If Connor Weil's name isn't on your radar yet, you may want to change that pretty soon.
The passionate, happy-go-lucky, outdoors-loving Portland, Oregon native is making his way fast up the Hollywood food chain, having already worked with Kevin Costner and Maria Bello in McFarland, USA and now a primary cast member on MTV’s latest summer hit series Scream. Airing on Tuesday nights at 10/9c, he stars as basketball player Will who — just like every character on the show — is a little mysterious regarding where he stands on things. In real life, however, it’s hard to find an actor more personable, down-to-Earth and sweet-natured as him. But you can see that all for yourself.
In an exclusive interview, Weil talks about Comic-Con, interacting with fans, whether or not he’s talked with Wes Craven, working on Sharknado, his love of surfing, his music career, going to a party with Joss Whedon and more. If anything, he’s game to prove he’s ready to make it big in the entertainment scene, and it’s not hard to believe that he’ll get his wish. Check it out below.
This interview was recorded on July 14.
Image taken by Bobby Quillard, courtesy of Platform Public Relations
TheCelebrityCafe.com: Well first, I gotta ask: How was Comic-Con?
Connor Weil: Dude, Comic-Con was crazy. It was my first time, and nothing could prepare me for the amount of awesome, crazy, like, costumes and amount of people there, and, I mean, it was so fun! But, like, you only had a moment to stop and breathe. It was awesome.
TCC: Great, and I’ve noticed so far that even though you’re only two episodes in — soon to be three — you’ve had a really great response online. What’s it like interacting with fans this early in the process?
CW: It’s amazing; that’s a great question. They’ve been so loving and so excited from the start. And that was definitely something, as a cast, we were waiting to see how it was going to play out, because it is such a pre-concentrated fanbase. So they were either going to love it, or hate it, or what the hell it was going to be. But we’ve had nothing but love and support and excitement, and we can’t get enough of it. It’s really, really inspiring and cool to know we’re putting in good work.
TCC: And someone told me that you weren’t a horror fan before you started doing this show.
CW: Yeah, I definitely, definitely was not. I’m such a scaredy cat. Could not handle it. I started getting into the thriller-style horror stuff a little bit before doing the show, so movies like Sixth Sense, The Others, the thriller/suspenseful ones. As soon as I jumped on this and saw how fun it is, and how fun it is to be taking the audience this way and then having this crazy retro thing going on, it’s really fun. It’s really fun to shoot, and it’s really fun to put yourself through those moments. So I’m a newfound horror fan.
TCC: Awesome, and now that you’re going to get recognized with this show, you’re probably going to get more calls to do more roles in film and TV in the horror genre. Would that be something you’re interested in?
CW: Definitely. I’m very particular when it comes to horror and that kind of stuff, because a lot of it goes out there a little bit. But I really like the smart ones, so if they continue (coming in), I’d definitely love to do the smart, nuanced, suspenseful projects, particularly through working with Scream.
TCC: And I know that he’s an executive producer on the show, so have you gotten to interact with Wes Craven at all?
CW: We have not yet. But what’s always great is he’ll always call in with ideas— and this was the best part— I haven’t gotten to meet him personally, but he saw layouts, he saw the mask, he saw where the script was going and signed off and gave us his full support and blessing on the project. It was a huge deal for us. Because, you know, the writers put everything in, us putting all our work in, and then for him to go, “Right. That’s awesome. Go for it. You have my full nod of approval.” It raised up our morale and spirits. It was great.
TCC: That leads into another question I had: I was curious, considering how the show is as twisty and curvy as this, do you guys figure out as you’re reading the script — as we would week-by-week — what’s happening, or do they give you an outline before of what’s going down this season?
CW: Yeah, that’s a great question. We have been pulled along the same as the audience. We have not been told anything, and then we’re given scripts and we immediately flip to the last page just to see who was alive, who was not, what’s going on. Like, it’s crazy that they’ve taken us along the same ride as the audience. It’s been truly crazy for us as well, but it does take in the fresh, natural surprise of every scene, that we’re figuring out the story firsthand just the same way the audience is. It’s crazy, but it’s so fun.
TCC: So what’s your impression of Will, based on what you’ve read and also what we’ve seen so far?
CW: Will, right from the very start, is focused, driven, captain of the basketball team, he’s a star performer. He’s got a great work ethic; he’s very passionate, very focused. So, of course, that gets him into trouble but he’s really, really focused and that makes him do some bad decisions. But ultimately, what I’ve been going through with Will is finding out he’s really just a good guy at heart. We don’t really like him at first, because of his bad decisions, but he’s just trying to do the right thing. He’s just trying to love his girlfriend, he’s trying to get his career in basketball started and then he gets involved in this fume that’s blowing up and he’s trying to find that solid, like, good-guy place to repair his life and his repetition with his friends and his other friendships with people. It’s definitely the right time for him to grow up and find his official place.
