Grant Show Talks About New Role On “Private Practice” & Thoughts On New Melrose Place

By Tom Rose
Fancast.com

Tomorrow night Grant Show picks up his TV career in a new role on the ABC medical drama Private Practice. He’ll be playing Archer, the neurologist brother to main character Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) and to hear him tell it, he’s there to stir up some real trouble.

He has had a spectacular TV career; exploding into the mainstream as Jake Hanson, heartthrob biker/bartender first on Beverly Hills 90210 and spinning off to Melrose Place as the foil and love interest for Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear.)

Just as recently as last year Grant Show has turned up in roles that have gone against the type-casting purgatory he endured when the run of the popular show ended, first as closeted gay movie action hero Jack Dawson on the fantastic show Dirt and next as wild and crazy guy Tom Decker on the brilliant but canceled Swingtown, an ode to the Free Love Era of the 1970s.

We caught up with the hunky actor tooling around town pursuing even more upcoming opportunities and spoke with him about the part and where the road is leading these days.

You’re appearing on Private Practice Wednesday night and you’re playing a rather devilish character…
Yeah, he’s definitely a cad and a rake.

You’ve had a few of those roles in your past.
Yeah, you know this guy is kind of like Tom Decker on Swingtown who was a sexual person but a really nice guy. When Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers had this character and I went over to talk with them, this guy is definitely as sexual as Tom was, but he’s not particularly a nice guy. And I was interested in playing the other side of that coin.

I always read that playing a villain is a meatier role and something that actors crave.

It’s really true. You have a lot more freedom when you play a bad guy. You can do whatever you want to do, whatever strikes you. In the last several years I’ve liked playing over the top characters, like Tom and the character I played on Dirt and my role as Lucas Boyd on Point Pleasant. It was rather over the top as well.

Yeah, you’re gaining quite a reputation for over the top characters.

Good. maybe I’ll get more roles. They’re really fun to play.

Now the character you’re playing on Private Practice, tell us more about that role.

I play Addison’s older brother and we’re super rich. We’re like Vanderbilt rich and the siblings in those families have really interesting relationships I think. Nobody else is good enough for them and they’re really tight because they kind of grew up “it’s us against the world” and that’s understandable.

In the show, Addison’s moved out to California and my character thinks it’s just a fun little whim she’s going through, so it’s like “enough is enough already. Come on back home, come back to New York, I miss you and this is crazy.” So I come out from New York and I try to bring her back with me.

The preview I saw shows you stirring up trouble for her…

Well, yeah. If she doesn’t say yes, then my next tactic is to ruin her life out here so she’ll have to come home.

And you can only do that to someone you love, right?

Absolutely.

You just said mega rich siblings are different from the rest of us. Are you speaking from experience in your approach to the role?

Yeah. When I was living in New York I socialized in those circles, those families, you know those kids, and it just stuck me when I was hanging out with them. I knew one guy and I was kind of attracted to his sister, and he was like “no f*ing way dude! You are not good enough for my sister.” And it was almost like he was jealous, there was no way he could see anybody with his sister because nobody was good enough for her. The only people who are good enough for them is each other. Not in a sexual way, but kind of in a wierd way!

That’s a little surprising considering your fame and success as an actor.

This was in the ’80s when I was almost waiting tables.

Oh I see, you weren’t Jake Hanson yet?

No not yet, although I don’t think it would’ve made a difference. Those families don’t look at actors all that well either. Actors are still the gypsies that they were 200 hundred years ago.

You would’ve needed a 100 million dollars just to buy in.

Yeah, if I was Will Smith maybe.

You do have a reputation for playing blue collar roles.

That has been my strength. This is the first time I’m playing a really wealthy character. And it’s not just one episode. I do this episode and then I leave and then after 4 or 5 episodes I come back for like 6 more, or something like that. I don’t know that it ends after that 6 either. We haven’t really talked about anything in the future. I’m having a great time on the show, they seem to like me. I think we’re just waiting to see how the audience reacts to the character.

And what a great cast they’ve got too…

Oh, my God, I’m having so much fun. Kate Walsh is just terriffic. I love working with Audra McDonald and Tim Daly. It’s just a solid, solid cast. I was a little intimidated at first, thinking “Wow!” all these guys are really good, and they have this particular style on the show that’s witty and fast and I was definitely intimidated when I first walked on to the set.

Did you have any scenes with Tim Daly?

Little bits, not any real scenes. We’ve been in the same room together and there’s like bits when we’re discussing a case. But he’s the only character I’m thinking “how come you’re not going out with him?” She’s going out with this cop, and then I see Peter and I think “he might be okay for you” not knowing that they kind of have a little something going on already. Or maybe knowing. Maybe just trying to stir things up.

It sounds great.

The story that’s coming up is pretty good. There’s a reason why I come out now, it’s not just because I miss her, instead of a year or two ago. It takes the story a little bit higher.

Well we won’t try to get that out of you.

It doesn’t matter, ABC won’t let me anyway.

It’s great to see you again, with such an interesting character. You’ve been popping up for the last year or two but prior to that we hadn’t seen much of you on television.

After you’ve been on a show as big as Melrose Place you have to become a different person before anyone can really see you in a different role. I had to grow up I think, before I was gonna be someone that people wanted to see on television again.

I know on Dirt you caused a lot of talk, that was a fabulous show and you were great in it.

Thanks man. That was scary. I got done doing that first scene and I was like, “oh my God, I’m never gonna work again. That’s it, I’m over.” But as it turned out it did really good things for me. It was fairly spectacular, it was kinda crazy.

You’ve always been known for your girl chasing macho man characters…

Yeah, that sort of busted that theory. And it’s not that I wouldn’t want to play a gay character again, I don’t have any problem with that at all. I don’t know if I ever want to make out with a dude again. That was a bit much for me, it was lind of freaky and scary. But it turned out to be not that big a deal. I’ve had to make out with girls I didn’t want to on Melrose Place and things like that. My first thought when I kissed a dude was “God, his lips are awfully soft.” And my second thought was this isn’t any worse than kissing a girl that I didn’t want to kiss. It wasn’t that big a deal, really.

You just close your eyes and press, right?

Do it for England.

What else have you got on your plate?

I’ve got some decent stuff I’ve been reading, some pilots coming up. ABC’s got a good one coming up that I just read a couple of days ago, so…

And I hear the CW is picking up a new show, a little thing called Melrose… you got anything going on over there?

No, no one’s called me. I can’t see how it would work, to be honest with you. I don’t want to be the old guy on a show with 20-year old kids. But if there were something interesting in it, I wouldn’t have any problem with it. But I don’t see that happening, it’s going to be a youth oriented show.

Well we were looking for a Jake and Amanda reunion with Heather Locklear.

I would love to work with Heather again! She’s the best! Absolutely the best.

Have you been in touch with her lately?

No, I haven’t lately. She’s going through a little something. I talked to Jack Wagner and he says she’s been getting it together, so that’s good.

Well we’ll be looking forward to your new role on Private Practice Wednesday night, and hoping it’s a hit with viewers.

Thanks. There’s no reason for me not to come back, I am Addison’s brother after all.

Well we’ll be watching on Fancast.

Groovy! Have a good day!

Don’t miss Grant Show in his new role on Private Practice Wednesday at 9:00 On ABC.

And stay on top of Private Practice news and Free Full Length Episodes right here on Fancast!