Date: June 9, 2009
Transcribed By: Kim [dlrgrl1]

NWR: Drew are you there?

Drew: Yeah no pressure right?

NWR: Welcome to the show, we are happy to have you.

Drew: Thank you so much for having me.

NWR: One of the things I wanted to know..when we talked with Tanya Leb..Tanya Bianc..

Drew: You almost called her Tanya LeBlanc..

NWR: (laughing) I did..see and I wasn’t the one worried about being tongue tied..I was like I’ll be fine..I’m not affected by this cute guy…

Drew: No..I don’t at this point..know Tanya LeBlanc..

NWR: Are you surprised at how big a hit the show is?

Drew: Yeah, I think whenever you start a project, whether it be Charmed or Army Wives or anything you end up tackling as an artist, you always hope for the best but you can never really know. It’s a gamble. Some of the greatest show on television aren’t really well received or watched and its only later in the afterlife of DVD’s that you’re able to really grasp how fully brilliant it was at the time so I feel it’s an incredible honor to be so well received at our infant stages of this wonderful series that has been created on Lifetime. (pauses) that’s it..that’s all I got.

NWR: That’s one of the things Tanya Bianc said that some shows don’t make it past the pilot and the fact that you just got picked up for the 4th season…its incredible.

Drew: Yeah…it is incredible and a testament to the viewers. We wouldn’t be renewed if they didn’t have faith that the people out there are watching. And it is a surprise..the obstacles that one has to overcome to get on a television as an actor and then for that show to land on a good night and be received and be received well enough to pump money into the show and advertising..I mean it’s a never ending cycle..so its humbling and its flattering and I think that we all realize that one of the great qualities that everyone from the cast and crew have is we all recognize how special this beautiful kinda lightning in a bottle moment that everyone is fully aware of. And we are doing our best to make sure that we represent as best as we can.

NWR: Tell us..how did this role come about for you?

Drew: Uh..how did the role Trevor come about for me? I had finished..oh crap..you know, after Charmed it was a..there was awhile before it was difficult to get a job again because I think I was so associated with playing this character on the WB and um..you know there is a transition from kinda like boy to man that kinda happens and I feel from that..it was about 10, 11…maybe almost a year of not working of getting close on a lot of great projects but nothing kinda landed..and then uh.. one of my favorite people in the business..a director by the name of Ben Younger who just happens to be one of my closest friends. He was the writer/director of Boiler Room and Prime..and he was the one who was directing the pilot of army wives, we went out to lunch one day and I had just freshly shaved my head and he was like “Dude, I am doing this military show and you would be perfect for it and you should come in and read for me.” And so, I’m like yeah great awesome! So I go in there..I remember walking into the room with all the executives and Ben and I was thinking that it was going to be this beautiful warm reception..hey brother..this is my little brother Drew and yadda yadda yadda and it was so not like that. I walk in and he didn’t even look up. He is like hey..thanks for coming and reading and it was kind of instantly go time and I had to improvise and read ..just on a whim and ..everything made since. I got the character immediately. I understood where he was coming from. He is a hopeless romantic. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He really..all he cares about is family, country, god and he just wants to be a great soldier and represent to his fullest and I could…there is a bridge between me and the character Trevor so it just kinda came naturally to me and I had a little chemistry test with Sally who I think you had on the show a couple of times prior and it just worked. ..and here I am.

Drew: What..oh? I was just going to say that I..you know its just amazing how I…while Sally and I fight like you can’t imagine like brother and sister kind of fighting off screen..like we are always kind of pushing each others buttons and its always in a fun way and I’ve been spending a lot of time with her here as she is so intelligent and so much fun to hang out with but I would never have guessed how well its come across but I am flattered and greatful..again a lot to be greatful for.

NWR: Do you have any military in your background..in your family?

Drew: No..everything that we..we were fortunate enough this year, I think it was this year and last year, we have a really wonderful military advisor..this guy who used to be in special forces..um..stationed out of Fort Bragg and he has now come down and making sure that we’re not messing up and making sure that our berets don’t look like pizza parlor berets…or whatever..and that our patches are where they are supposed to be and the salute doesn’t have the slack list. You know there are so many little things, little details that I think everyone kinda catches especially if you’re in the military and we all wanted to get that right and since we have had Gavin down here, he’s been a tremendous help. Yeah no military background on my end. Just a lot of movie watching. I’m a product of television. It’s sad..

