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Tampa's Jenkins Hopes To Hit Jackpot On Singing-Dancing Series 'Viva Laughlin'

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

Carter Jenkins says he's not much or a singer or dancer, but he's going to give it his best shot when his musical number comes up on "Viva Laughlin."

The 16-year-old actor from Tampa is back on prime time this fall.

Two seasons ago, he co-starred in the short-lived NBC sci-fi fantasy "Surface."

This season, he's in another fantasy, "Viva Laughlin," which debuts at 10 tonight on CBS.

There are no weird little sea critters in this one. But Jenkins is playing another coming-of-age teen at odds with his parents.

"There are some similarities and some differences," he said during a recent telephone interview. "On 'Surface,' my character was an outsider in his own family. In 'Viva Laughlin,' my character will do just about anything to win the approval of his father."

"Viva Laughlin," which will air on Sunday nights at 8 after this special debut, is based on the offbeat British miniseries "Viva Blackpool."

It's a lively, entertaining drama about brash gambler Ripley Holden (Lloyd Owen), a small-time hustler who is trying to open a casino in Laughlin, Nev.

Hugh Jackman Has Recurring Role

He's got a family, a roving eye for the ladies and heavy debts. His dream of owning a casino runs into numerous snags, including a murder case and a nasty rival (Hugh Jackman in a recurring role). Meanwhile, his wife (Madchen Amick) might be starting to have an affair, and his grown daughter is dating a much older college professor.

Jenkins plays Ripley's shy teenage son, Jack. "He's trying really hard to get his father's attention but his father is a high roller who doesn't have much time for his son," says Jenkins, who left Tampa for Hollywood after landing the role in "Surface."

"Viva Laughlin" is one of several fantasy dramas vying for attention this fall. So far audiences seem to have accepted unconventional series with sometimes outlandish twists, such as ABC's new romantic comedy "Pushing Daisies."

What makes "Laughlin" different is that characters will sometimes break into song-and-dance numbers. They sing along to recordings of well-known rock and pop tunes from the past 40 years. Each song ties into the plot, and sometimes only snippets of songs are used.

Producer Bob Lowry insists that "Viva" is a drama with music, not a musical with drama. The series opens with Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas."

Jenkins doesn't sing in the first episode. The big musical number features Jackman singing the Rolling Stones classic "Sympathy for the Devil."

Jackman, a Broadway and movie star perhaps best known for his role as Wolverine in the "X-Men" movies, is one of the show's executive producers.

Also singing in the first episode is film actress Melanie Griffith, who does a bit of Blondie's "One Way or Another." She plays a high roller who is hot after Ripley.

The pilot has drawn mixed reviews from TV critics, many of whom remember Steven Bochco's ill-fated 1990 musical drama "Cop Rock."

But that series might have been ahead of its time.

Dedicated To His Craft

Jenkins says he is anxious to see what the audience reaction will be.

"I may be biased because my son is in it, but I think it's good," says Carter's father, Eric Jenkins. He says it was a treat for Carter to work with Jackman.

Eric Jenkins says his son is dedicated to his craft. "He works long hours on the set and then goes to acting class at night," he says. Carter also is working for high school credits with a tutor on the set.

Born in Tampa, Jenkins grew up in the Carrollwood area, where he excelled in dramatic arts and baseball. By age 7, he was acting in community theater productions and television commercials. His parents, Eric and Mary Jenkins, moved the family to Sherman Oaks, Calif., after he started getting roles in films and television.

He has an older sister, Tiffany, and an older brother, Renneker, an actor who is studying to be a director.

In the 2005 remake of "Bad News Bears," he played the son of Greg Kinnear's character. He also was in the Disney film "Life is Ruff."

He had a recurring role on Nickelodeon's "Unfabulous" and had roles on series such as "Lost," "CSI: NY," "Everwood," "Oliver Beane," "The Bernie Mac Show," "Scrubs" and "Without a Trace."

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