Q&A with Lindsey Shaw and Ethan Peck From ABC Family’s 10 Things I Hate About You Part 2

March 17, 2010 | by Disney Dreaming

We got to be on a conference call with celebrities Lindsey Shaw and Ethan Peck from the ABC Family Original Series “10 Things I Hate About You.”

Below is the second part of the interview. You can check out the first part here.

Q: Were either of you intimidated to make the show considering what a classic the original movie has become?

L. Shaw No, I was not intimidated really only because it’s a whole new thing. It’s a similar springboard with characters that you know, but different people bringing them to life, so essentially, it’s really its own thing, and I think we have accomplished making this show something on its own beyond the movie now. No, we were never really trying to replicate anything. We’ve talked about this a lot, right, Ethan?

E. Peck Yes, I wasn’t nervous at all to begin the show because it had been a movie, but I was very nervous because I knew that Gil Young was coming back who directed the film, and Larry Miller was going to be there, so there was sort of a reimagining happening of some sort in some ways, but in no way were any of us trying to, yes, I guess replicate what had been done. If anything, I was nervous just because I knew that I wanted it to be good, and could I make it good and what could I contribute.

Do you guys have a favorite scene that you enjoyed filming?

L. Shaw From this season it would be the dinner table scene in episode three. Patrick comes, or it was episode two. Yes, episode two because, episode three, yes.. Episode two is he comes over for dinner at the Stratford house, and it’s very hilarious. I kind of got a chance to just observe them.

E. Peck That was a good scene. That was a fun scene. That felt like the beginning of—of like a new part of our relationship on the show.

L. Shaw Absolutely, totally.

Q: You two have such a great chemistry on screen. Is that something you found right off the bat, or was it something that just progressed over the first ten episodes?

E. Peck What do you think, Lindsey?

L. Shaw I definitely think that was a progression. I don’t know if any of you can tell, but Ethan is a man of few words, and when I first met him, he was true to his persona. He was just silent and observant with his backpack and his hi-tops, and so it was interesting getting to know him. I think the first time we actually had a chance to sit down and talk was episode seven of the first season when we were doing that rooftop scene. Remember when we were outside until midnight?

E. Peck Yes.

L. Shaw That’s really the first time our characters actually talked on the show, so I guess that was okay, but it’s really kind of mirrored the communication up until that point.

Q: For you, Ethan, Patrick is probably the most mysterious character on the show and we don’t know a lot about him. In these next ten episodes, are we going to get more of a look inside him and what his back story is?

E. Peck A little bit. You’ll start to see some clues as to what his life is like, but it’s really being kept in the dark.

Q: I kind of have a follow-up question also regarding the movie, but I was just wondering, do you guys ever get tired of that constant comparison, I think, in every interview, to Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger and to the original film, or is that just kind of part of, I guess, the landscape in doing a re-imaging of a popular movie like that?

L. Shaw Yes, absolutely. People’s only version of what you’re putting out is the original really, and you tell them that you’re going to be redoing it. Naturally, they’re going to think to attach it to what they’re familiar with, with that concept. It’s that original piece of work, and I think that once you work to make it something on its own, something that no longer needs to be compared, it can stand on its own. I think that that’s when that stops, and I think that’s just kind of what you work towards. I think as a couple of you have said that we’ve done that. We’ve made it its own thing, and so it feels like we earned that. We earned the right to say that.

E. Peck Yes, and I don’t think it gets tiring to hear the question over and over because, as Lindsey said, it’s from a beloved movie, this show, and people are going to be suspicious and curious and want to know why they’re remaking something that was so successful because we’re not remaking it. It’s the same franchise, the same name, and that question is going to be asked and asked, and our answer will be the show. You’ll see this upcoming ten where we’ve taken it.

Q: As my follow-up I was wondering if you could both talk a little bit about how you got into acting. Ethan, I was wondering if your family background opened doors for you, or is it just kind of something that’s there?

E. Peck It hasn’t opened doors for me that I know of. I started acting because my mom offered to take me on an audition when I was younger, and I loved doing lots of new things and new fun activities, and I was about nine years old, so I said yes, and it was fun, and I really enjoyed it. I’ve just continued to do it ever since.

Q: Now, Lindsey, can you talk about your background, how you got into this because I know it’s kind of a really interesting story.

L. Shaw Yes, kind of. I guess it’s how you tell it. Seriously, from a really young age, I’ve really liked being the center of attention and entertaining people, and somehow I got involved with local interests and whatnot in Nebraska where I’m from and went to a couple spots before ending up in L.A. and sort of really trying it out here. Luckily, I got lucky and was able to stay out here, and it’s been really good with fortunate luck ever since.

Q: Lindsey mentioned a hiatus. I just wanted to know, how did the six-month break affect you guys? Was it easy just to get back into the show?

L. Shaw Was it really a six-month break? July, August, September, October, November, December, I guess like five months, but yes and no. I guess I feel so much like this character that I don’t feel like she really ever leaves me, and that’s just a testament to what was written for me last season. It just feels so easy to kind of slide back into it.

E. Peck I felt really comfortable and safe jumping right back into Patrick in the second ten [episodes] because the hiatus was difficult for me. It’s a long time to figure out what to do with yourself and to begin to understand what being an actor is and sitting around and waiting, but everybody on the show is so wonderful and generous and collaborative. It’s really easy to jump back in and start things off where we left them if not a little ahead of where we left them.

Q: Ethan, what is one thing about the new season that you’re most excited about?

E. Peck I don’t know, lots of things. There’s a fight scene. That’s pretty exciting that I won’t tell you too much about.

L. Shaw Yes, Ethan roughs a guy up.

E. Peck But we’ll let that scene surprise you when it comes along.

Q: Lindsey, a lot of people know you as Moze from Ned’s Declassified. Would you say you’re more like Moze or more like Kat?

