Exclusive Interview: It’s Awesome to be Ryan McPartlin on CHUCK

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN / Contributing Writer

Posted: December 23rd, 2011 / 04:41 PM

Ryan McPartlin and wife Danielle Kirlin at the World Premiere of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 1 | ©2011 SUe Schneider

Ryan McPartlin has played brother-in-law Devon Woodcomb, aka Captain Awesome, to the title hero (Zachary Levi) on five seasons of NBC’s series CHUCK, now airing Fridays at 8 PM.

On the show, McPartlin’s character is a surgeon and new father who sometimes gets dragged into Chuck’s spy activities. While Chuck and his friends work with the CIA and NSA, McPartlin has rounded out his Federal acting profile with a part as historical figure Lawrence Richey, the man who introduced Clyde Tolson to Hoover, in this year’s Clint Eastwood-directed feature J. EDGAR. McPartlin also starred with Beau Bridges in the NBC TV-movie GAME TIME, which he describes as “a good family movie with a lot of football in it.”

In person, the Chicago-born actor, a real-life father of two, seems to be the guy everyone knows. At a party thrown by NBC, just about everybody comes up to him. Partlin congratulates old friend Tal Rabinowitz, now NBC’s head of comedy, and says, “It’s nice to be in the same family for thirteen episodes. I’m very confident about NBC’s future because of Tal Rabinowitz. You can put that on record.”

McPartlin recognizes another face emerging from the crowd. “And this guy [Galen Gering, who played Luis] and I were on PASSIONS together.”

McPartlin catches up with Gering, who is now on a reality series for E! entitled DIRTY SOAP, then returns to his exclusive interview with ASSIGNMENT X.

ASSIGNMENT X: You were on PASSIONS?

McPARTLIN: I used to wear a disguise. I had this really long wig at the time.

Abigail Moore, Sarah Lancaster and Ryan McPartlin in CHUCK - Season 5 - "Vs. The Baby" | ©2011 NBC/Greg Gayne

AX: Are you looking forward to Devon maybe getting into more spy stuff this season?

McPARTLIN: I’m going to be the face of the Buy More this year. [Devon] is still a surgeon – he took an oath. He’s moonlighting on the side. I’m looking forward into getting into Buy More. They need some organization, they need someone like me putting it together and there will be spy stuff along the way, but I’m looking forward to having fun in my last thirteen episodes.

AX: Is playing Devon this season one of those things where your real-life fatherhood experience may come in handy?

McPARTLIN: Yeah. Fatherhood always comes in handy. If I can deal with an infant, I can deal with Jeffster.

AX: That’s true. I was actually thinking of playing Devon as a father to his baby daughter Clara –

McPARTLIN: Ah, yes –

AX: But Jeffster might be more difficult.

McPARTLIN: Exactly. Jeffster – they probably spit up more and are more gassy than any infant.

AX: And they require more complicated formulas.

McPARTLIN: Absolutely.

Ryan McPartlin and wife Danielle at the World Premiere of Clint Eastwood's J. EDGAR, the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2011 | ©2011 Sue Schneider

AX: Do you have a favorite Devon scene or episode that you’ve done so far?

McPARTLIN: I loved getting into the spy world and stabbing Brandon Routh [as bad guy Daniel Shaw] in the chest with the hypodermic needle, and having to convince Angie Harmon that I was a super-spy. I think that was great.

AX: Were you confident that CHUCK would be picked up for a fifth season?

McPARTLIN: I’m confident about every season. You know, every time someone tells us we’re going away, we’re, “Oh, really?” We’re having so much fun and it’s so contagious that I think that even when we end our run on TV, the fans are going to start a production company and make a movie out of it.

AX: Are the fans extra emotional that CHUCK is finally going off the air after this thirteen-episode season?

McPARTLIN: Yes. Well, it comes in waves. We love our fans and the fact that they kept us on the air so long – we just get blindsided by emotion once in awhile. And that’ll happen. But I think after this thirteen [episodes of the last season], there will be life for CHUCK down the road. We’ll figure it out. I just love being in the moment right now and enjoying it while it’s still around.

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