Eric Petersen
The ‘Kirstie’ star on bonding with his legendary cast and getting his big break
During the second day of rehearsals for “Kirstie,” Kirstie Alley’s new TV Land sitcom, Eric Petersen realized that his new gig was “insane.” The actor was surrounded by legends: Alley, co-stars Rhea Perlman and Michael Richards, and guest star Jason Alexander. “Kirstie and Rhea know each other from ‘Cheers,’ and they tell stories about what happened on the set. … I had Michael on my right and Jason on my left, and we talked for an hour about life and acting. They told stories about ‘Seinfeld,’ ” he says. “This is just an amazing experience.”
Petersen stars as Alley’s long-lost son Arlo, who shows up unannounced after being put up for adoption 26 years earlier. “That freaks her out, because she’s not the mother- ing type,” he says. “And the show is legitimately funny. I don’t think we’re reinventing the sitcom; we’re giving the audience a format they’re comfortable with. We have great writers. I’m really proud.” Though the series is the Chicago native’s first TV role, it’s not his first foray into acting — he got his big break playing the title role in “Shrek: The Musical,” which opened in Chicago. Despite his relative lack of small-screen experience, he says the cast of “Kirstie” has been nothing but warm. “They’ve really welcomed me in and treated me 100 percent as an equal,” he says. “I feel so happy and blessed to be working with them.”
Show biz: “[‘Kirstie’] follows the story of a Broadway diva, like a Liza Minnelli. She’s a big, famous star who’s living the high life. Michael Richards plays her driver. Rhea Perlman plays her assistant. Then we find out that Arlo is back. She gave me up so she could have a career, and I reconnect with her because my adoptive mom recently passed.”
Role call: “I work in a doughnut shop. I’m an ev- eryday Joe. As I adjust to this big, show-y lifestyle, [there are] clashes with how they live and how I live. As the season progresses, you see Maddie [Alley’s character] and me becoming closer. Michael’s character becomes almost like a father figure to me, which leads to a lot of comedy hijinks.”
Scoring the part: “I had been living in LA for two years when I got offered to do a play back in New York City. While I was there, my agent sent me the script for ‘Giant Baby,’ which was the original title for the show. I read the pilot and thought it was great! I sent an audition I filmed on my iPhone in my little apartment. We shot the whole season over the summer.”
Chicago connection: “I’m a very proud Chicago boy. I grew up in Carol Stream, went to Glenbard North and Bradley in Peoria for college. I majored in theater. I had the greatest week of my entire life, basically, in Chicago in 2010. ‘Shrek’ opened in Chicago, [and] two days after the show opened, my daughter was born. Two days after my daughter was born, I sang the national anthem at Wrigley Field. Then I got to hold the Stanley Cup at a press event, and then I sang the national anthem for the Bears opener. It was an epic week.”
“Kirstie” premieres Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. on TV Land.