Happy’s Place is one of the current hits on NBC right now, and that’s not surprising with Reba McEntire in the lead. Pablo Castelblanco stars as Steve in the series, and we chatted with him about the series and working with some amazing actresses in Hollywood.
Steve is the lovable man who struggles with OCD. This is one of those conditions that is often used for comedic relief only, but Happy’s Place does something different. As someone who also has OCD, it was such a relief to see it being touched on in an empathetic way. I chatted with Castleblanco about that, along with just how salty I still am about the Alaska Daily cancellation.
Pablo Castelblanco talks Happy’s Place
Hidden Remote: I do want to start by saying I’m still salty that Alaska Daily was canceled. However, from that and Happy’s Place, you’ve had the opportunity to work with two amazing actresses, two powerhouses in the entertainment industry. What are you learning from both of them?
Pablo Castelblanco: The one thing they share is the wealth of knowledge they are willing to share about the craft. That is something I will forever take from my career. There comes a time when someone has questions, and they are both willing to talk through stuff. They’re not precious about information.
HR: I love that for you! Let’s jump into Steve’s character and the fact that he has OCD. I love it’s not just used for comedic relief. What’s that like for you to show this medical condition that affects so many of us in different ways?
PC: There are two sets to this story. One of them is one of our producers, the character is loosely based on a family member of theirs. I feel safe in knowing that there’s a shepherd willing to look over the stories, looking over what’s going on in rehearsal and is willing to have a conversation with everyone regarding the portrayal.
I also did my own research and learned a lot about it. We all have some degree of obsessive behavior, so you kind of connect to that. One of the things that I have loved the most is just how the scripts try to portray a version of it. Steve doesn’t just deal with it, but he’s actually trying to work through it and is aware of it.
I was working on the audition with my friend Meredith [Holtzman from Alaska Daily] and we found the trap is to fall on just the characteristics instead of being excited to get better. I think that’s the approach I had to the character for the audition, and I think that’s what resonated with it, because I feel like we all want to see people who are struggling with any kind of issue in their life, and we want to root for them. We don’t want to see them suffer through it. It could be funny in the beginning, but as the show goes on, it’s easier to see him deal with it, and we see other facets of Steve.
HR: I wanted to ask you about that. We see him with the storyline with the socks and how he realizes that mismatched socks means something to Takoda. We get to see Steve realize he needs empathy and understanding for others, accepting them for who they are. What was that like for you to bring to life?
PC: I’m overjoyed doing that. It’s a joy to get to play that because I love having those moments of intimacy. I love having those moments of growth in which he has to learn something about someone else.
There’s an episode later in the season where you find out that Steve loves football. You wouldn’t think that about him, but he loves football because of the stats. It’s all the little numbers, and there’s something joyous about it.
HR: Other than the OCD storyline, what else drew you into the character of Steve and the series Hapy’s Place?
PC: The team that was around Reba. The format of a sitcom in front of a live audience was very appealing to me. I really wanted to do that. It was everything I dreamed of. There’s also the improv aspect of it. Melissa Pearman is a comedy genius.
As we’ve done the season, I have loved how receptive the writers are to my voice and my strengths and the physical comedy I’ve gotten to do.
Also how Steve has become a bit of a pot-stirrer, which you know, at face value, everyone thinks he doesn’t like change. But no, he’s not clinically impaired. He has these things and he’s wanting and willing to get better. Because of that and because he feels very comfortable with his people, he starts poking at people. I love how much he pokes at people with love.
HR: Happy’s Place has this element of chosen family. Alaska Daily had that too. What is that like for you to show it, especially with your own story?
PC: Family is very important, but as you know, I moved to the United States when I was 17 for college. All my family is back home or in other countries. That’s something I knew as a reality in my life.
My family here, the people whom I rely on in my day-to-day life for more than 10 years is my chosen family. For me, it’s always been a reality, and that’s how I live my life. Maybe that’s why all these kinds of shows resonate with me a lot. If we saw each other more like chosen family in our day-to-day lives, we would be kinder to each other.
Happy’s Place airs on Fridays at 8/7c on NBC and streams the following day on Peacock. You can watch Alaska Daily on Hulu.
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