Charlie Weber is coming to MTV in “Underemployed,” a scripted dramedy chronicling the lives of five young adults entering the workforce for the first time. Weber plays Todd, a character who has seen his share of the workforce and is now thriving in it.
“Todd is…sort of the of the older guy in the sense that as these five have now entered the workforce, he’s been a part of it for some time and [is] the successful ad executive that [Sarah Habel’s character] Daphne works for. So that’s how that relationship begins,” he said.
The show gives a look inside the tough job market for recent graduates, while injecting a shot of hope. “It sort of tackles that issue but presents it in a cool way that lets you know these five people, despite their struggles, always have each other,” he said. “…On the whole, it’s sort of a hopeful thing in a lot of ways.”
Unlike the characters in “Underemployed,” Weber was lucky to skip the toil a lot of us have faced when it comes to making in the “Real World.” “Well, you know, it’s funny because I kind of avoided the “real world” by becoming an actor,” he said. “I went through a year of college and then I left school and pursue other opportunities…but it wasn’t without its struggles and trials and tribulations, the peaks and valleys of any path through entertainment. You know, it was definitely a better job market…things are a lot harder now for kids graduating college.”
Weber thinks “Underemployed” will be welcomed by fans on MTV and called it “a nice breath of fresh air.” “MTV has gotten aggressive about producing scripted television and moving away from reality [shows] and I think it’ll be a really nice show for MTV,”he said. “They have great fans and they give everything a shot and I think people will really respond to it. It’s a cool, fun show that has a bit of a message but doesn’t throw it in your face. It just lets you live with these characters and lets you into everyone’s life and you get to be a part of it. I think it’ll be great. I think people will really dig it.”
If you’re in the same boat as the characters from the show, Weber does have some great advice to give when it comes to wading in the job market waters. “From my personal experience and from my career, it’s a lot of patience,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’ve had a nice consistency, but things have gotten even better in the last couple of years…I think you just gotta find something love, pursue it and work hard…I think you have to be ready to start a little lower on the totem pole than you thought you would have. Just get through it–let your career grow, let yourself grow and see where it takes you.”
“Underemployed” premieres tonight, October 16 at 10/9c. Follow Weber on Twiter @TheCharlieWeber.
