TV Jots

Actor Plays Ace Racecar Driver

ABC Family’s new original movie The Circuit is all about stock-car racing, and it features actor Drew Fuller in one of several lead roles.

Nowadays, the 28-year-old is probably most well-known — at least among older TV watchers — for his down-to-earth portrayal of earnest soldier Trevor LeBlanc on Lifetime’s mega-popular sophomore military drama Army Wives.

Before thousands came to appreciate his presence on that series, however, thousands more loved watching him play Chris Halliwell on the long-running WB fantasy series Charmed. In fact, that’s where I first saw him on a regular basis.

Fuller recently participated in a teleconference call in support of the ABC Family movie, which premieres tonight at 8pm EST. I have a selection of his responses below, and they clearly demonstrate what a dedicated and congenial professional he is.

Although I didn’t have a strong opinion about him before the interview took place, aside from knowing who he is and enjoying his performances on a couple of TV shows, I came away liking Fuller a great deal as an actor. Much success to him in the future.

On the The Circuit‘s plot and his character Kid Walker:

Drew Fuller: The plot, the heart of it, it’s a family movie about a reconciliation between a father and daughter who had an estranged relationship, due to the fact that he chose his career over his daughter. I think along the way finding that redemption, there is this wonderful — it’s a family story.

With my character coming into play, I’m kind of the bad boy of racing who’s winning all the races. He’s kind of the hottest thing under the sun right now. I think he’s all about the fun and having a blast and winning races. It’s just pure adrenaline for him, him being a kid. Yes, it’s just this fun film about NASCAR and family.

On the chemistry between his character Kid Walker and costar Michelle Trachtenberg’s character Kylie Shines:

Drew Fuller: I think in any job, anyone who excels at their chosen profession is a turn-on. It’s very sexy for a man or a woman. So I think, here he is winning all these races and then there’s this up and coming girl who not only is a fantastic driver, but also beautiful to look at.

That’s the complete package. So initially he’s drawn by her cockiness. I think he sees a little bit of Kiley in him and the fact that she’s extremely intelligent and sexy, it’s a complete package, so I think that’s the draw for him to her.

On what attracted him to the movie:

Drew Fuller: The racing, absolutely. I think that was a big part of it. NASCAR has something like 89 million fans. Just the attraction of NASCAR, the attraction of getting to race a car around a track. I love playing cocky, fun, just indulging in all impulses. It was a fun role. The script made me smile. I love what I do so much, and I really do look at it as a big blessing. So I want to make sure that everything that I do, I’m attracted to and I’m doing for the right reasons.

This turned out to be one of the most amazing working experiences I’ve ever had. The cast was incredible. I ended up forming, I feel like, lifelong friendships with a bunch of the cast members and the director, who I absolutely love. It just turned out to be such a blessing and such an amazing experience and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been [Nova Scotia, Canada].

On preparing for a role as a racecar driver:

Drew Fuller: When I originally got the job, it was under the guise that I’m going to get to go there and do a lot of driving, and it was going to be driving school before we actually shoot anything. Right then and there, I was down for the cause. I wanted in. I’m obsessed with going fast, and I love racing. I race motorcycles, it’s like a big hobby of mine. So the fact that to be able to do this, to do what I love mixing my job and my passion outside of work, it was awesome.

And so I got up there. We did some racing school, and it was mostly I’d say 80/20 stunts. I would have liked to do more. I would have loved to do all, but with time and insurance and stuff like that, we weren’t able to indulge my fantasies of racing the car that much. But at the end, the guys who had trained me had offered to enter me in a couple of the races up there, so I took that as a big sign of confidence, and I was flattered by the whole thing.

On the intensity of driving on the set of the movie:

Drew Fuller: Just being in the car, look, you’re going really, really fast and the engines are really loud. You can’t even hear your own voice when you’re screaming at the top of your lungs into the radio.

So you’re trying your hardest to keep the car on the track and not from spinning out and hitting the brake at the right time and then accelerating out of the turn at the right time, so you don’t spin out and crash into the wall or whatever. So every single part about it, I have a real healthy respect for it, and I enjoyed it, and I look forward to getting back in a car again soon.

Catch The Circuit on ABC Family tonight, and remember that Drew Fuller’s regular series Army Wives also premieres its second season tonight on Lifetime at 10pm.