Credit: Sami Drasin
Sam Lerner stars as Geoff Schwartz on ABC’s hit comedy series The Goldbergs. We spoke with Sam about playing an ’80s character, his love story this season, and what else we can expect from his character on season 4 of The Goldbergs.
Read on for our exclusive interview with Sam Lerner:
What inspired you to get into acting? Was there anyone who influenced you?
Sam Lerner: I got into acting at a super young age; I was 9 years old when I booked my first movie. My dad and uncle are both actors so I kind of fell into it, seeing them succeeding and having fun as actors. I was a silly kid who always had to be the center of attention, so it was really no shocker that I became one.
What do you enjoy most about your job? Is there anything you’d love to tackle that you haven’t yet? Anyone you would love to work with someday?
The thing that makes me most happy when acting is just coming up with choices that I don’t think people will expect. As an actor, especially one who loves comedy, making creative and unique choices is the most fun I have ever. Whether it be an audition and I pick a choice that I know no one else will think of, or improvising on a film set, being creative is what really makes me feel like I’m doing something special. I would love to move toward doing more comedic films, such as anything Judd Apatow works on. He has always been the pinnacle of funny to me, so working with him or anyone he affiliates with would be a dream come true.
You returned to The Goldbergs as fan favorite Geoff Schwartz in season 4. What do you love most about your role? What attracted you to it? Is there anything you have in common with your character?
I absolutely love The Goldbergs and I love playing Geoff Schwartz. It’s so fun because I get to be one of Barry’s friends in the JTP but I also have this little love triangle situation going on with Hayley Orrantia (Erica) and Allie Grant (Evy). So I kind of get to be involved in multiple story lines, and I really get to be part of the world. What’s cool about it also is that it started as one episode, and the writers and producers loved our characters so much that they kept bringing us back, and now we’re almost at 30 episodes! I don’t know if they had any idea we would be this prominent on the show. It really feels like it grew organically. I think I’m like Geoff in the sense that I’m super loyal. I’ve had the same friends for years and I love being around the people I care about. It’s the most important thing to me.
I just recently binged the first couple of episodes of the new season of The Goldbergs, and I’m loving it. What can fans expect from your character in the upcoming episodes?
We’re just getting started on season 4. There’s gonna be so much fun stuff coming. Our Halloween episode is going to be awesome. As far as anything else goes, the writers haven’t told me yet what their plan is for Geoff, so I’m just as clueless as anyone else!
Credit: Sami Drasin
Your character has a bit of a love story going on this season. Can you preview what’s ahead for Geoff’s character and his love life?
Yeah, so right now Geoff and Evy are together, because last season Geoff gave everything he had to Erica and she still didn’t want him, but in the season finale, Evy did. However, Erica realized that she made a mistake so it’s a complete reversal this season of her wanting Geoff, but he’s with Evy now. So it’s a bit of a love triangle, but I’m not even sure Geoff knows how Erica feels. It’ll definitely be exciting to see how that pans out throughout the season.
Since The Goldbergs is the perfect chillout show, what are some of your favorite shows to relax and binge on right now?
I love watching shows like Parks & Rec when I just wanna relax and laugh. But I’m super into a lot of shows. Loving Westworld right now. Finished Narcos. Finished House of Cards. Waiting for new seasons of a bunch of shows.
With The Goldbergs being set in the ’80s, there is always opportunity for a theme episode or a fun cameo or guest star. What can we look forward to this season?
Oh man, I’m not sure what is planned for the rest of the season, but I can say that we have an AWESOME Globetrotters-themed episode coming your way! We just filmed it and it is hilarious. We got to shoot with real Globetrotters too, which was badass.
What do you love most about getting to kind of play in the ’80s on ABC?
Playing a character in the ’80s is fun. It’s hilarious ’cause a lot of the young cast doesn’t understand the references sometimes. I’ve been forced to do a lot of homework since joining the show, so that when I show up on set I’m not completely clueless. It’s been fun having to re-watch films like Dirty Dancing and Breakfast Club to give myself a refresher. I love ’80s movies. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am that this is my job!
Do you enjoy interacting with your fans on social media?
Interacting with fans on social media is fun… however, I don’t really have that many yet! I have a few loyal people who like my tweets or my Instagrams. They’re awesome. They understand how funny I am. The rest of the world must just not be caught up yet.
What else are you working on? What can your fans look forward to from you next?
The Goldbergs is keeping me super busy at the moment. We film for like 8 months out of the year! But I did do a small part in an awesome indie film produced by Paul Rudd and Adam Scott called Fun Mom Dinner! Look for it – should be some news about it soon!
Thanks so much to Sam Lerner for taking the time to answer some questions for us! We really appreciate it.
Keep up to date with Sam by following him on Twitter: @SammyLerner, and be sure to tune in to The Goldbergs Wednesdays at 8/7c on ABC!
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