Over the last 10 years, there's been a sharp uptick in the number of fathers staying at home with their kids. I should know I am one of them. Until recently, movies and TV shows have generally portrayed these men as bumbling, clueless idiots when it comes to childcare. Thankfully, there is one new show, "Guys With Kids," that focuses on dads being the primary caretakers for their kids in a fun and responsible way.
Anthony Anderson, Jesse Bradford, and Zach Cregger had a lot to say about about their NBC show on the day the "Guys With Kids" pilot aired.
Can you guys tell us a bit about the show and your roles on "Guys With Kids"?
Zach Cregger: The show is about three dads that live in the same building and are just best friends. They are raising their kids together with each other's help. I play kind of the laid back kid-at-heart who's eager to get down on his knees and rough house with the kids. He isn't always the best disciplinarian.
Jesse Bradford: My character's name is Chris. He is the divorced one of the bunch.
Anthony Anderson: Gary is Portuguese, (everyone laughs) father of four and a stay-at-home dad by choice. He is friends with these two jokers.
Anthony, you play the role of a stay-at-home dad. We see more dads staying at home with the kids these days. Do you think that makes "Guys With Kids" a show that will have a great following for dads who can relate?
Anderson: Oh definitely. I forget what news show it was, but the statistics show that there are more dads in Mommy and Me classes nowadays than ever. So yeah, I think it is going to resonate with stay-at-home fathers. It is going to resonate with mothers. Who wouldn't want to sit back and watch three handsome and funny men care for their families?
Zach, how do you feel the role of fathers have changed from when you were a kid to now?
Cregger: I think now it is more accepted for dads to really be more involved with their kids on a lot of different levels. I think emotional presence is more prevalent now. It is not weird for a dad to be doing the dishes, the laundry, and taking the kids to school, and read them stories for bed. I think a generation ago, dads went to work, they came home, and they had their dinner, had a drink, and then went to bed. I don't know what it was like in your house, but that is how it was in mine. I think it is cool to have the dads in the trenches and doing the real parenting work. It is funny for the show, and I think it is a positive thing in general.
Your female co-stars on the shows are Tempestt Bledsoe and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who come from two of the greatest TV shows of all time, "The Cosby Show" and "The Sopranos." How is it working with them?
Cregger: I was pretty excited to hear that Jamie-Lynn Sigler was going to be my wife. I will just leave it at that.
Anderson: I was excited to find out that Tempestt was going to be my wife, having a childhood crush on Vanessa. When we get to work, I can't look her in the eye. I can't really kiss her lips. I have to kiss her chin. It takes away the magic. (All laugh)
Is there going to be any dancing in your show like there was in "The Cosby Show"?
Bradford: I kind of feel like we are always dancing.
Cregger: Yeah, we have had three dancing bits so far.
Anderson: Have we sung yet?
Bradford: We were going to, but we didn't. It was cut out.
Anderson: So you are going to see dancing and singing.
Cregger: We may or may not do the cat daddy. (All laugh) I refuse to confirm that!
One thing is clear: These guys love to have fun, and this show looks to have a promising future. If you want to listen to the interview with the cast from "Guys with Kids," you can check it out on the Life of Dad podcast.
A new episode of "Guys with Kids" premieres on Wednesday, 9/26 at 8:30 PM EST on NBC .
