Pop-Culturalist.com

Meet Eddie Leavy. He’s one of the young up-and-coming actors who’s literally making audiences laugh out loud every Thursday on NBC’s newest hit series, A.P. Bio. The show follows a failed Harvard professor who returns to his hometown with a vendetta and recruits his A.P. bio class to help mastermind a plan to get back at those who have wronged him. Eddie’s character, Anthony, is a studious young man who doesn’t appreciate his teacher’s antics. We spoke with Eddie about what drew him to this project, how he was a lot like his character in high school, and learned more about an upcoming episode he can’t wait for fans to see!

PC: Tell us about A.P. Bio, your character, and how you got involved with the show.
Eddie: A.P. Bio is a comedy about a disgruntled Harvard professor, Jack Griffin, who, through a series of events, ends up teaching an A.P. biology class in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Jack has no intention of teaching his students anything that has to do with biology, and therefore chaos ensues. He spends the majority of the time in the classroom plotting revenge missions against people he feels wronged him. My character, Anthony, is a student in Jack’s classroom. He really wants to learn biology and is not easily amused by Jack’s crazy antics. I was lucky enough to get an audition for the show, and that’s how I became involved.

PC: What drew you to this project?
Eddie: I love anything that takes place in a high school; I think it’s such a defining time in a teenager’s life. I also love comedies, so it was a no-brainer. When you see Mike O’Brien, Seth Meyers, and Lorne Michaels in one sentence, you don’t say no.

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“When you see Mike O’Brien, Seth Meyers, and Lorne Michaels in one sentence, you don’t say no.”

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PC: How would you describe Anthony’s story arc throughout the season?
Eddie: Anthony really struggles with Jack being his professor. He desperately wants to learn biology and is not amused by Jack’s crazy revenge missions, however, as the season continues we will see Anthony start to appreciate Jack and his unconventional ideas.

PC: Do you and Anthony share a lot of similarities?
Eddie: Definitely! I was very studious in high school, although I was more of a teacher’s pet! As the show evolved, it was fun to see how the writers crafted Anthony’s dialogue and persona towards my own personality—playing him was a blast.

PC: How closely does the show mimic your high school experience?
Eddie: I was an honors nerd! I took a bunch of A.P. classes and took pride in getting good grades.

PC: What was your favorite scene to film this season and why?
Eddie: There’s an upcoming school dance episode that was a dream come true. Being able to recreate that experience with the incredible cast is something I’ll never forget.

PC: Did you ever have a teacher like Jack?
Eddie: I had a pretty bad substitute teacher in elementary school that ended up getting fired, but I can’t say I ever had a teacher that threw apples at students. [laughs]

PC: What are you most excited for fans to see?
Eddie: I’m excited to have fans see the kids get out of the classroom in upcoming episodes. It’s really cool to see the characters on their feet in some hilarious situations.

Photo Credit: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Eddie: Glee

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Eddie: White Chicks

PC: Favorite book?
Eddie: Catcher in the Rye

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Eddie: Ragtime

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Eddie: Instagram

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Eddie: Beck

PC: Last person you texted?
Eddie: My friend, Ramya

PC: Hidden talent?
Eddie: I make a mean baked ziti

Make sure to follow Eddie on Twitter and Instagram, and check out new episodes of A.P. Bio every Thursday at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Photo Credit: Julia Peltier