Photo: Hugh Tull and Allister Foster/Lifetime
Like father and mother, like son!
Speaking to PEOPLE exclusively about the new gig, Michael, 25, says it was a “no-brainer” to take on the role of Petey.
“I read the script and I really, really enjoyed the character. I thought he was really funny,” he explains. “Also, you know, it was offered to me — and when you are starting out, when something is offered, you take it. It was kind of a no-brainer for me.”
“I’m starting out, you know. I was grateful for the opportunity,” he shares, noting that Mark, 51, and Ripa, 52, were very hands-off because “they’re not momagers.”
“They weren’t micromanaging everything, they trusted my ability to deliver what they wanted for the character. I’m very proud of it,” he adds. “I’m proud that I got to work with them. Hopefully again sometime … it was a real treat.”
Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa with their children.Miller Mobley
Working with Dewan and Irwin was a memorable experience for Michael, who notes how the trio instantly got along from day one.
“They’re both so fun,” Consuelos says of the two actresses. “I had the majority of my scenes with both of them, and it was a lot of laughter. You’re always a little nervous going in, and that was thrown out right out the window… It was a really welcoming environment, a lot of collaboration.”
“You get the jitters on the first day when you meet your co-stars — that really sets the tone — and it was a really great tone that we set… we gel together really well,” he adds.
While the film outlines the complexities of a real life situation, Michael hopes viewers will do their own research on the original story.
“The fact that this really happened is still mind-boggling to me, and we had a lot of fun making it,” he says. “So I hope they enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it. A lot of laughter, a lot of fun, a lot of good memories went into it.”
Hugh Tull and Allister Foster/Lifetime
Let’s Get Physicalis not the first time that Michael has worked with one of his parents.
Prior to the role, Michaelplayed young Hiram Lodgeon the CW seriesRiverdalealongside his father, who regularly plays adult Hiram Lodge on the show.
Michael says there is a stark contrast between playing young Hiram and Petey. “I hadn’t done a character who’s not kind of evil and damaged. I just came off ofRiverdaleand that character’s kind of a handful, but this is a breath of fresh air. He’s kind of a likable guy, he’s goofy.”
Similarly, Michael says that working with his dad onLet’s Get PhysicalversusRiverdalewas drastically different.
“It’s really apples and oranges,” he explains. “Let’s Get Physicalwas shot in Vancouver, and he was back in the states… I would text him at the end of the day, like ‘It was really fun.’ Whereas I was acting opposite him inRiverdaleand we shared scenes together.”
When it comes to his family — which also includes younger siblingsLola, 21, andJoaquin, 19 — Michael jokingly refers to himself as “the weird one” of the bunch.
“I try to be like the court jester of the family,” he says. “You know, if there’s an argument brewing, you know a lot of big personalities … occasionally clash. I try to lighten the mood with absurdity, sometimes it doesn’t land. Of the siblings, I guess I’m the weirdest one.”
“I think we all in our own way are pretty funny,” he adds. “My brother makes me laugh a lot, but then again so does Lola, my sister. And momruns a talk show, so I guess she’s pretty funny too in her own right.”
As he looks ahead to the future, Michael hopes to continue acting — and one day, expand into the books world,just like his mom did recentlywith her new memoir,Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories.
“I am auditioning still… I’m going out for whatever comes my way,” he explains. “Hopefully something will get landed, but in the meantime I’m also producing. I’m writing my own projects.”
He adds: “I’ve been a big reader since I was a kid, and my work is more fiction. [Whereas, my mom] is drawing on her life. I’m a big horror guy. I learned to love reading from reading Stephen King, and I am 50 pages into my first attempt at writing. So we’ll see how that goes.”
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Let’s Get Physicalairs Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
source: people.com
