John Corbett has met his match in Rebel costar Katey Sagal. The pair play husband and wife in the upcoming ABC series and since they’ve known each other for 20 years, the chemistry came naturally. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
“That’s one of those things that happens or you’ve got to fake it,” the Sex and the City alum, 59, told Us Weekly exclusively. “We got lucky. I think we like each other a lot. One of the things on set is when they say action, if you like the person you’re acting with, it just reads. The camera picks it up and small little moments are created. You can just feel it. You can also feel it if it’s with someone you don’t really like! I’ve had to do both. … You’ve gotta hope that the other person likes you and that’s when the chemistry can kind of blossom.”
Corbett, who has starred in dozens of films and TV shows since his debut in the early ’90s, added that while filming a TV show, sometimes you see your costars so much that things can get “tricky” if you don’t really get along.
“You spend a lot of time together, you have a friendship, but then you kind of become married to that person. Sometimes you see that person you’re working with more than the person you’re actually married to,” the My Big Fat Greek Wedding star explained. “It can get complicated, you know? Little arguments can start about little things that can kind of build. I’ve had that happen too in the past with certain people.”
The actor, who plays a “down-to-earth” yet very jealous man named Grady in Krista Vernoff‘s new show, adds that it’s natural — in some situations — for tension to run high on certain sets.
“It gets really confusing, especially when you’re playing someone’s husband or their wife. There are comments that happen in between takes and the next thing you know, somebody is yelling at you in a scene and you’re not quite sure if they’re yelling at the character or at you,” he added with a laugh. “It’s a Goddamn confusing thing that we do for a living and I’m still confused by it sometimes!”
Rebel premieres on ABC Thursday, April 8, at 10 p.m. ET.
