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By Suzanne

Interview with David Lambert from "The Fosters" on ABC Family 8/11/15

ABC Family’s Q&A with David Lambert
The Fosters

Moderator Can you talk about filming the huge scene between Brandon and Callie?

David Yes, it was definitely an interesting challenge, but also a dance that we choreographed. The last two episodes of this block were directed by our executive producers Joanna Johnson, who did Episode 9, and Peter Paige, who did the finale that will be airing on Monday. When we shot them, we were doing those two episodes almost as one. These two final episodes have a more even, cohesive feeling to them. With that scene, there is a part of that scene that will be picked up in the next episode.

Peter and Joanna had hands on that scene together. It really was a pretty cool collaboration from everyone to make it as tasteful and as intense as possible and really gripping. In terms of comfort and whatnot, Maia and I were focused on really hitting that high point in this time for Brandon and Callie and really showing that release and all of the time and tension that’s been building and building, sometimes going away and then coming back really aggressively. It’s this ebb and flow that Brandon and Callie find themselves in. It was important for us to get that right.

Moderator How is Brandon going to deal with not being able to protect Callie in terms of sending Rita the audio for Carmen and not denying her feelings for him?

David I think definitely this is by far the hardest thing that Brandon has to deal with, being the protective spirit that he is with not only Callie, but with everyone in the house. Callie definitely intentionally seals her own fate, because, in her mind, it was for the greater good to help Rita. I think she was taking the high road there and making the ultimate sacrifice to help someone that she really cares for.

I think ultimately Brandon has to respect that. He does care for Callie, and, at the end of the day, he’s going to do his best to be there for her and support her. It was her decision to do that, and he’s going to have to be okay with that eventually. I’m not saying he’ll immediately be okay with it, but it’s just one of those things that’s such a complicated issue and a lot of it’s out of their hands. They’re just trying to do their best to navigate and make the smartest choices most of the time.

Moderator Do you agree that Brandon doesn’t have to face consequences for his bad choices or would you defend him?

David I understand how it looks that way in some senses but there’s also a perspective that actual characters in the show sometimes feel. Mariana has said things to that degree. Jesus has said things to that degree. I think it’s an awkward place that Brandon is naturally put in because of Stef and how they had a family before any of this began, even before Lena. There’s a subconscious very, very small space because of that. I think everyone just does their best to not talk about it and not acknowledge it.

I definitely think Brandon’s had to pay his dues for certain things for sure. He has gone through quite a bit, and it’s not even to do with Callie. Just with music alone, he puts himself through hell every single time. That just comes from a place of him wanting to be passionate and do the best he can. He knows he’s skilled; he knows he’s talented. He may not always have the confidence, but genuinely, he is a good guy and wants to do well and protect his family.

What makes it interesting, and maybe sometimes hard to understand, is how focused and specific he is. He already knows what he wants to do, and he’s going 100% for that. There’s a certain degree of people who can’t understand how he has so much focus with his music – It’s really all he’s about. It gives him a sense of a purpose, and I think a lot of kids in high school and into college are still figuring out their way. Brandon just got an earlier head start, so he knows what he wants to do and he knows what he has to do.

Moderator Are you happy with how Brandon’s storyline at Idyllwild ended up?

David Yes! I think it was a perfect ending to what was a large blow on Brandon’s confidence – even his focus. He was pulled in a lot of different directions at Idyllwild. He lost his mind a little bit there and had to recover and recuperate. He came out on top at the end and did what he wanted to do at the beginning, which was play. The composing was something he adapted to. I think he ended up adapting quite well, given all the sabotage and all the weird stuff that was going on. But, at the end of the day, he got to play his piece and he got to do it his way.

Brandon’s the type of guy who’s always going to figure out what he needs to do by the end. The Idyllwild chapter is a perfect example of how Brandon can and will rise to whatever occasion he needs to to succeed ultimately. I really enjoyed it and thought it was great. He was doing it for him, which was what he was missing.

