Are Wade and Zoe “Lobsters?” Wilson Bethel Talks HART OF DIXIE

If there is any truth at all to the old adage that one doesn’t get a second chance to make a first impression, actor Wilson Bethel certainly deserves credit for having made the most of his. As Wade Kinsella, HART OF DIXIE’s resident bad-boy, Bethel has not only earned kudos for creating a characters audiences want to root for, but in doing so, quickly managed to become the Network’s bonafide breakout star of the season. So just what does it feel like to be on a hit CW series and what’s in store for Wade as the show kicks off its much-anticipated second season tonight? We recently had the pleasure of chatting with the affable actor following his recent “Bad Boys of the CW” panel at TCA. See for yourself, after the jump.

When we last talked to you prior to HART OF DIXIE’s series premiere you weren’t quite sure as to how the show would be received. Did the way in which audiences embrace the show take you by surprise?
Yeah Definitely. I mean I feel like it’s a show where the support is slowly building so that element really kind of caught me off guard. It’s not like theatre, where you know what people’s response is. With television you kind of work in a bubble over the course of weeks and months where occasionally you kind of put your head up and perhaps the buzz is positive. I’ve been actually shocked about how strong the outpouring of affection for the show is. It’s very reassuring.

What can you tease about Wade’s trajectory character wise as HART OF DIXIE kicks off the second half of its season?
I think Wade is confronted with the possibility of having to grow up a bit and I think Zoe is kind of bringing that out in him. So you’ll see that — being a push and a pull kind of on the inside of him — about the old Wade and the possibility of a new Wade. The new Wade being the one that might end up with Zoe Hart.

One of the big steps in terms of any character growing up is getting some kind of job. Does Wade, outside of playing guitar and tending bar have any marketable skills that might help him impress a girl like Zoe?
We’re actually shooting an episode right now where that starts coming out, and that’s a good question. What does Wade want? What is Wade good at? What does Wade offer as as an adult? Turns out, Wade has some entrepreneurial spirit in him that will be peeking out, let’s put it that way.

In terms of Wade and Zoe’s will-they-or-won’t-they, what’s your take? Do you want to see that type of relationship play out early, or are you taking more of the we’ll get there eventually approach?
I think it definitely will go there, but I got to be honest, I really like the pace at which it has been unfolding so far. I have a great deal of faith in the writers that they’re both gonna deliver it eventually and not rush it in the mean time. There’s a hard balance where as viewers people want to see action between character that they like, whether it’s George and Zoe or Wade and Zoe and so far they’ve done a pretty amazing job of keeping Zoe kind of out everybody’s hands. But eventually I think it’s definitely going to happen and it’s a matter on their part making sure when the time is right, we put all the pieces in place so it really feels like something that everybody’s on board for.

One of the big appeals of this show is that there is no weak link. Do you have a favorite character to share scenes with?
It’s not that there’s a favorite character to work with, it’s just that all the relationships are so different and I get to do such different things. I have such a different buddy relationship with Lavon, than I do with the antagonizing flirtation with Zoe, than I do with the kind of nitpicking with Lemon, than I do with a kind of strained friendship with Goerge being the competition over Zoe. When you’re working with so many great actors you have opportunities to really do great work in all of these different settings. It’s pretty amazing when you’re working with such a strong ensemble that you’re afforded the opportunity to do so much different stuff with so many different actors who are all of really high calibre. I just love the variety of it and knowing that whomever i work with it’s going to lead to a good performance.

HART OF DIXIE airs Mondays at 9PM on the CW and stars Rachel Bilson, Jaime King, Cress Williams, Scott Porter, and Wilson Bethel. Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv