OlderRoss Butler Reveals 'Teen Beach 2' Set Secrets, His Nickname for Ross Lynch, & More! (JJJ Interview)
Check out this exclusive new interview with Ross Butler!
The Teen Beach 2 star opened up to JJJ about his character and more!
“Spencer is the studious, popular guy at school who has his whole life on track,” Ross told us. “He knows what he is passionate about and isn’t afraid to pursue his dreams.”
Ross added, “I used to be like Spencer back in high school actually. I used to study a lot and liked to think I knew where I was going post graduation. Only difference I wasn’t very passionate about going to engineering school so it’s not something I was psyched about like Spencer is with his studies. It took me a couple years after high school to find out what I loved to do, and have been chasing that dream ever since.”
Ross also gave us the scoop on some on-set pranks, nicknames he and co-star Ross Lynch have for each other, and more. Check it:
Don’t forget – Teen Beach 2 premieres Friday, June 26 @ 8PM on Disney Channel!
JustJaredJr.com: What was your favorite thing about Spencer?
Ross Butler: I love how Spencer is confident in who he is and doesn’t care what people think. He likes to study and do a lot of extra curricular activities, so he does it. Period. I think the reason he is popular is because he doesn’t change who he is for the sake of being popular and people respond to that.
Click inside to read the rest of our interview with Ross Butler…
JustJaredJr.com Interview – Ross Butler
JJJ: If you could play any other character in the movie, who would it be and why?
RB: Think it’s a tie between Butchy or Devon. Butchy is the big brother of the bikers and, maybe since I’m an only child, I wish I could have siblings or a big family to watch over. I’d want to be Devon for the complete opposite reason. He is so carefree and loves to just have a good time. I admire that in people… to an extent.
JJJ: How did you enjoy shooting in Puerto Rico?
RB: Puerto Rico was amazing for so many reasons. The food, the people, the culture, everything was such a refreshing change from Los Angeles. Although we were working a lot, there was this overall laid back, island mindset and it made winding down off set so much more enjoyable. But for me, being a self-proclaimed foodie, loved the authentic Puerto Rican food I could get by walking across the street from the hotel we were staying at. Everyday I could have essentially home cooked meals.
JJJ: Did it get confusing on set with Ross Lynch?
RB: The first week was definitely hard to get used to since I’ve never worked with another Ross before. It got to the point where we tried to establish nicknames for each other (I called him Dolores and he called me Sparky). We still call each other that to this day.
JJJ: What was your reaction when you heard you had booked this role?
RB: I remember I was still sleeping when my manager called me to let me know I had booked it. There was like a solid ten seconds where I tried to run the idea through my head, but mentally I was still asleep. Then it hit me and I got up and did a little happy dance (and no I will never re enact said dance, my body was still half asleep).
JJJ: What is your favorite line/scene from the movie?
RB: I love the scene where Tanner and Lela have just arrived in the modern world and they are discovering all the technology and having to decipher what it all is. How our modern society looks to 60s beach movie characters is a really funny perspective.
JJJ: What about the dances? Do you have a favorite or do you want to mash them all together for one giant one?
RB: I love “Gotta Be Me.” I wasn’t in that dance for the movie but I just recently learned it and I love how upbeat it is. Not only does it get stuck in your head but the dance is SO fun to do, I think fans are going to have a blast learning this one and dancing along with the movie version.
If you had to choose between bikers or surfers, which group would you choose?
RB: Just like I couldn’t choose between being Butchy and Devon, I can’t say which group I like more. They both have so much personality, and at such opposite ends of the spectrum.
JJJ: Did you know most of the cast before you started filming?
RB: I didn’t know anyone when I arrived in Puerto Rico, except Maia [Mitchell] because I had a brief chemistry read with her in LA.
JJJ: Who, of the cast, are you closest to off the set?
RB: I would say I’m closest with Ross here in LA. I’ve seen him the most outside of work
JJJ: Do you have a favorite song on the soundtrack? Do you find yourself singing it randomly?
