ABC Family’s new hit series Ravenswood returns on January 7, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT with all new episodes. And in support of the show’s return, actor Brett Dier (‘Luke Matheson’) participated in a conference call to chat about what’s going on with the series, his character, and what fans can expect when Ravenswood returns.
Brett Dier Ravenswood Conference Call
How did you get your role on Ravenswood?
Brett Dier: “I had an audition in Vancouver, I put it on tape by my agency, and then they liked it so they flew me down to LA and I tested for it. So, first, it was a studio test where a lot less people were involved, and then there was a network test, which was quadruple the amount of people so I was very nervous. It’s a very scary thing, but you have to go through that to get these roles.”
What was it about the show that made you want to be a part of it?
Brett Dier: “I love the supernatural, and the fact that it was a spinoff of Pretty Little Liars which a lot of people really love. I was excited to be part of something that people already knew about. I loved my character too because it says he was very dark. I like playing dark roles, so that really got me into it for sure.”
What have you added to the role that may not have been in the original script?
Brett Dier: “I wanted to bring some vulnerability to Luke because he’s a very angry guy. I just wanted to make it seem like he’s got a lot going on all the time — because he recently lost his father, he has no friends, and all these other things — so he’s a very sad kid. I wanted to put that underneath the anger.”
Will Luke be handling his own investigating – aside from the group – in order to find out what happened to his father?
Brett Dier: “Yes, there will definitely be some of that. Luke also gets in some trouble with the law, he gets to go in the back of a cop car. He’s definitely more involved than in the first half of the season, where he was to himself and didn’t believe in anything. He’s definitely doing some investigating by himself, with Remy, and with his sister. There’s even a cool couple of scenes with Luke and Caleb now, so there’s some bromance going on.”
Is there any hope for Luke and Remy’s relationship in the second half of the season?
Brett Dier: “They are definitely figuring things out and they are a lot better than how they were. There’s still, obviously, a little bit of issues but they are working things out.”
What is Luke’s relationship like with his sister?
Brett Dier: “He cares a lot about her and he’s very protective about her, especially now that his father passed away. He’s kind of like the man of the family now, so he’s got to take care of his mom and his sister. He would do anything for her, even though they have their disagreements. It all comes from love. He’s definitely a protective guy and loves his sister more than anything.”
What is it like working with the cast?
Brett Dier: “It’s awesome, it really is. It’s just amazing. We all get along. When we were in New Orleans we would always hang out and go see movies and go see live shows. It’s so good to be part of a show where everyone gets along because if they didn’t that would really suck.”
Does it ever creep you out meddling with the idea of spirits or apparitions?
Brett Dier: “Yes, definitely. Before Ravenswood I did a film called Backmask as well, and that whole movie was actually filmed in an abandoned insane asylum – it hadn’t been used for 60 years – so I’ve had experience in these kinds of things. I always have an experience with personally involving ghosts. On Ravenswood in New Orleans, I actually saw a ghost and I’m totally believing in that stuff now so it kind of makes it more realistic for me to play.”
Will Luke ever fully believe and become comfortable with the idea of the curse?
Brett Dier: “You know what? Actually, he does. He does eventually get comfortable with it. Well, not really comfortable, but you know he just accepts it now.”
Will we learn more about the relationship between Luke and Olivia’s mom and Mr. Collins?
Brett Dier: “Oh yes! There’s definitely some of that and it makes Luke extremely angry, so you’ll see some of that too.”
Why won’t Mr. Collins just come forward and discuss the curse with the group?
Brett Dier: “Yes, that’s what I want to know! It would make it a lot easier for Luke if he just straight up told him, but maybe you’ll see some of that coming up.”
What key aspects help or hinder the relationship between Luke and Olivia?
Brett Dier: “Stuff definitely gets a lot shakier in the next five episodes, lots of drama, especially between Olivia and Luke and their mom and Collins, so Luke and Olivia work together on that. They have some kafuffles but you can see their bond getting a lot stronger after that, especially after one really intense scene coming up. Merritt and I had to be really depressed for the scene, so we were depressed for like six hours on set to get into the mindset of the scene. That scene you definitely see Luke and Olivia bond. It’s a really cool scene, but I can’t give it away. I think it’s the season finale, episode 10.”
Which character on Ravenswood are you most like?
Brett Dier: “I’m definitely not like Luke, because Luke’s pretty dark and angry and I’m super socially awkward and goofy. I would say maybe more Caleb with a little bit of awkwardness. I’d say that, because Caleb’s got a good sense of humor and stuff, and he showed that a lot in Pretty Little Liars too. He’s got the good sense of humor.”
Will the gang have some good old-fashioned downtime in the episodes to come, or will they remain on high alert?
Brett Dier: “You know it’s pretty high alert the next five episodes because so much stuff happens, so many things that are really intense and not really much downtime, definitely not.”
What is in store for the friendship between Luke and Caleb?
Brett Dier: “When we come back on January 7th, Luke and Caleb actually do team up to do some mystery hunting, so that’s where you see it blossoming a little bit. I’m excited to be able to see that.”
How do you think the potential discovery of the curse will change the dynamic of the show?
Brett Dier: “I think if that does happen they’ll definitely have other problems. They wouldn’t just end. So if the curse does end you’ll probably see more downtime and more relief for a little bit. I guarantee you something else will happen right away, something intense. That’s what I think. Maybe it will show more character downtime, see what they do when they’re not on high alert, but I don’t know, I can’t see that happening any time soon.”
How do you like the instant feedback you receive through social media sites like Twitter?
Brett Dier: “Oh yes, Twitter’s great! I’m actually kind of addicted to it, so I have to stop. I promised myself to not go on it for the next few days, but it’s a very hard thing to do. I’m addicted to it. It’s horrible, but I love it. I love talking to fans, and it’s so cool to see all these answers from all around the world and receiving people’s feedback. It’s really awesome.”
Did you start out as a musician or did you always know you wanted to be an actor?
Brett Dier: “Oh, yes, so I’ve been playing piano since I was six or seven. I took lessons, but then I stopped and now I just do improv. I was actually writing a song this morning; it’s a comedy song about how insecure I am. I’m writing that and I’m going to try and get a music video together. So it’s just something that I do on the side to entertain myself. I didn’t want to pursue it, just something I’d put on YouTube to amuse people.”
What is your New Year’s resolution?
Brett Dier: “My New Year’s resolution, I feel like I still have to do last year’s and the year before that. I would say to challenge myself more and more. Every year I try and challenge myself more and more, whether it be acting or everything I do. I just want to try and be better than the year before.”
