Supernatural comedy series GHOSTED, starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson as a believer and skeptic, respectively, premieres on FOX Sunday night at 8:30/7:30c. When the “James Bond of the underground government agency that deals with paranormal activity,” agent Kurt Checker, goes missing, he names Scott and Robinson’s Max and Leroy as his saviors, drawing the characters into a world they never expected.

I had the chance to chat with Checker himself, actor Linc Hand, about what’s coming up on FOX’s new comedy series.

I watched the pilot. I loved it so much and I think it’s one of the shows this season that feels like it’s not just a series premiere but a season premiere because it establishes itself so well. What was it that you loved about it that you thought OK, I want to be a part of that?
Right off the bat. I mean within the first couple of pages I was literally laughing out loud. My fiancee was sitting next to me, like, what are you reading. And I was just laughing so hard; I was like babe this is really really really good. It was just hysterical on the page and they went to look and saw that it was you know Craig Robinson and Adam Scott I was like oh wow this is really, really cool. Anything paranormal, anything kind of crazy, I was just like this seems like such a home run. I was like hopefully I cannot screw this up and get the opportunity. But it was everybody so cool and the first day that I was on set it was not to steal what you just said, it really was like that and felt like this was something has kind of been going on for a long time if that makes any sense at all!

You’re so used to seeing a first episode of a show and it kind of has to spend so much time explaining itself. But the show is funny and explains itself right away and you get it and I loved it right away. So who are you in the show. How do you how would you describe for fans or for viewers who are you what are you playing. What can we expect?
I’m kind of like the James Bond of this secret government agency called The Underground. And so kind of like a lone wolf that deals with the paranormal, these multi-universe type of things and hopefully you get to see me run around and do some really cool fun things with some really fun people. I’m the reason why they get drawn into the underworld and there are some things that kind of happen to me like you have to find. You have to find these guys that can help me. And so that’s why they get brought into this world.

And you pointed out the supernatural part of it I think it’s something so different, too. We’re so used to seeing it being these spooky ghost stories, these hour long dramas where it’s like really intense. But here we have a funny version of trying to kind of explore the same thing. I think that sets it aside from what we’ve seen before. Would you agree?
I would agree with that 100%. It’s such a different take because there’s been so many shows shows where there’s different genres of creatures. I mean listen I’m a kid that grew up playing with every time of monster GI Joe tat is imaginable. So I love that stuff. I would watch it all day. Just to have a fresh take on it just makes it that much more exciting for me when I was reading it and I was like wow actually be a part of this is. You know this is one of those things where you get more excited about it, like, wow this is this is so cool. But it’s also so different. Wait a minute. Did I really get this lucky?

How would you describe it for people that aren’t sure? Like what is this show and what can you tease, maybe stories, that we’ll see as season one progresses?
Well there’s there’s already a big mythology behind the Story. So there’s a lot more to it that just, “OK. So we run across a mummy or a vampire or whatever, you know plug and play whatever you think of.” There’s a whole universe that is connected. And they have this whole vast idea of how they are all interwoven together. And kind of one of the things I can kind of teases is that some of it involves different dimensions. One storyline may be this but in another type of dimension, we may be doing this type of storyline. It’s got infinite possibilities.

And being able to do it in a way that’s funny and also really creative. It’s very cool; I think people are really going to like it really like a fresh take on it. They’ll see some things that they know but see a completely different spin on it. I’m a firm believer in like, in life we all have to be serious with with our jobs or whatever we’re doing at some points. But we all need to be able to relax and sit down and be a kid and watch a comedy, have some fun. It’s a great escape, in my opinion, and I think that’s one thing that people will get out of it. Like, hey, I’m going to sit down for a half hour, have some fun and really fall in love with some characters in a crazy world.

And I feel like Fox is really supporting it too being where you are in the air between some really established hits on a good night you know what. What’s it like to have that support and feel like you’re being set up for success?
[laughs] You pinch yourself as an actor. To be a part or something and then to see billboards to see, constant commercials and different things, you’re like, wow, they really believe in this and it’s so refreshing and so nice. Especially at the level where you just kind of come in and you cross your fingers. You hope you’re there to see it, and to see it getting love, and people being excited and to see the network excited, it’s gonna sound really dumb, but it’s such an exciting feeling that you almost don’t want to say anything about it because you don’t want to jinx it. It’s like, oh yeah, it’s really cool. Don’t talk about it, knock on wood, where’s something I can touch, throw salt over the shoulder.

