Stargirl's Brec Bassinger Reveals What It's Really Like Working With Joel McHale - Exclusive
"Stargirl" Season 3 is getting quite the shakeup. Between former enemies becoming allies and the return of Joel McHale's Starman as a series regular, Courtney (Brec Bassinger) has quite a lot to juggle on top of her studies. As fans know, Sylvester is living in Courtney's basement, and the duo now has to figure out how to balance Stargirl and Starman duties — all while juggling the Staff. That would be a difficult enough dynamic for anyone, but the striking age difference adds another complex component to the mix.
On top of being a superhero, in a way, Starman has to be somewhat of a father figure to Courtney. He can't just treat her like his buddy, as she's still a slightly naive teenager learning how to navigate life on top of being a superhero. During an exclusive interview with Looper, Brec Bassinger discussed what it was like working with Joel McHale, how she looks up to him, and how he might be the hardest working person she's ever met.
An unparalleled energy
On the highlights of working with Joel McHale, Bassinger said, "[A highlight is] probably having Joel's energy on set. He never has a lack of words or lack of jokes. Having that energy on long days is so wonderful. It was so nice." She added, "The Starman storyline has been key since the very first season. [By] the end of it, we knew Starman was alive. Finally getting to have him front and center [is] so fulfilling — not only as being part of the show, but as fans watching. It is about time that he is in Blue Valley." Going from being the only Staff-wielder to having to share it will certainly take some getting used to.
Now that the first episode of Season 3 is out, it's clear that having Sylvester live in Court's basement will shake up the dynamics of nearly every relationship on the show and even the JSA. "He lives in our basement now, and it definitely proposed a lot of questions. I had questions even coming into filming the season that I didn't know how they were going to go about them," Bassinger continued. "Courtney obviously had questions, too. Who will the staff work for? Will it still work for her? Will it still work for Starman? Who does it belong to? Throughout the season, those questions are answered, and they find a nice little balance."
A mentor on and off the screen
In Season 3, Starman becomes a mentor to Courtney, and that dynamic has continued offscreen as well with Bassinger and McHale. "I would never tell him this, but I look up to Joel so much. He might be the most hardworking person I've ever met. I remember there was one night — it was a Friday night — we had a night shoot," Bassinger said. "He went straight from our night shoot, flew to Vegas for a comedy show, then flew home to have dinner with his family, and then flew back to Atlanta for filming at 5:00 a.m. Monday morning. He did it all with a smile on his face."
It would be difficult not to look up to an actor who's cool on set, a hard worker, and makes time for his family even when he doesn't have a whole lot of it. Bassinger added, "I was like, 'You are not real. What do you eat? Because I want it.' But seeing his positive attitude and his kindness toward people, I look up to him so much."
New episodes of "Stargirl" air Wednesdays on The CW, with episodes streaming on the website the next day.