Asher Grodman chatted about playing Trevor on hit CBS series Ghosts.
Asher Grodman currently stars as “Trevor Lefkowitz”, one of the titular spirits on CBS’ Ghosts. It is an adaptation of the original BBC sitcom of the same name. Before landing this role, Asher’s other credits include episodes of Elementary and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
In this interview, Asher chats about his experience on Ghosts so far, how Trevor compares to his UK counterpart and what the character would be doing today, if he were still alive.
How did your journey in acting first start?
Asher Grodman: I was a pretty shy kid. I think I was the only kid in my school who wasn’t in the musical. In like 6th grade, or something like that. My parents kind of forced me to do it and I had a crush on a girl. I was kind of sold a little bit.
I was in the school jazz band, really had no business being in it, wasn’t very good. Then in one fell swoop everyone in the school jazz band graduated. I suddenly had to do things. We were going to do Brown Eyed Girl as the song we were going to perform. I had a big crush on a girl and somehow got tasked with singing this thing. In my very shy but overly romantic heart, I decided to get up, sing this song and change the words to Hazel Eyed Girl for her.
It backfired, she was mortified. I think the thing of getting up and performing, that was the first taste of it. Having a connection with an audience and allowing myself to be seen.
There was also a singing competition that I did. The play, The Producers, had just come out – the Mel Brooks musical. I’d grown up on that movie. I did a scene from the movie in this little competition.
Those were two really formative experiences. Being in front of people and being like, “Oh, this isn’t so scary, it’s kind of exhilarating”. It was still terrifying, but also exhilarating. That was the beginning of, “oh, I want to do more of this”. This feels like a nice little home for me.
Ghosts is now in its third season on CBS, a big hit. How do you feel about the show’s journey so far, especially being an adaptation of the BBC show?
Asher Grodman: I know, we stole it from you guys! So, thank you. It’s such a brilliant concept for a show and what the BBC came up with. That whole group, Simon Farnaby and crew. They’re producers on our show, so I hope the success we’re having is a reflection of their work.
Mat [Baynton] was on the show, he was lovely. I hope we get to have more of those guys on. Obviously, we kind of like idolise them and relish what they created. To keep shouting them out, I’ve been auditioning for pilots and trying to get a job like this for 20 years. I’ve read a lot of pilots and this was by far my favourite. I just thought it was the best pilot I’ve ever read.
It was so naturally funny and the concept was so brilliant. It’s a show that’s very limited because no one can ever leave. That limitation opens up a ton of possibilities to go back in time, enrich the area we’re in. To have the juxtaposition of these wacky characters living this very limited existence. It’s a lot of fun.
I’m very grateful and I think anyone who gets to be an actor in this business, you’re just very lucky to get a chance to work.
Season 2 ended on a cliffhanger – which was resolved in the Season 3 premiere. In what sense do you think being “sucked off” presents a different jeopardy to dying – as it seems to be something the ghosts might want?
Asher Grodman: That’s a really good point. It’s a fun and unexpected dynamic that all these characters are secretly hoping to get “sucked off” and written off the show. Of course, the actor’s thrilled to have job so doesn’t want that to happen. That’s the nature of the show.
At any given point, we’ll have a storyline like we’ve seen this season where a couple of the characters are really hungry to get “sucked off”. We all get to put that hat on, of who’s really driving for that thing. It’s a very weird dynamic where you want to achieve your goal, but don’t want to achieve it too much.
Trevor might not seem like the most reliable on paper, but he’s been shown to have layers to his character. What surprised you most about Trevor’s past?
Asher Grodman: I think our writers’ room as a whole have done a really great job of keeping things surprising. There’s something about this character, the tropes and the world he comes from. We associate it with a kind of alpha douchiness thing.
I think they’ve done a really nice job. What’s always surprised me is there’s a fun dynamic in being the youngest ghost. The guy who’s still kind of new to this world. The guy who kind of has – I’ve called it a puppy-ish quality, in the past, a little stinker. Someone who wants to cause trouble and entertain himself. He wants to have a good time. We’re stuck here and there’s not much to do.