Moderator What has been your favorite episode to film this season on The Fosters?

David I think actually Idyllwild was! It was a busy episode. We had a few longer days on it, but I find those episodes always feel so good to do because of the amount of work, time and the collaboration that you’re putting in. You always end up with a better product that way. It’s always fun to go through that experience. For Idyllwild and the season finale, we were definitely working really hard to make good TV. In terms of work load, the experience of these final two episodes was so fun.

I really enjoy working with my producers in a closer fashion when they come and direct, because even though we see them a lot, it’s different when they’re on set every day giving us notes take after take. It’s definitely a different relationship, so that was also fun for me. So episodes 9 and 10 this season have been my favorite.

Moderator Describe last night’s episode in three words.

David Victory, temptation, and sacrifice.

Moderator What is it about Brandon and Callie’s relationship that brings about so much passion from the fans?

David There is always that romantic feeling when two people can’t be together. There’s that grass is greener on the other side, if you will, or the unrequited love thing. That epitomizes what Brandon and Callie have become. It’s a place they shouldn’t have gone, yet they couldn’t help it, and I think that whole idea appeals to people, because you’re acting on emotions that maybe you shouldn’t necessarily act on, impulses.

It creates for very interesting situations. There’s a part of people that have the curiosity to know what will happen and somewhere along the way, they find that they like the two people, and find themselves rooting for them even against all the odds. It becomes this underdog story that you somehow hope will work itself out.

I think all those qualities is exactly what Brandon and Callie have had to go through and will continue to go through. There’s something attractive about that subconsciously for us. It’s definitely an interesting dynamic for people to watch, and they like to watch it. Ultimately, they want to know what’s going to happen to them.

Moderator In what ways are you similar or different to your character, Brandon, on The Fosters?

David One of the greatest things about playing Brandon is that he’s definitely the most similar character, I’ve ever played, to me. That’s not to say we have our differences because we definitely do. Yes, I play piano in my life. I’m not as refined as Brandon, but I have been playing for seven years now actually, which seems like a long time to me, but I’m also self-taught.

I don’t have the classical training that Brandon does, but music has been part of my life, about the same time or even longer than acting. I started in musical theater as a kid in elementary school, and it always stuck. The music aspect that Brandon has and that passion and love is not an alien concept to me either.

I’m also the oldest in my family but I don’t have as many siblings; I only have two. But I understand that older brother routine and what that means. I’m also quite close to my mother. There are quite a few parallels that I constantly draw from to play Brandon, but he also is very much his own thing.

I think he’s a little more hot headed than I am and definitely a little more impulsive just out of wanting to do something, trying to make a difference or trying to make a stand or whatever it is. Brandon jumps in head first and doesn’t necessarily always think things out.

The list goes on, but he definitely is very similar, very close to me. He’s become quite a fleshed out, good character. I really enjoy playing him.

Moderator Do you have a favorite part about the show in general?

David In general, it’s all the people that I’ve met working on the show, crew and cast. I think it’s the fact that we shoot at a place like Warner Brothers, which to me, still as a young actor, won’t stop being surreal every time I go there. It’s that time that you step back and you don’t understand how you got here. I feel that on The Fosters quite a lot.

The other thing is the cast actually. Everyone that I work with constantly, all of the Fosters, all of the regulars, all of the friends that come in and play these awesome supporting roles, everyone’s really, really talented. I’ve made a lot of really, really good friends for quite some time through this show. I have a lot be grateful for that this show gave me for sure.

Moderator Do you know how AJ and Brandon’s relationship is going to play out, especially now with things that happened with Callie?

David That’s probably going to be a hard pill to swallow truly for Brandon. I think he’s making the right decision by trying to patch it up but I think that’s going to take some work. I don’t know where that relationship will go between them, but I have a feeling, just because of what Brandon was saying in the Idyllwild episode to AJ, I don’t think he would just say something without meaning it. I think he is going to try.

