who moves his family to a rough neighborhood as part of an incentive program to clean it up. My character, Charles, moves there around the same time as the Sutton family. I hit it off with Eddie’s daughter, Cassie (Erica Hubbard), and he’s an army brat who moves around a lot. He’s new to the school and looking for someone to be a friend. He hits it off with Cassie.

Q. What is it about your role that’s been challenging for you?

A. I don’t know about the challenge, it’s been interesting. Just with the differences with the lifestyles. I never really moved around as a kid and he’s had a rough family life. He’s not incredibly rich and now he lives with his single mom. He’s got his dad who is back in Germany and it’s mostly him and his mom. She is not rich by any means and growing up in a tough neighborhood trying to find the nuances has been interesting.

Q. What is it about the show that made you want to be a part of it?

A. I really love the family aspect and just the way the show deals with the issues; it’s so natural.

Q. Do you have a really memorable moment from working on the show?

A. There is one time, I don’t get to work with Eddie (Russell Hornsby) a lot, most of my scenes are comprised of Erica and I. There was an intense scene with him and I was having a hard time with it. Eddie is a really intense actor and he pulled me to the side and worked with me on the scene. It turned out to be a really powerful and beautiful scene. It was almost me telling him he was a racist for telling me I couldn’t date his daughter. That was a really memorable scene. There was another one with Erica when she broke into tears during a scene. I had never really seen her and I connect that way. I don’t know if I can tell too much of the storyline but it was really nice to find that connection. Just going through the show and working with the other actors and finding our comfort zone.

Q. Did you and Erica work together on the chemistry of the characters?

A. In the beginning our director was pretty adamant about the two of us keeping our distance. He wanted to evolve it in a really natural way. He wanted it to be a bit awkward, the way a young teenage couple would. We attempted that at first but Erica and I hit it off and get along really well. We’re always joking around on set and the chemistry evolved really nicely. We’re really good friends and it wasn’t difficult to find the chemistry.

Q. What do you think it is about the show that really will draw viewers in?

A. I think that it deals with a subject matter that hits home to a lot of families across America. It’s not really sugarcoated, it is what a lot of families in America have to deal with. They are mostly middle class American families trying to get by and do the best for their family. It’s obviously television and it’s not going to always be completely realistic. In a way, that’s our escape, and there are a lot of messages in the show that families can relate to and get involved in. I think in a way it allows people to have hope for their own family and it teaches their kids certain values that are important.