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By
Suzanne

Interview with Matt Murray of "Kevin
from Work" on
ABC Family 9/30/15
Matt is very likable. You can tell that from his
characters on TV. On the phone he seemed like a great
guy, someone to hang out with. He just also happens to be a
really good actor in both comedy and drama. If you saw him
on "Rookie Blue" you know that he came over at first as this
lazy, dumb, silly guy (and he has the perfect rubbery face
for comedy), but then things took a darker turn with his
character when we learned what was really going on.
He's unlikely to show off his dramatic chops much on "Kevin
from Work," but he does a great job with the comedy on that
show as the slightly-intense best friend. I think he should
have a great future in acting, whether he will be doing
comedy, drama or both. He's got a very interesting
background, as you will see from this interview.
This was a conference call interview, but ABC Family
always takes our names off our questions and just puts
"Moderator." I asked the first two questions and the rest
are from other press.
ABC Family’s Q&A with Matt Murray
Kevin From Work
Moderator: I read that you grew up in Detroit. I know that
Detroit isn't too far from Canada, but what made you go to
Toronto to become an actor rather than Hollywood or New
York?
Matt: Well, I couldn’t afford school in the states. I found
out that the tuition in Canada was a lot cheaper and I had
some friends in Toronto because I’m a dual citizen. My mom
is Canadian so I would go and see my grandparents every now
and then in Toronto.
My drama teacher in high school told me to leave Detroit and
go to LA, New York or Toronto for theater. I knew I couldn’t
afford LA and New York. He also told me Toronto had a lot of
film and a lot of good theater there, so I decided to look
into it. When I saw tuition was only $4,500 to $10,000, I
thought that’s a lot more doable. Even that was expensive
for myself, but that was an option.
I went up there, did the auditions, and got into Humber
College. My tuition there was $4,500, so I made that happen.
I got some loans and I got my butt over there.
Moderator: What are some differences you can tell us about
both Canadian TV and American TV productions?
Matt: That’s a good question. TV wise, because of the shows
that I’ve been on, I haven’t really noticed too much of a
difference in the styles that they’re shot in or things like
that because both crews, even when I was in Toronto, had a
lot of people from America there.
I guess it’s just subtle differences. Like, I have a chair
with my name on it, the trailers are a little different,
catering is a bit different, they’re shot in lots here
rather than in one building with one studio or so. I guess
it’s small details like that but style wise of how it’s
shot, I don’t really notice too much of difference because
there are a lot of people from the states that are in Canada
as well.
Canada and America are very, very similar. It’s not like
going to another country, it’s actually very similar. Now
for films, I’m not sure for films yet because I wasn’t on
too many films. I’ve done more TV than I have films, so I
still have to discover that side.
Moderator: What is it like working with the cast of Kevin
From Work and who are you closest with on set?
Matt: It is absolutely amazing working with every single one
of those guys. I love them like family. All of us, right off
the bat became very good friends because most of us, besides
Jason and Jordan, are not from here.
We’re all kind of new-ish here. I came here in January and I
was here last year in October/November. Punam came here not
too long ago, and Noah came here just for the show. Paige
came here a year or two ago, and so we all clicked right off
the bat when we did the reading.
We supported each other because Punam had a theater showcase
a day after we did our very first table read and she told us
about the showcase, so we all went out and watched the
showcase and supported her. After that, we all stayed very
good friends and saw each other every day or would go to
Runyon Canyon together.
Working with those guys is amazing and we know each other
very well because of the time that we’ve spent together. A
lot of times when we’re doing scenes together we know each
other’s strengths. Sometimes, one of us without saying it
would take a step back and let that person do their thing
because we know it’s a stronger scene for them and overall
it’s much more entertaining if someone took a step back to
support you and you just do your thing. We do that
naturally.
We know each other’s strengths and we know each other’s
reactions. A lot of times we’ll set each other up, kind of
like an alley-oop, the passer will throw it up knowing that
this person is really good at dunking like that [laughs]. I
think that comes from knowing each other and having the
chemistry we all have.
As far as being close to somebody, that’s hard to say
because that’s like asking who your favorite brother is. I
think I’ve probably spent the most time with Paige because
she also trains with my friend and me. We see each other,
basically, every other day. I’m close to everybody in a
different way. Some things I’ll do more so with Punam, and
some things I’ll do with Jason, or Noah, or Paige. It all
varies on what we’re doing.
I can’t say who my favorite is because then I get kind of
slapped down. I’ve spent different time with different
people and we click on different things, so it varies.
Moderator: Did you know any of the cast before you joined the
cast of Kevin From Work?
Matt: I didn’t know anybody personally. I kind of knew Noah
though because Noah and I have a mutual best friend. We’ve
also been trained by the same teachers in Toronto because he
went to National Theater School and I went to Humber
College. Those two schools are like the number one and
number two theater schools in Canada, and we had the same
teachers.
We also have a lot of the same really good mutual friends
besides our one mutual best friend. We heard about each
other for quite a while and the mutual best friend just
finished playing Noah’s best friend in the show Backpackers.
I heard all about Noah, he heard all about me. Our agents
are also best friends [laughs].
When he was cast for this, I knew automatically who he was.
