by Jennifer Kristensen
Child genius returns to high school–but can he get a passing grade when he’s the teacher?
Have you caught YTV’s new comedy sitcom, Mr. Young? The new show, which stars Vancouver actor Brendan Meyer, premiered this spring on March 1st.
Based in Burnaby B.C, the show centers on Adam Young, a child prodigy turned teen genius who was able to enter university at the age of nine. Five years later, Adam returns to high school not as a student, but as their high school teacher!
Adam’s role as teacher ends up being more challenging than he had ever imagined. Not only does he need to deal with his position as a newly qualified teacher, but he faces challenges as he attempts to earn and keep the respect of his class bully, his best friend and his crush. Adam is constantly trying to battle his social and academic worlds, working with colleagues that are more than twice his age.
Can Mr. Young take back the high school experience he never had and do his job properly, teaching his former peers?
Faze caught up with the star himself, to talk to Brendan about life so far, as he takes on the challenge of playing a 14-year-old genius Mr. Young.
Faze: What is a typical day like for you?
Brendan: We rehearse for two days and then shoot for two days. So are far as being a typical day, that kind of changes. But mostly it’s just you get there, you do the work. Then on top of working on an episode each week you have to do school.
Faze: How do you relate to Adam as a character? Were you the smart kid in school?
Brendan: I relate to him because I too am in a fairly crazy business for my age. You know, being in acting and having to be around adults a lot and all that kind of stuff is something that I face a lot in my acting career…. As much as he is a genius, he’s still a 14 year old kid. So, I was able to relate to him in a simple way. I also have people who, you know, I’m afraid of, and girls that I like and all that stuff. [Laughs] I’ve had all that stuff before. So, I did relate to a lot of the similar things as well as having to put on this new layer of confidence and genius.
Faze: What advice would you give to someone having to deal with a situation where they are so much younger than everyone around them?
Brendan: It’s a tricky thing; I’ve had a lot of that, where I had to go into situations with just adults and I guess the best thing to do is just be yourself. You’ve got to just go out there; I mean, you’re there for a reason right? If you love to act, you’re there to act, so just do the best job you can of what you’re there to do. Like Adam, you know, [with] teaching.
Watch Brendan in new episodes of Mr. Young every Tuesday at 6:30 PM on YTV!
Catch up on episodes you missed on Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30 PM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Ghr58a8mk
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