NWR: We’ve been lucky to have Sally on here a couple of times as you mentioned and ..

Drew: You’ve had her on twice and me…this is my first time. I’m..I don’t know what to say. I mean there’s this sibling rivalry and I don’t understand why she got to come on first and then again and then finally you guys brought on me.

NWR: What can you tell us about working with the cast?

Drew: Yeah. Like everyone is in such a unique specific place in their life…uh…you have someone like Kim who has a son in college. And Catherine who has a daughter in grade school. Wendy has a daughter here in grade school. Terry Sipico who plays Catherine’s wife (I think he meant husband) on the show just moved his family down from Upstate New York to Charleston, SC and his wife and his 2 kids. I mean Bryan has 2 kids. It’s uh very..Sterling’s married. Sally is in a long term relationship. I’ve been in a long term relationship. So everyone kinda has this really dull life. Whenever we come together and obviously it happens on an everyday basis when we are shooting, it’s just harmony. It’s really..such a wonderful supportive environment there. I really don’t think there is one weak link.

NWR: It comes across on the screen and love or hate AW…it’s a drama and there are always some things that I kinda cringe..

Drew: You and me both. Let’s be honest. We are all..everyone has an opinion about it. It’s not like where one person is gonna go, “Oh god, I am reinventing the wheel with my performances week in and week out.” I mean sometimes I am staying stuff and I’m like banging my head against the table going why did that just happen? Why are we doing this? I don’t get it. But uh..at the end of the day..its drama and we’re supposed to have some fun with it and its entertainment.

NWR: We are watching and there is always a tear or two every episode..

Drew: Oh god, I can’t watch. I’ve stopped watching the show because I feel there is something very self-indulgent about watching the show that I’m on and then crying at the scene I just shot or something…I just ..it’s too much for me. I’ve taken a leave of absence from AW. I’m shooting it. I’m working on it. I’m enjoying the process immensely and enjoying the fact that everyone is liking the outcome.

NWR: I was just watching the gag reel for the second season and its cracking me up that you’re just as funny and the same..

Drew: What that I am the same person on the DVD? (laughing)

NWR: As my husband put it, you’re a geek on the phone as well as TV and I’m like I don’t think he’s a geek but we’ll go with that.

Drew: I’ll take geek. I mean I don’t think I’m in your…classic standard of geek but I’m definitely..ya know…sure…I’ll take it.

NWR: What’s been the most surprising thing for you while working on this show?

Drew: Um…its not so much the surprising thing…I guess I am surprised at how well I’ve adapted to living in the South. You know, I’m born and raised in Los Angeles, California and when I .. actually right after..I think it was 1993 we ended up..my family ended up moving down to Orange County…Newport Beach specifically and that’s where I ended up going to high school. Yeah I went to high school in Newport Beach..

NWR: No..I’m a Huntington Beach girl..

Drew: Nice…I went to Corona Del Mar High School. Yeah from like 13 til 19 or 20 I lived in Newport Beach and so…I was 19 and then uh…yeah so when you get jobs when you do movies..it’s 3 months here, 2 months there, 60 days or something like that..you come back to your base in LA…that’s where my home base is. That’s where I definitely keep my residence and then to come down here to Charleston, SC. I mean it’s a beautiful, beautiful big town. I wouldn’t classify it as a small city..yet…um..it’s beautiful. There’s cobble stone streets. Every house is historically restored. It’s just..I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying this kind of small town living.

NWR: Over here it’s a different way of life and its slower. It’s hard not to fall in love with it.

Drew: I think at any other stage in my life right now, I could see myself just completely moving here. Um..it’s just that I feel…I’m still having a love affair with New York and London and LA. I’ve been very fortunate to travel the world and..to be put in a small town for 6 months a year, I’m very grateful and like I said, I’m very surprised at how much I am enjoying it but when my 6 months is up, I’m kinda on a plane right out of dodge to get back to city living that I am used to.

NWR: What’s it like portraying a soldier?

