‘The Mick’ Star Thomas Barbusca Dishes On Season 2 Laughs, ‘AHS’ Experience

The Pemberton family is back for another round of mayhem. “The Mick” Season 2 premieres on Fox Tuesday night at 9 p.m. EDT. Before the sophomore series kicks off, International Business Times talked to lead actor Thomas Barbusca, who fans will know best as the ever-pompous Chip.

Find out what Thomas, 14, had to stay about the new episodes of “The Mick,” his time spent filming “American Horror Story” and his Hollywood family.

International Business Times: Last viewers saw on “The Mick” the Pemberton mansion was burning to the ground. What’s next for the family in Season 2?

Thomas Barbusca: I feel like the family’s trying to figure out where to live now. You’ll see some of all that conversation in the early episodes.

IBT: It has been said the premiere opens with the family in a luxury hotel despite seemingly losing all of their money. Will there ever be a point during the season where the family will struggle money-wise?

Thomas: Yeah, they do actually get an awakening in the first episode.

IBT: Since Chip is one of the older kids, will he have to get a job?

Thomas: I don’t think at the moment he needs a job. But later on in some of the episodes it would be funny to see him working at a restaurant or something. That would be very funny.

IBT: One Season 2 promo shows Chip getting turned down by a girl. Do you have any hope for his love life to improve?

Thomas: I don’t think so. Not yet that I’ve seen. I think he definitely thinks he can get girls but in reality, he just can’t. He tries way too hard so that kind of factors him into not having any game whatsoever.

IBT: Chip obviously has his faults, but you’ve also described him as having a good heart. Will viewers see a different side of him this season?

Thomas: I think viewers are going to see some glimmers that Chip isn’t always the bad guy. He definitely cares about his family and I think just sometimes he doesn’t always show it. But in some of the upcoming episodes that we’re filming now you’ll see some of his heart.

IBT: Is that one of the ways you relate to your character?

Thomas: That’s probably the only way I relate to my character. You know, I’m not as rude and gross as Chip is but I think that’s kind of the only comparison I have with him -- that we’re slightly good people.

IBT: Is there any one particular scene or episode that you are you most excited for your fans to see?

Thomas: Me and Jimmy [Scott MacArthur] have some great storylines coming up. I can’t wait for everybody to see them because he’s so great. Us combined is a really funny experience.

IBT: What first attracted you to “The Mick”?

Thomas: “Obviously Kaitlin [Olson, who plays Aunt Mickey/Mackenzie Murphy]... the producers, they’re all so funny. The script was so funny and out of all the scripts I read during pilot season, this one really stuck out.”

IBT: Was there a point during filming for Season 1 that you had a feeling the show would be successful?

Thomas: The pilot, honestly. The second we all met and hung out we were already family... You’re not going to have a successful show with people that don’t get along and we all get along so far. We have great chemistry. I think that how we’re somewhat successful.

IBT: Did you have any bonding experiences with your on-screen siblings Sofia Black-D’​Elia and Jack Stanton​ before filming?

Thomas: Not before we filmed the first season because Sofia [Sabrina] lives permanently in New York and Jack [Ben] lives in Florida. I’m kind of the lone ranger out in California out of the kids. But off set we all hang out all day in between scenes. Sofia and I are always talking. She’s like another older sister to me.

IBT: How much of your scenes in particular are improvised on the show?

Thomas: Not that much. I like sticking to the script. I like everything they write for me. I don’t necessarily feel like I need to improvise but its definitely something that they’ll say, “just play around.”

IBT: Did you ever film a scene for “The Mick” and think it’s too scandalous to make it to air?

Thomas: Back when I was filming “Wet Hot American Summer” I kind of felt that but then I realized it was on Netflix and you can push whatever boundaries you want there. No, I was kind of always fine with it. I never thought anything like that before.

IBT: After starring on FX’s “American Horror Story: Hotel” would you ever consider returning for another season?

Thomas: “One-hundred percent, of course. I had the absolute best time working on that show. I’ve never done anything like that before. For the first time ever I had like a fight scene. One of my friends for a really long time was working with me on it. I made another good friend on that show. Everybody over there is so cool and super nice. It’s just such a fun set, too. I filmed at Fox, kind of where I film now, and it was so fun. We’d have these night shoots and there was so much fake blood involved. I definitely want to do something like that again.”

IBT: Your sister, Brielle Barbusca, is also an actress. Have she considered doing a cameo on “The Mick”?

Thomas: One-hundred percent. I would love to work with my sister. She is one of the reasons I started getting into acting.

IBT: Overall, is there any one message you hope viewers take away from the new episodes of “The Mick”​?

Thomas: That we’re a very dysfunctional family. Just try to take that example and try not to be as horrible as we are.

Catch “The Mick” Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EDT on Fox.