One of the kindest and most genuine people that we have ever had the pleasure of meeting is Shane Paul McGhie. The actor is genuinely humble, kind, and appreciative of every moment of every moment that he has.
The actor was cast in the role of Landon Gibson, a fan favorite who is the best friend of Tessa Young. He stayed out of trouble and on top of his studies, a devoted son, and a loyal friend. Landon is described as shy, smart, ambitious, caring, studious, wise, and mature.
That’s Shane.
It was our honor to talk to the man that you’re all going to fall for – just as we have. He and Landon may be the boy next door, but that’s what is great about them.
The both of them are someone who will crawl into your heart.
Can you tell us what was your favorite part about filming this movie?
My favorite part of filming this movie was definitely working with the people. I love love love Anna and Jo and Hero and the rest of the cast. Experiencing a project that has such a huge base already was really cool and interesting and something completely new to me. So that was really fun.
With social media playing such a big role in fandom in there being a need and want for more content content what is it been like interacting with the fans in and your favorite part?
That’s been amazing. I love the fact that sometimes I will answer direct messages – the ones where the fans will be like I know you will never see this and you’ll never respond and I’ll be like hey how are you thank you so much for the love. It’s just such an honor to be able to have that access to them and these characters means so much to the fans. They’ve gotten them through hard times and have inspired them and ship them – so something that takes two seconds for me could be monumental to somebody else and that’s like still kind of mind blowing to me.
Landon is such an important character in the books into these fans. What drew you to the role?
I think that Landon loves with everything that he has and I try to do that in real life and with my friends and my family and that something that drew me in. He does it judgment free which I think is really nice. It’s something pure and just needed in a friendship. I love his dynamic with Tessa the fact that he was kind of just like this protector and wiser beyond his years. That was really cool to explore.
Speaking of that friendship – Landon and Tessa’s friendship is often described as friendship goals. What about their friendship is goals do you think makes it goals?
I think the fact that they have the ability to just have fun and goof off and be themselves – unapologetically and without judgment. They have a love of literature. They’re just great. They are inseparable. We all have that person or one that person in our lives who just knows us better than anyone else who has your back no matter what time of night, no matter what time of day, no matter what’s going on. They are that. I think that’s why they are friendship goals.
What aspect of Landon do you relate to the most?
Think I have a couple. Like I said before I try to love fully and just with everything that I have. I think in my friendships a lot of times I’m like the older brother or like a dad without being a dad in a sense. You know what I mean? I feel like a dad most times way before my years of being a dad. I’m really close to my mom as well I know I got a lot of that from her. Her empathy for others and her sensitivity. I think that something I really connect to.
Since you relate to him so very easily, what was the most challenging part of playing Landon?
I don’t know what is particularly challenging. I don’t know who is particularly the character but I think it was the most challenging thing about it is that the fans have lived with these characters for so long and created ideas of who they expect they are and who they expect them to be based off the books – the words on a page. So it’s challenging. It is my duty as an artist to try my best and really represent what they want. So that becomes a challenge of you hope that you become relatively close to what they had imagined or what they had left for for so long. I guess I would be the challenge.
Have you read the books?
I have yeah.
So how much did reading the books shape your portrayal of Landon? Did you come in it’s thinking I’m going to stick to this book or or were you more kind a put your own spin out on it as well?
I read the book to get an understanding of the world. It was made clear to us that we were doing a version that was pulled from the book and had changed. So we were making something based off the book but something in itself – individual. So we were creating. It help me get the world of it – reading the books. We were also creating something slightly different. Which is why it really helps that Anna was on set. So we were able to talk to her about things about the character in the world that really helped us.
Speaking of Anna and having her and said what was that like you have any fun stories from set with her?
It was great. We had a lot of late nights. So of course when you pass that certain hour of the night everybody gets really loopy and silly a lot of involved. A lot of it involves me doing accents whether that was British or Australian. What was really cool is we spent time when we weren’t shooting on the weekends and stuff. We would go and do fun things and explore the city. She’s great. This character especially is like Anna’s baby. I definitely felt that maternal love and care and it was just great. It was great to have Anna around.
Where were you when you found out you got the role of Landon? Where was your immediate reaction?
I was in New York. I was filming a movie called What Men Want. I had heard we were going to get word whether or not we got the role. So I was on edge. The project was about to end and I really wanted to do After. I’d gone through a couple of round of additions at that point. I think it was like the day after I wrapped. I was n Times Square and I had gotten a call that I had gotten a role – I like freaked out. I freaked out. It was just so interesting – the world. Even when there was speculation that I could play it, the fans got wind of it and they were contacting me. It was just a really crazy exciting time. It’s so wild that it’s already here and then it all happened it’s really surreal.
Is it feeling that has changed since you got the role, shot the film and now the release is here?
No, I still feel like a little kid. I don’t know it still feels very surreal it still feels very exciting and fun. I really hope everyone likes it. We worked our butts off and we had a blast too. I hope we did it justice.
You and the cast seem to be very close. Was it that way in real life?
Yeah it is. It’s kind of weird how that worked out. I don’t know the casting was pretty perfect. I talk to Jo all the time. Will either FaceTime or FaceTime audio call and will just talk about acting life and everything. I will see Sam every now and then. It’s great we will sing together, we box together, we will practice accents together. It’s kinda like – I don’t know it’s a one in a million thing. It’s kind of rare that you would bond that well with everybody. It was really fun.
It really showed on screen. It really show that you guys are having a blast.
Oh you’ve seen it?
Oh yes and you were so great. You did amazing.
Oh thank you so much I really appreciate that
So what was the most important thing you learned about yourself well filming this movie?
I think this is one of the characters where I brought the most of Shane to him. I think for some roles there is the through line of me in the character that I am playing. For the most part it so vastly different from who you are, but this character was so close to home and so comfortable bringing me into him. I learned that’s not only OK but it’s encouraged. I brought some goofiness and silliness to it. I am Shane and I am a goober. And I’m like Landon is a goober too, so lets bring that in.
And one last question what’s next for you what can we expect?
I’ve been working a lot in Atlanta which is been a blessing. I just filmed a pilot for Fox called DEPUTY. So hopefully that gets picked up. I’ve got some things in negotiation right now for other projects. I feel really blessed. I’m literally back-and-forth between Atlanta and LA shooting a bunch of different things. Hopefully the Fox pilot will go and we will be shooting that. That would be great.