Larry Miller - Dr. Walter Strafford

It's not every day you get a call asking you to reprise a role you played ten years before. How was your reaction when you were first called about this?

Larry Miller: First of all, John Wayne didn't play just one sheriff. [Laughs] It's not exactly the same. I love show business. I love it every day, and even the things that stink. And the reason I'm starting there is because I really do love being an actor and a writer and a comic. That's one of the reasons I blog everyday - I love it. And just a quick word about that - I don't think anyone's, at least that I've seen, has hit on the fact that it's like something that used to be time-honored in western history, which was a diary. And everyone used to say, "Well do you keep a diary." "You can't read my diary." And you're going to open someone's diary or journal, whether it's a journal at sea or anything. And I think that's why I love doing it. I write article pieces every day, or five or six days a week. But I mean, I really do like it, and I really think it's something that people haven't quite connected to. It's a literary tradition. It's not something brand new. It's done in a different way, but it's in fact the oldest kind of personal and shared communication. That's why I love it so much. But anyway, I mean, so as far as this show goes, it was great. I've been lucky along the way, I'm maybe the luckiest guy in show business. I'm not kissing a lot of women in movies, but I work pretty steadily. And so I-Gil Junger directed the movie. It's a good movie. It's a very good movie, in fact. And I was thrilled. I mean, we had Disney, and then Gil and Disney came together and said, "How about this," and I was thrilled. And it turned out to be a great movie. So I loved working with Gil again and others from Disney. Plus, let me just say, these guys at ABC and ABC Family, know their stuff. ABC Family has doubled their ratings in a year. I mean, they do very well. Plus, they're making shows. Not everyone that's doing that - shows that involve people like me, that can be funny, sweet, or try to be. And so when this came up, good Lord, who wouldn't say, "What a great idea!" I mean, a part that you enjoyed anyway, a chance that gives you the opportunity to be funny, to be sweet, to care about this structure, you know, your daughters. And I don't-as you know, this show-well this show is based on the movie. The movie was based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. So in a way, Shakespeare's play was like the pilot. [Laughs] So it's sort of like-I've been calling it the longest development deal in history. [Laughs] It's 400 years. "Have you heard anything?" "Well they just want to get through the Reformation, [laughs] then they'll pick up the back nine." "They just want to make sure the finished the Council of Trent." [Laughs]. So anyway, that's a long answer to say it's a terrific part. I love being in show business. It's nice. How many actors-if I had turned down the part, and I wasn't going to, but if I had, there would've been 800 other really good actors who would've jumped at it. And so I'm-they thought, "Hey, let's go back to Larry and see, you know, if he'll do this. See if he'll do it." You know, I never understood that kind of show business anyway. I guess it's more of a star thing to do, like, "Well I wasn't sure about that part. And then I-well they came back to me again and I-first, I said, no, no, and then I said to Marty, that's Martin Scorsese-I said, 'Well if you think it's a right thing for us, you know.'" But that actually happens. They go-like six months, I think it's sort of like some odd pavan, you know, where someone curtsies and someone bows, and then they walk around, you know, touching fingers and staring at each other hatefully the whole time.

So that's a different kind of show business, though. This came up. It's great. And we all think it's really good. I would say that even if it wasn't, because that's part of my job. But you know what, I'm sure you've talked to everyone else here, and they've said the same thing. I mean, after every-this happened this morning again. After every scene, when you really nail it, it's very rich-I've blogged about this several times in the last couple of weeks, that I don't know a lot in show business. I don't know how to make deals. I don't know how things stay on. I don't know who buy things or how things are sold. I still don't even know whether Universal bought NBC or NBC bought Universal. I know somebody bought someone, but that's not my job. I know one thing. After takes or after scenes, I know when you can look even across a room like this and find the other actor and just nod and smile because you know that was it and that was good. It doesn't happen a lot, and we've been having it happen a lot on this show for the actors, for the writers, for the directors, for the producers. You know, people nod a lot. I'm going to tell you one thing, by the way, I know I'm going on off of one-and that's question. [Laughs] It's a 46-minute answer to every question. And you know, I blogged about this because it was so great. We've had two oners so far. And a oner, as you may know, is where you get the scene, not because you're pressed for time. Sometimes it's that way. But it can be told in one shot, visually, that the camera's looking one way and you can have people coming in. It's not quite like a steady cam, speaking of Scorsese. It's not like that shot in Goodfellas where they come in through the nightclub and it's this astonishing six-minute shot that just keeps moving. It's not that. It's set where the camera moves a little, but the characters come in and sometimes you rack focus you know, of one to the other and you say, "And I tell you this," but not because you're trying to save time but because that's the way to tell it. And it's really very satisfying. We've had two of those and up against the clock on one. We did this the other day with Phil Traill, who was directing it, and it was a good shot. It was the right shot, but we didn't get it. And he said, "Okay, we're moving onto, you know, this, and we'll come around, and we'll cover it this way." And he came over and said, "Great. Right. Great. Fantastic. We got it in pieces." But I could see in his eyes, I-and we knew we didn't get it. And I could see it in his eyes. So we-all right. And then there was the five or ten seconds passed, and they started to break down. And just on a whim, just like that, I just kind of darted under a light and went back there because, you know, you don't know. I don't know sometimes. I just said, "You know, we can get it. We can get this. Let's do it one more time. Don't"-and he looked at me for a second and just said, "Hold the break," and then, "Flag on the play." And then he just glanced at the producers. It's cool. It's very thrilling. I'm still feeling it now. And he-and we went again, flubbed a line. It was the three of us. It was Meaghan and Lindsey and me. And so went, "Break," but we just started right again away, and then we got it. And you know what, that'll be the shot. And it's cool. It's great show business. I mean, we talked about-Meaghan and I, we talked about this that it's very cool show business. It's a very good feeling. You know what, I couldn't be more satisfied with a shot like that and the chance to do it again on a series, every week. If I were in Goodfellas, if I were in Goodfellas II: The Quickening, [laughs] which, you know-and who wouldn't be in that, as well? But you know what, this is good show business. What will happen, we'll see, but it's pretty good. That was a 40-minute answer.

And we talked a little bit about you using improv on the show. How has-like, you get the script, and then what is your process from going from what the script says to improving lines with your fellow actors?

Larry Miller: But you know what, it's because time is pressed some. I remember, this is at the-we have that mandate, not only with Gil, with Carter. I mean, really it's, in a sense, kind of a dream. And people know that we can bring that to the party. And I guess, I'd like to think I'm pretty good at saying [about this]. Which is, just have one take where you look at each other-and we found stuff like that for the pilot. We found it together. Lindsey and I found it, you know? We just-you know, this look, "You know what? Give me one beat here, and let's do this. I'll look up. You say that." And yet it's a good feeling that we're more pressed for time now. This is just the first ten episodes. So it's also important-compromise is not a bad word, you know? You say it's the-at the end of the day, you still have these shots to go. In fact Holly said this today. It's very funny that in all show business-but she said, every day in the morning, it's Gone with the Wind, or as I said, like, it's like a [Cooper] movie, you know, 130 takes. [We're never going to let you go unless you get it right], you know. But by the afternoon, by around 5:40, she said it's like Porn in the Valley, you know? [Laughs] And you're like, "No, that's fine." "What I-did these get cut off?" "No, no, fine." You know, so anyway, there'll be-it's still been very satisfying. There's plenty of chances to say, run over and say, "How about this? How about that?" And as I said before, I know we feel the same way. We've been very satisfied and very gratified. We're happy with what we're doing. And let's see what happens now; we don't know, but we think it's pretty good. And we have a scene, in fact a great scene, between us that we'll be doing right after lunch, we just blocked it, and it's important, you know?

Is she in trouble because of the kissing?

