Shawn Pyfrom on how Andrew van de Kamp is growing up...
I dunno, I kinda miss the days when Andrew van de Kamp was a holy homosexual terror on "Desperate Housewives," running over Carlos' mother, sleeping with his mother's boyfriend and kissing that cute boy in the pool.
The last few seasons, Andrew has become, well, kinda boring. And kinda marginalized. I'm not sure why since the actor who portrays him, Shawn Pyfrom, is absolutely terrific in the role and deserves more to do. Seriously, Andrew is far more inreresting than Edie Brit! You know it;s true.
Shawn gave an interview to Starpulse which I founded excerpted on Towleroad.com. Here is part of it:
On his relationship with his on-screen mother, played by Marcia Cross: ""It is always interesting to watch Andrew and Bree go at each other's throats. She believes something so different and he does everything to make sure to cause her stress. It seems like they are already on [the path of acceptance]. Andrew and Bree have resolved their issues, as when he apologized for the way he used to act. He is beginning to mature now and has forgiven his mother for leaving him on the side of the road...[That was wicked] but it was so awesome to shoot."
On how Andrew is changing: "...I think he is now on a path towards becoming an adult. I think it's necessary because the character is 20 now. Andrew still has his manipulating ways, he just approaches it more maturely...The good thing about Andrew is that in Season 1 and 2 as a gay character, he was very strong and confident as to who he was. I think that could be encouraging for other young homosexuals to become more confident and comfortable with who they are. A lot of times gay characters can be portrayed as the flamboyant and weak stereotype. Andrew is sociopathic and narcissistic and doesn't get along with his mother, and he is also gay. Your sexual preferences doesn't define you as a person. I'm heterosexual but that doesn't define me as a person. No one would say, 'Oh, he likes to have sex with girls,' so why should it be the other way around?"
On the possibility of being stereotyped as an actor by playing a gay character: "I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried, but honestly I think we are at a point now with television and movies where people can watch something and not stereotype the actor playing that character. I think if I had played a gay character 10 years ago then I would probably have something to worry about. I think people are a little bit more open-minded now. I think that the only time people stereotype is when the actor acts out in public. They go around parading things out to the media and then that is all people see when they are watching them on the screen. That's one reason that I don't do that. "
Greg Hernandez has covered the entertainment industry for the Daily
News since 2001. He's considered a bit odd by some for his obsession
with box office numbers, has been known to camp out near the kitchen
at premieres for first crack at the hors d'oeurves, and Greg's never
seen a red carpet he didn't want to stroll down.
Comments
The show just never topped its first season. I was an avid watcher that first year, I drifted through the second year and since then have only seen 2 episodes this current season just to see the gay neighbours. Too bad as that show had much potential to be better. However, Shawn Pyfrom really was (is) one of the high lights of the show.
Posted by: Tal | December 16, 2007 8:02 PM