By: Haley Bosselman By: Haley Bosselman | May 4, 2023 | Television,
Photo by Emilynn Rose
Growing pains for the transition into young adulthood range from taking on bills to figuring out your place in the world. For Case Walker, it also means balancing a busier-than-ever acting schedule.
The 20-year-old actor was 16, playing 13-year-old ChaseDreams, when The Other Two first premiered on Comedy Central.
Ahead of the May 4 season 3 premiere of the comedy series, which has since moved to HBO Max, Walker tells Los Angeles Confidential that he had his “craziest week of filming this season.”
“I actually was filming Monster High and The Other Two simultaneously at one point. So I flew to Vancouver then back to New York and then back to Vancouver,” he says.
Walker describes practicing dance routines for Monster High: The Movie— a Nickelodeon musical that premiered last fall— in between takes for The Other Two and recalls an especially funny moment while practicing in an outlandish ChaseDreams look.
“We do some crazy special effects makeup. We’ll see that later in the season,” he hints. “I just remember being like, ‘This is insane.’”
The Other Two season 3 kicks off with ChaseDreams turning 18— a significant milestone for any pop star and young heartthrob-in-the-making. Meanwhile, his older siblings, Brooke and Cary (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver) have finally found some success, but are trying to figure out why they don’t feel completely whole and mom Pat Dubek (Molly Shannon) is trying to find a sense of normalcy in day-to-day life after becoming a world-famous daytime talk show host/ industry magnate.
“I think it feels great to be playing a character that's gone from a kid to growing up,” Walker says about Chase. “It's been really fun to explore that. As we all grow up in real life, he's taking control and making more decisions after growing up in a controlling family with a controlling manager. I think he still appreciates his team and his family and their advice, but he's directing a little bit more this season.”
In season 1, ChaseDreams first found fame when a song that he put on YouTube, “Marry U at Recess,” went viral. The teeny-bopper-loved music video catapulted him to a stardom level akin to Justin Bieber’s early years.
Now 18, Chase navigates first-time “risqué” photoshoots, sex-crazed media and a high-profile celebrity relationship, all while learning to take self-control of his identity and career.
“There's some really crazy stuff that goes down with Chase [and] when I first read it, I was like, ‘Let's push into this more, let’s really lean into this.’ And it's so much fun,” Walker says.
He adds, “One thing we do talk about and make sure that happens is whether Chase remains in this genuine place. And this season, he still remains the genuine little kid he's always been in his heart. Even though he's growing up, he's just always really kind and loving his family and [has] pretty genuine intentions.”
Like Chase, Walker has expanded his industry knowledge over the last four years. He learned the ropes from being on set, but the quick-paced insider jokes about Hollywood, New York City, L.A. and working in entertainment were also their own sort of unhinged industry masterclass.
Experiencing adolescence while working in Hollywood was something he was able to connect on with Kiernan Shipka, who makes a cameo this season. “We both talked about our families being normal and us being in the industry and how that's a fun dynamic,” Walker says.
The Colorado-raised actor has a twin brother. He says the two have become more similar as they’ve gotten older and has been supportive in his pursuit of acting. They also have an older brother, who Walker credits for getting him into rock climbing.
“It's a really big part of the sustainability of my work,” he says. “Having another place to apply all the techniques from filming to really complement my acting, I enjoy my acting more. It's less of a lifeline and more of an outlet so I can see it clearly, versus being just so involved in it that I don't have anything else to plug into. So the climbing allows a totally different avenue and also just keeps me healthy.”
Alongside regular climbing and acting (he recently wrapped shooting the sequel to Monster High: The Movie), Walker is in online school for screenwriting. He’s currently taking an English composition class and looks forward to diving into future acting and screenwriting courses.
And in consideration of his career future, Walker points to “groundbreaking” films like Shawshank Redemption and The Sixth Sense.
“I think it's had an impact on how I approach acting,” Walker says of being in school. “Less in a craft aspect and more of just in the [way of] continuing to learn and think. I think acting takes all of you and all of your experiences, so the more experiences you have… it all impacts how you approach your character and your storytelling.”
See also: All The New Shows And Movies Coming To HBO Max In May
Photography by: Emilynn Rose