Larry Miller: If I had a nickel for every time I've said that... [Laughs]

How are you guys working together just as a more experienced actor and a younger actor? Do you see eye to eye for the most part?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Yeah, I'd say so. I mean, it's a learning process for me everywhere with everybody. I mean, I'm learning from Lindsey. I think we're all learning from each other because everybody brings different things to the table and everybody has a different way of thinking. The other day I had a scene where I walked in the front door with Lindsey, and she turns around and she locks it in the middle of the scene. And I'm like, "Wow, I wouldn't have even thought about that, locking the front door. Wow." Like, it's great the stuff you learn. [Laughs] I love my job.

Larry Miller: Yeah, it is. But you know, we've said this from the first day, that we met as actors-you know, I've been in show business over 30 years as a comic and a writer and an actor. But I love yesterday as much as I've ever loved anything-and the chance to do this scene after lunch, as much as I've loved anything. I feel I've met two other actors here. I don't think like, "Well how many years to be able to say, yes, you know, many times in life, we..." [Laughs] Yeah, okay, but it's also that we say to each other, you know, the same thing, looking across the room, "That was good. That felt good," you know? It's the same soul. It's the same person saying, "How'd that feel to you?"

What's the relationship with the writers like? Do you guys touch base with them or do you-?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Oh, definitely. I just had a great moment with Robin Schiff, who is one of the writers, and producers of the show. And I came up to her and I said, "I really want to be sure that Bianca doesn't come off dumb in the next scene because she's not dumb. She's certainly by no means dumb." And Robin turned to me and she said, "I was just about to talk to you about the same thing." And it's great that we all, we all really know our characters, and there's nothing better than to really feel comfortable talking to these people because they are telling you what to say. I mean, they are giving you exactly how you should be interpreting the character and the script. And it's nice to have a good trust and a great relationship with them.

Larry Miller: That's absolutely true, by the way. Look, you know, these folks-well we all have our flaws, we're all human, but these folks-once again, at the end of every day, people say, "You know what, this feels pretty good." It feels like we're doing something good. They want the same thing. Are there little frictions, like brushes? I suppose there always are in life, you know?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Life would be boring without them. [Laughs]

Larry Miller:I was just trying to think of another word other than boring. [Laughs] I could-no, boring works. [Laughs] It would be perfect. No, but you know, that's true, though. Who wants perfect? That's not the point of being alive.

Carter told us earlier that the scene you were just shooting was both sort of making fun of having two girls kiss to grab attention but also having two girls kiss to have attention. Did he forewarn you about that, in the script?

Meaghan Jette Martin: I had no idea it was coming, quite honestly. I read-actually, my mom read the script. And she goes, "Meaghan, you're kissing a girl in the next episode." [Laughs] And I was like, "Okay." I'm just big on, "I'm an actress and everything I do-I'm an actress." One of my friends was working on a show recently and a guy stormed off the set because he didn't want to kiss another guy. And that to me is just like, "That's sad. Are you really not acting? Like, is it you now?" And it's your character. And it's just my philosophy that, if it's good and if it's well written and if it's classy and I feel like it works with the plot, then I'm totally up for whatever. And I thought it was great. I was thought it was very real. I thought it was how teenage girls would think they're being sexy when really it's just plain awkward. And I really felt that that's something that a lot of people may experience. And I think the next scene coming up where I get in trouble for it is also a great scene because we're not trying to be bad role models here either; we're just trying to be real.

Larry Miller: And by the way, I love the way Gil was directing also on that scene. It shows someone that, she doesn't know what she's doing, that thinks maybe girls are different from boys at that point in life to a certain degree. Yeah, I thought if it was a 15-year old boy scene, you know, it be like, "Whoop, just trying something out, you know?" [Laughs] Sorry. [Laughs] That would be the same dynamic of, "Wait, shouldn't we be breaking windows? Maybe we'll try that out." I like the way he's directing it a lot. Anyway...

Are we going to get a love life for your character on the show?

Larry Miller: My character has an extraordinary love life. [Laughs]

Meaghan Jette Martin: Beyond extraordinary.

