case walker
[Photo by Emilynn Rose]

The Other Two’s Case Walker on coming of age in entertainment

At a time when both the entertainment and media landscapes are imploding, The Other Two is a deeply cathartic and absolutely essential balm. In the first season of Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider’s dazzling sitcom, opportunistic aspiring actor Cary Dubek (Drew Tarver) and his social-climbing sister Brooke (Heléne Yorke) attempted to ride the overnight success of their younger brother, tween pop sensation Chase Dreams (Case Walker). In season 2, we see them continue to struggle and occasionally triumph in their pursuit of social mobility when their mom Pat (Molly Shannon) becomes a daytime talk show host. Now, in its incredible third season (which is currently airing on Max), Cary and Brooke are on their absolute worst behavior trying to navigate their burgeoning careers and professional crises in an uncertain, post-pandemic world. 

Read more: 10 TV shows to watch right now if you like Yellowjackets

Along with being a brilliant satire of the entertainment industry, The Other Two is also a genuinely heartfelt comedy about a dysfunctional family whose increasingly corrosive proximity to fame creates some dramatic (and very funny) chaos within their own relationships. For Chase in season 3, that means dealing with their opinions on just about everything in his life as he steps into being 18 — from his looks to his dating life to his career (which rarely even involves actually making music). 

Alternative Press spoke with Walker about what he’s learned so far from working on The Other Two, avoiding social media, and finding solace in rock climbing.

Considering that The Other Two has been your breakout role, would you say that the show has been helpful in preparing you for working in entertainment? 

Each season felt like a different project in a way. The first and second seasons were big learning experiences, and with the third season, I felt a lot more knowledgeable, prepared, aware. But those first two seasons really, I learned a lot from my co-stars, and I will never stop because they’re the best. 

The show’s played a huge role in my understanding of what it looks like to create a show with others and collaborate and then, at the end of the day, just get the work done. 

Does it feel familial working with everyone, now that you’ve spent three seasons with the cast? 

The dynamic is pretty special. It’s incredible that we’ve spent so much time together. We’ve all shared the wins, the highs, and the lows of filming this project with COVID. They’ve also all seen me grow up as a person off-set. This is a really special relationship with all of them. 

It feels very much like a family. We don’t even think about it anymore because it’s just like when you have best friends or people you spend so much time with, it’s not even a thought anymore. We all know each other so well. So you’re not always like, “Oh, am I going to step on this person’s toes?” You’re willing to make the jokes, have a good time, and all the above.

What’s the dynamic like with Drew and Hélene? Do they act like wise older siblings off-set, too, or is it more equal and collaborative now?

During both the first two seasons, it was definitely more big brother, big sister vibes. Now, I’ve come to a place where we treat each other like friends a little more, and it’s a little more mutual, and we can collaborate a little bit more. It’s definitely a different dynamic this season, and it’s really rewarding.

Although the show has shifted away from your character’s success, Chase still has a desire to establish himself, even though he’s also craving some normalcy and autonomy. Is that tension something you also relate to as a performer?

I relate to it, probably less than Chase’s experiences, but more so I’ve enjoyed acting and the work, and less I’ve enjoyed the byproducts. I love support, and I love the show, but all the extra stuff is less fun when you really liked the work. You don’t really care about that, what with the reviews [and] whatnot. 

Kiernan Shipka has a cameo this season playing your fiancée. She was also a child actor. Did you both exchange experiences and share any parallels with her? 

We did talk about that and relate over being young in the industry growing up. She has great advice. She’s been doing it for so long. We also related over the fact that we’re both the entertainment children in the family, and everyone else in our family is normal. It’s a fun dynamic.

the other two

[Photo courtesy of Max]

There’s a great episode this season where you have to assume a bad boy persona so that your “normal” girlfriend Pam doesn’t get doxxed by Chase’s fans. Were you excited to get out of your comfort zone in that way, or were you nervous to play briefly against type?  

I really enjoyed having an extreme persona to play, so it was probably one of the most fun things for me to shoot and was totally in my comfort zone, which most people would not expect. It’s a pretty extreme contrast, but that was really fun to film for me and really enjoyable. 

You got your start on Musical.ly and TikTok, and now TikTok has become super widespread and even dominates music trends. Do you use social media differently at all since starting The Other Two?

I don’t really use it at all. I don’t have TikTok on my phone anymore. My account is still out there, but acting provides a freedom where I can just focus on the work. I don’t necessarily have to be on social media platforms if I don’t want to, and I really value that. I think that’s awesome. But I do use Instagram occasionally. 

I like to post my rock climbing and share a little bit, but I don’t feel pressure like you would if you’re primarily a digital creator. With acting, there’s so much freedom that I wouldn’t be surprised at some point in the future if I don’t have social media at all. But I think it’s a great vehicle and a great tool to use for press and connecting with the fans and your friends.

You mentioned rock climbing. Is that a hobby that you’ve done for a long time? What about rock climbing is compelling to you?

I can apply a lot of the intensity that I apply to my acting work. Especially in a filming season, I can come home, and instead of hitting a hard stop and maybe doing a few auditions, I can pretty much put all that into training for climbing. It’s an all-consuming sport, just like acting is an all-consuming craft. 

I can take that same mindset and apply it to a totally different world and community. It’s so refreshing, and I feel like it complements my acting work. It’s also such a gift of a sport because it’s so challenging and obviously keeps you fit and physical. I also love being able to get outside and [how it] provides that outlet, where you can go to a boulder in the middle of the mountains for a whole day and focus on nothing else but that. It’s pretty special.

Even though we don’t get to hear any new music from Chase this season, can we expect any music from you, or are you mostly focused on acting at the moment? 

Music continues to be a supporting aspect of my career and could definitely be the driving aspect at some point in the future. Right now, I’m really quite focused on the acting, but know that I have no intention of stopping music. I still write music and stuff, but it’s a little bit on the back burner right now. Who knows? In the future, it could definitely be a possibility. It would be fun to parallel Chase Dreams a little bit more in that aspect.