Exclusive interview with Brendan Robinson

September 14, 2012 | In the ABC Family show "Pretty Litte Liars" Brendan Robinson plays the role of Lucas Gottesman. In our interview he talks about how he got into acting, what working on this year's Halloween special was like and about his most peculiar fan encounter so far.

Note: © myFanbase 2012 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first two questions if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted only with full credit including the link to this site.
Foto: Brendan Robinson - Copyright: Nancy Jo Gilchriste
Brendan Robinson
© Nancy Jo Gilchriste

1. How did you get into acting? Has it always been a dream of yours?

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a city (Portland, Oregon) that had two children's theaters. My parents started taking my brother and I to see plays when we were very young. When I was 5, I took my first acting class at the children's theater and was totally hooked. I would take classes and perform in plays on the weekends just like other kids would play sports. So, for as long as I can remember, it had always been a dream of mine to act professionally.

2. You originally auditioned for the role of Mike on "Pretty Little Liars". Are you glad you got the part of Lucas instead, who seems to be rather multidimensional?

I did audition for Mike originally! They ended up wanting somebody a little younger for that role. A couple weeks later they asked me to come back and audition for Lucas. It was one of those instances where I read the script and instantly connected with the character. I feel very lucky the writers have given me a pretty wide range of things to do as Lucas. When we first met him, he was very sweet and funny and awkward. It's like a 180 degree turn now that we are exploring the darker side of the character.

3. What do you like about playing Lucas and do you see him as one of the good or bad guys in Rosewood? Or is he just misunderstood?

I actually don't want to reveal too much, because we will learn more about what's going on with Lucas in when the show comes back in January!!

4. This year there is going to be another Halloween Special. What is the best part of shooting such a special?

Yes! The Halloween episode this year is going to knock your socks off!! It takes place on a train. One of the most exciting parts about shooting PLL for me is the production design. I think if I weren't an actor, I would be a set/ production designer. They built the entire train on one of our soundstages and it looked amazing! They lifted the set off the ground about a foot with cables and had crew guys shaking it back and forth so the train looked and felt like it was in motion.

5. ABC Family is launching a web series spin-off named "Dirty Little Secrets" featuring your character amongst others like Garrett and Jason. Can you give us any scoop? It can't be a coincidence that all of the listed characters acted suspiciously lately in the series?

It's actually called "Pretty Dirty Secrets." But, yes that is correct! ABC Family came up with this great idea to do a Halloween themed web series leading up to the big special. It's a way to keep fans of the show excited and involved during the hiatus. It will focus on the backstories of a handful of people in Rosewood and give us a little more insight into their preperations for the Halloween Train party. And, of course, since this is Rosewood, there is no such thing as coincidence. Every character in it is there for a specific reason. You'll have to check it out and come up with your own theories!!

6. Janel Parrish had to deal with some strong reactions from overexcited fans after her character Mona was revealed as "A". What was the most peculiar fan reaction you have encountered so far?

Foto: Pretty Little Liars - Copyright: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Pretty Little Liars
© Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Yes! The night of the reveal was definitely intense. Twitter was ablaze. A couple months ago, I was back home in Oregon where we have one of the world's largest bookstores. Seriously, this thing takes up an entire city block and is about 5 stories tall. I was on the top floor checking out some books, and out of the corner of my eye, I see this woman staring at me. She asked me "are you on a T.V. show?" I say to her, "Yes, I am," and suddenly, she grabs me by the arm and leads me down five flights of stairs to the ground floor. She wouldn't tell me where she was taking me, which I thought was very strange. Then she lead me to the corner of the store where her teenage daughter was hiding. She was so excited that she was shaking and crying. They were very sweet people, but I had never had anybody grab me and lead me somewhere like that before. I thought it was pretty funny, but definitely one of the oddest fan encounters I've had.

7. Do you think Lucas is genuinely a good friend to Hannah and Caleb? He sure has more of a conscience than some others in Rosewood but what about his alterior motives?

You'll have to wait and see during season 3B :)

8. How much did you know about Lucas' intentions when you got the script for the episode with Hannah on the boat?

We get each script only a couple days before we start shooting the episode. I hadn't read what was coming next, but the writers were able to pull me aside and give me a couple hints about what was going on behind the scenes with Lucas. It was fun, because it was like my little secret for awhile about what was coming up next. Nobody else but me and the writers knew. It sort of paralleled the theme of the show.

9. On a show with so many twists and turns, what are your suspicions who "A" is? Do you all share and discuss your theories?

I have a couple of sneaking suspicions. None of us actors really know for sure. They keep those things pretty secretive. But I feel like everybody feels like/ want's it to be them. Even the 4 girls! Would that be crazy if it ended up being one of them? Like all of a sudden one of them is like, "I got you bitches!" That would be serious dedication to play along and pretend like you're the victim for so long.

10. What is the pop-cultural phenomenon that you least understand?

Good question! One that I can't really wrap my head around it the whole "Fifty Shades of Grey" phenomenon. To be fair, I haven’t read them, so I probably shouldn’t form an opinion. But, who knows, people have certainly been flocking to the bookstore for their copy.

11. Is there a show currently airing which you would like to play a part in? What kind of part would you like to play if you could choose?

I think "Breaking Bad" is brilliant. I'd love to be a part of that somehow. I'm not too sure what I would play though. Also, I love comedy. I'd love to do a Chuck Lorre show.

12. myFanbase is an online magazine about U.S. television shows. Do you have one or more favorite show(s)?

Yes!! I don't have a lot of time to watch T.V., but I LOVE "The Big Bang Theory". I think everything about that show is genius, no pun. I think it would be so much fun to be on a show like that. Again, I'd love to do a comedy.

Thank you, Brendan, we wish you all the best for your future!

Anja P. - myFanbase