Was there a lot of improv opportunity with the show? I’d imagine Adam and Craig probably have a shorthand from knowing each other for so long. Was their chance to really kind of throw your own stuff in there?
They do all kinds of stuff which is great [laughs] And as far as me, if they give me the opportunity, absolutely. Coming into something new, it’s like, whatever you want me to do, that’s what I’m doing, and if I get a take or something, hey, just go off the wall, see if you can come up with one. From day one they were really cool with me, like, hey, we have this idea? And to get to play, it was just so much fun. Such a blessing.

As an actor, you have a buy-in to the show where you’re not just spouting lines, you really feel like maybe you do have a little handle in the arc of your character.
Absolutely. Any time you get a chance to kind of take a swing at something, it’s simultaneously exciting and terrfiying. It’s like, alright I have this idea, and you’re ilke, what if they hate and they say that was a terrible idea, you’re fired [laughs].But it’s really nice when you get the opportunity to bring something to the table and have fun with it, and make it your own. That’s what we all kind of hope for, I think!

Photo Credit: Josh Fogel

Do you have a chance to sit and watch other shows or are there other shows coming back that you’re looking forward to or new shows you can’t wait to check out?
Well now I have to wait about 17 years for the next GAME OF THRONES like everybody else. [laughs]. There’s that. I’m about to start watching THE OZARKS. I’m watching THE ORVILLE on FOX which is really funny. The sad thing is there’s so much really good TV. It’s hard to watch all the good stuff. I have my friends, like “hey have you see this, have you seen that,” and it’s like, no, it’s on the list. I have to watch it. And getting a chance to watch all of it, it’s hard finding those windows.

What else do you have coming up besides this that you have coming up?
Well actually I’m starting a feature film that I’m starring in at the end of this month, which is really exciting. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m really, really looking forward to that. Get to kind of play and run around and do that for a minute. The name of that movie is called “Earth Angel.” Within the first 10-15 pages of the script, I take over a big passenger plane and land the jet and save everybody on the plan. As a dude from the south, to get to to that within the first 10 pages, it’s like dude, yes, I don’t care, I’m in! [laughs]

What was it that really drew you to acting and where would you say you’re more comfortable – drama or comedy?
Well it’s funny. I like to think I’m a pretty fun guy to be around. Some of my friends would probably deny that [laughs]. Most of my early work was all very serious drama. I was playing the heavy and I kind of, at the very beginning that that was sort of easier for me to do because I grew up, my dad was a fighter and so I kind of knew that sort world, the tough guy, that kind of thing. So it was easier for me to fall into that at the beginning, but now getting more opportunities to do comedies and do some different things.

And as far as picking one or the other I’m so selfish. Perfect world is like, be able to do something funny and be able to do something really heavy dramatic. Because as an actor we think we can do every single role or at least we want to try it; we may be terrible at it, but in our mind, yeah I want to do that! I want to play the 90 year old guy. All right, now I want to resort back, and now I’m 5 years old and I’m trapped in an adult’s body [laughs]. You get crazy! It’s on! I’m a big kid. So anytime I get to do anything I’m in heaven, as cheesy as that sounds.

I mean what is the saying song if you if you love what you’re doing it don’t ever feel like a job.
Absolutely. I mean as an actor, granted like there are some long days. And you know everybody gets tired at certain points, but to me that’s not the work part of it. I’ll stay up for four days in a row shooting. It’s the in between jobs when you’re struggling or you’re trying to figure out, like hey am I ever going to work again? Is that it? Am I done forever? That is the work.

That’s gotta be scary too like those those down times have to be a little terrifying. I don’t know that I could personally do it; I don’t think I have a thick enough skin to be like, I can do it, I’ll be fine! I don’t think I could convince myself I can do that.
Listen let me be honest. Nobody’s got a thick enough skin [laughs]. When you get a job, it’s really cool and you got to hang in there; but when you’re in the moment of hanging in there, and it’s like, that’s it, I’m running into traffic. It’s a wrap.

I’m out! That’s it!
That’s it, I’m shutting it down. And then you get a phone call and it’s like, like, nope I’m good. I was in there the whole time, I had that dialed in. It’s like, no you didn’t. [laughs].

GHOSTED airs Sundays at 8:30/7:30c Sundays on FOX.

Unless noted, all photos courtesy of MLCPR.