Larry Miller: Yeah, there will be. That's why it actually came up during that pilot that I'm still wearing, that is the character, is still wearing my wedding ring-his wedding ring. And we talked about it during the pilot because their mom, my wife, has been dead for seven years. But that says something about, you know, he can't quite-you know, we have good stories about that-can't quite do it, get over it. But that's nice. It's a nice [thing] between them

So revisiting the character after ten years, do you feel like-are you just going right back into it? Are you changing little things, or-?

After that hilarious exchange with Miller (by the way, you can check out his blog at LarryMillerHumor.com), he was beckoned back to the set and we got to chat with Meaghan Jette Martin for a little bit longer, so here's what she had to say about playing Bianca Strafford.

Meaghan Jette Martin - Bianca Strafford

I know you've been on-with The Suite Life of Zack and Codyand Camp Rock, how was the tone of this set different from the tone on those sets?

Meaghan Jette Martin: [Laughs] It's very different because I'm working with adults now, like almost all adults, even most of the people on the show with me. I'm the only one in the lead cast under 20. So it's very different, but at the same time it's exactly the same. We still have so much fun. I love coming to work every day, and I cannot emphasize how much I love it. I mean, it's only when we're working till three in the morning that I'm like, "Oh, my God, I can't do this." No, but it's so-it makes it worth it. And I'm working with such a talented group of people that, like, I said before, I'm learning so much from. And it's very different to be on your our own series, too, whereas, when you're guest starring, you kind of feel like, "Oh, I don't want to say anything. I mean, they're already like a family." And it's cool to be a part of that family now. I mean, with DVo0TopwUVy6so||Camp Rock}, we only had the five weeks what we were shooting. And how I have hopefully a really long time with these people, and we all hang out all the time. I have a movie premiering tomorrow night at the LA Film Festival, and almost everybody's coming. And it's just so great how much we support each other.

Your relationship between the sisters is obviously a key one in the show. Did you just-like, did you and Lindsey sort of hit it off pretty quickly? Did you feel it was the right mix?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Lindsey and I definitely clicked. We have a great relationship. From the pilot on, we've been talking and texting each other. I ran into her boyfriend the other night, and I was like, "Hey, how are you? Where's Lindsey?" [Laughs] And it's just been so great to have that new friendship in my life because she's an only child. So she was like, "I'm not sure how this sister dynamic is." And I have an older sister who actually is quite a bit like Kat. [Laughs] And so I was like, "Oh, don't worry. I got this down." And so I tell her stories about my family, and I met her dad the other day. He came to visit. And when my family came to visit, she met all of them. And I graduated high school two weeks ago, and she texted me on my graduation. We're definitely sisterly.

So you said that your older sister is a lot like Kat. How are you-of course, here's the question-in relation to Bianca?

Meaghan Jette Martin: I am very similar to Bianca. It's kind of scary how much Bianca and I have in common. We both-well first of all, we dress very similar. [Laughs] But besides that, we both have this "want to be accepted". That's something that I've always struggled with growing up. I was the girl in school saying, "Everybody hates me," and, "Why do they all hate me?" And Mom's like, "They don't hate you. Like, what are you talking about?" And I'm like, "No, they do." [Laughs] And I feel like Bianca doesn't realize that she really is popular, and she's working so hard to get there when she's already there. But at the same time, I don't think that my priorities were quite as mixed up as Bianca's are. She definitely doesn't have her priorities straight, but I think that's what makes her fun and likeable and relatable, is she's not quite sure where she's going in life.

So what kind of other, like, lengths-this little kissing thing was part of, like, the Web show, so what other kind of lengths does she go to, to try to be popular? Anything farther than that?

Meaghan Jette Martin: She goes everywhere. It's really funny to watch Bianca through her struggles, and I think that that's one of my favorite storylines that Bianca has, is Chastity, who's played by Dana Davis, is very-she is very manipulative and is realizing that Bianca will do anything to be popular. So she's always testing the limits. Every episode it's something new. But at the same time, Bianca is sort of coming into her own person and realizing that she doesn't need Chastity. So I feel like, as time goes on, the tensions might get pretty intense.