Drew: Yeah..that’s a serious question. Ya know, to portray a soldier, it’s an honor and I have such a healthy respect for the military that I might not have had before…and I can go ahead and say that because like I said I’m a product of media and I read a lot of websites whether its BBC news or Dredge Report or whatever the outlet is that you go online or you catch the news at night whether its FOX or CNN or MSNBC and you’re seeing how the media is skewing the war and its been happening for quite some time now and then you’re actually involved in it. Like I’m getting briefed about things that maybe I would have never been able to have my eyes check out before or you know..hearing first hand how it is. Getting the opportunity to go to Fort Bragg and shadow a soldier for a couple of days. By doing these things and listening to these stories and going up to Walter Reed and hanging out with wounded veterans, you really get the real side of the story and it becomes so much more. I’ve got so much more value in my work and I’m proud of what the military is doing and do you agree with or not? Do I agree with everything that’s happening or not, I can’t dispute for one second how grateful I am for the men and that I am representing the best of each and every one of them so its tremendously huge boots to fill and uh… it weighs heavily on me every day that I shoot. I make sure that I am honoring the uniform, I’m honoring the flag, I’m honoring the country and so yeah…it’s the most important role I’ve ever had to date for sure. Forgive me for rambling.

NWR: Drew we appreciate all the time and effort you take to get it right…

Drew: Yeah…I’m not perfect. There’s a lot of times when something will happen..it just didn’t work or it didn’t come off appropriate or whatever and it’s just one of those things that we go back to the drawing board and make sure that it doesn’t happen again or it doesn’t happen repeatedly. Because at the end of the day, it’s still entertainment. It’s still supposed to …people are able to veg out and kinda get involved in these characters lives and tell a story about what happens at home. I like that it spotlights this kind of side that the American public has never really seen before.

NWR: What’s your average day on set like Drew?

Drew: Um..it varies. You know what? We have such a big cast now. I think there is 10 or 11 series regulars that I think they do a very good job of each week…it’s kind of dedicated to a certain..I mean you’ll see every character pretty much every week but certain storylines are going to take precedent over others and then those will shift into the foreground and others will go back into the background. It’s just..it’s a constant ever changing. But like a typical day for example today, I woke up at 5am, showered, shaved…went out. I probably worked for 12 hours . I had an hour in between…they were shooting another scene that I wasn’t involved in so I took a nap. You know they feed you breakfast, lunch, and two snacks in between so a typical day is long and there’s a lot of coverage. A lot of repetition. It’s not as glamorous as everyone thinks it is but it is definitely the most fun one can possibly have. I’m very, very happy with my days. Yeah, I’m very grateful.

NWR: What can we look forward to this season from your character and Sally’s character?

Drew: Well that’s a good question cuz I don’t know what I can say and can’t say without getting a nasty email or one of my producers going later…what did you say on national Navy Radio? I..you have..there’s a lot to look forward to actually. There’s going to be kinda a really defining moment in my military life that’s going to change the course of how the audience views me and I view myself. I think you can look for that roughly around 307. Ya know in the next 6 weeks…where its going to drastically change the course trajectory of my military life.

NWR: That’s a pretty big tease…

Drew: Perfect! I love it!

NWR: What was your last vacation?

Drew: Oh..my last vacation? I got to home to LA for a week. That was like awesome. That was an amazing vacation for me. I got to see my dogs, my girl, my house, ride my motorcycles. I felt like I got a little leave. But..like a real vacation? Um..I drove from Charleston through Asheville, NC which is gorgeous to D.C. I did a tour of Walter Reed like a USO Tour of Walter Reed and then I went to New York for a month and just kind of decompressed and hung out there and stayed at..just my buddies loft in Brooklyn and drank coffee and rode the subways and took pictures and played basketball and just enjoyed New York City.

NWR: Are you getting recognized more?

Drew: Yes and no..I mean…Charmed is such a cult following that still a lot of the time its..especially when I am traveling through Europe…its Charmed instant recognition..like if someone does recognize me, it’s from Charmed for sure. But like in the last 6 months to a year, it’s definitely started to be more AW oriented but when I’m not working, I usually have some sort of stubble and long hair. But right now when you see me, I’m freshly shorned hair and clean shaven so it’s pretty easy to figure out if you watch the show, yeah..that’s the guy that plays Trevor.

NWR: Trevor, what types of music does…I did it again…

Drew: I’ll tell you what, I’m still trying to figure out what Trevor listens to 3 years later…I finally figured it out…Hank Williams Jr. oh boy…(laughing)

NWR: Drew, what kind of music is on your playlist?

