Twenty Minutes with Good Luck Charlie’s Leigh-Allyn Baker and Eric Allan Kramer

On many sitcoms aimed for children and preteens and even teens, parents often take a backseat role, or, you know, aren’t even there. But on Good Luck Charlie, the parents are right there, you know, the way ACTUAL parents are in real life. I was so thrilled to be able to get a chance to talk to Leigh-Allyn Baker and Eric Allan Kramer, who play Amy and Bob, the matriarch and patriarch of the Duncan family.    

(© Disney Channel)

We talked a little bit about the idea that they are joining the ranks of TELEVISION PARENTS. I completely dated myself by telling them that Florida and James Evans from Good Times and Maggie and Jason Seaver from Growing Pains were two tv parents I looked up to and loved. Whe  I asked if either of them had favorites, Leigh-Allyn was quick to choose the Cosby Show’s Huxtables as her favorite tv parents and Eric was quick to choose Roseanne and Dan on Roseanne, because, as he says, it’s just so clear that their dynamic just works for them and they “sincerely love each other”. (PS. Both excellent choices, in my opinion). 

Leigh-Allyn and Eric are not strangers to the television scene, having both been on shows ranging from Will and Grace to Charmed to the Hughleys to CSI. This leap to the Disney world, however, was new to both of them. And Leigh-Allyn says she very cautiously, and with a leap of faith, went into her role as Amy Duncan. 

My children and I have only watched a handful of episodes, but there are already some episodes that are becoming fan favorites. Interestingly, though, neither Leigh-Allyn nor Eric have a favorite episode, but, as Eric says, “I think that’s a pretty big compliment to the show that I don’t have a clear favorite.” They both, for the most part, love the scrips as they come their way. Occasionally, Leigh-Allyn says, because she has a 15-month-old baby of her own at home, there are times when she has to jump in and say, “No, sorry, I wouldn’t leave the baby in the kitchen while I go off to another room.” So, clearly, being parents themselves (Eric has two children), help to make the show even more authentic. 

But, by far, the most telling (and funniest) conversation I had with the two of them was when I asked each one to tell me something about the other. Leigh-Allyn was quick to tell me that besides being a great chef, Eric is also in a KISS tribute band. Eric jumped in to explain that he dressed as Gene Simmons once for Halloween, and so it kind of all started as a joke because he’s “not really a musician.” But, he and some friends formed a band and now play everything from AC/DC to Queen to Three Doors Down and are gearing up to play their first real gig. 

Eric was exited to tell me that he has “the biggest crush in the world on my TV wife and I am so lucky to be acting next to her.” But, Leigh-Allyn, as he says, can play him like a puppet. She’ll make a sound or gesture or even just raise and eyebrow and Eric will just lose it on set and they’ll have to do yet another take. “And, then, obviously, it’s my fault.” Leigh-Allyn just laughed, confirming Eric’s words. 

And you see, that’s the thing. That’s the thing about this new show that makes it so likable and believable. These two have such a good relationship both on-screen and off. 

(© Disney Channel)

At the end of the interview, I asked them what makes this show so different than anything Disney has premiered before it, Eric said that “I think Good Luck Charlie is a breath of fresh air for kids too, not just for parents. They get to watch stories that ring very true to their own lives. And I just think that’s pretty great.”

And I think it’s pretty great too.

(Again, starting on May 14th, 2010, you can catch Good Luck Charlie in its regular timeslot on Fridays at 7pm ET on Family)