Going Greek may not be for everyone upon entering college, but watching the drama and comedy unfold in sororities and fraternities is fun for everyone. It's especially entertaining when it comes at you in a quick-witted, likeable little package titled "Greek," the weekly television series (Monday 8/7 Central) on ABC Family, written and produced by Patrick Sean Smith, creator of "Wildfire" and "Summerland."
Whether you're wondering what life as a college freshman will be like, or just in the mood to reminisce, "Greek" is the ideal one-stop shop to reliving or catching a glimpse into college life from pledges to presidents. Based on students at the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University, viewers see firsthand friends and enemies develop, loyalty and deception play out, along with the interweaving love triangles. For one freshman, Rusty Cartwright, played by Jacob Zachar, campus life is much more than he expected.
"I play an incoming freshman, an innocent dorky guy who wants to join a fraternity and starts to see the other side of things," Zachar says. "I'm at the same school as my older sister and I find out in the opening episode she never told anyone she even had a brother. And that's kind of the relationship we have."
Zachar's sister on the series, Casey Cartwright, is played by Spencer Grammar, who is the daughter of "Cheers" and "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammar. As president of the fictional Zeta Beta Zeta sorority, she's very aware of her reputation and how her very nerd-tastic brother might change things. For Zachar, playing the young, innocent freshman hits close to home.
"I relate to the character in a few ways, because he has more traditional values and stays as honest as possible throughout the show," the up-and-coming star explains. "I'm not really a mean person in real life, and neither is Rusty, so it works. But I have two younger brothers, so when I was a senior I had a brother who was a sophomore. I looked out for him as best as I could, but you can't help but mess around with them too. So it's also kind of weird, but fun, to take on the younger sibling role now."
A native of Chicago, just like his character on the series, Zachar says he is enjoying every minute of his experience on the show.
"I think some of my favorite days were shooting the episode when we played floor hockey," the St. Patrick High School graduate says. "Growing up, I was always involved in a lot of sports and always wanted to shoot a sports scene in a movie. Scoring a winning goal on camera was actually a pretty heroic moment for me."
Zachar, who recently turned 22, confesses that he's thankful to have the opportunity to make a living as an actor. Something not many in Hollywood can say.
"One of the best things is having a job. I know it's such a cut-throat industry, and to actually make a living working as an actor is something you gotta remember when you wake up everyday," he admits. "It's a pretty beautiful time for everyone working on the show because a lot of those simple worries are gone."
