E!Online Interview

KV: So, lay it on me. What is your gut feeling on how much longer the show will go?

SP: Gosh, I don’t know. We have new showrunners, so I think it really depends on … Wait, I’m sorry, my phone is ringing.

KV: Your b***es be calling you up?

SP: (laughs) Yeah! There’s just so many of them. I can’t keep track. Here, I need to put this on vibrate. … Anyway, I don’t know how long the show will go. It really is up to the three of us. Or actually, I guess, it’s up to the two of them.

KV: You’re all under contract through the end of this season, right?

SP: Yes. And as long as there’s fresh storylines and compelling storytelling, I don’t see why anybody would want to jump off this show. This is a great show and you just, you don’t get off a hit. You don’t do it. It’s too rare. Lightning doesn’t strike twice. And plus, we’re on a new network and they really want it to go. So I think we kind of owe it to them to at least give it our best effort and stick around as long as we can.

KV: Here’s what I want to know. What are you personal thoughts as far as Luke and Lorelai? Do you want them to be together or do—

SP: No. I don’t. I really don’t. I really think that the tension, and I know the fans are getting a little impatient. I’ve been getting some letters and I get comments in the supermarket and you know, I think you have to careful about that kind of thing. But I think you have to be very, very careful about getting Lorelai -- Luke and Lorelai together. I think it’s better if there is a distance. I think it’s better if it’s an *almost kind of a situation. I love the fact that Christopher is back. I think it’s going to create a lot of tension, and that’s why people watch this show. And whether they realize it or not, once people get together, no matter how artfully it’s done, it’s hard to keep that tension going.

KV: Would you prefer Lorelai be with Christopher?

SP: Um …. I don’t know about that. I mean … I just really like tension. That’s what makes it … you know.

KV: You like to be the grunty, grumpy guy with the backwards baseball cap.

SP: It’s much more interesting for us as actors to play those kinds of scenes. It’s more fun. There are more colors that can come out of it. And look, whatever they do, whatever they decide, I’m sure it will be compelling and interesting, and something that no one’s ever thought of before. And they’re together but, wow, there’s even more tension. So we’ll see. We’ll see.

KV: Is it weird being here at the C-Dub?

SP: No, no. It feels like home. It really does. They’ve made a really smooth transition and some of the people came over from the WB, and others didn’t, but they’re all terrific. And it’s really super charged up this year, which is nice. Everybody’s pulling for each other because they want this to work.

KV: Now, you guys have been on the air for six years, so you’re sort of the veterans here, 7th Heaven aside. Do you feel like you’re the seniors walking around, showing the freshmen how it’s done?

SP: Yeah, we feel like Stephens Collin is definitely the principal at this point, or maybe even the guidance counselor, and we’re definitely the seniors.

KV: I would say you’re like the quarterback of the football team.

SP: No, no. We’re not obnoxious seniors. We’re kind of cool. We’re the eclectic mix that nobody would hang out with individually but together, it’s magnetic.