Young Star Exclusive: Thanks for making it nice and awkward, Brett Davern

MTV’s teen sitcom, Awkward, is pretty accurate in depicting high school as a battleground of sexual tension and inner turmoil. Of course, our main correspondent from the discomfort zone of Palos Hills High is 15-year-old Jenna Hamilton (played by Ashley Rickards), who turns from invisible to infamous after an accident with a bottle of aspirin is misinterpreted as a suicide attempt. Still, there’s no shortage of adolescent unease to go around the student body—not even a pep rallying golden boy like Jake Rosati (Brett Davern) is spared from it. In Awkward’s first season, Jake doesn’t just endure a girlfriend too holy to offer sex through the proper hole, he also clumsily navigates his affections for Jenna, who’s secretly sleeping with his best friend, Matty (Beau Mirchoff). 

Unlike Jake, Brett doesn’t mind the uncomfortable situation, able to hold his own on a first acting gig with Oscar winner William Hurt or shoot a comedy alongside several topless Playmates. Despite such composure, YS got him  to talk about a few awkward things he can attest to: his budding bromance with costar Beau, flying with Tiffani Thiessen, and the growing pains pure ol’ Jake may encounter in the show’s second season.

YOUNG STAR: There haven’t been any smart teen shows like this lately. The last I can think of would be Freaks and Geeks a while back.

BRETT DAVERN: I think the beauty of what Lauren (Iungerich, the show’s creator) has done is that she’s just decided early on not to write something that everyone wanted to see or that was gonna fit some sort of mold. I think that’s what lent to its success. She’s also inspired by John Hughes movies. 

Jake, your character on Awkward, is the high school’s Mr. Congeniality, with a letterman jacket and a smile you can trust. Are there things about him that frustrate you? 

A little bit. Behind the scenes, we’re always joking that he’s so oblivious to everything. I think he’s starting to get the hint as the second season goes on. But as far as Jake goes, he always has to be nice and charming all the time. That’s what he feels he has to do until he matures a little bit and realizes that he doesn’t have to be the nice guy all the time.

Socially, how did you fare as the theater kid in high school?

I went to a pretty awesome elementary school that was so small that they didn’t have any sports or anything like that, so they would put on one musical every year. The budgets got pretty big and they made world-class sets and costumes. Yeah, so it was a pretty normal thing for me before I got to high school—in my head, theater kids weren’t different than jocks or anything like that. Getting to high school, I played freshman football and I was on the golf team. All my friends that were in sports would come see the plays and I was going to watch their football games. Everybody just got along.

I read somewhere that you did anti-bullying PSAs at one point. 

Yeah, I was living in New York and auditioned for this company that did a lot of made-for-school videos on a lot of different subjects. I’ve done ones on eating healthy and anti-bullying. I think I even did one on STDs or something like that (laughs). I’d be at these real high schools on weekends for long hours and little to no money. Actually, a couple of the videos are with Katrina (Bowden), the blonde girl on 30 Rock. They’re out there somewhere. 

Are there any teen shows or movies that influenced how you play Jake?

Some kind of wonderful: “We’re always playing pranks on set,” Brett says. “It’s very much a lighthearted family atmosphere.” Photos by ANGELO KRITIKOS Styling by AVO YERMAGYAN

Yeah, a little bit. I definitely grew up with reruns of Saved by the Bell. I think that Jake, if in any way, is a little bit like Zack Morris. That’s got to be my favorite show of all time, growing up and watching that. I was actually on a plane going to New York and Tiffani Thiessen was in first class. I didn’t talk to her, though (laughs). My parents were just always putting me in front of good TV like The Wonder Years. Freaks and Geeks, I remember that being on. Dawson’s Creek, even. I think there are little parts of that.

Being on set, do you get déjà vu recalling your high school experiences? Like with the parties, maybe?

As far as parties go, it was a lot harder for me in high school to get the kegs that we’re able to get now. We just have a prop guy show up with big kegs and big red cups (laughs). But yeah, especially when Jake is nervous when talking to Jenna or any girl for that matter, it’s easy to go right back to that feeling. I mean, I probably still am nervous!

