Exclusive Interview with The Detour’s Liam Carroll

Liam Carroll is a fresh face on television. While not yet very well known, everyone who has come in contact with him raves not only about his talent, but also his personality and composure. Pay attention to Liam, because there is no doubt that his is a face that will quickly become familiar. Talk Nerdy With Us had the pleasure of chatting with Liam this week about his new venture, TBS family sitcom, The Detour. Read below to hear more about the show, Liam’s character, and how absolutely fun and enjoyable this young man is.

Hi, Liam! Thank you so much for talking with me today! Congratulations on The Detour!

Thanks!

I saw a little preview and it looks hilarious, so I’m excited for it to come out! So can you tell us a little bit about the show and what it’s about?

So it’s like a family vacation to Ft. Lauderdale, but instead of flying on a plane, we’re driving and it all just turns into a disaster.

You play Jared, the son. What is Jared like? What is is his personality like? Do you think you and Jared are similar?

I think to sum it up, he’s just not the brightest, not very smart. It’s kind of fun because I don’t always make the smartest decisions, so it is kind of funny. 

Do you feel like you can relate, at least, a little bit, to your character?

Yeah, I think so. I’m not the smartest kid in the class, I’m not a genius. I mean Jared is just unbelievably stupid, so I don’t really know.

I’m sure you don’t relate THAT much. 

(laughs). No, I don’t think so. I think, it wasn’t too hard to play because we do match in some ways.

That’s fun. Can you describe the relationship between Jared and Nate, his dad?

I think that Jared sort of has a bigger heart than brain, so I think he likes his dad and he likes his mom and he likes everybody. He tries his best to make them happy and have a good time, but he doesn’t realize what he’s doing and how not very smart the decisions he’s making are. I think he tries his hardest to be nice and, like, there’s a part where they get really mad at him, but it’s not because they don’t like him. It’s like a love/hate relationship.

So, the creators Samantha Bee and Jason Jones have done a lot of comedy. What has it been like working with them?

Well, they’re so like professional. They know exactly what is happening and what to do. So, if I do what they do, I won’t look like a Jared in real life. (laughs).

That is great! Family comedies are really popular right now, so what do you think makes your comedy, The Detour, special?

I think people can relate to this. I know that other shows are so bizarre and crazy, but this one is an actual family on an actual road trip and all this stuff could actually happen. All this stuff could actually happen to you and people can actually relate to it, so I think it will be really funny.

I think that’s what people are looking for on television, so that’s fun. You have told us a little bit about Jared and the show. What is your favorite part about playing Jared or just acting on The Detour in general?

I like all the stuff that Jared does. All the funny, stupid stuff that he gets into and does. It’s funny to do all that stuff without having to deal with his consequences. 

It sounds like you have a blast on the show! So, I’d love to hear a little bit about you! When did you decide you wanted to do acting?

Well, to be honest, I actually started it as a joke, just to hang out with my friend. (laughs). My friend was on my hockey team and his parents own a family theater and his parents made him do it, so he asked it I could do it with him so we could have a good time together. It turned out I kind of liked it. It kind of just fit. I was good at it and it was fun. I don’t know why, but it just kind of stuck, like glue. Cool!

That’s fun, how it just kind of showed up like that. You’re kind of starting out in your career. What are some of your goals for your future in acting?

I don’t know exactly. I have only done this one kind of big job, so I don’t really know yet what to expect. Of course, I hope to get a big role or something and become a movie star, but I really don’t know yet. Of course, it’s fun and it’s fun to be on set with all the actors and everyone, but I don’t really know.

You’re still figuring it out and that’s okay!

Yeah, that’s the word!

I think that’s great, though! You still have plenty of time! Let’s get to know you a little bit better. When you’re not acting, what do you like to do?

I live close to the beach, so I like to go surfing and boogie boarding with my friends and stuff. And I like go-proing, which is where you take the Go Pro and try to get cool shots of the waves and stuff. And then I like to skateboard around town. Go downtown and get Jamba Juice or bagels or something. Just skateboard with my friends. 

Just being a regular guy.

Oh and I like to do free running, so it’s kind of like practicing flips and stuff- front flips and trampoline and stuff. I just kind of got into that and it’s really fun. 

Well, that sounds so fun. It makes me want to move to where you live, with all those options! Thank you, Liam, for talking with me today! I am so excited about this show and even more excited to get a little bit of insight from you. Just hearing how energetic and excited about it you are, makes me even more excited. 

Yeah! I’m kind of bummed a little bit, because I don’t know if most of my friends can watch it because it’s adult, but I’m sure they will eventually watch. I want them to watch it, but I know they’re probably not going to be allowed to.

They’ll watch it some day! But, still, I know you want them to see what you’re doing. Maybe you can show them clips of your parts.

I know that most of them saw some of the pilot, at least, most of my best friends. 

 

As you can probably tell, The Detour is going to be super fun and entertaining, so be sure to watch out for it and Liam on TBS in April!

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