In his life, there was a lot to do. We’ve tried to lean in, I hope, to the things that are universal and really relatable about him. I also think there’s something fun about the show – often times, we’re like, “it’d be really great to sit down and connect with my great great grandparents.’ If I could pick and have a dinner with anyone – we kind of elevate the past.
Something the show does, which is a lot of fun is we bring the past down a few pegs. You would probably have some different points of view than your ancestors would. Getting to see these people – a lot of whom if they were in stories in their own time, would not be the most savoury individuals. Being able to see them in a box. There’s a fun dynamic that happens in that.
The Trevor character has aspects of Julian and Thomas from the original BBC version. Had you watched any of the UK Ghosts before booking this iteration?
Asher Grodman: I don’t think I watched it before season 1. There was something about creating about art; if you have a result in your head, you’re kind of in trouble. You’re trying to get the thing ‘right’. Usually, trying to get the right answer or shooting for an end result is not the best way to do that.
Out of, let’s say respect and intimidation, I did not watch the BBC show before season 1. I did watch it after season 1, once we had established our own voice. I loved it and was jealous of the storylines. We’ve done some great stuff, but I really loved what they have done.
That’s a fair assessment, that Trevor’s kind of an amalgamation of those two.
Julian, in the BBC version has very few redeeming qualities. I’d like to think Trevor has more. Then with Thomas, obviously he’s crazy for all the women. There’s a bit of a bravado to him, that I think Trevor also can play with.
If you’re going to have two guys paving the way for you, that’s two pretty great actors and characters.
There’s something, I hope endearing about the fact that Trevor tells the truth a lot about the things he does. He’s done these crazy things – been to these crazy parties and lived a really lavish lifestyle. The things most people would lie about, he’s actually telling the truth about. The thing that is perhaps the most redeeming thing about him [how he lost his pants], is the thing he lied about. I think it’s a fun little reversal.
I’ve previously interviewed your co-star Devan Chandler Long, who plays Thorfinn. How would you describe those characters’ on-screen dynamic as the oldest and youngest ghosts, of the main cast?
Asher Grodman: It’s funny, I think this is similar with the BBC version, with Robin (Laurence Rickard). The oldest ghost doesn’t… because there’s such a gap between them and the next youngest ghost. They’re so removed – this is the way our show’s handling it and I think the BBC does too. They almost don’t play the role of the oldest ghost, the way you would expect them to.
In our show, Sas (Román Zaragoza) almost plays the role of the one who’s seen it all. It’s a fun juxtaposition with Sas, because he has this, “I’ve seen it all” mindset but he’s the youngest age-wise, in terms of death time.
Each of these characters is a bit of a juxtaposition in their own right. Thor, I remember, the description of him was of this fastidious Viking on the page, in the pilot. I know Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, our showrunners, really were enamoured with the idea that Vikings were actually very neat and very organised.
Now we have this Viking who’s obsessed with television and reality TV. Those juxtapositions I think are a lot of fun.
What do you think Trevor would be doing in 2024, if he were still alive?
Asher Grodman: Something about the way Trevor lived…. even if he had survived his death, he’d have found a way to die not long thereafter. If he were still alive today, I still think he’d be the life of the party and having a pretty great time. I wonder if he ever would’ve gotten married and had a family. Something tells me probably not.
Something tells me that in order for Trevor to grow, he needs this kind of, shall we say, arrested afterlife. He’s limited, has to stick and see people in a new light. I have to think Trevor would’ve ended up in some kind of flashy, entertainment spot if he were alive. I’m sure he would have loved this social media age.
Thank you for your time, Asher – best of luck with the rest of the season!
Asher Grodman: Thank you very much for everything, it’s so great to meet you. I hope we get to do it again.
Follow writer Conor O’Brien on Twitter
A lifelong TV and Film buff, Conor founded Courageous Nerd in 2019. He has conducted hundreds of interviews for the site, as well as written comprehensive feature articles on a variety of topics. You can find him on X: @conorrcn.
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