But then you’ve been in some pretty intimidating situations, like working with William Hurt (Beautiful Ohio) and doing a comedy surrounded by half-naked chicks (Pool Boys).

I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing but I have this knack for not taking things too seriously. William Hurt was in the first callback I ever had. They said I was gonna be reading opposite him and Hillary Swank was gonna be in the room ‘cause she’s producing, and Chad Lowe, ‘cause he’s directing. So I was in the audition and I just remembered not being nervous at all. Maybe I was thinking there’s no way I’m gonna get this, so there was no pressure. They were so wonderful to me that going forward, I just haven’t been intimidated at all, which is a great thing for me. I don’t really have time to get nervous.

The thing about showing up on set and having a bunch of Playboy models there, yeah, that’s a little more intimidating (laughs). And it’s just sort of surreal, even.

There was that scene in Pool Boys where Matthew Lillard is wearing Speedos and his testicle pops out. Was that his actual ball or a prosthetic?

(Laughs) I don’t know if Matt would want me to say but there was no smoke and mirrors on that one, yeah. Nobody knew he was gonna do that, even, and I think if you watch closely, I’m laughing through the whole take. Matt’s a great guy, we’ve been able to remain friends and we talk regularly. A guy I can always go to for advice.

You’ve had a good streak playing the straitlaced kid but on a new thriller called The Culling, you get to play some kind of dickhead.

Yeah, which was really fun. The character, he’s supposed to be very douchey and a scumbag and womanizer and stuff like that, so it was fun to get to play that. However, I’ve heard from the director that people he’s shown the cut to end up really liking my character. I don’t know if there’s some sort of likability under there that’s coming out.

Does it bother you that maybe your own likability just shines through?

Well, in a way, he definitely comes off the way he’s supposed to come off but, I don’t know, people just end up really rooting for him in a strange way. I guess it’s a good thing, as long as I’ve done him justice.

You’re in a pretty unique situation now, though, being in a love triangle that people are really invested in. You’ve rallied Team Jake on Twitter; are you and Beau competitive off set?

No, not at all. We honestly don’t really talk about it that much when the two of us hang out. We might have more in the beginning, when we didn’t know each other as well, but now, I’ll just say it—we’re best friends. The whole Team Jake thing on started more as a way for me to just call to a group of people. I think Beau is a little more laidback than I am to really get competitive so that’s why we’re such good friends.

I get a feeling his constant half-nakedness must be a running joke on set.

(Laughs) It definitely is. If you’re uncomfortable around Beau when he has his shirt off, then you’re just probably never gonna be around him.

It’s hard not to notice he shaved his chest for the show. Did you have to do any similar preparation for your character?

(Laughs) Oh, no. I didn’t have to shave my chest at all and I’m not sure if I’m disappointed about that or happy about it because, as a manly man, he had to. But at the same time, he complains about itching and being all prickly so I don’t know (laughs).

Well, the fans love the bromance that’s developed between you two. You’ve even got an actor’s love seat that says “Breau” on it.

We’re always playing pranks on set and it’s very much a lighthearted family atmosphere. People like to poke fun at people. One day, Beau and I just walked in and Lauren had gotten our prop guy to make this chair. It was hilarious. They didn’t think Beau and I were gonna sit in it but we ended up sitting in it for the rest of the season (laughs).

I just hope the show doesn’t go the way of One Tree Hill, where bored writers just end up getting all the characters in bed with each other.

I don’t think it will. I think Lauren and Eric, who’s the co-producer, are always gonna keep the integrity of the show, knock on wood. I don’t see them ever letting that happen.

What would be a good indication you need to get off the air? Awkward: The College Years?

I’ll be on there as long as they let us. You don’t wanna be on there and overstay your welcome or jump the shark in any way. But hey, maybe I can do a spinoff like Just Jake or something (laughs).

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Read the full interview on www.thetvdiner.livejournal.com