"A week in the life of the Odd Man Out Star" as told to Eliza Bergman Krause
Erik Von Detten, aka Andrew on ABC's new sitcom Odd Man Out, is the leading man opposite five actresses- Markie Post, Jessica Capshaw (Kate Capshaw's daughter), Natalia Cigliuti, Vicki Davis and Marina Malota, who all play members of his family on the show. (The only other guy in the cast is Andrew's best buddy, Keith, played by Trevor Fehrman.) Lucky guy...or is he? "These women are all very strong in personality," says Capshaw, who plays Andrew's Aunt Jordan, "and we just henpeck him. We say things to Erik like, 'Oh, God, are you really gonna wear that shirt?" But von Detten, 17, best known for Disney's Brink! and So Weird, takes it all in stride-after all, he grew up with two sisters of his own (one older, one younger). To find out what a week in von Detten's life on and off the L.A. set is like, seventeen asked the rising young star to spill his story (and take some behind the scene snapshots).
Thursday, September 9
As usual, got to the set on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank [California} at 8:30 A.M.- before everyone else- because I had an hour of schoolwork before getting started. Today we began blocking rehearsals, which basically means we figured out the physical action of the scene, for an episode called "You've Got Female." It's hilarious: In Keith's hopeless search for love, he convinces Andrew to play Cyrano [de Bergerac] and send romantic e-mails to a mystery girl at school. It turns out that the recipient is Andrew's older sister, Paige, played by Natalia.
Had to stay after work to catch up on two more hours of school work because I'm in almost every scene of this episode. So when rehearsal was done, I scarfed down some Life cereal and went to a trailer outside the soundstage, where I studied with a studio teacher. Today I did Geometry and Spanish. Later this semester, Bill the Chemistry Guy will be coming with his travelling chemistry experiment lab. I can just see the frog guts all over the lot.
Friday, September 10
I came in even earlier today, at 8 A.M., to be taught a guitar riff. Markie, who plays my mom on the show, had to learn it, too. During the whole episode, I'm struggling with the riff; at the very end Markie, without a word, takes my guitar and does it perfectly. When the rest of the cast showed up for rehearsal, I made the biggest mistake: Jessica said to me, "Hey, E.V.D.," and I'm like, "Hey, J.K.," and she's like, "It's with a C- Capshaw's with a C."
During a break, I challenged Trevor to skateboard through a narrow space between a podium and some chairs on the set. We both made it through, (of course, it was more of a challenge for me because I have a five foot board and he has a regular one). We also played chess in his room. My dressing room is like a bachelor pad- I've got a mini air-hockey table, pictures of the family, a candle to go with the decor, a cool couch and my own bathroom. But Trevor's room is more of a hangout for the cast- he's made it that way. He's got all these games set up and 3-D posters and his refridgerator's always stocked; mine's always empty. Hmmm, wonder why? He's jacking my drinks.
Monday, September 13
Today we did more rehearsing with some scrpit changes. As usual, I stopped off at Starbucks on the way to work: Venti Triple Shot Percent Extra Carmel Macchiato with a low-fat blueberry-and-apricot muffin. That holds me over till lunch. Sometimes one of the girls will join us for lunch, but usually it's just Trevor and me. We hit the studio commissary or Taco Bell. I live for Chicken Baja or Santa Fe Gorditas.
Tuesday, September 14
We spent the whole day working with the camera and lighting crews. In these fantasy scenes, Trevor gets to kiss Natalia and Vicki, who plays my middle sister, Val. Good for Trevor. The only way his character gets the girls is in a dream sequence.
Keith has another fantasy in this show- he gets propositioned by a gorgeous blond. I asked Trevor after rehearsal: "So how does it feel to have such a beautiful woman ask you right to your face if you want to have sex?" He said, "It's not the first time I've had an attractive blond woman ask me to sleep with her." Dream on.
Wednesday, September 15
Taping day. Got in at 10:30 A.M.- the women came in early and had hair and makeup done. It takes them about an hour and a half; for me it's ten minutes. Growing up with two sisters, I know how long girls need to get ready. We were always battling over who got to shower first. Sometimes my sisters would leave their underwear on the floor and my dog would pick it up and take it into my room, because that's where he hangs out. So I'd end up with this pile of dirty girl's underwear, and that pissed me off. You don't have a hamper and a laundry room for nothing.
After tonight's dinner in the studio commissary, it was time to do the show in front of a live audience. Taping is just the peak of energy; everyone's psyched. In one scene, I kind of messed up- I had to take a newspaper and slap Trevor on the forehead. I guess it looked like I was doing it really hard on camera, so the director, David Kendall, said to me, "Go easy on the slap next time." When we did the scene again, I forgot the direction and slapped poor Trevor even harder than before.
Otherwise, the show went really well. On her second try, Markie nailed her guitar riff and the audience loved it. So that's a wrap- now onto the next episode.
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