NBC’s hit show Chuck is about a nerdy guy who one day accidentally downloaded all of the government’s secrets into his brain, effectively turning him into both a supercomputer and a superspy. The show is a fantastic mix of comedy and action, and part of what keeps the show grounded in reality is the main character’s relationship with his family, including his brother-in-law, Devon Woodcomb, frequently called Captain Awesome.
Captain Awesome is played by Ryan McPartlin, who recently sat down with MANIAC to talk about everything from how he got his start in acting, to his love for the Black Eyed Peas, to his friendship with fellow Hollywood hunk Jesse Metcalfe.
Despite his upbringing, Ryan McPartlin isn’t your typical born-and-bred college football star from rural AmMMa. Born and raised in rural Illinois, this high school football quarterback always intended to follow in his father’s footsteps and sell life insurance. Then, after a trip abroad, he decided one day he didn’t want to wake up down the road and realize he was unhappy with his life. “I thought and decided, what’s the most outlandish thing I can think of?” he said. “Acting came to mind.”
Now, Ryan is living the dream. He’s happily married to actress Danielle McPartlin, and they have two kids together. He’s one of the more recognizable faces of a hit television show, and with smaller roles in such TV shows as Mad Men and a starring turn opposite Gina Gershon in a Lifetime movie, the former Abercrombie model represents everything that’s right about Hollywood’s undying ability to make ordinary people into stars.
MANIAC: So, I heard you worked with [fashion photographer] Bruce Weber and got your start as an Abercrombie and Fitch model.
Ryan McPartlin: Yeah, you know, that ended up blowing up to bigger things. I was in the store right when Abercrombie and Fitch was very popular, and the whole shirtless thing… the guys with their shirts off, the girls’ silhouettes of naked bodies… it was all very controversial at the time. And from there, I got on a soap opera and ended up having to wait tables for about a year. I got on this soap opera called Passions, and did that for a few years. That was sort of my acting class right there.
MM: Makes sense. So what was Bruce Weber like? Easy to work with?
RM: Yeah, he was easy to work with. He was cool. He and I got along just great, because you know, he’s one of those guys who knows what he’s looking for, and as long as you stay active and bring some energy to the table… He would stop and say, “Okay, do that again. Jump up on top of the bars, or…” Being the actor in the group, instead of the model, I wasn’t posing so much as actually doing something that would be interesting to photograph. I think we worked really well together.
MM: Nice. So you mentioned taking your shirt off, and it seems like you do that at every opportunity possible in Chuck.
RM: Until I can rely solely on my acting and put on the pounds like Vince Vaughn has, then… that’s my goal. My goal is to be able to be Vince Vaugh. Put on twenty pounds, and still make a lot of money.
MM: Good goal. You’re a certified personal trainer… do you consider yourself an exercise freak?
RM: By no means am I an exercise freak. I put in my time. I put in about an hour and a half a day, four to five days a week. I honestly balance my diet out. I know when I have to take off my shirt for a photo shoot, or for work. And then I’m in shape for the photo shoot, and I go to In’N’Out and I get a shake and fries and a burger, and I go back to just keeping a good balance.
MM: So, what kind of music do you listen to while you work out?
RM: Funny you ask that. I’m just trying to keep my mix evolving. The Black Eyed Peas… a little JT in the mix… I use iTunes a lot. I use that Genius thing. I use that to mix it up and see if there’s anything that catches me.
MM: Let’s talk about Chuck for a while. Captain Awesome is a really fun character. Is it difficult for you to be happy and energetic and awesome all the time?
RM: Yeah, I definitely turn it on and I turn it off. Like, I came into the trailer yesterday, and everyone’s like, “Y’know, man, your energy seems down.” And I was like, “I just don’t feel that awesome today.” My energy was a little off. I was a little jetlagged. It’s funny because everyone kind of expects me, when I step on the set, to have that kind of Awesome energy. I’m on all the time, and it’s go-go-go. And I usually am, to be honest. I’m happy to be working when I get there. But once in a while, when I’m not, you’re like… oh, you set the bar too high for your energy level, and everyone expects you to hit it, and you can’t.
MM: Captain Awesome is good at everything he does, but he’s not obnoxious about it. How do to find the line between a genuine nice guy and one who’s just looking for people to like him?
RM: I try and be like that in real life. I always have. I was the captain of our football team in high school, and it was funny because I never was the guy that liked to pull pranks on people to make them look stupid, and make me look funny and better. I’m always the guy that wants to help somebody become better at who they are, to reach their potential. To be honest, that’s how I am in real life. I’ve always been that way.
So it was natural to play that in the character, whereas other actors would play it like they were going to be condescending towards Chuck. For me, it was all about looking at him like a little brother. Like, “Hey, man, I’m going to help you become a better person, and I’m going to show you how you can be that way. Like being a coach.” That’s how I interpreted the role, and the creators of the show thankfully liked it well, and it’s done a lot for my character, I feel.
