‘Last Man Standing’ Star Molly McCook Opens up About Her New Show ‘Good Trouble’

Last Man Standing star Molly McCook is about to pull double duty as an actress on both the FOX sitcom and the new Freeform series, Good Trouble.

McCook plays Mandy Baxter on the Tim Allen-led sitcom, which is currently in the midst of its seventh season. However, her recurring role on Good Trouble (a spinoff of The Fosters) was actually filmed before she even landed her LMS role, as she revealed in a Q-and-A with BELLO.

“I actually was filming Good Trouble when I found out about LMS,” McCook said. I was reading the audition sides while waiting on set.”

While fans should not worry about missing McCook on LMS due to the new endeavor, it was a challenge for her to balance both parts.

“[Switching characters] was one of the most challenging tests of my career so far,” she told the outlet. “Not just because the characters are so different, but because going from a half hour comedy to an hour long drama is just about the most polar opposite you can get in an actor’s world. I can definitely find similarities to myself in both Mandy and Rebecca. Mandy’s humor and optimism feels very natural and close to me. And Rebecca’s determination is something I feel with things I’m the most passionate about.”

She added, “Luckily on LMS, we rehearse all week so I’m working with the scenes repeatedly and some of that dialogue becomes familiar to me by the time we film it. With Good Trouble, it was a lot of legal jargon which was a huge challenge. Lots of Googling and figuring out WHAT I’m saying before learning how to REMEMBER it! But it’s a fun challenge.”

She also notes that the rushed schedule of shooting two high-profile shows led her to “going full force” and losing out on rest. However, it did teach her a lesson about self-care and work/life balances in the end.

“The truth is, self-care needs to be #1. Always,” McCook said. “From there, your focus will fall into place.”

McCook ended the Good Trouble portion of the interview with hopes that her fans will enjoy the Freeform series. She promises a compelling series with a variety of viewpoints being represented.

“There are so many different points of view on this show. Doesn’t matter if they’re wrong or right. But it shows all kinds of people, what they believe in and how to fight for that,” she said. “Also, being an adult and finding yourself is a scary journey. I think it’ll be nice for people to feel they’re not alone while falling in love with these characters. I’m also very excited for people to meet Rebecca. She’s a complicated soul, but it’s fun to see her layers peeled back and learn why she is the way she is.”

Freeform will begin streaming Good Trouble online starting on Tuesday. It will premiere on television Jan. 8.

Photo Credit: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic