‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’: Skylar Astin Spills on Greg & Rebecca — Do They Have a Future?
Q&A
The love life of our favorite Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), is typically anything but complicated. But after everything she’s been through, is it time for life to settle down… and is her ex, Greg (Skylar Astin), the person to help her do that?
Since Greg has reappeared this season (with the Pitch Perfect star taking over the role originated by Santino Fontana), he’s been in recovery for his alcoholism. And finding out Rebecca slept with his father in the past almost undid him once again. But he’s been dealing with it and he’s been wanting to talk to Rebecca about it but things keep getting in his way from doing so.
Will he have better luck in Friday’s episode? And will it change the relationship between Rebecca and Greg? To find out more, TV Insider talked with Astin about his experience in the role and what we can expect to see between the former lovers.
Overall, how was it been for you since you jumped into the role of Greg and playing with all the crazy, wonderful people on the show?
Skylar Astin: It’s been so fun. I really enjoy this group. Their reputation preceded them. All of my friends that have worked on the show have said, “Oh, you’re gonna love it. It’s like summer camp or like theater camp.” But it actually is and it’s a super fun set. Everyone’s got such a positive attitude. I feel very fortunate.
Rachel Bloom as Rebecca and Skylar Astin as Greg (Robert Voets/The CW)
In last week’s episode, Greg really wanted to talk to Rebecca and things got in the way. Does he have a better chance this week?
Yeah, he gets to see Rebecca and they get to learn some new things about each other, and I think through seeing their progress and who they are now, it’s interesting to see whether or not they’ll match up.
Going into this episode, how would you describe Greg’s feelings for Rebecca?
Greg is deep in recovery and I think that’s the way he’s living his life these days. He’s really trying to hear people out, make no judgment, and really see everything with a fresh perspective. When it comes to Rebecca, there’s so much care there and this is someone very important to him. I’m not sure if he knows to what capacity, but he definitely wants her in his life in some significant way.
Here’s a clip from last week’s episode where White Josh watches as Greg and Nathaniel (Scott Michael Foster) become friends, not knowing their connection to Rebecca.
Playing someone who’s in recovery, is that something you’ve done before or is it new?
No, this is kind of new for me. I’ve never played a former addict or alcoholic or anything. It really does something to your thought process as an actor just because you always want to be thinking through that way. It doesn’t mean that he now has to act like a robot, but if you filter everything through that perspective, there might be one or two nuances that you can find there, where there’s a little bit more forgiveness for the old Greg. There’s a little bit more patience for the old Greg, and there’s a little bit less negativity for the old Greg. He’s still Greg and he’s still very interesting and definitely does have a dry perspective sometimes, but that’s part of his personality. As far as his depth and the way he is in relationships, I think that there’s been a bit of a shift there since he went into recovery.
Skylar Astin as Greg and Rachel Bloom as Rebecca (Robert Voets/The CW)
Did you go back to watch any of the old episodes, or did you stay away from that to keep it out of your head?
No, I didn’t watch any old episodes, but I didn’t avoid them… God forbid I would see something, it wouldn’t throw me or anything. I thought that it was smart, to see what I’d seen in the past, and not try to refresh my memory about any other actor, any other previous uses, especially because it’s just written a certain way.
You’ve got a certain language and attitude to him, so I knew that if I just played that through, and sincerely, and let them direct me the way they would, that we would get somewhere good. The writing was probably the most important part about me entering this role. They gave me a bit of a gift. They made it very easy. All of the meta-story lines, just the way that they handled it, made it very easy for me to follow suit.
Whatever happens in this episode with Greg and Rebecca, there are still some other guys in the mix with Nathaniel and Josh. Safe to say there’s going to be some heated competition coming up?
I’m sure that’s a part of the big arc. We don’t really know where it’s headed yet but they’re very much a part of her life and in Rebecca’s mind and in her heart so we know that they’re all there. I’m sure there will be some vying for her heart.
Will we get to see you sing in this week’s episode?
I don’t have any songs in this episode except a light reprise but in an upcoming episode I get to do a Bruce Springsteen-style song. It’s really great. We have the same birthday, me and Bruce Springsteen, so it was meant to be! But all I can really say is that Greg does a pretty decent Bruce Springsteen impression.
Which means Skylar does, too.
I had to! I had to!
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Fridays, 9/8c, The CW
