Q&A Session with “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” actor Daren Kagasoff (2013) (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

DAREN KAGASOFF

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Back in 2008, the critically acclaimed ABC Family series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” received a lot of attention as it focused on a normal American family and a shy daughter, a musician who went off to band camp and had a one night stand, to later find out she was pregnant.

The character Amy Juergens (played by Shailene Woodley) struggled with abortion, adoption and in the first season, she decided to keep the baby. As for the baby’s father, Ricky Underwood (played by Daren Kagasoff), he was the bad boy who lived life dangerously and had some personal issues which led him to seek out sex and never took any responsibility.

Since then, viewers have watched these characters grow older, take responsibility and make mature decisions.  We had the opportunity to see both Amy and Ricky grow up together, as parents, as friends and now possibly now as a couple?

Overtime, Amy learned how difficult it was to be a teenager, a student but also a single mother, while Ricky started to learn more about himself and also becoming more mature and knowing his responsibilities as a father, but most importantly, to learn how to lose his bad boy image and sex addiction.  And in the process, eventually getting closer with Amy once again.

Here we are in 2013 and with the final season and the spring premiere of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” set to air on March 18th on ABC Family.  As audiences wonder if Rick and Amy will be together, one will have to watch these final episodes to find out.

Recently, a media Q&A with actor Daren Kagasoff, to promote the final episodes of ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” was held.  Daren talks about working on the final episodes but also what is in store for him now that taping for the series is over.

Here is a transcript from the media Q&A session.

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Moderator   What is the hardest challenge you faced from your time on the show?

D. Kagasoff        We would get the episodes probably the night before we would have to shoot and it would take seven days, so I guess getting the dialogue down was one of the most challenging things.  But the writers were so good at doing their job and writing good scripts, so it actually got easier as the seasons progress.  But I think that was the most challenging.

 

Moderator    There are lots of questions left up in the air.  Is there anything you can tease us about the series finale and if many of our questions will get answered?

D. Kagasoff          Many questions will get answered, that’s all pretty much I can say.  I know everybody wants Amy and Ricky to end up together, and I guess you guys will see if that happens.

 

Moderator         We all know that next is Delirium, so if Ricky were dropped into the world of Delirium, would he get the cure?

D. Kagasoff       Definitely not.  He would definitely not get the cure.

 

Moderator     Would Ricky be friends with Alex or Julian?

D. Kagasoff      Definitely Alex, because I think their personalities are very similar.  Yes, definitely Alex, I’d say.

 

Moderator     What is your fondest memory from the show?

D. Kagasoff     Probably the last day of shooting.  We shot a lot of intense scenes, and to wrap up the show the way we did -  I’ll never forget it.  And all of the people that were there that day, you just don’t forget those types of moments, and thankfully I’m going to have that for the rest of my life, so probably the last day of shooting.

 

Moderator     Are you happy with the way the series ended for you and for what the outcome for Ricky is?

D. Kagasoff      Very happy, very happy.   I think the fans will be happy too.

 

Moderator       You’ve had some great guest stars so far in the show.  Can we expect any new faces this season?

D. Kagasoff       A couple.  They’re definitely coming in and out as far as new relationships that occur this next season.  I can’t really say who, but there’s definitely going to be some familiar faces that you’ve seen from other projects.

DAREN KAGASOFF, SHAILENE WOODLEY

 

Moderator    Is there anyone that you would love to work with some day?

D. Kagasoff   Yes, there’s several.  Probably Leonardo DiCaprio, I’d like to work with him.

 

Moderator     Do you respect the way that Ricky has turned out and are you happy with who he is?

D. Kagasoff         Most definitely.  In the beginning, when Secret Life first started Ricky was just a high school kid that didn’t really take any responsibility for his actions, and was just was kind of floating through life.  And ever since he had John with Amy things changed drastically, and I think he made the most positive decisions in his life to put his son first and his girlfriend first priority.  So I’m very pleased with what the writers did with my character from the beginning to the end.  I think he’s made a full circle and it was a pleasure to play and hopefully the fans will like to see that.

 

Moderator       Can you talk about what has been your favorite episode from the series that you’ve loved?

D. Kagasoff      Yes, I know I’ve been asked that question before and I said the day I won valedictorian of my class and I had to learn all these lines, it must have been a nine page monologue, and that was the most challenging because I had to talk to about 200 people that were sitting out in the audience.  And it was just daunting, and I got through it and I got through it well, and that was probably one of my most memorable scenes.

 

Moderator         With the series coming to an end, what do you think you’ll miss most about your time on the show?

D. Kagasoff         Probably everybody that I worked with, the crew, the cast, the producers, everybody, because we were doing it for so long, we shot around, I don’t even know the exact number, I want to say 120-something episodes, so when you’re around these people for so long you form relationships, you form friendships, I mean, that’s what I’m going to miss the most, is just missing my cast and being able to talk and be open with them, because these are your best friends.

 

Moderator     With the series coming to an end what’s next for you?

D. Kagasoff     I’m going to be working on this pilot, it’s called Delirium.  It’s for the FOX Network.  We don’t know if it’s picked up yet.  We haven’t even started shooting.  But we start very, very soon, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the cast, and that’s basically all I can say.

 

Moderator      Do you have a favorite moment or behind the scenes memory from the series you can share with our readers?

D. Kagasoff       Yes.  The boys on the show, Greg Finley and Ken Baumann, we all became really close and a lot of times interviewers would come on to the set and they’d go behind the scenes and show them the trailers or the sets. Kenny was most known for always screwing with me during all these interviews, because he’s way more intellectual than I and Greg are, so he would just screw with us in the interviews.  I couldn’t really tell you what it is, because they’re pretty terrible pranks, but I would be basically blushing throughout the entire interview because I was so embarrassed.

 

Moderator    The cast has gone through so many changes in their real lives, how has the show changed you since you started?

D. Kagasoff  Well, I never knew I wanted to be an actor until maybe six months before I got the job, so it just has taught me you’ve got to work so hard for the things that you want in life, and things don’t come easy.  And you can see it through the characters that were on Secret Life, whether certain things that happened in their lives they have to conquer and overcome.  And as people, as myself speaking about me, there’s a lot of obstacles in this business and in life in general, so from the show I just got keep your head up high, work hard, be respectful, polite, and good things will come.

 

Moderator    What’s the hardest part in balancing Ricky’s bad boy past and his role as a father on the show, and how does that affect you and influence your opinions of real life parenting?

D. Kagasoff     As far as Ricky, I think he completely changed.  He was a bad boy, he will always have that toughness about him, but he was sensitive guy that always wanted to do the right things and he really was looking out for Amy and her best interests and John’s best interest.  So looking at it from an outside perspective that’s what I think, say you do get pregnant at a young age, those are the kinds of things that I would expect from the father of the child.  Thank goodness I’m not a parent right now, let’s just say that.

 

Catch the final episodes of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” on ABC Family, Mondays 8/7 central.