It's Not Like That follows Malcolm (Scott Foley), a pastor and recently widowed dad of three. Lori (Erinn Hayes) is freshly divorced with two teens. Their families once did everything together, but now Malcolm and Lori must navigate their newly minted singledom, parenthood and the complexities of Malcolm being a modern-day pastor. Is this the beginning of a love story? It’s not like that. Or is it?
The series is set to premiere with the first two episodes on Wonder Project's subscription on Prime Video in the U.S. on Sunday, January 25, and comes our way from Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson, the creatives behind Life As We Know It and Parenthood.
Last week, we sat down with Foley to discuss his role in the show. Explaining what drew him to It's Not Like That, the actor talks us through his approach to Malcolm, finding the right balance between drama and comedy, and working with his young co-stars, including Weapons star Cary Christopher.
We also hear from the actor on his surprise return to the Scream franchise as Scream 3's Roman Bridger in the upcoming seventh instalment. And for the Scrubs fans among you, Foley explains why he won't be reprising his role as Sean in ABC's upcoming revival, despite being asked to come back by longtime friend Zach Braff.
You can check out our full interview with Foley, who is best known for his standout performances in Felicity, Scandal, and Grey's Anatomy, in the player below.
To start with, I'd love to know what drew you to Malcolm's story as this recently widowed pastor and father.
There were a lot of things that drew me to it. The first thing was the simplicity of it. I know you're a comic book movie guy, but there are no superheroes, no guns, no aliens coming out of the ground. We're not all living under a dome. It's just a very simple story, really well told with fleshed-out, interesting characters. For me, this was an interesting opportunity. It might sound strange, but I feel like I'm examining the role my father had when I was growing up.
I'm one of three boys, and I lost my mother when I was 15 years old, very similar in age to the character Flora, Malcolm's oldest daughter. To be able to step into shoes that are as similar as the ones my father wore after losing his wife and my mom at similar ages is somewhat cathartic. This is the kind of television that I watch, whether it's shows that I've been on, like Felicity or shows that I was just a fan of, Thirtysomething, Parenthood, and Friday Night Lights. There are no complications here aside from the human condition, and to me, that's the most interesting.
I'm glad you mentioned the characters because they do feel so authentic. Was that something you had to spend a lot of time developing, or was that in the script already as you started to find who Malcolm was as a character?
I think it's twofold. The script was very well crafted and thought out when it comes to the characters. Obviously, I bring my own work to the character. Presence and backstory. Creating a backstory for Malcolm, independent of the little that had been set up, was really interesting to do. Malcolm isn't that much different from you and me. The whole faith thing in this show is really interesting, too, because it was pitched to me before I read the script as a faith-based show. I thought, what does that mean? Is that going to alienate people? Is it going to bring in more viewers? Then I read it and, at least in the pilot, aside from him being a pastor and faith leader, I didn't feel that it was rammed down my throat or heavy-handed. I appreciated that, because if you are a person of faith or religion, there's something relatable for you here. If you're not, it's not going to get in the way. It just happens to be a job he has. I found that duality really interesting.
It does feel like a very welcoming series for everyone. It's a great drama, but also a great comedy. I love the bar scene where Malcolm blithely says that his wife is dead. How was it for you to find that right balance of comedy and the heavier dramatic moments, especially since you've done roles like this before?
I love it. It comes naturally to me. I'm a believer in everyday life as entertainment. Obviously, you have to heighten it a little bit with storylines and characters, but there's a reason people say something is "as funny as a fart in church." There's comedy to be found everywhere, as there is drama. The fact that the writers were able to balance that so well and understand the right places for the humor to rear its head is nice.
To be playing this parent navigating being a single parent and the modern parenthood of social media and everything he has to deal with as a dad—was that something you could tap into being a parent yourself? Was it quite easy to figure that out with the kids you were working with on the series?
Yeah, you really understand that. I've got three kids myself—a 16-year-old, 13-year-old, and 11-year-old. I'm a pretty hands-on dad, so I'm pretty adept at dealing with and trying to understand what's going on with them. The youngest of my kids is played by an actor who is 10 or 11 in real life. The way I talk to my 11-year-old is very different from the way I talk to my 16-year-old. If you haven't had both, you don't know that. For example, I say to my 11-year-old, "Hey, bud, get the door for me. I'm getting the trash." To my 16-year-old, it's like, "Yo, get the trash out of here. What are you doing?" There's just a different language. To have that in me and be able to bring that to the set was an added benefit.
I love those scenes with the kids—they're all real talents. Many of your scenes are with Aaron, and the process of building that friendship and how it evolves over the episodes I've seen. What was that like for you to work with her and figure out that dynamic between the two characters?
I'd never even met Aaron before, which is strange after 30 years in LA and her about the same amount of time. She's gone more of the comedy direction, and I have done more dramatic stuff. But from the jump, I could tell she was down to earth. She's got a couple of kids herself. She's a hardworking actress who made her own way, and I have a lot of respect for her—I think vice versa. She brought her A-game. Some of my favorite moments in this show are little blips that she has that really make the character pop. There's one I always point to in the first episode: after Malcolm and Lorie have their make-out in the car and he drops her off, she walks in and is immediately confronted by her son, who asks where she was. He's like, "Hey, you're missing an earring." Her reaction—she just reaches up to touch it and goes, "Huh?" She doesn't really say anything and then walks away. It's so simple, brilliant, natural, and normal. To be able to bring that on a set with kid actors, lights, and crew—she was so in the moment. I really leaned on her for a lot.
Awesome. I can't wait for people to see you two together. You mentioned some of the comedies you've worked on—I have to bring up Scrubs, which was a favourite of mine. They're bringing it back in a couple of weeks, but do you think we'll see more of Sean? Would you like to go back?
I would love to. It's so funny. I just was cleaning up my...I didn't want to show too much, but this [shows a photo of himself, Zach Braff, and Sarah Chalke on the set of Scrubs]. I would love to go back. I love the character of Sean. I've had the good fortune of working with Bill Lawrence not just on Scrubs, but then I did Cougar Town and Undateable. We made Whiskey Cavalier in the Czech Republic together. So we've had a long history. Zach has asked me to come back. I actually got a call right when they were starting production. They had me scheduled for an episode, and we couldn't work the schedule out. So, I'm sure we'll find the time.
Fingers crossed. Of course, Scream 7, that's another franchise you're returning to. That must be exciting too.
Oh, man. And the legs that franchise has, huh? You can't get away from it. People love it everywhere I go. It was a movie that I was sort of reprimanded to a certain degree for doing at the time—I was on Felicity, and during one of our hiatuses, a real actor would have gone and done a play, but I went and did Scream. I'm so grateful now, looking back, just to be a part of a franchise like that, a beloved franchise with so many fans still. To come back in Seven—I haven't read a script, I haven't seen the movie, but I was so happy to be a part of it.