[IMG:L]As Notes from the Underbelly kicks off a second season, expectant parents Lauren (Jennifer Westfeldt) and Andrew (Peter Cambor) are busy preparing for their new arrival. While mommy-to-be remains reluctant about giving up her old lifestyle, daddy anxiously anticipates each step of the pregnancy. Helping them at every turn are new parents Julie (Melanie Paxson) and Eric (Sunkrish Bala), as well as single friends Cooper (Rachael Harris) and Danny (Michael Weaver).
When Hollywood.com ran into Peter Cambor recently at an ABC event he gave us his views on Andrew, the show and more.
Hollywood.com: How is Andrew going to handle having a baby?
Peter Cambor: I think he’s always under the assumption that he can handle anything. I think that’s where some of the comedy comes in. I’m the kind of guy where if the car breaks down I will lift the hood even though I have no idea what I’m looking at, but I will do it just to pretend like I know because it is the manly thing to do. I think we are very similar in the sense that he’s reading all the books and thinks he knows what to do, but of course life experience doesn’t really match up to what you read. So, that’s his deal. I bet when the baby’s born and we get to raising the kid, that’s really where a lot of real comedy comes in.
[IMG:R]HW: Who do you relate to most on the show: Andrew, Michael, or Eric?
PC: With this show you have two extremes on the spectrum. On one end you have Michael’s character and Rachael Harris’ character who are like, “Screw babies. Screw that. I’m single, I’m doing my thing. I like to party” and then on the other end of the spectrum you have this square Julie and Eric [couple] who are planning, planning, planning, loaded, loaded, loaded, big baby shower … you can’t possibly know so I am torn between both. We are like these young career types who want to have a kid because that is what you are supposed to do, right?
HW: The show was originally about pregnancy. How does the show evolve in the second season?
PC: There is a whole other show in raising the child and I think the show sort of becomes a little like Malcolm in the Middle or My Two Dads. A show like Malcolm in the Middle is a really good example of a young family. Tthe kids are obviously a lot older, but it is a single camera show about the trials of like growing up with your child that way because that is when everything changes. That’s when you lose all your sleep and all of your social time.
HW: Is this first hand knowledge, do you have any kids of your own?
PC: No, not that I know of [laughs]. A lot of my friends, like Michael Weaver–he just had a kid. Stacy Traub just had a baby–the creator of the show–one of the producers just had a baby, like everyone around us is having babies.Virtually what I do is take any role very seriously so I registered a fake baby on babycenter.com.
HW: What did you learn by creating a fake baby alias online?
PC: You register your baby–my baby has already been born–so every week it gives you information like, “Week 18: You should be expecting dah, dah, dah.” So I have this fake baby so I would know what I was talking about on the show. That’s the kind of research I do. I bought a baby book. It was so funny going to Barnes and Noble and buying baby books.
[IMG:R]HW: What about Jennifer, was she doing the same types of things?
PC: I don’t know. I’m like 28 years old and the rest of the cast … are in their early 30s going through the baby stuff more than I am right now. They can all draw from personal experience, where as I’m the youngin’. I’m not even married right now, so I’ve got to get my books.
HW: You are not ready to give up your freedom just yet?
PC: It is funny because I think it is all transition and you get to a point where if I was single until I was like 40–you get to a point where everyone else gets married and you are like, “Hey, let’s go hang out” and they are like “No, I have a wife, I have a kid.” So when everyone starts to branch off and have a family you just get bored, so in some ways the transition makes sense. But the thing I would miss most about being single is peace and quiet. I have a dog right now and it is really odd having something or someone that takes precedence before you sometimes. And it is a really interesting transition like you have to be home every four hours to walk him–well you don’t have to of course, but then he will piss all over your bed like he did last week–so things like that. I wouldn’t trade him for the world. I am glad I have a dog, but he does interfere with my freedom.
Notes from the Underbelly premieres at 9:30 ET on Nov. 26 on ABC