Drew: Um..music is one of my greatest influences, passion. I’m obsessed..I love it! I listen to everything. Here…I’m walking over to my computer right now to tell you the last 10 songs I bought on itunes. It’s one of those things, you kinda listen to it, it puts you in the right mood at the right time for whatever the scene may call for. I love it! I listen to it on the plane, when I’m running. I listen to it when I’m cycling or riding my motorcycle..and it’s a really eclectic mix so you can go everything from the Beatles down but let’s see here. Lately, there’s a guy named Christopher O’Riley who I saw, there’s an arts and music festival that happens here in Charleston and he does regular head covers on the piano. It’s just really beautiful to just read to or fall asleep to. It’s Christopher O’Riley and he does pretty much every single great radiohead song. Little Joy..it’s a band that’s like a one off..uh..one of the guys from..oh boy..what’s the band called…the Strokes. There we go. Uh..Glasvegas, Aphex Twin, Smith’s a lot of the Smith’s, the Duke spirit, MIA, Kid Cutty, POS, My morning jacket, David Bowie classics, Devendra Banhart, Tricky… am I boring cuz you guys can cut me off anytime.

NWR: What’s the most embarrassing song on your IPOD?

Drew: Ohhh…good question. Maybe some Katy Perry? I know her so I gotta support. I love her. Oh Bon Iver…that is right now one of my biggest musical influences. I actually just recently picked up a guitar and I’m trying to learn to play that just because I love music so much and I play a bit of the piano but I can’t cart around a grand piano everywhere I go so I thought a nice little acoustic guitar might be…might be just write and Bon Iver is a really big influence. Embarrassing…yeah Katy Perry. I don’t think anyone would think that I listen to that.

NWR: We’re girls we like to chat…

Drew: I’m having fun..This is great. I mean if you want to cut me off…fine..but if you have other questions..let’s do it.

NWR: What time do you have to be there tomorrow? Are you working tomorrow or are you off?

Drew: Yes, I’m working tomorrow. I have to wake up at like 4:50…something like that..yeah..it’s not like a job I’ll be perfectly honest. I feel like I’m not on the air anymore so we’re just like 3 people having a conversation. It’s the shaving. I have the thickest beard on the planet…and it’s just awful. I shave and 4 hours later it’s right there. And the producers will come by and I have this fun little report with one of the producers and she’s like, “Drew, it’s..there’s too much shadow.” I’m like Marshal I shaved 5 hours ago. There’s nothing else I can do. I’m cursed. I’m not happy with this. So, I’m always having to wake up or go home. I’ve had to go home midday’s before and shave again which destroys my face so I’m bleeding all over the place. I know it’s a big baby me. But it’s just a pain. It’s such a pain. But yeah..so tomorrow morning 4:50 shaving in the shower.

NWR: Make sure and say hello to Sally and Brigid. When do you tape til?

Drew: We’ve been taping since February 1st and I think we wrap August 8th.

NWR: We told Tanya we want to go when she goes so we can get the VIP treatment.

Drew: You should go whether Tanya brings you or not. Like everyone..it’s such a warm and loving cast and crew that every single person who has ever been shown or given like the 5 start gold sticker treatment. No one is going to stick baby in the corner. Where are you guys located? Where did I call? Where are you located at this moment? No base..just give me a state.

NWR: I’m in Tennessee…

Drew: Oh you’re in Tennessee see that’s the name of my dog. See there we go.

NWR: if you ever come to Walter Reed…let me know. I’m there.

Drew: You weren’t there…I emailed you. You didn’t get it? You can’t trust email. Sometimes it might think I’m spam. But I’m sorry…next time. (laughing)

Drew: I definitely agree. I think that’s part of the joy of doing it is it’s not just appealing to AW. Hopefully it’s reading a broad spectrum of viewers. It’s very important that it reaches..it crosses demographics…you know what I’m saying? It’s not just esoteric to the Army. I’m grateful that this is a Navy run affiliated show and you know you guys are having me on. That’s really cool.

NWR: If Drew had to pick one of the AW to be married to, who would he choose?

Drew: Uh..Drew..uh…

NWR: Considering you have a long term relationship..

