Interview: a few minutes with ‘Famous In Love’ actor Keith Powers

Photo Credit: (Freeform/Nino Munoz)

I. Marlene King, the creative force behind “Pretty Little Liars” will continue the tradition of compelling storytelling with the much-anticipated new series, “Famous In Love,” premiering Tuesday, April 18 at on Freeform. The show, starring Bella Thorne, is a one-hour soap that spotlights the dark side of fame.

“Famous In Love” follows Paige, an ordinary college student, as she gets her big break after auditioning for the starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster and how her life changes with being the new It Girl in town.

The series also stars Carter Jenkins, Charlie Depew, Georgie Flores, Niki Koss, Pepi Sonuga, Keith Powers, and Perrey Reeves.

TVMusic Networkcaught up with Powers who plays Jordan Wilder, a successful Hollywood actor, on the show. In this interview, Powers shares his thoughts on his character and talks about working with the already famous Bella Thorne.

Phyllis: This show is coming off of “Pretty Little Liars.” The fan support and strength of that show is huge. Marlene King, who did that show, is attached. How do you feel about possibly following in that shows footsteps?

Keith Powers: I’m excited. I just hope that the fans appreciate it as much as they appreciate ‘Pretty Little Liars’…it a lot,  not to live up to but a lot to follow. “Pretty Little Liars” is a franchise of its own. I just hope and pray that we could hold on. With the people behind it, I’m not doubting it at all. We’ve got a great team behind us which is a luxury in this industry.

Phyllis: Was there a famous actor you had in mind, that you used to draw inspiration from for your character?

Keith Powers: I paralleled him to Denzel [Washington] in a sense because of his seriousness. In the sense of how he feels about the importance of the art. That’s the way Jordan is. I think that what you see on the outside is totally different than what you see on the inside. That’s what’s so cool about this show. It shows that actors are so different – when you meet them in person, that it’s like, ‘Wow.’ That’s how you know they’re really a good actor and was telling a story because that isn’t them in real life. I think with Jordan, you’ll see him go through things that reveal who he is in his heart because, on the outside, he shields everything. I think that’s the way Denzel is to me. He’s never going to let you all the way in. He’s going to shield you.. that why I chose him when I thought about Jordan – a young Denzel. It’s saying a lot but that’s how I feel.

Phyllis: Now Bella [Thorne], she’s such a huge star already at such a young age and she’s leading this show. What’s it like working with her?

Keith Powers:– Man, it’s amazing working with her. Because she’s younger it’s nice that you can look up to her in a sense. It shows her maturity from being a child star. It shows that having experience in this business is important no matter what age you are. I think that’s super cool because we get to look at her as an example. And we get to learn from her. She’s teaching us a lot by what goes on with her off screen that we can learn from. We should take all the juice, even though she’s younger because any advice can stick with you for the rest of your life.

“Famous In Love” airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform. For those who can’t wait, the entire first season of “Famous In Love” is available on multiple digital platforms, including the Freeform app, Freeform.com, On Demand and Hulu.