Doug Brochu Sonny with a Chance Interview

Doug Brochu Sonny with a Chance Interview

Doug Brochu plays gregarious funnyman Grady Mitchell in the Disney Channel sitcom 'Sonny With A Chance.'

Brochu's television credits include a recurring role on Nickelodeon's, 'iCarly,' and guest-starring roles on 'Zoey 101' and a voice role on Disney Channel's animated series 'The Replacements.' He also starred in local Orlando, Florida theater productions of 'My Fair Lady' and 'Smokey Mountain Christmas,' and local Los Angeles theater productions of 'The Play's the Thing' and 'Forever Broadway.'

Born September 29, 1990, Brochu's favorite movie is 'Kung Fu Panda.' He loves to cook, play the piano, flute and bass guitar, and enjoys outdoor sports including hiking, fishing, skateboarding, snow skiing and golfing.

Brochu was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where his father was stationed in the military, and now resides in Los Angeles with his parents, older brother Chris and younger sister Kaitlyn.

Interview with Doug Brochu

Can you tell us about your character, Grady Mitchell, in Sonny With A Chance?

Doug Brochu: Grady Mitchell is a loveable butter ball, he is always happy and a little naïve, he loves fantasy and comic books. Whenever Nico is around we get into these pranks, schemes and crazy antics. Whenever Nico comes up with a plan Grady is always down for anything, he is like a puppy, wide-eyed and loyal.


Are you able to relate to the character you play in Sonny With A Chance, Grady Mitchell?

Doug Brochu: Oh, certainly! I pride myself on being a good friend who is always there; I am supportive of all my other friends when they need me. We both share an affinity for cargo-shorts, it works out well.


What did you enjoy most about filming Sonny with a Chance?

Doug Brochu: Probably shooting with my cast mate, Brandon Smith. I feel very blessed and honoured to have him as a cast-mate. I love all my other cast-mates, but because Brandon and I are always in scenes together, we always have to feed off each other and act with each other- I am really glad that I have a cast-mate who I get along with extremely well. Sometimes we are in very high stress situations together and both of us bring each other down, we are able to rely on each other, just like our characters.


Do you see other Disney co-stars, such as Brandon Smith, outside filming?

Doug Brochu: Yes! Especially in the first season of Sonny With A Chance, because in the second season we went to a different studio, for the first season there was a bowling alley very close to the studio. Almost every day after lunch we would go bowling at lunch, it was a way to get off the lot and drive around a little bit, do some bowling and then we would get back. It actually got to the point where we all got our own bowling balls and shoes!


How different is it working as a voice role on The Replacements, compared with a stage or television role?

Doug Brochu: I want to get into voice acting, so bad! There have been a few things for Disney that I have gotten very close to getting and it hasn't really worked out so far. The Replacements actually booked me on my performance on Sonny. They said "we heard you're very funny, why don't you do a little part for us?" I was very keen; I knew it would be awesome. I went in there and did it and I really enjoy voice-overs so much, not only do I want to do it; I am a huge fan of animation. Toy Story 3 is about to come out, I'm nineteen-years-old, and I giggle like a little school girl, every time I see a commercial for it. I am beside myself with excitement for animation.

Voice over's different, because it is just your voice. You don't have to worry about your body motions or looking, you can just stare right at the script and just talk and that is what they are looking for. Everything is displayed in the pitch of your voice, compared to relying on your whole body.


Do you prefer being on stage or filming for a televisions crew?

Doug Brochu: They each have their pros and cons, what I like about film is that you do it and it's done and you can move on to the next thing. Also, on the theatre side, you do it over and over again so you can perfect it a little more each time. You kind of get tired of the script and the stuff you are doing in theater but at the same time in film and a sitcom sometimes you look back at a scene and think 'man, I could have done that a little better' or 'I could have tweaked that a little better', I often think scenes would have worked a lot better if we'd had more time to work on it. They each have their pros and cons and I'm down to try theatre anytime, I'm ready to go back into that, if the opportunity comes up.


What is the next project you are working on?

Doug Brochu: Sonny With A Chance is what I have been working on for a while, I am interested in a few movies that are coming up, we still have to get confirmation on them. Other than that I have a big break coming up and I'm exciting because I am going to be seeing my family and relax here, in California.


Who inspired you to get into acting?

Doug Brochu: Actually, my little sister, she was originally the one who wanted to get into acting. My family was in Florida and she saw some classes that she wanted to take, so we went to this place and we made it like a family outing and my brother and I decided to audition as well, because if we were going to be there, we might as well all do it. We get there and the nerves starting settling in and I didn't want to do the audition anymore, my mum said 'come on, just do it' and she finally was able to persuade me to do it and I guess they really liked me! From there we did a lot of background work at the Disney parks because that was when the new rollercoaster came out and we saved up that money to move out to California.


If you could work with any actor, who would you choose to star alongside?

Doug Brochu: If it was comedy I would have to say Jack Black and for drama it would be Denzel Washington.


How does it feel to watch yourself on the big screen?

Doug Brochu: It is interesting. You look and sound different to what you do inside your own head, which is kind of surprising. It is good and it is bad, because I get to see what works and also what doesn't work, I want to watch it but at the same time I'd rather not because I don't want to be too hard on myself for something that might not have worked. Voice-over on the other hand, I don't want to hear my voice at all, there is just something about my voice and my voice only that I don't like hearing it back. I'll go to an audition and they'll ask 'did you want to hear that?' and I'm like 'noo!' I don't know what it is but I don't like hearing it.


Sonny With a Chance Season 1 Vol 3 will be available on Disney DVD from the 4th of August 2010.

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