An Interview With Kerr Smith (Ryan, 'Life Unexpected')

January 2010

Back in the days before the WB became the CW, a whole crop of teen television series was born. Thanks to the internet, these series created a fan base unlike anything the network had ever seen since these viewers now had a place to gather to support their favorite WB series. Within weeks of their premieres, shows such as Dawson's Creek, Buffy, Roswell and Charmed had spawned hundreds of websites dedicated to these series. A new era had begun.

From fan favorite series Dawson's Creek and Charmed to popular movies such as Final Destination and The Forsaken, the talented and charismatic actor Kerr Smith seems to have a knack for taking on memorable roles that draw these dedicated audiences. His latest role as Ryan Thomas, the adorable, understanding and patient fiancé to Cate Cassidy, in the CW drama Life Unexpected is destined to become another hit with viewers.

I had the pleasure to speak with the very sweet and funny actor about his new role on Life Unexpected, what show he is most recognized for and which television role he enjoyed the most...

Q: In a nutshell, what is Life Unexpected all about?

Kerr: "The show's about a 15-year-old girl who is trying to get emancipated from the foster care system and she's got to seek out her biological parents to get the 'ole John Hancock so she can do that. In the meantime, the judge says no way and puts her in their (her biological parents) custody. Cate (Lux's mom) and I are local radio DJ's in the town of Portland, Oregon and we're secretly engaged, so our listeners don't know. This 15-year-old girl shows up on our doorstep and it's about the three of us trying to raise this kid when we really have no idea what we're doing."

Q: Tell us about your character...

Kerr: "I think Ryan has a hero complex. He's a nice guy, but he has this desire to help people in need and Cate is definitely in need - she's all over the place. When you have a child that you gave up at birth and then shows up on your doorstep, it's a pretty big thing to go through. Ryan is just there for her, he gets it... for a time. There's only so much he can deal with for a while."

Q: Ryan and Cate get engaged in the first episode, do you think these two are in it for the long haul?

Kerr: "Yes, I do. The first season is all about passing that engagement ring back and forth, but I think they're meant to be together. They're in love. Ryan loves Lux too and I think he's willing to take on a parental role. All the ingredients are there, we're just waiting for Cate to come around and realize what she has in front of her."

Q: Does Ryan embrace fatherhood, or are there tough times ahead?

Kerr: "Well, I think it's pretty tough times ahead, but at the same time, he chooses to embrace it and just go with it. It's the kind of thing where you don't know what to expect, you just dive into it and do your best and hope everything comes out alright. He's got a good heart, but there's only so much you can deal with before you break."

Q: How's the relationship between Ryan and Baze?

Kerr: "Not good, there's a lot of friction there. Kris and I talked about this at the beginning of the season and we didn't want this to be a situation where we hated each other, that's kind of boring. We tried to go a little deeper with it. There's a part of Ryan that was Baze, but at some point in his life he chose to stop being the college kid and take some responsibility and be professional, try to do things right the first time. I think he can relate to Baze in some weird sort of way. I think there's a possibility that at some point, those two can be friends. For right now, that's not going to happen."

Q: How does the cast get along?

Kerr: "We get along great. When we shot the pilot last year, it was just an immediate friendship among all of us. It's a unique situation, every once in a while you sign on to a project and everything just falls into place. That's exactly what's happening with this show. It's evident in the work, you can tell we all get along. Shiri (Cate) and I, our relationship off screen is exactly like the one on screen. It's been a lot of fun on and off screen."

Q: Which role are you most recognized for?

Kerr: "It would probably be Jack on Dawson's Creek still to this day. That was a very prominent show of its time."

Q: Which of the many TV shows you have starred in was your favorite?

Kerr: "My favorite show to date is E-Ring. It was a show I did for NBC about 4 years ago that ran for about 16 episodes before they canceled it - why I don't know because it was fantastic. We had Dennis Hopper and Benjamin Bratt, the show surrounded the pentagon and it was my job to go out with the special ops team to take care of business with the terrorism. It was a lot of fun to do. And again, it was one of those shows where everything just fell into place; it was a great group of people."

Q: Anything to say to the fans?

Kerr: "Watch it, love it! Our second season is dependent upon you, so please tell your friends and enjoy the show."