00:00We are here with Next Gen NYC's latest edition.
00:03Liam, I'm so excited to have you here to talk all about this show.
00:06Season 2 is already off to a great start.
00:08And I'm curious, what made you want to, after so many years of acting, get into reality TV?
00:14Something new.
00:14Yeah?
00:16I have watched a little bit of it, right?
00:19Saw, kind of had an idea of the world, opportunity presented itself, and here we are.
00:25Well, you came into the show through Brooks Marks.
00:28How did you meet Brooks, and were you familiar with his mom, Meredith, at all, before joining the show?
00:33I was familiar with Meredith.
00:35Had a little stint of watching Season 2, so that was a fantastic time.
00:41But, you know, just knew Brooks through the city, and, you know, just kind of our friendship kind of built
00:47as we kind of got to know each other through parties and dinners and whatnot.
00:52So, yeah.
00:52Was there anyone you were nervous about working with?
00:55Anyone that you were kind of warned about going into this?
00:59You're always warned about Charlie, I think, right?
01:01Yes.
01:02I was a little bit nervous about Gia.
01:05Oh, really?
01:06But just because she's like a personality, you know, she's got that jersey, and I know a little bit about
01:10New Jersey.
01:11I played hockey in New Jersey for many years, so I just, you know, Gia did make me a little
01:15nervous, but we're great friends.
01:16I was going to say, in the end, she wasn't that bad as you thought.
01:19And Gia's fantastic.
01:19I love her, and I support her with everything.
01:21You have a million careers, hobbies, outside of acting.
01:25You're also a ski instructor, volunteer fireman, equestrian, motorcyclist, surfer, and you play on three different hockey teams, as you
01:31said in the first episode.
01:33Why is it important to you to stay so busy, and how did you add this to the mix?
01:37Yeah, I think for me, staying busy is a lot to do with, like, mental health, one.
01:43So a lot of the activities I do is, like, physical and keeps me active, so that.
01:49But, too, like, as an actor, you need to, you know, fill your plate, and that's how the horse came
01:54about, right?
01:55I wanted to be ready for the Yellowstone audition, never got it, but ended up buying a horse.
02:00So, you know, you just, as an actor, you want to learn as many things, fill your resume, and fill
02:04that kind of list, and that's what I'm trying to do.
02:08The hockey teams, you said you auditioned for Heated Rivalry.
02:11You did not get the part.
02:12Have you seen Heated Rivalry yet?
02:13I've yet to watch it.
02:14I auditioned for it.
02:16What role?
02:17Blonde one.
02:17You need to do a Russian accent.
02:19Yeah, and I think that's probably why I didn't get it.
02:21Look at me now.
02:22When you were auditioning, did you think that the show would become as big as it did?
02:25And do you know why they didn't pick you?
02:27No, I don't know why they didn't pick me.
02:31A little bummed, a little bummed.
02:33But, you know, Next Gen found, you know.
02:37I did not know.
02:38What's interesting is it didn't say Heated Rivalry, the audition.
02:41It said, Untitled Netflix Hockey Show.
02:44Yeah, Netflix thing or whatever.
02:46HBO thing.
02:48And so then, you know, things came about.
02:49Audition went and never got it.
02:51But then Heated Rivalry came, and I was like, that must have been it, right?
02:54Yeah.
02:54That had to have been.
02:55Well, you know, getting into some Next Gen stuff, you said you watched a little bit of
02:59this season before joining the show.
03:01Yeah.
03:02What did you think of that?
03:03And did that make you nervous at all coming into this crazy mix of people?
03:08No, it didn't make me that nervous.
03:10It kind of, I wanted to have an idea of what I was going into, but I didn't want to
03:15kind
03:15of base opinions or do all that.
03:18So it was a light watch.
03:19I definitely was scrolling, doom scrolling while I watched.
03:22But no, I, you know, you got to dive into these things.
03:24And if you go in with nerves, you're just going to, you're going to be on edge.
03:28Yeah.
03:28Unlike some of your castmates, you did not come from a famous family.
03:31You know, the whole talk of Nepo babies is really big in this show.
03:34What did you make of your castmates who did come from, you know, parents who were already
03:39in the spotlight?
03:40Did they kind of live up to a stereotype?
03:42Were they different than you thought they would be?
03:45Um, you know, growing up in New York City, you, you, there's a lot of, you run into
03:50kids who have famous parents all the time.
03:52So for me, it wasn't really anything new.
03:54And they're all pretty normal people.
03:57You know, the occasional event that they're going to might be crazy or something.
04:02But no, they're, they're all down to earth and super chill and they don't let it get to
04:06their heads.
04:07Yeah.
04:07It's nice.
04:08We mentioned him before, but Charlie, what did you end up thinking of him?
04:10Because he's, he's a pretty controversial guy on this show.
04:13Yeah, um, I, I, you know, Charlie, Charlie, I, as I say, Charlie is Charlie.
