The Big Leap: Adam Kaplan Says There is ‘So Much Fun to Be Had’ This Season [Interview]

Among this season’s new TV shows is the highly anticipated FOX series The Big Leap. The series follows a diverse group of characters who sign up to be a part of a reality dance series in which they will perform a reimagining of Swan Lake.

Two episodes in, the drama you’d expect from any reality show has already begun, and we’re getting to know all of these characters on a deep level.

Of the dancers participating in the series is Simon, twin brother to Brittany, and an incredibly competitive dancer who knows exactly who he is. 

I recently had to chance to speak with Adam Kaplan, who plays Simon, about his role on the series and what we can look forward to from the remainder of the season. (You can watch the full video of our interview below.) 

Kaplan said he loved the script when he first read it, and he was excited about the chance to be on The Big Leap right away. “It’s a feel-good show. And I always am a sucker for a good dance number, so when I saw how many dance numbers in the pilot alone, I was like, alright, you got me. I’m hooked.”

Watch the full interview with Adam Kaplan:

He also shared that it wasn’t always planned for us to meet Simon and Brittany in the pilot episode.

“I think when they were originally filming the pilot back in March of 2020, Simon and Brittany weren’t introduced yet into the script, and then upon being shut down because of Covid, they made some minor adjustments and added Simon and Brittany into the pilot as opposed to just meeting them in Episode 2,” he said.

It’s in that second episode that we get to know Simon a little more. As competitive as he is, he’s also the type of person who will help a fellow dancer.

In this case, he seeks out Justin to help him with ballet — which ends in a fun scene that has them dancing on a basketball court.

“He’s introduced as this very uber-competitive, very type-A guy along with his sister. And that’s a result of years of horrible parenting, but we do see this generous side of Simon. So he’s not just this two-dimensional character. He really wants to help Justin, and I think sees his potential.”

When the dancers all find out which roles they’ll plan in Swan Lake, Simon is thrilled to get the part of the Black Swan after it’s announced that casting is gender-blind. 

“I was so excited. Because what I love about Simon is that he is so unapologetically himself, and he wants the Black Swan not because it’s initially cast as a woman, but because I think that he thinks that’s the fiercest part there is,” Kaplan said.

However, he also noted that there might be some changes down the line.

“There may or may not be some shifting of roles as the season progresses,” he hinted. “It’s so fun. I just want to spill it all, but there’s just so much fun to be had.”

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The Big Leap airs Mondays at 9/8c on FOX.

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