Will they handle parenthood? Quinn and Charlie are preparing to welcome a little gladiator into the world — and, frankly, that’s hard to imagine. George Newbern, who plays the dad-to-be on Scandal, joked about the couple in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly.
“As far as parenting, I don’t think he has a clue. I think his parenting skills may come from his facts of life or whatever he watched on TV [growing up],” Newbern, 52, says. “I think it’s going to be some kind of conventional idea. And Quinn — I don’t know what her idea of a parents is just yet. It’ll be interesting. I can see them strapping the kid on the baby carrier and scaling buildings.”
“I don’t even know if Charlie knows who his parents are,” he adds. “My backstory for Charlie was basically that he grew up like a foster kid without anything and he doesn’t really exist in the world. This is his way of sort of recreating a life for himself. I mean this is what I made up [in my mind], of course.”
It was revealed during the season 6 finale of the Shonda Rhimes-created political drama that Quinn was pregnant. Newbern says that they haven’t filmed a wedding yet, but it seems like they will “make everything all proper and right.”
“This was supposed to be a guest spot and they kept asking me back for a few episodes. I was sort of an all-purpose, pinch-hitter bad guy. And it was just a blast because it was something I never really got to do before. And now that I got involved with Katie’s character I was using her initially and then they got involved in a more romantic way — in a twisted, romantic way,” the Father of the Bride star tells Us. “I still think that he’s a bad guy. I think he’s still trying to catch his breath.”
Newbern, who says the show has “been a ride,” hopes that the former B-613 spy doesn’t become too reckless though.
“I would like to see him still alive. I hope he’s still with Quinn,” he tells Us of the finale. “This is a weird world. They don’t do normal things so anything is possible.”
Read the rest of his Q&A below:
US: What’s your favorite Charlie and Quinn scene?
GN: I really like the scene where I’m sort of stalking her at a hotel and I go up and push her up against a wall and kiss her. I thought that was pretty nutty because I didn’t expect it. I remember in the read through Shonda was watching me while I was reading it and she was like, ‘You have no idea what to expect from these table reads.’
US: Was the cast surprised to learn it was the final season?
GN: I was not shocked. I think there was talk. Usually after a show goes on for six seasons it becomes a big question of, ‘Hey, is it going to go on longer?’ When they decided to go to the seventh season I was like, ‘Oh, I bet that’s going to be the final season.’ I think it’s hard for them to tell all that story and keep it interesting because it burns really hot. And Shonda said this before — it makes a lot of sense — Trump’s presidency really kind of changed the dynamic for the arc on the show. It’s less shocking. He’s so controversial that what we do on the show isn’t as controversial because it’s happening in real life. That actually may have had something to do with it.
Grey’s Anatomy can [go on] because it’s a serialized show. It’s a show that has a beginning, middle and end in every episode. Scandal is one long burn. I think it’s hard to maintain that. I think they’ve done a great job. It’s an impossible thing to. I wish it would go on for another five years, frankly.
US: Has it been emotional on set?
GN: Not every take, but we had dinner with Shonda and we all talked about the great experiences and all that. It got a little teary and emotional. But once again, on set it just feels like work again. We’re having a fun time. It will probably get a little teary at the end, I’m sure.
US: What memorabilia are you going to take?
GN: I’ll probably take my boots. I wear these little boots and I’ll probably grab a bunch of stationary from the set if I can. Maybe a jacket or two.
Scandal airs Thursdays on ABC at 9 p.m. ET.
