If you're not a frequent viewer of The Disney Channel, you might not be familiar with Spencer Boldman. The twenty-year-old actor stars on Lab Rats, the top-ranked show on Disney XD—now in its second season, this is the time to get to know the actor. The sitcom is bursting with zany plot lines and adorable actors, and has a requisite splash of classic Disney comedy—thanks in large part to Spencer's super-powered—but not super-smart—character.
We chatted with Spencer about what his wacky on-screen alter-ego, his big-picture aspirations, and his second season on Lab Rats.
How did this gig come about?
"I've actually done three pilots for Disney. I met with the network when I was 16 years old and had just started acting. I would fly to Los Angeles to film pilots, then fly back to Dallas, where I grew up. What attracted me to this particular show working with Mark Brazill, who created That '70s Show."
Have you always wanted to be an actor?
"I've always had this weird passion for films. When I was ten, I loved movies like Cool Hand Luke and Roman Holiday. When I watched those things, I felt like it was such a good escape. It wasn't even that I needed an escape, but I wanted to be an actor so I could five that feeling to someone else. When I was younger, I always was like, 'I want to be a serious actor.' I wasn't interested in doing a Disney show or a Nick show. But here I am, and it's great."
Last season marked your first TV show. Do you feel different going into the second season?
"What I like is that, this time around, we can take our characters to another level. Disney acting is a little more difficult than many people think it is. People feel like the characters aren't deep, but as an actor, you try to do everything you can do the best of your ability. My character is just the dumb guy who says dumb things, but I think Mark's going for something similar to Ashton Kutcher's character on That '70s Show. With Ashton, he was right a lot of the time, but he just didn't know it. This season, Adam has started winning, in a sense."
Your character is superhuman, but, like you say, he can be a little dumb. What's it like to play someone so silly?
"It's a blast. I just turned twenty and I feel like I'm playing a twelve-year-old kid. I can be goofy in real life, but it's fun to play silly. Everyone has a little bit of that in them. He and I are very different—or I like to think they're different—but it's blast."
You have superpowers on the show, so if you could have one in real life, what would you choose?
"I would have super-strength, like my character. I think the ladies would be impressed."
What can we expect from the new season of Lab Rats?
"A lot of drama. The first was less drama and more adventure, but this season, we have more abilities and our secrets are becoming harder to hide. I think it'll be great—girls love drama!"
You have quite the social media following. How does it feel to have such a big fan base?
"It's so funny—you wouldn't guess since the show is on Disney, but a lot of the fans are girls my age, like 17- to 20-year-olds. Twitter is great because I feel like I can connect with them. I've actually heard that sororities get together and have watch parties for the show. I want to go!"
