What happens when you put Josh Peck, a rowdy dog and a strong ensemble cast together? You get Disney’s upcoming series Turner and Hooch.
Continuing off of the 1989 movie with the same name, Disney’s Turner and Hooch brings back the same fun-loving energy and enticing crime mysteries that made the original movie successful.
Starring alongside Josh Peck in this series are actors Reginald VelJohnson, Carra Patterson, Brandon Jay McLaren and Anthony Ruvivar. Together, they form an impressive cast with strong comedic timing and seamless chemistry.
Recently, Monsters & Critics spoke with the cast of Turner and Hooch and were able to learn all about their characters and experiences on set. Carra Patterson, who plays Jessica Baxter, told us, “I remember when I first got the audition, I was like: Oh, Turner and Hooch. I know that.”
Patterson continued to say, “I was in love with the script and loved the character. I loved Jessica right on the page from the jump. I was super excited to audition. I was getting to meet Josh Peck in the room and like, bounce off of him. He was so fun, we got to improv and play.”
In this interview, Monsters & Critics chatted with Carra Patterson, Brandon Jay McLaren and Anthony Ruvivar about starring in Turner and Hooch.
Connecting to their characters
Monsters & Critics: Anthony, your character has a little bit of a soft spot for Hooch. Are you a dog person in real life?
Anthony Ruvivar: I am a dog person. I had dogs growing up. But my wife and kids actually are allergic to dogs. So, it just wasn’t in the cards for us to have an animal. We tried with fish and we were going to get a bird at one point. But now, they have been taking drops and got rid of their allergies. We ended up getting a puppy. He’s like six months old.
We’ve now got a dog in the house who is very Hooch-like for sure. He almost pulled my arm out of my socket when he saw a rabbit.
M&C: Brandon, what was your process like getting into character?
Brandon Jay McLaren: It was really bizarre and honestly, I had a little bit of difficulty in the first couple of episodes because I’m not in it that much. So I didn’t get, like, the reps. But there was just one scene, I think where it was me and Carra, and we’re the train station with Josh, and I realized: Oh, like Xavier doesn’t exist on the same planet as everybody else.
I just have to make up my own set of circumstances because I’m not reacting the same way a normal person would react to anything. Once I figured that out, that was like the secret for playing him. He’s literally in his own echo chamber. And then it got a lot easier.
And also, the writers are brilliant and they come up with these incredible, bizarre things that Xavier says and does. And they also give me, like, a little leeway to add my own slant on it. By the end of it, I really, really enjoyed playing him because anything goes with Xavier. There’s no wrong answer. You can literally do anything and that makes sense.
Anthony Ruvivar on playing James Mendez
Monsters & Critics: Anthony, can you tell me a little bit about your character? Can you describe what you admire most about him?
Anthony Ruvivar: I play Chief James Mendez. He’s the head of the U.S. Marshals. Basically, he’s been around the block and he’s now found himself in the chief position. He’s really there to just keep a tight ship, keep everything like moving and professional and buttoned-down.
And in walks this dog, which disrupts everything. And I think he’s trying to be a guiding hand, but at the same time, you know, maintain decorum in a professional setting where there’s this slobbery dog is just chewing on everything in the office and tearing things up.
Check out our full interview below.
Turner and Hooch premieres on July 21 on Disney Plus.