RB: I’d say “Gotta Be Me” is my favorite song. It is super catchy and has this hard hitting beat to it that gets stuck in your head. And since I know the dance moves, not only do I sing it all the time, I also dance it whenever I sing it. I have a problem.
JJJ: Teen Beach has that 60s beach movie vibe. Do you personally have any favorite beach movies?
RB: Cast Away. COMPLETELY different genre but… technically a beach movie? “WILSON!”
JJJ: What’s the one thing you absolutely must have when you go to the beach?
RB: Tons of water (gotta stay hydrated, people) sunscreen (the spray kind, can’t stand the one you have to pour into your hand, I always use too much) and a choice of frisbee, football, or skim board.
JJJ: What was the funniest prank that someone pulled on set while filming??
RB: Ross, Morgan [Lawson], and I pulled a hilarious prank on Brittany [Parks] the last night we were there. It was like 3 in the morning and we were up wanting to cause some mischief so we decided to prank call Brittany. We called her like 5 times but she didn’t answer so we thought we’d go up to her room and do some classic ding dong ditch action. We knocked on her door a couple times and ran away and waited for her to come out, but she never did. So then we started BANGING on her door and running away and she STILL didn’t come out. So we decided to step it up a few notches.
The plan turned into this: We would have Morgan call her from her cell phone and pretend to be really scared. She was going to tell Brittany that someone was banging on her door and when she opened the door, no one was there, and that she wanted to come up to Brittany’s room. Once she was up there, Ross and I would make a pair of wet footprints leading from Brittany’s door to the service room, where waiting for her would be a mysterious note. We would then bang on her door and Morgan would convince her to look outside and follow the footsteps. She would then read the note saying “Turn Around” and Ross and I would jump out from behind a soda machine and scare her.
And it worked perfectly. I even have video evidence on my Instagram!
JJJ: Favorite beach sport?
RB: Anything that involves throwing things and catching things. Possibly jumping into waves WHILE catching aforementioned objects.
?JJJ: Three words why fans should watch Teen Beach 2?
RB: Teen. Beach. Puppies. There aren’t puppies in the movie, but if you like puppies, you’ll like Teen Beach 2. Even if you don’t like puppies you’ll like Teen Beach 2. But more importantly, if you like puppies, you’ll most definitely like Teen Beach 2.
JJJ: What other projects do you have coming up?
The day after Teen Beach 2, my movie with Bella Throne called Perfect High premieres on Lifetime. It’s a change of pace for both of us as we tell a story about a group of teens that fall into heavy drug addiction. We really hope it raises awareness about the danger of drugs in a real and relatable way.
JJJ: What are a few things about yourself that no one really knows?
RB: I love board games and social games. And I love getting super competitive with them too. I also secretly wish I was a singer. Being around these people who can sing like angels all the time only makes it worse.
JJJ: What did you do in Puerto Rico for fun when you weren’t filming?
RB: One of the nights, we had a bunch of the local dancers teach us how to salsa on set when we were waiting for cameras to set up. Also, a bunch of us went zip lining through the forest, which was amazing. Other than that, we went to the beach almost everyday and ate local food. It was the perfect place to “work.”
JJJ: Fans want to know your favorites: food, color, song, singer, past time.
RB: Food: Sushi. And none of that California Roll stuff. Legitimate nigiri or sashimi. I could eat it everyday.
Color: I’m a big fan of greens and blues.
Song: Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen or Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley
Singer: Damien Rice
Past Time: Good ol’ movie marathon and popcorn. Lord of the Rings is a favorite.
JJJ: If you had to pick between your leading ladies in your recent projects (Zendaya, Bella Thorne, Maia Mitchell), could you?
RB: Oh man, that’s a tough one. I definitely couldn’t pick because all the projects I did with them are completely different and show a different side of me. I love them all equally.
JJJ: And finally – what are your personal plans for the summer?
RB: Nothing crazy. I want to hopefully travel, but if not, just working on my acting.