Have you seen the movie before?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Yeah, yeah. I definitely had seen the movie before. I have older siblings, so they-I was seven when the movie came out. So I obviously didn't watch it when it came out. But I had saw it a couple months before I auditioned for this and loved it. And then I watched it again right before I auditioned for this. And it's just such a classic teen movie but in a better way than any other teen movie. It's not stupid. And I feel like a lot of teen movies treat teens like they're dumb. And that's something that I know I don't appreciate as a teenager. And I think that's the really cool thing about our show is we use big words. And I actually had an interviewer ask me if I understood the big words on the show. [Laughs] And I was like, "Yes, I do actually." So I think it's-I think that that's one of the great things is we really do, we treat teenagers like they're human beings and adults because they are, and they're intelligent too.

How are things shaping up with the young man on the show who has a crush on your character?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Oh, poor Cameron. I just feel so bad for him because things aren't going so hot right now in the Bianca-Cameron department. And he just loves her so much, and it's the cutest thing ever. [Laughs] I watch him filming his scenes, and I'm just like, "Oh," and I wish I had a guy like that in my life because...

Does she know he, like, exists yet?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Yeah. Oh, yeah. We're friends. He tutors me in French. We... The problem is I don't know how much I can reveal. He's currently, in my mind, my gay best friend. And I feel so bad for him about that one because there's literally a line where I'm like, "Oh, I'm so happy I have you in my life." And he's like, "Oh, she's loves me." I'm like, "You're such a good gay best friend." [Laughs] And he's like, "But I'm not gay. I love you." And I'm like, "Yeah, sure you do. It's okay." So it's very sad. And Nick Braun does such a fantastic job playing the character. He's so funny as Cameron. And I remind him of that every day, which is probably bad. I probably should stop. His ego's going to get too big. [Laughs]

Can you talk about the casting and auditioning process and how you got, you know, wind of this role and-?

Meaghan Jette Martin: Yeah, yeah. Well I read the script for this, and I was like, "Oh, that's really hilarious. I love it." And they were like, "We want you to go in for Bianca." And I was like, "Okay, cool, sounds good to me." But I figured I was too young because usually when it comes to a TV series and playing a teenager, I'm usually too young because they like to cast 25-year olds to play teenagers. [Laughs] And so I walked in the room and I did the scene, and I was like, "Okay, I mean, that felt good." But you know, with auditions, there's not really much you can do about it. So you just hope for the best. Expect the worst and hope for the best, that's what I live by. So I left the audition. I got a phone call. They're like, "Oh, you're too young. You did a great job, though." And I was like, "Okay, I hear that all the time," so whatever. And a few weeks later I get a phone call again. They're like, "Oh, we want you to come in again for a different part." And I was like, "A different part? What other part is there? Like, I mean, I'm not going to play Kat, that would just weird." And so I was like, "Okay." But then they sent me the sides again, and it was for Bianca. And I was like, "That's not even a different part, but sure." [Laughs] And so I went in and they turned out that they had just like mixed up my papers with somebody else's, and they-which I'm sure happens when you see thousands of girls for the same role. And I did the scene for Gil and Carter who were there that time. And Gil stopped me and he said to me, "Where did you come from?" [Laughs] And I was like, "Las Vegas." [Laughs] And he's like, "Oh, well you're really good." And I was like, "Thank you very much." And then I got a phone call, and they said that they wanted me to come back the next day to do a work session, which is what you usually do before you test for a show. And testing is like when you go in front of all of the bigwigs at the network. And they were like, "We don't want you to wear the dress that you wore. We want you to where another dress that's preppier and girlier." And I was like, "Okay." But I didn't know what to wear. So I brought five dresses with me the next day, and I was like, "You guys pick what I wear because I don't want to screw this up." [Laughs] And they thought that was hilarious. And so they ended up picking one of my dresses, and I did the work session with them. And the next day, I went in to test. I read with all the different Kats. And that's where I met Lindsey Shaw. And it was a crazy nerve-wracking experience. I hate testing for shows. There's nothing worse than that. But by the end of testing, you usually, usually being the key word, know who got it because they kind of weed people out throughout the day, which is even worse, because you're like sitting there like, "Oh, my God, please don't let me go. Please don't let me go." And I ended up being the last Bianca there. And I was like, "Okay, this could be terrible or it could be good. [Laughs] And then I got the phone call that I booked the pilot. So that was exciting.

