We’re just 10 days away from ABC’s fall schedule announcement, and Laura Prepon has her fingers crossed that “Awkward Situations for Men,” the hybrid comedy pilot in which she plays spouse to British funny man Danny Wallace, makes the cut.
“I honestly wasn’t in the market for another half-hour series,” says the former “That ‘70s Show” cutie. After her long-run in that show, “I thought, ‘That was the best situation you could be in for half hour comedy, so okay, done with that.’” She went on to do the short-lived but admired hour drama, “October Road.” Then, “This script just came along and my manager said ‘You’ve got to read this.’ It’s totally different, a blend of everything people love, British subtle humor and off-the-wall humor. Our director did a lot of the ‘Seinfelds,’ and that’s also our vibe, playing off the awkward situations that happen to people.”
MEANWHILE: Prepon has been having fun playing with such situations with her “Neighbros” ( http://neighbros.com) web show – starring her boyfriend, Scott Michael Foster of “Greek” and their buddy, musician Jaime Jorn. The two guys really are neighbors. Laura directs and shoots the vignettes and sketches that make up the daffy offering that’s been making an internet splash. She’s been gearing up to direct for years, she tells us.
“You have to fight for something you believe in. If I think something is worth doing, I will fight to get it. ‘Neighbors,’ for example – nobody is going to hand us a show like that. We’re trying to build it grassroots because the three of us believe in it. Times are tough and if people can click on one of our skits and laugh for two or three minutes, we’ve done our job.”
Actors have to fight to work more than ever, she observes. “It’s a really interesting time in the business, really, really tough and more competitive than ever. I fortunately found a show that I loved and was fortunate enough to do it – but I have a pulse on what’s going on in the industry as well as a lot of friends who are actors. Well-known movie stars want to be on television now, so guest roles are being offered to stars and the next level of people aren’t getting as much work, and there’s a domino effect.”
From Beck/Smith Hollywood