TCC: Is there anything that you can tease about the rest of this season?
CW: The thing I can say is that, now that everything is set up — in the first couple episodes, you’re getting to know everybody, there are some characters introduced, you’re finding out the relationships between people — so I would say from now on through the rest of this season, now it’s going to start happening. Now that everything has been set up, things are going to start evolving and they’re going to get (dived) into, we’re going to start ripping apart the storylines. The rollercoaster starts now. At the beginning, we were on the uphill climb, and now the rollercoaster is going to unfold before you. That’s what going down. It’s going to start getting real.
TCC: There’s the one teaser where they got different cast members from MTV in the killer mode to get everyone excited (for the show). I was wondering: have you gotten to interact with the various cast members from MTV so far?
CW: I definitely have. Yeah, that’s a great question. It’s been so fun, because they did do that promo for us, where they’re all dead at the party and the Scream cast, we all show up and have our little moment. So every time I’ve gotten to meet them, we’ve gotten to connect right away and we’ve gotten to say, “Hey man, thank you so much for being part of the promo. Thank you for helping us get our start, and we hope you had a lot of fun with all the blood and the fake knives sticking out of you and all that fun stuff.” It’s been really, really cool. It’s a tight-knit, fun group of people at MTV. They really do hire and cast really awesome, awesome people to work with. It’s been great. That’s a great question.
TCC: And on MTV or otherwise, what are some other shows that you watch and like to get into?
CW: All of us are fans of Game of Thrones. Collectively, as a Scream cast, they’re all obsessed with Game of Thrones. So that’s definitely the overall one, but I also love Sons of Anarchy. I just finished Sons of Anarchy, and I was obsessed with that. And those are the main ones so far: Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones. I can’t get over them. They’re both so good.
TCC: Cool, and I’m switching topics but I have to ask: what’s it been like these past couple years seeing this reaction to Sharknado?
CW: [ laughs ] That’s a great question. That came out of nowhere. My whole thing was, when (I) got cast for it, it had a completely different title. It was called Dark Skies. So we were like, “Oh, that’s kinda cool.” So we jumped on. And immediately when I got on set, and they were like, “Actually, it’s called Sharknado. We’re figuring out the title.” And I was like, “Oh my God, Sharknado?! What are you talking about?” But we had so much fun on set. Everything was CGI, and you’re just acting to nothing. Then it came out, and everyone just freaked out over the joke of it and got it, and it was so satisfying. It was so funny. And I get recognized more for Sharknado than I do for Scream, at this point. It’s just crazy, and it’s become a whole thing. They just announced Sharknado 3 at Comic-Con, and they’re just riding it out, man. It’s so funny. [ laughs] I just think it’s awesome.
TCC: Yeah, and I’ve seen a couple Asylum movies, but I’ve always wanted to know what the energy is like on those sets?
CW: It’s so fun. It’s one of those things where the director will lay something out, and they’ll go, “Okay, you’re running through here, and then the shark is going to come out on you from over here. So dodge this way, and then strike him with your wrist this way…” And you’re just take a moment to go, “Oh my God, this is absolutely crazy.” And then you realize, “Hey man, this is what this is all about. Let’s just jump in and have some fun.” So everyone is just having a blast, and everyone’s laughing, and everyone’s doing such ridiculous things. Like, nowhere else can you do this. So it’s just a really fun, jovial vibe on set, and that’s basically what it is. It’s great.
TCC: In addition to being an actor, I’ve heard you’re a musician too?
CW: Yessir.
TCC: Alright, have you been pushing that more in your career, or is that more of a hobby?
CW: Yeah, I’m going to start doing some things here and there shortly. I’ll let you know that I’m going to start putting up some of my cover songs and stuff like that, and some stuff with the guitar and ukulele and also a little bit with the piano. So we’re going to be putting it up on my YouTube channel and starting that process, so we’ll see where it goes. I love it, you know. The whole point of it is to find why you love music, and why you love to play. So hopefully I can keep that part of it alive. I just want to play and find that part of your soul. Yeah, I love it. Music definitely keeps the world turning in a certain way. So yeah, absolutely.
TCC: Any idea when those covers may be coming on the web?
CW: In the next couple weeks. My voice needs to recover from Comic-Con.
[ laughs] But after that, I’m going to start cranking those out.
TCC: Awesome, and when and where did you discover your love of surfing?