When I got the part we met up in Toronto and got to know
each other and then they flew us out here together. We went
through a crazy little plane ride over here and stayed in
the same hotel and everything.
Moderator: What has been your favorite episode to film so
far?
Matt: I’d say Episode 10 because I did my own stunts. Brian
decides to go and get some information from Brock, and he
does that by going to the Jui Jitsu practice with Brock and
he ends up getting his butt kicked. During that time, they
had a stunt double for me but I did stunt work in Toronto,
so I like to do my own stunts. When I went there I asked
them if I could do my own stunts and they said yes, talk to
the stunt choreographer and if he feels comfortable with it
then we’ll see what happens. I talked to him and he was like
okay well let me see what you can do, this is the move that
were doing and I did it. He was like yes, you know what
you’re doing, let’s do it [laughs].
I did that and that episode is very funny. Doing my own
stunts was awesome. The stunt double came up to me at the
end of the day telling me he was my stunt double and I
looked at him and told him I didn’t need him, because I did
everything myself [laughs].
Moderator: If you didn’t play Brian, who would you want to
play?
Matt: That’s a very hard question. I think either Ricky or
Patti. Yes, I think Patti, if I could have that type of
character. Patti just says the wildest things and she
switches on a dime so quickly. She has a lot of juicy things
to say and I love it. Punam plays her better than anybody
else that would step in those shoes.
Moderator: Why do you think Brian and Kevin are friends,
especially when their personalities are so different?
Matt: I think they’re friends because they substitute for the
things that they don’t have. Brian sometimes does need that
straight, serious side and Kevin gives him that. Then Kevin
sometimes needs that loose, relaxed, have fun side and Brian
gives him that. I think they complement each other and fill
the gaps of each others’ needs. I think that they give each
other exactly what each other needsin whatever situation
they’re in.
Moderator: How would you say Brian has been different from
any character you’ve played previously in your career?
Matt: The emotions. Brian is very, very emotional. He is very
emotional in a very funny way. I guess, similar to Patty as
well, he can flip on a dime. I break it down with Brian, he
lives in the moment and in the next moment at the same time.
How quickly he shifts from one emotion to the other, you
know he’s happy one minute and then sad the next moment, or
excited the first moment and then mad the next. How
everything affects him, I think that’s what differs him from
everybody else. It’s a lot of fun to play those emotions.
Moderator: What aspects of Brian’s back story would you like
to see explored more on Kevin From Work?
Matt: Probably his previous jobs before being a trainer and
why he only made $400 within one year. I would really like
to explore that because we had it written of showing a
little bit of other jobs that he did and then we ended up
cutting it out before filming it. I found those hilarious
when they threw those little flashbacks in there and I would
really like to bring those back and show the flashbacks of
his previous jobs.
Moderator: Would you like to see any family members of
Brian’s appear on the show at a later date?
Matt: I would love to see Brian with a grandmother. I don’t
know why! [Laughs]. Maybe because I was close to my
grandmother, but I think that because of his loose, kind of
live life motto, I think that a grandmother supports that a
little bit. I would really, really love for them to bring
his grandmother in and he would call her Gam Gam. I would
really, really like for him to have a Gam Gam.
Moderator: Is there any character on Kevin From Work that you
wish Brian would interact with more?
Matt: I think that Brian and Patti have the funniest
interactions. Episode 3 is my favorite episode that has
aired so far because of watching those two and how they
double team things together. I think I would want to see
Brain and Patti more together because those two characters
are pretty crazy. Seeing them react off each other and work
together as a team, I find that hilarious [laughs].
Moderator: Describe Brian in three words.
Matt: Let me think about this. Emotional, encouraging, and
dedicated.
Fun-loving, too. I guess it kind of falls into how he
encourages people.
Moderator: What do you love most about Brian?
Matt: I love how big of a heart he has. He has a really big
heart and I love how anytime Kevin is down or anything, he
always knows what to say within that moment. He’s the type
of character that sometimes you would expect it but you
wouldn’t really expect him to say it in the right way, how
to get out of a kind of funky situation. I love how he knows
what to say within that moment when Kevin needs the right
words.
Moderator: What advice would you give Kevin to help him with
Audrey?
Matt: Oh, that’s hard. Follow your instincts and your heart
because it seems like every time he follows his instincts
with Audrey it gets him a little bit closer. For instance,
in the last episode at the end when he’s on the energy
drinks and he’s calling her out on everything, he’s just
following his instincts. She kept shutting him down,
shutting him down, shutting him down and then he saved her
from getting hit by the car and they had that little moment,
as if that was her confirming everything he was saying. It
seems like every time he follows his instincts he mans-up
and tells her something that she needs to hear within that
moment or just something that he needs to get off his chest,
even if he gets shut down.
Moderator: If you could be on any other ABC Family show,
which one would it be?
Matt: That’s a good one! I’d have to split it up because it
would be too hard choosing between a comedy and a drama. If
it was a comedy, I would say Baby Daddy because those guys
seem like they have so much fun and it’s in front of a live
audience, which I love. If it was a drama, probably Pretty
Little Liars because of my friend Lucy and just how wild
that show can get. They have an absolutely amazing following
as well.
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