One of the characters fans will meet in the premiere episode of DC’s Stargirl (available today on DC Universe and starting Tuesday night on The CW) is the character of “Mike Dugan” as played by Trae Romano on the series.
Who is Mike? Well, when the protagonist of the show Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger)’s mom marries Pat Dugan, unaware of his stripesy alter ego, Pat comes with a son — Courtney’s new half-brother — as the family then moves and assimilates into the town of Blue Valley, Nebraska together. Courtney, of course, becomes the heroine known as Stargirl.
Trae Romano participated in an e-mail interview with KSiteTV for some insight on his experience with the latest DC adaptation, and you can read that review below.
KSITETV’s CRAIG BYRNE: How much familiarity did you have with the Stargirl comic books and the character of Mike Dugan before you got this role?
I wasn’t familiar at all with the Stargirl comic books or Mike Dugan. I was first introduced to him when I received my audition and script.
What does Mike think of Blue Valley once he gets there?
He isn’t thrilled. It takes him a little time to adjust to everything — the new town, new family. But I think he warms up to the small-town life.
Is he unsure about the move to Blue Valley when the series starts?
He’s not very excited about it. He is an LA kid and the thought of moving to Nebraska sounds boring to him.
Was this the first series you’ve shot in Georgia?
No, I also shot “Robbie” starring Rory Scovel and Beau Bridges for Comedy Central, which aired on May 7th. You can catch the whole season on Comedy Central’s YouTube channel.
Can you talk about the actors that you get to work with the most?
On Stargirl, I mainly worked with Brec, Amy and Luke. Most of my storylines are based around the family.
Was there any particular actor that you had enjoyed in movies or TV before that was especially fun to work with?
Both Luke and Beau. I couldn’t believe I was able to star opposite both of them in the same year. I’ve always been a fan of Luke’s work. “Old School,” “Bottle Rocket” and “The Royal Tenenbaums” are some of my favorites. Beau was in another favorite movie of mine, “The Descendants” with George Clooney. I think I’ve watched that at least 10 times. He is also awesome in “Black-ish.”
Do you have a favorite DC comic book character or franchise?
I’m kind of old school. I have to say Batman — the guy’s a legend.
Is there any DC character that you would love to see Mike meeting?
I would love to see Mike meeting Shazam.
What was your impression of the Stargirl pilot the first time you saw it with finished visual effects?
Unbelievable. The first time I saw the pilot I was blown away. The costumes, stunts, color grading and special effects make it feel more like a movie.
How is the role of Mike on Stargirl different from any role you have had before?
The biggest difference is that Mike and I are very similar. This is the first character that I have connected with this much. The family dynamics are also fairly similar. My real family isn’t blended, but the interactions are similar. There’s sometimes drama with the sisters, I’m close with my dad, and Amy reminds me of my mom sometimes. It’s just natural.
What have you been doing to keep entertained during the quarantine?
I write A LOT. I just finished writing a script with my cowriter that lives in Mexico City. We Skype daily to work on it. I also do schoolwork, play ping pong, skateboard and play on the Xbox with my friends.
14. What would you like to see from Mike in the show’s future?
I’d really like to see Mike get some super powers and a cool super suit someday!
See Trae Romano on DC’s Stargirl on DC Universe and The CW. Our thanks to Trae for the interview — for more on the series, visit our DC’s Stargirl portal at StargirlTV.com!