CW: Ooohhh, great question. Actually, in Hawaii, I went to Hawaii when I was in the eighth grade, through Nuuanu, Oahu. That’s where all the surfing happens, and then on the south side is the Waikiki Beach, on the north side is all the famous surf beaches. So I went to the easy south side of surfing, fell in love with it. Moved to California, and learned the California way is different than the Hawaiian way. But (we) relearned it, me and my brother, and we’ve been surfing for about four-or-five years now and, you know, you just stick with it, you love it, you find the water, you find the peace and tranquility that comes with surfing and getting out there in the early morning waves, and it’s just so great.
It’s one of the coolest things ever. You get out there, clear your head, you think about things, you process things, but you get a nice little ride in with it. It’s just become a part of my process, on all my business stuff. Like, whenever I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, I need to go out on the water for a couple hours and just relax, chill out, and I’ll be fresh and cool when I come back in. Yeah, I love it.
TCC: Cool. Have you gotten to take anyone from Scream out surfing yet?
CW: No, but I’m about to. John Karna —who plays Noah on the show — he’s been dying to learn how to surf since we shot the pilot way back, a year ago. So when we’re all done and set, I’m going to take him out and get him on the waves. It’s gonna be so good.
TCC: Awesome, and so I’m a pasty white kid from Pennsylvania, so I’ve never surfed in my life.
CW: [laughs]
TCC: If I were to get started, what would be some advice you’d give me?
CW: Oohh, that’s a great call. First of all, get a big enough board. That’s most important. At least a Costco one, they have about $100 boards at Costco. Get one of those. They’re really foamy and thick, and you can feel comfortable on them. Two, get a really thick wet suit. There’s nothing worse than being cold out on the water. It’ll ruin the whole trip for you.
So to answer your question, get a nice wetsuit, a really good board, and make sure you go to a nice beginner beach. There are a lot of really nice beaches. You get a nice wave, and the people there are not territorial. Everyone is just a beginner. If you go to Malibu or Venice areas, or places up there, they get really territorial and localized. So make sure you have those things, and you’ll have a really great time. That’s the whole point: to keep having fun.
TCC: And this was something I was going to ask before but I forgot: what is the best and/or strangest confrontation you’ve had with a fan so far?
CW: That’s a good question. Let’s see. [ pause ] One of my favorites would be when people actually know me from Sharknado. Yeah. When people come up to me and say, “You were in Sharknado!” And they freak out. It’s the funniest thing to me. Because it gets to the essence of why that movie was made in the first place. They’re like, “Dude, I never laughed so hard in my life watching that movie!” And I’m like, “Yeah man. This guy! He’s one of my favorite actors.” Or whatever. I like to savor those moments. They’re great. Those are my favorites so far.
TCC: In addition to your music and your show, are there any other upcoming projects that you can talk about right now?
CW: Not at the moment. We’re in the works for a couple things, but those haven’t quite been set in stone yet. But hopefully when Scream gets a little bigger, we’ll have something more concrete and we’ll be able to keep working on those things. That would be great.
TCC: Are there any specific genres that you would like to work in that you haven’t already?
CW: I would love to continue to work in comedy. Scream is such a dramatic show, and before it I did lighter stuff and I would love to keep working in that. Like going into sketch comedy, or sitcoms, or something like that. I love to keep working with that. Keep energized. That would be the best way to continue forward. So we’ll see how it pans out, but that would be the funist.
TCC: This’ll probably be my last question. So are there any actors or directors that you would love to work with?
CW: That’s a great question. Actor-wise, I’m completely, fully impressed and respectful of Hugh Jackman. Just, I mean, I’d love to work with him. His work ethic is amazing, and as a human being and family man, that guy has so much to respect and live up to. So Hugh Jackman would be my ultimate actor to work with. And director-wise, I think it would be fun to work with Joss Whedon. I love his whole comic-book vision of everything. He’s just a great director. So I think Whedon and Jackman would be the two I’d be dying to work with.
TCC: And I actually thought of one more while you were saying that: When you were at Comic-Con, did you get to meet any big celebrities that you never thought you would meet, or you weren’t anticipating to meet?
CW: Yeah, I did man. It was crazy, how many people were there. I got to walk into a party with Joss Whedon, which kinda inspired that. I was like, “Oh my God! That would be really cool to work with him!” Him, I got to meet a lot of other people from the MTV cast —from Teen Wolf and the new show Shannara (Chronicles), which is a really fantasy-driven show that I think is going to be really great. Yeah, it was a lot of really cool TV people that I really respected. So I had a blast meeting everyone at Comic-Con.
As stated above, Scream airs every Tuesday at 10/9 c on MTV. To watch older episodes, click on the link here.