Cynthia Quiles Talks ‘Shifting Gears’ Season 1 and Why Frankie Has a ‘Special Place’ in Her Heart [Interview]

ABC’s Shifting Gears is a heartfelt sitcom centered around what happens when widowed car restoration shop owner Matt Parker (Tim Allen) reconnects with his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) and her kids. 

Also working at the car restoration shop are Gabriel (Seann William Scott), Stitch (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell), and Frankie (Cynthia Quiles).

I recently spoke with Cynthia Quiles, who plays Frankie, the cute, uber-capable, and only female mechanic in a shop full of grease, gears, and guys. She discussed what she loves most about her character, her own experiences with classic cars, and making Tim Allen laugh behind the scenes.

“She’s had a special place in my heart and in my head from day one,” Quiles said of her character. “I think Frankie is confident and secure in who she is.”

In Shifting Gears, Frankie is the only female character working in the shop, but Quiles doesn’t think she feels insecure about that.   

“I don’t think that she feels that she is inferior to her male co-workers. I actually think she probably thinks she’s a little bit smarter than some of them and is a great asset to the team,” she added. “She brings strength and helps Stitch (Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell) out a lot in the shop.” 

Because car restoration is an important aspect of Shifting Gears, Frankie and other characters spend a lot of time around cars. That’s something Quiles already had a good bit of experience with.

“I grew up around classic cars. My father does what Tim does on the show in real life, which is restore classic cars,” Quiles said. “I definitely find myself on set oohing and aahing over the vehicles.”

“I think my personal experiences tie into knowing a lot of what we’re doing there on set. The moments I’m not speaking on camera, I’m doing my mechanic work,” Quiles said. “Very carefully, though, because the cars are very expensive, and we’re not supposed to mess with them too much.” 

“Some of us on the cast love cars, and others don’t know as much. We had a situation on one of the tapings where one of my cast members was pointing to a particular vehicle, but referencing another vehicle, and I had to point them in the right direction so they were pointing in the right way.”

Quiles also shared a bit about her favorite moments behind the scenes.

“My favorite moments are when I can make Tim laugh,” she said. “If it’s a table read and I deliver a joke or line in a certain way and I get a laugh out of Tim, it warms my whole heart.”

“There’s nothing better than making an iconic comedian who is hilarious in everything that he does laugh,” she added. 

As a lover of classic sitcoms, getting to work on Shifting Gears has been a real treat and “a dream come true” for Quiles. 

“The ’90s kid in me is absolutely geeking out over the crazy comedic talent that I get to play with,” she stated. “On a personal level, I also love the fact that I go to work, and I leave with my cheeks hurting because I literally laugh and smile all day long.” 

“One of the things I loved about Shifting Gears and now the success the show has had is that it very much felt like the ’90s throwback sitcom with the laugh track and live studio audience taping,” Quiles said. 

“It feels as if Shifting Gears is ushering in a fresh wave of sitcoms,” she added. “To get this complete meal in 21 minutes with commercial breaks is what we need as a society right now, something that incorporates heart with good storytelling, but in a short form content for our ever-decreasing attention spans.” 

In addition to humor, Shifting Gears also knows how to tug at viewers’ heartstrings. 

Quiles cites the relationship between Kat and Tim’s characters after the loss of Riley’s mother as one of the most touching aspects of the show. “There are times in table reads and rehearsals that I find myself choking up,” she said. “You can feel that they are thoroughly invested.” 

As the first season of Shifting Gears is airing, Quiles is hopeful the show has long-term potential and shared some things she would like to see for her character as the show continues.

One of those aspects is Frankie’s queerness, which is briefly mentioned in Shifting Gears Season 1 Episode 2, “Accomodations.” 

“My hope is that, in future seasons, we can explore [Frankie’s dynamic] with the other characters on the show more and bring Frankie’s sexuality more into play,” she said. “I would love to see her have a love interest.” 

“And then, of course, to have more screen time with Kat would be amazing because I think she’s absolutely phenomenal,” Quiles said. “It would be really fun to see the females on the show interacting a little bit more in the shop in a playful way.” 

Quiles also hopes to showcase Frankie and Stitch’s friendship more specifically, especially since she and Chill are close in real life. 

“We do see a little bit of that in some of the upcoming episodes, where there is a banter between the two of them.”

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Shifting Gears airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on ABC. 

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