Will there be complications? Maybe. Does he know about AJ and Callie? He does. There are things that are going to most likely get in the way at some point, but I, just David talking, I would like to see them put in an actual effort to start over and do it all over again. At the end of the day, AJ and Brandon can be buddies, but as of right now I think they’re going to have some stuff to work through.

I don’t really know where that’ll go, but it definitely seems like Mike has really connected with AJ, and Brandon knows that, too. I think Brandon, even if he doesn’t want to at first, will put in the effort for the sake of his dad.

Moderator What are your hopes for Brandon as The Fosters continues? Is there a certain storyline you would like to tackle, or do you just hope he reaches a certain point with his music?

David I really enjoyed how Brandon went into the rock band era after he hurt his hand and that he found his love for music again through that, but I was also very happy that he went back to classical, because I really think that’s the character. I actually thought the composing thing was an interesting quality as well. I would like to see Brandon continuing to pursue classical music, maybe getting some sort of cool scholarship and having another opportunity to play at some sort of school, some sort of long-term school.

Anything like that I think is where Brandon should go and seems like he’s aiming to go – it’s just a timing thing. He’s still young. He’s turning 17 at this point in the story. He still has time, and he’ll finish out high school. Then it’ll be interesting to see what happens next. I would like to see him continue to pursue classical music much like how he’s done in Idyllwild, but maybe on a greater scale.

Moderator In terms of Callie’s adoption, does this mean that Callie and Brandon keep the fact that they slept together a secret going forward?

David That’s definitely the ultimate question that they will be faced with [laughs]. She really thought that she had no chance of getting adopted. That alone was the death sentence really at the end. But that’s really what they’re going to have to figure out in this finale, and it’s an interesting task, one that they were trying to avoid the whole time, and now it’s staring them right in the face.

Without giving too much away, I will say that is essentially the struggle, and they’re going to either have to take the high road or suffer some major consequences. I don’t know if one of them will give and not be able to take it or if they’ll be strong and be able to bury this. Honestly either way it’s a very difficult situation. We’ll see the conversation very soon, because there will be one about this very topic. We’ll see soon enough.

Moderator What are your thoughts on how Mike and Brandon’s dynamic was interrupted when AJ showed up and how their relationship can proceed going forward?

David Brandon has a sensitivity with his dad that we’ve seen. It gets triggered. He might be a bit territorial with his dad but it’s also a really important relationship, and it’s one that Brandon didn’t necessarily always know how to deal with. Obviously we saw it back in Season 1, he didn’t always know how to deal with his dad being his dad, living away, and also having to live with his moms and have that family. That was something that Brandon grew up having to figure out.

With an element like AJ, who is an entirely new person that Brandon’s dad connected with him in this odd way, it just threw Brandon for a loop. I don’t think he knew what was going on, but I think he felt a little pushed off to the side, put on the backburner. Ultimately he just wants to have a relationship with his dad and it’s not always easy.

Mike and Brandon are pretty different people, which is also the funny part about it. Mike’s this sports guy, really guy cop, and he has this very musical son. It’s a funny relationship, but at the end of the day, neither of them are going to give up on what they have. They may have their fights or whatever, but they both truly want to be connected to each other.

AJ was a curveball for sure and that’s definitely not fully resolved. It’s getting resolved now, but I think it’s still going to take some work and also some navigation probably by Mike as well, not just Brandon. Mike needs to step in and help define what it is, what’s going on here, who AJ is to Mike, who AJ is to Brandon, and how this dynamic will work.

It’ll be interesting going forward to see that. The dynamics with Mike are some of my favorite stuff. Working with Danny Nucci, we have a very close bond, off set as well. It’s really fun for me to work with him, and we really try hard to get that relationship right and make it feel real. There will definitely be challenges for them ahead, but I think they’re always going to figure their stuff out.

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