Martin was then also beckoned to the set and after a brief wait we conducted our last interview of the day, with the new Kat Strafford, Lindsey Shaw, and here's what she had to say.

Lindsey Shaw - Kat Strafford

Well I guess the first question could be what's the difference between being on Aliens in Americaor this show?

Lindsey Shaw: No difference at all really. No [laughs], a huge difference. Claire was self-centered and bitchy and completely concerned with popularity, much like Bianca is. She's like an older version of Bianca. And Kat, she is self-centered for very different reasons. She doesn't realize it. In fact, in this episode, her father finally tells her how self-centered she is. And she's like, "What? No, I didn't get it." So she's self-centered for very different reasons. But she is concerned with all of the bigger things in life and kind of always forgets about the smaller things, like her relationship with her sister. And she's so concerned on doing all these big grand things that she loses touch with what's actually around her sometimes, which I think everybody does. I certainly do that in my life. And Claire was just- is you know, she was concerned with clothes and status and all that kind of thing. And Kat could be, you know, no further from that. She values justice and fairness and getting into a good college. And all of this high school crap she could just kind of take it or leave it.

Have you seen the movie before this?

Lindsey Shaw: Yes. Yeah, definitely.

Are you a fan of it?

Lindsey Shaw: Absolutely. It's beautifully shot, thanks to Gil, and it's a wonderful story, and wonderful high school story that stands apart in an era where so many high school movies came out.

Kat's almost kind of like a hero/crusader kind of person. She's always got a campaign. How do you just keep her-if she's so detached, how do you keep her relating to the men in her life or the family in her life and the people in her life?

Can you talk about the audition and casting process that you went through?

Lindsey Shaw: Well it was great. I was actually doing a small independent film at the time, and I was working that day that I was supposed to have this audition. And my manager called the director, because it's small, you don't talk to any PAs on a small independent. You talk to the director. And he was just-he was a little upset about having to rework everything because it was a big rework. But he finally did it. He gave me the morning off. And so I went and I did this audition, and it was wonderful. I met Carter, and it was super fun. And the next thing I get this call, and they're like, you know, "You're going to network in a month." And I was like, "Oh, all right. Awesome. Cool, cool, cool." Went there and, you know, did the network thing. And I got a call that night from both my manager and my agent like, "Ah, you got it." So it was kind of a tricky story on how I finally got to the audition, but it was so worth it. And I told that director, he's like, "I knew it. I knew you'd get it." So I'm very thankful to him for reworking all of that, or else it all might not have been.

Did you test-you tested with Meaghan and who else did you test with?

Lindsey Shaw: I tested with a bunch of people.

The other characters or-?

Lindsey Shaw: No, no, no, our testing was mainly just with Meaghan and Kat-or, I'm sorry, Bianca and Kat. And there was four and four, four Biancas and four Kats. And they came out, and they were like, "You, you and you can go home." And they sent all three Biancas home, and all four Kats stayed. And I was like, "Really? All right. Cool." So yeah, it was just super fun, and Meaghan was just sitting there, and everybody knew she got it. And I was like, "Oh, that's so perfect." Like, she's just sitting over here in her bubbly little dress and I was over there in my concert T and jeans, and it was just awesome. We went in and we did our audition scene in the car that is in the pilot, and it was just magic. I mean, it was-you know, it was great together. I think we work very well together as sisters.

When did they introduce you to Ethan?

Lindsey Shaw: Oh, geez, when did they introduce me to Ethan?

He told us this morning he kind of came in a little late to, like, when you first-when you had kind of met.