L. Shaw Well, I think Kat is just like a really grown-up version of Moze. Really, it’s like the next, I really feel like it’s Ned’s Declassified in high school, obviously, not as exaggerated, but I feel like when I was that age I could really relate to who I was playing then, and as I’ve grown up this is just a natural progression of that. I’m two different people when I’m playing them. I guess at this point in my life this feels the most right and who I am.

Q: My question is I was wondering what’s to say for whatever reason you guys were put totally in charge of the show and where it’s going to go. What element or thing would you add either to the show or to your characters that’s not there?

E. Peck Good question.

L. Shaw That’s a great question. Ethan, go ahead.

E. Peck No, I’m going to let you have this one, Lindsey.

L. Shaw I think we have different answers here, which is awesome. I guess in this ten this is kind of addressed, but I guess I would just have my character interact with more people. Bianca has kind of this whole world around her, and Kat is working to build that, but she doesn’t really have many friends or people, so it would be cool to have different outlets or different hobbies that she had other than just crusading all the time.

E. Peck Yes, that’s good, Lindsey. Maybe I would have Patrick go on a motorcycle road trip or something and bring some fun.

L. Shaw I’d totally be jazzed if you piggyback on that motorcycle road trip.

E. Peck Yes, maybe Cameron could get one, and it would be great.

L. Shaw Really to have the whole show turn into a biker gang of sorts. That just has different routes of publicity written all over it.

E. Peck Yes, Lindsey, that’s good. I like that.

L. Shaw That’d be great. We could all get bikes.

Q: Ethan, is there chance ever that we’re going to see some of your musical talents? I was thinking it would be really awesome to see Patrick playing the cello kind of in secret.

E. Peck Yes, I think that they threw that idea around a little bit, but I don’t think they want people to like Patrick that much.

Q: In the first ten episodes each of your characters kind of only interacted with a few of the other characters. From what I’ve seen in the new episodes, there’s a lot more interaction with the other main characters. What was that like getting to work with everybody else?

L. Shaw It is so wonderful. I feel like Meaghan and I work two different shifts on the show. I always come in for the morning, and Meaghan is always there late at night, and so really it’s this whole other storyline show, everything that you never get to see that you just have no idea about, and when you finally get to pull some of those in your direction and interact with them, it’s just fresh and new and it brings something new out of you. It brings something new out of them. It just feels really fresh, so I really enjoyed. I especially enjoyed working with Nicholas Braun. I got to work with him quite a bit this season, so that was so awesome.

E. Peck Yes, I didn’t really get to work with too many other characters, but there were scenes that there were more characters in that I was included in, and it’s so exciting because I love everybody so much in this show and get along with all of them so well, and we’re all itching to have more scenes with each other, as Lindsey said, like with Nicholas, with Chris, or with Meaghan, and I’m hoping to see a lot more of that in hopes that we have more seasons to do.

Q: You all seem pretty close. Can you give maybe a random fact about a few of your co-stars or each other?

L. Shaw Ethan listens to classical music in his trailer all day, every day.

E. Peck No, I don’t.

L. Shaw Yes, you do.

E. Peck Chris Zylka speaks Russian.

L. Shaw Meaghan bakes banana bread for people, for the crew, for her cast. She is a wonderful baker, and Nick is a great freestyle rapper.

E. Peck Yes, he is.

L. Shaw Nick is amazing at throwing down a little verse.

Q: Last question, if you had to sum up these ten episodes and tell people why they should watch, what would you say to them?

L. Shaw I think you should watch because you’re going to be more entertained by this than anything else that’s on Mondays… at 8:00pm… on ABC Family.

E. Peck Nice.

L. Shaw Thanks for supplementing that with something, Ethan.

E. Peck Yes, of course.

Q: Kat’s a real, like we mentioned, is a crusader, so what are you passionate about besides acting of course?

L. Shaw In the past year I’ve gotten really passionate about health and nutrition, actually. I recently became a pescatarian, which is somebody who only eats fish, and I’m kind of a crusader of my own in my own life, but I kind of watched Food Inc. and tried to push that on everybody that I knew. That’s become a big interest of mine, and recycling has always been something that I, I don’t know, I can’t stop it. My mom literally put it into me as a small child. She recycled everything, so I kind of have the neuroses, and I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.

E. Peck Yes, she has recycling parties.

L. Shaw No, I don’t make everybody else do it, but it’s always around my apartment.

Q: My readers had a couple questions for you, too. The first was if we were to listen to your iPods or MP3s, what would we hear, either one of you?

L. Shaw Ethan, do you want to jump in here any time, man?

E. Peck You would hear a lot of different music.

E. Peck I listen to lots of stuff. I do like classical—what?

L. Shaw I said you have amazing taste in music.

E. Peck Thanks, Lindsey. I love Ravel, I guess to begin with the classical. I like a lot of weirder ambielectronic music like Tim Hecker and probably a lot of stuff that maybe you wouldn’t have heard of. What about you, Lindsey?

L. Shaw Are you saying, “Lindsey, you’re more mainstream. You would like something relatable to the kids.” [Laughs] I’m much more basic. I’m a folksy person at heart really. I really like Ray Lamontagne and Band of Horses, a little Death Cab, all of the above. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are amazing.

Q: The other thing I’d like to know is if you could guest star on any TV show besides your own, what would it be?

L. Shaw I would guest star on Nurse Jackie. I absolutely love that show, and Edie Falco is incredible, so absolutely. Ethan, what about you?

E. Peck Well, if I watched TV, maybe 30 Rock.

L. Shaw Ethan, you’ve been asked this TV question so many times, you’ve got to just sit down and power through one and then that’s your go-to.

Source: ABC Family