Exclusive Interview: Joey McIntyre Talks V.C. Andrews’ Dawn, Playing the Villain, and More

Whether Joey McIntyre is performing in sold-out arenas around the world with New Kids on the Block or starring in projects like The Heat, he undoubtedly has the right stuff. This July, he stars in Lifetime’s highly-anticipated series, Dawn.

V.C. Andrews’ Dawn is a four-part limited series that follows the story of Dawn Longchamp (Brec Bassinger), who after growing up in humble surroundings with a very hardworking family including her devoted father Ormand (Jesse Metcalfe) and older brother Jimmy (Khobe Clarke), suddenly has everything she loves ripped away from her. After discovering the shocking truth about the people who raised her, she is thrust into a new family whose dark and twisted secrets change the course of her life forever. Joey shines as Michael Sutton, Dawn’s singing instructor, who may or may not make some questionable decisions.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Joey about V.C. Andrews’ Dawn, how he prepared to play the villain, collaborating with Brec Bassinger, and more!

Please Note: This interview was filmed prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. We stand in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, and will not be conducting further interviews until a fair deal is reached.

PC: You’ve done it all throughout your career. What was it about this particular script and project that resonated with you?
Joey: It resonated after the fact. The inside scoop is that I got the offer on a Friday. I was on a plane on Sunday up to Vancouver. I thought, “I love Vancouver. Lifetime has these amazing series. This is a no-brainer.” I was on the plane reading the script and going, “Oh my God.” I had no idea about this V.C. Andrews world. I slowly came to find out that my character doesn’t have the most redeeming qualities—let’s put it that way—so it was very exciting. I was thrown in the deep end with this, and it helped with the acting process.

PC: So often when you’re playing a villainous character, they see themselves as the heroes in their own stories. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to toe that line? He also makes a lot of questionable decisions throughout. How did you approach him without judgment?
Joey: You got to put all that aside, and that’s a great way to look at it. You turn the villain into the hero and back up why this guy is making the choices that he’s making. As people will see in this series, hurt people hurt people. These characters are so flawed. Why do they do this? Donna Mills talks about how her character had a whole book on her. She got to really learn what that character went through. In some ways, my character is easy. He’s an actor, right? He’s incredibly self-centered. He wants to be a star and anybody that gets in his way, he’s going to push aside. He’s going to use these people if it works for him until they don’t.

I got to tweak the character a bit. The producers were great. I was lucky enough that I had a connection to some of them in LA. One of them was from Boston. I was able to jump into the conversation and say, “How can I bring whatever I bring to the table and use that?” They were open to that. He was written as this British guy who’s this Hotty Toddy. I said, “I don’t think we’re using our best stuff if we go that route.” To me, I brought the vulnerability of this character. It’s about getting uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable. Sometimes when you’re playing the villain, you think he’s just mean, mean, mean. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be uncomfortable with the decisions they’re making.

Dawn is played by Brec Bassinger. She’s phenomenal and wise beyond her years. She’s twenty-three, but she carried this whole series. I had this great scene partner to walk along this journey with. There was real electricity and there was this real danger in the moment because we’re doing things that are uncomfortable and intimate. We were lucky enough to have Brec leading the way. You felt those emotions on set.

PC: Ignoring the decisions that your character makes later in the series, when we’re first introduced to Michael, he’s supposed to be this mentor figure to Dawn. Who were the mentors in your own life who shaped the artist and storyteller that you are today?
Joey: I was super lucky that at a young age, I joined New Kids on the Block. We didn’t make it right away. It took a few years. Our producer and the guy who wrote most of our music is named Maurice Starr. He’s a wonderful guy. Certainly, he’s human. He had his flaws. He was a gentle guy and an amazing artist to learn from. He’s a very important mentor in my life.

PC: In the press conference earlier, you saw firsthand the reaction that audiences are having to your character and your portrayal of him. How rewarding is that for you as a storyteller to know that you’re evoking that type of emotion? What do you hope audiences take away after seeing these films?
Joey: I don’t know. I go back to the fact that you want people to feel a little uncomfortable. As a guy who has a history of singing sweet love songs and being a boy band, which is amazing and fun, and even in those situations we can get sexy and a little saucy, but to play a character that’s off the beaten path and make audiences question what happened there—that’s exciting. That’s new. You want that new feeling. I can see our Blockheads putting their kids to bed, getting a glass of wine, and going on this journey with this Lifetime series. I think they’re going to get a kick out of it.

PC: There’s so much trust that’s needed when you’re approaching the dynamic between Dawn and Michael. How were you able to build that so quickly given that you only shot for six days?
Joey: I give her all the credit. She went on and on about how trusting I was and how respectful I was. That’s all you want to do. My number one job is to make this actor as comfortable as possible so that we can go there on screen in the best way. I’m glad that she felt that way. I was so impressed that she’s this young actor who has a lot of experience, but she’s only twenty-three. She’s carrying this whole series. She’s a real leader. She was able to walk the line. There’s a balance. You want to be super respectful but then on the other end, you want to take chances too and be vulnerable.

PC: Similar to your character, you’re also an acclaimed musician and theater star. How much does music play a role in your preparation for different characters? What were you listening to get into Michael’s mindset?
Joey: Any time that I’m singing a song, I’m telling a story. There’s a protagonist and an antagonist in every delivery. There’s a want. What do you want as an actor? What do you want as a singer? That’s a connector. I do exercise that muscle every time that I get up there. I can bring that energy and experience to the acting world. It’s nice. Sometimes when you’re an actor, singer, doing theater, and doing TV, it can feel like you’re spreading yourself too thin, but I’ve been doing it long enough that now I get to have these experiences across the board where I can enjoy that cornucopia experience.

To keep up with Joey, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Dawn every Saturday at 8/7c on Lifetime.