Lindsey Shaw: Yeah, yeah. Well on the pilot, he came in and the first day of the pilot, the first scene we did, was a scene with him, and I met him. And I was like, "Oh, hello." [Laughs] And he just came in, and he was-oh, no, no, no, I first saw him at rehearsals, and I was like, "This guy never talks," you know what I mean? He was so silent. And I was just like, "Okay." Actually, I was trying to, like, make conversation and trying to joke around and my energetic self, and he was just not having it. He was just kind of sitting there stone-faced. I was like, "All right, this is going to be..." And then you know, we did the pilot together, still a-you know, he warmed up a little bit and started talking and talking. And then we saw him again, he came out from New York, you know, and we were all doing rehearsals before the series, and it's like he just came into his own. He was just awesome and talking and, like, now he won't shut up-he always takes naps in my trailer. [Laughs] But it's awesome. That kid is the most genuine kid you'll ever meet. I think he's great.

What can you say about working with Larry Miller?

Lindsey Shaw: Ah, working with Larry Miller - you never know what you're going to get. [Laughs] That's a little bit of it. He's just such a creative, creative, creative person, I mean, just always thinking of something to better the scene, better the relationship, better, you know, the intention of the scene and, you know, sharing those ideals with his fellow actors and treating us like equals, and, which is so nice from such a senior actor with so much talent. He was also part of the original concept. And I've just-I've learned so much from him. And his handles at the end of every scene just do nothing but strengthen, you know, our relationship. Him and I have shared a lot of scenes together. We have one big pivotal scene in all the episodes so far. So just working with him and feeling that connection with him and him always just putting ideas in my head on how to, you know, be thinking of something to put at the end of a scene or this and that, it's been just invaluable.

Also, has he thrown at you just any, like, random-he's obviously so funny. Has he thrown something in the middle of a scene that just threw you for a loop completely or-?

Lindsey Shaw: He did this-he was chopping vegetables in a scene, and I had back to him sitting at the table. And he just starting whacking these vegetables. [Laughs] And I was like, "All right, all right, all right, go with it, go with it." And he just did, you know, the comedic whack of the lettuce, and I was just like, "All right, I'm just going to go with it." So, he throws [stuff in there] like that all the time, but, you know, you've got to love it. He actually comes in sometimes with, like, reprinted pages of what the scene is, just like his ideas for it [laughs] and submits that. [laughs]. It's just incredible. And everybody just lets him play and do what he wants. So it's cool to see what he comes up with.

Meaghan said that because you're an only child and she, you know, is a younger sister, how has that, like, helped you? Like, what has she taught you about being this bigger sister?

Lindsey Shaw: Oh, geez. Well I don't know if she's taught me much. I mean, I think, I think-well she says that I'm like her sister all the time. I don't know if that's good because she keeps coming back to set with these stories [laughs] that her sister has given her a hard time or that she's a freaking medical student, like her sister's always apparently frazzled and crazy and going to medical school and crazy. So I'm like, "All right, hopefully in the younger time of your life, this is what you're relating me to." [Laughs] But you know, Meaghan is such an open soul and so innocent, but I don't mean that in a condescending way. She's just very light, you know what I mean. She's very effervescent and wonderful. And you know, on the second episode that we shot, we had this kind of night shoot, and she came into my trailer, and we had, like, and hour before we had to be on set, so we had this nice really, really long talk. And it was like our connection, you know what I mean. And from here on out, you know, everything her built upon that. We've just, we built a really nice relationship with each other. So even though I haven't had siblings, I still feel this love for her, which I guess is what a sisterly love is. But yeah, I don't know if she's necessarily taught me stuff, but we have grown together.

In the pilot, you stare down Patrick.

Lindsey Shaw: Yes.

Does that happen again? We heard that there would be a kiss in the first season-

Lindsey Shaw: Ooh. Oh, I don't know anything about that yet, but there are certainly several saucy moments between Mr. Verona and Kat. They get hot and heavy with it, and it's a little more intense than a stare down. [Laughs] So be looking for those kind of things.

With that, my day on the set of 10 Things I Hate About You came to a close. Be sure to tune in to all the adventures of the Strafford clan when 10 Things I Hate About You premieres on Tuesday, July 7 at 8 PM ET on the ABC Family Channel. Peace in. Gallagher out!