The Psychologists Are In with Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson Episode Two: James Roday Rodriguez - Spellingg Bee
Nov 19, 2021
James Roday Rodriguez, star of the show, talks about his journey to becoming Shawn Spencer, nearly giving up TV acting, and how he coined Tim's chest hair nickname. They also discuss casting challenges, shooting the pilot episode, bonding activities, and the balance between comedy and drama in the show.
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Almost Quit TV Before Psych
- James nearly left TV acting at 29 and was planning to move back to New York for theater work.
- Reading the Psych pilot redirected him and ultimately led him to abandon that plan and commit to the show.
Collaboration Fueled Creative Ownership
- Steve Franks treated the script as a collaborative blueprint and gave James creative freedom.
- That trust and long leash were crucial to James embracing and shaping the Shawn Spencer role.
Loose Audition Won The Role
- James describes the testing process and his relaxed, improvised audition that won the role.
- He credits having no pressure and a clear plan (moving to New York) for keeping him loose during auditions.