Interview: 'Extreme Theatre Geek' Vincent Rodriguez III Chats Boybands and Magic on CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND

There are a few things that you can say about the new musical-comedy CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND's first two episodes; they have been funny, and they have been crazy. However, as the show's resident heartthrob Vincent Rodriguez III told me, the audience is in for a lot more of both.

"It gets funnier and crazier, believe it or not," Rodriguez said. "It's just like this thing that rolls down the hill, and it doesn't stop, it just gets heavier each time."

Rodriguez plays Josh Chan, the high school summer boyfriend of Rebecca Bunch, played by series co-creator and writer Rachel Bloom. After a chance meeting on the streets of New York 10 years later, Rebecca gives up a lucrative promotion and moves cross country to be closer to the man she's never been able to get over. This type of irrational decision-making is just one of the things that puts Rebecca in the crazy category, but according to Rodriguez, she is not the only character with issues that need addressing.

"Each of our characters is dealing with something; obviously Rebecca is dealing with a lot," he said, "but you'll find that out about each of our characters as the show rolls."

On tonight's episode (8:00pm/7:00pm CT on The CW), when Rebecca decides to throw herself a house-warming party, we get to see a few more of her insecurities, but we also learn about some of Josh's more endearing and heroic qualities as well. At the party, Rebecca envisions Josh performing a boyband-inspired number that Rodriguez says is, "pretty ridiculous, but it's also so awesome and amazing."

Having been in the world premiere casts of IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS and Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, on the Broadway National Tours of XANADU and ANYTHING GOES, and in the Public Theater's HERE LIES LOVE, Rodriguez has had the opportunity to be a dance captain, understudy, and swing, all of which helped him prepare to shoot this unique song, since he played every member of the four-boy band.

"Those experiences totally helped me take on the boyband of Joshs," he said. "I learned this choreography, which isn't too hard, but then I had to put all of this nuance behind each one of them."

Like all 90s-era boybands, each member of the group fills a type; there is Regular Josh, Innocent Josh, Bad Boy Josh, and Goofball Josh, and each one plays a part in getting the song's point across. "In a really short period of time, just through the choreography and how they sing, we had to tell this story, and that was really fun," Rodriguez said. "I thought, 'I'm a swing again. I'm a swing for myself!'"

Rodriguez said that the number is not only funny, but that it also gives more insight into why Rebecca loves Josh, and it shows that he might understand her better than either of them realizes.

"Part of the reason that Rebecca likes Josh is that he's not crazy," Rodriguez said. "He's pretty grounded, and she's neurotic. Josh is the opposite of that. Josh is chill, laid back, kind of like, 'Whatever, it's all good.' They're opposites in that way."

While Rebecca clearly fills the show's crazy quotient, Josh is still dealing with issues of his own. "Josh is very fond of the idea of his past," Rodriguez said. "So much so that he moved back home to West Covina, where is girlfriend from high school is, his best friend Greg, who he met in high school, and his crew. That's something we'll see as the season moves on."

A lot has been made about how unique CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND is compared to everything else on television, but one aspect that hasn't been discussed much is the fact that Rodriguez is one of the few Filipino leading men on TV.

"I've gotten some really great feedback, especially from the Asian community. I'm Filipino, and this is kind of a big deal; having a Filipino love interest on television. That hasn't really been done yet."

Set in West Covina, California, it was important for Bloom and co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, 27 DRESSES) that the show's cast reflected the ethnic reality of its setting. "They specifically wanted an Asian, 20s-early 30s guy," Rodriguez said. "In their (character) breakdown, I felt like they were describing me. I'm not used to being described in that way. One of the first things it said was 'Josh Chang,' but they changed it to 'Chan' to match my Filipino heritage."

Not only does Josh's ethnicity reflect actual California demographics, but it also has its roots in Bloom's real life. "Rachel Bloom actually did have a huge crush on this Asian guy, and she would try to find out where he was, so that she could be nearby. So, there is truth behind that as well."

Another real-life fact that made its way into the formation of Josh's character is the fact that Rodriguez is an active magician, a fact that Santino Fontana's character Greg mentions in the pilot episode. After seeing David Copperfield and Lance Burton on a family trip to Las Vegas before starting high school, Rodriguez began studying magic and, with some encouragement from his high school drama teacher, began doing shows with his friends.

"I was crazy into performing when I was younger," Rodriguez admits. "I was obsessed with the craft of acting, and theatre, and stage. You know the term 'theatre geek?' I am the extreme theatre geek. My Special Skills (on my resume) is really long and vast. I can play multiple instruments, I love a capella, I love barbershop, I love magic."

Rodriguez still finds time to practice tricks whenever he can. "I still have a deck of cards in my backpack," he said. "I think I could do a solid 30 minutes with a sharpie and a deck of cards."

In fact, Rodriguez's love of magic led for him to become the Magic Consultant for HUNCHBACK's world premiere production at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2014, and then at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse earlier this year.

While we haven't seen Josh bust out a deck of cards yet, there is always hope that Rebecca will next fantasize about Josh playing both Siegfried and Roy, and maybe the tiger too.

---

Which version of Josh are you most excited to see sing and dance tonight? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. If you want to follow along with my "366 in 366" articles, you can check out #BWW366in366 on Twitter. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us onFacebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.

Banner Photo Credit: Lisa Rose | The CW