04:19Um, I, you know, we're, we're, we're in a, we're in an interesting place, but, you know,
04:25tune in and, and you'll find out why, I guess.
04:28So maybe there's a little beef there between you and Charlie?
04:31Maybe.
04:31Maybe a little?
04:32Yeah.
04:32That's okay.
04:33I think he has beef with a lot of people.
04:35I think he's got, yeah, yeah.
04:35I think to have a little beef with Charlie is normal.
04:37Okay.
04:38Yes.
04:38It means you're just fitting in with the group if you have, if you have beef with Charlie.
04:41It means you're, it means you're in the group.
04:42Yes.
04:43If you have some beef with Charlie, yeah.
04:44You seem to set your sights on Ariana very quickly.
04:47What was it about her that you liked and how far did you guys take things?
04:50Because at the time she was single.
04:52Yeah.
04:52Um, she's just, uh, super chill down to earth and, um, she's got a great smile.
04:59And, uh, yeah, I don't know.
05:01We, we, we, we had a good connection right off the bat and, uh, yeah, tune, tune in.
05:08Did you get to meet her mom at all?
05:10Uh, I met her on FaceTime.
05:12Yeah.
05:12I never got to meet her in person, but, but me and, me and Kim have some, some inside jokes.
05:16You said it was hot that Ariana was on probation.
05:19What do you think about the fact that Ariana's on probation?
05:22I think he's pretty hot.
05:24What about probation do you find to be attractive?
05:27Um, she's rebellious, you know, I think I, I kind of know the story and what happened and not mine
05:33to tell, so I'll leave it at that.
05:35But, um, yeah, it was attractive, right?
05:38It's, you know, you, you, you see a girl like that and, um, and, and you find that out and
05:43you're like, wow, all right, that's, that's something new.
05:45That's something I wouldn't expect.
05:47Some of your castmates thought that Ariana and Hudson breaking up was PR for the show.
05:51Did that thought ever cross your mind when you were kind of pursuing her?
05:56Uh, not really.
05:57Um, you know, me and her had conversations, so I didn't know.
06:02Right.
06:03Well, obviously Hudson wasn't too thrilled about you flirting with Ariana.
06:06Liam Kidd, I don't really know who he is, but Liam has decided to flirt with Ariana, so he can
06:14do whatever the hell he wants to.
06:15He's a grown man, but he's going to have to hear something from me eventually.
06:18How will your dynamic with him play out this season and what do you think about them getting back together?
06:24Um, you know, I wish them the best.
06:26I think, I think, I hope they're, you know, both happy and doing their thing.
06:30Um, Hudson is, is a good kid.
06:32Um, and, you know, I think with, with time, you know, a, a relationship, friendship could grow.
06:41Um, but yeah, he's a good kid and, and, and I hope he, he's on a good path.
06:46Well, now that, you know, they're back together, are you into any of the other next gen ladies?
06:50Is there anybody else here kind of having a wrap?
06:51No, I'm taking a break from our friend group, I think.
06:53Well, there are a couple other newbies this season.
06:55We have Rowan and Kendall as well.
06:56Did you find yourself leaning on them at all as you guys kind of navigated this new chapter?
07:01Totally.
07:01I mean, so Kendall's like one of my oldest friends.
07:03I've known her, I've known her since growing up in the city.
07:06We went to middle school together and parted ways in high school and, and, and found our way back.
07:10But yeah, definitely.
07:11Um, I, I love Kendall and, and she's a good friend and through this process became an even closer friend.
07:19And, uh, same with Rowan.
07:21Um, she actually just sent me her script and I have to read it.
07:23So, but yeah, I'm very excited to read it, but I think that's like a sign of growing a friendship.
07:28You share your art with someone.
07:29Yeah.
07:30Yeah, totally.
07:30And did, you know, did you get to meet her mom at all?
07:33Brooke Shields?
07:34Did she give you any advice?
07:35Is I, I did meet Brooke Shields, um, but not through Rowan.
07:39I was in Soho one day shopping with a buddy of mine and we walked into, I'm going to say
07:44it, we walked into the Gucci store.
07:45I know, I know, but we walked in and, and like, we both looked at him and I was like,
07:49I think that's Brooke Shields.
07:50And, and, you know, we just had the moment and I was like, Hey bro, I'm Liam.
07:53I'm like, I've been hanging out with Rowan, you know, through the show.
07:56Oh my gosh.
07:56Well, what else can you tease about what's to come this season?
08:00Yeah, I think, um, it's safe to say it's, it's, it's a good season for everyone.
08:05I think, um, I, you know, I like to say it, it's the next gen of next gen, right?
08:10Like, um, everyone is, everyone kind of has issues that they get to work through and everyone kind of gets
08:16to, uh, figure their life out in this season.
08:20And, and I think, I think the audience will really enjoy watching that.
08:23So.
Comments