Stephen Colletti has come a long way from his Laguna Beach surfing days. The actor, 32, joined the Watch With Us podcast at the ATX TV Festival on Friday, June 8, to talk about his whirlwind TV career. From Laguna Beach to One Tree Hill, Colletti grew immensely, and became close with costar James Lafferty.
Last year, the friends began writing their own TV show, Everyone Is Doing Great, five years after The CW series ended. As Us Weekly exclusively announced, the guys even launched an Indiegogo campaign to get the season made, which runs until July 20.
Below are highlights from the podcast. Listen to the full interview above and subscribe to Watch With Us for free on iTunes for more:
On how Everyone Is Doing Great looks at Hollywood:
It’s more of a grounded look at people who have success in the entertainment industry and what is closer to the reality of what their living as opposed to what’s projected and what you read in magazines. You guys do Stars Just Like Us. It’s just like that in 30 minutes.
On Laguna Beach cast he’s still close with:
I still talk to a lot of people. The guys that were on the show, Dieter [Schmitz] and Trey [Phillips] specifically, we’re still very close friends. [Lauren] Conrad and I, we’re usually down there around the fourth of July and she’ll host people. She does a great job hosting, shocker!
On finding work after OTH:
The year after One Tree Hill, I came back to L.A. like, “Alright let’s go, let’s get in some auditions, it’ll be easy, and I want to get in a show from the beginning.” It was tough. It was actually really, really hard, adjusting back into the [audition] rooms. I thought I was gonna be confident, but auditioning is brutal.
On constantly being asked about a One Tree Hill reboot:
I was happy with where my character ended, he came to an apex. He was at a great spot. There’s still there a little bit more, though, for me. The idea of going back, isn’t crazy to me. I would totally be down for that. I don’t get sick of it. I feel so lucky. The people on One Tree Hill made me feel comfortable, they didn’t have to do that. They were on a very successful show, and I walked in there from MTV and I would have understood if they we’re looking at me like “Why is this guy here?” but they welcomed me with open arms, took me in and I’ll never forget that. I will have a loyalty to the show and to the fans, they took me in too. No one had to be receptive from the jump. “Who’s this Chase guy with our Brooke?” You know, what I mean? They were welcoming to me, and I’m thankful for that. I’m gonna always be out here saying, “Let’s get the movie, let’s get the show, let’s get the reboot going. I’m in.”
On what he’d tell himself if he could go back to day one of Laguna Beach:
“Look here, Steven. In about 3-4 weeks, you’re gonna go on Spring Break, down to Cabo. There’s gonna be a lot of tequila. You’re 17 years old and they’re gonna feed you tequila – not MTV, Mexico. Let’s just take one or two shots less than you’re planning on. I think we’ll be OK!”
On Laguna Beach never being able to shoot at the high school:
Two days after [casting], it was the Super Bowl when Janet Jackson’s boob revealed herself, thanks to wardrobe malfunction and Justin Timberlake. That was an MTV produced halftime show. So they had to take the fall for everything that happened. After that happened, the school board got together and they’re like, “No, no no, this is not happening. MTV, you’re off campus.”
To learn more about Everyone Is Doing Great, visit the Indiegogo campaign here and watch the trailer here.
Subscribe to Watch With Us here.
