Pop Culturalist Chats with Liam Carroll

Liam Carroll has been stealing scenes with his portrayal of Jared Parker, the young (not-so-smart) son in the zany Parker family on The Detour. If you’re not familiar with the show or him, watch it pronto. It’s a hilarious piece of comedic television, and you’ll immediately see that Liam is definitely an actor to watch. Pop Culturalist was able to chat with Liam about the show, improvisation, and what’s in store for season 2.

PC: What did you do when you found out that you got the part on The Detour? 
Liam: I was shocked. I had to go do a screen test with some possible Delilahs. When we got there, I was the only boy reading for the part of Jared. I was so confused! Jason Jones and Steve Pink walked out and told me that I was the only one to read for Jared. He then said, “You got the part, we want you to play my son.” I just couldn’t believe it.

PC: Jason Jones and Samantha Bee (some of our favorite Daily Show alums!) are the executive producers. They also write for the show AND Jason stars in it as your character’s dad. What is it like working with them? 
Liam: Only, super awesome. I work with Jason more than Samantha, but both are so fun and easy to work with. They are so talented to be able to do both, and I am lucky to work with them.

PC: Did you do anything as a cast to create the family dynamic on the show?
Liam: Nope. Except for the audition, we really all met for the first time at the table read. I guess it just came naturally.

PC: What is your favorite thing about your character? 
Liam: Jared is a character that allows me to have some freedom with his role on the show. He isn’t just running around telling jokes; I like that he is a kid that isn’t trying to be funny. He isn’t supposed to be very smart–so he does a lot of funny things naturally. Sometimes I even improvise. I love doing comedy!

PC: So, there is improv on set with the scripts? What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from performing that way?
Liam: With Jason, there is a lot of room for improv. He allows us to try different lines which takes the pressure off remembering all the lines perfectly. I learned that, in a scene, the line written isn’t always the line that works. Sometimes changing one word can make a funny scene even funnier.

PC: The Detour has a ton of wonky and crazy scenes in season 1 as the Parker family goes on a road trip—what was your favorite to film?
Liam: The Banana Creamery was my favorite scene because it was my first episode. It was actually my first day of shooting on the pilot. I also loved doing the “throw up” scene from Conquistadors because it was so nasty. Filming is never boring, that’s for sure.

PC: Season 2 just started. Is there something you’re excited for fans to see that you can talk about/tease? 
Liam: I’m excited about all of season 2. We got to shoot ALL OVER NY! We filmed in all five boroughs–we were on a boat, in a plane, and on a truck! No strip club this time, though, but we got to do some pretty cool things. It gets crazy.

PC: You started out in theater. What is the biggest difference between theater and working on a television show?
Liam: The biggest difference is the way you prepare I suppose. The theater is live so you only get ONE take for that show. If you make a mistake, you have to just keep going and make it work. TV allows you to try different takes and different ways of shooting a scene. It’s more fun. You do feel pressure too because you don’t just keep going if someone messes up. You have to do it over and over again until it is right.

PC: If you weren’t acting, what would you want to do instead?
Liam: I enjoy making YouTube videos because no one tells you what to do, and you can be as creative as you want.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

Guilty pleasure tv show or movie
Bob’s Burgers

Favorite book
The Maze Runner

Favorite play or musical
School of Rock

Hidden Talent
Trampoline flips

Favorite Social Media Platform
Instagram

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

Photo Credit: Birdie Thompson