Pop Culturalist Chats with Thomas Barbusca

Thomas Barbusca may be a young actor, but he’s no stranger to Hollywood. Beginning in commercials for brands like Dominos and Lunchables, Thomas then moved on to television shows. You may have seen him in recurring roles on American Horror Story: Hotel, the Wet Hot American Summer reboot on Netflix, or AMC’s Preacher.

Currently, Thomas is in the hilarious new tv show, The Mick, which is back for its second season. Pop Culturalist was able to chat with him a little bit about working on The Mick, working on a comedy, and how he’d love to be a member of the Lakers.

PC: Start off telling us a little bit about The Mick and your character, Chip.
Thomas: The show is about my parents getting arrested for federal fraud and then fleeing the country. My aunt Mickey is now the legal guardian for us. She’s definitely not your typical aunt. She’s a drinker. She’s had a hard life. The kids are super-entitled, bratty, and not very good with the rules. We pretty much bump heads with her, and we get into a lot of trouble. Chip thinks he’s the man of the house now that his dad is gone. Mickey and Chip have a lot of issues. Chip thinks money is the answer to everything.

PC: What initially drew you to this project?
Thomas: I had a couple other offers for shows but The Mick was definitely the best one hands down. The script was the best. Everybody behind it was awesome. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of my favorite shows of all time. It was really cool.

PC: What is your favorite part about being on The Mick?
Thomas: Working with and learning from the best cast and crew.

PC: So, what is it like working with Kaitlin Olson?
Thomas: It’s so fun. Like I said, I’m a huge fan of her. Being able to work with her…She’s super funny. She’s hands down the funniest person I’ve ever met. When our two talents go in together, it makes something really special.

PC: You were saying Chip and his aunt get off to a rough start. How is that dynamic going to change in the season? Will it change that much?
Thomas: You just have to watch the rest of the season and see how that plays out.

PC: What are some differences between season 1 & 2?
Thomas: Season one we were waiting for our parents to come back. This season, I think we realize that they won’t be coming back any time soon. We are embracing Mickey more and as much as we don’t want to admit it, we need her.

PC: Fair enough. Did you draw on any personal experiences when you were shaping your character of Chip or was this just totally coming up from scratch?
Thomas: Chip reminds me of a jerkier version of Alex Keaton from Family Ties. My mom watched a few episodes and I added my own voice to that.

PC: What are the big differences and similarities that you have with Chip?
Thomas: Chip’s like the complete opposite of me. He’s a real jerk, but that’s why it’s fun to play him.

PC: Is there any freedom to improv or do you guys stick to the script?
Thomas: We have a good ton of freedom. The writers, John and Dave, Kaitlin, the director are all into improv.

PC: Had you done a lot of improv beforehand?
Thomas: Yes.

PC: Do you have any advice for people starting out? For doing comedy and/or improv?
Thomas: I don’t know. Just try to be yourself. Try to be as natural as you can and just give it your all.

PC: What was the process like building your relationship with Sophia Black-D’Elia and Jack Stanton [Chip’s siblings, Sabrina and Ben, on the show]?
Thomas: We formed relationships on set. It was easy to do because we get along so well. Sophia and I like the same music and sports, and Jack’s the coolest little dude ever.

PC: Do you guys hang out a lot off set or just kind of when you’re on set for work?
Thomas: Both.

PC: If you were not an actor, what would you see yourself doing?
Thomas: I’d love to be in the NBA.

PC: Any particular team?
Thomas: Probably the Lakers.

PC: In the past, you’ve had roles in several big shows (American Horror Story, Preacher, Grey’s Anatomy). Do you have a favorite role that you’ve done?
Thomas: That’s a hard one. Right now playing Chip in The Mick is pretty much my favorite.

PC: Is that just because it’s so different from what you’ve done before or because you have more freedom with the script?
Thomas: I don’t know. I love Chip. He’s funny. He’s got a good heart. It’s cool playing that.

PC: When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
Thomas: I wanted to be an actor really young. My sister started out acting, and I wanted to do it because of her.

PC: If they did a revival of something, what would it be and what would you want to do?
Thomas: If they did a revival… Michael Scott on The Office. That’s one of my favorite characters of all time.

PC: Do you have someone in the future that you would love to work with?
Thomas: Robert De Niro, definitely; Leonardo DiCaprio; Steve Carell.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

Guilty pleasure TV show
Real Housewives of New Jersey 

Guilty pleasure movie
Not a lot of guys watch it, but it’s super funny: Mean Girls.

Favorite book
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

Favorite musical or play
Definitely Hamilton

A band or artist that people would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
I just discovered this one person, and she is like a household name. I have Lauryn Hill on the playlist right now.

Favorite social media platform?
Instagram and Twitter.

Hidden talent
I’m not a very talented person. I can do some card tricks.

If you could have dinner with five people, alive or dead, who would they be?
That’s a really good question. I’m a big basketball fan. Kobe Bryant, that’s one. Two, Odell Beckham, Jr. from the New York Giants. Three, Robert De Niro. Four, Steve Carell. I’ve mentioned him a bunch of times. Five, I’d want my mom to be there.

Make sure to follow Thomas on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Photo Credit: Fox