Drew: Oh it’s fine..she’s not listening. No one’s gonna post what I’m saying right? Who would I pick…and she has to be on my show? I guess that would make sense considering I’m…uh… who would Drew pick? And I’m picking the real person or the character? I’m gonna..this is bad. If Drew had to marry one of the cast members or specifically the characters the cast members are playing? I have to marry a character..um…Drew would marry Wendy. Cuz Wendy plays Joan and Joan’s busy. I could be a retiree playing golf totally living off my wife. Not worry about a thing like I know what my purpose is. I’m the show pony. That’s it. So I’ll take Wendy. I mean Joan. Don’t take anything I do seriously. The best place to be serious. You’re having an all time low of callers right now. We turned them off. We were too serious in the beginning. One of 5 listeners. Ok..we are growing up in LA, Rick Dees was who you listened to when I was a kid in the morning. It was an appropriate radio show for a kid on the way to carpool. I wanted to listen to Pirate radio and my mom said no so we listened to KIIS FM Rick Dees cuz she thought he was funny. And I always loved the fact that he would say my 5 listeners out there which he had the number 1 radio show in the morning in LA…now we are talking about 1986 right now. I don’t even know if KROC was around but Pirate radio was the best. It was all big hair metal bands from Metallica to LA Guns and AC/DC. Hard hitting rock like arena rock. See you have 1 listener calling me and typing. Jen’s holding it down for all of us.

NWR: If you had never done acting, would you have, going through this show, gone into the military?

Drew: Um…oh god Jen..such a serious question. No, I wouldn’t of. I mean I can site reasons like shaving and PT. I do have the schedule down. You know…again..I have such a healthy respect for the men and women who are doing it day in and day out and all the new recruits who are enlisting. It’s just…I feel like if I wasn’t acting, I would have to do something…I would have to have some outlet in the form of performance or entertaining like I’d either write or paint or become a street mime. I don’t know. I just always need to be performing. It’s my therapy..it’s my..it’s the way I breathe so I don’t know if I could ever really kind of feed my soul the way it needs to be fed and nurtured and I think we all need a little bit more of that and that’s why I love music so much and I love reading and I love sports. These are things that I am really committed to and they nurture me and make me really happy. Not that serving my country wouldn’t make me happy, I just need to be performing and helping people forget their hardships for maybe an hour. That’s what makes me live. I love it.

NWR: When Drew went through his addiction to pain meds…did he have someone to look after a family member or friend or personal research?

Drew: First of all, DREW did not have any addiction….yes I know. Drew/Trevor Trevor/Drew..it’s the same..one and the same. I promise you we’re are not even close to similar. To answer Hilary..good name by the way..that’s my sister’s name…one L A-R-Y…(laughs)…ok..anyway…no..I mean..I have…not personally but very close people I consider family who have battled addiction in the past to the point where I have put in a lot of time. I’ve gone to AA to support. I’ve gone to ALNON to support. I’ve gone and done as much as I possibly can to support my friends and family members who have battled addiction over the course of my life. So when they said my character was going into this kind of realm of pain killer addiction and that’s a very real thing right now, more and more Americans every single day and people all across the world are getting addicted to pain killers or just meds in general. Again, one of those great responsibilities to make sure that I am not overplaying it or underplaying it and making sure that I am selling it in a realistic believable way and that I’m executing what I’m supposed to be doing (coughs) on screen. Excuse me.

NWR: Final question…what message do you have for the military spouses who are watching the show every week?

Drew: Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you a billion times thank you. I mean what you guys go through..I mean I’m in a long distance relationship right now with my girl who is back in LA and we see each other once every 5 weeks and that to me is a killer. It kills me and it kills us because when we’re together everything’s amazing and that’s just 5 weeks. In the real world, civilian world, that’s a long time but to be in a relationship or marriage with kids and your husband can be gone for..or wives…be gone for 15 months or 18 months..that’s beyond…where you’re asking almost the impossible and you’re persevering..your finding a way to maintain and I thank you. Just keep watching and keep supporting. Tell your friends..there’s a good message there and that we’re trying to make it right and I think it’s drama. It’s high drama. I think there’s a lot of comedy. I think there’s a lot of family love. There’s something for everyone.

NWR: Thank you again for doing your best to get it right. It was fun and come back again.

Drew: Just make sure you got your facts right. You’ve got Trevor questions and you’ve got Drew questions. Whatever. I’ve been brother-in-law, character, actor..that’s about it. It’s like chewing gum and walking at the same time. Some people can’t handle it. (LAUGHS)…loving it. Thank you girls so much for having me on the show and thank you for your five listeners who are you know holding strong. Holding down the fort. All right girls…good night.