Recently, Mark-Paul Gosselaar & Breckin Meyer, the stars of Franklin & Bash, spoke to the press about the new season, what the changes to the firm mean for their characters’ partnership & “process”—not to mention their love lives. Check out what they had to say.
On how Stanton’s changes & the addition of Rachel to the firm will affect them
Breckin Meyer: I think with the addition of Rachel it is basically, you know, Stanton always had this kind of blind threat to us, which was about the New York office, and I think by bringing Rachel in he really has – I mean he’s gotten a little close to us and he – it doesn’t hurt to have somebody behind him, or next to him, who really doesn’t like us.
And I truthfully think Rachel genuinely – she knows we’re good at our jobs, but I don’t think she likes us very much, as opposed to Malcolm who really does. And Stanton really does enjoy Jared and Peter. It reminds him of himself.
And Rachel is much more of a corporate shill where she does not like them, doesn’t like the way they do business, and they if they can bring in good clients she’ll tolerate them. But I think it actually helps Malcolm’s character keep a tighter leash on us by having Rachel around and by having Rachel in his hip pocket, so to speak.
Jump with me to read Mark-Paul’s response about the changes & Rachel, as well as everything else the guys had to say.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: I don’t think they necessarily grow up. They just – there’s just now someone that’s pushing back. I think what we – what happened in the last season is that there were no boundaries for the guys. They kind of ran amuck, especially being equity partners with the firm, but there needed to be someone above them.
And I think the show is its best when Franklin and Bash are up against some form of authority, someone above them. And whether they get that from a judge or whether they get that from, now, Rachel I think it strengthens our show.
So I don’t necessarily think they grow up. They kind of discuss the fact that they – are they going to continue this lifestyle forever. They are in talks of, you know, when we move is this – do we move separately or are we going to live together? But growing up – I think they are pretty grown up. They just have a different approach to things.
On moving out of the house to the beach house in Malibu
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: We are—we need to move somewhere else. We end up moving into Stanton’s old beach house. And I guess what that does for the show is it just gives it a different light where, you know, we were in Silver Lake and now we’re in Malibu, so of course we’re going to have different characters coming in.
And one of the characters that actually comes in towards the end of the season is Rob Lowe. He’s our neighbor and there’s a little storyline with him that’s sort of a runner that starts in the middle of the season and then ends at the finale.
But yes the boys are on the beach and, you know, we—it’s just a different atmosphere. We get to…I mean, Breckin gets to take off his shirt, which is going to bring in huge ratings and…
Breckin: Anybody want to see a skinny white guy?
Mark-Paul: Who doesn’t? That actually is a new show on TNT, Skinny White Guy. But no, it gives us a breath of a different air, yes.
Breckin: I personally like the Silver Lake feel. There was something sort of dark about it, but it might have been a little too dark and this kind of lightens it up and, you know, the guys get to go surfing, and the beautiful people, and it’s Malibu, who doesn’t love Malibu?
On their romantic relationships this season
Mark-Paul: Yes Nicky, played by Nicky Whelan. She and I have sort of a romantic little thing going on that sort of – I guess it travels throughout the whole arch of the show this season. But yes she’s a single mother, she’s a kinesiologist, she’s blonde, she’s probably a perfect woman for Bash.
And yes they try to make things work throughout the whole season. So it’s just a – it’s a fun little, you know, little relationship color that we throw in this season. And then Breckin actually has…
Breckin: My relationship, we bring back, which was – we had a guest on the first season, Rhea Seehorn, who plays D.A. Swatello, who her big quote that I loved from the first season was she wanted to stab herself in the eye with my tiny little body because she just hated Jared and hated Peter and we always beat her in court.
And this, you know, Rhea’s on – Rhea was on Whitney for the last two seasons, I guess, so we couldn’t get her that often. And now we were lucky enough to work it out that she could come and do a couple of episodes. And I think I speak for Mark-Paul and I both, she is one of our favorite guest stars we’ve had on the show. She’s just so game and so much fun and she’s such a fun adversary for Jared and Peter.
And this season she’s back and Jared and her go toe-to-toe and end up, even more so, end up – it gets a little heated in the argument department and then it gets a little heated in the bedroom, which is nice and fun. And so Jared has some angry sex this season, which is also another show coming to TNT called Angry Sex.
On working with Malcolm McDowell
Breckin: Well he’s great. Mark-Paul – I mean really, this show lives or dies with [our relationship with] Malcolm. And ever since the beginning, Malcolm’s just so game. He’s been doing this so long he’s kind of been through all of the bullshit and he’s seen prima donnas and whatnot and he just loves working and he loves having a good time and he really enjoys the character and we just, I think, Mark-Paul and I both just adore him.
You know, we went up to Ohio to go golfing with him and we were just kind of giddy that we get to, you know, I love that I can call Malcolm McDowell my buddy, you know, he’s so great. And he sets a really great tone on the set, which is know your stuff and we can have fun, but know your stuff. And yes he’s just fantastic. Mark-Paul do you want to add anything to that?
Mark-Paul: No I mean everyone always asks, “Is he as terrifying in person as he is on the screen?” And I mean he can be, I guess, but you just realize what a terrific actor he is and just a terrific person in general. Family man, you know, with his three little boys and his wife and they’re just – they’re all lovely. I mean you can’t say a bad thing about Malcolm.
Thanks to Breckin & Mark-Paul for taking the time to chat! Don’t miss tonight’s season premiere of Franklin & Bash tonight on TNT at 9/8c, followed by a 2nd new episode at 10/9c.