MM: Where do you see yourself now, if your role on Chuck had ended after a year, because Captain Awesome was originally planned to be killed off?
RM: Probably some crappy sitcom, making a lot more money. [laughs] If Chuck had ended for me after a year, I’d be bummed out that there was this great show going on and I wasn’t a part of it. I would’ve had to not watch it again, because I would have been a little bitter… I’m sure it’s like the Sopranos actors that got knocked off early. You see this great thing happening… I’m half-joking when I say you can go and do these other sitcoms, and some people are getting outrageous money for them… but they’re miserable because they’re putting out a product that they’re not proud of, and people are tuning into them for whatever reason, and they’re getting astounding numbers. And I’ve always said I would much rather be on this show, a kind of show that’s getting over that hump every year, where, we’re coming back, we’re not coming back, and then we do come back, and I’m proud of the work we’re doing. It’s going to be one of those experiences we all look back on and are very nostalgic about once it’s over. I would like to see it last as long as it can.
MM: Yeah, and I think a lot of the fans would too. You mention that every year you guys are on the bubble. How does that affect your work as an actor, knowing that you have the fans behind you, even if the network is not so keen on what you’re doing?
RM: Well, the good of it is that they’re really paying attention, and they’re really invested in the storyline.
MM: Who’s your favorite actor on set to work with?
RM: The most work I do is with Zach [Levi, who plays Chuck] and Sarah Lancaster [who plays Captain Awesome’s wife Ellie], and we have such great chemistry. But there’s something that just makes me giggle when I work with Josh Gomez [who plays comic relief character Morgan]. Unfortunately, I become so unprofessional and I can barely keep a straight face. So I think that he brings out the mischievous high school kid in me. I’m laughing when I shouldn’t be, doing all this bad stuff. Gomez and I… I think everybody would say that, too. Gomez brings out that little kid in everybody that makes them feel like they’re getting away with murder on set.
MM: There are a number of different examples of masculinity in Chuck. You have Chuck himself, who is nerdy, yet a superspy. There’s Casey, your typical all-AmMMan hulking hero. There’s Captain Awesome, a general all-around nice guy doctor. What defines masculinity for you?
RM: What defines masculinity for me is honestly doing the right thing, no matter how hard it is. I honestly feel like our nation and our world have a serious shortage of heroes right now. You know, you see what happened to Tiger Woods, you see what happens to all these guys I’ve looked up to for all these years that end up letting me down. There’s a shortage of heroes out there, but I feel like doing the right thing when it’s not always popular is a good definition of masculinity.
MM: You’ve had a number of roles that involve you playing a younger man getting involved with an older woman. Doesn’t your wife ever get jealous?
RM: You know what, she doesn’t. Not as long as it keeps the bills paid. She absolutely has been the best. To be honest, she is the only person I could have married. A relationship is tough in Hollywood because you have these make-believe affairs. And for Danielle… I knew she was confident in herself, and I knew she knew that I drew boundaries around my work life and my personal life, and I never would cross over those boundaries. Because she has such trust and faith in me, I really want to live up to it that much more.
MM: Can we talk about Captain America for a bit? [Ryan auditioned but lost the role to Chris Evans.] You tried out for the superhero thing before, in Superman Returns, so was there any awkwardness when Brandon Routh [who wound up with the role of Superman] showed up on the set of Chuck?
RM: No, man, I actually thought it was kind of cool. Because he did such a good job as Superman. I mean, he really is so much like Christopher Reeves. I’m not one who gets envious or jealous when someone else gets a role. I didn’t do the best audition for Captain Awesome, but the role was me. I knew it when I walked in, and I knew it when I walked out. They’re looking for the guy that is that role. Marvel’s not going to stop making these movies, so whatever superhero I end up playing will end up being the right one for me.
MM: I’ve seen you mentioned as being friends with Jesse Metcalfe, so, do you guys still keep in touch since Passions?
RM: You know, we don’t keep in touch all that much, but whenever we see each other out, it’s like no time has passed. It was like he was my younger brother on Passions, because he actually played my best friend’s younger brother, so… I’ve always rooted for him, and I’ve always enjoyed it when we see each other at some of these Hollywood parties.
MM: My final question is, what actor or actress would you like to work with some day, and why?
RM: Hands-down Meryl Streep. I just think she’s the best actor that’s alive right now. She’s just amazing. I’ll watch what she does, and she’s so present, so real, and she brings such humanity to her characters. And somehow or another, she taps into whatever needs to be tapped into. And I have no idea how she does it. I would love to be a fly on the wall during her process.
MM: Thanks for sitting down with us!
RM: No problem! Hopefully things stay warm for you out there in Pittsburgh!
By: Eric Langberg
