S C O T T P O R T E R
Photography by Malik Daniels
Styled by: Austin Niesner
Grooming by: Harper
Interview by Tere Waller
TW: Ginny & Georgia has become a breakout cultural hit. What do you think it is about the show, and its characters, that resonates so strongly with audiences?
SP: Man, I don’t know what it is exactly that sparked this flame. It’s a secret sauce that our creator uncovered that has ALL the spices, all the flavors, you could ever ask for. We have a big cast. Really big. And somehow Sarah and our whole writers room is able to keep a thousand plates spinning at once with all of our storylines still holding meaning individually through it all. That’s herculean. Truly. Our show represents a lot of different folks from different walks of life dealing with different issues. It doesn’t shy away from them but also doesn’t pander to them. It just allows space for all of them to live. Even our cast connects with storylines that aren’t their own. For me, I connect with the Baker family because my Grandma Tootie was deaf. She was a huge part of my childhood. I absolutely love watching dinners with the Bakers on our show, so witty, so funny, and so real. Just them. I’ve had those meals and it takes me back. I think stuff like that is what makes this show so accessible, and a big reason people really love “Ginny and Georgia”…I mean, that AND the craziness and cliffhangers of course.
TW: Your character, Mayor Paul Randolph, often finds himself navigating tricky emotional and political terrain. How has your approach to playing him evolved over three seasons?
SP: I’ve always tried to play Paul with a measured, thoughtful, but confident nature. That’s his shield. I think that’s always there. But his evolution has really been driven by his relationship stretching him in new ways. Season one was all about the back and forth between Georgia. Really digging in and learning each other. It was playful yet … somewhat honest? Paul met his match in season 1 with Georgia and it was so much fun to see him have to work harder than usual to impress her. And then the proposal scene – that’s Paul’s confidence. Season 2 flipped the script and made Paul the fish out of water, the man out of his depth a bit. Moving into the Miller household, I wanted to play more into the awkward footing of it all. Parenting was new to him, giving up some control was new to him. But his determination and confidence would still shine through in key moments when challenges arose. But in Season 3, I wanted to approach it with that confidence shattered. Even when he was making a decision he thought was right, there’s always that flash of…wait, IS this the right call? He never truly finds even ground in Season 3 and it was really fun seeing what frustration and darkness may bubble up when that shield of assuredness is shattered.
TW: Season 3, which is now available on Netflix, marks a new chapter for the show. Without giving too much away, what can fans expect from Paul’s storyline this time around?
SP: Hmm. Over the first two seasons I’ve been asked time and time again, “Is Paul really right for Georgia?” And my answer was always an emphatic YES. But this season I have to ask you all, and Paul has to finally ask himself, “Is Georgia really right for Paul?” I mean he’s been there, begging her to open up and let him in. As a partnership they would be unstoppable if she could let herself trust him. But she still hasn’t really done that heading into Season 3, and Paul doesn’t understand it. I mean listen, when she told him she cheated on him, he responded by proposing. When she unloaded on him a lot of her past at the end of Season 2, he had Gil escorted out of town and stood by her. He’s always stood up for her and stood by her. But the audience knows there are still more secrets, and more lies. And this season, fans may finally see that enough is enough for Paul. He can’t protect his marriage if he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to protect it from. He can’t protect his career if he doesn’t know what’s coming. But what’s coming is reckoning for allllll of our characters. And Paul won’t be left out of that.
TW: You’ve had an incredibly diverse career across TV, film, and voice work. What sets Ginny & Georgia apart for you as a creative experience?
SP: A couple of things. First of all, Sarah Lampert’s voice is just very clear. And our tone is unique to us. Next is the kind of role I’m asked to play here. It’s more leading man than I’ve ever been allowed to play before, and that’s been slightly intimidating. But just like everything else on the show, there’s a versatility I’m allowed to show. A balance with the confidence and the humor, that eases the pressure a bit. But I’m actually more in love with what working on this show reminds me of, and that’s my time on “Friday Night Lights”. WAY different shows, but the way this show allows us to play in the moment with a range of emotions? Similar. How collaborative my experience has been with the writers and my castmates? Very similar. The talent level of our cast across the board? Boom. I mean, our casting directors and creator nailed each and every role…and mark my words, this show is going to make stars of a lot of these actors. And that is truly similar to FNL as well.
TW: As a father and husband in real life, how do you relate to Paul’s journey as a stepfather and community leader?
SP: I love how little Paul cared what the town thought of his relationship over Season 1 and 2. Paul’s desire to learn how to be a great parent to children that aren’t his biologically is a HUGE thing to me. Until the last couple of years I didn’t really talk about the fact that I don’t know my biological father. He left my mom and I when I was a baby. Just flat out was gone. My mom was 19 when she had me and all of a sudden she was working her tail off to support us on her own and be an incredible mother all before she could even buy a bottle of wine. Multiple jobs. All she could do. Then she met my stepfather at an audition for a rock band called “Ruckus”. She is a singer and had been working small jazz gigs to make extra cash when she saw they needed a singer. He was the drummer, they fell in love, made music, and I gained a father. I am so blessed he came into my life. He was never afraid to step up and claim me as his own. That’s how I wanted to approach Paul and Austin’s relationship. I think Paul really, truly cares for both of these kids, but knows that Austin is more alone than his sister. The Ginny relationship took more care. Paul is mostly a thoughtful guy, and he understands that her dad is still present, so learning how much to push or not there was really fun. He’s also a politician so it was a blast to see Paul try and lean on what he knows in his work life and try to apply it to moderating the Miller household. Not always successfully…but he tried!
