Niceville actor has role in new Spike TV comedy series
December 26, 2009 9:40 PM
Angel McCurdy, Daily News
NICEVILLE — Starting from near the bottom and working his way up, Alan Ritchson now will be a regular in the new Spike TV comedy series “Blue Mountain State.”
The 27-year-old Niceville native began his career on American Idol in 2004. Then after a feature in the CW show “Smallville,” his career began to take flight.
His new show is about a college football team and follows three starting freshmen. Ritchson plays Thad Castle, the team’s captain whose ways of showing love feel more like hazing to the new team members.
“He’s definitely the antagonist of the story.” Ritchson said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. “He’s sorta the troublemaker. He’s the kind of guy most people will watch and be like ‘this guy’s crazy.’ But he’s just got a different logic than anybody else. … I think it’s the funnest character I’ve ever gotten to play.”
Castle is the team’s junior linebacker. He’s a two-time All-American and has set the school record for tackles in a game. He also was kicked out of a game for calling the referees “butt-faces.” On Castle’s Web bio, he is quoted as saying, “Before big games I shoot rabies. It gives me the edge I need and it’s undetectable. Only idiot losers do steroids anymore.”
Ritchson happily confesses he is nothing like his character. To him, the difference makes the work more exciting.
“What’s the fun in playing someone like you?” he asked. “It’d be the most boring thing in the world.”
More than the character, the show’s script is what drew Ritchson to “Blue Mountain State.”
“It was different than any other script I’ve read,” he said.
It has racy dialogue, violence, sex and bizarre situations, Ritchson said.
“It’s got extreme humor in these outrageous situations and it’s out there enough to keep all that natural humor these writers have,” Ritchson said. “There’s no big agenda except wanting to make peo-ple laugh.”
The 2001 Niceville High School graduate said he didn’t fill out until he was about 18, so he doesn’t have much of a football background.
“I was kinda the runt growing up,” he confessed. “I was a late bloomer.”
“I did play (football) one year in seventh grade. I was definitely the bench warmer of the group. I got one play the whole year because we were losing by like 65 points.
“I was supposed to run the ball straight up the middle. Then the guy next to me goes, ‘what are we supposed to do again,’ and we both got creamed. My shot at glory was dashed. That was the end of my football career. Thought I’d end on a high note and retire.”
For football fans or anyone looking for a good laugh and adult humor, Ritchson recommends tuning in to “Blue Mountain State.” But he warns that it is not for family viewing.
“This is a no holds barge show,” he said. “You either love or hate the show. A lot of people in the South are probably gonna hate the show because they don’t want kids hearing the subject matter discussed. But anybody who’s been in a fraternity or had that experience will like the show. It will be a chance for them to reminisce.”
“Blue Mountain State” will premiere at 9 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 12 on Spike TV.
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