Some Assembly Required is comprised of great characters, funny dialogue, hilarious situations, big physical comedy, and relationship-based stories with heart. The multi-camera show is shot in front of a live studio audience and will be premiering on YTV Monday, January 6 at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Harrison Houde has been busy creating an impressive film and television resume, most recently playing the role of Bowie Sherman on Some Assembly Required. His character Bowie excels at math and science, allowing him to quantify and explain why people don’t want to be around him. He wants to use his skills to design and engineer new toys, but unfortunately, his ideas range from bad to dangerous.
Tell us about your character.
My character Bowie Sherman is a little bit socially awkward and very quirky. He celebrates all of his holidays in August because it’s just way more efficient that way. He has some weird outlooks on life, but maybe it’s a good thing. We need weird people to have new ways of seeing things, and Bowie is the guy. Exploring the world one awkward step at a time, Bowie only has found one friend. His best friend; Jarvis Raines, probably his only friend, whereas Jarvis has many. Bowie does get along with the other kids working at Knickknack, but he definitely is a little bit of an oddball at the office.
How did you first get into acting?
Well, my older sister actually did it first for a few years but she is more the academic one, so she quit to focus on her studies in high school at the time. A couple years later when I was going into middle school I wanted to give it a try, mainly because I was really enjoying making YouTube videos and acting in them. I went to JRP in Vancouver for 2 years, travelling from the island every Sunday for 6 hours of classes. I loved it, and the next step was getting an agent (which was relatively easy), and then I started auditioning when I was about 12 or 13. My first role I booked and arguably one of my most famous ones so far into my career is Darren Walsh (the kid who started the famous ‘Cheese Touch’) in the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It was a small role, but was my first and in a feature film. It was quite exciting !
What attracts you to music?
I have been into music my whole life, me and my sister would dance around crazily to all her favourites as kids. Spice girls, N-Sync, BSB (backstreet boys), also I remember loving Simple Plan, Weird Al, and the Arrogant Worms. Yes, I was a weird child from the start. I started playing piano when I was 4 years old, and I was asking to play guitar shortly after, which didn’t go so well. I was also always asking to play the drums, which I surprisingly received as a gift on xmas when I was 12 years old. I have always loved electronic type music, and have been quite tech-geeky as well since a young age, so I have been playing around a lot in the past couple years with synthesizers, drum machines, and other weird (maybe QUIRKY) electronic instruments… hah oh man.. I am too much like my character sometimes.
How are you enjoying the experience of being on “Some Assembly Required?”
As cheesy as it sounds; It is honestly, a dream come true. I have always wanted to work on something like this. Comedy is where my heart lies, (which I discovered shortly into my career, and always being a class clown in school). Some Assembly Required’s storyline is amazing first of all, haha. What kid didn’t dream as a kid, their best friend taking ownership of a toy company and being their boss? Oh, that was just me.. well then. This is another stellar kids sitcom we all watched as kids, rushing home to catch the new episode. So far, the insane things I have worn, and have been doing on the show has been a blast. I absolutely love working on this show.
What do you enjoy most about being an entertainer?
I love to make people laugh, and smile. I also will admit I am full of way too much energy all the time and being an entertainer is one way of getting rid of my crazy amounts of it. Not ONLY that, but I will admit that I love the attention. Most performers don’t admit this, but we all dig the attention haha.
What are your favourite albums right now?
I am loving Said The Whale’s new album ‘Hawaii’ ! (Vancouver based band, Van City represent !!!).
Also, I am really loving The Naked & Famous brand new album, ‘In Rolling Waves’. I went and saw them live at the Vogue downtown a month or so ago, and it was amazing. I love that band to pieces haha. Also, I have to shoutout Selena Gomez, I have a celebrity crush on that girl, and her recent album is perfect. These three artists I jam out to in the car on the way to set all the time. Anyway I could ramble on for pages about all the new music and favourite artists I am listening to right now, so I will just stop here.
Do you have any favorite actors and musicians that you look up to?
I love Adam Sandler, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz Plasse (McLovin), Chloe G Moretz, Steve Martin, and Brent Butt. These are just a few of my favourite actors.
One musician/artist I really look up to is George Watsky, or just known as Watsky. He is a rapper and poet and I absolutely love his stuff. Also, other musicians I have to mention.. The Brecker Brothers, Selena Gomez, Pentatonix, Naked & Famous, Said the Whale, The Zolas, Mother Mother, Brite Futures (previously known, Natalie Portmans Shaved Head), The Beatles (cant forget them), and Ratatat. Stopping myself once again before this goes too long..
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Stepping out of my Lamborghini, walking up to my penthouse suite in Vancouver, only to catch a helicopter to my other penthouse in LA. Hahahaha… but seriously.
Honestly other than that, I want to be working on some comedic features, and/or new shows, maybe writing some stuff. That is something I will be making sure is happening (can you feel my insane confidence yet?)
Possibly my music career can start somewhere in the next 5 years, as I always have wanted to play synths/drums and start a band.
What do you think that the audience will like most about “Some Assembly Required”?
The writers are great and pick up on really funny things a character will do, and then keep calling back on it, it’s so prime in my opinion haha. I also want to say, watch out for the ‘Phineas and Ferb’ effect, at least thats what I call it haha. I don’t want to spoil anything in the show yet, but I think that is the best way to describe it.
Social Media Handles
Website: HarrisonHoude.com
Twitter: @HarrisonHoude, @someassemblytv
Instagram: @HarrisonHoude
Facebook: Harrison Houde, Some Assembly Required
YouTube: youtube.com/xTurnipTimex
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