BB Exclusive: Nathan Lovejoy Talks his New Disney Channel Series, “Gabby Duran and the Unsittables”
Disney Channel just premiered its new series, Gabby Duran and the Unsittables and one of the stars of show, Nathan Lovejoy sat down with us to talk about the series. Lovejoy plays Principal Swift, Gabby’s principal who has a big secret he is hiding from the group.
During out chat, we talked about his character, being a part of the Disney family, his work with Ads Up, and so much more. You can check it out below.
Tell us about your new show, Gabby Duran and the Unsittables and your character, Principal Swift?
“Gabby Duran is a middle schooler who Principal Swift enlists to help babysit extraterrestrials living on earth. Swift himself is in fact an alien and a shape shifter from the Planet Gormonia, who lives in Havensburg with his nephew Jeremy. Jeremy is the heir to the Gormonite throne and the rulers of Gormonia don’t believe he is fit to be Supreme Leader, so the two of them have been shuffled off to Earth until he comes of age. Swift is charged with working through Jeremy’s behavioral issues, while also juggling his role as Principal of the local Middle School; not to mention overseeing all the other aliens hiding out on earth. In Gabby, he sees great potential and and something of himself, so decides to bring her on as his official babysitter and confidant.”
How did you come to be a part of the show?
“My manager reached out to one of the show runners and convinced them to see me. I think casting were skeptical that a 6’7’’ Australian could star along side very small children. They did see me and the rest is history.”
What do you love most about being on this show and playing this character?
“I love working with the kids. They bring such a fantastic energy and are always doing something different take to take, which keeps it fresh and fun particularly when you’re playing comedy. Swift isn’t your typical foil for the kids, he’s an unpredictable loop and that’s a lot of fun to play. Any character with a lack of self awareness is a gift; there’s his delusions of grandeur and his constant misudnerstanding of the world around him. Swift is discovering everything about earth for the first time, so there’s a real child like wonder about him that’s very sweet and hopefully very funny. As the season progresses, hopefully you’ll see him connect him to his ‘humanity’ and emotions, which I think are all new experiences for him too.”
You can read our full interview below the jump. Gabby Duran and the Unsittables is currently airing on the network.
Photo credit: Lesley Bryce
Were you surprised at how quickly Disney Channel picked up the show for a second season?
“Nothing beats an early pick up! There’s so much anxiety around finding out if your show is renewed so it was a great relief! I wasn’t hugely surprised given how much success Kylie has had in her short career. She really is a powerhouse and the driving force behind the show, even at 14 years old! I think the show is fantastic and she is fantastic and so is our whole cast. You’re going to see it continue to evolve over the next forty something episodes and I think the early renewal was a real vote of confidence from Disney on it’s potential.”
What is it like being a part of the Disney family?
“It’s great! It’s a super inclusive place to work and a huge amount of fun! We shoot up in Canada with a Canadian crew and they are all fantastic as well. It was six months up there for season 1 and it really is one big happy family. We can’t wait to go back!”
You were born in Australia and are now here working in the USA, when did you decide to make the move to the USA?
“Like a lot of Australian actors, I used to come out to LA periodically and do pilot season and episodic season. There’s a lot more content being made here and I think more of a willingness to work with new faces. Over time, I worked on persuading my wife Jess that we should move out here and eventually she gave in. We have a great community of friends here and it really does feel like home now. Being here permanently really allows you to be around for when opportunities present themselves, like this one!”
It can be scary moving to a new place, were you nervous to make the move?
“I’d spent quite a bit of time in LA already, so I knew what we were getting ourselves into. My wife is an attorney and had to sit the California bar, that was the scariest part! Thankfully she’s a genius and passed with flying colors! We also brought our 5 year old Ridgeback Cross, Kasper, out from Australia. We were nervous about him on the long flight but he did great! It’s fantastic having him here with us.”
Tell us a little about the charity organization you volunteer with, Ads Up?
“Ads Up stands for Aussie Diaspora Steps Up. It’s a charity started by expat Australians that offers support and material assistance to hundreds of refugees from Manus Island and Nauru who have been resettled in the USA. The Australian government refused to resettle them and many have come to the USA under a deal negotiated between our two governments.”
How did you get involved with the charity?
“Jess and I started out making donations and buying essential items for newly resettled families. Then during the summer after we finished shooting, I had all this spare time and decided I needed to do more. Now I work as a kind of liaison for refugees around the country; talking to them on the phone, texting, emailing, organising clothing drives, helping them search for jobs. It’s really great and they are all such extraordinary people. If anyone is interested in learning more, please visit https://www.ads-up.org/”.
What are you hoping fans will get out of your new series?
“I hope it’s a show that parents can watch with their kids and actually enjoy! And of course I hope that kids love it too! I think the show is really funny, smart and ambitious and full fo characters that people are gong to fall in love with.”