Funny man Berlin native Nate Torrence returns to the small screen in Mr. Sunshine
On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Torrence will be very interested to see how the nation responds to Mr. Sunshine, a new TV show on ABC which airs at 9:30 p.m., and stars one Nate Torrence as Matthew Perry's sidekick.
Coming off a stint with Chicago's Second City comedy troupe out of Chicago a decade ago, Torrence delved into the acting realm in commercials, where his effort as the college boy bound-for-home to dive into a box of Golden Grahams earned him some instant success. More commercials followed, then Torrence began landing guest roles in some of TV's top shows, like House, CSI, Malcolm In the Middle, The Ghost Whisperer and finally, Studio 60 of the Sunset Strip (2006-2007).
While the show didn't fare as well as he had hoped, lasting only two seasons, it did give him a nice foothold in TV, and it also introduced him to Matthew Perry, former Friends actor, who starred in Sunset Strip.
Torrence's fame blossomed after his two-year trek with Sunset Strip, and he moved into the world of movies. His role as Lloyd on Get Smart, in which he starred with Steve Carrell, jettisoned him into the next level, and soon parts in the movies My Best Friend's Girl and She's Out of My League followed.
However, Perry kept the young actor in mind when he began writing and producing Mr. Sunshine, creating the role of Roman, the son of the owner of the sports arena company, specifically with Torrence in mind.
As Roman, Torrence gets to cavort in a realm he is very comfortable with, playing a none-too-bright underachiever who gets more than his fair share of witty one-liners.
Perry, who stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of the second-rate sports arena company, must find his boss' (Allison Janney of The West Wing) son a job in the company, despite his inability to do any of them capably.
Torrence began his relationship with Perry several years ago when the two met on the set of Studio 60. Torrence said that they became friends, and last year, Perry contacted him about a role on the Showtime series The End of Steve, a series written by Perry. The pilot was not picked up by Showtime, but Perry wasn't done with Torrence just yet. He called Torrence one year later and told him he had a role for him. The actor jumped at the chance to reconnect with the Friends alumni.
"This one really came out of the blue," said Torrence of Mr. Sunshine. "It is a huge honor and a real compliment that he has kept me in mind, and thinks enough of me to write a role specifically for me."
Unlike the Showtime role, in which Torrence was simply handed the role, because Mr. Sunshine is network TV, he had to audition for the role of Roman. However, with Perry pushing for him, rather than the three or four auditions usually required, he received the role after just one audition.
"This may sound kind of cliche, but Matthew and I have really developed a good chemistry," said Torrence.
The role of Roman is one which Torrence said continues to evolve. According to Torrence, at first, Roman was kind of a moronic loser, but he has evolved over the shooting of 13 episodes into more of a sweet, lovable character.
"Roman is very innocent and naive," said Torrence. "He's actually got a lot of scenes in which he pulls on the heartstrings and makes Ben (Perry's character) realize something of value. It's a very fun character to play."
Mr. Sunshine has currently filmed 13 episodes, and much to the joy of those involved in the project, they have found themselves in a plum position, airing on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m., following Modern Family, perhaps ABC's biggest hit right now.
"That is the very best scenario we could have hoped for," said Torrence. "That is a huge honor to be put in that position, and I think it says a lot about what the network's hopes are for our show."
After the success of Get Smart, Torrence moved his family to Colorado, because he had been doing mostly movies and was not too involved with filming TV in Los Angeles. That all changed when Perry and ABC came calling, but the hectic pace of filming a television show for 13 weeks has been one which he has enjoyed.
He has also taken great pleasure in getting to know Perry even more, and said that their chemistry has developed so much that the show took an interesting turn in direction during filming.
"In either episode two or three, I will move in as Ben's roommate," said Torrence with a laugh. "Sometimes when you film, you just don't know exactly what will happen and where the show will evolve. I think that the network has a lot of faith in our chemistry."
As the show's opening debut approaches, Torrence is busy promoting the show, doing press junkets and staying on top of things as ABC continues to utilize him as a way to promote Mr. Sunshine.
In between, Torrence has been trying to find time to continue auditioning for various roles, but his main focus will be on Motorcity, his upcoming Disney series.
Production has begun on Motorcity, an animated series set in a futuristic Detroit after it has been purchased and built into Detroit Deluxe by evil billionaire Abraham Kane. Having banned personal freedoms, including automobile transportation, Kane is ultimately challenged by a group of rebels who call themselves The Burners.
Led by 17-year-old Mike Chilton, The Burners retreat to an underground city, customize their fleet of hot rods and pursue their quest to stop Kane from taking over the world. The series, created by Chris Prynoski and produced by Disney Television Animation and Titmouse, Inc., is slated to premiere next year on the up-and-coming Disney XD, which offers a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for kids age 6-14.
"It's been a rush," said Torrence of the hectic lifestyle of an actor's world. "But it has been extremely fulfilling. Hopefully I can find the time to get back to the area and see all of my family and friends soon."