Natalie Sharp Talks ‘Hit The Road’ [Exclusive Interview]

From her sketch comedy, Youtube series Speedy & Stretch with co-star Michelle Creber, to her regular role on the anticipated series Hit The Road, Natalie Sharp has shown her comedic chops.

I recently got the opportunity to chat with Sharp about her role on Hit The Road and her experiences while on set filming with Seinfeld‘s Jason Alexander and Everybody Hates Chris‘s long-time director, Jerry Levine.

Believe it or not, Sharp didn’t really have any inclination toward comedy. In actuality, she just fell into her comedy roles in the past through her experiences in theater.

“I remember when I decided I wanted to be an actor,” Sharp began. “I was watching the Lizzie McGuire movie. I saw her up there singing, and I immediately pointed at the TV screen and said, ‘Mom, I want to do that!’ And so she put me in theater, and then I just got type casted into the loud, obnoxious, and embarrassing role.”

She quickly added that comedy is “definitely very fun to do, but it just kind of ended up happening” in her career.

This answer prompted me to ask about what exactly drew her to the sitcom, Hit The Road. For those who don’t know, Hit The Road is an upcoming comedy that follows the hilariously crazy Swallow family as they try to make it big as a wholesome, family band.

It turns out the show’s comedy genre didn’t entice Sharp to audition for the role as much as the musical aspect involved with her character, Ria Swallow.

“My agent sent me the audition. And this one was interesting and exciting because it involved singing,” she recalled. “I grew up singing before I wanted to even start acting. And so, right away, we knew that this was something that I could really do because we’ve been wanting to pair my music and acting together.”

Although Hit The Road will be Sharp’s first regular role on a TV show, her character’s age and personality traits made the prep for her role easier.

“Ria is like a diva. She wants to be young, hot, pop singer,” Sharp noted. “[Ria] really hates the idea of being in this lame family band, all crammed into a tour bus together. Because she’s at that age where she’s growing up and she’s trying to learn who she is and explore and have fun and party. And so, getting into Ria was quite easy for me.”

“I mean she has this attitude and tenacity, which I’ve definitely had at times… according to my mother,” Sharp added, jokingly.

“It wasn’t hard to find the attitude and sass because I was also playing off of what my family was giving me. I [also] connect with Ria a lot because I’ve been through all the things she’s basically going through right now. So, I can basically look back on it … [and] swing back into that mode.”

“Another thing that connects us a lot is that we’re both very driven. She wants to be a singer and I’ve always wanted to be a singer as well,” confessed Sharp.

“We have a lot of connecting points, which made it very natural. And the family dynamic came naturally as well because I know the banter between siblings and parents. I have a brother who is close to my age. And so, I grew up with all of that stuff and the chaos. So, it was just really fun and natural.”

According to Natalie Sharp, the atmosphere on the set of Hit The Road was just as natural.

“It was an amazing experience. I don’t know if everyone or anyone is this lucky to have had such a great experience,” Sharp gushed.

“It was all fun. [Jason Alexander’s] energy and the way he came about anything… and his support for all for us… and his warmth… We were all kind of intimidated going in because, you know, he’s Jason Alexander,” she continued.

“But he really kind of took us under his wing and he really became our dad on set. And we all kind of became a family, and so it was amazing. I mean, there was a point when we didn’t feel like we were acting anymore. We were just playing with each other and having fun.”

Natalie Sharp had even more to gush about when asked about director Jerry Levine. “He was a gem. Him and Jason were the dream team. They went to college together and so they were basically like a pair of directors on set,” she explained.

“Jerry is like the warmest teddy bear of a director. He really gets into all of our characters. He was a great leader on set.”

“He put his heart and soul into this. So it was really cool to see how much they care and how much fun they have. They were cracking jokes and laughing the whole time. Set was never stressful and it was great,” Sharp continued.

Considering how friendly and comfortable the cast became on set under Alexander and Levine’s direction, it’s unsurprising that she had a hilarious story to share with us about an upcoming bus scene on Episode 7.

Clearly elated about the question, Sharp thought for a second, and when she figured out which story she wanted to tell, she laughed and began recalling the memory.

“We are driving along the highway and we get a flat tire. And so, we swerve violently off the road. [When the tire popped,] we all had to throw our bodies around the bus. And I remember when Nick, who’s my [TV] brother, lands in my lap and then we get into a fight… as siblings do, especially boy and girl teenagers.”

“And then there was this one-take, where it got out of hand, and I accidentally kicked him directly in the face. I felt really bad,” Sharp confessed with a laugh. “But he wasn’t hurt.”

I don’t know about you guys but I will definitely be keeping my eye out for that scene. I’m glad Nick Marini, who plays Alex Swallow, is okay, so I can fully enjoy the authenticity of that moment.  Here’s to hoping it made the cut and Alex’s pain wasn’t in vain.

Don’t miss Natalie Sharp when Hit The Road premieres on Tuesday, October 17 at 8/7c on the Audience Network.

*Featured image credit: Ryan West

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