WEST NEWBURY — Locals will be seeing a lot more of West Newbury native Todd Grinnell, who landed a role on NBC's "Desperate Housewives" after starring on NBC's short-lived series "Four Kings" with Seth Green and Josh Cooke.
Grinnell, who attended elementary school in Beverly and high school in Hamilton, will play a plastic surgeon, Dr. Cominis, who is the love interest of Bree Van De Kamp's son, Andrew.
"It's a neat experience to be on a show that's got this many viewers — people just love it," Grinnell said. "It's a totally fun role to play, and Marcia Cross, Kyle MacLachlan and Shawn Pyfrom, who I've been mostly working with, are outstanding actors and people. Everyone is totally welcoming, and it's a real treat to work with everyone."
Grinnell has shot four episodes of the show and three have aired, leading the actor to be recognized on the streets.
"In the second episode, it was revealed that my character on 'Desperate Housewives' did an adult movie to put himself through med school," Grinnell said. "That's been a source of fodder for my friends. And last night at the supermarket, the bagger looked over at me and said 'I saw your video,' and we had a laugh."
Though his friends may think the role is funny, Grinnell sees something deeper in the part.
"The scene we filmed at the dinner table before we announced we were going to get married was shot the day after the election, in which Proposition 8 was voted for in California," Grinnell said. "It's kind of a topical thing. Marc Cherry, the show's creator, is a genius — I'm glad to be a part of the world that he created, and I feel really lucky to be on the show."
Grinnell, who has been acting for approximately 10 years, has been living in Los Angeles since 2000. Previously, the actor studied history and political science in California and after college, took a job with state Sen. Steve Tolman.
"I had friends who were actors, and I kind of always watched them in college and I'd go see them in plays. I thought it was a cool world they were in," Grinnell said. "I went into politics and was working at the statehouse, but I couldn't stop thinking 'What if I was an actor?'"
Grinnell met up with a high-school friend's mother, who was an actress and acting teacher at Emerson College, at a coffee shop.
"She was so into it. Right when I left the coffee shop, I thought 'I think I'm an actor; I'm going to do this,'" Grinnell said. "The more I got into it, I realized this was the thing I had to do with my life. I totally fell in love with it."
It wasn't until he moved to Los Angeles that Grinnell really set his sights on becoming a "star," landing a role on NBC's "Four Kings."
"Playing Jason on 'Four Kings' was amazing, and it was my first serious job," said Grinnell, who remains friends with the other three stars of the show. "It was really one of those things where I was waiting tables one day and I starred on NBC in a matter of weeks."
Grinnell has appeared in other series like "Cold Case," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Samantha Who?," "Criminal Minds" and "Robot Chicken," and has worked with big-name actors like Christina Applegate and Seth Green.
One of Grinnell's favorite roles was playing the "evil lawyer" on ABC's "Eli Stone," which was canceled.
"In acting, there's going to be good times and bad times, times when you have work and times when you don't." With each setback comes another opportunity. Grinnell just finished shooting a pilot for Fox. "Living With a Bandem" is a half-hour comedy about a group of five people whose therapist commits suicide in the first scene, leaving them to band together through life.
"It's hilariously funny. And a couple of my friends are involved with it, so it'd be kind of a dream job," Grinnell said. In between the glitz and glamor of living the Hollywood dream and hobnobbing with stars, Grinnell said he said he tries to get home as much as possible.
"I really love the Newburyport area — I spent my entire childhood there, and I miss it. I miss the seasons; I haven't seen fall in 10 years. And the Massachusetts coast in the summertime is the best thing in the world," said Grinnell, who, despite suffering through the uncertainty of canceled shows and pilot pick-ups, said he wouldn't trade acting for anything.
"It's not an easy path," Grinnell said. "But to me, it's the greatest job in the world."
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC
Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion'
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