TW: The show blends drama, humor, and suspense in a way that feels fresh. How do you as a performer strike that tonal balance?
SP: Man, I’m just following our writers’ leads. Our directors’ leads. My castmates’ leads. I’ll read these scripts and see the obvious funny moments, and lean into that, sure. But it seems every episode I’m surprised by at least one moment that I didn’t think held comedic value at all become the funniest thing ever on the advice of our creatives. Like ROCK BOTTOM moments become funny. So the challenge for me becomes, find the funny in the most unexpected places before they do! I’m not always successful, but sometimes I win. One instance where I didn’t figure it out first is my favorite though…In the first episode of Season 3, there is a scene with Zion and Paul on the couch. Paul is distraught. His wife is in jail. He flat out asks if Zion thinks Georgia killed a man. And the answer he gets tells him all he needs to know, Zion thinks she probably did it. In the script it was written in the stage direction that Paul starts to sob a bit. It all read very seriously on the page. And then I got to set and Sarah said, “This is going to be so fun.” I was like, “Oh no, what am I in for?” They completely turned the scene on its ear, and to me it became one of Paul’s funniest moments of the season. I think the fans will agree.
TW: Fashion plays a quiet but powerful role in the series. How would you describe Paul’s personal style and is there any crossover with your own?
SP: This is where Paul’s simplicity comes into play. He’s into clean looks. Inoffensive looks. Very few labels. No graphics. Nothing too flashy. That’s not necessarily me in real life. I’m a sneakerhead and love graphic tees. I’m in Jordan’s all the time because it’s a way for me to personally express myself when a show is dictating how I look 90% of the time. I find when I have something cool on my feet, I feel good from the ground up. Paul however, is a politician and takes an easy approach to fashion with the goal of seeming as amenable to as many people as possible. He is the mayor – not afraid to roll his sleeves up, but still aware of how he looks. And he does care about being put together just a bit. Clean. Easy. Fit. So we leaned on some brands that really fit me well. I have an athletic build and that can be a little tricky with suits, but Hugo Boss and Strellson are two brands that have always worked for me. We keep him in “hero blue” (as we call it) a lot, but really like to play with darker burgundy and such when scenes are a little darker or in places where Paul feels less comfortable, like at his parents’ place.
TW: Gio Journal readers love a peek behind the curtain. What’s something surprising or memorable that happened on set this season?
SP: This is where I want to commend our crew. I hear folks saying all the time, it’s a mother/daughter show, how hard can it be. Well, with a cast this big? Hard. With constant community events and courtrooms and days that never have enough hours in them? Really hard. You have to cover all of these characters in massive settings, and you have to do it quickly. There are days we arrive on set and look at each other with “how are we gonna get all of this done” written all over our faces. And then our crew gets ON IT. All of our departments are incredible. Our DP and our camera crew are wizards. The way they utilize steady cam choreography is next level and it saves us time and time again. Our sound department makes sure we have barely any ADR, they’re the cleanest around. The sheer amount of wardrobe that goes into this show, how many looks they have to serve, how our costumes department has to deliver it all? I could go on and on. All of our departments behind the scenes on this show are top notch. That’s what our fans don’t see but what I want them to know. This show can be a challenge but our crew rises to it every time.
TW: As the show continues to grow in popularity, how do you stay grounded and what keeps you inspired both on and off screen?
SP: I mean, I approach this career as my job. I learned a really solid work ethic from my parents, so I’ve never let what I do bleed over into life too much. I must say though, I have never experienced an audience reaction like “Ginny and Georgia” has received. In all my years in this business. It’s incredible. But for the most part, I don’t really feel it in my day to day. I mean my family and I did get mobbed on a bridge in Venice by a group of fans in high school from Prague (shout out to our international fans, they are next level), but that’s a rarity. I guess it does happen more when we travel though. Thankfully, my focus is mostly in our downtime unless I’m lucky enough to pick up another job and both of those situations really keep me out of any situations where I would feel the crush of the show’s success. I get to coach my son’s flag football team, get to go to my daughter’s dance recitals, get to read to them at the end of each day, and then chill on the couch and watch our favorite shows. My wife and I are both born in July, both solid Cancers, so we are nesters and homebodies for the most part. So when I’m not working, it’s all about our home and family and that’s what really keeps me grounded.
As far as being inspired? The thing that’s always attracted me to this business, on stage, on screen, with voiceover in games and animation, and in music, is telling stories. As an only child from Omaha, NE, stories are what allowed me to see more than the plains outside our house. So watching, playing, reading new stories always inspired me. And now I get to see my kids find inspiration through the same things! And we foster that as well as getting out into the world and creating our own. Life is all about the stories.
To learn more about Scott follow him at: @skittishkid