{alltv} 'Derek' star likes playing a teen

In Vacation with Derek, the lead male character is 18.

In 18 to Life, the lead male character is — as the title would suggest — 18.

Both roles are handled by Canadian actor Michael Seater, 23.

So, Michael, do you ever get tired of playing someone younger than you are?

"Um, no, because that's the way of the game," said Seater, whose new made-for-TV movie Vacation with Derek debuts Friday on the Family Channel.

"I think you'll rarely find a 23-year-old guy who's playing 23, because the idea in film and television of what 23 looks like is very different than what it is in reality.

"You typically find people in their early 20s still are playing teenage roles often. I don't mind it at all, actually."

Well, it's a win-win situation for Seater and the Canadian Derek franchise, which has achieved international popularity among young audiences. The series Life with Derek aired from 2005 to 2009, after which Seater moved to the CBC primetime sitcom 18 to Life.

After completing filming on the first season of 18 to Life — which is filming its second season this summer — Seater returned last fall to what presumably was familiar territory on Vacation with Derek. But Seater admitted it was a challenge going directly from one set to the other, despite the fact both characters are the same age.

"Two days were added to the production on 18 to Life, so they had to figure out a way that I wouldn't be there for the first two days of shooting on Vacation with Derek," Seater recalled. "When I got there (to Ontario's Algonquin Park, where Vacation with Derek was filmed), I was definitely nervous, thinking, 'Oh God, what if I don't remember what to do?' My character in 18 to Life is very different from Derek.

"The first scene was with two people who had never been in the series. It was a very short scene, but I was looking at the producers saying, 'Is this right?' But then the very next scene, it had all the family back together, and I thought, 'Okay, this feels right — I remember what to do here.' "

In Vacation with Derek, the step-sibling rivalry between Derek (Seater) and Casey (Ashley Leggat) continues when the McDonald-Venturi kids visit hard-edged grandmother Felicia (Kate Trotter) at her lakefront resort. In addition to the usual Derek-esque hijinks, love interests for both Derek and Casey emerge in the forms of rich-girl Roxy (played by Kristen Gutoskie) and waiter/dancer Jesse (played by Nico Archambault, past winner of CTV's So You Think You Can Dance Canada).

Seater admitted he has been surprised — pleasantly, but still surprised — by the durability of the Derek template.

"I had no idea it would last, but it's great to create a character that little boys want to be like, teenage guys think is cool, and girls think is hot or whatever," Seater said.

"I think it's also that the show gives everyone somebody to relate to. You can go, 'That's me in my family,' Or another character is one of their siblings, and they can go, 'Oh, I've been through that.' "

Plus, putting aside the rigid notion of target audiences, a good laugh is a good laugh.

"It's not made for an older audience, but an older audience can watch Derek as well," Seater said.

"I love it when parents come up to me in the grocery store and they say, 'Thank you for doing a show on the Family Channel that I can stand watching with my kids.' I really appreciate that."