GMMR Chats with DROP DEAD DIVA’s Guardian Angel, Ben Feldman

Hey DROP DEAD DIVA fans! GIVE ME MY REMOTE recently got the chance to chat with your favorite guardian angel turned administrative assistant, Fred, played by the charming and adorable, Ben Feldman.

Why is Ben drawn to “food, booze & music”? Why does he thinks a show is better in season two than season one?  And what does he think about Fred and Jane’s romantic future.

Hi Ben. How are you?

Ben: I’m good. I love the name of your website.

Oh, thank you! It’s definitely a site where fans come together and express their love of TV shows, and DROP DEAD DIVA is one of them, so we were really excited to talk to you today. Congrats on being named a series regular. Fans were pretty upset when it looked like Fred’s character might be on the way out in season one.

Ben: Oh…they weren’t outraged. They were just confused (laughs). No, I’m very, very lucky and super excited that I’ve been so openly and warmly welcomed into this cool family. I’m just really happy to be here.

Someone on our site once mentioned that Fred and Jane actually make the nicest couple. They bicker sometimes, but they get along so well. Do you think the two might ever pair up, romantically?

Ben: You know, it’s weird, because I hear people say that every once in awhile, and it’s weird to me. I feel like Brooke (Elliott, Jane) and I…and I would imagine Fred and Jane, look at each other like brother and sister. So when people say that, I’m always kind of taken aback for a second. I don’t know why it ended up being like that. I guess it’s because we didn’t really being with that sort of a relationship. We jumped straight into guardian and…gaurdee, or whatever she would be called, and so now at this point, it just feels like it would be super weird. But maybe we could make it work. That’s like season six.

So you would say that Fred has his eye on Stacy and that’s what you’re committed to?

Ben: Oh yeah. He’ll stray from that path for sure, as he did sort of last Sunday, and he will again this Sunday (on Lifetime, 9pm EST), but he’s always got his eyes trained on the prize. Everything seems to be, in essence, for Stacy, in one way or another.

This week’s episode describes Fred as showing off his newly acquired dating skills or dating life.

Ben: (laughs) I wouldn’t call them skills…

Exactly! With Officer Jocelyn, things didn’t go so well. But do you think Stacy is the real deal? Every once in awhile, we get these glimpses of her character that maybe she isn’t quite as oblivious about things. Do you think she knows Fred’s feelings for her?

Ben: I think that’s the way in real life. So often television shows or movies will have it where ‘Guy 1’ says to ‘Girl 1’, “I like you,” and the girl says, “I like you too,” and boom, they’re together and it’s love. And as weirdly unrealistic as this angel in human form might be to some people, I think it’s sort of a really natural progression of a relationship. It’s sort of how a relationship normally evolves, where it glimmers until two people click and get it.

Fans are so enjoying the plot point of Fred as Kim’s assistant. It’s so brilliant to get Fred into the office as more than the mail clerk or whatever. Just a chance to see him interacting with other humans.

Ben: Yeah, and I get to sit down a lot more in scenes! (laughs)

What would be your ideal scene? If you go up to Josh Berman (series creator) and say, “I want to see a scene where…”

Ben: Well, this cast really is close and gets along with each other really well. As most casts that shoot in a different state from where they all live, you kind of quickly become everyone’s shoulder, best friend, family. So I think the scenes I’m most excited for every time I see them are the scenes where everyone is together, whether it’s a big party scene or for whatever reason, everyone seems to be in the office. So those are the most fun for me, because everyone in this cast is such a good actor and so easy to work with. And on top of that, we have so much fun. And I’m super lucky to get to work with Kim (Kate Levering) who is one of my favorite people on the planet.

Yeah, you (and Kate) have great chemistry.  I think a lot of viewers are really buying into that idea of also seeing Kim a little bit more vulnerable because Fred can kind of disarm her with his way of looking at things.

Ben: Yeah I think it’s really good for both characters. What makes a good relationship on-screen is a relationship that both characters can gain from. In storylines and also as evolving characters. That’s absolutely right. Kim puts Fred to work and gives him a sense of purpose and Fred kind of breaks Kim down a little bit. In a sense, it’s almost this vague version of what he is to the Jane character as well.

Like many shows that have had successful first seasons, DROP DEAD DIVA writers seem to be allowing themselves to slow things down a bit, take their time and really let characters and storylines develop in season two. Is that something you see on your side of the script?

Ben: Yeah, absolutely. I think season twos are always really fun for the actors and the writers, and you’re right. The first season is always like a 25 meter sprint or a short race, and the second season is more ‘loop around the track a few times and pace yourself and you’ll get there eventually kind of a thing.’ You get to actually explore as an actor and as characters and feel each other out and it doesn’t feel like you’re racing to the finish line. And we’ve all had so much fun this season. I loved David Denman who came on as Tony. He’s one of my favorite people to work with. We had a ton of fun here in Atlanta (where the show is filmed) when the cameras are off. But yeah, everyone is really enjoying their chances to sort of mix and mingle and be a part of other characters’ lives and have your OWN plotlines. It’s really, really terrific.

What TV show will you not miss, either in the summer or next fall?

Ben: Well, it’s not good to say, because it’s on at the same time as our show, but I’m really excited for MAD MEN to come back. I love really smart shows, and I love shows, like we were talking about, that take their time. Like the Sopranos. They don’t feel like they need to wow you every second. They can take a minute and evolve. The writers are like, “I got this. Sit back and let me tell you a story.”

A few months of the year, you play Fred, but for the rest of your time, you’re Ben Feldman. Is there anything else you want your fans to know about you?

Ben: No, I’m completely boring; I’ve got nothing (laughs). No, I read a lot of books. I’ve had Kindles, which I’ve actually lost twice. I just bought my third one, because I’m a blithering idiot. But yeah, I’ve been inspired. I’ve been reading a bunch. What’s also nice about being in Atlanta is getting back into music. I kind of go in and out. I’ll know nothing about current bands, and then all of a sudden I’ll go through this huge blast of listening to stuff. I think two of the best albums this summer are the Black Keys new album and the LCD Soundsystem album. Yeah, I spend a lot of my time with food, booze and music, I’d say. In fact, I even make booze. I have a wine label with a buddy of mine and spend a lot of time with that.

How cool is this guy?  A big thanks to Ben for taking the time to chat with us.

Be sure to tune into DROP DEAD DIVA on Sundays @9pm on Lifetime.

Follow @SarahinPrint on Twitter and get the latest GMMR updates on our official Facebook page.